Evening star., 1944-09-06

control production during recon-
version. Mr.. Krug said there would
be no programming Of civilian out
put, and manufacturers are relied
upon to make first the goods the
civilian economy needs most.
Priority rating will be retained
after X-day only on military pro-
duction.
WPB, however. is expected to re-
tain considerable control over the
distribution of lumber, which now
is the material in shortest supply.
This will mean that construction
will be one Of the last industries to
receive a green light" to proceed
on postwar work. It also was un-
derstood that some chemicals and
certain textiles will be controlled.
Meanwhile, it was Learned that
Lemuel Boulware. WPB operations
vice chairman. has resigned and will
be replaced by H. G. Batcheller,
Pittsburgh steel executive, and for
mer WPB official. Mr.. Boulware
had been with the agency for about
two years and was named vice
chairman by Charles E. Wilson, who
resigned as executive vice chairman
two weeks ago.
Was WPB Vice Chairman.
Mr.. Batcheller is president of the
Alegheny-Ludlum Steel Co. He
formerly was head of the WPB steel
division and later served as vice
chairman. He had left thesagency
earlier in the year.
Mr.. Krug said WPB made its de.
cision yesterday following a sweeps
ing re-survey of the military and
production situation. He said WPB
machinery would be maintained in
standby condition, ready to replace
controls If 1t Is found that munitions
are not being produced fast eno,iRh
to support the war in the Pacific
fully.
Manpower for the remainder of
the war program, upon Germany's
fall, will be supplied through pref
erential hiring methods of the War
Manpower Commission. No an
nouncement Of future manpower
controls was made, but officials ex-
pressed confidence that enough
workers could be held on their war
jobs.
War Plants Plans.
War Mobilization Director Byrnes
Yesterday announced the personnel
OF his new War Plants Utilization
Committee, which Is charged with
formulating a co-ordinated program
to utilize Government-owned war
plants as they become no longer
necessary to the war effort.
The chairman of the new COM
mltteee. which held its first meeting
with Mr.. Byrnes yesterday. is Ma
son Britton, assistant Surplus War
Property administrator.
Other members are WPB Chair.
man Krug, Sam H. Husbands. pres
ident of Defense Plant Corp. and
Charles M. Hay, deputy director OF
the War Manpower Commission.
The new committee, it was an
nounced, will secure from the War
Department a list of plants which.
after V-day, will be kept on a war
reserve and standby basis, which
plants will be used for continued war
production. and which plants prob
ably will not be used.
Studies Possible Uses.
The Defense Plant Corp. has been
studying possible uses to which Gov
ernment-owned plants could be put.
Immediate steps are being taken to
learn the intentions of oeerators
OF such plants as to exercising
options Of their contracts, saide a
statement from Mr.. Byrnes' ONCE.
Wherever a plant is not to be
used by the present operator, efforts
will be made to find out whether
local capital will be interested in it.
and, If not, whether industrialists
can be interested.
In other announcements. WpB
reported a 40 per cent reduction in
primary magnesium ingot produce