Evening star., 1941-05-14


fH first and Which industries
haze first call on certain materials
in defense and British-did pro-
ductton. HouSe-dpproUed legiSld-
tton, under amendment BY Rep
reSertdttUe Cor, Democrat, OF
Georgia, Mould transfer this du-
ttortty to Joint Army and Many
Munitions Control Board.
By the Associated Press.
The Senate Military Affairs Com
mittee unanimously approved today
a Dill giving the ONCE of Produc-
ton Management broadened man.
datory authority to designate which
materials and equipment shall be
produced first in the defense pro-
gram.
The committee eliminated HOUSE
amendment setting up a separate
priorlties division, after word spread
that William S. Knudsen was de-
termined to quit as o. P. NJ. director
if his hands were tied in the matter
of priorities.
Coming out Of the meeting shortly
after the committee had acted, Mr..
Knudsen smilingly denied this re-
port
Acting Chairman Reynolds said
officials of the o. P. M, Army, Navy,
Treasury and Price Control Admin
istration urged elimination of the
House-approved provision
Would Be Statutory Officer.
This amendment would have set
up priorlties director as a statu-
tory officer, although all other o. P.
M. officials are serving under an
executive order. He would have
operated under the direction of the
Munitions Control Board instead Of
the o. p. M.
Edward r. Stettinius, jr., present
director, told the committee in a
prepared statement that he thought
such a provision was most inad-
viSable."
"Priorities is an essential tool, but
nevertheless merely one tool among
several for the expediting of defense
production Mr. Stettinius declared.
Its main purpose is to get quick
and prompt deliveries of articles re-
quired by the various armed serv-
ices. Its exercise must be completely
integrated with the agencies charged
with procurement and production of
! defense articles.
ITO take out the priorities organ.
ization and set it of as an inde.
pendent agency will tend to inter-
rupt this efficient coordination
which has been so carefully worked
out"
Representative Cox, Democrat, Of
Georgia, author of the House amend
ment, has said that one of its pur-
poses was to freeze Mr.. Stettinius In
the job as priorities chief. Repre-
sentative Cox did not say how this
would be done.
Would Censralize Authority.
AS approved by the Senate COM
mittee, the measure would centralize
within the o. P M the authority to
issue mandatory orders to industry
for the production of certain mate
rials or equipment. 1t would broaden
this power to cover not only Army
and Navy equipment, as at present,
but to include materials to be sup
piled the British.
Q. P. M. officials explained. COM
mittee members saio. that there had
been no challenge of the voluntary
priority orders thus far issued, but
added that statutory authority might
be needed to enforce them In the
future.
Must Have Authority.
Although he proressed to know
nothing of Mr.. Knudsen's or Mr..
Stettinius' views, Senator Byrnes,
Democrat, of South Carolina said
the administration would make every
effort to eliminate the amendment
from the bill.
THE man responsible for produc-
ton must have the power to fix
priorities," Senator Byrnes told re-
porters. IF the Office of Produc-
ton Management is to be held re-
sponsible for production, the priori-
ties division ought to be left there
and not put somewhere else"
At the same time, Senator Cur
ney, Republican, of South Dakota,
who has supported the administra-
tlon's British-aid program, said he
wanted to find out from the five
Defense Commission officials if the
o. P. M. now was being given a
free hand to carry out its decisions
on defense production.
Senator Gurney said he wanted
to get at the truth of reports that
Harry Hopkins, lease-lend adminfs-
traitor, was exerting influence over
the o. P. MS policies that some
times outweighed that of Mr.. Knud-
sen and others. Also, Senator Cur
ney said he wanted a full report
on the progress made thus far in
producing defense equipment, both
for the United States and Britain,
and would insist that information
casting light on this be made public,
Nnzis Cnv Thew Eovred