Evening star., 1950-05-24
Fleming Named Undersecretory
Under Reorganization Law;
WaIIqren Made Head of FPC
Truman Picks Need
For ETC Position,
Mcdonald for SEC

President Truman today NOM
mated Maj. Gen. Philip B. Flem-
ing, U. S. A.. retired, to be Un-
derSecretary of Commerce for
Transportation as he took the
first step toward making effective
the new Government reorganiza-
ton plans, which have just won
approval on Capitol Hill.
Gen. Fleming has been chair
man of the now-abolished Mari
time Commission. which has
broken into two units-Federal
Maritime Board and Maritime
Administration-and put under
the jurisdiction of the Commerce
Department.
The Undersecretary of Com
merce for Transportation is a new
post designed to coordinate Fed
eral transportation activities.
Wallgren Named Power Chief.
The President also named an
acting chairman. and two addi-
tional acting members of the new
Maritime Board and used his new
ly-granted authority to name the
chairman of three regulatory
commissions. He appointed:
Mon c. Wallgren to head the
Federal Power Commission, James
M. Mead, Federal Trade Commits
sion and Harry A. Mcdonald, Sc
Guilty and Exchange Commission
For the new Federal Maritime
Board, the President named John
T. Kroehler, Assistant Secretary
of the Navy. to be acting chair
man and these two members:
South Trimble, jr., now chairman
Of the Advisory Board of the In
land Waterways Corp, and Rear
Admiral Paul L. Mather, U. 8. NJ,
retired.
These three appointments to
the Maritime board are temporary
and for the maximum of 80 days
The President made temporary
appointments to the Maritime
Board under the law which pro-
vided for this leeway to facilitate
the reorganization program. The
idea was that the program could
be put into effect faster If the
President was not required to
make permanent appointments
which at the outset would be for
two, three and four years re-
spectively.
Will Award Subsidies.
With the exception of Gen.
Fleming, none of the members of
the old Maritime Commission will
hold posts under the reorganiza-
ton.
The new Maritime Board will
exercise the regulatory functions
of the old commission and in
addition will have the all-impor-
tant authority to determine and
award construction and operat-
ing differential subsidies for the
Merchant Marine.
The other operations of the
commission are transferred to the
Secretary of Commerce and op-
Grated through the new Maritime
Administration, which will be
headed by the Maritime Board
chairman. The Craftsmanship of
the Maritime Board will pay
$4,000 and the two other men,
bers will get $4,000.
These maritime appointments
are not subject to Senate ap-
proval.
Presidential selection of chair
men of Power, Trade and Securi-
ties and Exchange Commissions
supplants an arrangement under
which these posts rotated annually
without regard to political com.
plexion.
Senate Approval Not Needed. 2
These appointments also are
made without Senate approval.
In naming Mr.. Wallgren to be
chairman of the Federal Powei
Commission, President Truman
names an old friend and former
Democratic Senate associate from
Washington State. The PreSi.
dent had failed to get Senate ap.
proval for him as chairman Of the
National Securities Resource.
Board.
Defeated for reelection as Gov.
ernor of Washington in 1948, Mr.
Wallgren was nominated shortl,
thereafter for the NSRB chair.
manship. The appointment. how
ever, died in the Senate Armed
Services Committee when Senator
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia joined
with six Republican members tx
shelve the nomination by 7-6 vote
Mr.. Wallgren went to the Powe,
Commission earlier this year. Al
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