Evening star., 1946-11-27
Wyatt Confers
With Truman on
Housing Priority
Seeks Full Support;
Denies Plan to Quit
As Administrator

Housing Administrator wilson
Wyatt today sought President
Truman's full backing to draft
from other Government agencies
the support he believes they
should give the housing program.
However, after comforting at
length with Mr.. Truman, Mr.. Wyatt
had nothing to say to reporters
other than that he would see the
President again.
Asked about reports that he
planned to quit unless his program
was supported, the housing CHIEF
turned the question aside with the
comment, "We see a lot Of things
In the newspapers, don't we?"
In response to another query MIR.
Wyatt said fatty he did not have
any plans to resign.
He said that the time for his
next meeting with the President
to discuss the housing program had
not been set, but that he was hold
ing himself on call.
In a report to the President q
week ago, Mr.. Wyatt asked for a
"reafirmation" of his powers to
channel Government resources into
veterans housing.
wyatt Opposed by RFC.
At issue between Mr.. Wyatt and
other agencies are these major
points:
1. Mr.. wyatt has been unable to
persuade the Reconstruction FL
nance Corp. to advance funds to
a group of prospective manufac-
turers of prefabricated housing.
The RFC has contended the loans
were unsound.
2. Mr.. Wyatt has directed the
War Assets Administration to turn
over a s171,000,00O Government
owned plant at Chicago to the
Lustron Corp. for housing manu-
facture. WAA contends the plant
already has been leased to the
Tucker Corp. for automobile manu-
turing and has appealed to the At
torney General from Mr.. Wyatt's
order.
8. A proposal has been advanced
in the Civilian Production Admins
istration for suspension of the
existing priorities system for steel
ALLEGATION during the coal strike.
Mr.. Wyatt has opposed this on the
1 ground that housing buyers should
/ have priority for any steel avail
able after essential uses are met.
/ Status of Housing Is Issue.
q One housing official represented
Il Mr.. Wyatt as believing that all
these issues were integrated into a
single question-whether housing is
| to be considered a true emergency
i program. Unless Mr. Wyatt is up
held on these and allied points,
| this official said, he will consider
that the program is not to be treated
as an emergency and that under
those conditions cannot succeed.
Besides asking the President to
support his position, Mr.. Wyatt pro-
posed in the report a retention OF
! all controls over production and
distribution of building materials
except as he may consider un-
ucCeSSdIy.
He also asked that action be
taken to encourage the construction
of more rental housing.
Veterans Appeal to Truman.
The American Veterans Commits
tee meanwhile appealed to Mr.. Tru-
man for full support" Of Mr..
Wyatt's national program.
In a wire to the President, Frank
lin D. Roosevelt, jr., head OF the
AVG Housing Committee, charged
that lone of the highest powered,
most selfish lobbies known in the
annals of our country" was attempts
ing to knife" Mr.. Wyatt and the
veterans housing program.
Mr.. Roosevelt urged presidential
backing to maintain the Wyatt pro-
gram intact" but stressed impor.
tance of "those phases dealing with
expanded prefabricated production
and the new program underwriting
| rental housing 100 rer cent"