Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-10-11

of the former and a situation which
made Mr.. Nelson's position unten-
able.
But the President never publicly
recognized or admitted that situa-
ton. Instead, with more than the
usual amount of mumbo Jumbo and
staged stuff, Mr.. Nelson was sent on
IAN important mission" to China
but 1t was denied that this would In
any way affect his status at the
WPB.
The able Mr.. Krug was put in as
acting chairman and the pretense
made that Mr. Nelson again would
run the show when he returned. No
informed person in Washington be-
lieved that. On the contrary, 1t was
plain that Mr.. Nelson was being
eased out and that so far as the
WPB was concerned he was
through.
Prelude to New Show.
And so it turned out when he
came back with the Importance of
that China mission still not under
stood and certainly undemonstrated.
The only thing proved was that the
China trip was just a prelude to a
new piece of dramatics.
The President put on the show
with the usual laudatory letter, in
which he expressed his deep ap-
probation of the magnificent serv-
ices performed by Mr.. Nelson,
voiced understanding of his desire
to retire, but urged him to hold
himself in readiness to serve the
Government in another capacity.
Then came the mystery stuff 1t
was intimated first that Mr. Nelson
was to head a commission charged
with the economic coordination
and rehabilitation of the world
Nothing could sound larger and be
more vague than that.
Then came the suggestion that
MIR. Nelson would operate only in
Latin America and would be there a
sort of rowing economic representa-
tive of the President, a sort of
supersalesman and goodwill stimu-
lator. A little later there were hints
that currency sterilization, lease
lend settlements. foreign loans and
foreign trade were fields in which
Mr.. Nelson was scheduled to oper-
ate. sls as s
AS operation of special presiden-
tial representative in these fields
would impinge upon the activities
of the State Department, the Com
merce Department, the Treasury
Department and the Foreign Eco
nomic administration, headed by
Mr.. Leo Crowley, all one could see
in this was the possibility of Mr..
Nelson moving around and about
these agencies and departments in
some nebulous superior and inef-
fectual way.
Old Technique Seen.
1t does not seem a very attractive
prospect for Mr.. Nelson, for the
agencies or for the country. 1t
seems, in fact, just the old Roose-
welt technique of piling one job
on another, delegating the same
task to several men in such way
that they get in each others way
and none of them can do ii
properly.
While, soon or late Git may come
before this is printed, an an
nouncement will be made concern
ing Mr.. Nelson's new job" and. I'M
doubtedly, it will be accompanied
by an imposing title and an i'm
pressive prospectus, the truth seems
to be that at this time not only has
the public no idea what the new
job will be but neither has Mr.
Nelson nor Mr. Roosevelt.
Apparently, the President is about
to create a position to fit Mr.. Nell
son. 1t is being tailored to his
measure. And it is not too easy
because the job has to carry good
salary and has to seem necessary
and important.
The continued mystery would
indicate that the White House
tailor, ingenious as he is, is having