| Show Committee May Expand Probe Of War Stockpile Planning WASHINGTON March 20 JP lP-A lP A congressional investigation tion of circumstances of the resignation of Robert R. R Guthrie as ashead ashead ashead head of the textile clothing and leather goods section n of the theW theW thew W P B seemed headed Friday toward extension into broader fields Chairman Faddis D. D Pa of a ahouse ahouse ahouse house m mil military 11 i ita t a r l' y subcommittee studying the Guthrie case announced announced announced an an- after Guthrie had finished finished finished fin fin- testifying that he would hear testimony from industrial leaders and probably would callas call callas as witnesses many W P B officials officials officials possibly including Donald M M. Nelson W P B director Charges Failure to Plan Guthrie who concluded his second second second sec sec- ond day of testimony with charges of failure to plan for supplies of textiles to meet the war emergency emergency emer emer- gency told the committee numerous numer ous substantial business men had requested that they be allowed to testify in support of pf allegations he has made against W P B activities ac ac- Guthrie told the subcommittee Friday he ha had no previous experience ence in textile manufacturing I made no application for this job he testified I was asked to do it by a deputy of Nelson The committee investigating circumstances of Guthries Guthrie's resignation resignation resignation nation inquired searchingly into his qualifications for the position he had held since last August 1 1 At one point Representative Thomas R. R N. N J. J asked the witness witness witness wit wit- ness whether anyone over there knows less than you do about these things Guthrie did not re re- re- re ply Denies He lie Had FullIn Pull Full In January of this year Guthrie said he was made assistant chief of the bureau of industry branches at the request of Philip Reed chief of the bureau The promotion promo tion he said he was told resulted from his outstanding work in organizing the textile section He emp emphasized he had no pull of any sort Guthrie asserted the whole cotton cotton cotton cot cot- ton effort is not planned in W WP WP P B and neither the army nor northe northe northe the navy can get anything like the amount of duck they need He blamed duck manufacturers lar largely ely for desistance to his plan to convert the carpet industry to duck manufacture It is my opinion that the duck manufacturers dont don't want the carpet carpet carpet car car- pet manufacturers to enter the duck field Guthrie said Says Data Not Given Guthrie complained of inability of W P B officials especially in his section to obtain necessary information information information in in- formation on the armed forces' forces textile needs and said an army air corps officer Would not disclose disclose disclose dis dis- dis- dis close the probable needs of silk and nylon for parachutes This Inability to obtain information he said made it extremely difficult to work out a planned program Asked by Faddis if too much red tape retarded action in W WP WP P B Guthrie replied Procedure down there could be simplified He had a well defined Idea ide he said that A. A J J. J Rice a a. dollar- dollar year a-year man who was textile procurement procurement procurement pro pro- adviser was considered considered considered consid consid- ered by the army as the man who would give us their information But he added Rice was not cooperative cooperative co co- co operative in this respect Guthrie said he had planned to stop the production of nylon for hosiery but Rice advised him against it As late as the first of February February ary the witness said Mr Rice advised against a curtailment of nylon production for hosiery and only a week later the air corps was demanding the entire nylon capacity Guthrie blamed failure of the theW W v P B to create a nylon stockpile on its typical refusal to plan production in advance of requirements requirements requirements require require- ments or to make decisions contrary contrary contrary con con- to the interest of civilian in industries industries industries in- in before the need for doing so attained maximum urgency Asked whether he had heard of any cases of industry refusing to cooperate in the war program Guthrie said he had not |
