Evening star., 1942-06-25
will have to average double the cur
rent level

will have to average double the cur
rent level.
Mr.. Nelson described as the two
most important tasks WPB has un-
dertaken since January the ef-
fort to plan and program the re-
quirements of all elements in the
job of winning the war, and second,
the effort to plan and program the
curtailment of civilian industry to
make facilities available for war
production"
Recently, the Truman committee
accused "dollar-a-year" men under
Mr.. Nelson of delaying the war ef-
fort through procrastination in con-
version of the consumer durable
goods industry to war production.
OF that part of WPB's work, Mr..
Nelson commented:
In industry after industry manu-
featuring consumers durable goods,
we have curtailed or eliminated the
normal production This task is
now largely behind us, although we
have yet much to do in the remain
ing part of the job, that is, getting
these facilities actively and speedily
into the production Of military
goods or of essential civilian goods"
Praises Auto Industry.
Mr. Nelson praised the way the
automobile industry took hold of
its problem of conversion to war
production. He said evidence is
now piling up that automobile
labor, machine tools and manage
ment nave been converted to war
production to greater extent and
at far greater speed than was be-
lieved possible last year"
Pointing out that WPB recently
placed emphasis on production OF
end products rather than construc-
ton of new plants by halting plans
for new facilities, Mr.. Nelson said
this decision should not be con-
sidered permanent in any sense"
Curtailing war plant expansion
meant, in most instances, merely
cutting out paper plants. he
stated. The production battlefront
changes from month to month. and
projected plants which now seem to
require an impossible quantity of
materials may be entirely feasible
six months from now.
Describing the situation with re-
gard to critical" materials, Mr..
Nelson said the production of alum
mum has increased greatly, and 1t
is expected to have 2500,000, 900
pounds available for 1943. together
with over 6O0,OoO,Oo0 pounds Of
aluminium scrap. Production has
increased in this country, and ar
rangements are complete for ex-
panSion in Canada New production
is coming in at a very rapid" rate,
he said, and will total 10000, 900
pounds more in June, like amount
in july and nearly as much increase
in August.
Phases to Rubber Supply.
Mr.. Nelson did not make public
the status of the synthetic rubber
manufacturing program, but sum-
married. it in d table submitted in
dependently of the report. He
showed in the report that Of the
total 800000-ton program contem-
plated. 100000 is to be buna S type,
10000 butyl and 10000 neoprene.
He said in thinking about the
rubber program he found it useful
to break it down into five parts: l,
construction Of plant capacity for
production of synthetic rubber; 2,
stimulation of production and i'm
portation of natural rubber; 3, stim-
ulation of recovery of scrap rubber;
4, conservation of rubber; S, alloca-
ton and rationing of stockpile and
current production.
With reference to the copper
shortage, Mr. Nelson said: From
here on, non essential civilian users
cannot expect to obtain any copper,
and only necessary minimum
amount will be available for es-
sential non military needs"
Copper, he said, presents one Of
the most difficult problems now.
The Government has provided
funds for opening a number OF
mines and for expansion of existing
properties. Only 1i2 per cent of do
mestic copper comes from the more
than 270 small mines, with the re-