Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-01
Industrial
Pooh ali
Not Needed
But G are full Planning
Called imperative
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON
MIR. CHURCHILL. like Mr..
A'A Roosevelt. shuns a produc-

tory delegations of emergency
authority, the startling assump-
tions of authority in surprise
executive orders and the nice
refinements of carefully drawn
organizational charts, nothing
really counts but the caliber of
the men on the particular jobs,
their ability. their unselfishness
and their willingness 10 work
together under a common leader
for common national purpose.
You can have the best paper
plan that could be devised
Without the proper men, il
won't work. You can have the
worst plan. and with the proper
men. it will work. The answer,
after all. isn't any super prima-
donna dominating secondary
prima donnae in separate cages,
AS Churchill says. God rarely,
If ever makes such a man.
This isn't TO say that clear
assignments of authority and
responsibility within particular
fields are not necessary, or that
prevention OF conflicts and over
tapping authority isn't indis-
pensable. II is simply 10 say that
that the selection OF the proper
men and some plan 10 integrate
their efforts is supremacy nee
ossary.
I DON'T know whether that
has been done in Britain, as
Mr.. Churchill passionately in
Sists that il has been done. !
only know that beyond the
peradventure of doubt it has
not been done here.
The spectre of an industrial
poOh-bah overshadowing both
their positions seems 10 haunt
both Of these gentlemen. In this
country the example OF Mr.. y
NJ. Baruch as the assumed
American pooh-bah seems 10
worry them both.
Baruch never was a pooh bah.
Hoover had food. Garfield had
fuel. McAdoo had transportation
and finance and so forth. Price
fixing. while il was housed with
Baruchs war industries board
and the chief OF that board
Brookings. also sat with the war
industries board was always an
independent agency.
The secret throughout that
great success was interlocking
boards with every war agency
represented on all the boards Of
other war agencies. but with
each chairman in complete COM
mand subject only TO appeal in
case of conflict 10 the next
higher board and a final appeal
10 the President.
This sifted out 90 odd per
cent Of complaints before they
ever reached the President. pre-
vented all absurd conflicts Of
action and conferred and Solidi-
llcN the NnOlP cUOTt.
THIS column. with whatever
i reluctance. has anticipated
and supported most Of the au-
, thorities the President ha s
asked Many Of the arguments
for them were first advanced
here--vaSt appropriations for
m h nization. modernization
and -metefizatien of-tffe army
selective service. extension Of
service. full authority for priori-
ties and price ceilings.
But it has not and cannot
support the almost complete
failure of reasonable and ra-
tional coordination of effort
and il is beginning TO be con-
WINGED that the most Of the
whole sprawling organization Of
industrial effort has not pro-
duced and does not contain
enough men Of sufficient caliber
10 do their jobs and make the
necessary combined effort.
This is not TO advance any
pooh-bah. To repeat. both Mr.
Churchill and Mr.. Roosevelt are
right. God Almighty didn't make
any self-evident pooh-bah for
such n job as this.
But American industry in the
main has found means by organ
zation and administration 10
get along without pooh-bahS and
il is about time that the Ameri-
can government snapped out Of
its political paralysis and ap-
piled proved American methods
10 a very similar problem.
As IT is. through inadequate
"A initiation controls. all our
people are threatened with
great and unnecessary hardship,
through inadequate conserva-
ton controls and ill-considered
promises of supplies 10 other
nations. little business is threat
ened with virtual extinction and
through many other aspects Of
gross political mismanagement a
great and growing resentment
and unrest which threatens ma
tional unity is threatening our
military solidarity and effici-
ency.
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