Evening star., 1942-08-23
Nelson Asserts
He's Still Boss
.0f Arms Output
July Report Shows
PIune Production
Below Expectations
fTert OF statement on Page ABB
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.
Production Chief Donald M.
Nelson asserted yesterday that he
was still boss of Americas war
production program for both mil
itary and essential civilian goods.
He released a progress report
showing munitions production in
July was good, though short of
the goal previously set for the
month.
The report said munitions produc-
ton last month increased Is per
cent over June, but was per cent
below earlier forecasts. Specifically.
aircraft construction was up IL per
cent, ordnance production up 26 per
cent, naval ship production up "a
per cent, while merchant ship ton
mage gained 6 per cent. The War
production rate was 31h times as
great as In November 1941, the
month before Pearl Harbor.
A pessimistic note was sounded
with respect TO the combat plane
output which rose only 6 per cent
above June, below expectations. Mr..
Nelson said aircraft production for
the next few months was not ex-
pected to reach goals set earlier in
the year. This was attributed in
part to "the difficulty of balancing
50 vast program" Vigorous efforts,
he said, were being made 10 i'm
prove this condition and prodh :tion
late in the year is expected to Abow
marked increase.
Refers to Report Of Conflicts.
Referring during his press con-
ference to published reports OF con-
flicts between the War Production
Board and the armed services, Ill
which the military has been de-
scribed as gradually taking control
Of production, Mr.. Nelson said:
There are misunderstanding
about things that are going on and
have been going on. want to en-
phasize one thing, that as far as
the War Production Board is con-
cerned, and the Army, the Navy and
the Maritime Commission-we are
all in this business to win the war"
Mr.. Nelson emphatically denied
the services had usurped or had been
given any powers over which he has
no overall control in priority and
materials requirements matters, or
that there had been major conflicts
between them.
"Ihe Army and Navy are working
for me as far as production is con-
cemed," he declared.
Balancing Big Problem.
In both his printed report and
verbally at the conference, Mr.. Mel
son emphasized that the "big job
ahead of us right now" is to balance
the war production program to make
sure that materials and facilities are
used as wisely as possible. Urgent
things, he said, must come first, and
there will be more changes as the
country gets deeper and deeper into
the war.
Mr.. Nelson said he was much i'm
pressed with the proposal of Henry
j. Kaiser, West Coast shipbuilder,
to build huge cargo planes in ship
yards. He revealed plans for
meeting tomorrow on the Pacific
Coast in which Mr.. Kaiser will dis
cuss plans and problems of his pro-
posal with Glenn L. Martin, builder
of the giant flying boat Mars, which
Mr.. Kaiser said he could place in
production within 10 months, after
receiving final plans; Donald
Douglas, another leading airplane
builder, and Grover Looming, mem
ber of WPB's Air Cargo Committee.
The production chief said he has
been aware for some time that cargo
planes should be an important part
of the war production program,
While transport planes will not whip
the submarine menace, they will
help, he added.
In regard to reports he was about
to embark on a "house cleaning
program within WPB, in which a
large number of branch chiefs
would be dismissed, Mr.. Nelson said
WPB would get the best men OBJ
tainable to do it's job. If that means
(See NELSON, Page A-83