Detroit evening times., 1942-09-14
Baruch Pins
Henderson's S
Cant Plea
Gas Rotioning Expected
in 90 or 20 Days
By PAUL MALLON

W an academic way, without
providing a public exhibition,
the Baruch report fairly we'll
padded Mr.. Leon Henderson and
the other negative-thinking,
breakdown, doom-peddlers who
have been filling the air and the
newspapers for nine long months
with their cant" chants.
Henderson. for instance, has
been talking and thinking in
terms of 20,0O0,000 civilian cars
going off the road. leaving only
100000 in operation. He is not
the worst Of the negating recro-
mancers, most of whom have
kept their identity anonymous,
while publicly predicting govern
ment seizure of cars and tires.
They were inclined TO look at
the motor car through 20-year-
old glasses as a luxury. They
saw only trouble ahead to be
il'l DN lhI NIltI anu Adi lilCk
denials by the. people.
Now comes the Baruch report.
like a ray of realistic light. 1t
looks straight at the civilian
automobile as a transportation
necessity, without which we will
lose the war.
It proposes a policy to keep
cars running, and holds out
hopes that they will continue
indefinitely in service, if rubber
use is conserved by gas rationing
until synthetic rubber produc-
ton comes in big.
1t is neither rosy nor melan-
choly. 1t says we can
ONE official exception to this
" between the lines lashing
was implied by the report. In
general, il took somewhat the
same line as WPB Transporta-
ton Co-ordinator Eastman's un-
published and suppressed report
on the same problem.
Mr.. Eastman is car over
everything on wheels in this
country now. including the auto
mobile, although no one seems
TO know it, particularly the Of
flee of Price Administration. His
report was lost in the shuttle of
inter-bureau conferences, as well
as his authority over motor cars.
The OPA just stepped in and
took over. Primarily, Eastman
wanted to give gas for essential
needs, and he wanted a general
overall control plan, such as
Baruch has suggested.
The Baruch report. thus
seemed to point an unobserved
finger in the general direction of
Mr.. Eastman, who already has
the authority Che got it by Ex-
ecutive order weeks ago). as
well as the proper theories. (the
Baruch committee had access to
his unpublished reporD, to
direct policy-making on auto use.
OF course, the rubber "czar"
Baruch suggested would be a
rubber production businessman
concerned only with that phase.
THEY are saying national gas
L rationing will be put into
effect in a few weeks, but they
mean a few months. Not only
the printing of rationing cards
will hold them back. They will
need a new and different sys-
tenn than that in effect in the
East. and it will have TO be
worked out carefully.
BaSically, the eastern system
gives four gallons week to
every one who has a car. whether
or not he has any real use for
either the gas or the car. This
is passable arrangement in the
East, where distances are short,
bus transportation good. 1t
leaves enough gas for essential
business needs.
Out in the great open spaces,
the problem is different. Four
gallons are not enough for any
one who must go any place, and
too much for the small town
residents who live within a few
blocks of everything.
Need should be the only yard
stick. A new system will have
TO be instituted for fairer dis
tribution.
A good guess is that this may
take 60 or 90 days.
THE announcement of the
l. American Automobile Asso-
citation representative of the
motorisO that the Baruch re-
port is a realistic document" is
fairly good indication that it
will meet little resistance from
the automobile owner.
The AAA was the first organi-
zation TO come forward publicly,
with a protest against the gov
ernment tendency TO consider
the automobile a luxury. and
urge an affirmative policy tad-
vocated earlier in this column
10 provide as much auto trans
portation as possible.
Nou ~ Mr. parr,cb u,iI1 o,,1x,