Sense at Last?

This week, when Donald Nelson returned from a well-earned week off, one of the first things he saw on his desk was a new plan to reorganize the disorganized, ring around-the-rosy Washington steel muddle into one sense-making package. The plan had its genesis one evening two months ago when Elder Statesman Bernard M. Baruch dined with Don Nelson and his Steel Branch Chief Reese Taylor. Baruch, reminiscing about World War I, recalled that he had set up one steel section, under Steelman J. Leonard Replogle (now adviser to the Army & Navy Munitions Board). Replogle controlled steel from priorities to production. He was responsible only to Baruch.

The new plan in essence: to pick one authority to take steel over from WPB's inadequate Requirements Committee, to force Army, Navy, Lend-Lease and Civilian Supply to sit down and divide up the steel with no chiseling afterwards for special "emergencies." Most important: when the inevitable conflicts arise, they are to be appealed directly to a final court: Donald Nelson.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.