Evening star., 1942-08-11

their customary ways, while the
much needed personnel for the war
agencies now being sought outside
of Washington can be found right
here in the National Capital.
Senator TydingS, head of a sub
committee of the Committee Of Ap-
propriations, has issued a report
which is far more revealing than
anything else as to why America is
only ankle deep" in war, for it is
q document that tells of the non
chalant spirit Of the Budget Bureau
and the indifference of heads of
Government agencies toward con-
verting their bureaus to wartime
uses.
The American people are being
asked to apply their savings to war
bonds and they have a right to ask
that the Government itself keep
faith with them by cutting out nom
essential spending and by making
use of its existing personnel before
wasting more funds on duplicating
personnel.
Budget Bureau Failure Charged.
Every now and then, some one
blasts out against industry for not
converting soon enough from peace
to wartime, but the example set in
dustry by the Federal Government
is still woefully inadequate.
The Tydings report says that
under our system of government, the
President is responsible for execu-
tive management but that he ma
turally has to delegate it to others.
But it is added, while the Budget
Bureau, under law of 1921 is re-
sponsible for making studies of Gov
ernment agencies and assignments
and the grouping and the regroup-
ing of activities, the bureau has
failed to do its job.
Then it is asked whether this Is
due to inadequate or inexperienced
or unqualified staff and comes to
the conclusion that the bureau "en-
Joys a most highly qualified and
widely experienced staff and that it
is inconceivable that any one could
attack the bureau on these grounds"
The committee declares that the
real fault lies in the fact that "the
ideologies and the adherence to GER
tain thories in regard to govern
mental fiscal policies impair, and, to
an extent nullify, what might other
wise be obtained by the technical
expertness it undoubtedly possesses.
Certain officials of the Budget
Bureau and the National Resources
Planning Board have been and are
yet carrying on very discreet but
none the less pernicious propaganda
to the effect that there must con-
tinue after the war even greater
mounting dehcit-spending on he
part of the Federal Government
than was followed during the de-
cade preceding the defense and war
expenditures. The merits of their
theories will not here be discussed
but they must be taken into con-
sideration when endeavoring to
analyze and reach solution for the
ever-growing bureaucracy in the
civil branch of the Federal Govern
ment."
Little Curtailment Effort.
The committee declares there
has been little effort to curtail the
activities of non-war agencies, ir
fact, their personnel has shown 8
steady increase notwithstanding
the national defense preparations
and the subsequent war effort"
The figures given for employees II
non-defense agencies as of Decem
ber, 1899, are 763,3 300, whereas IL
April, 1912, there were 1913 ,278, repre-
senting an all-time peak and II
per cent increase over December
1899.
1t is difficult to see how the coun
try is going to be impressed with tn
need for conserving manpower an,
even for urging women to take men
Job when the Government itsel
shows such a poor record in putin
its own house in order. The Presi
dent cannot, of course, give time t
the actual execution of the task c
transition, but firm word from hir
to the Budget Bureau and an in
sistence by him that the unnecessar
personnel be transferred to Wa
work would go long ways towar
putting the United States Govern
ment on a war basis.
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