This Nation's Power (1940)

[Music] America great nation that has accepted opportunity America built on faith and courage America civilization built upon industry and Power the song of power is as much our Anthem as is the song of Courage that commemorates the Great Men Who Built This vital Nation hundreds of thousands of manufacturing plants in these United States of America are enduring monuments to this Epoch which man has created the age of mechanical Power the age in which we live in this Century of American Life The Hum of power-driven Wheels is a sign of progress toward a higher standard of living a better and a Freer life a fuller life for all water and turning Wheels began this March of American progress in power crude water wheels turning the stones that ground American wheat simple tasks that were a part of the greatest of all heroic dramas The Sweep of Empire Builders who lifted a new continent to First rank among the nations of the Earth with the growth of America huge wheels and giant turbines were developed to utiliz the millions of horsepower available from vast water power sources great power plants sprang up wherever nature provided rushing streams and roaring waterfalls power to move the machines of Industry power to irrigate great tracts and support the production of food and clothing power to process metal and wood and stone natural power converted for the advancement of American civilization with the need for still more power America has imprisoned Rivers behind massive walls of steel and concrete harnessing the energy of running water for Monumental tasks yet our progress has been so rapid our need for power so great that all the potential water powers of the country could not supply the energy demand of our nation today the answer to this need in America has been engines engines to convert energy engines to produce power engines to help keep American industry and American civilization the greatest in the world and so America has become the greatest manufacturer and user of engines in the world in the history of power 19th century America was represented by huge hulks of forged metal that were the steam engines powering our civilization the science of mechanical engineering in America has advanced steam power until today steam in modern high-press engines adds millions of horsepower to satisfy the needs of machinery and transportation compact engines with greater power as we grow in knowledge but water and steam together Supply only only a small part of our power needs in the United States today a tremendous amount of power is required at least 10 horsepower for each of the 130 million men women and children in America and of all the power generated in the United States more than 34s comes from internal combustion engines engines that convert the energy latent in one of this country's greatest natural resources oil early diesel engines economical but cumbersome turned oil into Power American Science and American engineering prove their Ingenuity as improvements make these Diesel power units smaller more practical for the horsepower produced today's overhead valve diesel engines are important factors in modern American power economical power efficient power supplying energy for huge manufacturing plants electrifying America with self-contained power plants that have replaced thousands of miles of transmission with another internal combustion engine the gasoline engine and with the airplane Artisans and mechanics of America pioneered a new field harnessing Machinery to Wings as the principles of aircraft operation have become better understood American workmanship is developing more efficient energy and superco compact aeronautical engines engines that must exert tremendous power to pull their load off the ground although only 70% of this power is utilized when the plane is in flight today this country leads the world in the production of fine airplane engines the penalty Steam and diesel engines pay for their great power is in weight although each has its place and does its part toward powering America the diesel engine in order to produce 1,500 horsepower must be heavy and cumbersome while this overhead valve airplane engine develops the same power as the relatively huge diesel it has had to sacrifice flexibility in order to get more power with less weight these factors have been of prime importance as American Craftsman developed and refined automobile engine they have brought us in this age of mechanical Power the light but powerful engines for today's automobile the automobile engine is the greatest single example of American leadership in power of America's capacity for skilled work in mass production the American system of producing these automobile power plants is one of accuracy measured in 10,000 of an inch it is one of coordination between tools and craftsmanship between huge machines and precision workmanship in American Automobile factories the world's most marvelous machine tools are operated by American craftsmen who are second to none in all the world it is an amazing fact that automobile engines Supply more power than all the other power sources of the world combined in addition America has conceived a flexible automobile engine to develop its power over a wide speed range many factors of design developed and improved in the diesel and airplane engines contribute to the compact economical and flexible power of the finest overhead valve automobile engines sturdy Dependable engines whose power output is under complete control at all times this is America the nation of accepted opportunity producing 5 million Motorcars and trucks a year to add to the already huge supply of available power it is a dynamic age for America and Americans railroads automobiles ships farm machinery airplanes all with power to serve us civilization is built upon power and here in America we live in an age of mechanical Power we have developed our natural resources we turn water and coal and gas and oil into Power American Artisans are building the greatest engines in the world and with them we are converting our natural resources into energy to work for us to make America the most powerful Nation on Earth [Music]