The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-03-09
On The
Capitals Cuff
By MIRIAM KOLKIN

Washington. (Fl). - Ihe truman
committees which has been hitting the
front pages for three years with its
sensational disclosures of kinks and
brealldowns in the nations war ef
to congress March >.
Departing from its previous Objec-
| tively-toncd studies, the committees
report wadeS into the controversy now
Simmcring between groups in War
Production Board and the War Dept.
| on whether civilian production can be
partially resumed within the needs Of
the war program.
The senate group takes its stand
with the business interests who hav"
been hanmering away at WpB for a
chance to jump the gun on production
of peacetime goods. 1t bases its argu-
ment for limited civilian production on
what it calls the need for Il strong
satisfied home front, free of needless
sacrifices"
''If the home economy is permitted
to weaken and lose the reSiliency nee
essary for quick and successful con
! version to peacetime occupations the
committee says, we will be unable to
provide jobs for soldiers and war
workers when they are released FROM
| their present tasks SHOULD unemploy-
ment and business depression gain
Roadway before the ma jor task of re-
adjustment has even begun, the diff
culties of unemployment will be much
greater" it says
The senator's pin a note of caution
on their demand for resumption of
civilian goods output. The committee
proposes that no new restrictions he
created and that some existing reStric-
tiOnS be removed or modified now il
says. This will increase the amount
of goods available to civilians. but the
increase during the initial stages will
be very modest.
Further on, however. it declares:
AT all times the emphasis should b"
on increasing production of consumer
goods and eliminating government re-
strctionS.'
While bluntly stating that 'the war
is raging tiercely the biggest
battles have yet to be fought and
there may be unexpected and severe
setbackS along the road to victory"
the report devotes much space to pend
ing cutbackS.
From now on, we may expect can
colatiOnS or cutbackS or existing con
tracts to be made at an ever-increas-
ing rate and within->a few months to
exceed in volume the new contracts"
it warns.
WIPE has made rough estimates that
cancellations will total about 1900,
600 900 per month during the 6 months
ending June, 1914, according to the
report. Asserting that the pipeline OF
war material to the fighting front is
now full, the report declares that far
reaching "cancellatiOns and termina
tiOns, together with the reduced eN
pectancy of new requirements, have
made it clear that. with exceptions for
special purpose, we already have sulli-
cient machine tools, plant facilities,
and basic commodities
Brought to light in the report is the
huge concentration OF war contracts
among Il few large corporations THE
100 corporations having the largest
contracts for war materials held ap-
proXimately 70 per cent of the total
amount OF prime War-supply contracts
reported in the period June 104O-Sep
tember 1913 it points out.
This should be cOntraSted with the
so per cent of civilian business which
such corporations held before the
war
Opposing the current drive for enact
ment of national service legislation,
the senators declare, "rhere is serious
doubt as to whether it would be pos
Sibe to obtain any substantial bene-
fits from such legislation, and it is
certain that the disadvantages would
be very great"
~ -