Evening star., 1943-02-01
WPBBa|ances
Supp|ies,Cutting
CiviIiansHard
.AlIotments of VituI
Materials to Match
Amounts Available
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

oAAN ANdA CCA "a CAAlo yCdl Will d
balanced budget" Of critical
materials for the first time since
the beginning Of the war effort,
1t was learned today. ALLEGATIONS
Of material for implements of
war and the civilian Economy
will be in precise balance with
available supplies.
War Production Board officials
said that starting in April the coun-
try will have a clear-cut war pro-
gram for the first time This is the
secret of success in attaining the
long sought balanced distribution
OF vital materials. To achieve this
objective, 1t is understood that it
was necessary to cut deeply into
the quantity of materials which are
being used for production OF civilian
goods.
Policing" Possible Now.
Omcials are now in a position to
dole out steel. aluminium and copper
and to know what each pound is to
be used for. They will be able to
police and see that approved use
is made Of the materials. Alloca-
tions already have been worked out
on paper. Actual cutting OF the
materials pie will take place later
in the week. Allotments are to be
made strictly on an end product
basis, that is, 80 much for guns, 50
much for tanks, ships, planes, rail-
roads. utilities, food production,
lease lend on so on.
For weeks top WPB men have
been engaged in getting in the pro-
duction program Of the IA claimant
agencies for materials before the
Requirements Committee, fitting
them into an overall program that
will not call for more materials than
will be available in the April l.
June 80 period. Claimant agencies
include the Army, Navy, Food Ad-
ministratfon. rubber director, once
Of Defense Transportation, etc.
As soon as the second quarter
work Is completed, programming for
the third will begin. Eventually it
is Hoped to have schedules worked
out a year in advance, although
sufncient materials always will be
kept in reserve to meet emergency
demands dictated by shifting war
strategy.
t4s Procedure Explained.
Each program Of the II ageneles
waS laid 0n' the conference ta6le
FOR all to shoot at, :" an oflcial said.
Each agency was forced to show JUS
tihcation and essentially for It's
demands. BY pairing here. and
there, ALLEGATION and antici-
pated supply finally were brought in
balance.
Total requests for materials were
amazingly close to the supplies, how
ever, 1t was said
Accomplishment Of this tremen-
dous task means that the Nation
will have a smoother and more
eficient war production machine
Plant stoppages for lack OF material
will be thing of the past, since
each factory will know precisely the
quantity Of materials it is to get and
will be able to plan production &C
curately in advance. Oflicials predict
the output of war goods will be
stepped up greatly.
A large share of credit in working
out the overall war program was
given to Ferdinand Eberstadt, pro-
gram vice chairman OF WPB and
head Of the Requirements Com
mittee. In balancing the materials
budget, extensive use was made for
the first time of the controlled ma
terials plan. which is the placing of
the priority system as means for
distributing copper, steel and alu-
minum. GIMP, as the new plan Is
called officially, was developed by
Mr.. Eberstadt, and it was said he
also worked tirelessly in formulating
the new program.
Civilian Programs Hit Hard.
In the past when priorities were
used exclusively for distributing
material, officials always discovered
that at the end of each quarter more
preferred ratings had been given out
than there were materials to fill
them
In mapping future allotments of
materials officials admit that pro-
grams for production of civilian
goods were hard hit and held to
a minimum. In setting civilian
quotas a policy calling for repair
and rebuilding of things was
adopted rather than one for manu-
facture Of new goods. This policy
was pursued not only for such civ
ilian things as household goods but
also for equipment for railroads, for
wal housing and farm machinery.
WPB experts say that only $67,-
600, 900 900 in goods and services
will be available for civilians this
year. a reduction from the rate of
the last quarter of 1912 of 18 per
cent. A study of England's wartime
economy. 1t was said, revealed a cut
OF only 20 per cent in the more than
three years the nation has been at
war.
Americans will be compelled to
forego In one year nearly two thirds
as much as people of Nazi Germany
have given up so far. The United
States, 1t is pointed out, however
had considerably more fat" In its