He Went to Moscow, Too

In Russia WPB Boss Donald Nelson and the Russians fell madly in love. It was no picayune thing of languors, but a grande passion, a robust, full-stomached affair.

Don Nelson, back in Washington last week, told of a typical moment at one of those fabulous 25-toast sessions: "One of the officials seized a big china plate that was on the table. He said: 'When we Russians like somebody, we break a plate--like this.' And he raised his huge fist and crashed it down on the plate, smashing it to pieces."

Whereupon, said Nelson: "I reached out and grabbed two plates, and I said: 'When we Americans like somebody we break two plates--like this.' And I hit two plates with my fist. The plates broke all right, and my friend and the others present embraced me with enthusiasm. . . . 1 did not mind the scratch. ... It gave me an opportunity to say that my blood was merely a token--a little American blood on the Russian front. . . ."

All in all, owlish Don Nelson had a wonderful time. In Washington he returned to a cold, grey morning-after.

After a brief, angry look at what had been going on in WPB while he was away, Don Nelson sat down and wrote out his resignation. Then, in a well-harnessed huff, he hurried off to the White House to ask Franklin Roosevelt some pointed questions.

Off Again. On the surface, WPB seemed to be falling apart. Don Nelson got back just in time to receive the resignations of three top assistants. Tough, hard-driving WPB Vice Chairman Charles E. Wilson, TIME, NOVEMBER 22, 1943 who has been slashing away at politics, bureaucracy and Army red tape for 14 months, was planning to go back to his $175,000-a-year job as president of General Electric. Well aware that production of planes, rubber, radio and trucks still lags, Charlie Wilson also knew that he had successfully pulled U.S. production through. Said he: the big job is done; went back to General Electric. Also resigning : Hiland G. Batcheller, WPB operational vice chairman (back to Allegheny -Ludlum Steel Corp.). W. B. Murphy, WPB deputy production vice chairman and Wilson's "bottleneck buster" (back to Campbell Soup Co.).

To Don Nelson, WPB began to look like a second-string, errand-running organization. Who was in charge of WPB and U.S. war production--if anything was left of WPB after the general exodus? Was Donald Nelson still the boss? Or was OWM Czar Jimmy Byrnes? Or Elder Statesman Bernie Baruch? Or the President himself?

On Again. Don Nelson emerged from the White House with a smooth brow. Grinning broadly, he no longer spoke of resigning. The President had talked with enthusiasm, had smiled graciously, had given assurances that Don Nelson and WPB: 1) still have an important job of directing wartime production, 2) will some day have an even larger job in turning U.S. industry back to peacetime production.

Gone Again. But by week's end the spell had worn off. Out of WPB came sour reports: Don Nelson was gloomy again about the agency's future, might soon sit down and write another resignation.

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