Evening star., 1943-01-26

brought into the open yesterday by
Mr.. JefferS denunciation of what
he called Army and Navy inter
ference" with war production. The
country will get production, he told
a session of the Council of State
Governments if we keep the Army
and Navy loafers out of these
plants"
There are too many experts in
these plants, Army and Navy men"
Mr.. Jeffers said. One day it's the
Navy and the next it's the Army,
It's battle between how many stars
and how many bars.
Let the men who know how, run
these plants. Then we'll get the
production, keep our country on rub
Der and keep our economy"
MI. Jeffers specifically attacked
military men he described as Army
and Navy eXpediters," but he also
aimed broadside at all Washing
ton experts
Asks Less Interference.
Contending that needs of the
armed services did not preclude
completion Of the synthetic rubber
program. Mr.. JefferS continued, "on
rubber, we have had too MANY ex-
perts in Washington as we have too
many experts on lots of other things
in Washington"
He added, Lets bring the bows
back to country that's function
ing, and not one as fat as a foun-
DER. .
I'VE can do all these things if
we get production to the point it
ought to be, if we get less interfer-
ence in the plants. There are
too many experts in these plants,
Army and Navy men"
This blunt talk got round of
applause in Baltimore, but drew
reprimand from the Office of War
Information, which is supposed to
clear and approve all speeches by
public officials to head off inter
agency strife.
Defends Remarks.
The owl did not clear the
speech made by Rubber Director
Jefers,' said owl, nor did owl
have any advance knowledge that
he was to deliver such a speech"
Commenting on that. Mr.. Jeffers
said he spoke at a question and
answer affair" and therefore he
shouldn't think" his remarks would
have to be submitted to Owl in
advance. His criticism was not of
the Army and Navy, he said. but of
the "expediters from the Army and
Navy"
The Baltimore episode came after
the squarely built former railroad
president had listened silently while
an Army man, M. j. Madigan, spe-
cial assistant to Undersecretary Of
War Patterson, testified on Capitol
Hill that the Army wanted Mr..
Jeffers to lower his sights in order
not to hold back the military pro-
grams which compete with rubber
for equipment and materials.
VIII Insist on Materials.
Mr.. Jefers told reporters after
this hearing. before the Senate Agri-
culture Subcommittee which last
year sponsored a proposal for
created rubber czar,
that he would insist on getting his
share of materials unless over
ruled by higher authority"
He did not identify the higher
authority but his hearers had no
doubt he referred to the President.
Chairman Gillette called the con-
troversy a real scrap
Mr.. Nelson already has approved
and sent to Mr.. Byrnes plan for
giving Mr.. Jeffers a green light on
So per cent of the long-range syn
thetic rubber program.
Mr.. Nelson expressed belief that
all the must programs can be
brought along simultaneously by
proper scheduling of the items for
which the various agencies are COM
reting--mainly valves, heat ex-
changers, control instruments and
the like.
This also is Mr.. Jeffers' conten-
ton, but military officials have sug-
gested that the So per cent tor which
he has asked immediate approval
actually is larger percentage be-
cause the capacity Of the synthetic
plants has been underest mated and
because somewhat larger supplies
of natural rubber are being received
than were expected.
Even within WPB there was T is
harmony. One high Official said
Mr.. Jefers proposal inevitably
would interfere with maximum pro-
duction of escort ships, light anti
submarine vessels. This clashed. Of
course, with Mr. Nelson's S idea that
scheduling could solve the whole
problem.
(nIo Rop.hov S,.p,;,,ox