Evening star., 1942-06-28

United Nations offensive strategy,
authorities consider the change as
positive indication that Mr.. Church
Ills trip to America had great value.
A spokesman for the Maritime
Commission had no comment last
night on the report of the change
and pointed out that as far as he
knew the commission 'is going
ahead with its shipbuilding program
as originally announced"
Other Problems Unsolved.
The Prime Minister left behind
him in Washington q number of
unresolved political problems which
put a strain on Anglo-American CO.
operation and which have aroused
apprehension in some quarters that
the Allied war effort may be
harmed.
Included among the problems is
the deepening invasion by the War
Department Of the War Production
Boards authority at the very time
Washington and London have set
up the Combined Production Board,
whose American members are
drawn from the WPB.
Growing feeling over the issue
was expressed publicly yesterday by
two members of the Senate Defense
Investigating Committee, who urged
that full civilian control over Army
and Navy purchasing be maintained.
They expressed fear, In statements
to the Associated Press, that the
WPB might lose this authority in
q current reorganization.
See Change In Policy.
Chairman Truman and Senator
Mead, Democrat, of New York said
they wanted to see Donald M. Mel
son, war production chieftain, re-
tain final decision on the letting of
military contracts, but believed the
assignment of several of Mr.. Mel
sons aides to the War and Navy De-
partments might portend a change
in policy.
William H. Harrison has left the
WPB, where he was chief of the
Production Division, and entered
the Army as a colonel for assign
ment to the Services of Supply
headed by 1t. Gen. Brehon B. Som
ervell.
If the Army gains from the civil
ian WPB the dominant voice in the
long-range planning for American
production, there is concern that
civilian needs will be neglected in
the rush to produce for strictly
military functions.
Under the present arrangement,
Mr.. Nelson has veto power over
Army and Navy purchases. So far
as has been publicly disclosed, he
rarely exercises it. There have been
reports, however, that some officers
Of the armed services want greater
freedom under a projected WPB
reorganization.
Senator Truman noted that Mr..
Nelson told the Senate Committee
last week that his best civilian on
cials on production and purchasing
were now working under officers in
the Army, Navy and Maritime Com
mission.
Committee Is Assured.
While Mr.. Nelson assured the
committee that he was retaining
complete responsibility over the
war production effort, Senator Mead
said he was impressed by reports
that the Army and Navy Depart
ments were beginning to absorb
more and more of the authority
originally delegated to the WPB
chief.
In view of the competition be-
tween agencies for equipment, and
the possibility that it might lead
to an accumulation of materials
for one project and an impoverish-
ment for another, I think it is best
for an overall agency like the
WPB to retain the final decisions"
Senator Mead said.
Some Senators said there had been
indications that the White House
also was disturbed about the question
Of final authority over purchases.
Potential Trouble Spot.
Another potential trouble sp1t is
over political jockeying in both
Washington and London for the
positions of deputy director of the
Combined Production Board of this
country and Britain. An American
deputy director is to sit in London
with Oliver Lyttelton, Minister OF
Production and Co-director of the
Joint Board, and British deputy
director is to sit here with Mr..
Nelson, Co-director Of the Joint
Board.
The conflict engages those who
want to make the jobs political
pluns and those who think experts
should get the positions. The lead
ing expert being doomed for the
job is James s. Knowlson,
director OF the WPB Division OF
Industry Operations. Philip Reed.
Chief of the Bureau Of Industrial
Branches in the Division OF Indus
trial Operations is another who is
being mentioned. A strong candi-
date for the English job is Tom
Brand. nephew of r. H. Brand,
chairman of the British Supply
Council in North America.
The Combined Production Board,
set up June 8, as a step toward in
tegrating the American and English
Industrial capacities to hurry the
war toward conclusion, has done
nothing. Sir Walter Layton, chief
advisor on programs and planning
to Capt. Lyttelton, is still here con-
Quoting a statistical survey of in
dustrial capacity, but practical steps
have yet to be taken to coordinate
the foundation of the current war