Evening star., 1944-07-08
Wilson's S Work at WPB
Is Given High Proise
GE Head Is Reported to Have
Confidence of Armed Forces
By David Laurence

ny D0Ct0 Laurence
Charles e. Wilson, executive vice
president Of the War Production Board.
wants to get back to his private job
head of the General Electric Co. He
has tried twice to resign, but each
time the President has prevailed upon
him to stay.
This time 1t is reported Mr. Wilson
will have his wish granted. This situa.
ton is to be regretted because Mr.. vii.
son, despite all the trials and tribula.
tions at the War Production Board.
finally has emerged as the strong man
in situation that has been confused
for long time.
Today the armed services feel the
utmost confidence In Mr.. Wilson and
particularly are appreciative Of his keen
understanding OF their requirements.
The WPB will always have difficulties
because pressures on the board are so
numerous. At the present moment the
demand Is for the release of more and
more raw materials for civilian use.
The armed services are not 30 san.
guine about an early ending of the war
and they want to hold up as much as
they can any program that encourages
a sudden resumption of normalcy. For
whenever materials are released, there
is always a pressure for manpower to
60 along with them.
Nelson ConvaIescing.
There are before the WPB at the
moment various plans for reconversion.
and Donald Nelson, chairman of the
board, has been at odds with other ofn-
cials concerning them. Mr.. Nelson 1,
convalescing in hospital here at the
moment and 1t Is quite likely that he
Will remain as chairman of the WPB
indefinitely.
| One OF the reasons that President
Roosevelt has difficulty in holding men
here, however, is that he sometimes is
hesitant to let men who exercise the
real authority have the prestige of the
position. Everybody knows that Mr..
Wilson has been running the WPB, yet
he is the No. 2 man in the setup. As
far as the public is concerned, Mr.. Will
sons work is largely unappreciated, for
he Is only deputy. 1t is dificult for
able executives to work under such cir
cumstances, particularly when the
people in the organization itself do not
| really know who is the boss.
The same kind of friction occurred
several months ago. In fact, the WPB
has had series of controversies which
have not been conducive to harmonious
work In that organization. But when
all is said and done and the story OF the
WPB is told it will be found that manv
OF these conflicting pressures originated
with the citizens themselves. The
wonder is really that as much has been
accomplished IN civilian agency as the
WPB has achieved during the last two
| years.
Personnel Often Changed.
Many of the units in the War Produc-
tion Board, moreover, have been suffer-
ing from constant changes in personnel.
1t is not possible to get experts in various
lines of business except by drawing on
industry itself. Government salaries for
that kind of personnel are too low to
induce men to leave their positions and
work in Washington.
Patriotism has attracted good MANY
but it should not be inferred that those
who have declined to come have been in
a sense unpatriotic. Persons with fixed
obligations cannot suddenly throw these
overheard and accept positions with an
| income that does not enable them to
meet those obligations.
The present system Of rotating the
personnel, while Instantaneous in
some respects, has, nevertheless, brought
in contingent of experienced advisers
who have been helpful to the permanent
staff.
All Washington will be sorry to see
Mr.. Wilson's resignation accepted, but
the head of the General Electric has
been here longer than the average in
dustry man who has been loaned to the
WPB and he has every right to 90 back
to his post in private business where his
responsibilities and opportunities would
no doubt be affected If he stayed here
indefinitely.
1t may be that the President will
persuade Mr.. Wilson to remain a little
while longer, but if he does he ought to
give him the post of chairman Of the
War Production Board so that he may
occupy it in fact as well as in theory and
earn the distinction which is rightfully
his of operating the biggest civilian
agency in wartime
Reproduction Rights Reserved)
Ambassadors New Title
| From the New york Her.ld Trihup.