The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-09-28

is now turning out airplanes,
tanks, big guns and battleships
for national defense.
Knudsen Is unique from two
points of view: ~ his naive SIM
plicity in a town which dotes on
rank and protocol; and 90 the
gradual change which has come
over his political and social out
look.
Knudsen is by no means New
Dealer, yet he Is by no means
the champion Of big business that
he was before coming to WASH
ington. Compared with some
other dollar-a-year men on the
National Defense Commission,
Knudsen shines forth as q Cruz
sader.
That, however, comes later In
the story. For moment walk
into the office Of william Sig.
MUS Knudsen in the ornate Fed
eral Reserve building and find
there a man built like lumber
jack, his coat slung over chair,
his hat on his head, a pencil
clutched in his ham-like hand.
Knudsen got into the habit Of
keeping his hat on in the De-
troit auto factories, and he still
says: "A man can think better
under hat"
DANISH EMIGRANT BOY
He had moved to Detroit after
operating bicycle factory In Buff
falo; and he had moved to Buff
falo after spending the first 81
years Of his life in his home in
Denmark. His pay in Buffalo was
$10:50 week at first.
After the bicycle gave way to
the automobile, Knudsen got a job
with Henry Ford, where he boost
ed his salary within q short time
to $4,000. Then he quarreled
with Ford, was snapped up by
General Motors, and gave Ford
the battle of his life with the low
cost Chevrolet. This battle took
Knudsen up to the top Of Gen.
eral Motors with salary Of $780,
OOO-which he has now Surren-
dered for 81 year.
It was as head of General Mo-
tors two years ago that Knud-
sen came to grips with the Michi-
gan sit-down strikers, and prob
ably reached the acme Of his
opposition to Roosevelt and New
Deal encouragement Of labor.
Knudsen is a production man,
not q banker. Most Of his life
has been spent handling men and
machines. He let Alfred p. Sloan,
chairman of General Motors,
worry about dividends and bond
issues, while he concentrated on
the speed and efficiency of pro-
duction. Knudsen can read o
blueprint Of complicated ma
chine with more facility than most
people read the comics.
Therefore, when Roosevelt
was looking around for o man
to speed national defense last
summer, he called ON Knudsen.
POPULAR AND POPULAR
In Washington, Knudsen has
become extremely popular. He Is
straight from the shoulder, COM
pletely devoid Of fol-de-rol. When
you 60 In to see him he says:
'This ID Knudsen." When he says
he'll give you the information
you've asked for, he takes your
telephone number and calls you
back personally. He doesn't
bother too much with secretaries.
Aso Knudsen has become pow
erful. Congressman like and
trust him. When national defense
questions are before congressional
committees. frequently their menu
beers ask: 'WeII, what dees Knud-
sen think?" His opinion Is 90 re-
spected that next TO the presi-
dent and Jesse Jones he has be-
come the most powerful figure In
washington.
This power is important Fer
at the moment Blll KnuGsen
stands 81 . crossroads. He can
use hlA power either fer Big
business Or for the public.
CITADEL or REACTION
To understand this. Sou have
10 understand that the National
Defense Commission has brought
back most OF the highspowerod
legal and financial crew who ran