The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-09
Industrial Coordination Expected To Guide Return to Peacetime Jobs Veterans Employment Program Depends
 On Reconverson of Industry, Thrasher Says

at this juncture of the war. But sometime, the preliminary workers agree, a single authority will have to be placed over the whole problem of postwar jobs and business. Be- fore that, and soon, there will have to be boss over the reconversion job
 That boss may be the Office of War Mobilization's James F. Byrnes of Bernard Baruch. He may be the War Production Boards Donald M Nelson or Charles E. Wilson. But whoever he is, he will have to work closely with the War Manpowe1 Commission and Selective Services unemployment division, and with the non-governmental Committee for Economic Development and Ma tional Clearing House Committee which includes business, labor, civic and veterans groups.
 The Committee for Economic De- velopment has set goal of 50 mil lion postwar jobs. There are some in Washington who are blandly op- timiStic over reaching that goal quickly, and with a minimum of trouble. They point to the speed with which industry converted for war, and to the great market that will be ready for consumer goods.
 But you don't find many of these bland optimistis among men who are working on the veteran job- placement program. Instead, they ask some as-yet unanSwerable questions: When will reconversion begin. how well will it be planned. and how quickly accomplished? Will war workers be demobilized before service men? What will be the basis of demobilizing the armed forces-length of service, age, mar ried status, or what? How about the women now in industrial jobS2 WILL BE GRADUAL
 Both reconversion and demobili- Zation will depend, of course, upon the wars going as scheduled. with fighting ending first in Europe. If this happens, as seems likely, both programs could be carried out grad ually. And the probable emphasis on naval and air war in the Pacific would be a further production fac- tor.
 Preferment plans for demobiliz- ing the armed forces are now being studied. Unofficially, there is not much enthusiasm in military circles for the several proposals that sold- iers and sailors be kept in the serv- ice until civilian jobs are found for them.
 The size of occupatoinal or po- licing forces in Europe also en- ters into the postwar job picture. There is some talk that. if the 1940 Selective Service Act stays on the statute books and compulsory mili- tary training continues, trainees might take over part of this polic- ing job, permitting seasoned troops to be mustered out or, if the war with Japan continues, sent to other fronts.
 WOMEN A PROBLEM
 The position of women in in- dustry was stated, though not par- ticularly clarified, in recent re- port by the Women's Advisory Committee of the Manpower Com mission.
 The statement, recognizing the rights of veterans to their old jobs, also asks that women's rights be considered and protected.
 "An easy assumption that great number of women will return to their homes is to be seriously ques- tioned," the committee says. "The number who want and need to work has increased enormously during the war. No society can boast of democratic ideals if it utilizes its womanpower in crisis and neg lects 1t in peace"