This is much about ethnic prejudice and nationalistic bias as it is about vertical integration. As suggested above, no big-three U.S. automaker has even attempted to build a modern automobile wihout jobbing out parts production. At a time when parking a "foreign" car on the lot of a UAW local was forbidden, outsourcing to Japan was already in full swing.
If James Purdey were to "own and operate" a smelter and rolling mill in Turkey, would anyone find that bit of news reassuring. If he were to adopt a young Turkish lad, name him Jimmy Purdey the fourth or whatever and send him to learn action filing, would that satisfy anyone? Parts is parts; they do have to be made to fit together somewhere. The gun quarters of Birmingham, St. Etienne, Herstahl, etc. were no doubt a source of chauvinistic pride; apparently no one is happy with an "international" gun, however well executed, although the simple fact of outsourcing across national boundaries is as old as Spanish steel and Belgian barrels.
jack
