Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-01
Asks Congress
To Grill Weiner
As No. danger
BY DAVID CAMELON
Detroit Times Washington Bureau

Detroit Times Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Mar. Rep.
Paul Shafer of Michigan today de-
nounced Joseph l.. Weiner, head
of the Office of Civilian Supply
as "the most dangerous man in
Washington"
Shafer, co-author of a resolution
for an investigation OF all
efforts TO throttle the free press
announced he was preparing a
second all-inclusive resolution fol-
a searching inquiry into Weiner
his program, his background and
his associates. Shafer said:
eff America must go hungry
this year--Or the next-Joseph
l.. Weiner Is TO blame. IL was
Weiner, Russian born Wall
Street lawyer, who sIashed farm
machinery production 10 per
cent, without rhyme, reason or
authority.
HE BLAMES WIENER
"If the free press of America
IL I'm danger-and IL is-it Ii
Weiner who Ii to blame. IL IN
Weiner who advocates an 80 per
cent slash I'm the newsprint
available TO the American press
"A slash that would kill every
free newspaper In the nation.
at IL Joseph Weiner who, at
this time when realistic educa-
ton In a vital necessity to Amer
leans, advocates the reduction
p OF books by more than 20 per
cent.
Shafer continued:
"weiner Is the front man for
the insidlous, discredlted. radical
ideals of the early brain trust
ers. Behind Weiner stand such
figures rs Ben Cohen, one of the
most ardent opponents of the
Frankfurter school"
In scathing terms he referred
To- Weiner.s- proposals for the
bedrock" civilian needs OF the
rountry-proposals which would
cut radios TO II per cent but hold
Iipstick up 10 70 per cent Of the
1910 consumption. He said:
MUST BE CALLED
This man Weiner must he
called before Congress. He must
be examined on what his pro-
gram is; who his hackers are.
lie must be asked on what basis
he presumes to prescribe for all
the country's needs.
His bedrock report would
mean ruin to this nation. And
such a report--and Its sponsors
cry out for thorough probe"
Weiner and Cohen. he said. are
remnants of the Rexford-Guy Tug
well philosophy He continued:
"TugwelI tried his radical
ideas out in Puerto Rico as a
testing ground, and he brought
that bountiful island 60 the
edge OF starvation.
"Now that Tugwell has tried
them out down there. they APP
parently want TO repeat the ex-
pertinent I'm the United States
on a grand scale"
THEIR JOB HARDER
Shafer did not discount the com
yreSSional furore against Man
power Director Paul V. McNutt,
he congressional grilling Of such
figures as Gen. Lewis 3. Hershey.
head Of the Selective Service. and
Claude r. Wickard secretary OF
agriculture. But he said:
Even though YOU should give
McNuft. Wickard and Hershey
credit for doing the best job in
the world, their efforts would he
futile with Weiner throwing a
monkey wrench into the works.
"Wickard can't expect 90
stimulate farm production. when
the farmers can't get the tools
Of production. McNutt's man
power problem, and Hershey's,
would be simplified II Weiner
had permitted tools TO replace
men on the farms"
But the key TO Weiner'S whole
program, Shafer charged. is con-
irol Of the press. He said:
THE constitutional guaran-
tees Of a free press have been
tossed out Of the window In his
philosophy.
WOULD DESTROY PRESS
"A free press must mean free
dom TO distribute the news as
well as TO print IL. Yet Weiner
would so cripple the press as to
destroy II.
1T was Welner who wanted
an immediate slash OF 30 per
cent In newsprint, and, as his
table of bedrock civilian require
ments shows, had In mind an
ultimate 80 per cent cut.
ut took the combined weight
of congressional anger. led by
Reps. Fred Bradley Of Michigan.
Charles HalIeck of Indiana, and
others, including myself, 10
block Weiner on newsprint.
THE facts were available to
Weiner. II he had chosen TO look
for them. Apparently. he prefers
to sit I'm an ivory tower and
dictate Americas economic life,
not on the basis of facts, but in