Evening star., 1942-12-05
Roosevelt SET
ToAct Today
On Manpower
May Also Form
Wartime Food
Administration
BY JESSE o. IRWIN.

President Roosevelt expects to
act today on the manpower
problem and possibly also set up
a wartime food administration,
White House Secretary Stephen
T. Early said this morning.
Mr.. Early told reporters the Presi-
dent was working during the morn
ing on 'the manpower executive
order" which he hoped to make
public some time today
TT is possible that he also might
get to the food order today Mr..
Early added. Il don't know whether
he will act on both or not, but
think he at least expects to act on
the manpower order"
Meanwhile, high governmental
sources said James F. Byrnes, eco
nomic director, is slated for the
role of Assistant President under
Mr.. Roosevelt's plans, which also are
expected to make Secretary Of Agri-
culture Wickard food administrator
and bolster the powers of Chairman
Paul V. McNutt. of the War Man.
power Commission.
The sources said the former Su-
preme Court justice will act as
arbiter in all food and manpower
problems, with Secretary Wickard
and Mr.. McNutt reporting directly
to him instead of the White House.
Secretary Wickard already is a
member of Mr.. Byrnes' Board OF
Economic Sterilization, and Mr..
McNutt is expected to become a
member.
Wickard Order Drafted.
The executive order naming the
Secretary of Agriculture as food
administrator was drafted and ap-
proved several days ago before Mr..
Wickard left for a swing throughout
the country, while the order
strengthening Mr.. McNutts powers
was decided on yesterday at White
House conference, the sources said.
Mr. McNutt is to take over control
of the Selective Service System, it
was said, with Mr.. Byrnes acting as
arbiter on problems arising between
the manpower chairman and Mai.
Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, selective
service director. Under the Selective
Service Act the director reports di-
rectly to the President, and the
White House has delegated to Gen.
Hershey deferment powers vested in
the President under the act
Mr.. Byrnes' powers are contained
in the executive order creating his
Office of Economic Sterilization and
charging him with developing ma
tional economic policy relating to
the control of civilian purchasing
power, prices, rent, wages, salaries.
profits, rationing and all related
matters-all for the purpose of pre-
venting avoidable increases in the
cost of living, cooperating in min
imizing the unnecessary migration
Of labor from one business, industry,
or region to another, and facilitating
the prosecution of the war"
To make Mr.. McNutt's manpower
rule more workable, Mr. Roosevelt
may even ban voluntary enlistments
in the armed forces, the sources
added, pointing out that despite a
joint announcement by the Secre-
taries OF War and Navy forbidding
recruitment among workers in GER
tain essential industries, complaints
continue to arise over the loss of
skilled workers through voluntary
enlistments.
Navy Tradition.
Voluntary enlistments in the Army
were banned during the World War,
but the Navy and Marine Corps have
voluntary tradition dating back to
l776. Mr.. Roosevelt is said to have
been celebrating over this decision
for sometime because of the fact
that he did care to disrupt the
Navy's method of obtaining recruits.
But whether voluntary recruiting
is banned, the sources pointed out.
Mr.. McNutt would be able to manip-
ulate both civilian and potential
military manpower with the Selec-
tive Service and United States EN-
ployment Service network
They said that under the provi-
sions of the Second War Powers Act.
he could direct the flow of essential
industrial and agricultural workers
into the uniformed ranks, prevent
labor "pirating" in critical shortage
(See MANPOWER, Page A-2)