Evening star., 1943-03-30

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inefficiency and '''''''''
another shakeup. David Lawrence.
The real reason is that the
American people are not permitted
to check up promptly or concur
rently on the progress of war pro-
duction, and a well-intentioned but
damaging censorship policy keeps
the truth from the people and does
what no censorship should ever be
allowed to do-namely, hide in
efficiency in high prices.
Mr.. Roosevelt makes two major
mistakes in his handling of the
war program. He doesn't under
stand functional organization and
consults lawyers instead of veteran
administrators, and he either relies
too much or too little on his per-
sonal capacity for Strengthening
out interagency friction.
The President has been criticized
for failing to delegate authority.
That was the cry heard through
out l941 when he couldn't make up
his mind to put one man in charge
of war production, so he appointed
both Sidney Hillman and William
Knudsen as coordinate in author
ity. Then when that didn't work,
he Welded to the cry for one-man
control and issued a sweeping
executive order in January, 1912,
and created the War Production
Board.
Nelson Caught in Maelstrom.
Then it was decided to reverse
engines. A rubber administrator
was appointed, fuel administrator
was designated and finally a food
administrator. Meanwhile, inside
the WPB friction arose and Mr..
Nelson found himself caught in
maelstrom of New Deal and anti
New Deal controversy, between
conflicts over military and civilian
requirements, and in the center of
a lot of interindustry squabbling
as to how raw materials should be
allocated. The inclination was to
temporize again. Charles E. Wilson
was appointed as an underpinning
vice chairman. There are thus once
more two bosses in the WPB.
The mess in the OPA was climaxed
by the retirement of Leon Henderson
and the appointment of Prentiss
Brown.
AS for the labor problem, it has
been handled clumsily, too. The Ma
tional Labor Relations Board was
created by Congress to deal with
collective bargaining, and over the
past six years it has built up quite a
lot OF precedents on trade union re-
lations with employers. Along comes
the National War Labor Board, Gre
ated by executive order-to upset
the whole equilibrium with mainte-
e-of membership controversies
and, finally, temporary power to set
tie wage disputes.
Time Is Wasted.
To solve all this, the President ap-
pointed another administrator -
James F. Byrnes-and called him di-
rector of economic stabilization He,
too, then has something to say about
labor controversies, which makes the
War Labor Board members feel they
are not a board, but a rubber stamp
bureau
Finally comes the manpower mud
die, and every agency of the Govern
ment and of industry is affected by
shortage of manpower. Again,
instead Of asking Congress for legis-
lation, the President tries to rely on
his personal persuasiveness with in
dviduals and groups and endeavors
by executive order and the same
process of suasion to reconcile con-
f1icting interests and keep rival
groups satisfied Thus fatal CROP
ing and stumbling process expends
our scarcest commodity-time.
What Mr.. Roosevelt needs is to go
back to the simple system of Gov
ernment that operated in the last
war and got results. He should ap-
point four competent men-men
who are clothed with authority that
telephone calls from the White
House, telling them to do this or
that, will not upset if the request is
illogical and merely the reflection
of group pressure, and men who can
forget New Deal and anti-New Deal
PHILOSOPHERS and concentrate on
winning the war.
Would Top All Agencies.
What is needed now Is wnat has
been urged for three years by disin-
terested observers-a minister of
war production, minister of food,
minister of manpower and a min
lister of civilian economy, with full
authority to each.
Under the manwwer minister
would be all the agencies dealing
with labor and wages and selective
service. Under the war production
minister would be all the agencies
dealing with materials and produc-
ton facilities. Under the food min
lister would be every aspect of food
production and distribution, and
under civilian economy would be the
grouping of all agencies and func-
tions except the War and Navy De-
partments. When differences or
doubts arose between the four min
listers, the President could resolve
them. These four ministers - or
directors. If that be better name
should sit together daily and blend