Evening star., 1943-02-15
CobuI Brinqs
New Threat
To WPB
Crisis Blamed on
Power Seekers Goudino
ChurIes {. Wilson
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
1t is regrettably necessary today
to record a piece of bad news. The
War Production Board has another
crisis within its ranks and this time
it. has elements in it that could
bring national catastrophe in the
midst of war.
Just at the time when the whole
war production program has begun
10 mesh and the effects of the in
competence that brought confusion
and delays in the priorities program
last year are being remedied, a
group of trouble makers has man
aged to upset the program AS well
as the personnel-comprising some
of the ablest men in American in
duStry.
Donald Nelson, a well-meaning
popular and patriotic chief, has been
victimized by a small group of seek
ers for power. Charles Z. Wilson,
who came here from industry to do
a specific job of scheduling, has
been selected by the clique to be
the spearhead of the attack on
Ferdinand Eberstadt, another vice
chairman. Success has crowned the
efforts of the cabal, for at last a
cleavage has been forced.
DemoraIizing Move.
MeSsrs. Nelson, Wilson and Eber-
stadt are on the best of terms per-
sonally, but the struggle for power
inside the organization has brought
generalization among those who
have been summoned here by the
Government itself to do a job in
the various industry branches.
First fireworks came a week ago,
when Chairman Nelson, with but
few hours notice and without
previous consultation, ordered Mr.
Eberstadt to transfer seven branches
Of industry operations to Mr.. Will
sons jurisdiction. This bewildered
the personnel and served notice
that WPB was back again to the
status of last June, when the Army
and Navy, thoroughly disgusted with
the incompetence and maladminis-
tration, demanded a reorganization.
The incumbent group fought back
then with the fallacious charge that
the military we're trying to take
over the civilian production system
and it was charged, for example,
that 1t. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell
was trying to get control of the
whole production setup. This was
untrue then, as it is now. All the
Army and Navy want is efficiency
and action, and when the country
gets all the facts 1t is likely to swing
even further than Gen. Someryeu
wanted to go in taking out of the
hands OF incompetent civilians the
fulhllment of the tasks which they
have permitted to go undone.
Intrigue Begins.
Mr.. Wilson is a great production |
man but he was brought here at |
the suggestion of the War and Navy |
Departments to accomplish specific |
things-to speed up aircraft pro-
duction and to find out, for in
stance, why Willow Run is not |
turning out bombers at the rate
desired-a condition still existent.
But no sooner had Mr.. Wilson
a well-meaning personality unfa-
miliar with the intrigue of Wash
ington ureaucrats-gotten into his
Office than he began to be bonn
barded with all sorts of claims
from ambitious subordinates who
have been in the WPB some time
that he really should be running
the show and that his authority
should be widened.
Donald Nelson is not politician,
either, and he doesn't know that
the disgruntled ones at the War
Production Board have been Great
ing another crisis for him. They
have emphasized personality clashes
when this is not the issue. The
issue is the proper ALLEGATION of
materials for war plants.
A plan evolved last summer,
known as the Controlled Materials
Plan, was put into effect to cure
the tragic incompetence of the
priority program that had 10 be
scrapped. Now, when the new plan
is in its most critical stage-When
industry has begun to function
under it and the whole war pro-
gram is beginning to be integrated
and is making its greatest strides
Of progress-the very people who
instituted the plan and know most
about its functioning are TO be
torpedoed.
Two Solutions.
For the latest report is that Mr..
Nelson has been persuaded by the
cabal to eliminate Mr.. Eberstadt
and this, Of course, means whole
sale designations and an expulsion
Of all those who were brought here
from their businesses TO effectuate
the plan.
There are two ways out of the
dilemma One is to revive the
Army and Navy Munitions Board,
over which Mr.. ErberStadt previ-
ouSly presided as chairman, and
put into that board all the essential
units out Of the WPB, leaving the
latter to perform advisory functions.
The other is to put Bernard M
BaruCh IN as superchairman Of
WPB, with MessrS. Nelson, Wilson
and Fberhardt As his aides. Pres
ldenl Wilson found himself in a
somewhat similar crisis in the old
War Industries Board in 1918 and
Mr Baruch Strengthened out the
mess. He can do it again, for he