Evening star., 1942-09-17


which probably David Lawrence.
was not cited to the President con-
cerned the peculiar setup of the new
rubber unit inside the War Produc-
ton Board. 1t is said that the man
In question didn't think he could
function effectively that way.
william M. Jeffers, head Of the
Union Pacific Railroad, who was
drafted by the President to become
rubber administrator, admits he
knows very little about rubber. He
has not been a part of the rubber
industry and the Baruch committee
specifically suggested that some
one with experience in rubber
should be chosen.
Mr.. Jeffers. however. is as good a
man as could be chosen If the Sc
lection was not to be confined to
those who know something about
rubber. He is an excellent admin
istrator, and II he can resist the
Washington pressures and run his
own show, he will make success Of
it, though it is unfortunate that
the country has to wait now for a
new administrator to learn all about
the rubber problem before he can
function effectively.
If he doesn't spend some weeks
learning the Job and attempts to
make decisions on the basis of what
subordinates and rubber advisers
hereabouts tell him, he may walk
into q hot bed Of controversies and
find his task even more difhcult.
Solution Still to Come.
The rubber problem has by no
means been solved by the appoint
ment Of an administrator. The mis-
takes and blunders that have been
made will not be erased by reshuf-
fling the personnel-an old, old de-
vice In use in the world Of official
makeshifts and alibis. The rubber
problem Is one that Is understood
by millions of persons who ride in
autos.
The Baruch report states the bald
facts. 1t is as severe an indictment
OF inefnciency in Washington as
could have been written. Unfortu-
nately, nothing u being done about
correcting such system. The same
men who have been making the
mistakes in maldistribution or allo-'
cation Of materials are still In posi-
tions Of responsibility. For the
word rubber" the word steel" or
any other commodity might be sub
stituted, and the picture Of inef-
1iciency is the same.
1t Is growing more and more ap-
parent that the best men In indus
try do not want to serve in Wash
ington and that too many second
raters have been pressed into serv-
ice. The constant sniping, as well
as the political pressure, Is too
widely known to make businessmen
Of high qualifications feel they can
do an effective job.
The Jef1ers appointment is said
to have been Influenced very largely
by Harry Hopkins. Mr.. Jefiers u
a business associate Of Averell Har-
riman, chairman Of the board ol
the Union Pacific, who has been
constantly doing assignments for
the administration in the business
field. Although Mr.. Jef1ers Is ct
years old, he is vigorous and active
and, in railroad circles particularly
he is praised as a man to be counted
upon to do an excellent organizing
Job.
Urged to Push Program.
The Baruch committee advised
the hypothetical rubber admins
traitor referred to in its report tt
"bull through the present program.
This means that while some proc
esses might be better, the work tina
has been done already toward get
ting synthetic rubber cannot b
wisely scrapped. The Baruch com
mittee recommended also that
determined effort be made to &c
information from Russia, which tn
Russians are willing to release, an
that concurrently with the buta
diene to be derived from petroleum
the Government should experimer
with the alcohol process.
Nationwide rationing OF mileae
80 as to conserve rubber is almo'
as big a problem as getting produt
ton of synthetic rubber. 1t is nj
clear whether the administering
the rationing end of the rubb'
problem will be transferred fro
other agencies and centered In tt
new rubber unit, but If it is, then Il
rubber administrator will have h
hands full in that direction at Il
same time that he is expected
follow through on synthetic produ
ton OF rubber.
tReproduetion Rishts Ressrved)
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