The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-09-04

has known, our various national
Offices. created to speed up pro-
duction Of defense and a.d-the-de-
mocracies supplies, while still CIV
ing our civilian population enough
to live on, haven't pulled together
very effectively.
They haven't exactly quarreled
but they've disagreed. The results
been that the whole joint pro-
grants been badly snarled and in
terfered with.
William S. Knudsen, represent
ing management, and Sidney Hill
man, representing labor, have been
twin production bosses. Secretar-
les Henry L. Stimson and Frank
Knox have hollered for the require
ments OF the war and navy de-
partments respectively Leon Hen
derson has spoken for civilian
needs, at reasonable prices. Inter-
ests have conhicted. Not much bad
language has been employed, but
wheels haven't turned with the ve-
locity that the situation calls for.
Judge Rosenman's Idea
So President Roosevelt called on
his old friend and adviser, Judge
Samuel L Rosenman, 10 come to
Washington from New York and
do some co-ordinating.
Sammy the Rose" as F. D. r.
calls him, evolved the Idea OF the
Supply Priorities and Allegations
Board, to handle matters, as
single, central authority, bossing
the purchase OF raw materials, ex-
pediting the processing Of them,
dividing up their distribution be-
tween military and civilian uiti-
mate consumers and seeing that
prices are kept within reason, thus
avoiding imitation.
F. D. r. promptly created the
board by executive order.
Its members include Bill Knud-
sen, Sidney Hillman, Henry Slim
son, Frank Knox and Leon Hender-
son. Now, if those chaps couldn't
agree as heads Of separate. inde-
pendent set-ups, can they agree as
fellow members Of one commits
sion? That remains to De demon
strated.
But Bill, Sidney, Henry, Frank
and Leon are only five Ia number,
and this new boards announced as
a seven-man aggregation.
Well, Special Presidential Lease
Lend Assistant Harry L. Hopkins
Is a sixth.
Plus Bill, Sidney, Henry, Frank,
Leon and Harry are Vice President
Henry A. Wallace and ronald NJ
Nelson, hitherto OPMs director OF
purchases.
That makes eight, according to
my arithmetic; not seven.
Henry Wallace is chairman, and
I suppose the chairman OF a board
has to be a member OF 1t, unless
he's ex-oficio.
That appears to leave Don Nell
son out in the cold. Yet he's the
boards executive director, the guy
who'll have more to do with its
actual activities than all the other
seven put together.
Just how an executive director
rates alongside chairman I'm un-
certain, but the general surmise Is
that that boards real boss will be
Nelson. Furthermore, he's argued
all along for central control Of
production and distribution Of sup
plies for the emergency. Appar-
emily he converted Sammy the
Rose" 10 his idea II 50, IL sounds
not unlikely that Sammy recon-
mended him 10 r. D: r. as the
best real head Of SPAB operations.
Nelson Over Knudsen
Nelson, 4 former Sears, Roe
buck & Co. official, is a mild in
diHdual, who undoubtedly will do
his utmost TO avoid friction with
SPABs membership. In effect he's
been boosted over Bill Knudsen's
head, which might be expected to
antagonize Bill. Bills mild, too,
though; 50 perhaps he won't be
resentful
But Leon Henderson isn't mild
II he disagrees with Nelson there'll
be fireworks on Icons part.
A mitigating circumstances in
connection with the Nelson-Hen-
derson situation is that Icons a