The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-30

nslal on escort vessels, aircraft, radio and radar production.
 But after the session adjourned and Under Secretary Patterson had gone back to the War De- partment, he telephoned to the Truman Committee. 'T find | was mistaken about part of my testimony" he said and went on to explain that Wilson did not have complete power over the Army when it came to production.
 NOTE: The Truman Committee members assumed that when Pat terson got back to the War De- partment, either he or Col, Brown conferred with Gen. Somervell, WILSON ON THE JOB
 Meanwhile, refreshing, hard. hitting Charlie Wilson is pros posing to use his alleged powers to put through airplane produce ton whether the Army thinks he has them or not.
 In a conference not long ago, Army chiefs demanded that ad. ditional new airplane factories be built immediately. Wilson de- murred. He pointed out that new factories required more steel. more strategic metals Of every kind that the Navy was demand- ing for cruisers, escort vessels. transports. He said he wanted to examine the aircraft situation and see # increased production could not be achieved without building new factories.
 But you cannot hold up the aircraft program" Army chiefs exploded. we cannot wait."
 "Ail right, if you want an an. swer today" shot back Wilson, "the answer Is Mo-"
 Thus put on the spot, Wilson found that most airplane factories were running on only 6i per cent capacity of two shifts. This was largely due to poor scheduling Of materials, so that factories were forced to close down waiting for materials. This is a problem Will son has said must be in the hands of production experts rather than Army officers.
 He has now jumped in to rem- edy the situation and aircraft production is already beginning to zoofn.
 LOUIS xv FOR PANAMA
 With the United States govern rnent fighting on vital fronts throughout the world, worried over the problems of taxation, gasoline, oil, and keeping mil- lions of people warm, the State Department has gone to bat with the War Production Board over the urgent and vital question of bedsprings and Louis XIV furni- ture.
 These bedspring and furniture, the State Department contends, are absolutely essential to the conduct of harmonious relations with Panama might break down.
 This has been made & matter of official record through letters sent to the War Production Board by no less than an Assistant Sec- retary of State, Rowland shaw, who demands priorities for ship ping bedsprings, tapestries and period furniture to equip the American Embassy in Panama. Regardless of the needs of the American Army in Panama or the difficulty of shipping goods through the submarine infested Caribbean. or the risk of Ameri- can seamen, the State De. artmenE demands that these bedspringS, tapestries and period furniture reach Panama immediately.
 At first the War Production Board turned the request down. Then Assistant Secretary Shaw came back with a second request supported by an elaborate let ter.
 ''The furniture consists of a
 great number of period designs"
 Mir. Shaw wrote, selected in
 connection with the furnishing
 of Legation residences abroad,
 se be sxeemked in accordance