Evening star., 1943-01-27
LETTERS Is Willing
10 Explain Charges Of
Tagging Production
Quiz to Be Conducted
By Joint Military
And Naval Committee
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

st "loN.
Rubber Director William M. JET
fers is ready and willing" to appear
before a House committee for in
vestigation of his charge that war
production is impeded by the pres
ence IN plants Of Army and Navy
eXpediters whom he characterized
As "loafers," spokesman said to-
day.
The official declared Mr.. Jeffers
would have good case" one that
was based on facts that are COM
mon knowledge"
The House Naval Affairs Com
mlttee, on motion of Chairman Vim
son, first approved the inquiry yes
terday then invited the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee to make it
a joint one. Chairman May of the
latter group agreed.
Names Subcommittee.
Mr.. VinSon appointed the follow
Ing to subcommittee to make the
investigation: Representatives Sas-
seer, Democrat, of Maryland, Har-
rls, Democrat, of Virginia; Fogarty,
Democrat, of Rhode Island; Mott,
Republican, OF Oregon, and Grant,
Republican, of Indiana.
Mr.. May said Representative
Thomason, Democrat. of Texas
would head the Military Affairs
Subcommittee, and that he would
name the others today.
The two chairmen said they ex-
pected the investigation would be-
gin as soon as the joint committee
could organize. Whether it will be
public will depend on the decision
OF the committee members, but Mr.
May said he thought it would be.
Mr.. Jeffers' accusation was made
at a round-table conference of the
Council Of State Governments in
Baltimore Monday. He said he be-
lieved the failure" to get even
adequate production was due in
part to too many so-called expe-
differs in these big plants, Army and
Navy men, commissioned officers"
Meanwhile, another War Pro-
duction Board official said remark
able progress" had been made in
working out details of the plan
whereby the competing war pro-
grams of rubber, escort vessels. high
octane gasoline, aircraft and mer-
chant shipping, all vital to the war
effort, will be carried through to-
gether.
Involves Scarce Equipment.
There are "a different types of
equipment, all very scarce, such
things as valves, condensers, boil
ers, instruments of various types,
which are used by the five pro-
grams. The problem is to increase
greatly the output of the compo-
nentS and to schedule production
and delivery so that each piece of
equipment will arrive at the rubber
plant or shipyard on time and
where it will do the most good.
officials admit the task is the big
gest of the war.
In the last 10 days, WPB off,
cialS have interviewed from six to
eight leaders in each of the "a
industries making the equipment,
The men have been asked what
must be done for them to increase
production. All the manufacturers
problems, whether it is machine
tools, materials or manpower, have
been probed. An official said, 1--WE
threshed out bottlenecks and sub
bottlenecks."
In addition, WPB has telegraphed
more than 1000 major contractors
making the scarce equipment. out
hnlng to each what is expected of
MIN and requesting presentation of
individual problems 1t is estimated
tnat there are from 1000 to 5000
subcontractors in the picture. All
OF these will be the "fair-haired
boys" Of war production for the next
lew months, the official said. They
Will get whatever they need in the
way of materials and plant equip
ment, he added.
Material Cleared.
The official said that material
Will not be bottleneck," since
WPB's Requirements Committee
has approved 100 per cent of ma
terials for the components. Produc-
tion of the equipment in January
will greatly exceed that of Decem-
Der, he continued, while it will be
stepped up appreciably in each sue
ceeding month.
Although it appears that produc-
ton can be increased in most of the
"a items, the output of some has
nearly reached the peak" the off,
cial said. In instances of this sort
1t will be case of improving on
perfection" he declared.
Claimant agencies for the COM
ponents-Army, Navy, rubber di-
rector, Army Air Forces and Mari
time CommiSSion-wiil be required
to get in all of their orders for l943
immediately. The Official declared
1t was discovered that some agencies
had not placed orders even for the
flrst half OF this year. This practice
LED manufacturers to believe their
task this year would be smaller than
1t was and some plants were not op-
Grating full 24-hour shifts.
80 ~NAAAA AAADeoL1ICS Az WAS lOUIlC
that agencies were ordering for
immediate delivery equipment which
could not possibly be used until
next fall. The Navy had ordered
three different engines for one es-
cort vessel with the intention of
using the first to arrive at the ship
yard. All Of these situations are
being ironed out by Charles E.
Wilson, WPB production vice chair
man, and his chief assistant, Ralph
j. Cordlner, who has direct charge
Of scheduling operations.
Estimates Speed.
The official said Rubber Director
Jefers wants a special priority di-
rective to back up the scheduling
Of components which WPB is car
rying out and he added: Il car
see his point; he is fighting fol
rubber"
He estimated that should Mr.
Jeffers get special rating for 5;
per cent OF plant equipment, The
rubber program will be about Si>
weeks behind the Baruch report
Should rubber get no help he sait
the program would fall about sil