Thumbs up, Texas!

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 7th Year

Issue

Issue No.

5

Date Released

Nov 1941

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1Thumbs up, Texas!

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: Conflicting influences of Spanish, French and Mexican invaders have left their mark in many of the old cities, and we see picturesque Spanish settlements nestling by the side of fine examples of modern American architecture. We learn that Houston is the second biggest seaport in the U.S.A. with a 50 mile channel to the Gulf of Mexico, which allows ships to go direct from Houston to the Atlantic Ocean, thus giving a direct line to this country for our ships to bring those things we need so much today. For not only is Texas a vast agricultural state producing cattle and grain, but it is also wealthy in minerals essential to modern warfare. The Texan has realised the grave and immediate danger facing America from the rising tide of Nazi conquest, and in ever increasing quantities has shipload after shipload of raw materials been sent - numberless bales of Texas cotton for uniforms, for surgical dressings, for use in the making of high explosives. Mountains of sulphur for explosives and lethal gas, for processing rubber and for a hundred other important uses. Carbon for making the prime necessity of war - steel - for ships and tanks, for guns and munitions. Mercury for its compounds indispensable for detonators of mines, and the delicate fuse caps of shells and bombs. Also in Texas is almost all the world’s helium - a lighter-than-air and non-inflammable gas for dirigibles and barrage balloons.

Stored beneath the surface of Texas are mammoth deposits of petroleum - the all-essential mineral for which wars are fought, by which armies are moved, and without which the greatest air armadas would be helpless. Texas oilfields - one of the richest military prizes on earth, produce as much crude petroleum as Russia, Roumania, Iran and Venezuela combined. Through Texas pipe-lines each month, pass millions of gallons of fuel - to fill tankers bound for Britain. Virtually a vast military encampment in itself Texas has become one of the great training areas in the U.S.A., defence programme. Scattered across Texas are more than a score of Army posts where young Americans - from every section of the land - are receiving their training for the armed forces of the United States. Based on Texas flying fields is a large part of the huge U.S.A. Air Training programme to provide enough officers and men to operate the 50,000 military planes already on order. And as the Navy and Army engineers rush new construction from one end of the State to the other, great new operating bases are being commissioned along the Gulf Coast - gateway to Latin America. Working at full capacity, Gulf shipyards, many of them recently opened, are reported far ahead of schedule - building supply ships and warcraft. So that production may continue during blackouts Texas’ newly created aircraft industry is housed in modern-windowless factories. In plants that were only blueprints a year ago mass production of Army and Navy planes is already a reality. But of all its contributions to the World’s defense of freedom Texas is proudest of the fact that in greater proportion than any other state its young men are flocking to the colours - that a rising generation remains like the generation before it - THUMBS UP TEXAS.

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.8 No.1 of the US edition.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Local government; War and conflict

Written sources

Documentary News Letter   Vol.2 No.11 November 1941, p207.
Fielding, Raymond. The March of Time 1935-1951 (New York, 1978)   p254.
The March of Time Promotional Material   Lobby Card, Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Time Inc.