Evening star., 1942-11-02
War Production
5peedup Plan
AdoptedbyWPB
Priorities Supplonted
By Nelson Scheme:
Civilians Face Cut

Described as a move to "in-
crease our war production ap-
preciably," Chairman Donald M.
Nelson related at a press con-
ference this afternoon details of
a new controlled materials plan
to replace the old priorities sys-
tenn for ALLEGATION of vital sup
plies to war plants.
| Mr.. Wilson said the new plan
would result in a complete change"
in the economy of production by re-
! quiring the scheduling of all produce
ton, civilian as we'll as military.
Under the new plan, for which the
WPA issued 72-page explanat ton
booklet, the first three controlled
materials to be affected are copper,
aluminium and carbon and alloy
steel. They will be allotted to war
plants under the GIMP" setup in
the second quarter of 1913, starting
April l. Other materials will con-
tinue to be fed to production lines
through the existing priorities plan
until July !, when the GIMP" goes
into full effect.
Sharp Cuts for Civilians Seen.
Price Administrator Leon Hender-
son, who attended this afternoon s
press conference, said the more ex-
acting control system would result
in "a greatly reduced supply of
things for civilians in l943' He
estimated civilian products would
get. IL per cent of the steel output
and three -fourths of l per cent of
the copper. In 1899 and 1910,
civilian products got % per cent of
the copper
Others at. the press conference
included Undersecretary of Navy
Forrestal, 1t. Gen. Brehon B.
SOmervell, Price Administrator
Leon Henderson, Vice Admiral How
ard l.. Vickery, vice chairman of the
Maritime Commission, and Ferdi-
nand Eberstadt, vice chairman of
WPB in charge of materials.
The main purpose of the plan.
1t was explained, Is to make certain
that production schedules are ad-
justed within material supply units
so that production requirements are
met.
How Scheme Will Operate.
1t was explained that this will be
accomplished by adjusting require
ments for critical materials to the
supply and by making the quantity
and type of materials needed avail
able at the time required to meet
approved programs for both the
armed services and civilians.
The idea. Mr.. Nelson explained,
was to lend balance to the war pro-
duction program.
THE purpose of this plan," Mr..
Nelson said, "is to find time and
place to do everything we con-
slider essential in winning the
war-to see that there is Or
der-to see that first things come
first, second things second, and those
things not necessary to meeting our
objectives come not at ALL
Stabilizing Operations Is Aim.
Mr.. Nelson described the plan as
the most important thing WPB has
done to insure that first things come
first. 1t said it will make sure
steady operation of factories, since
under the plan materials will di-
rectly follow orders for products.
Mr.. Eberstadt, who assisted the
WPB chairman in explaining the
plan, said that it was adopted be-
cause, under priorities, programs
and schedules are being set without
regard to availability of materials.
He added that under the priorities
system there was temptation on
the part of the claimant agencies,
such as the Army. Navy, Maritime
Commission, to get all the materials
they could grab as quickly as pos
sible. He said such situation was
impossible in an economy OF
scarcity such as we are operating
under, due to war conditions.
Eberstadt Explains Purpose.
Mr.. Eberstadt explained that the
plan would
"a Insure current balance be-
tween supply and demand for con-
troll materials.
ca Assure that materials are
available In the quantity and form
at the TIME required by approved
programs and schedules.
Materials. other than the three to
be controlled first under the plan.
will continue to be distributed
through the priorities system. Mr..
Eberstadt estimated, however. that
(see NELSON, Page 2-XD