Evening star., 1949-07-24

dation of preparedness on which
a rapid, flexible mobilization could
be based. whereas Mr.. Baruch
ardent advocate of preparedness
since his Craftsmanship Of the
War Industries Board of the First
World War, is demanding detailed
blueprints of the whole structure
with laws enacted now that would
become effective Immediately on
the proclamation of the Presi-
dent, with the concurrence OF
Congress.
Board in the Middle
The Truman administration
has rejected the Baruch thesis
which also has the Jealous sup
port of Ferdinand Eberstadt. his
close associate and former chair
man of the Munitions Board and
vice chairman of the War Pro-
duction Board, for two reasons
1. The White House believes
that this session of Congress with
it's concern over the Marshall
Plan appropriations, ratification
Of the Atlantic pact and the Eu-
ropean armament aid program, Is
not the appropriate time to spon-
sor standby mobilization legisla-
ton that might alarm our friends
and potential enemies.
2. If such legislation were Of
fered this session or later, 1t Woulo
meet vigorous opposition from
such powerful pressure groups as
labor and agriculture that would
fight for exemptions from war
time freezes" on prices AND
wages. Such opposition might
force disclosure of details OF our
top-secret mobilization plans that
would be valuable to our potential
enemies.
The administration also be-
lieves that should a war emer-
gency arise, it could obtain more
effective control legislation then
than in these days of the cold war
The center of the controversy
is the important but little known
National Security Resources Boaro
and the current status OF its mo-
bilization planning. Per1pheral
issues are Mr.. Truman's deter
mination that the military shall
not dominate peacetime or even
wartime economic mobilization
and his reliance on old friends
for intimate advice as contrasteo
with Mr., Baruch's inclination to
60 along with the military and his
belief that big business executives
can be trusted to police them
selves.
Steelman Acting Chairman
Also at issue is the form itself
f the NSRB, composed as it is OF
2. non-political chairman with un-
ertain authority and six cabinet
Ulcers who are proud of their
ank and Jurisdiction. 1t is a
serious question whether under
the present setup permanent
chairman can be found who will
'oe competent to do work with so
many conflicting departments and
agencies.
The board is one Of several
interrelated groups. created by
he National Security. or Unif1ca-
ton, Act of 1947. The others are
he top-ranking National Security
Council and it's Central 1ntelli-
nence Agency, the Munitions
Board and the Research and De-
velopment Board, both Of which
are in the National Military Es-
tablishment.
The acting chairman OF the
NSRB is John r. Steelman, the
assistant to the President, who
was appointed when Arthur M
Hill. chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Greyhound Bus
Corp, resigned December Is last
year. The other members are
Treasury Secretary Snyder. De-
Tense Secretary johnson, interior
Secretary Krug, Agriculture Sec
1retary Brannan, Commerce Secre'
tary Sawyer and Labor Secretary
.Tobin.
Mr.. Steelman, whose long ex-
perience in labor conciliation ano
intimate association with Pres1-
dent Truman make him a salts
factory stop-gap chairman. Is
working on short and long range
programs in conformity with the
Presidents ideas.
For several reasons the board is
behind schedule and needs at least
a year before it can become rea-
sonably current with its work. Its
Job will never be completely fin
ished or truly current because
changing conditions, on small and
large scale, will demand constant
revision of its many programs.
Mr.. Hill, as the first chairman
worked under several handicaps
not the least of which was the
absence of a firm White House
policy Of what was expected from
the NSRB.
Worked on Detailed Plan
The blowup came in May, 1948
after there had been war scare
in March when Mr.. Truman de-
.livered in person his message to
joint session of Congress calling
for temporary revival of the draft
a permanent universal training
law and passage of the Marshal
Plan as "the price of peace"
Mr.. Hill had been proceeding or
the Baruch- -Eberstadt plan for. al
economic mobilization plan so de-
tailed that it could be immediatel!
effective in the event of war
Work was speeded up on tentative
outlines of what measures had II
be taken within the next si1
months. These included plans 70,
re-establishing the wartime agen
rios with ske1etor, orpaniZation