Evening star., 1944-08-16
Senators Call
Nelson in Probe
OF War Output
WPB Head Asked to
Explain Forecast
Of 40 Pct. Cutbuck
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

The Senate War Investigating
Committee today aired charges
of military officials that many
vital war production programs
are tagging and called Chairman
Nelson of the War Production
Board to explain why he believes
the munitions output picture is
not as dark as it has been
painted.
MIR. Nelson told press conference
late yesterday that war production
would be cut back about 40 per cent
on the defeat of Germany. Then,
he said, the Nations factories would
be able to raise output of civilian
goods to levels of 1899 and still
supply enough war materials to de-
feat Japan.
Senator Mead. Democrat, of New
York, new chairman of what has
been known as the Truman Com
mittee, called for investigation when
military and civilian officials were
unable to agree on the extent and
reasons for the much-publicized
munitions shortages. The situation
was brought to a head when two
WPB economists issued a report
tending to show that Army supply
programs were in relatively good
shape.
Will Hear Military Leaders.
Chairman Mead said Mr.. Nelson
was invited to give the WPB side
of the story. Military leaders also
will be heard at the closed session.
Mr. Nelson estimated yesterday
that production of civilian goods
will be raised about 30 per cent
when Germany is defeated. This
would place the civilian economy
about at levels of 1889 on the basis
of dollar value of goods available.
Civilian production in that year was
close to the record set in l941.
The WPB chairman made it clear
that the order effective yesterday,
which authorized WPB Offices to
approve new civilian production
where manpower and materials are
available, would result Immediately
in little improvement in the supply
of goods. Manufacture of such
things as automobiles and other
heavy civilian goods cannot come
in any quantity until Japan is de-
feated, he said.
He predicted, however, that the
automobile industry, which plans
some reccnversion when the war in
Europe is concluded, would sur
prise the whole Nation in the rapid
way it gets back into production.
Agencies Declared in Accord.
/ Mr.. Nelson said he did not expect
! the reconversion program to be
/ slowed by the power recently given
the War Manpower Commission to
veto individual civilian production
projects. He added the two agencies
are in complete agreement that there
must be no reconversion where man.
power is needed for war work.
The Mead Committee is expected
to go into the findings of the report
of v. Lewis Bassie and Irving
Kaplan, the WPB economists who
resigned recently when their study
was withdrawn from official circles
at the request of military leaders.
The report showed, it was said, that
war production generally is good and
that the armed forces have over
bought many types of munitions.
Following publicity given the recall
OF the Bassie- e-Kaplan report, Mr..
Nelson announced that he was for
warding the document to the joint
(Army and Navy chiefs of staff to
determine whether some procure
ment programs might not be cut
back. The authors of the report,
apparently satisfied with that de-
velopment. then withdrew their
designations.