Show I I II I R w A N NR R Bf EN STOPS DENYING SHORTAGE OF STEEL V WASHINGTON Edward Edward R. R Stet- Stet tinius Jr handsome raw materials ch chief ef of the Defense commission apparently has become gun Having seen his denials of shortages shortages shortages short short- ages in strategic materials blow up in his face he is resorting to a new technique in the case of steel It took only a few days for his I solemn statement that there was no aluminum shortage to be refuted by Sen Joe chairman of the monopoly investigating commit commit- tee Even less time elapsed between between between be be- tween his denial of a zinc and brass deficiency and the issuance of a presidential order barring their ex ex- port The hotly controversial steel is issue issue issue is- is sue has been a worry for months As far back as last summer summer summer sum sum- mer he was warned by experts that the nations nation's vast defense program to say nothing of frantic British orders orders orders or or- ders required an immediate expansion expansion expansion sion of steel plant capacity It was pointed out that present U. U S. S ingot capacity is approximately tons of which normal consumer needs for 1941 would be around tons leaving only tons for armament This obviously was far from enough The B British alone will have to get at least tons of American steel this year to keep their war industries supplied With several notable exceptions the steel industry balked at building building building build build- ing new plants It insisted it could take care of all requirements without without without with with- out the 15 or 20 per cent expansion that tha was urged In this stand it was vigorously supported by Walter S. S Tower president of the American Iron Steel Institute also a dollar- dollar year a-year adviser on staff But the pooh of Tower salaried official of the steel industry industry industry indus indus- try was sharply challenged by Prof Melvin G. G of the University University University sity of Virginia another steel adviser An outstanding authority without any industrial tie- tie ups urged immediate plant enlargement This inner battle raged for weeks with sitting blinking in the middle while deliveries continued to fall further and further behind He finally did move after the Pre Prea President ident took an indirect poke at the steel barons in his message to congress congress congress con con- gress and the Big Four defense chiefs followed him up with their demand that industry must subordinate subordinate subordinate its concern over possible future future future fu fu- fu- fu ture effects of tremendous sion acted by passing the buck He designated Gano Dunn head of the J. J G. G White Engineering company and a year dollar-a-year manon manon man manon on his staff as a neutral arbiter to decide between Tower and Dunn is the impartial expert who last year slashed a proposed TV TVA A power expansion for defense purposes nearly 75 per cent and was overruled by direct order of Roosevelt on the insistence of other defense heads Some insiders are betting that it wont won't be long before steel is put on the priorities list and consumer use sharply curtailed They base this on the fact that even if new plants are ordered it will take a year before before before be be- fore they get into production BUY BRITISH MOVEMENT Behind the flood of Help Britain Buy Buy Something British window posters which have sprung up all allover allover allover over the country is an amazing story of a wide nation-wide movement started by a young Portland Ore advertising man only two months ago His name is Robert Smith Sinith and the idea came to him when he took out his wallet for a bill to donate to the British relief fund He noticed that his wallet was tattered and it struck him that by buying a new one of British make he would be making a definite contribution to England's war resources Young Smith figured there must be thousands of others who felt the same way and decided then and there to call it to their attention The first thing he did was to team up with a close friend David Robinson Robinson Robinson Rob Rob- inson an attorney and leader in Portland welfare organizations With Robinson handling organization and Smith promotion the movement movement movement move move- ment gathered strength like a roIling rolling rolling roll roIl ing snowball In the two months the movement has been under way it has prairie- prairie fired to 28 22 states with more than local branches Dazed by the phenomenal phenomenal phenomenal phe phe- success of his idea young Smith attributes it entirely to the strong feelings of the average manin manin man manin in the street THINGS DIPLOMATIC A career in the U. U S. S Foreign Service begins at 2500 plus an average average average av av- avI av- I of 1000 for rent Top pay is and rent While there is no requirement that candidates be college graduates one third of the U. U S. S foreign service officers I are graduates of Harvard Yale and Princeton About young hopefuls try to get into the service II each year about 30 are chosen A total of foreign service officers are listed in Who's Who In the foreign foreign foreign for for- 1 eign se service vice there are but 2 women J |