The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-24
. Clapper
Shortages Exist IN Both
Men and Materials
Uncle Sam Continues to
Work Against Time
House Committee Does
Good Job of Investigation
nv RAYMOND oIAPPER

Good job OF Investigation
nv RAYMOND CLAPPER
WASHINGTON-W know that
an enormous job has been done IN
war production and in raising an
army. We know that we started
late and had to move fast. That
meant a rush start, expansive pro-
grams-almost anything to get
going.
II was better to move in all d.
rections quickly and with our
sights very high all around. Some
things could have been done bet
ter. of course.
We are still working against
time. But we also have run into
shortages in men and materials
and that forces us to match pro-
duction and strategy more close
ly. so that we will produce what
the military plans call for and not
what they don't call for. Unless
that is done, we will be using our
men in the wrong places-as for
instance when we put many older
men into the army who now are
to be sent back to war production
Jobs where they will be more use
full. We will be using up alloy
steel on things that won't be
needed and cutting ourselves short
on things that will be needed,
finding ourselves with airplanes
without propellers, or something
like that.
II is not easy to brush off some
things said in the new report of
the Tolan committee of the
house. This committee is COM
posed of members of both parties
and has had expert research as
sistance. II must take direct re-
sponsibility for the statements it
makes.
So we find on page 26 Of the
new report, the committees sixth,
some disturbing assertions:
The division of responsibility
between the War Production board
and the military services and the
failure of all these agencies to
develop programs consistent with
the urgency of the hour have
placed us in a self-defeating posi-
ton which threatens the entire
conduct of the war.
"On the one hand the military
services are failing to present an
adequate picture of military re-
quirements. Starting from this
excuse the War Production board
points to this failure as justifica-
ton for the lack Of a comprehen-
sive and balanced production pro-
gram"
In this war we have for the
first time run into limits of pro-
duction capacity and those limits
affect what the military can do in
the field.
The report adds: THUS we come
back to the beginning of a vicious
circle where uncertain, limited
strategy makes the services in
capable of developing a program
of requirements. The failure to
break this vicious circle spells
dark consequences for our ability
to take offensive action against
our highly modified and agrees
sive enemy"
The committee has its own ideas
for bringing the military strategy
makers and the industrial produce
ton men closer together. In fact,
almost everybody In town has a
plan for 1t. The need Of a central
staff, for broad war and produc-
ton planning, working directly
under President Roosevelt, to act
as expert staff brains for him, is
being widely discussed here. There
seems to be a growing amount of
talk in favor of a functioning
group of this kind.
Mr.. Roosevelt has the nucleus Of
such a staff brain now. He has
Admiral Leahy as his personal
chief of staff. James F. Byrnes,
I diractor Of ao1no.,f. 30 A,1;-o4;1.,
would fit into it, as would Harry
Hopkins. A production man and
probably a shipping man would
be needed also. Such a group,
with adequate expert staff, re-
sponsible only to the President,
could take the overall view, the
balanced view, in determining the
best things to do so that the
President would be on solid ground
in his decisions here and in dis
cussions with our Allies as to how
and where the war is to be
fought.
The men with the knowledge are
available here in Washington. It
is largely question of organizing
, them into a set of staff brains so
that they can function together,
as a general staff for the war.
Mr.. Clapper Is heard on KMO
Mutual broadcast Mondays and
Thursdays at p. m.