Evening star., 1946-02-25
Executive Order
Gives bowIes
Added Powers
Wartime Office of
Sterilization Revived
By President
By james Y. Newton

PRESIDENT truman today re-
established the Office of Eco
nomic Sterilization and gave
Chester Bowles, it's director,
nearly complete authority to
make and administer policies re-
garding wages and prices.
The new order, which Mr.. Tru-
man said he would issue when the
new reconversioE wage-price policy
was announced 10 days ago, gives
Mr.. Bowles virtual autonomy in the
field of economic stabilization.
OES, abolished last September in
favor of a stabilization administra-
ton within the Office of War Mo-
bilization and Reconversion, was re-
created with the same status. the
Office held during wartime.
Retains Same Functions.
Today's order bestows on Mr..
Bowles and his new Office "the same
functions, powers and duties" pos
sessed by OES before its abolish
ment last fall Prior to that move,
William H. Davis, who was then
stabilization director, reported di-
rectly to the President. OWMR
served, it was said, as a "receiv-
ing station" at the White House
for Mr.. Davis directives. Mr..
Synder made suggestions on wage
price matters to Mr.. Davis but did
not veto the latter's actions.
Offlcials of Mr.. Snyder's Office
pointed out, however, that OES
under Mr.. Davis was subject to
overall policies on reconversion laid
down by OWMR. The act creating
the latter agency gives it authority
to direct such broad policy. So, Mr..
Snyders aides explained, Mr.. Bow
les decisions will have to be made
within the framework of OWMR
policies.
Interpreting Mr.. Truman's latest
order, officials said Mr.. Bowles had
won as complete independence of
Mr., Snyder's Office as is possible
under present law. The two have
differed widely in the past over price
and wage policies, and it is gen.
orally known that Mr.. Bowles
threatened to resign from the ad-
ministration unless he was allowed
full direction of such policies.
ColIet to Leave Wednesday.
Since last September the Office OF
Sterilization Administration, headed
by Judge John K. Collet, has re-
ported directly to Mr.. Snyder's Of
flee. Judge Collet's decisions, it was
said, were subject to change by Mr..
Snyder and frequently were changed.
Judge Collet, meantime, told re-
porters that he will leave Wednes-
day to return to the Federal district
bench in Kansas City, Mo. He de-
clined an invitation from President
Truman to remain here as an ad-
wiser to Mr.. Snyder. That was the
post to which the President appar-
emily referred when he told a recent
news conference that he did not |
want to lose Judge Collet's services.
When Mr. Truman discussed the
new stabilization setup with report
ers 10 days ago, he said that Mr..
Bowles, in his new position, would
report to Mr.. Snyder. He added |
that he would settle any disagree
ments between the two.
Text of Executive Order.
The text of the presidential execu-
tive order establishing the Office
of Economic Sterilization follows:
Executive order re-establishing
the Office of Economic Sterilization:
by virtue of the authority vested
in me by the Constitution and
statutes, including section of the
act of October 2, 1912, Sc Stat. 765,
and Title I of the Fifst War Powers
Act. 1941, and, as President of the
United States, it is hereby ordered
as follows:
IL. The Office of Economic Stabil-
ization, established by Executive
Order No. $3.50 of October 3, 1912,
together with an economic stabiliza-
ton director at the head thereof, is
hereby re-estabhshed, with the
same functions, powers and duties
which it possessed Immediately prior
to the issuance of Executive Order