Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-28
Recent Acts
In Defense
Reviewed
Price Is Hende rson
Particular Pigeon
BY HUGH :. JOHNSON

GdllcfSOn Communicating OH
authorizing the taking Of prl-
vate property for public war use
has been somewhat restricted
by defining more particularly
what property may be taken.
Mr.. Knudsen's OPM has been
reorganiZed so that government
OPM committees for each major
industry OF commodity may deal
with private committees or
trade associations of that in
duStry on questions Of priority.
production and ALLEGATION Of
contracts but not price. Price
is Mr.. Leon Henderson partic-
ular pigeon.
Mr.. Henderson has moved in
the direction of elamping down
some few price ceilings and has
indicated a need for more
general legislative authority 10
fix any or all prices.
MR.. 1CKES. as oil dictator,
4'I has begun very gently 10
cut down the consumption of oil
along the Atlantic ,Seaboard.
wild Bill Donovan. as a
major general. perhaps with
Jimmy Roosevelt as assistant,
is apparently 10 be given some
kind Of direction of all so-called
Intelligence departments Of
which we have many FBI.
Secret Service. Post Office In
specuon. Army and Navy In
telligence' and several other
organized under-cover shopping
departments.
Too much could be made OF
This as threatening an American
OGPU. or GeStapo
wild Bill might become a
sort Of co-ordlnator, but the
bureaus and departments IN
which these separate agencies
now function would be about as
likely 10 give them UP as a hun
CRY tiger would give up hunk
of raw beef
All these recent development
are not news.
They are in the right direction.
They are mentioned, not be-
cause they are separately I'M
portant. bu-becauSe, taken to-
gether. they are an indication
OF what is Inc matter with
things IN Washington.
THE "HULLABALOO" about
Il the original Communicating
statute was exaggerated
II was about what had been
recommended by the World War
Industries Board
A careful reading OF the new
and restricted edition will reveal
that the restriction is more
apparent than real
Almost everything is a com
ponent' Of munitions in modern
war and. in the new draft. such
componentS can still be taken
which is quite as it should be.
There is no space TO discuss
that point here. The real point
here is that communicating.
price-fxing. priority, such con-
Servation as Mr.. lckeS is prac-
ticlng in oil and the all-impOrtant
guardianship Of civilian supply
all fit together like the fingers
Of a hand
Zach affects, should supple
ment. and could offset and Sty-
mic the. other You cant decree
prioritieS without controlling
price. You can't have one au-
thority guarding civilian supply
and another separately and indie
pendently reducing production
for civilian supply.
THIS Is the heart Of Our whole
Il effort 10 mobilize industry
These principles are not
theories.
They have been proved the
hard way IN our own and every
parallel war experience. Whether
they be Secretary IckeS or Pat
terSon. or MeSsrS. knudsen
StettiniuS and Henderson OF
wild Bill Donovan, we are
setting up too many independent
agencies with no coordination
The reorganization Of OPM
into corresponding commodity
committees of government and
industry is o. X.
II is in the war department
mobilization plan and is what
has been earnestly pleaded for
i'm this space and elsewhere for
years.
II is bootleSS to ask why il
comes 50 late.
II is like the old whceZe about
the Harvard man tor whatever
college you care 10 substituted
you can always tell Harvard
man but YOU cant tell him
much. -
THIS OPM reorganization foi
Il commodity committees viii
do some good but not enough
because the Communicating All.
thority is some place else and sc
are the more important func'
tions OF control of transporta'
ton, prices, petroleum and civil
ian supply.
The curse Of the World Wal
mobilization was divided author.
ity. At the end of it the vet
Grams OF that effort said.
1T cost billions in dollars and
months In time. IL was terrible
But. thanks, never again. W.