Evening star., 1950-12-10

make every effort" to exchange
strategic materials from foreign
surpluses in this country for
strategic materials from foreign
nations.
This Senator Johnson said,
should be made IAN integral part
of our negotiations on all types
of foreign aid involving grants of
assistance by the United States. ="
Other Commodities Listed.
Other commodities listed in the
subcommittee report as in criti-
cal short supply in this country
were:
/. Cotton linters used in the
manufacture of smokeless pow
der, plastics. X-ray and photo
graphic films. It said this is
chapter and verse, almost the
same as the story on wool" - a
story Of a vital agricultural ma
terial not in adequate supply, not
in the strategic stockpile. not in
war reserves" and for which no
adequate steps have been taken
by the Munitions Board to assure
adequate military supplies.
2. Long staple cotton essential
for military use for such things
as balloon. airplane fabrics and
wind-resistant cloth. It said the
Munitions Board has established
no stockpile for such cotton, none
is in the Defense Departments
war reserves and the Agriculture
Department holds only a pitt
fully inadequate" supply of 582
bales compared with a prospective
consumption of about 100000
bales.
Shortage of Naval Stores.
8. Naval stores (turpentine and
rosin). The report said the Agri-
culture Department advised the
Munitions Board on July 26. 1850
that its stocks were moving into
consumption and requested advice
as to whether they were needed
for stockpile purposes. On Sep
tember IA, the report added, the
board notified the department the
materials would not be stockpiled.
4. Alcohol. The report said
this commodity, needed in the
manufacture of synthetic rubber,
was in short supply and the De-
fense Department had never re-
sponded to an Agriculture Depart
ment's offer to build up supplies.
The bristling criticism of the
Munitions Board and defense Of
f1cials was contained in the third
unanimous report issued by the
subcommittee composed of four
Democrats and three Republi-
cans. Other reports also severely
condemned the board and other
Government agencies for Short
sighted" policies on the disposal
of surplus war plants and ma
terials, on rubber and on alcohol.
4TduSAcI OTSCu LII 404Ss
In this report the subcommittee
traced the background of the
wool shortage and said that at
the end of World War II the Ag-
riculture Department held 400
million pounds. Early in 1947, the
report said. Senator Anderson
Democrat, of New Mexico, then
Secretary of Agriculture, wrote
the Munitions Board and urged
the transfer of some of the stocks
to the strategic materials stock
pile.
This was never done. Senate,
Johnson said. and by 1949 the
stocks were virtually depleted.
After the Korean fighting be-
gan, he added, Congress author.
lied the procurement of 100 mil
lion pounds of wool textiles as 9
war reserve. but no substantial
amounts have yet been acquired
The subcommittee dismissed a.
inadequate the explanation of de.
fense officials that such strategic
materials were not acquired be.
cause of budget limitations anc
the availability of supply.
Africans are replacing British
sergeant-majors in the Gold Coast
Reoinent