Show Washington Washington Round Merry By Pearson a Drew WASHINGTON WASHINGTON-On On November November November Novem Novem- ber 2 this column reported ed an incident inside the war production production production tion board in which Emory Brennerman Brennerman Brennerman Bren- Bren nerman had cut red tape to speed the shipment of oil refining refining refining ing equipment to Russia With its oil supplies cut off offin offin offin in the Caucasus Russia has wanted to set up refineries behind behind behind be be- hind the lines and President Roosevelt issued a directive October October October Oc Oc- Oc- Oc tober 10 that oil equipment move immediately So Brennerman Brenner- Brenner man finding that the Russian oil documents were not moving carried them to the treasury urged treasury procurement of officials officials officials of- of to act Then he found two wo officials in his own war production board who had snarled up the Russian shipments He reminded them that the president of the United States and W P Bs B's vice chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man Ferd Eberstadt both had demanded that Russian oil equipment move immediately But the two W P B men did not move easily You put your judgment against that of the president and against Mr Eberstadt said Brennerman And you didn't take the trouble to tell them you disagreed with them You just sat there ignoring their or or- ders But following publication of the column describing this incident incident incident inci inci- dent Mr Brennerman the man who cut red tape was fired Donald M. M his counsel John Lord OBrian O'Brian to notify Brennerman of his dis dis- missal On the surface the incident may not be important But backstage backstage backstage back back- stage it has had alarming re re- re percussions Word Vord has trickled all through the war production board that Brennerman the man who tried to carry out Roosevelt's Roosevelt's Roosevelt's Roose Roose- velt's orders the man who tried to speed production got fired So the reaction on other em em- has been sit been sit tight dont don't cut red tape let things drift Nelson has fired a lot of little fellows because they got too much publicity Fred Libbey Guthrie Guy Holcomb of the little little little lit lit- tle business branch of the justice department But they had opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed him openly and most of them were new dealers However Brennerman though a small cog in the W P B machine machine machine ma ma- chine comes from a staunch Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican oil and banking family Furthermore he was trying to carry out orders not oppose Nelson Nevertheless he got fired So the private word in inside inside inside in- in side the W P B now is Dont stick your neck out like Brenner Brenner- man Not many people noticed it but during the north African troop landing U. U S. S gold was put putto to use for the first time since 1933 when Roosevelt froze all gold in the treasury and brought forth the famous rubber dol dol- lar Lieutenant General Mark W. W Clark let the cat out of the bag when he told how his boat upset just after his secret r rendezvous with French military leaders and in gold coin went to the bottom of the sea Obviously U. U S. S forces were taking a lesson from the sage Chinese custom of using silver bullets silver dollars Silver Silver Silver Sil ver bullets say the Chinese save many lives For a long time the idea of using some of Fort Knox's idle gold to loosen up north Africa had been discussed However treasury officials and for a while also the state department were opposed How much was left ashore before General Clark spilled the overboard is not known Immediately after Senator George W. W Norris was defeated for his sixth term in the senate he wrote a very cordial congratulatory congratulatory congratulatory con con- gratulatory letter to the man who defeated him Republican Kenneth Wherry Your plurality is decisive and complete Senator Norris wrote Then he added with a touch of very human candidness that he Norris had hoped to stay in inthe inthe inthe the senate through the end of the war to put into effect some of his ideas for a lasting peace treaty But he added In our democracy all loyal citizens abide by the result of an election honestly election honestly and fairly held held and and election your possessed possessed possessed pos pos- both these qualities It was the type of friendly human letter which only Norris Norris Norris Nor Nor- ris can write In reply came a letter not even signed by Senator-elect Senator Wherry but bearing the initials P PK his secretary It read This will acknowledge your letter letter letter let let- ter received on November 9 extending extending extending ex ex- tending congratulations While war and navy experts are delighted with the new military military military mili mili- tary outlook in north Africa state department officials are gleeful over the economic conse conse- conse North Africa and to some extent extent extent ex ex- tent west Africa have been Important important important im im- Im- Im sources of foodstuffs and other supplies for the axis including grain wine wool vegetable oils and strategic materials materials materials ma ma- such as iron ore are manganese manganese manganese manga manga- nese cobalt and phosphates The lack of these sources will willbe willbe willbe be a bitter blow to Germany and Italy and by a twist of fate a astill astill astill still more tragic loss to France Though the axis took the lions lion's share of the African resources es 20 per cent was permitted to go goto goto goto to France and the lack of these products especially food will give France France as as one state department department department de de- de- de official expresses it ita a winter of plain hell If united nations get control of the Mediterranean they will willbe willbe willbe be able to move African supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies to the near east cast for soldiers soldiers' and civilians At present food supplies for this region come largely from the United States But now they should come from Morocco and other African points thus relieving the strain on U. U S. S shipping The United States may resume commerce with Africa by taking taking tak tak- king k- k ing a few strategic materials such as cobalt and cork but for forthe forthe forthe the most part Africa's supplies will be used around the Copyright 1 1942 12 by b by United Feature Syndic Syndicate te |