Evening star., 1942-12-04
HEAVY Fighting FLARES on TUNIS RAIL line
'WPB Wins Fight
For Control Of
War Output
Wilson Given Charge
After Nelson Confers
With Service Heads
By the Associated press.

B. the Associated Press.
Charles =. Wilson, vice chair
man of the War Production
Board, today received final power
to direct the output of aircraft,
radio equipment and escort YES
sells, along with supervisory con-
troll over all other munitions
production.
The climax of weeks-long strug-
gle for authority over production
scheduling between civilian and
military officials, represented by
WPB Chairman Donald M. Nelson
on one hand and heads of the armed
services on the other, came in a
statement announcing full agree
ment by all concerned"
Issued jointly by Mr.. Nelson,
Secretary of War Stimson and Sec
retary of the Navy Knox, it was
interpreted as substantial victory
for the WPB chairman.
An accompanying statement vest
ed in Mr.. Nelson's vice chairman
general supervision over the sched-
uling OF the programs between the
various services"
WPB Receivers Control:
This meant that WPB had recov-
cred authority over production
scheduling previously delegated to
the services and performed ex-
clusively by them since last March.
1t was stated that Mr.. Wilson
would exercise his duties, however,
through the existing supply and pro-
curement branches of the services,
and would issue directions" to pro-
ducers through them.
Mr.. Wilson was assigned" the
particular duty of central super
vision and direction of the pro-
duction programs for war planes,
radio and detection devices and es-
cort ships. The latter were de-
scribed generally as naval vessels
smaller than destroyers used in anti
submarine and escort work.
WPB officials previously had in
dicated their belief these three ele-
ments of the armament program
were the ones most In need of over
hauling
Spokesman Careful.
Apparently because of unwilling
ness to add fuel to the contest for
authority, WPB spokesmen were
silent on Interpretation of the new
agreement, save to say it superseded
any previous document which
might conflict with it.
The joint Nelson Knox -Stimson
statement said:
Conversations among officials of
the armed services and of the WPB
on the organizational plans neces-
sary for achieving the 1943 war
production program have now ended
with full agreement by all con-
cerned.
Such questions as have arisen
had to do with method; never with
purpose or principle. To win the
war quickly, effectively and with
the lowest expenditure of life, is
everybody's goal. From time to time
re-examination of the plans and
methods for achieving that result
is necessary.
That has been done. The new ar
rangementS give assurance that the
immense production task for l943
will be carried through to a sue
cessful conclusion"
Nelson Text.
Following is the text of the Nelson
statement:
AN outline of the duties of
Charles E. Wilson, production vice
chairman of the WPB, was an
nounced today by Donald M. Nelson,
chairman of the WPB.
This announcement supplements
the accompanying joint statement
growing out of the conversations
between officials of the armed serv-
ices and the WPB concerning GER
tain organizational plans in order
to insure the carrying out of the
war production program for 1943.
Mr.. Wilson will exercise general
supervision of the scheduling of
the programs between the various
services to see that they do not
conflict, and that they are Of such
a nature that they may be per-
formed in accordance with the re-
quirements of the joint chiefs of
stan and of the total war program.
In carrying out these duties Mr..
GSee WIPE page 2-x7