Evening star., 1951-01-01
Symington May Head
Production in Shakeup
OF Civilian Program

vi IIvllldn FIOytdM
A reorganization of the civilian
mobilization program was re-
ported under study today which
would shift w. Stuart Symington
to the head of the production or
ganization and William H. Har-
rison to take charge of defense
buying.
The shakeup was said to be
under consideration by Charles E
Wilson, director of the Office of
Defense Mobilization. It was one
of number of reports on which
officials speculated in the belief
the time neared when Mr.. Wilson
would move rapidly to throw the
Nations industrial production into
high gear behind the military
mobilization.
Mr. Symington is chairman of
the National Security Resources
Board, and Mr.. Harrison heads
the National Production Author
ity. Mr.. Symington's duties as
co-ordinator of the civilian mo-
bilization effort were turned over
to Mr.. Wilson when the ODM was
set up.
Agency Moves Rapidly.
Mr.. Harrison's agency has been
moving rapidly to clear the in
dustrial tracks for military pro-
duction. 1t is reported he may
be given general control over the
procurement activities of the Mu-
nitions Board and the Army, Navy
and Air Force. There has been
criticism in some quarters over
the slow rate that munitions or
ders have been placed and the
difficulties in obtaining statements
of military needs to which civilian
production can be adjusted.
There was some belief that Mr.
Harrison might be asked to han
die both jobs-procurement a.
we'll as head of NPA. This would
be a tremendous load, and there.
fore it was suggested that Mr.
Symington could be assigned the
production job.
In support of this it was pointed
out that he had considerable ex-
perience in production problem!
in the World War II when the
company he headed, the Emerson
Electric Manufacturing Co., turned
out a flood of gun turrets for air.
craft.
Wilson Plans Uncertain.
Whether Mr.. Wilson will accept
the proposals or adopt some other
devices was uncertain. But his
associates said he is disturbed
over procurement and definitely
will take action soon.
Other officials said Mr.. Wilson
may. at the same time or later,
merge the NPA with the other
emergency bureaus in the Interior
Department, the Interstate Com
merce Commission and other
agencies
Mr. Harrison was president of
the International Telephone &
Telegraph Co. until brought to
Washington last fall. During
World War II he was vice chair
man of the War Production Board
in charge of production, then be-
came major general in charge
of Signal Corps procurement.
He has moved rapidly ahead
with controls over civilian build
ing and production. Orders curb
ing the use of copper, aluminium,
zinc and other metals go into
effect on January /.
The Defense Department has
reported that its major purchase
commitments up to December
totaled $9.2 billion. At that time.
military appropriations totaled
roughly S25 billion. Another $19
billion is about to be approved.
Annual Rate Rises.
Inc rate OF military spending
when fighting broke out was about
$l2 billion year. Civilian ex-
perts estimate the annual rate
had risen to S16.8 billion by Octo-
ber, S177 billion in November and
$18.5 billion in December.
Mr.. Wilson and his top aides
in ODM are said to consider this
pretty good" but not yet good
enough. They are aware that
tooling up is a slow process and
is followed by a deluge of pro-
duction when the lines finally
start rolling.
Even SO, there is widespread
feeling in the Government that
a speedup is due, both to build up
the Nations defenses more quick
ly and to prevent unemployment
and plant shutdowns as civilian
production is curtailed.
The rate of acceleration now
indicated. some officials state pri.
vately. will not achieve President
Truman's spending goal of S3s
billion a year by next June 30.
Munitions Board Chairman John
D. Small, almost as new in his