The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-18


 industry to war production
 The committee, in Q report on Ats investigation of @1-a-year men, including James s. Knowlson, direc- tor of the WIPES division of in- dustry operations, had been respons- lble for "temporizing, moderation and delay"
 Not until almost four months after Pearl Harbor," the committee said, were the mass of curtailment urders' issued to change industry over to the production of war wea- pCns. Despite delays, It added, con- verison of industry is now well un- der way.
 The committees investigation was undertaken at the request of WIFE Chairman Donald M. Nelson when Robert R. Guthrie, a former WIPE official, charged in March that in- dustry conversion had been resisted by representatives of industries serving with the WIPE on dollar a-year basis.
 Over Nelson Protests
 The committees report was issued over the protests of Nelson, who, 1t was learned, made last minute repre- sentations to committee members yesterday, contending that publica- ton of the report now would hinder the war effort. /.
 The report was issued within 48 hours of one by House Military Affairs subcommittee headed by Representative Charles I. Faddis, Democrat, Pa, which found Hack Of proof that (dollar-a-year men) n- tended to serve any interest than that of the government"
 But the Senate committee con- cluded that certain dollar-a-year men within the bureau of industry branches are unable to divorce them selves from their conscious gravitation to their own idustries."
 The committee examined the his- tory of conversion orders imposed upon several consumers durable goods industries and found the following:
 Mechanical refrigerators-A $1-a- year official of a mechanical re- frigerator company dictated 9 con- version order that allowed manu- fracture after the March 31 deadline, although 1t had been decided to stop on that date, without appeal.
 Domestic laundry equipment Conversion was delayed by the president of a large company maIlu- facturing washing machines receiv- ing Jurisdiction, though Nelson had prohibited men making decisions af- fecting their own industry.
 Metal toys and games-available for conversion when the war start- ed, but order was not issued until March 30 and shutdown date was fixed for June 30.
 Typewriters-War and Navy de- partments made "indefensible" es- inmates of typewriter needs and aOn-essential construction was not stopped until April g.
 Reed Is Given Blame
 Tn its conclusions. the commit tee asserted that Philip D. Reed, the chief of the Bureau of Indus .ry branches, did not take the neces- sary action to obtain the maximum conversion of private industry to war production in the short pos- Sible time.
 "The committee" he report said, 'haS not been impressed with MT. Reeds ability or accomplishments, either in the field of conversion or in the field of copper, lead, and zinc, where the committee, in It's report of January IS, had occasion to criticize this failure, when he was deputy director of the ma terials division of the Office of Production Management, to recog- 1ize that a shortage of these metals was imminent or to take proper &C., ton with respect thereto"
 The committee recommended that a WIPE administrative order pro- hibiting dollar-a-year officials mak- Ing decisions affecting their firm or company" should be strengthened by substituting the word indus try"
 Tn . personal statement, issued with the report, Chairman Harry s. Truman, D., Mo, said that to Acheive maximum efficiency, the war program requires the greatest possible utilization of all existing machinery and marpower. He ad- vocated that the WIPE assume a more active role in the planning of procurement and in guiding the distribution of contracts" which, he said, will require change in or ganization and personnel of some of it's branches.
 He suggested making the smaller war plants corporation, recently authorized by congress, the princi- pal unit in a WIPE industrial con- version division, and urged that greater use be made of labor rep reSentatives, small businessmen, and Independent production engineers.
 When Guthrie Quit
 Guthrie and two aides quit March IA, charging that the conversion of consumers durable goods and tex tile industries to war production