The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-05
As Pegler Sees 1t
Rv wEsTBRoOK PEGLER

Copyright, By klng fedeuioS 80
This is a continuation Of yesterday S discus,
sion of the remarkable career OF Michael
Joseph Deutch. who occupied powerful posi-
tions in our government during the war When
he was not a citizen of the United States. He
was naturalized on Feb. 26, 1916, when ne re-
ceived special treatment in the federal court
in Alexandria. Va, being admitted to citizen
ship 4 DAYS after his petition was filed. he
had been admitted for permanent residence
in December. 1910, but had left the country
three times, once on government business and
had been legally re-admitted as often.
Deutch's final process was expedited at the
request of Lieut.-Gen. Lucius D.. Clay, our dep
uty military governor for Germany, on the
ground that his services were required IN
Germany and that he could not be sent there
except as an American citizen. Now Mr..
Deutch says he did not go to erma fol-
lowing his naturalization out remained at his
duties in Washington by request OF his superior
in the Office of War Mobilization. He has
since left the government service and opened
his own practice as an engineer.
He said he had no ''political' sponsors but
that he was recommended for government
service by Col. Howard E. Bennion. of the
Edison Electrical Institute, George Messer-
smith. then our Ambassador to Mexico, and
others. He says he was first employed by the
Board of Economic Warfare - but after Henry
Wallace had left that bureau - to give infor-
nation on the location of power plants in Ger
many. and that he has never met wallace.
Mr.. Deutch says he never was "a policy guy
in anv of his government positions but was
just an engineer giving good advice.
He was born in Smolensk. Russia, in 1907.
! was "a at the time of Pearl Harbor, was de-
ferred in the draft on the request of govern
ment agencies throughout the war and was an
alien throughout his government service. How
ever. he did request induction and Bradley
Dewey, OF Cambridge, Mass, a republican,
who was rubber director in the war admins
tration. writes that he had to tie him down
to keep him from throwing up his job and en-
listing as a common seaman
He is not only an American" Mr.. Dewey
writes, but as good an anti-communist as
you or l ever thought of being and ne is essen
tally anti-bureaucrat."
Senator E. H. Moore, of Oklahoma. became
Interested in Deutch's career on the represent
tations of certain oil men that the industry
could Lave provided a native American to do
the same work at least as well. He addressed
inquiries to the Office of War Mobilization and
Reconversion and received long pedigree.
The OWN. reported that Deutch was en-
ployed as a junior engineer in Belgium from
July 1929 to April 1890: worked in New York
for a public utility holding company until Au-
gust 1912 when he became an engineer on tn
staff for warfare analysis of the Board of
Economic Warfare, making CONFIDENTIAL
studies on the reoccupation of Europe" and
went to the W. P. B. in September 1912 as
senior Industrial analyst devising methods
and standards Cor determining material and
equipment requirements Of manufacturing
plants and military construction projects"
From May, 1943 to January, 1945. ne was
especial assistant to the program vice chair
man" acting for him as principal contact with
the War Petroleum Administration the Army
Navy Petroleum Board, the fuel branch OF the
Army Air Forces, the office of the rubber di-
rector and other agencies ito plan and expe
dite the aviation gasoline, synthetic rubber
and correlated programs From January TO
July, 1945, he had supervision OF the high &C.
tame, carbon black Russian refinery and other
urgent war programs
In June, 1916, Walter S. Hallanan, of the
Plymouth Oil Co., of Pittsburgh, addressed the
eastern district of the American Petroleum In
s%titute, in Pittsburgh, and complained that
Deutch al. alien at that time, had been placed
in authority over the efforts of Americans who
had developed the material and scientific re-
sources of the industry which was performing
prodigious duties.
Reviewing the war record of the industry,
Mr.. Hallanan argued that the only reason why
it could meet the wars demands was that it
had developed under competitive free enter
prise. las important as the physical facili-
ties" he said, meaning the wells, the refining
system and the pipe lines, were the skill and
genius of the industry's technicians who gave
us synthetic rubber, toluene, rust preventives,
flame-thrower material, the jellied gasoline
bomb, asphalt for %airfields. kerosene for
smoke-screens, wax for packa ging food and
equipment, petroleum coke FOR aluminium and
500 other petroleum products.
almost seven billion barrels of oil had 10
be produced between December, 1941, and Au-
gust, 1945, for the United States and its al
lies" he said, land more than five and one
half billion of it came from the United States
MIR. Hallanan complained that as recently
as May, 1916, when the government called a
conference about an acute shortage of fuel
OIL, the man who sat at the head of the confer
ence table, above the representatives of the
Navy Petroleum Board was Mr.. Deutch.
N"He attracted my attention" Mr.. Hallanan
said. because of the manifestation of authori-
t ythat he seemed to show over those who
represented the Army and Navy Petroleum
Board and the Navy. He spoke at higher level
of government. I was informed that he was
there representing the White House and his
word seemed to be final. l found that during
the critical days of the war no order could
clear through the inter-departmental agencies
without Es approval. No one dared 10 cnaf
lenge his authority.'
Mr.. Hallanan thought Mr.. Deutch's manner
was dictatorial and that he spoke in com
manding tones and he strongly resented the
selection of an alien for these powers and re
sponSibilities.
Hallanan classified Deutch among those who
'enjoy the privilege of pushing people afeuno
and believe our form OF government shoulo
be changed to another pattern" while Dewey
saws that during his Washington exner "nce ne
met 40 man whom he considered a moe
loyal and ardent American. Senator Moore par