Evening star., 1944-05-04
Nelson Sees No Hone
Of Whisky Disti|Iing
In Next Three Months

, VI V"SNI IiSiHIuHy
In Next Three Months
BY J. A. OLEARY.
Chairman Donald Nelson of tht
, War Production Board told the
Senate Liquor Investigating Com
mittee today he sees no prospect fol
resuming the manufacture of whisky
within the next three or foul
> months.
"Of course, conditions may change
tomorrow" Mr.. Nelson added, ex.
planning that WPB is constantly re.
viewing requirements for war ma.
terials and essential civilian articles
During two hours of cross-exami.
nation, Mr.. Nelson insisted, how.
ever, that it is not his function tt
say when the making of beverage
alcohol should be resumed. Even il
the war outlook made it possible fol
WPB to release some of the distillery
facilities for nonwar purposes, the
diStillers would have to get from
the War Food Administration the
grain for whisky production, he tes-
titled.
/ Critical of Imports.
/ Senator Murdock, Democrat, o1
Utah criticized the importation into
the United States of what he calico
low-grade alcoholic beverages while
high-grade American industrial al.
cohol is going out of the United
States under lease-lend.
| The Utah Senator wanted to know
If it would not be better to have
the other countries divert some OF
their low-grade beverage alcohol te
industrial use and asked why I'VE
should be SO meticulous about the
quality of the industrial alcohol
shipped out"
In answering this question, Mr.
Nelson revealed that a representa-
tive of the Seagram distilling inter-
ests came to him yesterday with a
proposal bearing on the question
Mr.. Nelson said it would be given
So2SAdA SckloAQCl dtlUll.
Determines Essential Needs.
MIR. Nelson insisted his only con-
troll over the alcohol situation is to
determine the requirements for the
war effort and for commodities held
to be essential civilian needs.
Under questioning by Chairman
McCarran, and Senator Ferguson,
Republican, of Michigan he agreed
that he regulates alcohol needed for
the production of anti-freeze and
cosmetics because they are classed
as essential civilian needs.
Mr.. Nelson declined to admit that
WPB has clasSed beverage alcohol
as nonessential, declaring, Il have
never tried to determine that any
thing was nonessential. We put it
on the basis of relative degree of
essentially"
Senator Ferguson suggested, how
ever, that if the witness designates
things that are essential to the civil
ian economy, you do reach a point
where you say thing is not essen
tial"
Julian G.. Sourwine, committee
counsel, recalled that occasionally
the papers announce that WPB has
released electric irons, vacuum clean
ers or motorcycles for civilian use,
and asked what procedure is fol-
lowed in such cases.
Would Release Facilities.
Mr.. Nelson said in the case of cleo
trio irons, for instance, WPB studies
the availability of all component
parts and decides some can be
spared. In the case of alcohol how
ever, he said WPB would merely de-
eide when the time comes that
some of the distillery facilities coulc
be released from industrial alcohoI
production, but would not say how
those facilities were to be used there
after.
Mr.. Sourwine observed that WIPE
recently made bobby pin production
possible.
Il would regard that as very es.
sential," Mr.. Nelson replied, explain.
ing that women employed in wal
industries need them to keep theil
hair up.
After Senator Ferguson had ques.
toned the witness about the hol.
lday Canada permitted last year fol-
beverage alcohol production, Mr.
Nelson said WPB had knowledge Of
that, and promised to submit latel
the information it had on the sub.
ject.
MoiaSseS Is Imported.
Earlier, Mr.. Nelson had testified
= that alcohol production in Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Islands is linn
tied because this Government pre-
fers to ship in molasses from thos,
: places for the manufacture of in
dustrial alcohol in the United
States.
: IF the purpose of getting tn,
molasses is to make industrial al
cohol, why wouldn't it be NOR,
economical to let Puerto Rico ans
the Virgin Islands produce tn
alcohol first?" asked Senator Muir
! dock.
DR.. Walter Whitman, head of tn
alcohol division of WPB, said clear
tankers would be needed to brin,
: IN the completed alcohol. 1t is prac
, tical to bring the alcohol from Cuba
, but not practical from Puerto Ric,
, and the Virgin Islands.