Evening star., 1942-05-07
Landis' Office bIames
". P. B. for DELAYS in
Obtaining Equipment
Report Soys War Board
Is Very Reluctant to
Allow Priorities

The Once OF Civilian Defense to-
day laid delays in procuring vital
defense equipment at the door of
the War Production Board.
In its first report to the House
and Senate Appropriations Commit
tees, the O. G. D. declared that 1.-The
obtaining of priorities is proving to
be one of our greatest obstacles in
accomplishing quickly the purposes
for which the appropriation was
made available
A $l00,0Oo,0O0 appropriation was
made for the o. c. D. on February
81 to provide protection against
bombing attacks. sabotage and other
war hazards. A report every six
weeks is provided in the Appro-
priation Act.
Discussing the progress of pro-
curement. the report declares that
the War Production Board has been
''very reluctant to grant more than
a very moderate proportion of the
amount requested of certain of the
protective equipment"
Fire Hose Disallowed.
As an example, the report dis
closes that o. c. D. requested w.
p. B. approval of 27000,000 feet Of
single jacket discharge fire hose,
which, it was contended, is an es-
sential of the fire defense equip
ment program.
"The War Production Board has
Informed us that it would be i'm
possible for them to grant priorities
for more than 10,800,00G feet" the
report continues. This necessitates
revising our present specifications
and standards, thus resulting in de-
lay In procurement"
The War Department. according
to the report, is attempting to re-
wise specifications and standards in
a number of instances where the
w. P. B. has turned down requests
for priorities "or has granted priori-
ties so low that as a result little
can be expected by way of obtaining
these materials"
The report also discloses that the
recently established Civilian Defense
Board is reviewing the whole pro-
gram Of gas masks with a view to
ascertaining specific needs.
The o. c. D. has already turned
over $19,000,0o0 to the Chemical
Warfare Service for gas mask pro-
duction and Is holding $10,000,000
more to be turned over to Chemical
Warfare upon further Qualification
of the gas mask situation" accord
Ing to the report.
Building Gas Mask Plants.
Chemical Warfare has informed
o. c. D. that eight contracts have
been negotiated for the construction
Of gas mask assembly plants at
cost of $486. .698, the report states.
One contract has been awarded for
the construction of q charcoal plant
and three others are being nego-
tiated involving a total cost of ST.
sos, 300. Contracts have also been
let for equipment, dies, tools, ETC.,
for equipping these plants at a
cost Of approximately 100000.
Contracts have been awarded for
gas mask components, such as valve
cases, discs, clamps, ducks, ETC., for
q total cost of $2,608,075. The re-
mainder Of the funds allocated to
Chemical Warfare are in the pre-
contract stage, the report said. Five
existing gas mask assembly, plants
will begin assembly of non-com-
Blatant gas masks at the rate of
$4,000 per month on or about
May 80.
The procurement directive, ac-
cording to the report, calls on the
Chemical Warfare Service to design
gas masks for civilian use, to de-
velop production facilities for g.
SOC, 900 gas masks per month and "to
manufacture an undetermined num-
Der Of masks within the funds
available" It has been previously
explained that facilities for produc-
ton rather than large-scale manu-
facture Of masks was being en-
phasized at this time.
Helmets and Clothing.
Other procurement directives and
progress to date follows:
The Quartermaster General has
been requested to undertake re-
search toward the development OF
suitable clothing for decontamina-
tion activities. Approximately S.
900, 1000 is being held until the re-
search and development is COM
pleted.
The Quartermaster General has
also been requested to procure
100000 civilian defense helmets a.
an estimated cost of sl000,000 anc
100 900 arm bands at an estimated
cost of $1,000. To date, 10000 he'll
NETS have been delivered.
The Surgeon General has beer
requested to procure 1000 instru
ments, 434,720 units Of suture ma
terial, 68,640 traction splnts anc
68 $40 miscellaneous items at a cos
of 1926, SAB. The Surgeon General
office has informed o. c. D. tina
requisitions have been issued ant
funds suballocated to New York ant
ol. LOUlS plONuI CillCIlt OthNSo Az
these items, but delivery will TAX
at least three months.
The Corps of Engineers has beer
requested to procure $4,000 pump
ing units. including accessories
1880 900 feet of discharge and hart
suction hose and 2,258000 four
gallon pump tank extinguishers a
q cost of S52,l82, ,750.
Priorities Difficulties.
The Corps of Engineers, the re
port states, has had considerabl
difficulties in obtaining priorities o,
the equipment 1t is responsible fo
procuring, but has issued invita-
tions for bids for 100000 feet c
single Jacket discharge hose. 2,250
600 pump tank extinguishers an
1900 trailer pumps. The rest {
their activity is in the pre-contrat
stage.
Apparent difficulty in gettin
complete progress reports from tn
War Department is indicated in
part of the report which states tha
in view of the tremendous progral
in which the War Department
engaged In carving out the ws