Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-19
MIR. Nelson
Rough With
Gravy Boys
Tipoff Comes in Reply
10 Threat Of Texan
BY PAUL MALLON

prioritleS board.
The board turned down a re-
quest for materials for a school
in Texas about a week back. The
liberal eX-maestro Maury Nav
erick was interested in il and a
friend OF his connected with civil
ian defense bombarded the pri-
critics board with protests. This
friend said if the WPB did not
use more judgment. IL would get
this administration kicked out
of Washington.
The WPB dollar-a-year man
barked back the classic retort
of the season:
What do I care? I'm a Re-
publican. The only reason am
here Is Ia help win the war, not
the November election.
THE Bethlehem Steel Conn
L pany asked WPB for enough
of its own reinforced steel 20
build an office building at Beth
lehem. Pa. WPB said no, build
one out Of something else,
But the heaviest political in
fluence upon the board is being
switched 10 favor churches,
schools and hospitals. AS every
one except politicians know. this
is no time To build churches or
schools. WPB has been turning
them down right and left. Mate
rails for hospitals are allowed
when need can be proved.
-In-the first World War, ma
terials for churches were denied.
but the ensuing protests caused
the government to put Billy
Sunday out on the stump to re-
mind churchmen that prayers
could be said nearly anywhere
temporarily.
MR.. ROOSEVELT is certainly
WI throwing the billions at the
enemy. A computation by
government official shows our
war effort has now reached the
unimaginable total of Sl39,OOO,-
600. OOO-more than three times
the S42, 900, 100000 budget with
which +. d. r. Supplied Con-
gress and shook the Axis six
short weeks back. This is more
than was ever conceived before
in the mind of man.
The computer reached the
figure by adding the appropra-
tions for navy, army, lend-lease.
maritime commission and de-
Tense plant corporations. Up 10
March last year $50 600, 900 600
had been appropriated. Since
then the appropriations were
stepped up nearly five times to
500. 000.00 900
Pending in Congress now are
recommendations for $25, OOO,-
100000 more. If you add in
$4,000, 100000 spent outside lend
lease in contracts by British,
French. Russians. you will get
your S139,OOOOOO,0O0.
WITH all this money being
w spent, it appears little bust
ness will begin getting more
SuStenance. Nelson has put his
former assistant. Al Browning,
a business man from the Mid
west, in charge Of spreading
contracts in the army. and Frank
Folsom. Of Montgomery Ward,
in the navy. Floyd Odlum is
becoming a front office man and
Specchmaker.
Small Woodworking Compa-
mics are suffering most. Those
doing regular fiat work, stamp
ing and pressing arc being badly
hurt. Those able 10 do cutting.
shaping and machining arc in
more demand. Officials expect,
however, that no more than one
fourth Of this small metal indus
Try viii be lost.
There Is long range talk about
all small business being crushed
entirely by the war effort and
drawn into large concerns so as
better 10 buy and sell in the
postwar world but that in
wolves longer vision than most
people possess.
Large corporations now are
exhibiting some enthusiasm for
SubcontraCtlng because they are
piled with orders for fiv( years
in some cases. 1t is clchr how
ever. the trend is toward sur
Nlyal of the fttcSt (which IS
generally the blggcSO.
ONE thing this war has done
" IS 10 make IckeS a good boy.
The interior secretary Is not is
SUNG any gas ratloning edlctS
hastily off-lip now. His appear
ance before a House interstate
commerce subcommittee repre-
Sentcd an amusing and hitherto
unprecedented effort to sound
out public opinion softly.
I'm his testimony he was any
thing but the SnarlIng lckcS Of
old He loved everybody He
even loved the railroad CXccu-
lives chairman Policy. whom he
had formerly described as a
lobbyist
Gas ratiOninC We'll the oil
industry wanted il, but lckcS did
not know. 1t was all up 10 Hen
dcrSon, who is a nice man also
Perhaps the war is not
entirely responsible FOR tins
reformation. Mr.. lckcS cannot
have so soon forgotten the burn