Evening star., 1952-02-07
Defense Officials
Put in Squeeze
BY Job Demands
Wilson Holds Ground
With Order to Put
Work in Idle Areas
By the Associated Press

~ "'s StSsS~'eN F'sss
Defense mobilization officials
were in a giant squeeze today. but
they held their ground on q new
order aimed at easing regional un-
employment.
On one hand. there was pres
sure from communities like Law
renee, Mass, and Detroit. They
wanted a bigger slice Of defense
business to put their machines
and idle hands back to work.
On the other was an angry cry
from the South, raised at the pos
sibility of losing some Of its own
defense business.
In the middle was Charles e.
Wilson, defense mobilizer. Mr..
Wilson put out an order Tuesday
designed to channel some defense
business into areas of critical un-
employment. -.
New England Asks Aid.
He did it after urgent cries for
help from labor leaders like Wal
ter Reuther, head of the United
Auto Workers (CIO), who held =
special I'VE want jobs" conven-
ton here January 13 with 600
auto workers.
From New England came textile
mill officials, labor leaders and
city councilmen. Give us defense
contracts, they said.
The order set up a surplus man
power committee. It's members
haven't been named. Its job: To
investigate unemployment areas
and defense facilities they have
and report to Mr.. Wilson.
Mr.. Wilson then will tell the
Defense Department that ut ID
in the public interest to give pref
erence to such areas in the place
ment of contracts in accordancc
with the findings of the COM
mittee." These contracts need not
be made on low-bid basis. They
could be negotiated.
Asked About Order.
That's the nub of the order.
The joint Congressional Defense
Production Committee yesterday
called Arthur S. Flemming, MFR.
Wilson's top manpower adviser.
to ask him about the order.
Southerners see in it a "life Or
death" proposition if it isn't ad-
ministered fairly. That's what
Senator Smith. Democrat, Of
North Carolina. said at yester-
days hearing.
Senator Maybank, Democrat, Of
South Carolina, committee chair
man, said he was mot going to
sit here and preside over the
liquidation Of the Southern textile
industry" -..
A large part of the textile In
dustry has moved from New Eng.
land to the south.
Problems Historical.
But in a letter to the commit
tee, Mr.. Wilson said the new policy
SIS not designed to cure all the
economic ills of whole industries"
He said lit would appear that the
textile and garment industries
have historical problems which
this policy cannot cure"
At yesterdays hearing there was
talk of changing the Defense Pro-
duction Act to outlaw the order.
Senator Maybank suggested it.
Representative Lanham, Demo-
crat, of Georgia said II won't vote
to continue the Defense Produc-
tion Act" unless the order is can.
celed.
However, Senator Maybank.
whose committee is about to start
work on extending the production
act-the basic price and wage
control law-said after the hear
ing ended that he had great con-
fidence in Mr.. Wilson and felt
the order, if administered prop
erly. might work out all right.
Cost Is Studied.
officials believe that progress
can be made with the new order
in Detroit and other automotive
centers like Flint, Mich, where
modern production facilities and
skilled labor are in supply.
Mr.. Flemming was repeatedly
asked how much the new order
might cost in more expensive con-
tracts. He said the order would
mot necessarily put any addi-
tional cost on the Government"
Any. rise in prices-Stemmtng
from negotiated rather than low
bid contracts-would have to be
Offset by a drop in payment Of
unemployment compensation, he
said.