Evening star., 1940-05-30

SSSJSSSsSoos
Omitted Before.
The modern ornaments to be
asked in the supplementary defense
program were urged yesterday by
Gen. Marshall in testimony be-
fore House Appropriations Sub
committee. Appropriations for these
items were omitted from Mr.. Roose-
velt's $1,182,000,O00 emergency de-
fense requests, officials explained,
because the Army had insufficient
time to prepare it's estimates.
The job of the new defense COM
mission will be to see that the huge
defense appropriations are converted
quickly into the sinews of war. The
men and woman gathering here to-
men and women gathering here to-
day are:
Edward R. Stettinius, jr., chair
man of United States Steel; Will
liam S. Knudsen, president of Gen.
eral Motors; Leon Henderson, Sc
curities and Exchange Commission
chairman; Ralph Budd, president.
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail-
road; Chester C. Davis, Federal Re-
serve Board; Miss Harriet Elliott,
University of North Carolina, and
William H. McReynolds, admins
trative assistant to the President.
Congress Hastens Legislation.
Congress was employing the holi-
day to hasten the legislation neces-
sary to supply the appropriations
already asked, and to labor on the
tedious details of tax bill in an
election year.
Two additional requests connected
with rearmament went to Congress
yesterday. One asked $1,0OO,OOO to
finance the work of the Defense
Commission. Another was for q
$1,200,000 appropriation for aviation
experimental work at Langley Field,
Va.
The latter proposal conceded with
approval by the Senate Naval Com
mittee of bill authorizing expan-
sion of the Naval Air Force. It
urged an unceasing study of new
aircraft developments and methods
Of warfare.
the committee report said that
one reputable scientist, the late DR..
w. 0. SWeek of the Lois GrunoW
Memorial Clinic, Phoenix, Ariz., had
Informed it he had discovered an
explosive 100 times more powerful
than INT, the destructive giant of
the World War. The report further
stated that another expert had
spoken of new fuel which would
increase by so per cent the cruising
radius of aircraft, developed by c. A.
Chamberlain of the Bliss-Levett
Torpedo Corp, Brooklyn. Commit
tee members said the Army and
Navy should investigate the value
of these discoveries and keep eyes
open for other improvements.
Reserves Called to Active Duty.
AS the defense drive tempo quick
ened, the Army and Navy took steps
toward recalling reserves to active
duty.
The Army asked its 1000 Air Corps
Reserve officers-pilots and OBJ
servers-if they would return to the
service for years active duty.
Many of them are now flying civilian
planes.
The Navy announced plans for
two weeks to year of active sea
training for its 40,240 reserve enlisted
men, beginning July l.
In another defense department
the Army made ready to place
$150,0O0 educational" order for TO-
600 gas masks of new type, de-
signed especially for civilian use.
Bids for the masks have been re-
ceived from three firms.
The economic front had its share
OF developments:
j. j. Pelley, president of the
Association of American Railroads.
reported that the country's railways
were adequately equipped to cope
with any demands arising from the
defense program. He is making q
survey OF the railroad equipment
situation to bring it up to date.
The National Association of Manu-
facturers, through its directors at
Chicago, pledged the experience
and utmost energy of its 1000 mem
bers in cooperating with the Army,
the Navy and the Defense Commits
sion.
r. C.. Loans.
Legislation facilitating r. F. c.
loans to defense industries for ex-
pansion and production got the ap-
proval Of the House Banking Com
mittee.
Donald M. Nelson, Sears, Roebuck
executive, was named by President
Roosevelt to be procurement direc-