Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-29
Monpower BIunders
Luid to Administration
Public Has Not Been Told the
Facts, Observer Asserts
By David Laurence

Few things could illustrate better the
breakdown of the administration lead
ership, as well as the collapse of any
leadership, Republican or Democratic,
In Congress on major issue than the
hodge, podge that has been made of
manpower legislation.
The public hasn't been told the facts,
because the whole story puts the finger
of blame on all the leaders and espe-
cially on the plumbers of the admins
tration in handling the manpower
problem from the very beginning of the
war.
The controversy is not Of partisan
nature. It is the same old story of fric-
ton and divided responsibility inside
the administration, jealousies between
governmental agencies, and a refusal
on the part of the President to face the
consequences of more than three years
of drifting on the manpower problem.
Mistakes Hidden.
Behind the friction, too, is the NJ
cessant conflict between the military
and civilian points of view The War
Department which has done so well on
the field of battle, has displayed in its
intercourse with Congress and with gov
ernmental agencies generally an inepti-
tude which is hardly describable as
good public relations" There is a
distrust of Army estimates in the civilian
agencies in nearly everything, largely
because the Army has hidden its mis-
takes behind the cloak of censorship
so that 1t is difficult even for members
Of Congress to get the facts.
The main conflict, of course, has
been between the Selective Service
System and the War Manpower Com
mission. These two agencies represent
two different viewpoints in handling
manpower. 1t is not believed to be
wholly matter of which agency should
have the responsibility but largely a
difference in approach. Left to its own
devices, the Army administrators, who
know SO little about public psychology
and especially about the psychology of
the workers, would soon have the home
front frustrated and then they probably
would blame labor or management or
both. The War Manpower Commission,
on the other hand. thinks it under
stands the civilian problem better.
For time on Capitol Hill certain
members of Congress couldn't find out
whether the higher-ups in the War De-
partment favored one agency or the
other to administer the measure. Finai-
ly the new bill agreed to by a confer
ence committee of both houses turns
the matter over to James F. Byrnes.
The fact that a man had to be selected
who could be trusted presumably by
all groups and who has had a knowledge
of both civilian and military problems
is proof that no agreement could have
been had in Congress by selecting eth
er the Selective Service System or the
War Manpower Commission.
The public outside of Washington
cannot get at these conflicts of views
and feuds between departments or bu-
reaus. It trusts Congress to do that
job. But Congress has foundered and
finally in desperation appears ready to
delegate blanket authority to one in
dividual, realizing. of course, that he
must in turn delegate it to others. No
worse example perhaps can be found
of delegation of power without legis-
lative standards.
No Longer Alert Body.
Congress is no longer an alert legis-
lative body standing up for its right to
legislate or to prescribe standards. 1t
is acquiescing in any kind of an agree
ment that seems to pass the buck and
transfer responsibility outside of the
legislative branch. But in the end. the
public will suffer from the confusion
and Congress will blame the Presi-
dent, and the Roosevelt" cry
will be raised as the reason for the
blame.
Mr., Roosevelt has certain RESPONSE
bility for the failure of his own agen-
cies to get together on q control of
manpower in the same way that Ameri-
ca finally got control of raw materials
working. But the real fault lies with
the way Congress is evading its legis-
lative responsibility with a bill that
places arbitrary power in Government
agencies and affords no court review
for the citizen when arbitrariness has
done its full damage. Not alone indus
tries and businesses essential to the
war effort but non essential industries
are going to be controlled by the new
legislation,
In the end, the measure will doubtless
be interpreted so as to penalize the en-
| ployer. AS for workers who strike, they
probably will be immune from inter-
ference because under the Wagner Act
ruling it is stipulated that an employee
does not go off the payroll list but re-
mains an employe even when he strikes
Some Senators already are saying strikes
are not banned by the new bill
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