Imperial Valley press., 1941-09-25

WASHINGTON. Sept 25 - One
Of the most hopeful Signs in Wash
!ngton these days is an apparent
Consciousness OF too much red tape
and the desire of some parties 10
do somethine about i. Early III the
defense effort. Rep. Andrew EdmiS-
ton OF Weston. W VI. mad" news
when he called up the Wan De
0ar.nent 10 ask II The Army would
want any pre-tabHca.ed buildings
in its construction program He got
transferred is times. but the 10Th
fellow he talked to was the man
he had talked 10 first.
That incident inspired national
archives officials to trace thc orr
gin OF the term red tape back 10
its frs use. shortly after The wal
between me states. when 4 veteran
baWled out a cierk Who was hold
ing up a pension check, demanding
that the red tape which was then
used in place OF paper clips be torn
off his application 50 he could get
his money. The story got wide cir
culation and RED tape soon became
synonymous with government de-
Iay. But here is the third defense
effort since Civ! War -daEs. and
there is still red tape.
President Rooseyelt,5 announce
ment that the length OF time nee
essarv TO approve lease-lend ap-
plicatlon had been cut from %
days 10 Is days. and was being cut
another "a hours by giving Lease
Lend Administrator Ed Stettlnlus
authority to sign the applications in
place of the President is a sample
of the tIme saving that can be
effected
An amazing s.deagEt, however, IS
that one Of the tlrst things Don
aid Nelson had TO do when he be-
came mead ot prIorities succeeding
Stettlnlu>. WaS call IN staff Of
Chicago mail order experts ans
clean up a backlog Of more than
5000 unhandled applications bound
up in the StettlnIus administration
red tape. The rule is now that all
prlorlues applications must be
cleared WITHIN 48 hours from the
time Of .ne!r arrga! il Washing
ton.
Beh.nd a Commerce Department
annolucemcn, Of tex days ago
ma, ]. Va setting up rs own clear
.nq aoUse % break 4 bottlcneck
IN the handling Of export clearanccs
for South America there vas an
other .ong tale Of greet written IN
miles Of govcrnmen, red tape.
SNARLS OYER \ SNARL
One Of tie principal concerns CT
the E,Xpogt-Import bank. IL loan
ing some Sl5O mIuIOu 20 Latin
America for internal Development
If the 20 American republics. las
been the stipulation tat al. .mlor,
materials needed lor th"se umproye-
ments mus, be pa,cha ed al H."
United S,a,c, Road. railroads.
steel mills mEcs. apucu.'ural de-
Ye.opments-au Wcrr bound to
use machinery made IL the U.S.A.
Thcn aiong came Tie defense ef-
tort Exporters making road ma
chmerv. ioromolYcs m!nn2 equip
mcn, farm implements. lnder con-
t:act. financed b. Export Import
.9ans sIddchlY tound that they
cou.dn' -, Dr.onucs On a'eoi to
comp.r,e tuc.s LATIN American d.
Gers
Here Va lar. that n%orfd
AaN dozen poycrnment ascnci"
State. Commerce. VA %dFg dc
fcnse OPM ana lhe tXpolt-Import
bank FINALLY procedure va. so'
up within tie office OF E%por' Con-
tro. walcn ua@ .Inal Sd" o. Ma,
gooas can be shipped oHi o1 nc
country. and where A -taN o. uagd-
bOllcG ARM O!tI.c!. -. ..pposrG
70 cut through II, 'lr rcd tape III
such manner Ia OF IT 'ueac
applications r1mag .a.g "a.ln.'
ION could b" c,,a'oa u Il" IL Of
the dcpar m"E' - ah 'Af"" 0ai..
i d.GA' 2plf
Gen R....I Na"TcI MO Had
been u raa:ee L. c%p,r' control.
va D.e,.ed 5-sf - 2otIgc ouly
IL IL W DrpalmcA' aud ms
GrgaIIa1.Gl III, 'raL,!crrcd % lnc
IN LcGLOM.. DeicA.c Board audeE
V.cr plcI Idcn' "aaact and MIlo
1crk.u. FDB VII no% uY 10 lr-
.eye some oi TIE red tape pless,rc