Exodus Before X-Day

Big-jawed, sandy-haired Charles E. Wilson, No. 2 WPBoss, last week pointedly asked President Roosevelt a question: when could he get back to his old job of running General Electric?

Charlie Wilson first put the question to Franklin Roosevelt some eight months ago, has raised it loudly more than once since. But he has always weakened and stayed on at the President's request. The White House promised Wilson his release "during the summer." Last week Charlie Wilson reminded the White House that it is now summer. He made progress: the President promised to name X-day for Charlie.

With the U.S. clicking out war materials, Charlie Wilson is eager to get on to his next big job: to get G.E. ready for peace. Said he: "We've got to build practically from the ground up. . . . Some of the biggest plants (refrigerators, electric ranges, radios, toasters), have been taken out of existence as plants. Machine layouts have been completely removed. Conveyors have been dismantled. All of these have to be put together again. It's one hell of a job."

Get Back or Else. Charlie Wilson's hankering to beat his Government swords into electric plowshares was typical. Many businessmen-in-service, sick of Washington and full of nostalgia for businesslike operations, have fled the capital for their old jobs. Fortnight ago WPB's Deputy Vice Chairman for Metals Howard Young resumed the presidency of American Zinc Lead and Smelting Co. Assistant WPB Steel Director Joseph L. Block has returned to the executive vice-presidency of Inland Steel Co. Others are shifting uneasily behind their desks as they shuffle the piles of paper from the In-box to the Outbox. More & more U.S. businessmen feel that the U.S. is getting very close to the shift toward large-scale civilian production. And many a corporation had warned its lend-leased talent: come on back or stay away for good.

The exodus from Washington has become so apparent that WPB Boss Don Nelson has quietly started a drive to recruit new men from industry. But Charlie Wilson is a real bellwether. As long as he stays, many another WPBster will remain. When he goes, the rush will be on.

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