Evening star., 1961-09-13

to his scientifically trained
colleagues. But when the issue
turns on a question of au-
thority, Mr.. Webb sets his Jaw,
and presents the picture of a
man who knows how to be
boss. 1t is apparent that if
Operation Moon is going to
have a car, James E. Webb
will be it.
This has caused some con-
sternation in the space busi-
ness, where the feeling is
widely held that organization
is the key to success of the
moon program. The more
nearly monolithic the organi-
zation, and the more highly
qualified technically the man.
ager, the better for the pro-
gram, in the view of many
scientists and industrialists.
Some experts have blur tly and
publicly questioned the ability
of the rather fragmented Space
Agency to do the job. Many
say a nationally known figure
will have to be brought in to
run it.
Strong leadership Needed
II know some people take
the view that if you get a
strong man and make him a
czar the job gets DONE" says
Mr.. WeLj. But with a czar
you never accomplish a pro-
gram Of quite this complexity.
Certainly there is going to
have to be a strong focal point
of leadership in the program,
but whether it will be an in
dividual-that is still ques-
ton in my mind.
IT think we can develop a
more sophisticated form Of
organization"
The chief Of the National
Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration does not buy the
idea that a big project must
have a big name at its head.
Those who agree with him ask
rhetorically: How big were the
names who headed the atom
bomb, Thor and Polaris pro-
jectS at the time they were
assigned to them?
Those three men-the Man
haitian projects now-rettired
1t. Gen. Leslie r. Groves,
Thor's Gen. Bernard A.
Schriever and Polaris' Vice
Admiral William F. Raborn-I
were asked for their views on
organization Of big, vital pro-
grams. None said a national
figure was needed, but all
agreed on two essentials:
1. A clear charter for action,
handed down from the top.
q. Clear responsibility and
broad authority in the hands
of one individual.
Brief and Concise
I'm the atomic-bon.b pro-
ject," Gen. Groves recalls,
Secretary Of War Stimson
stated the mission in just %
words: BY the development of
atomic energy, end the war
scorer than it would other
wise be ended, and thus save
thousands of American lives
Gen. Schriever received a
similarly concise charter for
his Thor program: Build an
intermediate range balliStic
missile, fire the first one in
IL months, and have a
squadron deployed in 40
months"
Admiral Raborn says his
charter was just about as
terSe.
The charter for Operation
Moon was given by President
Kennedy in his May rs mes
sage to Congress: Il believe
this nation should commit it.
self to achieving the goal. be-
fore this decade is out, of
landing a man on the moon
and returning him safely to the
earth"
But if the charter for Opera
tion Moon is clear, its organi-
rational lines are still indi-
stinct. A temporary arrange
ment has been made, but there
Is general agreement that it
will have to be changed.
Mercury Group has Job
For the moment the moon
program rests on the fourth
echelon of authority in NASA,
in the hands of the same
Space Task Group that organ
lied Project Mercury. Robert
r. Gilruth, STG's head, re-
ports to George M. Low of the
manned space flight office,
who reports in turn to Space
Flight Director Abe Silver
stein. who finally reports to
the triumvirate at the top of
NASA-AdminiStrator We b b,
Deputy Administrator Hugh
L. Dryden, and Associate Ad-
ministrator Robert C. Sea-
mans.
1t is rather obvious that no
one is going to get to the
moon If he has to wade
through that sort of bureau
cratic quickSand. Mr.. Webb has
acknowledged that the moon
program will have to be up
graded 80 that the man in
charge reports to Seamans and
DR.. Dryden and me-"
Mr.. Webb has indicated that
the moon boss will not have
broad agency-wide authority.
I'VE are going to get away
from the situation where you
have this research center or
that one reporting to this man.
The lunar program will require
something from each center
but SO will our other pro-
grams" he says.
No matter what the projects
organization, its manager will
have two things to contend
with: Public attention an d
expert counsel.
"You can be helped to death