Evening star., 1944-04-17
lckes' Plan 10 Give
Veterans War Plants
Called 'UnworkabIe'

Official Washington today viewed
as "a nice thought" but "unwork-
able" the proposal of Secretary of
Interior Ickes that the billions Of
dollars worth of Government-own
war plants be turned over after the
war to veterans for their ownership
and operation "as bonus pay
ment."
Comments from Government off,
cials and members of Congress on
the idea expressed by Mr.. Ickes in a
West Coast speech included such as
campaign talk" and completely
unworkable." One official said ut
would take super Hudini to make
the thing work" Little favorable re-
action to the idea was apparent.
Mr.. Ickes suggested the $15,0O0,-
100000 in Government war plants
| be given to the men and women of
the armed forces as payment for
| the risk of their lives and to pre-
vent the properties from falling
into the hands of existing monopo-
lies for the purpose of hating their
competitive production. He pre-
dicted postwar chaos" If the plants
we're merely turned over to be
quietly throttled in the interest of
an economy of scarcity-scarce pro-
duction, scarce opportunities and
few jobs"
Proposal Called Vague.
A few persons expressed desire
to know whether Mr.. Ickes had in.
mind some details for placing his
plan in operation, saying the de-
Iscription given in the speech was
"too vague for analysis" The Sec
retary had admitted the proposal
was in a fluid state with the de-
tails to be filled in later.
One high official asked simply:
How could it be done?" He added
that regardless of whatever details
Mr.. Ickes might supply sit just
could not be worked out"
A large number of the Govern
ment's war plants have little value
other than for the purpose they
were built-to make munitions.
These include the huge Army and
Navy arsenals, the "quickie" ship
yards and numerous others. Some
may be used for storage, others will
be kept in standby" condition in
case of another war.
DPC Contracts Cited.
The Defense Plant Corp. has an
estimated seven to eight billions OF
dollars invested in plants. In many
instances, the private operator Of
the plants has an option to pur-
chase the structure should he desire
to use it for peacetime production.
The options on all of the useful
plants undoubtedly will be taken up
unless the Government asks too
high a price. DPC must hold to
the provisions of the contracts un-
less it is broken by the operator
through nonperformance or the op-
ton voluntarily is given up.
The organization of returning
veterans so that they could operate
a plant given to them would pre-
sent insurmountable dificulties, an
official said. 1t would be an i'm
possible task to find among the vet
Grams the know how" essential to
operation of plant. Such ven-
iture either would wind up in bank
ruptcy or in Government operation
of the plant in competition with pri-
vate industry and, the ofiicial said,
"that is something we do not want
to do."
There is no question but that we
should do everything possible to help
Jour war veterans and get them start
ed in some enterprise to which their
particular talents are suited" the
omcial said, "but I just don't think
this business of giving them war
plants, most of which are huge and
worth millions of dollars, would
work. About the only persons quail
fled to operate the plants that would
be useful In peacetime are the peo-
pie now running them"
RFC Ready to Make Loans.
1t was pointed out that the Re-
construction Finance Corp. has
stated willingness to make loans
to help establish returning veterans
in businesses of their own. RFC
plans to make these business loans
easy to obtain and easy to repay.
Very few members of Congress
would express an opinion on Mr.
Ickes' scheme, saying they either
desired more information or that
they just did not wish to comment
publicly.
Chairman May of the House Mill