Show I I War Man Power Problem r f Is Still Far From Solution I a S wa y I 4 I National Service Act Held Back McNutt- McNutt I Hershey Conflict Complicates Situation i l Competition Keen as Ever I t- t f M By BAUKHAGE News Neu Analyst and Commentator Service 1313 1343 H n Street W N-W Washington D. D C. C Sorry sir said the waiter on the dining car we wc can only serve you one cup of coffee Sorry sir said a somewhat weary voice oice of the hotel room service service service ice we cant can't serve you ham with your eggs this is a meatless day And so a simple wandering WashingtonIan Wash- Wash who had stepped outside of the capital for a brief interlude found out there was a war going on Back in the shadow of the Capitol dome I began to wonder whether before long when Uncle Sam passed his plate for a second helping the farmer would say Sorry sir this is helpless day on the farm we arent aren't furnishing food any more When that happens perhaps well we'll get that national service act Behind the delay in settling the labor farm problem and the other problems which have arisen because the government hasn't had the nerve to tell anybody but the soldiers where to go what to do and when to todo todo todo do it is a lot of honest uncertainty some inter-departmental inter friction but chiefly plain fear of stepping on the publics public's toes Many believed that the public arent aren't afraid of their toes and are only waiting to be told what to do doand doand and the real solution may be the one offered by Wendell Willkie when he said in his report to the nation that it is up to us to make our leaders give us more to do Distribution Problem We have plenty of people to do but we are not distributing them properly not giving the right people the right jobs We are still letting people decide themselves what they are going to do not telling them what is the thing they must do to win the war When I reported last laston laston laston on the power man problem I felt sure that by this time a national service act act would be before con con- gress Congress has drawn up several several several sev sev- eral of at these acts but administration tion spokesmen have told them em not yet meanwhile piecemeal measures measures measures meas meas- ures are offered The story behind the conflict between between between be be- tween Paul McNutt's Power Man commission and General Hershey's Selective Service system is an example example example ex ex- ex- ex ample of how sand gets into the gear-box gear when the President doesn't clamp down the lid and give orders Some of the New Dealers began to worry about the danger that McNutt McNutt Mc- Mc McNutt Nutt might grow too big politically and it might be a harder job lob to sidetrack sidetrack sidetrack side side- track him at the 1944 Democratic national convention than it was last time And goodness knows it was a painful process then So they contrived contrived contrived con con- to hand him the hottest potato potato potato po po- tato the job that would make more enemies than any other head of the Power Man-Power commission The presumption presumption presumption pre pre- according to these not al altogether altogether altogether al- al together nonpartisan friends of McNutt McNutt McNutt Mc- Mc McI I Nutt was that he would either fall down on the job or do it so well nobody nobody nobody no no- body would like him Meanwhile the theory was that he was bound to come into conflict with General Hershey One or the other had to select the men for service either McNutt would be given the power to tell Hershey whom he the Hershey Hershey Hershey Her Her- couldn't take for army or shey would be given power to tell his draft boards whom they could take So the battle was on No Separate Systems ij Since then McNutt has come out and stated that he did not believe it was necessary to set up a separate system of selection selection one one for military military military mili mili- tary which already exists in the draft boards and another to classify civilian service But under White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House orders he made it plain that he had no bill to submit to congress His management labor-management committee submitted its report directly to the President While all this has been going on the Selective Service system has been pacing the floor outside the Power Man-Power commissions commission's door The commission is supposed to advise advise Selective Service but for many months it refused to say aye yes or no According to Selective Service officials officials officials of of- the moment they had the opportunity op ope opportunity they submit submitted d a plan to take care of the one sore thumb of the power man-power problem that threat threat- ens to interfere with our eating farm labor The plan would 1 Tell the farmer boys their patriotic patriotic patriotic pa pa- duty is Js on the farm tarm that they must stay there If the they leave they would immediately be drafted 2 Stop all voluntary recruiting That according to General Hershey Hershey Hershey Her Her- shey would at least stop the drain of farm labor and save the boys from the stigma of remaining in civilian clothes when other boys in non-essential non jobs were joining up According to the Selective Service Service ice ce officials that proposal was sat on onor for or six months while the cries of the he farmer rose higher and higher Complaints to Hershey Most of the complaints were di directed directed dl- dl at General Hershey But his aides point out that Selective Service Service ice ce has taken far less men from the farms arms than the other two sirens that lure the men away from their prosaic prosaic prosaic pro pro- jobs One is the recruiting sergeant sergeant sergeant ser ser- geant and the other is industry The recruiting sergeant offers adventure with a patriotic background Industry Industry Industry Indus Indus- try offers big pay and bright lights And to show how the competition for or manpower still goes on among government agencies itself Selective Selective tive ive Service officials charge that the United States Employment service which recruits men and women for industry has been just as energetic as those handsome army navy and marine sergeants in recruiting the boys on the farm When just before the elections both oth Power Man-Power Commissioner McNutt McNutt Mc- Mc Nutt and Selective Service Director Hershey both testified that there was no immediate need for a power man-power bill ill they were probably glad that they hey could do so which so-which which meant that tha t tit it t had probably been strongly indicated indicated indicated indi indi- from higher up that they had better setter do so For neither gentleman gentleman gentleman gentle gentle- man would care to make a blanket recommendation for a measure which might give the other the thereal real authority in administering The measure will probably remain something to do tomorrow until it becomes clear that tomorrows tomorrow's ham hamand hamand hamand and eggs may depend on action to to- day OWl Proves Boon To Capital Writers A stranger coming to Washington and watching the men and women filing into the White House executive executive executive tive offices for the weekly semi-weekly press and radio conference with the President or visiting the senate or orthe orthe orthe the house of representatives on a aday aday I day when important news is breaking breaking breaking break break- ing when the press and radio galleries galleries galleries gal gal- above the respective rostrums are filled would think that Washington Washing Washing- ton is pretty prett well covered for news There are more than members members members mem mem- bers of the press and radio gal gal- There are many many more reporters and broadcasters whose duties do not make them eligible for these groups But in addition to these men and women whose job it is to write about what is happening in your capital people who are spending between between between be be- tween a million and two million dollars dollars dollars dol dol- lars a month are hired by the government government government gov gov- to disseminate information The Office of War Information has employees There are arc some persons in the army public relations bureau and a hundred or so in the navy public relations The Office of the Coordinator Co Co- of Inter-American Inter Affairs Nelson Rockefeller has more than a hundred members in Its public rela lela- relations department The persons doing similar work for the War Production board and the Office of Price Administration Administration Administration Ad Ad- ministration have a hundred and fifty more Of course the old line agencies have their public relations sta staffs Is but we are just talking about the war news agencies As far as my own contact with the Office of War Information goes I must say its members have been a great help to me If It I run into a snarl of official dispatches questionable questionable questionable question question- able rumors I do what other news newsmen newsmen newsmen men do call up the and I usually get a very straight and satiSfactory satisfactory sat sat- story But nursing us newsmen along is only half halt their job the job the r rest st is disseminating disseminating disseminating dis dis- information abroad abroad- where it will do the most good good and and dont don't ask who and when and where that's not for publication |