Evening star., 1941-08-28
Acceptance Of Orders
Mandatory, 0. p. N.
Warns Industry
Manufacturers Told
They Must Produce
For Foes Of Axis

IN what some Government au-
thorities today termed the first
sweeping action to end business as
usual" the o. P. NJ. has notified
American manufacturers that in the
future they must accept orders for
war materials for the Army and
Navy, Britain, Russia, China and
other anti-AXis countries, even if
the acceptance forces delay or stops
deliveries on civilian goods,
E R. Stettinius, jr., defense pri-
critics director. issued the regulation
in broad revision of priority rules
1designed to expedite the armament
iprogram.
! In the past, if manufacturer
tGovernment priority or preference
rating, he was required to fill it
,ahead of other orders with a lower
rating or none However, he was
mot compelled to accept the order
If he. did not choose to.
! System Extended.
The requirement forcing manu-
facturers to take orders was first
included in regulation placing
pig iron under priority control, but
it is now extended to all manu-
facturers, producers. distributors and
dealers in the United States.
:, The regulations said defense orders
included purchases of not only the
Army and Navy and other United
States Government defense agencies
but also those of Great Britain,
Belgium, China, Greece, the Neither
lands, Norway, Poland. Russia and
Yugoslavia. 1t also includes Govern
ment orders for delivery to any
,other country in the Western Hemi-
!ephere.
Oficials declined to say what
would be done in case company
refused to accept an order falling
within the defense category, but 1t
was indicated that persistent re-
fusal might result in cutting off
his supplies for other orders.
To Act on Scrap.
Another indication of a stiffening
of the Governments determination
10 obtain adequate defense supplies
came following a meeting of scrap
dealers and steel company eXecu-
tives with o. P. M. and Opacs
officials yesterday. It was announced
fatty that a mandatory order for
iron and steel scrap will be issued
within the next few days, and that
metals-"widely ignored in recent
weeks"-will be enforced strictly
beginning on September 2.
The Government is preparing, 1t
was stated, to lend assistance
through all its agencies to nation
wide collection of iron and steel
scrap. And this can be done, it
was explained, only if a sound and
uniform price structure is main
tanned.
To Clear Deliveries.
Among other major provisions OF
the priorities revision issued by Mr..
StetttAi4As ere - sssS&Y q, t@4azsf
AnSGtlf64 1fl6er which persons
who are unable to obtain material to
make defense goods may receive the
help. thss Prioxitaes Division in
getting deliveries
A requirement that firms holding
defense orders must schedule pro-
duction SO that deliveries will be
made on the dates required.
Subjecting of intra-company deli
veries-that is, deliveries from one
branch of company to another-to
the same restrictions applying to
inter-company deliveries.
A prohibition against accumulat-
ing excess inventories.
The priority system calls for ex-
tensive records of purchases and
deliveries. and the Office of Produc-
ton Management was given au-
thority to audit and inspect them at
any time.
Mr.. Stettinius also said that per-
sons making 'willful false state
ments" in connection with priorities
would be deprived of deliveries of
materials and in cases where such
action was considered warranted, he
might recommend prosecution under
a section Of the criminal code which
provides Jail terms up to two years
and fines up to $4,000 for misrepre-
sentation to the Government.