New Orders

In the early stages of planning for rearmament, Commerce Secretary Charles Sawyer was a strong backer of voluntary allocations and production controls. Last week Sawyer reversed himself. After brief experience with voluntary measures (e.g., allocations of steel products), he had decided that in most cases they "just won't work." Said Sawyer in a press conference: defense production will be governed mainly by mandatory controls.

The National Production Authority, which had already ordered a cutback in the use of rubber and a ban on "frivolous" building (TIME, Oct. 30), was busy with some new Sawyer-type edicts:

CJP: A 35% cutback in the use of aluminum in civilian production, with similar orders for zinc and copper soon to follow.

P: An order for steel producers to maintain a steady flow of products to their warehouse customers. Allotments will be based on average monthly shipments for the first nine months of the year, to insure adequate steel supplies for small manufacturers, who deal with warehouses instead of directly with the mills.

CJP: Priorities enabling Canadian companies engaged in defense work to obtain materials in the U.S. In turn, NPA hoped that Canada would give U.S. defense plants priorities on materials available in Canada.

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