Evening star., 1941-09-03
New Defense Board
Tackles Industrial
Rationing for Defense
Closing Forecast for
Plants Not Essential
To Preparations or Public


The Nations new superdefense
board, S. P. A B., got down to
grips today with its avowed and
unenviable job of cutting off the
fat and hardening the muscles"
of industry to meet the demands
of an all-out, realistic defense pro-
gram.
At its initial meeting yesterday,
the Supply Priorities and Alloca-
tions Board did little more than
outline its general ,purpose-to trim
less essential American industries
so that all available men and ma
chimes can be put to work on de-
Tense requirements or essential CIV
ilian goods.
Some Closings in Prospect.
This means, 1t was made clear,
that plants in some Of the less es-
sential industries will be forced to
close. At press conference after
the boards first session neither
Vice President Wallace, S. P. A. B.
chairman, nor Donald Nelson, the
boards executive director, would
name a single LESS essential" in
dustry. But there have been, never
theless, definite indications of what
some of the industries in this classi-
ficatoin will be.
A number of industries, however,
already are listed on defense agency
books as users in some degree Of
supplies and machinery that are
necessary to defense. Some of these
plants possibly can be converted to
defense production, and others
perhaps will be kept open to supply
goods for military or essential civ
ilian use. But definite prospects for
classification as LESS essential" are
civilian consumer producers of auto
mobiles, refrigerators, tires and rub
ber goods, stoves, washing machines,
electrical appliances, silk and rayon
goods, zippers, coin machines, alu-
minum ware, metal furniture and
virtually all brass, bronze and cop
per products.
There are doubtless others, too. but
these-employing millions of work.
ers who must somehow be fitted into
the war economy that appears in
evitable-are enough to give an idea
of the magnitude of the task that
lies ahead Of S. P. A. B.
More Plants to Be Used.
At his press conference yesterday
afternoon, President Roosevelt also
dealt with this subject of utilizing
existing plants for new military
manufacture.
First step, he indicated, will be in
tories-presumably the sub-letting
of a greater proportion of defense
contracts.
Second step, he went on, will be
the diversion of many plants now in
civilian production, cessation OF
which will be forced by imposition
of priorities on raw materials.
And in all cases, he continued,
there will be new emphasis on work.
ing plants second and third shifts
daily. Eventually, he said, it is hoped
to have about 60 per cent of muni-
tons employment on the first shift,
80 per cent on a second, and 10 per
cent on the third turn.
Mr.. Roosevelt likewise told his
conference that there will be an in
creased tempo of Government
spending on arms production, with
new leaSe-lend appropriation re-
quest scheduled early next week and
supplemental overall fund to be
sought before the end of the year.
He would not indicate how much
either of these requests might in
volve
Today the Office of Production
Management, one of the agencies
under general policy direction of S
P. A. B.. has scheduled conferences
with representatives of some of the