The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-11-22
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Washington, d. C.
WALLACE TO PLAY STRONG
ROLE

For about l60 years, the vice pres
ident of the United States has been
either a pure figure-head or else q
trouble-maker in the family Of his
chief, the President.
Tom Marshall, vice president I'm
der Woodrow Wilson, is remembered
only for his remark: what this
country needs is a good fve-cent
cigar"
Charles G. Dawes, vice president
under Coolidge, became famous
when his alarm clock allegedly
failed to 60 off and he arrived at
the Capitol too late to change a tie
vote.
Charley Curtis will only be re-
membered because Of his social war
to place his haf-sister ahead of Al
ice Longworth at dinner. And Jack
Garner will 60 down in history be-
cause OF his private refrigerator and
his covert opposition to Roosevelt.
None OF these vice presidents was
an active worker for the head Of
his administration; many of them
deliberately hindered it.
Now, however, for the first time
In recent history, we have a vice
president who will be a right hand
OF the President. Wallace was
trained under Roosevelt and can be
counted upon to be a great asset,
not deterrent.
1t ls not supposed to be known
yet, but already Wallace has dis
cussed ideas with the President
whereby he will work on three i'm
portant problems. They are:
/. To act as liaison officer be-
tween the White House and con-
gress. This is the most important
job of all.
2. To act as a sort of ambassador
at-large in cementing Good Neigh
Dor relations between the United
States and Latin America, especial
ly where congressional affairs are
concerned.
8. To formulate plans for shifting
the nations industrial economy
from armament to a normal basis,
after the war is over.
PATRIOT BUSINESS MEN
Behind that irate outburst from
the New England Shoe Manufacture
ers association at the army's new
method Of buying shoes was an I'M
told story Of how group of bust
ness men working for the govern
ment saved the taxpayers about
SO ,O0O, 900.
The manufacturers were indignant
that the army, under Defense COM
mission guidance, had scattered its
orders for 100000 pairs Of shoes
instead of giving this juicy business,
as in the past, to a few big firms.
But by this new method the army
was able to obtain shoes at ST so q
pair less than they cost during the
World war.
A group of business executives,
working devotedly in the procure
ment division, in the past six months
not only have saved the government
several hundred millions on defense
supplies, but have not disturbed
market conditions or caused con-
sumner prices to zoom. The shoe
deal was only one item in this re-
markable record, but it is a typical
one.
Because Of the long battle in con-
greSs over the Selective Service act,
the army was not sure until the very
last moment whether it would need
shoes for 400,000 regulars, or for
1000, 900 additional draftees. So it
was September 16 before Brig. Gen.
Clifford Corbin of the quartermas-
ter corps rushed to the Defense COM
mission with his requirements. The
procurement aces were all ready for
him.
| he
veyed the shoe industry. They knew
the capacity of every plant, from
the giants capable of turning out
thousands Of pairs a day to the
smallest factory in a Boston loft.
Also, they had carefully studied
World war experience, when the
price of shoes had sky-rocketed as a
result of the placing Of big orders
with few firms.
So. discarding the army's system
of asking for bids on the entire
1000 900 pairs, the commission ex-
perts quietly asked every reputable
manufacturer in the industry for
price on the number of shoes he
was capable of producing. The re-
suits of this willy trading were re-
markable.
During the World war, the army
paid 81 a pair for shoes Through
the procurement divisions method
of negotiated contracts, distributed
among rs factories from New Eng
land to st. Louis, the army was able
to get its 100000 pairs of regula-
ton shoes at $3.50 a pair.
NOte-Chief of the procurement di-
vision is quiet-spoken Donald Mel
son, the former Sears, Roebuck
dynamo.
MORE omen
Along with the speed-up in produc-
ton of airplanes and tanks, there is
q much less-heralded speed-up in the