The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-01-16

. Clapper

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American Steel Goes
To the Bsffle Front
Rubber Control
Now the Hot Spot
ny RAYMOND CLAPPER
WASHINGToN-wPB il ont
year old this week. Contrary to
The dismal history of its numer-
Gus predecessors -you remember
sPAB and oPM-the War Pro-
duction Board appears to grow
stronger with time. Its chair
man, Donald Nelson. seems to
have survived the worst of the
storms.
He has had his tussles with the
military and with LETTERS, the
rubber man. He has given ground
here. stood his ground there. He
has quietly reorganized wPB and
almost completely replaced his
key men. In short. he has proved
. rather successful driver of
large mule team, without using
. blacksnake whip. He has kept
his head. and has taken a lot of
good advice. much of II from
Bernard N. Baruch.
War production il now going
through one most critical tight
spot which win be fairly eased
by April or May. We may have
another tight stretch toward fall
when rubber will be acutely
short. Otherwise production of
essential equipment in necessary
quantities seems assured.
Unfortunately many small. in
dustrial plants will be closed
down during the year. The small
producer of civilian goods is GO
ing to have an extremely rough
and frequently fatal-fight for
survival.
That oxushing of small individ-
ual enterprise between the heavy
gears of total war Is going to be
one Of the home fronts economic
and social tragedies, because
small businesses. once compelled
TO close, may have trouble re-
opening after the war.
In the essential job of produc-
Ing war goods, the year has been
one of spectacular change.
A year ago Ickes was being
turned down ON his pipeline
proposal On the ground that
the steel WAS needed for more
urgent purposes. That was
one of the rank boners of
Misrepresentation planning.
We were rationing nothing a
year ago except tires. The gov
eminent was trying to stop auto
mobile production and was
wrangling with the industry.
During the year, out of 3d.
o00. 900 tons of steel production.
only 1900. 900 tons will go into
civilian uses. Steel has gone to
war % per cent 800. 900 tons
left IN civvies as against TO-
900. 900 tons in 1s40. for instance.
In December a year ago. we pro-
duced less than two billion dol
lars worth of war equipment,
now II Is three times that and
the schedule is to turn out so
billion dollars worth this year.
Mr.. LETTERS says he is going to
take his rubber row to the coun-
try. That won't help the situa-
ton much. We are in a very
tight spot now.
Delicate balancing and
nandwiching Of several ur-
gent things Is needed rather
than = broad-ax public argu-
ment. How can YOU settle
any question like that by a
public argument
We have the most urgent need
for escort ships to fight sub
marines. or airplanes. for 100
octane gas and for synthetic rub
her. These all compete at few
points. For instance, facilities
for making valves and instru-
ment gauges are overtaxed. Both
100 octane and rubber plants
need heat exchangers, which have
been tight, but are easing up.
That il the type of bottleneck in
the production of components
that causes the current friction.
II lis to be expected that men
will fight vigorously for the pro-
grams for which they are respon-
sible. Some of the personal
scenes that have taken place are
inexcusable on any other basis.
And there is a difference
between being tough, which
IL necessary, and being often
sive to the point of losing
the confidence of the people
You must do business with.
Schedules have been arranged
TO alternate the small number of
urgent items between the rubber
and gasoline programs, and also
sandwiching in critical items for
escort ships. With mutual accom-
mediation on the part of those re-
sponsible for the various urgent
programs. we ought to get
through the tight period without
any dxn site failures