Evening star., 1941-03-15
Defense StreamIinint
Delayed by Battle
On British-Aid Bill
Reorganization Power
Of President Expired
On January Il
BY JAMES FREE.

An administration official revealed
today that delay in "streamlining'
the complex national defense organ
ization has been due to the pro-
longed lease-lend issue which re-
manned unsettled until after the
Presidents powers to reorganize
Government agencies expired.
President Roosevelt did not want
to make any drastic changes in the
. defense setup while the lend
bill was pending, the official said
because to do so might have him
/ dered or postponed passage of the
measure.
His reorganization authority, ap-
proved in an act of Congress in
April, 1899. died without fanfare
virtually unnoticed among news of
wars and world problems, on Janu-
ary 81.
Defense Cabinet Planned.
When the President has COM
pleted arrangements for setting up
a special defense cabinet which ac-
cordlng to reliable authorities will
consist Of the Secretaries of War,
. Navy, State and Treasury. with
Harry Hopkins serving as adviser
and liaison officer-he then prob
ably will ask Congress to renew his
reorganization authority.
The cabinet organization, report
edly slated to clear information and
to formulate policies relating to
both British and American defense
activities in this country, can be
created by executive order.
But to reorganize the defense
agencies thoroughly and eliminate
the now superfluous Council of Ma
tional Defense. congressional action
would be required. In view of the
broad powers granted the President
under the lease-lend program, ad-
ministration leaders anticipate little
difficulty in obtaining the approval
OF Congress.
Not Absolutely Necessary.
Streamhning of defense agencies
Is not absolutely necessary, for their
present activities can be carried on
Indefinitely under the two-headed
legal authority on which they were
created-the Office of Production
Management set up in January of
this year under the Office of Emer-
gency Management established in
1899 by virtue Of the Presidents re-
organization powers, and the Ma
tlonal Defense Advisory Commits
sion, appointed by the President on
May %, 1910, under authority of
statute passed by Congress in 1916
In a memorandum made public
yesterday William H. McReynolds,
laison officer for the Office of Emer-
gency Management, confirmed ear
Her reports that the divisions of la
Dor, agriculture, price stabilization,
transportation and consumer protec-
don Of the National Defense AdviS-
ory Commission had been co-or-
dinated with the o. P M, the Office
Tor Coordination of Commercial
and Cultural Relations between the
American Republics, the Division of
Defense Housing Coordination, the
National Defense Research Commit
tee and the Defense Communications
Board. All are under fiscal control
of the Office of Emergency Manage
ment.
Operation Little Affected.
Actual day to day operations of the
agencies are not affected seriously
by the change, it was emphasized.
The existing organization can per-
form all necessary functions, it is
pointed out, but it is subject to need
less red tape. For example, in order
for the President legally to carry out
certain actions in divisions set up
under the National Defense Advis-
ory Commission, he must first send
around and get the approval of all
SIX members of the Council of Ma
tlonal Defense (which has not held
a meeting since it was appointed
nearly a year ago.
And there are other evidences of
clumsy structure. For example, much
OF the money to be used by the Office
OF Emergency Management in it's CO.
ordlnatlng work had to be reallocated
by the President from the National
Defense Advisory Commissions
funds.
The setup still IS a bit awkward" ,"
an administration executive admit
ted, but we'll have everything
stFalghtened out in little while"