Evening star., 1947-02-03
Text umon Message Asking Limited Extension Of War Powers
BY the As.eeio,sd Pres,

ext OF IFuml
BY the Asseeiussd Press
President Trumdn's message to
Congress today, asking continue
tion. of certain Dar po,1ers,
tolIo,0s:
To the Congress of the United
States:
During the past 10 months the
Nation has almost completed its
great task Of reconverting from all
out wartime production to peace
time economy. AS reconversion has
proceeded, we have found it increas-
ineiy possible to dispense with many
controls that were essential during
active hostilities and Immediately
thereafter.
We can now foresee the day when
no further use of these powers will
be necessary. But it has become
apparent that the effective compile
ton of reconversion will, in a few
instances, require the continued use
of powers granted by the Second
War Powers Act after March 81, 1947
the expiration date of this law.
I stated to the Congress in my
recent State of the Union message
that after the termination of hos
tilities was proclaimed on December
81, 1916, there were two groups OF
temporary laws that still remained.
namely, those which were to last
during the emergency" and those
which were to continue until the
termination Of the war" The study
of these two groups of laws is pro-
ceeding and I shall submit recon-
mendations on them in the near
future. .a
This present message is directed
solely to the Second War Powers
Act because the powers existing
under such act expire on March 81,
1947.
Since the fighting ceased, 1t, has
been my avowed policy to terminate
ali emergency controls that were no
longer necessary or workable. BY
November, 1916, we had removed all
manpower and wage controls, and all
price ceilings except those on rent,
sugar and sirups, and rice.
Priority Regulations Reduced.
Almost all the priority and alloca-
ton regulations based on title III OF
the Second War Powers Act have
been eliminated. AS early as last
May, the Senate Committee on the
Judiciary, in reporting out the last
extension of the Second War Powers
Act, made the following findings in
this connection:
"The record clearly shows that
there has been rapid lifting of the
controls which have been exercised
over our economy during the war,
and a progressive abandonment of
the rigid provisions of the original
War Powers Act, evidencing what
your committee regards as sincere
purpose and intention by the office
of War Mobilization and Recover
sion, by the Civilian Production Ad-
and by all the other
agencies concerned, to return as
rapidly as possible to the normal
processes of our economy"
The House Committee on the Ju-
dietary in its report also referred
favorably to the record of reductions
in controls by the Government.
Speedy decontrol under the Sec
ond War Powers Act has continued
since these reports were made. From
a wartime peak of about TOO orders
and schedules, the Civilian Produc-
ton Administration (Office of Tenn
porary Controls) by January 27, 1947,
had in effect only "a orders and
three schedules, and this number
Hiu sbes,ssils further reduced sins the
Immediate future. 'f>.''''' .
The Department of Agriculture
had ieftshy january 27senly " NaTs
food orders, of which nine are merely
administrative or procedural, and
still further reductions are planned
by the department between now and
March 81. ... , ~ ,-.. =
The Office of Defense Transporta-
ton has eliminated all but three
transportation orders, and the ONCE
of Price Administration (Of1ce Of
Temporary Controls) now rations
only sugar. f..
Few Controls Will Be Needed.
After March 81, 1947, moreover,
it will be possible to dispense en-
tirely with the use of the broad pow
ers granted by Title III of the
Second War Powers Act. Thence
forth only a few controls coming
under this title will be needed, over
a progressively diminishing list of
commodities of which the supply is
seriously deficient, both domestically
and throughout the world, and the
affected final products are critically
to industry or the public.
Power to allocate under the Second
War Powers Act is requested only
for the specific cases described IN
this message and for national emer-
gencies declared by the President.
The few orders that would remain
would be limited to clearly manage
able controls in an economy freed
of most emergency restrictions.
They afford positive aids to busi-
ness and the public which we must
not Withdraw prematurely, and they
assist us in meeting international
understandings and obligations.
The first area in which I believe
continued authority is essential is
in connection with foods still in
critically short supply throughout
the world. I consider that current
import and export controls must be
kept after March 81 to assure this
country a proportionate share OF
the commodities in which we are
deficient while carrying out our in
ternational food ALLEGATION arrange
ments.
In a subsequent communication
to the Congress shall state whether
there will be any need for continu-
ing the Export Control Act beyond
June 80, 1947, its present expiration
date. We must also continue some
controls on domestic use and distri-
button of grains and grain products,