Evening star., 1943-03-01
BY FRANK r. KENT.


The confusion within the admin
iStration feVen in peacetimes its
outstanding characteristic) has been
greatly Increased recently by the
extraordinary heSitancy Of the Pres
ident in dealing with domestic
questions Of really great importance.
This quality is reflected among his
friends, many Of whom seem wholly
to have lost their sense of direction.
Neither the good news from Africa
nor the propaganda sermons eX-
planning how, Notwithstanding evil
dence to the contrary, everybody
in the administration vineyard is
laboring nobly and effectively, is
sufficient to obscure from any in
formed person the fact that the
war effort is being weakened and
the national morale not improved.
These results are the inevitable
outcome of indecision and procras-
tination at the top. Take the three
larger muddles which cry out-and
have been crying out for long
tlme-for presidential action with
out getting action and which for
that reason get worse all the time.
WPB Awaits Action.
There is the mess into which the
WPB has gotten with its titular
head, Donald Nelson, practically on
the shelf, and its new executive
vice chairman, Charles E. Wilson. in
a hostile clinch with the Army
Navy procurement heads. No one
thinks this situation can last, but
no one can do much about it until
the President makes up his mind.
Then there is the Manpower Com
mission muddle. From this COM
mission there has emanated a series
OF such conflicting and beWildering
statements, orders, proclamations
and pronouncements that every
body's head is in a whirl and Moth
ing makes sense. Here the incom-
potency is SO clear that, in Congress
and out, there is a demand for a
change. But, while name after
name Is mentioned as Paul McNutt's S
successor, no change is made and
the whole show just marks time.
Even more appalling is the lack
of clear food production policy
and the resultant scarcity which
threatens the country. On this vital
business, hardly any one contends
that the right man is in charge,
that the right method is being used
or that there has been foresight or
frmness in the administration han
ding.
Battling in Senate.
What happened in connection with
food prices in the Senate last
Thursday is so inexplicable as to
battle practically everybody who has
tried to reconcile it with reason
Reference is to the overwhelming
and almost unanimous defeat of the
food price-control program which
the President and Economic Stabi-
lizer Byrnes had told the Nation
was absolutely vital if the threat
OF a devastating imitation is to be
averted.
Yet, when the test came the ad-
mlnlstration not only put up no
fight for its own program, but per-
mitted its own leaders such as SEN
ator Barkley of Kentucky, Senators
Guffey, Pepper and other New Deal
rubber stamps, who never vote
against the White House wish, to
join the opposition. In other words,
the administration scuttled its own
proposals-or, at least, acquiesced in
the scuttling.
Efforts to get an explanation of
this strange act have been fruitless.
The suggestion that the proposals
could not have been saved ANYHOW
does not hold water. Under existing
circumstances, it is hard to find
parallel for this failure of the Presi-
dent to support his own proposition.
Explanation Advanced.
Is there any wonder confusion
is on the increase and the whole
structure here undermined by the
uncertainties? On Friday one of the
Presidents Journalistic friends and
supporters who usually speaks by the
book put forth the idea that Mr..