Evening star., 1943-10-11
Administration Studies
Diversion Of SurpIuses
To Home Front Now
BY the Associated Press.

An immediate start on planned
rehabilitation of industry is
being urged by some administra-
ton advisers.
Their aim is to give the country a
head start" by channeling released
materials into the most urgent civil
ian needs even while the war is
going on.
The proposal has been made that
James F. Byrnes, director of the
Office of War Mobilization, desig-
nate an agency to take charge.
The agency's first step would be
to enter a claim for materials left
over when munitions programs are
curtailed, as tanks, destroyer escorts
and some others already have been.
It would then supervise their diver
sion into civilian use.
Program May Be Pared.
One high official has estimated
that the planned 100000, 900 900
munitions program for 1914 will be
pared down by six to eight billion
dollars by the close policing of mil
itary procurement. The policing
would be done mainly by the Joint
Production Survey Committee
named by President Roosevelt some
days ago. Made up of two generals
and two admirals-but responsible
only to the joint chiefs of staf1-the
committee is under orders to elimi-
nate waste in war production and
limit output to actual needs.
These efforts are expected to re-
suit in cutbacks such as last week S
20 per cent decrease in the planned
production Of destroyer escorts.
That decision was made because
planes and other types Of naval YES
sells have become available to fight
U-boats, and because the manpoWer
and shipyards are more urgently
needed in building landing boats for
invasion purposes.
Shortages to Continue.
Ofncials emphasized, however
that the crucial shortage of man
power will continue to prevent any
substantial restoration of consumer
goods production. Shortages of es-
sential goods will continue to be met
as they arise, but war agency Off
cials declare they are chiefly con-
cerned at present with meeting the
needs of transportation, communica-
tionS, sanitation and plant repair
and maintenance.
Mr.. Byrnes repeatedly has been
urged to act promptly whether the
War Production Board or some
other agency is named, SO that de-
mobilization machinery will be
ready to go ahead as rapidly as
materials, machines and men be-
come available
One highly placed official put it
this way:
I'VE do not want sudden, sicken-
ing drop in production when Ger
many falls and another one when
Japan falls,
IF we start now to make a small
beginning on civilian production, out
Of the leavings Of war production
and gradually accelerate 1t as our
enemies fall, we can make a steady
well-controlled recovery of our econ
omy with minimum of dislocation.
Senate Group Plans Hearing.
The Senate Military Affairs Sub
committee on contract termination
created to pursue the same general
objective of an orderly return to
peacetime economy, announced to-
day it would begin public hearings
on October a. Businessmen, rep
resenting both large and small
operations, will be the first wit
nesses.
Chairman Murray hopes his group
can shape a program which will
provide speedy final settlement OF
terminated war contracts, quick
temporary financing for manufac-
turers who may need cash In ad-
vance of final settlements. uni
formity Of policy among the various
Government agencies, and "statu-
lOIS Sudl dltceS lIldC tllC llSIlIo vi
smaller manufacturers will be pro-
tected"
From Capitol Hill, meanwhile
came demand for creation of q
joint House Senate committee tC
keep Congress in touch with the
administrations postwar plans" The
suggestion was made by Representa-
tive Dirksen, Republican, of Illinois
who declared that the problem OF
readjustment to civilian economy
is lone of the greatest this Nation
will ever face"
He said there have been dozens OF
committees created already, by labor
by business. by civic groups" and
that the joint committee could call
them in and coordinate their efforts
Fiscal leaders of both the House
and Senate made it clear in sepa-
rate interviews that from now or
every dollar appropriated for the
War and other Government depart
ments must be accounted for.
Senator Thomas of Oklahoma
chairman of the Senate Military Ap-
propria tions subcommittee, said he
had instructed Army budget officers
to get down to brass tacks when
they want money hereafter and te
forget about generalized lump sum
appropriations such as Congress has
thumped through during the last
two years.
Details to Be Demanded.
$50 far as I am concerned, and ]
think so far as our committee is
| concerned" Mr.. Thomas said, eve
are going to want to know just what
the Army intends to spend the
money for in its next appropriations
bill. I think there are some things
that we may be able to cut out
without hurting the war effort"
And from Chairman Cannon
Democrat, of Missouri of the House
Appropriations Committee came
this statement:
We're over the hump. We're past
the spending peak There will be
no need in the 1945 Fiscal Year,
appropriations bill to include huge
of e.,