Evening star., 1943-05-31

p' Ia we" @%
that it takes a
businessman to David Lawrence.
run production job for the Gov
eminent is held among businessmen
not among those who know Gov
eminent from first hand contact.
The reason why James F.. Bvrnes
was picked as Director of Mobiliza-
ton is because the job of overseeing
the whole economic front isn't a task
that requires either an economist.
businessman or an engineer. 1t
needs, above all else, a man who
knows the science Of Government.
1t is easy enough to harmonic
production geniuses and managers
of large scale enterprises-pla
and administrators. But it's hard
to find any who understand the
complicated thing called popular
government. What to most people
on the outside is merely a set of
bureaucratic rivalries or inter-
agency friction is to the student of
government simply one of the char
RcterlStic manifestations of demo-
cratic government which, in peace
time at least, doesn't overreach the
point Of efficiency but blunders along
Wastefully and sometimes aimlesslv
between elections that occasionally
reflect popular resentment.
Friend of Baruch Named.
But when wartime comes, the de-
mand for efficiency becomes intense.
Lives are at stake and the enemy's
tnruStS at us by land, sea and air
demand weapons and munitions in
ever-increasing flow. In this war.
as In the last war, the American
war machine lumbcrs along until the
lneff1ciency and incompetence be-
comes a scandal. In Just such
crisis, President Wilson in June, 1918,
created the War Industries Board
an overall agency-and put Ber-
nard M. Baruch in charge. He was
neither An engineer nor a production
man, but he understood how to get
people to work together, business
men and governmental officials.
But Mr.. Baruch was boss. He
was the number two man on the
home front. He gathered around
him able, efficient advisers. He
resolved conflicts between bureaus
and America went ahead to victory,
1t Is an odd coincidence but Mr..
Byrnes happens to be one of Mr..
Baruch's closest friends-they both
hail from South Carolina and over
the years have consulted each other
frequently on legislative and eco
nomic problems.
The President took the right ac-
tion when he made someone the
overall boss under him. He did
the right thing, too, when he noti-
fed everybody else in the Govern
ment that second in command to
him is Jimmy Byrnes.
Now the job is up to the South
Carolina lawyer who served many
years in the House of Represen-
tatives, many years in the Senate
and then sat on the Supreme Court.
Able Conciliator.
Mr.. Byrnes Is about the best
posted man on the science of gov
eminent in the national capital to-
lo+ L.
kind OF personality that doesn't ruff
f1e people but helps to smooth over
pique and pride, ambition and
rivalry when it manifests itself in
the clashing Jurisdictions or con-
f1icting policies Of governmental
agencies or administrators.
The task today, however, requires
even more than a knowledge of Con-
greSs and of administrative gov
eminent. 1t is a different chal-
lcnge than Mr.. Baruch had. In
the World War. America was united.
There was no left and right wing
bitterness, no so-called american
Communists" playing their own
selfish game, no set of intriguing
New Dealers planning to put over
Government ownership and State
socialism as permanent policy for
America and no group of short
visioned businessmen who were
ready to call every liberal Bol-
shevtk and every plan for the bet
terment OF human beings abroad
an adventure into international in
sanity
Mr.. Byrnes' chief problem will be
to learn how to deal with pressure
groups who plant their men at his
side or at the side of other Gov
ernment agencies. He has been
deceived before and maybe he will
be deceived again. But he knows
most of the tricks of government
and most Of the tricks of the selfish
who, no matter what their basic
philosophy are trying to get some
thing out of the war for themselves.
The appointment of Mr.. Byrnes
may prove milestone in our
progress toward victory if he, too,
can forget that there may be
vice presidency ahead.