Evening star., 1944-02-19
.MachinerySet
For orUtiIization
OF Baruch Plan
Postwar Slump
Can Be Avoided,
Report Stresses
Summary OF Baruch Report on
Page All
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.
President Roosevelt today was
reported ready to order into ef-
feet some of the major proposals
of the Baruch master plan for
orderly conversion of American
industry to peace and demobili-
cation of manpower through full
recognition of the human prob
lens" involved.
Theme of the lengthy document,
prepared by Bernard M. Baruch,
administration adviser and New
York investment banker. with John
M. Hancock, is that there is no
need for a postwar depression"
They said, The problem of demo-
'bilization, though difficult. is soluble"
and that if plans are well laid the
postwar period should be an "ad-
venture in prosperity.
Mr.. Roosevelt is understood to
have drafted executive orders to
effectuate a sizable portion of the
recommendations.
The Nations war effort, under the
Baruch plan, would be liquidated
largely through Government ma
chinery set up to mobilize for war.
There would be no overall agency
created such as the suggested Office
of demobilization
The Office of War Mobilization.
directed by James F. Byrnes, for
whom the report was prepared,
would handle the top job of setting
policy for and guiding the country
safely through the turbulent period
between war and peace, task which
Mr.. Baruch said is not impossible
If we create the atmosphere in
which private resourcefulness-the
traditional American spirit-can
again take hold
Agencies to Follow Policy.
Below the OWN and guided by
its policies. the War Production
j Board and the armed services would
operate for reconversion with
authority similar to that they now
exercise for mobilization Other
Government war agencies. such as
the War Manpower Commission,
Office of Price Administration and
War Food Administration. would
work in close coordination with
WPB and the services.
/ The report recommended estab-
lishment under OWN of two admin
istrators to deal with problems Mr..
Baruch obviously considered the
most important in the readjustment
period-the rehabilitation of people
directly involved in the war both
in the armed forces and the fac
tories, and the disposal of surplus
war properties.
Mr.. Baruch referred to the per-
sonnel administrator as work
director" whose job it would be to
see that the human side Of de-
mobilization is not forgotten" He
would coordinate the work done by
such agencies as the Veterans Bu-
reau, Labor Department and Federal
Security Agency in readjusting war
veterans and workers to peacetime
pursuits. He would work with Con-
gress in developing legislation to
care for the problems involved in re-
adjustment. The report suggested
that activities of Congress III the
human side of rehabilitation" be
merged into a single committee in
the House and Senate, or Joint
committee of both houses.
Objectives Explained.
| An objective of the establishment
OF work director, the report stated,
is:
That there be in each community.
only one place to which returning
servicemen and servicewomen need
to go to learn all their rights and
how to get them" Later, Mr..
Baruch told news conference there
are too many people fooling with
this problem and he wished to GEN.
tralize responsibility in a way that
veteran will know he has rights
that rise above charity
The other ma jor post to be created
under OWM-a surplus property
administrator - would have full
authority for handling every aspect
OF surplus disposal Under him
there would be a surplus property
policy board composed of repre-
sentatives of the following agencies:
War, Navy, Treasury, RFC, Maritime
Commission, WPB. Budget Bureau,
War Food Administration, Justice
Department, State Department,
Federal Works Agency and Foreign
Economic Administration.
Four major outlets were suggested
to handle actual disposal of war
surpluSeS and, it was stressed that
the jurisdiction of each should be
clearly Defined Consumer goods
should be handled by the Treasury
Procurement Division; capital and
producer goods. AL types of indus
trial property by single cor
poration within RFC, consolidating
present RFC subsidiaries; ships and
maritime property by the Maritime
Commission, and food by the food
administrator. All would be subject
to policies laid down by surplus
property administrator.
| The 30000-word repoft-its size
accentuates the tremendous prob
(See RARIJCH paoe AN