Evening star., 1942-11-15


she was able to make a West c
what he considered an adequate
amount. In 1887, after Japan at
tackled China, he demanded q quar-
antine of aggressor peoples. He re-
equipped the British Isles when they
lay weaponless after Dunkerque. To
him were due the trade of over-age
destroyers for Atlantic bases, repeal
OF the arms embargo the first Amer
ican peace-time draft and finally
lend-lease, which has been hailed as
the most brilliant political invention
of our time.
The President thus stands as the
key figure of THE Battle of the
Potomac" Its story Is essentially
the story of his re-education. Since
January he has mastered three hard
lessons. He has learned to share
authority. He has taken bold and
resolute command of the home
front. He has come to understand
that authoritarian war must be
fought with authoritarian weapons,
including, If need be, wholesale
retrenchment of private liberties.
A Change Of Policy.
At the beginning Mr.. Roosevelt
appeared to believe that any sub
stantial delegation of power would
amount to surrender of responsible
ties imposed upon him by the Con-
stitution. One industrial high
command" after another was set
up, all majestically named and all
virtually impotent-the War Re-
sources Board, the National Ad-
visory Defense Commission, the
Office of Production Management
and the Supply, Priorities and Allo-
cation Board.
Upon these mummeries two golden
years were sauandered. On last
January 16 he gave to Donald M.
Nelson a sweeping mandate as car
of war industry.
But this first effort barely escaped
being q dismal failure. Though
strategy should be the master of
supply, the War Production Board
had no strategic supply plan on
which to work. It's over all directives
were found to be incompatible-the
equipment of huge and rising Amer
ican forces without delay and a divi-
sion of output with the Allies on a
$3.50 basis. A tug g-of-war became
inevitable with one side bound to
lose.
Victory for the American team,
at the moment of Hitler's drive into
Russia, seemingly was insured by two
errors made by Nelson. He allowed
the Army and Navy Munitions
Board to retain it's independent
function of issuing priorities. AS
liaison with the Army and Navy De-
partments he accepted supply Off
GERS in lieu of strategic officers.
Their interest was not that of the
United Nations as a whole, but of
the domestic services for which they
were mouthpieces. They were get
ting ready for the African AEF.
The Nays purchasing bureaus,
supplied with congressional funds,
blandly ignored the War Production
Board. 1t. Gen. Brehon B. Somer-
veil. tough and able chief of the
Services of Supply, went through
the form Of consulting Nelson, but
usually talked him into backing the
Army program. With symbols crafty
mounting, priorities flooded industry,
swept through an imitation of their
own and dropped to the value of
Confederate scrip.
A Fatal Gap.
An international crisis broke upon
the scene. Not so but only u per
cent of American production was
going abroad. AS recently as Sep
tember more than half our exports
of munitions were not under lend
lease, but represented orders placed
before Pearl Harbor and paid for by
the Allies with their own money.
China, Russia and Great Britain
clamored that there was fatal gap
between American promise and
American performance.
Wearily the President undertook
once more to shake up his industrial
staff. The Army and Navy NUM-
tions Board was stripped of author
ity to issue priorities. Lend lease
deliveries, particularly to Russia,
were accelerated. Plans were sought
for a bridge between production
and military strategy. For a time,
Nelson's job hung in the balance.
He was saved by the reflection that
after Stettinius, the Knudsen-H Hill
man duo, Wallace in SPAB and Mel
son himself, it would be hopeless
to attempt a public build-up for
still another "generalissimo" of war
manufacture.
Nelson kept the title of chairman,
but was compelled to redelegate two
OF the foremost powers given him
by the President. They were hand
ed on to pair of strong men"
who entered WPB for the first time
E. Wilson, president of
the General Electric Co., a new
conner In Washington, and Ferdi-
nand Eberstadt, who had been
of the Army and Navy
Munitions Board. The former took
charge Of production and the lat
ter Of material ALLEGATIONS. Both
were named vice chairmen.
An overall blueprint for distribu-
tion Of materials, which had been
in vain for more than a
year, was among Eberstadt's first
achievements. It was announced by
the War Production Board on No
vember 2 under the name of the
Controlled Materials Plan. Priorities
are to disappear by next July l and
will be replaced by ironclad allo-
cations based on supply instead of
demand. Seven claimant agencies"
were scheduled In the following or
der: The Army. Navy. Maritime
Commission. Lend-Leass Adminis-