Evening star., 1944-08-25
Nelson Leaves,
President Casts
Doubt on Future
Executive Cont Soy
lfHe1I Keep WPB
Post After Return

Shortly after it was disclosed
that Chairman Donald M. Nelson
of the War Production Board
already has left Washington on
the first leg of his mission to
China, President Roosevelt told
his news conference today that
he could not say now whether
MIR. Nelson would be in the same
job when he returns from his
special assignment.
Mr.. Roosevelt said Mr.. Nelson still
Is chairman of the production
agency, but added that Mr.. Nelson
was going on very important mis-
sion and that he believed questions
about what is going to happen in
the future were of an iffy nature.
The exchange started at the news
conference when a reporter asked
the Chief Executive whether Mr..
Nelson would resume control of the
War Production Board on his return
from China.
Future Indefinite.
Mr.. Roosevelt emphasized that Mr..
Nelson still is chairman of the WPB,
but said he could not say definitely
about anything that would happen
in the future.
In WPB quarters, there had been
reports that Mr.. Nelson would gather
into his own hands on his return all
authority vacated by the stormy
resignation yesterday of Charles e.
Wilson as executive vice chairman.
Krug Acting Chairman.
At President Roosevelt's request
youthful 1t. Comdr. j. A. Krug, 80,
will be acting chairman during Mr..
Nelson's economic mission to Chung.
king.
Mr.. Nelson and Maj. Gen. Patrick
j. Hurley were selected by President
Roosevelt for special mission to
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek.
The appointment of Mr. Krug.
formerly power manager of the Ten
neSee Valley Authority. and more
recently ranking vice chairman of
WPB, climaxed rapid-fire success
sion of events which in a few hours
blew the lid off an old WPB feud
| and nearly left the agency leader
less for weeks to come.
Nelson's Staff Blamed.
| The fireworks started when the
White House announced Mr.. Will
sons resignation-in protest against
alleged attacks on him inspired by
members of the personal staff of
Mr.. Nelson"-just at the moment
when Mr.. Nelson and Mr.. Wilson
were holding harmony" meeting
of top WPB oficials on the eve of
the WPB chiefs departure to China.
At this meeting Mr.. Wilson per-
sonally announced his intention to
resign. Mr. Nelson had no advance
notice that he was to make this
disclosure, but the meeting broke up
in a burst of cheering as the men
shook hands.
Further, the Senate War Investi-
gating Committee, which had just
taken testimony from both men,
announced its conviction that "ru-
mors of disagreement" between Mr..
Nelson and Mr.. Wilson on recon-
version policy were entirely un-
founded and are unfair to both
men"
| Only few minutes later Mr.. Will
son told press conference the same
thing but added that Mr.. Nelson,
by a "manana policy'-putting it
off until tomorrow-had delayed es-
tablishment of Mr.. Wilson's own
cutback and reconversion machin-
cry by 20 weeks.
Constantly Pilloried.
The harmony" atmosphere was
further blasted by Mr.. Wilson's as
sertion, too. that War Mobilization
Director Byrnes had instructed
Mr.. Nelson in April to proceed with
| the reconversion recommendation
| (Seo pPNnTTCTTON pooo Az