Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1940-12-24
Civilian Units
Lay Boosts
To Defense
Roosevelt Plan TO Carve
Budget Hits Wall
BY PAUL MALL0N

w Roosevelt is going to ger
the shock of his life when he
finds what is happening TO his
promise TO reduce the non-de-
Tense side of the budget.
When the interstate COM
merce commission appeared be-
fore House appropriations SUBJ
committee, lis spokesman said:
."You know we're supposed TO
see We have an efficient trans
portatiOn system the inter-
est of national defense" He
tried TO Justify appropriations
which did not show the reduc-
tion that Congressman en-
pected-and on the claim of de-
tense.
Then the tariff commission
came up.
"Tou know" said its mouth
piece. national defense has
made il necessary for us 10
make many extra Investigations
and reports for defense authOri-
ties" The federal trade COM
mission said about the same
thing.
THE legislators threw down
L their pruning pencils in dis
gust when even the national ar
chives department reported adj
ditional duties due to defense.
They rolled over and died
when the battle monuments
commission reported SO head
stones were destroyed by bombs
in France and must be replaced.
so it must have more money.
All that is needed to bury
them and Mi Roosevelt'S prom
Use entirely is for the federal
reindeer commissioner in Alaska
to come in now and ask for
more funds to feed his Santa
Claus horsepower on the ground
they had become mor0Se from
reading the war news and there
fore the additional oats are
matter of national defense.
TIIE inner toilers on defense
L commissioners. officials. eX-
perts-seem rather generally
agreed that Mr.. Roosevelt's re-
organization scheme is a step in
the right direction. These men.
who should know best the in
tricate problem which has de-
veloped. think the new setup will
work if several follow-up steps
are taken.
For one thing, it is now evil
dent the so-called clearing Of
contracts by Mr.. Knudsen in the
old defense commission was per-
functory, to say il the kindest
way. He practically worked as
a rubber stamp on the war and
navy departments. AS a result,
the steel experts have discovered
some plants are overloaded with
orders. while others are not
working at their capacity.
As a result there will have to
be a reShuffling of contracts.
The unbalanced situation has
developed in other industries
than steel. Some symptoms have
appeared in m h ne tools.
Manufacturers who have been
doing business with two or
three machine tool companies
for years could not think of any
ono else doing their work.
Orders have continued 10 pile in
, on these Companies. although
they are overloaded the
heaviest.
CUCCESS or failure of the new
- arrangement may d pen d.
largely on the kind OF people
Knudsen shifts into key posi-
tions. KnudSen is not to be
the policy man He is the
odynamo FDR is keeping the
pelicy power. But knudsen
knows the mechanics of manu-
featuring as well as any person
living
If he were a hundred Knud-
sens he could go into every plant
in the country and put his own
substantial shoulder on the
wheel. As il is. he will need as
many forceful experienced
manufacturing experts as he can
get to go out mo the country
and talk over ! bchnical prob
lens on the Job, There are far
too many obscure deficiencies
involved for the work 10 be
handled from desk in Wash
lnCton
His excellent assistant. MIR.
BlCgcrS. i due 10 he shifted IN
10 head the division of munitions
production under the rcorganiZa-
ton The purchasing division is
10 be headed by capable Donald
Nelson.
The third big division is pri-
critics. II is generally believed
knudSen will go outside the or
ganization for the man TO head
it, The aircraft division has
been functioning on some of its
cylinders, part of the time. Only
THREE or four officials were
working full time AT last ac-
counts. II j due Ia be COM
pletely revised and strengthened.
I'VE hopes which the plan
Il holds out are obvious. The
defense commission has been