Evening star., 1943-06-29

we could end all this wrangling and
improve the administrative ef-
ficiency so essential to winning the
war if program money were appro-
priated directly to the Board Of
Economic Warfare for its purchase
and development of all imported
strategic materials, just as money
is now appropriated directly to us
for administrative expenses in con-
nection with our imports work"
Cites Other Vital Products.
Mr.. Wallace, taking up the ex-
perience of BEW with strategic
products, one by one, cited beryl ore,
used as an alloy with copper and for
other military uses.
On December /, 1941, the Office of
Production Management, predeces-
sor of the War Production Board,
recommended that RFC purchase
5000 metric tons of beryl ore. BY
April 13, 1912, the day the Presi-
dent transferred import powers from
RFC to BEW, one 300-ton contract
had been signed and no deliveries
made, Mr.. Wallace said. By Decem-
Der 81, 1912, IL contracts, calling for
Alb tons of the ore had been made
in Argentina, Brazil, India and
South Africa, and $40 tons had been
delivered. The report added:
Castor seeds have important uses
as lubricant and solvent, and No.
vember 10. 1941, the old OPM rec
mended that RFC buy 1851 long
tons. On April 13 none had been
purchased. BY December 81 of that
year BEW had arranged spot pur-
chases totaling 1878 long tons and
had contracted for another 22O 900.
The OPM in November. 194l, sug-
gested purchase of ores containing
$500 short tons of cobalt, the chief
use of which is in high-speed cut
ting Steels. The Metals Reserve
Corps, by April 13, 1912, had bought
ores containing about 159 tons of
cobalt metal. BY December 81,
1912, BEW arranged foreign pur-
chases totaling about s76 short tons,
and increased private purchases
have now put us in comfortable
supply position"
Failed to Buy Abrasive.
November 18, 1941, OPM recon-
mended to RFC the purchase of
5000 long tons of South African
corundum, used as an abrasive for
grinding optical glasses and tele-
scope lenses. AS of April 13, lover
four months after Pearl Harbor,"
none had been bought. BEW di-
receives obtained $4,000 long tons
for delivery during l943 and 1914.
Fats and oils, Mr.. Wallace ex-
planned, include about Is producers,
ranging from sunfoWer seeds to
ouricury nuts and whale oil and are
urgently needed. In October, 1941,
OPM recommended purchase of 3d.
900 long tons of various types of fats
and oils. In November, the total
recommended was increased to 2O8,-
571 tons and by February, 1912, to
317,499 tons. BY April 13, 1912,
RFC ("according to the best in
formation we have" Mr.. Wallace
said) had purchased only 1900 long
tons (rape-seed OLD and none had
arrived in this country.
Under BEW direction, by Decem-
Der 81, 1912, Mr.. Wallace recited,
276,622 tons of foreign fats had been
bought on a spot purchase basis,
and BEW had negotiated and the
Commodity Credit Corp. had en-
tered into development and long
term contracts for the delivery of
100000 tons. Later other contracts
were negotiated.
Asked to Buy Palm Oil.
RFC was asked by OPM on Oc-
tober 20, 1941, to buy 10000 long
tons of palm oil, used in manufac-
ture of tin plate and for which
there Is no adequate substitute.
None had been purchased by April
13, 1912, according to Mr.. Wallace,
but by the following December 81
spot purchases under BEW direc-
tions totaled 23,s2S long tons.
Mr.. Wallace cited further:
OPM recommended on October 81,
1941, purchase OF $500 tons of fiat
fiber, used for parachute webbing
and for high-tension industrial sew
ing thread. But RFC had not
bought any by April 13, 1912, while
by the end of 1912 contracts had
been made for approximately 5000