Evening star., 1943-08-26

battle fronts. They issue his orders
by delegated authority or, some
times, on day-to-day White House
directives.
Probably the most powerful group
on civilian war strategy is Chairman
| Byrnes' War Mobilization Board,
composed of himself, Mr.. Vinson,
Secretaries Stimson, Knox &.
and Mr.. Hopkins. 1t weighs domes-
tic and war needs. theoretically,
at least, it bosses every item of ma
tional economy, including man
power. supplies, wages, prices. ra-
tioning and, to some degree, even
taxes A.
= Answers "War Cabinet" Cries.
The board is Mr.. Roosevelts an
swer to two years of wrangling over
creation of war cabinet" 1t
meets in the White House cabinet
room, under its own steam. ',''f'
Now, some war agency heads and
members of the regular cabinet will
tell you . off the record, of course
. that this board is somewhat
short of what they think a war cab
met should be. They say it is Mr..
Hopkins idea. He always wanted
small group (and got it, while they
wanted cabinet made up of dele
gates from each branch of Govern
ment concerned with the war effort.
This would have included in its
membership Agriculture Secretary
Wickard, Treasury Secretary Nor
genthau, Interior Secretary Ickes
(solid fuels, oil and gas, fisheries,
mines, metals and minerals, War
Production Chairman Nelson, Com
merce Secretary Jesse Jones. Price
Rationing Director Brown, Budget
Director Harold Smith, War Labor
Board Chairman Davis, War Man.
power Commissioner McNutt and
others.
How Inner Circle Operates.
But about the operations of the
inner circle:
Admiral Leahy has no statutory
authority but acts as sort of super
secretary Of military affairs. When
land, sea or air commands want
White House audience, they usually
see the admiral, who sees the Presi-
dent and comes back with the
answers.
He Is chairman of the Joint Brit
ish-American Chiefs of Staff Com
mittee which is counterpart of
Mr.. Hopkins Munitions Assignment
Board. These two groups together
map war strategy and boss ship
ments from the American war arse
nal to Allied commands.
The committee issues directives to
Allied commanders, subject to ap-
proval by FDR and Prime Minister
Churchill, concerning supplies, pol
icy and objectives. Mr. Hopkins has
been Mr.. Roosevelt's personal war
messenger to London and Moscow
a time or two
Leahy, Hopkins Carry Weight.
Neither he nor Admiral Leahy has
authority to dictate tactical opera
tions. But, since each carries out
certain presidential war orders,
some assume that when either Of
fers ideas in war conferences they
are accepted as coming from the
Allied high command.
That is the reason many insist
that Mr.. Roosevelt sees the war
through the Leahy- Hopkins eyes,
and that much United Nations
strategy may have been a Leahy-
Hopkins idea.
Mr.. Roosevelt has selected for
himself the role of war President
and postwar world planner, leaving
most domestic matters almost en-
tirely in the hands of Mr. Byrnes,
the so-called assistant President"
Mr.. Byrnes sees most of the agen-
cy, departmental and congressional
officers and delegations formerly re-
ceived by Mr.. Roosevelt. Next to
the President he out bosses every
one on the home front, including
Mr.. Vinson and Marvin Jones who,
in turn, boss each in his own
bailiwick all lesser bosses.
Mr.. Roosevelt told a friend that
since Mr.. Byrnes took over on the
home front he. for the first time
since he became Chief Executive,
has had chance to Just sit down
and think"
"Vice President" to Byrnes.
Mr.. Vinson is a sort of vice
president" to Assistant President"
Byrnes. He exercises Mr.. Byrnes
delegated authority over every one
included in the Presidents April 8,
1943, "hold-the-line' order. He can
overrule the War Labor Board or
the Treasury on wage and salary
decisions. He can overrule price