Evening star., 1943-01-15
Nelson Says Goals
OF '43War Production
will Be Attained
Next Four Months
Held Critical Period;
Rubber Decision Due

Chairman Donald M. Nelson of
the War Production Board be-
lieves the 1943 objectives for all
the military production pro-
grams can be accomplished.
The critical period will be during
the next four months on the must"
programs which currently have the
major bottlenecks-synthetic rub
ber, aircraft, high octane gasoline
escort ships and merchant vessels,
Mr.. Nelson told a press conference
yesterday.
Meanwhile, It was learned that
Rubber Director William M. Jeffers
will obtain highest priority ratings
Immediately for equipment needed
to complete from 55 to so per cent
OF the synthetic rubber program.
A decision In the controversy in
which the rubber, aviation gasoline
and escort vessels programs are all
competing for limited supplies of
scarce equipment is expected shortly
from the White House. The decision
will be announced by Stabilizatio
Director James F. Byrnes, who was
given the job by President Roose-
welt Of ironing out the knotty
problem.
A higher official said Mr.. Nelson
had recommended that Mr.. Jeffers
be, given a green light" to complete
the large portion of his program.
This recommendation he declared,
would be followed by Mr.. Byrnes.
Promises Program.
Mr.. Jeffers, who last week declared
1t was imperative that he be allowed
to finish from IS to 10 per cent of
the program If the Nation were to
avoid disaster, said he had not been
informed Of final decision. Asked
If top rating for the smaller portion
Of the program would enable him to
meet demands for rubber of the
armed services, lease-lend and vital
transportation. Mr. Jeffers said, Il
will bull through some way"
Mr.. Nelson refused q comment
on what his recommendation will be
in the rubber problem at a press
conference yesterday. He said the
final decision had not been made,
though 1t would be forthcoming in
a day or two"
Celebrating his first year as head
of WPB, Mr.. Nelson said the first
four months of 1943 would be the
peak period for producing rubber,
high octane gasoline, escort vessels,
aircraft and merchant shipping. all
Of which compete for large amount
of the same equipment.
Mr.. Nelson said he believed the
current production tangle could be
worked out without disaster to any
one Of the highly essential programs.
The competition, he added, was for
valves, compressors, heat eXchangers,
instruments and other components
needed by all the programs. He said
there were enough valves, for ex-
ample, for all demands over the pc
riod of year, but not enough II all
the programs become urgent at one
time.
The problem Is being met by
proper scheduling of all the scarce
parts to see that the available supply
goes to the most essential needs and
by expanding production Of the
parts. WPB, Mr.. Nelson said, took
immediate action to step up produc-
tion of the scarce components when
it became evident that the vital pro-
grams would clash.
Our problem is to work out all OF
these must programs to get them
done as quickly as possible" he re-
ported. 1T is problem of proper
scheduling of parts. and to make
more parts for rubber plants, avia-
ton gasoline plants, and for pro-
duction of escort vessels, merchant
shipping and aircraft"
Mr.. Nelson would not comment as
to whether the time schedules for
rubber production set up in the
Baruch rubber report would be met.
At another point, the production
chief declared that the appointment
of "czars" for such vital programs
as food, petroleum and rubber had
lessened ather than increased con-
fusion in Washington. He said the
chief problem involved was one OF
defining authority and responsibility
Of the "czars," clearing up the points
where jurisdictions overlap.
Mr.. Nelson said WPB Vice Chair
man Charles E. Wilson had met with
complete corporation" Of the Army
and Navy in his new Job of schec-
uling war production. He declared
that while Mr.. Wilson possessed the
necessary power, his job essentially
was not one that needed power, but
rather the cooperation Of the armed
forces.
The production chief said he ex-
pected the Smaller War Plants Corp
to let considerably more than a
billion dollars in contracts" this year
to small manufacturing firms.