The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-11-17

act which was be- ing quietly rehearred in the War Production Board. Producer Donald M. Nelson's stars apparently had an elaborate scenario already prepared, telling just how they thought they might put on the postwar show, WIPE didn't think 1t would help the actual war effort to promote their play just now, so it was kept secret. Now this plan must be kept on the shelf, unless MT. Baruch likes 1t, But the White House appointment or Baruch stole a ma: h on the WIPE planners.
 War and Navy Departments-the former much more than the latter have their ideas about reconversion to peace. In the Army's limelight is UnderSecretary of War Robert P. Patterson's trial balloon speech on putting Selective Service into re- verse, to release men from the serv- ice only when and as jobs were available in civilian life.
 Department of Justice is full of plays about curbing postwar car- telS. Treasury has its ideas for post war Stabilization of currency, Con- merce it's private industry-sponsored Committee of Economic Develop ment. Agriculture has 8 farm plan. GETS THE HOOK
 Congress gave the hook last sum- mer to the National Resources Plan ming Board, which had been doing research on postwar problems ever since the war began, obviously thinking this act would stop the executive end of the government from doing lot of plotting for post war boondogging. The Baruch ap- poirtment also stole a march on Congress.
 Opinion on the Capitol Hill lots being almost unanimous that the Congress should do the postwar planning, you will find there sev- era1 scripts that have now reached the shooting stage. Most pretentions is the Postwar Economic Policy and Planning Committee headed by Sen. Walter F. George of Vienna, Ga. This committee has retained the Brookings Institution to do its re- search. A subcommittee under Sen. Joseph c. OMahoney of Cheyenne, Wyo., and of TNEC fame, has al- ready made report on post war re- form of corporation contol, patents and taxation.
 A Senate Militay Affairs subcom- mittee under Sen. James E. Murray of Butte, Mont, has in the last week been needing the executive agencies on the subject of contract termination. Senator Murray being angel to the turkey known as the Smaller War Plants Corporation, this act has been largely in the na- ture of an effort to seeing what can be done to rescue small business in the postwar period.
 EFFICIENCY SET-UP
 On top of all this the Truman Committee Investigating war con- tracts will soon open full dress hear ines But instead of merely adding to the present confusion over post war planning, the group headed by Sen. Harry Truman of Indepen- del ce, Mo-, will try to bring out ways and means to lessen the post war problem by focusing attention on the need for more efficient run ming of the war production effort. fight now.
 AS examples, 1t has been charged that the Army has ordered more trucks than 1t can ever use, that copper inventories are piling up from greater production in one month than was formerly produced in six, that machine tool procurement was so extensive that the indLsty is now facing lack of work, and that air. craft production, having highest priority, has been so prodigal in its use of manpower that In some plarts it has been inefficient.
 The contention of the Truman in- vestigators is that all this ineffi- ciency of war production is unnec- essarily complicating the postwar problems of reconversion.
 The military contention in rebut- ta, that the armed forces must have enough of everything or lose the war is said to beg the question. Today, the civilian economy is in real dan ger of breakdown behind the lines, through shortages of farm machin- cry railroad locomotives and cars trucks and tires-to name the more impotant items. Pairing military re- quirements, not to the bone but to actual needs, 1t is argued, will not only permit the civilian economy to come out of the war healthy, but will reduce postwar confusion to degree where much of the fancy play-acting Of postwar planning. relief programs and WPA-type shelf of public works will be unnec- essary.