Evening star., 1953-02-14
6 Million Auto
Output in Year
Is Predicted
Revomping Of oDM
Planned, Stuff Due
To Be Cut in Half
By Francis P. DouqIos

Reorganization OF the Once
Of Defense Mobilization was in
preparation today, designed to
tighten up the remaining con-
trolls exercised by the top emer-
gency agency and to cut about
in half the number ODM now
employs-417.
Announcement of the revisions
is expected to follow shortly yes
terdays' relaxation of controls on
steel. copper and aluminium. This
provides that after holders of
allotments of the three metals
are taken care of. the mills may
sell the metals in the open mar
ket.
There was doubt that manu-
facturers would find much addi-
tional steel available immediate
ly now that they may buy it
without going to the Government
for allotment tickets" But adj
ditional supplies of steel are ex-
pected to be on the market by
the beginning of the April quar-
ter.
6-MilliOn- Auto Year.
The order removed the 1875
million ceiling on automobile
production in the January March
quarter of the year. and the
ceiling of Is million in the sec
ond quarter. This appeared to
assure the industry the 6-million-
car year toward which it has
been pointing.
The ODM reorganization plan
was reported today to be on the
desk of DR.. Arthur S. Fleming.
acting head Of the agency. It
would set up six new divisions
under Assistant ODM Director
Ralph s. Trigg. These divisions
and their heads would be:
Production. James A. VIII
liams; materials, Malcolm Cat
lin: military and atomic energy
requirements. William N. Law
renee: resources expansion,
James F. King: labor. Joseph
Keenan,. and mobilization readi-
ness, George A. Steiner.
The present aircraft produc-
ton board and electronics pro-
duction board would be elinli-
mated and their functions merged
into a new production executive
committee.
Cutback to 200 Expected.
The ODM staff now consists
Of 297 classified employees in the
former Defense Production Ad-
ministration, which was merged
with ODM. and 100 who were
IN ODM at the time Of the con-
solidation. It is expected that
the Alt total will be cut back
to about 200.
This would be in keeping with
the reduced work paralleling the
chopping away Of controls. Ma
terials controls after June 30 de-
pend on extension Of sections Of
the Defense Production Act.
Manufacturers Of civilian goods
will not have to apply for allot-
ments Of steel. copper or alu-
minum to be used after the June
30 date. Assurance of metals
supplies for the military and the
atomic energy programs is ex-
pected to be taken care of by
orders on producers to set aside
the necessary metals for their
use.
Steel fer these two purposes
has been estimated at IL or 13
per cent Of total output.
Price controls remain on these
metals. But all price controls
are to expire by April 80.
President Eisenhower has an
nounced that controls Of some
critical and scarce materials will
have to be continued. The num-
ber Of materials and manufac-
tured products under control at
the peak Of the scarcities period
was 10. The number now is just
half that figure. It includes "a
minerals and metals. some of
them minor metals important as
alloys. No chemicals are now
under control although formerly
there were many.