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Show TlBimifm KA Id onkw Pearson Washington, D. C. BITTER DEFERMENT FIGHT The backstage fight over who Is to direct the deferment of essential war workers is approaching white heat. It is being waged between certain cer-tain of the biggest war chiefs in Washington, having developed into a row between the army-navy, WPB boss Donald Nelson, his vice chairman Charley Wilson, and Paul McNutt. Only the White House will be able to straighten out the tangle. Trouble began when Undersecretary Undersecre-tary of War Patterson and the army proposed that the question of industrial indus-trial draft deferments be placed In the hands of the Production Executive Execu-tive committee of which WPB Vice Chairman Charley Wilson is chief. The army-navy, which started out by trying to cut Wilson's throat, now loves him, but continues to hate Donald Nelson. So their recommendation recom-mendation of Wilson to handle draft deferments was a slap at Nelson. Nelson immediately slapped back. He and War Manpower Commissioner Commis-sioner Paul McNutt went to the White House and told the President that industrial deferments were the Job of the War Manpower commissioner. commis-sioner. In fact, McNutt hinted that, if (ha President rilHn't consider the War Manpower commission competent compe-tent to handle the question, he could get another Manpower Commissioner. Commis-sioner. Donald Nelson backed him up. Since this meant taking the deferment defer-ment Job away from Nelson's own War Production board, it was a direct slap at Charley Wilson. Nelson Nel-son even went further and Indicated that Wilson and the Production Executive committee were controlled con-trolled by the army. More Civilian Goods? This row over essential war-worker war-worker deferments also has brought to light another Important Inside debate de-bate over reconversion for civilian production. Chief battlers in this row are Nelson and Wilson, with the army-navy rooting for Wilson. Wilson would like to begin production produc-tion of 200,000 automobiles soon, but Nelson flatly opposes. Aside from autos, however, Wilson does not favor getting back into too much civilian production any time soon. To study the problem, he appointed a committee to formulate a policy on reconversion which brought no enthusiasm at all from his nominal boss, D. Nelson, who disbanded the committee. Nelson's cancellation, in turn, roused the ire of General Lucius Clay, General Somervell's chief production pro-duction man, and Clay is now threatening to appoint an army-navy committee to study reconversion and make Wilson its head. Behind this Nelson-Wilson row over reconversion is the basic conflict con-flict between big business and little business. Big business doesn't want any reconversion until It Is finished with its war orders and, at present. It is chock-a-block with war orders. On the othec hand, little business, which didn't get so many war orders, or-ders, would like to begin right now making alarm clocks, electric irons, bicycles and a lot of small stuff which the public needs. Big business, busi-ness, however, doesn't want little business to get a head start. In this row, Nelson sides with little business. His friends also claim that Wilson favors the big business viewpoint and wants to wait until the war is over, so everybody can line up at the starter's tape and get an equal start The army sides with Wilson and big business for fear the second front may take more production than we realize. Those are the issues. Meanwhile, some insiders, especially the army. are out again to get Nelson's scalp ARMY ll'RLOCGIIS Young Congressman Henry ("Scoop") Jackson of Washington has Just been mustered out of the army to go back to congress. One of his first acts after getting Into civilian clothes was to coll on Lieutenant Lieu-tenant General McNair, head ol army ground forces, and effect a major change In handling men about to go overseas. He told McNair that one big gripe of the boys was that they often got no chance to visit their homes before being shipped abroad. All men were given seven-day furloughs regardless of where they lived even if their homes were on the West Const and they were in camp on the East Const. So the army has now agreed to the following: 1. No man will be sent overseas without getting a ten-day furlough. 2. This furlough provides that he will actually get ten days at home, plus time to travel from his base and back. CAPITAL CHAFF C King Carol of Rumnnia Is reported re-ported readying himself for a Soviet call back to Bucharest by way of Natal. The diplomatic grapevine has it that he will be reinstated by the Russians. C. Loyal General Jim Ulio, who served as best man to Captain Alf Hcibcrg when he married ' Mrs Louise Atwill, the former Mrs Douglas MacArthur, later was kid ded about his wedding duties. He replied: "If Louise can come down from tour stars to two bars, I can." |
