Evening star., 1942-11-27
Eberstadt Outlines
New Plan 10 Control
War Materials Flow
WPB Chief Admits Some
OverbuiIding Of Plants
And Faulty Distribution

Ferdinand EberStadt, vice
chairman of the War Production
Board, today outlined before a
Senate committee the new plan
for controlling the flow of mate
rlals to war plants, and admitted
there had been some overbuild-
ing of plant facilities and poor
distribution of materials to the
manufacturers.
Mr.. Eberstadt testified before a
Senate Labor Subcommittee headed
by Senator Pepper, Democrat, of
Florida. on the Pepper -Tolan bill
to create an Office of War Mobiliza-
ton for control by civilians of man
power, procurement and production.
Mr.. Eberstadt evaded answering
questions of political nature
which showed conflict between the
armed services and WPB. He sug-
gested that those problems be dis
cuSsed by the committee in eXecu-
tive session and Chairman Pepper
agreed.
StimSOn Admits Study.
Meanwhile, Secretary of War
Stimson told his press conference
that the entire subject of readjust-
ment of armament production is
being discussed at current confer
ences between WPB and War De-
partment officials
Asked specifically whether he had
approved WPB Director Donald M.
Nelson's appointment of Charles E.
Wilson to take charge of all aircraft
production, Mr. Stimson declined to
discuss the appointment.
From time to time the develop
ments of the war force reap
-praisal of our armament program"
Mr.. Stimson said. There is no
theoretical constant either for the
ALLEGATION of raw materials or for
their manufacture.
LAS to how the adjustments are
being handled by the War Produc-
ton Board and the War Department
there is no information 1 can give
you now because the complicated
details are still being discussed by
Mr.. Nelson, Mr.. Wilson, Judge (Un-
dersecretary of War; Patterson and
myself. We are going to make every
effort for an efficient, workable as
signment of the task"
Eberstadt Describes Plan.
Mr.. Eberstadt described in detail
the new controlled materials plan
which will be used next year for
distributing steel, copper and alumni
mum to the various war contractors.
Mr.. Eberstadt also outlined in de-
tail the function of the Army and
Navy Munitions Board, of which he
was chairman before his appoint
ment to WPB in late September.
Mr.. Eberstadt said it become evi-
dent that the priorities system of
distributing materials for munitions
would be inadequate as early as
March of this year. He explained
that under priorities many contrac-
tors got more than their share of
materials, while others who were
performing no less vital functions
received insufficient materials to
carry out their contracts.
In this way. he said, the war pro-
duction program became unbal-
anced.
In the spring of the year, the
WPB instituted the production re-
qulrements plan in an effort to bal
ance the war program and correct
shortages. Mr.. Eberstadt said this
plan also failed That led to the
formulation of the controlled mate
rials plan, through which WPB
hopes to maintain fingertip control
over all scarce materials.
Mr.. Eberstadt said WPB already
had received tentative production
programs from the Army and NAVY
and other claimants, indicating the
amounts of materials they would
need during all of next year.
Truman Explains Stand.
Senator Truman, Democrat, of
Missouri said last night that anv
attempt on the part of the military
services ito take complete control
over the Nations economy not only
places vital functions in inexperi-
enced hands, but presents a definite
threat to our postwar political and
economic structure"
He made the assertion during a
radio interview when he was asked,
What is your position in the current
(See PRODUCTION, Page A-l6.)