Evening star., 1942-01-15
President Scans Plans
To Help Those Hit by
Industry Conversion
Temporary Employment
Or Direct Relief for
Workers Considered

J
Or Direct Relief for
Workers Considered
Plans for providing temporary
employment or direct relief for
workers affected by the CONVEX
sion Of industry from civilian to
military production were to be
reviewed by President Roosevelt
today in consultation with Fed
eral Security Administrator Paul
v. McNutt and Sidney Hillman,
associate director Of the o. P. M.
Many thousands Of workers. q
great portion Of them skilled crafts
men. are being laid oil temporarily
while some OF the Nations giant in
dustrial plants are being retooled for
military production. This process,
IN some cases requiring several
months time, is expected to bear
most heavily on the automobile in
dustry.
Mr.. Roosevelt's only other engage
ment for the day. according to plans
shortly before noon, was with Gov.
Home. M. Adkins of Arkansas, for
discussion Of domestic production Of
commercial d'amonds
Essential to precision tools used
In wartime industry, Commercial
diamonds for American use are now
obtained entirely fl ON S :utE Afri-
can and South American sources.
Diamonds Of both gem and car
bonado grade occur in peridotite
deposits of Southwestern Arkansas,
however, and have been brought on
the market from time to time since
1905.
Order for Nelson Deferred.
President Roosevelt was still de-
4erring today the issuance Of an
executive order setting up a new
NJ Nelson as its chairman.
White House Secretary Stephen
Early explained that Mr.. Nelson and
his legal advisers are conferring
with the Budget Bureau with the
objective Of drafting an order to give
the new production chieftain full
and unqualified authority.
Mr.. Early said he did not know
whether Mr.. Nelson will participate
in weekly cabinet meetings, but he
expressed assurance that the pro-
duction board chairman will have
all the power necessary to guaran-
tee him full cooperation of Gov
eminent departments and agencies
America faces the possibility OF
utterly revolutionary changes" in
industrial production to win the
war. Mr.. Nelson declared yesterday.
He added that he Is ready to order
any shakeup that is necessary.
He urged all Government agencies
to carry on with the utmost devo-
ton and energy" IN letters to william
s. Knudsen, o. P. M. director, and
the Undersecretaries Of War and
Navy.
Urges Indomitable Spirit.
At the same time, in an address
to the country at large, he bespoke
''the spirit which refuses either to
count costs or recognize obstacles"
The speech. warning that civilian
economy would have to give way to
war requirements, was written be-
fore President Roosevelt's announce
ment that he would create the War
Production Board with Mr.. Nelson
as chairman and was to have been
delivered in person IN Vincennes.
Ind, last night. Pressure Of busi-
ness here prevented Mr.. Nelson
from leaving, however, and the
speech was read
I'VE cannot afford today to direct
our war effort by the ordinary,
sensible Standards" the
address declared. I'VE need to be
cracked enough, If you please, to
try to do things that sensible men
would not try to do under ordinary
Our only hope lies In the spirit |
which refuses either to count costs
or recognize obstacles but which |
drives furiously ahead with the fixed
idea that the important objective
will be reached In spite Of he'll or
high water.
Nothing Can Be Wasted.
I'VE can't waste anything. We
can't let one worker or one machine
be employed making goods for
civilians unless those goods are
things the country absolutely has
to have in order to keep going. We
can't use any of our basic raw ma
terials for civilian manufacture
unless the same test is met.
I'VE may have to require manage
ment and labor to adapt themselves
to wholly new schedules and methods
Of operation; We may have to upset
and industrial arrange
ments which have endured for many
years; we may have to trample on
all sorts of privileges and preroga-
tives. None of that matters"
In the letter to Mr. Knudsen and
the other ofiicials Mr.. Nelson de-
fined the job as:
TO make enough war material to
lick Hitler and the Japs. and to do
" III tlAC b11OI tCoG HOOoAUAC SAAAS.
While some of the most powerful
figures in the Government will be-
come subordinate to Mr.. Nelson the
principal unanswered question today
was what would become of the ONCE
Of Production Management. 1t was
created originally to have supreme
authority over defense production
with Mr.. Knudsen as director and
Sidney Hillman, in charge of labor
problems, as co-director. as men,
bers Of the Supply Priorities and AL
locations Board. which will be abol-
ished. Both will become members
Of the new w. P. B.
Many thought 1t plain that o. p.
NJ. II 1t survived at all would become
subordinate to Mr.. Nelson, that the
Presidents unquestionable intent
was to center supreme power over
industrial production and procure
ment in Mr.. Nelson's hands.
Nevertheless, some members OF
Congress were apprehensive that Mr..
Na1soo vnicht he riven nF,lv limited