Evening star., 1944-10-01
New Nelson Job
hayBeMapping
OF World Trade
WPB Ex-Choirmon
Accepts Coll to Aid
President Further
(Terts OF Roosevelt Nelson letter.
on Page A-8)
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

ny JAmES 4 NEWION.
Donald M. Nelson yesterday
brought to an end his successful,
though turbulent, direction of
the Nations home-front war
effort, formally resigning as
chairman of the War Production
Board to take the job of laying
the groundwork for building up
Americas postwar trade.
President Roosevelt accepted Mr..
Nelson's resignation and immedi-
ately appointed 36-year-old ]. A.
Krug as his successor. Mr.. Krug.
who has a background of public
power and WPB experience, had
been acting head of the agency since
Mr.. Nelson left for China five weeks
ago on special economic mission
for the President.
In regard to Mr.. Nelson's future.
Mr.. Roosevelt wrote him:
Il am counting on you to remain
in the Government in a high post
of major importance Mr.. Nelson
later indicated to reporters he had
accepted the new White House call.
Will Build World Trade.
An indication that Mr.. Nelson's
assignment will be the building up
Americas world trade in the in
terests of preventing national and
world depression after the war was
contained in the Presidents letter
accepting Mr.. Nelson's resignation
1T is now clear to everyone" he
wrote, that the economic we'll
being of other countries is essential
to the prosperity of this Nation in
providing jobs for workers and ex-
port outlets for the products of
American industry and agriculture"
1t presumably will be Mr.. Nelson's
job to assist other nations in build
ing themselves industrially and eco
nomically to the point where they
can do brisk business with America
on a sound basis. American tech
nical "know-how" is counted on
heavily to achieve this objective.
Many details of the assignment
apparently are yet to be worked out.
Both Mr.. Nelson and White House
Secretary Stephen p. Early ex-
pressed belief Mr.. Roosevelt soon
will be in position to announce the
job.
First Part Of Mission Finished.
In asking to be relieved of his
WPB duties, Mr.. Nelson wrote the
President that "the first phase of
the work which you directed Gen.
Hurley Maj. Gen. Patrick j. Hur-
ley and myself to undertake in
China has now been carried out" {"
He indicated that he would return
to China later to complete his part
of the mission dealing with the
stepping up of Chinese war produc-
ton now as well as postwar eco
nomic problems.
Mr.. Nelson said he had contem-
plated resigning from WPB ever
since war production successfully
met its crucial test in the invasion
of Europe" He added: II delayed
resigning only until I could set the
course of the War Production Board
in reconversion policy"
Ever since Mr.. Nelson left for
China Immediately after the heated
resignation of Charles E. Wilson
as WPB executive vice chairman,
there had been growing indications
that he would not return to WPB.
Mr.. Wilson left Washington, angrily
charging Nelson subordinates with
"sniping" at him and misrepresent-
ing his stand on industrial recon-
version. He said Mr.. Nelson, not
he, had delayed planning the
change-over to peacetime produc-
ton by failing to make decisions.
The President hurriedly sum-
moned Mr.. Krug. then a lieutenant
commander in the Navy, who had
resigned as a WPB vice chairman
last spring, and asked him to take
over WPB. 1t Is reported that Mr..
Krug was told at that time that
the job was permanent. White
anger .reportedly was raised by the
Nelson-Wilson controversy and the
chairman's many differences with
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