Show t I Donald Nelson Remolded Remol ed j By Government Service Servie I s Thinks Public Off Officials Officials' Responsibilities pons Are Ii i- i Greater Than Businessmen's Believes Expansion Necessary to U. U S. S fb V j- j By BAUKHAGE I News Analyst and Commentator Service Union Trust Building Washington D. D C. C As Donald Nelson head of the War Production board sips his tea in what is he thinking about He knows that most of Washington thinks he is through He knows that some people think that if Ii he is business big and little has lost a friend at court I He recalls that before he could walk up the thc ramp of his plane to take off orr on this hazy mission to Cathay Cathay Cathay Ca Ca- thay the President had casually remarked remarked remarked re re- re- re marked at a press and radio con con- conference conference ference Terence that the chief would not necessarily take up his former duties when he returned He knew then that in all probability ty congress would pass the demobilization bill which although although although al al- al- al though it does not name the specifically nevertheless does give power ower to a new agency which would make Mr Nelsons Nelson's organization a amere amere mere appendage He knew too that man many of his colleagues who remain on the board or hold other positions positrons which will affect affect affect af af- American economics in the next months i if not years ears hold views contrary contrary contrary con con- to his Privately he calls them while he calls himself an expansionist A battle between these two categories is going on now Mr Nelsons Nelson's fate may influence the outcome Because the results of this struggle struggle struggle gle may affect Americas America's economy vitally in the next few years I think it is rather important to consider Mr Nelsons Nelson's own attitude an attitude attitude attitude atti atti- tude a philosophy if you will which has gradually developed rince ince he has been in Washington I believe Nelson wants wants to stay in government I believe as do a small I percentage of persons who are interested interested interested in in- in his fate that he will be bed d k i l ln n 41 a ab ar b r at r r r sAr a p f. f y r r DONALD NELSON offered as good a job or a better J one than he has had What the expansionist controversy controversy controversy con con- means to the country's business business business busi busi- ness Ill I'll take up in a minute but first Id I'd like to say a little more about Nelson I have gleaned my views from no key hole peeping no rifling of Mr Nelsons Nelson's files but from those who know him well plus some of my own observations There are arc two reasons why I believe believe be be- lieve Mr Nelson wants to stay in government One is partly psychological and has to do with what has happened happen cd to Nelsons Nelson's own attitude toward government government government gov gov- which his closest friends have watched develop The other has to do with this idea of expansionism expansionism definition of which entails a number of facts and figures some of which may startle you as they did me when I saw them assembled for the first time and had them carefully carefully carefully care care- fully checked and double They reveal strikingly what the eco eco- problem is which this country Is facing and which so far it seems prepared ill-prepared to meet Nelson came here from big business busi busl ness Sears ness Scars Roebuck is pretty big He was used to pressing buttons and giving orders like most big busi busi- This particular function is a poor buffer against the slings and arrows of which Washington has more than a FINDS WAYS TO GET THINGS DONE Most businessmen as one time old-time politician said to me the other day are immediately affected in one o of two ways when they step into public life There arc the ones who when i ithe the buzzer isn't answered Immediately immedi immedi- I or when the order is criticized or its wisdom or even its integrity I questioned explode in haughty an I ger And there are the ones who I I learn to take it and go right ahead I and find a way to get things done I with the chips and quips falling I where the they may including into their I Iown own breakfast coffee I Nelson is in the latter class I He not only can take it but he has grown to liko like it In fact he has decided decided decided de de- de- de unless his friends read him wrong indeed that he wants to be a public servant That he believes he can get more satisfaction out of public public public pub pub- lic life than out of ot private life That doesn't mean that he hc will simply I let lct himself be kicked upstairs into a i I sinecure He will demand a job that he be believes is a real one in which he can truly serve And now we come to the second thing which has influenced Nelsons Nelson's attitude and it it like the first brought about something like a conversion conversion conversion con con- version in the man Just as he became convinced that a public career career career ca ca- reer offered the best opportunity of 01 service so Nelson became converted convert convert- ed to expansionism in general and to the importance of small business in particular and this thi is one of the causes of friction in the today a a notable result of which was the resignation of Charles E E. E Wilson In the course of his experience nce in Washington Nelson became convinced convinced con can vinced that maximum productivity of industry is essential to prosperity and more recently that the protection protection I tion of small business in the coming coming coming com com- ing readjustment period is essential to maximum production m. m He felt i that if big business were to succeed and the capitalistic system of free i i enterprise were to be preserved little lit lit- lit 1 tie tle business must be expanded I Specifically Mr Nelson believes I according to his often expressed opinion that the more little businesses businesses busi busl- nesses there are selling the things that a firm like Sears Roebuck sells th the m more re th things Sears Scars Roebuck will sell PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY GREATLY INCREASES And now we come to some t bf f the strange statistics about business big bigand bigand bigand and little The most striking of aUto all aU to me is this retail trade in spite of all the difficulties in its path had hadan hadan hadan an increase of dollar values in sales of more than 50 per cent in 1943 over 1939 department 1939 department of commerce statistics show for 1939 1939 for 1943 That is expansion under difficulties And here is another the department depart ment of labor figures reveal thai that from 1939 to 1943 the average yearly employment showed a decrease of ol only tenth one-tenth of 1 per per cent In the field of agriculture although al though the farm production ha has nearly doubled the farm population has decreased nearly 40 per cent- cent more expansion What do these figures mean That Thai the productive capacity has been increased in creased tremendously not only in inthe inthe inthe the war industries but in consumer consumes goods and the expansionist believes that what has been done can be continued continued con provided that obstacles are arc removed In addition to this revelation ol of the nations nation's highest productive capacity ca remember that there are 11 or 12 million men in the armed forces 11 million more in civilian industry than before the war and J 2 million in government The 11 million in private industry must keep their jobs and jobs it ir business big and small must b bt be found for those discharged from th the armed services plus some released from government work To achieve this according to Nelson Nelson Nel son the country must go expansionist expansion must further every means ol of expanding production The he says says although although al though he naturally plans hopes and works for expansion in his own busi bussi business ness does not always see the importance importance tance of expansion in all aU businesses especially in those which compete with him If It Donald Donad Nelson has the opportunity opportunity opportunity he is willing to go ahead doing doing do do- ing his part to help expand industry big and little It remains to b bE seen whither leads lends the road from China I |