Evening star., 1944-08-24
CAPTURE OF LYON AND BORDEAUX REPORTED
Wilson Resigns,
b|anles Action
On Nelson Aides
unfair Attacks and
Criticism Charged
By WPB Official ~

By WPB Official ~
Charles E. Wilson has resigned
as executive vice chairman of
the War Production Board and.
in a letter to President Roosevelt,
ascribed his action to unfair
attacks and criticisms" inspired
by personal aides of Chairman
Donald M. Nelson, the White
House disclosed today.
The President accepted the resig-
nation with reluctance" an ex-'
change Of letters with Mr.. Wilson
showed.
The vice chairman was to have
headed the WPB in the absence Of
Mr.. Nelson, who Is scheduled to
leave on a trip to China for the
President-a mission which caused
some officials to charge that Mr..
Nelson was being shelved because
of row over reconversion within
the board. This prompted a vigor-
Gus disclaimer by the White House
in a statement Monday.
Protested to Nelson.
In his letter to the President.
dated Wednesday, Mr.. Wilson said:
Since Saturday, when you issued
your public statement regarding Mr..
Nelson's trip to China and you
requested that l assume direction
OF the War Production Board.
there has been renewed circulation
in the press and over the radio of
stories to the effect that because
of my former position as presi-
dent of the General Electric Co.,
from which company I resigned
when l joined the War Production
Board, I am opposed to reconver-
sion.
These statements, like many SIM
liar statements that have appeared
in recent months, we're, in my opin-
ion, inspired by subordinate off,
Gals Of the board connected with
the personal staff of Mr.. Nelson.
Many of my immediate staff and I
have presented to Mr.. Nelson urgent
requests that these individuals be
forced to discontinue their unfair
attacks and criticisms of members
of the organization. Mr.. Nelson
has disclaimed any responsibility for
these attacks asserting they were
made without his knowledge or ap-
proval"
Responsible for Policies.
Nv IyilcN,,
sary for him to tell the President
that he favored reconversion and
has already been responsible for
policies which have effected re-
conversion to large degree. How
ever, he continued, 1T is apparent
to me that instead of being dis
continued, these attacks upon me
and upon members of my staff will
be increased. I cannot answer them
unless 1 employ publicity experts.
I am unwilling to do that"
So, Mr.. Wilson added. with a feel
ing that "dissension within the or
ganization does harm to the war
production effort. and. therefore, to
the country" he is stepping out.
L am unwilling to be a ,party to
such a controversy, he said. "I
feel that anything 1 can do %. end
the controversy would be a service
to my country" =
At the outset of his letter, Mr.,
Wilson recalled that he sought to
retire last December but that the
President asked him to stay on.
Again. in April, the official said, he
asked to be released but again he
was prevailed on to stay and he
said he presented the same request
last Saturday.
dent, you asked that I remain until
Germany capitulated or the several
production programs now tagging
have improved I agreed and 1 left
you with renewed inspiration" It
was then, he said, that the attacks
began.
President Praises Work.
In accepting the resignation, the
President told Mr.. Wilson that the
wonderful record we have made in
aircraft production and shipping
construction is evidence of the
splendid contribution you made to
the war effort
1t was because of Mr.. Wilson's
success in aircraft and shipping out
put he had asked him to stay on
in the face of his wishes to resign,
the President said.
"Of course" the President told
him, Il have been aware of some
dissension within the War Produc.
tion Board. I had hoped it would
disappear, I have accepted your
judgment on other things. I must
accept it in this matter"
Mr.. Wilson was a White House
visitor Saturday shortly before the
Presidents announcement of the
impending trip of Chairman Nelson
and Maj. Gen. Patrick j. Hurley to
China.
Mr.. Wilson said at that time that
the President wanted him Ito put
the heat on" number of items on
which production was tagging.
Asked about recurrent reports Of
his resignation, Mr.. Wilson laugh
ingly asked, Does this look like it?"
Before this development, Mr.. Nell
son was disclosed to have told SEN
Continued on Page Az, Column y
1t. Col. Beirne Loy, Jr.,