Imperial Valley press., 1942-02-25
CAPITAL TALKS
by
Peter
Edison

launched soon by DOEalu M. Nel-
sons 1912 model streamlined War
Production Board.
Coming. too, IS Nelson's first
production CommuniQue" which
will show Just W much progress
las been made y arminl the coun-
try The report will no, tell how
many planes and tanks and guns
have been manufactured. but by
4 series CT index numbers based on
the war production for December,
l94l. which will be put at 100, the
percentage of increase in war pro-
duction will be indicated The idea,
of course. is to tell the general pub
lie lust what is being done without
revealing detailed military produc-
ton secrets.
This spring production drive,
coupled with the first produc-
ton report since Pearl Har5or,
will give the real indication of
how effective Nelson's one man
control and responsibility for
administration of war prOduc-
tiCn has been going. 1t is just
month since Nelson announc-
ed his reorganization. That
isn't much time to convert the
cOuntry'S economics from de-
fenSe to OffenSe but it is pos
Sible even now To point out def
mite WPB accomplishments.
Most tangible is the fact that
five major industries are being con-
verted from civilian to war pro-
duCtion automobiles, radios, re-
frigerators. typewriters and wash
ing machines. The program in the
auto industry calls for complete
conversion and civilian production
here has been stopped. Severe limi-
tationS have been put on civilian
production in all the others, and
WPB is working with War Depart
ment to assign these industries to
war production tasks. II refrigerat-
ors and radios, dates have been set
for complete conversion in April.
2 Nelson has completed his re-
organization of the old CPM and
has shown that the new WPB is not
lust a Shift of names with the same
old faces running the show under
new billing. There is different
attitude and a new approach to the
war production job. This IS perhaps
Intangible, but it can be pointed
our that under the old OPM organ
lzation the brass hats were always
trying TO abibi Inability TO get any
! thing done because their organl2a-
| ton was faulty, or because they
! didn't have the authority to do the
| lob or because too many divisions
shared or didn't know their reSpon-
| sibility Nelson has changed all
that He has given the outfit q
different tone, popped it up, i'm
proved morale The word he passes
or TO his principal assistants now
IS that if the organization goes
sour from here on, no one is TO
be blamed but the WPB bosses
themselves.
3. Procedure has been speeded up
and this has been passed on to other
agencies of the government coop
Grating with the WPB. Just re-
Gently Nelson decided to put II
new l2OO-ton blast furnace for pig
iron production on the vast coast
awarding the contract to the Henry
j. Kaiser interests The contract
was cleared through the Defense
| Plant corporation in 48 hours,
record that beat past performances
rot by days but by weeks. Con-
tracts for a new steel mill to use
rig iron are hot on the heels OF
the blast furnace job. That is typ
/ lcal 1t marks definite break with
the old idea that present steel pro-
duction capacity is adequate
4 Nelson gets daily progress re-
ports submitted to him every morn
/ inc. If he sees schedules are not
being maintained, q call goes to the
division head to make a personal
Investigation and report. Top men
are kept jumping around the coun-
try taking corksOout OF bottle
reckS.
5. WPB's planning division
has just been organized with
young Robert Nathan as char
man. The division has not had
time TO show its stuff, but it
is apparently to be more than a
mere brain trust, gazing INTO
the future. 1t is the intention
to give this three man com
m;ttee specific problems of war
production to think through and
solve.
Nelson's recent action in swing
aircraft production Al pA0Fitle@
rating along with tanks, ordnance
and shipping, while designated as
purely organizational matter to
remove a psychological baiaer for
aircraft procurement men, was IN
reality the first step ol u much
broader revision of the whole sya-
tom of top ratings on materials
prioritieS Production schedules, in
other words, are Being completely
1ecalculated to bring deliveries
schedules on raw materia- into line
With military requiremtl'a on lin
ished products Of war
7 william l. Bats Materials div
,,jOn will soon have new figures
On the overall requirements and
production of aluminium and mag
neslum. These will be the first OF
q completely new series Of estimates
on the ultimate demands for raw
materials needed to achieve the
presidents program for l35000
planes. 10000 tanks, 55 100 at
tack guns and SO on, In the next
/ TWO years.
When these new requirements