Evening star., 1945-08-03

marked time. 1t
could not get Frank r. Kent.
going.
The first head of the board-Mr
William L. Clayton-resigned b e :
cause he said the law enacted by
Congress was so absurd and made
uuate that no man could properly
do the job.
The second head, former Senator
Guy Gillette Of Iowa, after many
months Of inaction resigned for
much the same reason, though he
lad the additional complication OF
lot getting along very well with his
wo colleagues. No one blamed him
or that.
And now there is third head
Mr.. w. Stuart Symington. Mr.
Symington has not done anything
either, but then he has not had
time, having recently been unani-
mousfy confirmed by the Senate
nfter what seemed totally unneces-
Sary hesitation.
This long record of inaction is a
liscreditable chapter in the do
nestle management of our war
effort. The fault was not with the
original ideas or the original ap-
continent. They were concededly
sound.
Fault Laid to Congress.
The fault lies mostly with Con-
,ress which, unbelievably, botched
up a plan conceived and drafted by
the most experienced and disinter-
ested men in the country. And
partly the fault lay with the then
President, who failed to back up the
men who, at his request, had de-
voted months of their time to the
preparatory work.
Now, while the prospects for real
action, under Mr.. Symington, are far
better than they have been, the de-
lay is not yet over. For one thing
Congress has not acted on President
Truman's recommendation that the
law be amended so as to have
single administrator instead Of a
board of three. For another, 1t has
not even begun consideration of
amendments to correct the obvious
abSurdities of the law, which Mr.
Clayton accurately described as a
handicap under which no one could
really do the job
The two months recess taken by
Congress means that these things
cannot possibly be done until Oc-
tober. When it is considered that
the surplus administrator has the
gigantic task of disposing of more
than 000,000,0o0 worth of war
materials and property without dis
rupting our peacetime economy by
glutting our markets and upsetting
the price structure, time wasting of
q full year-and still more time
wasting ahead seems indefensible.
The new head, of course, can do
considerable between now and next
fall. He can familiarize himself
with the job. He can build up an
organization. He can confer with
the men who know most about the
problems. He can prepare his
amendments and perhaps arrange
or support. And he can dispose
f some material and some property
All that he can do. But what
lie cannot do is to tackle this enor-
nous proposition effectively, and as
t should be done, until he has
tull authority as a single admins
traitor and a workable law Under
hese conditions it still will be a
erriflc job. Under existing condi-
ions it is close to impossible-and
man would be foolish to attempt
{.
Presumably, Mr. Symington is
ware Of these facts and is going
head on the assumption that, with
he support of the President, the
necessary changes will be made. At
lis first press conference he was
lodest enough about himself, what
wanted and what he expected to
Unexpected Statements.
He did make a few rather un-
Xpected statements to the effect
nat he wanted to administer the
Do with social vision; that he
Tould be particularly concerned in
he helping of independents" and
small business" and local inter-
stS"; that he intended to avoid
lvoring big business"
This sounds very noble, indeed !:
ut, presumably, these remarks of
II. Symington's were inspired by
he fight made against his confirma-
ion by certain left-wing Senators
nd radical publications. These had
ssailed him as monopolist, de-
louncing him as having no SYM
athy with the common man" and
ne liberal movement"
1t seemed to some that Mr.. Sy-
nington, in thus talking like Mr.
Ienry Wallace, was trying to pla-
ate his critics, convince them that
le is one of them. If this was his
dea it was waste of time. For one
hing, he cannot placate them by
alking like them. For another,
hey do not amount to enough to
make it worth while.
What his job calls for is not SO
much social vision," whatever that
nay be, but common sense, hard
work and business ability. 1t is a
job in which he ought not to be
forced to consider politics, politi-
clans or pressure groups. If he
does this job we'll, he will serve
the national interests and that
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