Will You Back Him Up With An EXTRA War Bond During the 6th War Loan Drive? Nov. 20-Dec. 16 \ LETICS ARE PLAYING A PART” piddeuans 3 Vol. XXI, No. 2 PUBLISHED BY Jowe 2 Campper, Circulation 45,000 Nov.-Dec., 1944 Yes—We Have No Banana Oil... ROBABLY there are many firms accepting orders for basket balls and basket ball uniforms and making definite promises of delivery. We know that. We also know that many of these promises will not be fulfilled. For our part, we prefer that you, Friend Customer, know the facts. Here they are, unvarnished, untinted and unflavored by the oil of optimism: BASKET BALLS The Army and Navy are taking all that can be produced—and that production is falling short of their needs. There is a critical shortage of bladders and those which can be made must go into the items to be supplied to the armed forces on war contracts. That isn’t a suggestion—it’s an order! And it’s an order that affects all manufacturers—the large ones and the small ones. UNIFORMS All materials are scarce. Yarns and fabrics in wool, cotton and rayon are used in such huge quantities in the war program that there is practically none left for civilian distribution. This hits with a full impact on the type of materials used in the manufacture of athletic clothing. Another point, too, is that the Army and Navy are big pur- chasers of this type of apparel. Football, Basket Ball, Baseball and Track uniforms are now being produced on military directives for shipment overseas. NO IMPROVEMENT IN SIGHT It would. only be wishful thinking to predict that the situation will clear up quickly. When the shooting is over in Europe, our boys in the service will need athletic and recreational equipment ’ MORE—not less—than they need it now. They can’t be brought back across the seas all at once. They will not put in their time drilling and digging foxholes after hostilities cease. No one knows that better than the military authorities. BUYING MORE THAN THEY NEED? The statement is made frequently that the Army and Navy are buying much more than they need. The point is overlooked that there are millions of these boys over there—and millions over here getting ready to go over there—who desperately need the physical and mental benefits of sports and games. Maybe you get tired hearing “The boys in the service come first.” But’ draw a deep breath of patriotic air and tell the world that there isn’t any other group entitled to be placed ahead of them! Getting more than they need? Why, brother, all the wheels of the athletic industry can’t produce that much! WHAT TO DO The shortage presents problems that are real. And the indica- tions are that these problems will become more and more acute in the next several months. The only answer is to take the best care possible of the equipment on hand—make it last—make it do! Buy basket balls wherever you can get them—and don’t be too particular about the make or shape! Meanwhile, give the old ones the tender care a mother gives her ailing offspring! Will we accept any orders at all for uniforms? Yes—if you are willing to place them with the understanding that you will take delivery whenever we can make it! You know we used to suggest a “second choice’ to avoid delay. But that won’t do the job today! In placing an order, give us a whole bunch of selec- tions! Each “choice” you add to your list adds to your chances for getting delivery. A PROBLEM THAT’S REAL Please don’t expect too much even in such cases where we do have the material in the right quantity, the right quality and the right color. There still remains the labor problem— we are reminded daily that you can’t produce without producers. Expert workmanship is required to produce our line and experi- enced operators are not obtainable. Green help must be trained and that is not an overnight process. Many of these trainees do not stay with a job long enough to learn what it is all about. That means starting all over again—and that we do in spite of the conviction that only a small percentage of the new trainees will remain long enough to contribute anything in the way of production. The labor problem is real and no real improve- ment can be expected until V-E Day when cut-backs can be made in the production of the actual implements of war. WE'LL DO OUR BEST There is no one who appreciates more than we do the impor- tance of carrying on with the athletic and physical training pro- grams in our schools and colleges. Everything we can do to keep them going full speed ahead will be done. Every order placed with us will be handled to the best of our ability. If we do not have exactly what you want, we'll try to send something that at least will do in a pinch—and don’t let any glib-tongued salesman tell you that a real “pinch” doesn’t exist so far as athletic equipment is concerned. And if we can send nothing at all, we'll tell you so—frankly and promptly. There is one commodity that has never been in stock with us—and never will be—and that’s “banana oil’!