Evening star., 1942-01-22
Overdue Overhaul

duction organization is to have
badly needed overhauling. AS those
who know him had expected, Chair
man Donald NJ Nelson of the new
War Production Board has ordered
a drastic shakeup of governmental
agencies concerned with directing
the Nations war industries. This
administrative machinery, by pro-
cess of evolution from limited to all
out defense and through the pro-
gressive phases of lend-lease aid to
the final stage of actual wartime in
dustrial effort, had become intoler-
ably top-heavy, cumbersome and in
efficient, with serious divisions Of
authority and overlapping Of func-
tions. Mr. Nelson has sought to
eliminate these defects by a sweep
ing reorganization of the setup from
top to bottom, including the abolish
ment of the outmoded Office of Pro-
duction Management.
A recapitulation of developments
In the defense administration picture
will show how agencies have been
superimposed upon agencies and
authority upon authority since the
expiration of the War Resources
Board in November, 1889. The first
of the overall supervisory agencies
created after adoption of the national
defense program in May, 1910, was
the Office of Emergency Manage
ment, designed to be clearing
house for defense reports. Four days
after the establishment of o. E.\M.
on May Is, 1910, the President ap-
pointed the Council Of National De-
fense of six Cabinet members and an
Advisory Commission consisting Of
Mr.. Knudsen, Mr.. Hillman and Mr..
Stettinius. Mr. Nelson shortly there
after was made co-ordinator of de-
tense purchasing. On October %,
1910, the Priorities Board was set up,
with MeSSrS. Knudsen, Hillman and
Stettinius as members and Mr.. Nelson
as priorities administrator. In Janu-
ary of last year o. P. M. made its
debut, with Mr.. Knudsen as general
director and Mr.. Hillman as CO.
director. Divisions Of production,
purchases, priorities and labor were
created. Then in April, 1941, came
the much discussed Office of Price
Administration and Civilian Supply,
under Leon Henderson, followed by
the Office of Agricultural Defense
Relations on May S, the Office Of
Civilian Defense on May 20, the Of
fee of Petroleum Co-ordinator for
National Defense on May %, the
Office of Co-ordinator of Defense
Information on July II, the Economic
Supply Board, headed by Vice Presi-
dent Wallace, on July 30; the Supply
Priorities and ALLEGATIONS Board on
August %, the Division of Contract
Distribution on September 4, the Of
flee of Lend-Lease Administration
on October % and, finally, the War
Production Board on January 16 Of
this year. Small wonder that in
dustry and even Government officials
were confused by the sprawling and
ponderous organization which re-
suited.
Mr.. Nelson has reviewed and
evaluated the activities of the many
defense offices and has endeavored
to rearrange them into co-ordi-
mated, smoothly functioning ma
chine. He plans to achieve this by
setting up divisions on industry
operations, production, planning,
purchases, materials, labor and civil
ian supply, with a special require
ments. committee to handle alloca-
tion OF raw materials for war and
civilian uses. The industry opera
tions division will have the vital job
OF converting the automobile and
other industries for war production.
Most of the officials of the present
organization will be retained, but
their duties and responsibilities pre-
sumably will be clearly defined, to
avoid conflict. In short, Americas
new war production czar has stripped
his administrative machinery for the
type of accelerated action demanded
by a total war economy.