Evening star., 1942-09-04

tldI Is spreading #s$$#$#SA
rapidly through
the country. 1t 81
is story of Mr.. David Lawrence.
Nelson's interest in plan for ham
ding the allocations and priorities
of STEEL a plan worked up by Mr.
Taylor and approved by the Army
and Navy Munitions Board, the
Maritime Commission, representa-
tives of the steel industry, and fin
ally by Mr.. Nelson himself.
It took nearly three months of
hard work to develop the plan, It
called for a scheduling of materials
and system of allocations whereby
the priority certificates or directives
issued would never exceed the actual
supply Of steel ingots and whereby
there would be a constant checkup
on what was happening to steel.
The Army and Navy thought SO
much of the plan that they had hun
dreds of copies of 1t mimeographed
it was many hundred pages long
and covered every detail. 1t was
generally assumed here 1t would be
put into effect.
Objections Arise.
Mr.. Nelson assured all those pres
ent at the various meetings that the
plan had his approval and that he
would put 1t into effect. When he
got back to his office and some of his
subordinates got wind of 1t, they
objected and said it didn't fit in
with the previously set up admins
trative system. Others on the out
side of the WPB charged bitterly
that the truth was it was looked on
as narrowing some of the powers
of 4 few of Mr.. Nelson's subordi-
mates who thought the plan might
even eliminate them from authority.
It hardly seems possible that this
charge is true, namely, that men in
the Government would allow per-
sonal ambitions or personal prefer
ences to interfere with the operation
of a well-worked-out plan. It is
much easier to believe that oppon-
ents OF the plan sincerely believed
1t wouldn't work, though, to be sure,
everybody else-those connected with
the industry and with. the agencies
of the Government needing steel
ingots and steel plate-thought it
would. .~e.
Mr.. Taylor kept urging Mr.. Nelson
to do something about the plan
either to put it into effect or aban-
don 1t. Mr.. Nelson counselled pa
thence. Mr.. Taylor said he had been
waiting three months for something
to be done about the mess into which
the steel situation had gotten and
that he felt the only thing for him
to do was to resign. And so he left,
with the. utmost good feeling for
Mr.. Nelson.
The facts concerning the fore
going episode have been obtained
from persons close to the situation,
Mr.. Taylor himself has declined to
make any statement and is going
back to his job as president Of the
Union Oil Co. of California, q sad
and disillusioned man, one of the
many businessmen who come here
believing the war means an all-out
effort only to find obstacles being
placed ahead of production victory
II the plan with respect to steel
had been adopted, it might have
been applied to other industries.
The plan parallels that which was
20 successfully operated by Bernard
M. Baruch, head of the War In
dustries Board in the last war
Friends of Mr.. Baruch are saying
that he thinks Mr.. Nelson should
have backed up Mr.. Taylor.
Prestige Suffers.
1t is a regrettable incident, but
1t is significant of the struggle going
on behind the scenes here. Mr.
Nelson Is respected and liked on al
sides but to him is being attributed
an indecisiveness and lack of firm
ness In dealing with personnel anc
policies that is injuring his prestige
where he will need it most-amons
the industrial executives of the
country.
The fuss which the labor leaders
are making over lack of representa-
ton in the councils of the War Pro
duction Board has nothing to d.
with the Taylor plan, as the lat
ter deals wholly with production
detail and doesn't touch labor rela
tions in any way. But labor leader
are quick to sense unsettled con
ditions and uncertainty and the
watch for every opportunity to in
terpose their influence in the WIPE
Mr.. Nelson rightly is listening t
the labor chiefs and will give ther
representation among his advisers
but the problems of distributin
commodities and arranging priori
ties, so that military needs are take
care of nrst and requirements mex
are increasing rather than dimin
:shing in intensity.
The wave of discouragemen
which the Taylor resignation ha
made In Army and Navy circles an
among industrial executives can b
erased If Mr.. Nelson adopts eithe
the Taylor plan or something lik
It. and puts it into effect, irrespec
tive of whether he steps on the tot
of some OF his associates or subord
mates. War is not time for cor
sidering anybody's personal feeling
or prides but a time for doing thos
things which will win the war r
matter how much this may brir
unpleasantness to individuals.
nsproduetion Eirhts Reserved)