Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-21
Way Sought
To Put Zip
Into OPM
Some Believe Knudsen
Will Seize Helm
BY PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON, Oct. p. -
" Some one has got to take
hold, of the production half of
the defense program and put
some more vigor into il.
A respectable number OF
planes are going to England.
but hardly any tanks (exact
figures are still being kept
secret Aid TO Russia so Far
has been inconsequential.
Nearly every one around OPM
headquarters comedies the job
is not being done right, al
though the other half of the
programme accumulation of
raw materials seems to be
>poving forward with fair sue
cess.
Some of the. OPM men think
William S. Knudsen, the nomi-
nal head, will yet grasp the reins
and assert himself.
IL ii does not work out that
way. a good chance is that
Floyd Odlum, the tough finan-
cial organization genius from
New York. will work up to the
front where he can exert the
necessary leadership. supplant-
ing Knudsen.
IT is no longer a question of
L authority, but of power that
is not being used.
President Roosevelt, at any
rate, thinks Mr.. Knudsen has
the power. To an intimate adj
wiser, he recently complained
against the criticism that his re-
organization of the defense
setup left it headless, saying:
"Knudsen has more power in
this defense program than Bar
ney Baruch ever had"
Certainly Mr.. Roosevelt lodged
the responsibility" for produc-
ton with Knudsen, and that inn
plies power.
II is true>Mr. -Knudsen's toes
have been cramped by restric-
tons. For one thing, the war
and navy departments still have
the legal authority to do, the
contracting. and they are bellig<
erently defending it against any
encroachment.
But if Mr.. Knudsen really took
the situation in hand and forced
a showdown, there is no ques-
ton but that his superior author
ity would be clearly established.
Mr.. Roosevelt would back him
to the limit.
Those who have seen and
heard what is going on know
that if the former General
Motors chief threatened to re-
sign, for instance, he could elm
mate all his organizational OBJ
stacles.
0DLUM has gained the respect
q ~ of the administration by the
way he has started into organ
izing the new division of con-
tract distribution.
He, too, already has powers
he could use to bludgeon the
program through. His authority
is practically as strong as Knud-
sens.
He Is directed to spread con-
tracts: use all available manu-
featuring facilities; convert
plants where necessary. He is
empowered to seize every idle
tool or plant
Under the executive order he
received from Mr.. Roosevelt
September A, Odlum could re-
quire auto" manufacturers to
take munitions if he chose.
He could demand that the
army and navy give contracts TO
idle plants.
He could revise the whole cum
bersome schedule of contracts.
Some such evolution of the
existing regime cannot be
avoided if the necessary drive is
10 be furnished.
THE most interesting clash Of
L capital personalities has
been hidden by the austere sur
face Of the Supreme Court.
The court now has seven. JUS
tees appointed by President
Roosevelt, only two holdovers
from the good old days.
AS is usually the case where
opposition is negligible. the ma
jority begins to scrap with it.
self.
Rising in this new court ses-
sion as a conservative" doubt
it at your own risks the
crusader with the liberal reputa-
ton, Justice Felix F'rankfurter.
Political designations being
what they are nowadays, this
means only that Mr.. Frank
furter has dissented with some
of his New Deal colleagues. His
independent position is estab-
fishing him as a balance of
power.
TliE liberals who think he is
Il not SO liberal as they in
clude Justices Black and Doug
las, aggressive crusaders in their
own more leftish way.
Visible evidence of their vio-
lent disagreements with Frank
furter in the closed court ses-
sion has developed in dissenting
opinions.
They have new band leader.
Justice Jackson coming in with
them now. while Justices Muir