Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-03
Transport
Control Held
Essential
New OPM Setup Seems
10 ignore H
BY HUGH $. JOHNSON

THIS mix-up in handling the
i eastern gasoline situation is
a perfect illustration of what is
the matter with the overhead
control of industrial mobilization
for most effective national de-
Tense production.
In the first place, il is not a
gasoline shortage at all. 1t is
a transportation shortage. In
the second place, it is becoming
daily more certain that il could
have been entirely avoided by
a combination OF close control
and coordination Of priorities
planning IN actual supply Of a
material necessity of daily liv-
ing with a prlorities control OF
transportation.
They acted without effective
consultation The right hand
knew not what the left hand
was doing.
1t is now plain by tho simple
eXpcdlent of using tank cars and
by some mild adjustment of the
very slight increase IN cost there
need not have been any upset IN
the supply Of eastern require
mcntS whatever.
II is equally plain that there
was several other WAYS. as for
example. hargeS 10 relieve the
shortage If they had been
planned and prepared for IN
time.
NOU can paste II in your hat
Il and put II IN your pipe THAT
these things 90 together like
fingers in a glove in industrial
mobilization price control, ma
terial control and ratiOnlng.
power control and transportation
control They must SIt al the
same table and play the same
game
a long step in that direction
was made IN the recent preSi-
dental reorganization OF OPM.
But even in that now Sct-up,
transportation control wasn't
given chips in the game II Won I
work that way
Let me illustrate by q par
ticular example In early 1918,
We decided 10 make the Compli-
Gated recnL deNlce OF 2Eccupora=
tor Of the French 75-mm. gun.
a good many people, including
the French. tell that our indus
Try couldn't DO such delicate
work.
The war industries board was
sure that our experts IN auto
mobile production could do h (
they so determined Mr.. Baruch
called on one OF the best Of them
The old tx blacksmith " n 5
damned If he was going 10 take
any orders from a paIe-faced
Wall Street operator. So he
SWore artlStlcally
wv VIZ UIhUh Nnis ~ il
r NJ. b. II speak your language,
hut just excuse me n minute
while ! put in telephone call
The call was 10 Secretary Me
Adoo who was dlrects general
Of railroads b. NJ $ end OF the
conversation was
Mac, we're having little
difficulty with John ~ and ~
about making those recupera-
tors. He wants TO make auto
mobiles. which are below re-
operators on our prieritieS Hist
Could YOU arrange that, begin.
ming right now. John doesn't
get any transportation i'm and
out of any of his plants"
I'VE reply was apparently
Il satisfactory for The con-
Versatlon closed Baruch had
no control over McAdoo. They
were Just collaborating
You don't really mean that. !"
said John what do YOU
think" replied Mr.. Baruch.
To make a long story short
John became the best source of
that production in the world
and between him and Mr.
BarIch grew woman mutual
admiration society that ended
only with the formers death.
| could multiply this historical
example It's only point is 10
show that all these controls
must work together. that on the
example Of the eastern gasoline
nonsense they are not doing SO
now, that what il takes 10 pro-
duce that result is not hifaMrir
organization charts. but men OF
good Will and high calber. deter
mined 10 work together for the
common good
Do we have that? I frankly
admit that | do not know
am willing 10 wait and see and
in the meantime, 10 support tho
new reorganization until
can see.
Distributed nv King Features Synd Ir
Reproduction IN whole or IN part
strictly prohibited.