Clippings and Comment
BELL, DANIEL
Clippings and Comment By Daniel Bell An ???? letter to Thomas Lament ????. LAJiOJiT: *"* Perhaps it U not polite to "bom to" ?» ¦???? +enaswm»pasBeaat?B«> inasmuch ' m you've ??^?????...
...The part marked for discussion was the reference that all Americans are free to strike at will...
...Duke, Pew, Pitcairn, Clark, and Reynolds, many of them names unknown to the poblie at large, I could go farther with more detailed breakdowns available in the TN EC monographs on who actually owns and reaps the...
...Part of the script of Mr...
...Over here, deeatW although of course within wartime limitations .Over here in America ear representatives are not poppets like the members of the fascist parliament...
...fits, and only half of them showed "less theft 50 percent gain...
...I know that the J. P. Morgan Co ? merely a banking house, bet what of these mysterious 'Morgan influence*" that the "Street" always talks about—in giant corporations like U. S. Stool, Standard Brands, or New York Central...
...Most of the family monies of Carnegie, Rockefeller, Mellon, Sloan, are in 'philanthropic foundations,' tax-exempt but powerful financially...
...ownership But I am sure that W*beetsns the two of us we can end the Httis hike a3 the "fragmen usafaon" of America's weaMkwS Democratisation," did you say...
...er s planned emiBJitaf ¦ tetm :-r*vsrsible trend of society Our task te I© ate fta* we make such adjustmex.ta wit* the fullest regard to democratic principles Tea talk much of "mxr Wonderful demwj'atit heritage" of the pest three hsmdred years...
...of morgan...
...Small cliques of shareholder, self-perpetuating Boards of Directors, proxy methods, all combine to create tight-fisted control over America's corporate wealth...
...Thus in deterlby the havoc of the war and the last depresses you say: "Bat it was not oar Initiators and fret enterprisers that owl the mischief ? **» the greet irsoumlt aftermath of a worldwide war plus an wise statesmanship * ' Too say the "world" set op trade barriers here, and embargoes there...
...I will pass seg yoer 'surprise' at Mr...
...mmttm'mf the ajiaaisnp hi fake'tilt imj...
...I hate now decided to stop my broadcasts as a pretest against the suppression by the OWI of part of my address in which I defended political freedom in democratic America and called upon the Italian people to strike for their livelihood and freedom...
...la Mexico, too...
...It was not censored...
...Mellon, Pew, Weyerhauser Ford...
...ment powers over business in order fc gc?i free hand after the war...
...But I toil that in y-oar concern for ."free enterprise," yep are less troubled with thinking ia terms jtfMK future and creating mpaiocrstic safeffmsnTltY our economy than in protecting doggedly aa unreal past...
...What I am Anally interested In are year rtrr-tures agaiaet "democratic colksetfritm * ? yoar defense of "free enterprise...
...the millions who own the shares of oar great industrial and transportation corporation...
...It...
...Mean while, let us measure Mr...
...The recent stockholders saeottagA Standard Oil showed how the group that essY trols a corporation .can ride roughshod over sjft minority stockholders group...
...We are tired of all the confusion and lack of clear democratic principles in the OWI...
...Just recently, a*i Popular honored tMJ_ *35 with four columns of slander topped em threat of death...
...Benet has net ???.' tioned your figures, even though he has an...
...But what is this world ? We live in a society which is eapstafiatic It operates as a capitalist lysine and the ma...
...there have beer no sJWsnmm in this matter of the ways of...
...lines in a newspaper, bot it tickled my journalistic fancv...
...But it would be unfortunate if your ftgnsja went unchallenged...
...Other Urge family groups are the McCormick, Hartford, Hnrkness...
...Yours truly, Daniel Bell A Statement by Antonini OWI and Anti-Fascist Censorship By LUtOi ANTONiHl PtktntUnt, Italian-American Labor Coum&I While the leaders of the United Nations such as President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill have been calling upon the Italian people to rid themselves of the Mussolini regime, .broadcasts from America to the Italian people urging them to strike and organize against fascism have been systematically censored by the OWL I have been broadcasting weekly to Italy...
...ization of business groups, like the Gmsnsjf lor Economic DevelopmentB, to ease aini'iiiaito out of the planning field...
...recently denoaactag me to the usual wty the nerve to mention Leon Blum, toe/.t* "? who had served "the fifth column...
...This will he another matter...
...At the same time, the ex-secretary of toe...
...1 read year "letter," but I am sorry to state that It doesn't lire up to the press notices...
...to prove your point, showing that tail nave increased fat percentage...
...Rockefeller, du Pont and Mellon, have shareholdings worth $1,400.000.000 which gave thorn "considerable influence if not control" over 15 of these corporations...
...The Archbjshop, Magr M. Sanatoria...
...I have posed are the real issues aost thot^uhe logic of event* will determine yoe* mmp;,'*A...
...i Tea ere eat to prove that our sosrneioaj ? Capital in this wear are unfounded...
...Lament, some greater sophistication might have been expected...
...showing the distribution ef ownership of the 260 largest non-financial corporations in the country...
...The Political Bureau of the Communists has published the following information: 1. All of the Communist organisations will be transferred automatically to the Vanguard, 2. The new party will have a new program...
...It any moment, that'the speech bed been mart...
...The first indications of the sort of changes which may he expected as a result of the theoretical dissolution of the Comintern come'to us from Costa Rica...
...I think that you and the people you repeat tat see the issue clearly as ens of Power...
...Johnson has in mind to give my radio time to one of the Communist or Fascist fellow-travelers dominating hit office...
...from 1940 to 1642...
...assf fttmdmt' Stsmt wsssflf ? -natrral distaste" of America far the sound of the word...
...OaBectmsm...
...a letter ? which he asked toe approbation of the prelate for the new patriotic oigsniiatiem and requested, especially, the approval of toe church for Catholic membership...
...And a Communist...
...asst have risen 81% in the period from 1940-1942, Bat such reasoning is deceptive...
...Examine the donations of the American Liberty League in the 1936 campaign...
...made a War Profits Study v« The New Leader published in its January iffi issue Reports were available for 1,7R bag industrial corporations from 1938-1*41...
...These statements are commonplace in utilities propaganda with a picture of sweet, old, frail mother clutching her treasured two shares of universal Gas and Electric on the cover...
...It denounces Its *dvM»aW»J "agents of the fifth column " In t**»'*""*5f nothing has changed...
...But if these, too, are "generalities" 1st mt lustrate with just one quotation on posbwlf aims of some businessmen This is from wf text of an address by R. S. Damon, FressW of Republic Aviation Corporation...
...Manuel Mora Valverde, stossaej to the Archbishop of Costs...
...Ii offlgV industrial groups mere than doubled their pm...
...who shall rule and for whom...
...Perhaps, In all these years, I've been cruelty misled by the symbol...
...if yoe are...
...he the met two fenerations the ownership of ail the Thnessadi of our large corporations (with psasibly two or three exceptions) has been fragmentized, democratised...
...The new party is not everywhere r*f*S with an enthusiasm equal to that exh*mf W the clergy...
...functionings are she priausts of the* system Reconsider ? asoft illy the »Utesasut I quote...
...Gugliotta told Antonini that the speech had been censored also in the part where Antoiifni was urging the Italian Wethen in Italy to strike for fitoir right tp a fiv*mood...
...True...
...a bed Mr Ouglurtta why the speech n»*NAirAwest ?* BafMtef answered that he f*™sl ^''^brnftsed that the speech had been ceOsnmsV s*V: ?? he did net know why...
...Antonini's speech was marked for discussion with him...
...And more important, <" new twist in American corporate control—the role ef the great foundations...
...at ait...
...He told us he wouldn't discuss anything with as but military secrets and stalked out...
...I ttht 3. yoe realise, too...
...BenePs 'dogma' eo*ceW irar the Ksabneretonee of the puMie press te JM big wonn*f,mwSM0EKhf*n...
...Over Bare oar* representatives can vote against the President and the President most goMfcttatos comply with the will of the legislators," The other section of my speech suppressed by the OWI was as follows: "Italian workers, strike for your right to a livelihood...
...And Fm sorry that year letter was so disappointing, for I bad thought that you as reputedly "one of the brainiest mast among American business leaders" would say more than the old homilies regarding capitalism (a weed sUaugely that you never use—you prefer the more enphhnistir "free enterprise"* which stud your letter...
...If this is his decision we will get some one else or some one from oar staff to make the talks on his time...
...He told Antonini that the speech has been censored, in the part where Antonini, retaliating against fascist clamor about strikes and political d>inegration in America, explained that while strikes and opposition under'a fascist system ose eigne ef disintegration, strikes and poBtical contests- fw a democracy are signs of normalcy...
...pchcies * "§ But this may be too general...
...Johnson was not present .The only representative of tha OWI present Wae Mr...
...I do think, however, that dm...
...7* On a more realistic analysis, using yaw tables, in the two yean period, your 4* asm ponies paid 8 percent of their sales in taxa>tH two years later paid only 12% of their aalstia taxes, surely not a great rise...
...Meanwhile, it is the job of the OWI to make sure that anything we tell the people of Europe is the truth...
...Aids propagandists have been using the bill in an effort to show that we are Communists or Fascists...
...Is this tremendous power to exist without democratic controls exercised by the democratically-elected political bodies of the nation ? But, perhaps, I am growing too bitter...
...Wasn't this device thought up by clever financial lawyers to evade destructive inheritance taxes, a scheme whereby the family control over giant corporations, is conserved and tax-exempt...
...industry resisted speedy convaraha' to war work In order to garner huge prefM today industry is bent ort destroying f**s...
...Ro« ???* ? At Siitv«» R<w» ?/ Lilermtttre an "open tbb," I am writing this letter to yoa (end sending « carBor...
...see more nuriama...
...f eorpnunf holdings...
...not that they nee any more ? and or better prases ted...
...JohnaoVs "truth!*' The only material wHSmas, Varmi B. Montana, assistant editor of "Giuraxia...
...likewise, the staek1 erected for the...
...In view of Mussolini's recent admission of the existence of strikes and underground activities in Italy, and in view of the great clamor made' by fascist Propaganda about strikes in America I had decided to deal with that topic in my weekly shortwave broadcast...
...Your table is quite sketch...
...Co Mr...
...tremendous economic—and consequent * political power—that exists in the hands of the tight monopoly groups of this nation is irresponsible and constitutes a form of "business collectivism...
...Juty 2 (By...
...as an old newspaper man, to Chapter vii m Ferdinand Londberg's America's Sixty Pm», on The Press of the Plutocracy...
...And how njsnm instances in recent year* can you eh* w»2 stockholder groups were able tc oust ar opsjZ ing management, iet ???* change its...
...This is evident tn the destruction ef the U-tional Resources Planning Board and...
...I wanted to explain that whereas strikes and political struggles in a totalitarian regime are symptoms of serious political crisis, such incidents in a democracy are signs of political health...
...Or take a routine Department of Cora...
...And the issue is: Shall we have democratic contact* over indusmB/^sMd the powers of the monopoly groups be dSslfejNe...
...But frore you...
...I continued broadcasting however, until the latest scandal made it impossible for an American believer in democracy to go on...
...But to this the OWI objecfeU The passage of ray address suppressed by the OWI was aa follows: "While to admit the existence of strikes in a country like Italy is an evidence that fascism is in crisis, the existence of strikes and political contests in s democratic country like America is a proof of normalcy, a proof that democracy really ethrU here the war,, we still have the freedom to strike, even in times of war...
...tor 1MB...
...Tee write, for example: ". . . capital . . . is...
...In the ftart yanff of the war...
...that this goal is hmpos^wffc' without the active tat» of «e...
...We have been very careful in giving the whole troth about the Smith-Connally act...
...in a public message that "'Catholics assy- ?? out violation of conscience, join the new e?*v which replaces the CP " The Archbishop »di»$ thst the Popular VaupKa-rd is based on *S^ttoOM reality" and weald lead supr-'rt ta the ?*81^ policies of toe President "which swTi*S the papal encyclicals...
...It showed that in 1887 10,000 persons owned one-fourth, and 75,000 persons owned fully one-half of all corporate stock held by individuals in this country Of these 200 largest manufacturing, mining, utility, transportation, and communication corporations, three families...
...Boso Gugliotta...
...Huge sums went to profahrtst and disguised snti-semitic groups...
...Tt has twin some ' tiring wonderful in history...
...Toe, Mr...
...and that moat of these fatrge Mocks of individual holdings no longer exist...
...Why then, do you lose faith, tn this nssment, en the democratic traditions of America, ta make these necessary adjustments ? Some persons—men like John Chamberlain perhaps—wilt any that there is a basic agree ment among us and hast th« only nHfficuHist are eemarrrtcal...
...The situation is serious...
...Tot yea, ss s Ira mag mimhn of the House ef Morgan ansagt J for bene ts Fascist Italy which asspptd np that country 4 liilmdag economy Dhf vsa no* rssshrn then that by attkeg fascism in one country yon sM ? every-where ? Your kindred businessmen in Germany snd Italy helped bring- Fas ? ami ta those tOmititst Just ss imMttsrod and power-hungry industrialists are financing fast ist movements here today...
...It may be possible that Mr...
...you well on philosophical grounds...
...report published the other day...
...Together we have written a page ?????» Rican history...
...Hex...
...but even a cursory analysis of your table those that taxes were not responsible for absorbs} profit, and not even payrolls...
...You rely ob j3 rentage...
...DO NT want to clutter this letter up with too * many statistics, bat that's the osdy way to pat a pin on the pretty and sweeping generalization yea make For example, the Securities and Exchange Com miss ?? made a special study for the T.N.B.C...
...kernel of the study is that 1941 profit* sw taxes showed an increase of bfi percent ovtrw 1939 level...
...Harvard Business School Cleb on Aprit ?», liar -. . . . when s Flying Fortress dress »3e.ee· worts, of hemha oa Barita de ??» , no effort to recover the cost Thev tow/ served thetr pespssi...
...e or will this "irresponsjble" power gro# and become a danger to democratic processes...
...J Archbishop said to the newi^aner« "? ht* written a page of ecclesiastical history W Vahrerde has written a page of poOti&i ^ tore...
...bet I knew you would appreciate candor rather than some politely mattered words...
...Perhaps, to continue our presumption, we must adopt your elementary level of argument...
...Despite higher taxes...
...Mexican papers carry the news that the CP...
...Antonini didn't give what we thought was the whole truth regarding this situation we marked it for discussion with ban...
...It was on Thursday, July 8, at 12:30 P. M., at the Carnegie Hau, where recordings of the speeches for shortwave broadcast are made...
...etoetauttduf with WS...
...of Costa Rica, the only legal Communist Party, I believe, in all Central America, is transforming itself completely under the name, Popular Van-guard Under this rather ambiguous title, it is becoming a progressive, moderate, even conservative and essentially nationalistic party...
...hni made the following statement: "I was present when the incident happened...
...The post-war efforts of industrial groups in England and this country are to organ ?· ize business completely on nationwide boots and present a unified front...
...Spokesmen of the Italian Socialist underground have informed me a short time ago of the surprise, at the way the OWI was suppressing the truth about the res...
...1...
...When Mr...
...I wtfti this mere so...
...be ismsMiisd aa a war exnendtter* snf In other words a direct grab free the tBj-payers and the nation But kefs call that enough...
...Its simply s dag charing his tau fat' a circle Bet year argument* against "democratic collect!risse...
...nwrpese of wirf^J" teriakt here nerved their peruse...
...Lament . . . do you derive yoer position merely by being chairman of the beard of a henk whVh m its total assets doesn't rank very high among the national hanks' Or is yoer influence and authority tn American life derived from the multiple threads yon hold fas your hand which lead oet to the many giant corporations' "Large blocks of individual holdings no longer exist," you say...
...To quote exseey...
...character of discontent and dissatisfaction in Italy and advised American friend* of the Italian underground not to broadcast any wafer under such conditions...
...Some of these fHcndS have already stopped their broadcast...
...corporation profits for the first enftfff 1943 were 18 percent higher then the roheK ponding period of 1944...
...Antonia...
...I do not, thus, question your sincerity or yoer motives...
...But let me cite mere authoritative stetishUt The...
...Sale* nay have risen from $10· to SIM while taxes saW gone from SI to ft (fn percentages there fed beam vent difference*, taxes 200%, salsa S| bet there has been s tremendous volume exyan» sion of sales—a lesser rate of profit hot mats profit).* ' ^4 Of course, poets will not challenge ymg statistical tables and Mr...
...But there are large family groups that have tremendous powers: families like du Pont...
...NE final observation on this score: you talk "«f suspicions of Capital...
...Many of ?? statements, while nfc-e sounding are leficsg and faeteally meaningless...
...swered...
...l'Shrt attracted to tha bttle literary tau tor-am jtoBant htsltiito ia toe New York ????»: "BtskiT Gives Pott Leese*) in Fi nance...
...One of the basic premises of contemporary economic analysis of modern industry is the sharp distinction between Ownership and Control...
...la tvidjJ| you offer a table of 40 manufacturing--iipshgj to show that net incomes have been reams...
...A reply has come from Mr...
...Ed Johnson, chief of office of control of the OWL Instead of correcting a mistake, he rushed to distort completely the truth...
...After (kW wore paid—taxes are your bogey, are they ski...
...for discussion In toe etaBJtaenf of Mr Jeinsen -here is not a scintilla Popular Front in Latin America Special to Tag NOW UUDZft MEXICO...
...rsctmm* *5?2 a MiMttf"????^ mach of "feil emshrymeot...
...I tfcrw ultjMfl« imr^wustisnl...
...be ? resumption* for me to say so...
Vol. 26 • July 1943 • No. 29
