Evening star., 1944-08-25
Production
Continued From First Page.

of the Baruch- Hancock report OF
February, but Mr.. Wilson didn't
learn of Mr.. Byrnes' letter until less
than 80 days ago.
Mr.. Wilson charged that he and
his staff had been constantly pill
loried with the story that we were
holding back reconversion, favoring
big business and other stories COM
pletely untrue" Mr.. Nelson re-
peatedly promised to vindicate Mr.
Wilson publicly and force halt to
the reports, he asserted, but the
promises were never, never carried
out"
Mr.. Nelson, who started machinery
days ago to get Comdr. Krug back
into WPB, busted himself with get
ting the former vice chairman named
acting chairman instead of Mr.. VIII
son, and did not reply to the latter's
assertions.
Persons close to Mr.. Nelson said
the WPB chief would not again
delegate the entire operating author
ity over WPB to another, as he did
In Mr.. Wilson's case.
Mr.. Nelson will resume active
management Of the agency, they
said, ending the enforcement of
policy control from operating con-
troll which has been blamed in part
for the tension between Mr.. Wilson
and himself.
Agreed on RecOnversion.
y@~{p. AL
committee they were in accord on
the WPB's reconversion policies,
including Mr.. Nelson's newly
launched program for limited civil
ian production in plants no longer
needed for war.
Mr.. Wilson conceded. in talking to
reporters later, that he first recon-
mended delaying the Nelson pro-
gram, but later was ready and will
ing to put it into effect on July l.,
as Nelson requested" Then Mr..
Byrnes instructed him not to, Mr..
Wilson explained, in view of forceful
Army, Navy and War Manpower
Commission objections.
Attributing Mr. Wilson's resigna-
tion to "rumors" spread by public
relations officials, Senator Ferguson,
Republican, of Michigan said they
ought to be cleaned out"
Il think it is calamity for Mr.
Nelson to leave now with the Euro
pean war near an end and civilian
production just getting started"
Senator Ferguson added.
Return to G. E. Expected.
"The President should review all
of the facts in the face of what
has happened to determine if Mr.
Nelson can be spared now"
Mr.. Wilson was expected to re-
turn to his SITS, ,000-a-year post
as president of General Electric Co.
In Syracuse, N. Y, Gerard Swope.
who came out of retirement to sue
ceed Mr.. Nelson, said the latter
would be returned to his post.
A row between Mr.. Nelson and
1t. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell. head
OF the Army Service Forces, also
was laid bare yesterday in bristling
testimony from Mr.. Nelson that
military opponents of civilian re-
conversion sought "blunderbuss"
labor edicts to cure isolated NUM-
tions shortages.
Mr.. Nelson told the Senate War
Investigation Committee, in testi-
mony disclosed during the day, that
with rare exceptions all military
demands ARE being met" The
committee released Mr.. Nelson's
story, told at a secret meeting last
week, as the aftermath of publica-
ton of testimony by Maj. Gen. Lu-
cius D. Clay, Army materiels di-
rector, stressing artillery and other
deficits he attributed primarily to
manpower shortages.
Nelson's Statement.
Mr.. Nelson declared that:
: 1. Gen. Somervell complained to
War Mobilization Director Byrnes
about "a great shortage of man.
power" just prior to announcing the
recent airplane cutback releasing
thousands of workers for other jobs"
2. War production docs not need