Evening star., 1942-06-19
Capitol Feud Flares
Over Investigation Of
Do||ar.a.Year Men
Brewster Says House
Committee Rushed Its
Report to Get Scoop

sN~HSe ~
- tht Associated Press.
A feud between Senate and
House committees over investi-
cation Of the war effort flared up
today with a charge by Senator
Brewster, Republican, Of Maine
that a House Military Affairs
Subcommittee had rushed out
its report on dollar-a-year men
to try to get a SCOOP"
the special Senate committee ap-
pointed to investigate national de-
tense, said this was the second time
that the House investigating group
had tried to beat the Senate group
with a report, the other instance
being aluminium production and its
report that everything was o. K"
(War Production Board officials
disclosed today that last sum-
mer's aluminium collection had
netted only 6,4o0,000 pounds of
the metal. as compared with the
100000 pounds which had been
expected.)
Senator Brewster and Chairman
Truman told the Senate yesterday
they had been asked to hold up
their report criticizing delays by
the War Production Board and
dollar-a-year men and that during
the interval the House group re-
leased its report giving the business
executives clean bill Of health.
Only Interest Is Winning War.
"Of course If one report comes
out Wednesday from House COM
mittee and another report comes
out Thursday on the same thing
from Senate committee, we all
know which one has the advantage ~
Senator Brewster said.
The House finding was issued,
Senator Brewster said, while Chair
man Donald M. Nelson Of the War
Production Board was attempting
to convince the Senate committee
1t should delay issuance of its own
report. This, he added. was posi-
bly, more than an interesting COIN
cidence."
Chairman Faddis OF the House
Military Affairs subcommittee
which reported on both aluminium
production and the Guthrie case,
said, That sounds kind of babyish
to me-" and would not comment
further.
Chairman Truman was less direct
In his criticism of the House group,
but was careful to record dates and
times that the WPB inquiries has
been asked, observing that the Sem
ate group went into the controversy
only after specific requests by Mr..
Nelson and after the House COM
mittee had failed to make a report.
"Of course, the only thing we're
interested in is winning the war and
doing the best possible Job to get
that done quickly" Senator Truman
said, adding that yesterdays Senate
report was no reflection on Chair
man Nelson.
Conversion Nearly Completed.
Mr.. Nelson, meanwhile, came to
the defense Of Philip D. Reed, chief
of the WPB Bureau of Industries
branch, who was criticized in the
Truman committee report.
Il am sorry that the Truman
committee, which has done and is
doing such valuable work, should
have been critical of the work of
Philip Reed" he said.
During the past five months,
American industry has been con-
verted from peace to war. Mistakes
have, of course. been made. But the
record OF the War Production Board
speaks for itself. The production
we are getting is due to the team
work of many able men.
Mr.. Reed is entitled to full credit
for his participation in this work.
have full confidence in him, and
sincerely hope that he will continue
his valuable assistance in the war
effort as long as he can do So"
Mr.. Reed himself issued a state
ment yesterday saying that nearly
all industries which are manufac-
turing non-essential goods which
can be converted to wartime pro-
duction have been converted.
I'VE are now in the mopping-up
phase of our conversion operations, !"
Mr.. Reed said.
The WPB official refused to COM
ment directly on the Truman re-
port. He said he thought the job
he had accomplished spoke for itself.
Mr.. Reed said there were some
$4,000 manufacturing companies in
the country which could not be
converted to wartime production
Many of these already have shut
down and the remainder are oper-
ated in limited way. He suggested
that these industries be closed as
quickly as possible to save the small
amount of critical material they are
using.
Favors Small Subsidies.
Mr.. Reed said these non-essential
industries should be closed and given
small subsidies sufficient to pay
their fixed charges for the duration.
Labor employed at the plants would
be assigned to essential jobs.
Senator Connally, Democrat, of
Texas. only member of the Senate
investigating group to protest the
report, which called for changes in
men and methods of the WPB, said
he did so because the committee
findings put Mr.. Nelson on the
spot" and should have been handled
in a different manner.
Chairman Truman said the re-
port closed the incident as far as
the Senate group was concerned
although Chairman Nelson was
scheduled to make an early appear
ance at a closed committee session
for discussion of the whole war
production program"
Senator Lucas, Democrat, of Illi-
nois, however, discussing the report
in the Senate yesterday, said that
the WPB under Chairman Nelson
had done a magnificent job" He
questioned recommendations of the
investigating committee for changes
in men and methods of the agency.