Evening star., 1943-08-09
Raw War Materials
1875 Under Demand ,
Nelson Declares
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

Despite official statements
that materials are at hand to
produce more war goods, partic-
ularly airplanes, than American
factories are turning out, Chair
man Donald M Nelson of the
War Production Board an
nounced today that requests for
materials for the last quarter of
the year exceeded supplies by 13
per cent.
Mr.. Nelson made the statement in
announcing some details of cutting
the materials pie" for the last
three months of the year among the
Is Government claiming agencies
representing military and civilian
requirements, lease-lend and other
exports.
The supply of carbon steel, Mr..
Nelson said, was the limiting fac
tor in controlling division of all
scarce metals. Requests for steel
of the Army, Navy, Aircraft Re-
sources Control Office and Maritime
Commission were reduced 9 per cent
IN the allotments made by the WPB
Requirements Committee. All other
requests, including those for civilians
and for export, were cut II per cent.
Steel Production Reduced.
Meanwhile, it was learned that
the WPB's campaign to increase
steel production by 100000 tons in
the current quarter year would fall
far short of success. A high official
said steel mills would do we'll to hold
production. at the level of the three
month period ended July /. The re-
cent coal strike, it was said. cut steel
output in this quarter at least 250,-
600 tons
1t was the first time Official an
nouncement ever had been made OF
the division of materials among the
claimants. Mr.. Nelson's report was
unusual in other respects. He stated
emphatically that the steel allot-
ments were final, conveying the i'm
preston that the division had been
approved by the Office of War Mo-
bilization, to which an agency ordi-
narily could appeal for adjustment.
When materials were divided for
the current quarter, the Army and
Navy protested the allotments Wig
orously. They said their require
ments were reduced too much. and
that too large share of materials
was given for such indirect military
uses as the manufacture of farm
machinery, Military officials said
there was too much talk about re-
suming civilian manufacture on
sizable scale They took the case
10 War Mobilization Director
Byrnes.
More Allowed Civilians.
Mr.. Nelson said the Office of Civil
ian Requirements received a some
what larger" allotment than was
made for civilians in the current
quarter. In view of the statement
last week by Arthur D. Whiteside
director of the office, that civilians
would make out all right on current
allotments, the increase was con-
-sidered a break" for the home
front.
Mr.. Nelson emphasized that
should more materials be needed to
maintain civilian health and well
fare, they would be forthcoming. no
matter how great the military need
for the materials.
II it becomes necessary to pro-
duce given quantity Of cook stoves
or farm machinery or whatever, to
maintain civilian health and well
fare, we are going to produce them,
regardless Of the scarcity OF the
materials involved" was the way
Mr.. Nelson expressed it.
The report stated that total re-
quests from claimant agencies for
carbon steel amounted to slightly
more than 10 500 900 tons. as against
an estimated fourth-quarter supply
OF Is 100000 tons, representing a
deficit Of about one-ffth.
While carbon steel is The short
est scarce material Mr. Nelson said
the supply Of alloy steel, copper and
aluminium was still extremely
tight"
Copper production. particularly.
he added, lis adversely affected by
current serious manpower short
ages"
An interesting item in the report
was that an earmarked account for
steel in the lease-lend allotment is
reserved for the manufacture of
farm machinery. to be used as
needed by the ONCE of Foreign Re
lief and Rehabilitat ton in occupied
countries.