Evening star., 1943-05-29

sympathy OF tne David Lawrence
country in the problem he is trying
to solve. What he really is up
against is the difficulty of curing in
competence without firing the in
competent, saving the feelings of
his friends and personal chums in
public Office who are not fitted to
manage the war machine and yet
preserve harmony in the official
family at time Of serious crisis
In the Nations history.
Congress-at least that part of it
which is vocal-is just as enthusiast
tic about the proposed plan as it
was in January, 1912, when, with
the same fanfare and ballyhoo, it
was announced that War Produc-
ton Board had been created and
that Donald Nelson had been given
complete authority over everything.
At last, the comment ran, the Pres
ident has centralized everything and
delegated authority to one man in
one place. The executive order was
far-reaching 1t included any and
all agencies of the Government. But
1t didn't work. The reasons why are
matter of general knowledge in
Washington.
Byrnes Bears Responsibility.
Now the President has adopted
slightly different tack. He has
placed on the shoulders of amiable.
hard-working, honest and conscien-
tious James F. Byrnes the task of
compromising or adjusting the many
differences that have arisen between
the various officials in war agencies,
each of whom has some segment of
either statutory power Or executive
blessing with which to carry on the
var effort on the home front.
Again the President has delegated
responsibility to one man. 1t is
true that Mr. Byrnes will have
cabinet of advisers but they are
merely to advise. His is the respon-
sibility under the President. In that
new war cabinet are Harry Hopkins
Donald Nelson, the Secretary of War
and the Secretary of the Navy, and
the newly appointed Judge Fred
Vinson. who takes MI. Byrnes' place
in the Office of Economic Stabiliza-
ton.
This means, as practical matter,
that the Undersecretaries OF War
and Navy, Robert P. Patterson and
James " Forrestal. probably will sit
in advisory meetings and that the
whole thing will be run hereafter as
before, by the President and Mr..
Hopkins, between whom there is a
closer friendship than between the
President and any member of his
peace or war cabinets.
The purpose of the new super
board. from functional standpoint,
is not administrative but policy
making. This is step in the right
direction. Yet on the board are men
with immense administrative re-
sponsibilities-the Secretaries of
War and Navy and the chairman Of
the War Production Board.
Some day the idea of board or
cabinet of men freed from detailed
administrative responsibilities and
engaged solely in policy y-raking will
take hold, and when that happens
we shall make real progress in try
ing to organize the National Gov
eminent.
The new set-up means, of course.
that each Of the war agencies and
boards. like those handling man
power or price-flxing or oil regula-
ton or rubber conservation or re-
construction finance. will go along
their accustomed paths. But when
they enter the area of the unclari-
fled and unspecifed powers that
touch on the war effort in general,
they will have to get their cue from
Mr.. Byrnes, who, in turn, will learn
what the President wants done and
Issue the proper directives or de-
crees or edicts.
Seeks Better Liaison.
The saddest part of wartime
Washington is that Congress has
ceased to supervise the disburse-
ment of funds. or the operations OF
administrative government to insure
that the statutes are being obeyed
or that orders that go beyond the
statutes are not issued.
Incidental to the announcement
OF the Office Of War Mobilization is
the fact that the President is trying
to establish a better liaison with
Congress. Mr.. Byrnes is a former
member of the Senate and Judge
Vlnson was powerful member of
the Ways and Means Committee of
the House till he accepted a place
on the Federal bench here. Both
men can work with Congress and
the President needs help in that
direction. He wants to free himself
to concentrate on the overseas lob
and on the increasing number of
problems of diplomacy as we'll as
strategy, The wish of everyone here
is that the new plan may succeed.
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