Evening star., 1946-12-06
Foley. Head Of FILA,
May Succeed Wyatt as
Housing Administrator
By Robert J. Lewis

Raymond M. Foley, commlS-
sioner of the Federal Housing
Administra ton, today was mem
toned as a possible, successor to
Housing Expediter Wilson w.
Wyatt as the future of the
Governments housing program
awaited clarification.
At press conference late yester-
day, Mr.. Wyatt summed up the ac-
complishments of his program, re-
fused to criticize President Truman,
and said he did not know who would
succeed him. David L. Krooth,
general counsel of the National
Housing Agency. will be acting MIA
head and housing expediter until
. successor is appointed.
The housing expediter, who served
also as administrator of MIA, said
he understood MIA would be con-
tinued.
Disagreed on Program.
His resignation, which became
effective last night, was submitted
to President Truman after the
President decided not to support
recommendation that loans be
made to prefabricators and that
controls remain unimpaired.
Meanwhile, Joseph L. Rauh. gen.
eral deputy expediter who was sec
ond in command to Mr.. Wyatt, and
E. A. Verpillot, deputy expediter for
temporary reuse housing and camp
demolitions, have also submitted
their designations.
At the same time, veterans had a
warning from Lee w. Johnson, exec
utive vice president of the National
Public Housing Conference, that Mr..
Wyatt's resignation was blow to
the housing program.
Ex-Servicemen Seen Hit.
"GI Joe must have home and
his family are the persons who have
taken the beating" he said.
Those mentioning Mr.. Foley's
name as a possible successor to Mr..
Wyatt pointed out he is popular
with the real estate industry and at
the same time is viewed as a pro-
gressive housing administrator. He
is said to oppose some features OF
the Wagner -Enender-T general
housing bill, which is strongly OPP
posed by the building industry.
MIR. Wyatt yesterday reported that.
in the first 10 months of this year,
882, 900 housing units had been
started, and that 500, 400 had been
completed in the same period.
Expects 1,O0O, 900 Units.
BY the end of the year, he said
he expected 100000 units to be
under construction.
As for materials production, Octo-
ber was the Nations best produc-
ton MONTH" he said, with many
industries at their all-time peak
production"
Homes so far put under con-
struction exceeded the number for
any of the last 18 years except for
1941, Mr.. Wyatt pointed out.
Referring to housing as deep
and important social problem" Mr,
Wyatt declared that in his opinion
the years increased production OF
homes would have been impossible
without the emergency Govern
ment measures taken during the
last year He said output last
month compares very definitely
with the miracle of production dur
ing wartime"
"No / Domestic Problem"
81 felt at the time I came here
that housing was our No. domestic
problem" Mr. Wyatt said. ut re-
mains our No. l domestic problem
because we are now just reaching
the peak period of demand, with
cold weather just starting.
This problem is no less an emer-
gency problem today than it was
before, and it will continue to be an
emergency problem for months to
come"
Mr.. Wyatt said he believed Ameri-
can public opinion SUPPORTED Gov
ernment emergency measures be
cause it recognizes there is an
emergency"
Asked whether he thought the
President "reneged" in withdraw
ing support from the program at
its halfway mark, he replied he
would not discuss the President of
the United States in such terms.
Hits Selfish Opposition.
Several times during the confer
ence, he smilingly parried questions
which sought to elicit in SO many
words that he was critical of the
Presidents action in refusing TO
support. his recommendations.
Asked to identify forces of op-
position" to his program, he said
some very vocal people, well Or
ganized, were concerned about large
profits of today rather than the
future of their industry"
Boiled down, he said their atti-
tude of opposition to his program
amounted to 'short-sighted selfish
Il