Sawyer Sees Strong Economy For 2 Years, Truce or Not
Secretary of Commerce Charles W. Sawyer said yesterday that a Korean truce might have a ÛÏminor effectÛ on the NationÛªs economy but that he does not foresee any major recession ÛÏin the near future.Û</br></br>Sawyer also said the ÛÏguns and butterÛ defense program has been handled ÛÏexcellently." He said Americans should be able to buy just about all the automobiles and other consumer gbods they want this year if they are willing to pay the price.</br></br>Simultaneously, the Agriculture Department said production of major civilian appliances ÛÓradios, washing machines and refrigeratorsÛÓwill be about as big during the first six months of this year as during the comparable period of 1947-49 despite defense cutbacks.</br></br>Sawyer*conceded the switch to war production has resulted in widespread unemployment in some areas such as Detroit and New York. But he said the situation would have been much worse if all civilian production had been halted as some have urged.</br></br>He said the changeover from peacetime output has been made as rapidly as the armed services could let odrers and that not one more plane or gun would have been produced if the auto-moblie industry had been shut down completely.