Evening star., 1943-06-19

Worms Food Program
Foces Failure Unless
Put Under One Office
By the Associated Press.
War Food Administrator CheS-
ter c. Davis today found himself
in a position somewhat similar
TO that occupied by Secretary of
Agriculture Wickard before he
lost full control over the war food
program.
Mr.. Davis Is at odds with the
White House--that is, economic ad-
visers Of President Roosevelt-over
policies affecting food, particularly
price policies.
Reports circulated here that Mr..
Davis would resign unless the situa-
ton is changed soon. The opinion
prevailed. however, that changes to
Mr.. Davis way of thinking would be
made. Such a course was hinted in
al opRChA aiNS VI LII CSpOl OdllCS + I.
Byrnes of the Office of War Mobil-
ization before meeting of the
House Agriculture Committee yes
tefday to request postponement Of
action on congressional demand
for appointment Of food czar.
Sharp differences over farm price
policies between Secretary Wickard,
on the one hand, and Mr.. Byrnes
then economic stabilization director,
and Price Administrator Prentiss
Brown, on the other, marked rela-
ton among the three in the weeks
preceding Mr.. Davis appointment to
the food post last March.
Aides said Mr.. Davis believed the
present Government food program is
largely unworkable and in danger
of collapse unless steps are taken to
eliminate divided authority and to
allow more hexibility in price con-
troll.
Although bearing public RESPONSE
bility for the food program, Mr..
Davis Is said to be concerned over
the tendency Of officials connected
with other agencies-particularly
the Office of War Mobilization and
the Office of Economic Sterilization
to ignore him in making food poll
cieS. Aides cited decisions to employ
subsidies in rolling back food prices.
They said also that other agencies
were prone to issue unenforceable
price, production and distribution
! orders which were out of line with
the true situation or which did not
have the sympathy OF producers,
professors or distributors.
| sMr DAVIS was said to feel that
there Should be centralized food
agency with broad powers to make
changes from day to day, il need be,
in food production to fit supply and
demands. The present policy has
been to lay down a fixed-price order
pr. iacted into the future.
That ageny, In Mr.. Davis view,
need not necessarily be the War
Food Administration. 1t could be,
aides said. some such agency as the
| Office of Economic StabiliZa ton or
| the ONCE of War Mobilization, SO
! long as there was centralized au-
/ thority. Sources close to Mr.. Davis
said he has no personal ambition for
greater power or for GENERALIZATION of
other agencies under his control.
They pointed out that he was
/ drafted from the presidency Of
! the Federal Reserve Bank at St.
Louis by Mr.. Roosevelt in March to
take over the food program.
Much Of the trouble goes back to
last years debate over the original
price control law.
| Mr. Wickard told Congress that he
questioned the advisabIllty of sep
srating the responsibility for food
| production from that of price con-
! troll
! Final decision on price control is
vested in the Office OF Economic
Stabiliza ton, an agency largely re-
sponsible for preventing imitation.
Lists Three Faults.
Mr. Davis views were given to re-
porters by official sources who asked
! that they not be named. Mr. Davis
takes the attitude that it is impos-
slble under the present setup to
manage the food situation properly
because of:
l. What he considers lack Of
understanding of the intricacies Of
food production and distribution
among some officials and agencies
having authority in the food field.
2 An apparent determination on
the part of the Roosevelt admins
| tration to wage a battle with Con-
gress over use of subsidies to reduce
consumer food prices.
80 What Mr.. Davis sees as an
inclination on the part of the White
House to postpone action on food
problems - particularly adjustments
! in farm and food price orders-until
after the wage dispute with the
United Mine workers is settled.
Sees Dangerous Confusion.
Mr.. Davis, it was said, has found
that the entire food industry-in-
Guiding farmers, professors and dis
tributors-and consumers are greatly
confused by the present situation.
This confusion. in his view. is poten-
TALLY more dangerous than the
threat of reduced output of farm
crops this year.
Under the present setup, many
agencies have important policy
making powers in the food field.
They include the War Food Admin
istration. the Office of Price Ad-
ministration, the War Manpower
Commission. the Office of Economic
Sterilization and the ONCE of War
Mobilization, as we'll as Mr.. Roose-
welt himself.
The President this week turned
down a suggestion of a number of
members of Congress that all Gov
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