Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-25


country.
One thing, ''"e''S $3.50
however. stands David Lawrence.
out, and that's the difficulty OF
getting at the truth and bringing
the pressure of public opinion to
bear so as to correct the mistakes
being made. If ever there was a
task for Congress it is to be found
In the national defense situation
today.
The problem is neither political
nor partisan. The campaign IS
over and there can be no point in
bringing politics into the matter
at this time. Nor is the answer
to be found in merely appointing a
chairman or co-ordinator of ma
tional defense, important though
that be in the scheme OF things
Ut the moment.
The trouble is fundamental. In
times like these frankness is in the
public interest. The sad truth is
that neither the War nor Navy De-
partments is able to cope with the
problems of production, and yet
each retains enough authority to
bring about friction which impairs
the progress Of defense.
British System Cited.
Production Is the Job of men who
know the ms and outs of our eco
nomic system, yet the men who are
familiar with it do not possess the
necessary authority over defense
preparations and never will until
both the War and Navy Depart
ments are actually subordinated to
a national defense commission or
to a department of defense which
reports only to the President Of the
United States and not to any men,
Der of the cabinet or their sub
ordinates.
In Britain, for instance, there is
Minister of Aircraft Production and
a Minister Of Munitions in addition
to others who supervise the army,
navy and air operations.
As matters stand today. Army and
Navy officers with the best inten-
lions in the world are in certain
instances messing up production.
They tell manufacturers what the
latter ought to do. Each Army and
Navy group has a particular job to
get done. There is no coordination
with other groups except through
the loose and more or less supple
mentary organization known as the
National Advisory Commission.
These views will be disputed on
the ground that already much val
liable work has been done by the
Defense Advisory Commission. This
is true, but the overall picture is
not seen by anybody because the
tasks are so sharply departmental
lied that authority is either too
widely distributed in some cases or
concentrated too much in subordi-.
nate officers of the Army and Navy
who cannot possibly cope with the
| problem.
Congress Urged to Act.
The facts can be uncovered by
congressional committees which
should get into action at once in
| every defense area in the country.
Normally members of the military
and naval committees of both houses
would be useful in such an inquiry,
but what is needed today is COM
mittee Of each house composed of
the ablest men, irrespective of pre-
vious membership on the military
or naval committees. They should
take testimony in executive session
and should travel from one end of
the country to the other calling to
their meetings the manufacturers
and the production managers of
the various enterprises to whom
the Government has awarded many
billion dollars worth Of contracts.
For there is at the moment no
such check on the enormous arma-
ment program. Now and then some
one from Washington makes an
inspection trip and looks over his
particular part Of the program. The
President inspects plants, too, but
all this Is too brief and superficial
and does not go to the heart Of the
difnculty.
Thus one observer, who knows
aircraft. tells the writer of progress
being made in the plants in his
section Of the country, but of the
strikes going on among those who
should be supplying raw materials.
OF what avail are plants that manu-
facture aircraft II shortages in
needed materials are permitted to
develop?
An Example of Wasted Effort.
In another instance word comes
to the writer that a manufacturer
who has huge contract for war
weapons calls his subcontractors to-
gether on instructions from the War
Department and asks for certain
parts to be given priority when, as
matter of fact, the parts manu-
facturers reveal that there is no
shortage at all in their particular
field and that it would be sheer
waste Of time to concentrate on the
allesedly needed accessory.
Time is being lost and time is
being wasted due to the fact that
the War and Navy Departments
still have the right to make changes
almost at will in the specifications
and that the big job of production
Is not the complete responsibility
Of any defense commission. Con-
! gress, by its inquiries in the field,
can quickly check UP the work on
the defense program and if the
lessons OF the last war are to be
needed, it will be found that civilian
bosses OF the whole production effort
must soon be authorized who can
tell the military and naval advisors
what they can do in order to facili-
tate the success Of the program.
It is too much to expect ARMY or
Navy officers to become production
experts overnight and too much to
expect that either Secretary Knox
pr Secretary Stimson can possibly
do the work needed to organize the