Under that supreme command, three lesser divisions are established: 1. production, headed by Mr. John Biggers, glass executive, who took the unemployment cersus of 1938 and who was Mr. Knudsen's aide in the defence commission setup; 2. purchases, headed by Mr. Dorald Nelson, mail order executive who has been co-ordinating all defence commission: 3. priorities, headed by Mr. Edward R. Stettinius Jr., former U.S. Steel Corporation chairman, who ds raw material chief in the defence commission.
By executive order, President Roosevelt has shifted to OPIN and its divisions virtually all the special executive powers granted him by Congress to speed defence preparations. These include the power to impose priorities on industry to get first claim to tools, raw materials and finished products, and the power, granted President Roosevelt in the draft law, to take over industries whose operators are adjudged contrary to the defence effort.
Mr. Knudsen and Mr. Hillman will sign any priority orders which may be issued, but determination on neces sity for priorities and recommendations for action will come from a six-man priorities board headed by Mr. Stettinius, Mr. Knudsen and Mr. Hillman serve as ex officio members of that board, and other members are Mr. Nelson and Mr.
Leon Henderson, the defence commission's. controller of raw materials prices. The sixth member has yet to be revealed, but it was believed likely to be Mr. Biggers—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.