Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-08-24
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY Paul
MalIon

WASHINGTON, Aug. "a
w More important people
than c. F. Wilson. the vice
chairman. have been after the
War Production Board chair
man Donald Nelson 10 get him
10 China or even farther. all the
NAY hack 10 Sears-Roebuck,
whence he came.
The Presidents strong right
arm Though somewhat limp
and sore now hlmselD, James
+. BNrnes. long has heen aligned
against him. Also Harry Hop
kins' man. Gen. Brehon p.
Somerville, long has hoped and
planned for the worst for Mr..
Nelson.
The latest inside cause for
renewed anger was a report on
army production made by two
of Nelson's assistants seeming
10 show Somervell all wrong
IN his figures on army short
ages.
This report Mr.. Nelson is
supposed 10 have sent 10 the
chief of staff. Gen. George c.
Marshall with an invitation TO
look 1t over.
IT CLAIMS Somervell was
L able to arrive AT his short
ages only by transferring title
Of equipment and supplies from
his own department 10 army
transportation, or the bureau
of ordnance or some other army
subdivision.
Mere mention Of such a re-
port sends official temperS fly
ing and the SubofIicials whls-
per, 1T has been suppressed.
At first Mr.. Nelson under
stood he would be in China for
only two or three weeks.
But since then. he has read
in the papers ne is 10 he there
so TO 90 days the so-called
crucial period As far AS develop
mcntS within WPB concerning
the Nelson method of piece
meal production 30 per cent
increase he says or the Wilson
SomerVell idea Of waiting for
mass TeconverSIon.
CENATORS and congressman
~ also read the papers and
they not only criticized the
China mission. they threatened
10 investigate IT, To them Mel
son IS small business AS far as
the government is concerned,
and they want HIM here. 1t
was their apprehenSlonS which
caused Mr.. Roosevelt 10 issue his
dcnialS.
But when The President said
the Nelson mission to China is
most pressing. the congress
men remembered Vice President
Wallace was the last TO under
take a pressing mission in that
direction, only 10 lose his ioh,
even with Mr.. Roosevelt's sup
port.
The President also said there
would he no change in WPB
policy che mentioned nothing
about chalrmenl, but the earlier
White House announcement had
specifically designated Mr.. Nell
sons enemy on this issue. Mr..
Wilson, to he acting chairman.
in which seat he will have many
opportunities 10 act with and
without Mr.. RooScvelt'S notice.
Therefore, Mr.. Roosevelt has
not been able 10 dlspel entirely
tho common SuppoSltlon among
the business elements within
WPB that the army got rid Of
MIR Nelson for the coming so
10 90 days at least. and possibly
for longer.
CIVILIANS tend 10 Sympathize
~ with The Nelson case, but
there is an untold side to the
army stand also For instance,
il can now be related Gen.
Eisenhower. two or three weeks
ago. suddenly ordered 10000
trucks to be shipped lmmedi-
atelN. Apparently he decided TO
move his army forward into
Germany on trucks entirely,
diSregardinC railroad repair.
Now 10000 is sensational
0f trucks and the
army has been claiming 4 short
age in this line but they we're
found stored around the coun-
try. and the major war opera
ton Of getting them to the sea-
board and aboard ships has
proceeded satisfactorily.
The army and navy feel they
must produce twice as much AS
they think they will need, IN
order 10 have enough In bat
tie YOU cannot afford TO ne
short
Atop this. Pacific Coast Sena-
tors say 5000 war workers have
been leaving California each
month since the end Of the
European war became evident.
They are moving hack to the
Midwest farm regions A news
account estimated 1000 10
\ 900 leaving the San Francisco
area each month.