Evening star., 1941-05-08
Steel Industry Picks
Committee Of 38
To Speed Defense
Leaders Meet at Call
OF O. P. IA. to Study
Mobilization
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 8.-The steel
industry yesterday picked a select
group of SO top-f1ight hard metal
men to "co-operate with the Office
of Production Management in mo-
bilizing for national defense" all
steel facilities.
Named as a compact Executive
Committee TO steer the larger group,
the Iron and Steel Industry Defense
Committee chose seven leading
steelmakers:
Benjamin F.. Fairless, president,
United States Steel Corp
Eugene G. Grace, president, Beth.
lehem Steel Co.
Tom Girdler, chairman, Republic
Steel Corp.
Henry A. .Roemer, chairman,
Sharon Steel Corp.
w. F. Detweiler, chairman, Allie
gheny-Ludlum Steel Corp.
F. r. Frost, president, Superior
Steel Corp.
E. L. Parker. president, Columbia
Steel & Shafting Co.
Walter S. Tower, president of the
American Iron and Steel Institute
and S1-a-year man in the 0. p.
MS priorities division, presided at
the meeting of $50 representatives
OF companies making 80 per cent
Of the Nations steel.
Comment Withheld
The steelmakers withheld COM
ment on what transpired at the
meeting, which was a closed session.
The committees duties, 1t was
believed, would be to see that pro-
duction stays at the limit of
capacity.
Steel sources commented: IF
that isn't enough"
The reluctance of steel makers
to expand their plants further was
lessened. If the demand for more
steel continues tdNgrow more plants
may be the only answer.
At the meeting. called at the re-
quest of the o. P. M. there was
talk of expanding present annual
capacity. approximately $4,000 900
tons now, to fulfill national defense
needs.
The big companies say they are
nearing capacity. Operations this
week were estimated at 96.8 per
cent Of potential. 25 points above
the previous week as the industry
recovered from effects OF the coal
strike.
Backlogs Still Grow.
Still the backlogs of untitled Or
ders grow, swelled by new demands
for ship plates. tank parts, steel for
new defense plants and railroad
equipment.
How much time vas spent dis
cusslng capacity in the first indus
try-Wlde steel meeting since N. R. A.
died wasn't disclosed. Most iron
and steel executives declined to
discuss publicly the problems and
measures to be taken.
One observer commented. how
ever, that since the larger COM
panies already were at or near ca
pacity. perhaps the smaller firms
would be called on to increase their
output wherever possible.
Those who expected a Govern
ment demand for more plants
talked of the increasing backlog
and new demands and commented
wryly that mandatory priorities
might possibly divert a little more
steel into defense channels but
couldn't increase the total amount
available
Some had expected that the o.
P. M. would direct at steel the same
plea for "24-hour day. 7-day
week" that President Roosevelt
made to machine tool manufactur-
ers and users.
Larger Group Listed.
The following were named as
members of the committee of SO:
T. R. Akin. Laclede Steel Co.. St.
Louis, Mo; A. X. Andrews. Andrews
Steel Co, Newport, Ky; S. E.
Bramer, Copperweld Steel Co.,
Glassport,, Pa. w. F. Detwiler, AL
legheny Ludlum Steel Corp, Brack-
enridge, Pa; B. F. Fairless, United
States Steel Corp, Pittsburgh. Pa;
F. r. Frost, Superior Steel Corp,
Pittsburgh, Pa; T. NJ. Girdler. Re-
public Steel Corp, Cleveland, Ohio;
E. G.. Grace. Bethlehem Steel Co.,
Bethlehem. Pa: w. w Holloway.
Wheeling Steel Corp, Wheeling, w.