Capital Comment
STOUT, JONATHAN
Capital Comment By JONATHAN STOUT Byrnes Appts. Seek to Head Off Truman Report JfASHINGTON, D. C—The shaping of America's post-war economy reached the stage of positive action this week with...
...And now Mr...
...Churchill is doing it with Stalin...
...For once a President cut through the web of high-sounding verbiage that usually surrounds such goings-on with a few curt and cutting words...
...then victorious Naxi and Fascist hordes to their own demolition, and at a time when Stalin and Hitler were twined in a pact of friendship, and tha Communists all over the world were working overtime for a Hitler victory and, to keep America from aending help to tha beleaguered Britiah...
...He said simply that the bill furnishes relief "not for the needy but for the greedy...
...The despatches all were signed by Dr...
...The treasury would have got the extra billion af cash, and the fee lings of congressmen would have been spared...
...But something new has been added...
...Churchill used in speaking of two of the bravest peoples of Europe—the only two nations, when Britain's back was to the wall after Dunkirk, whfch, h^d, the courage .to lUqd jm...
...Clayton and Hines were appointed to their jobs even before the President issued his Executive Order empowering them to act . . . which is somewhat unusual even in a Washington accustomed to the unorthodoxy of war days...
...me the inertia of an action in motion, and th« testacies af the many positive deeds which will be don* be/or* such a debate can reach a conclusion...
...And they are fearful lest the country discover the bearings of the struggle...
...All of whleh reflects the constant shift to heavier bombers »nd longer range fighter planes, and mean* a 40 per <*nt increase in aircraft production for 1944, as against 's»t year's total...
...All the sup...
...Will not Poland and Russia still remain vis-a-vis across a common frontier...
...The bill was devised within a circle of avid lobbyists...
...The dispatches did not explain how the fascists got by British Intelligence in -Britishcohtrotlen* "Egypt...
...That wss denied, and under the circumstances the Taylor company found it difficult to protest...
...Churchill's Speech ana) Diplomatic Reaction . Washington's Embassy Row is still discussing Prime Minister Churchill's review of the war before Commons earlier this week...
...Any pulp story writer who could not concoct a more credible "plot" than that would never get into the quarter editions...
...The adjustment of tha burden to groups and classes would affect the social structure and future policies of the country...
...It is •all vividly remembered that it was the Truman Com¦*»•» which helped to bring order out of chaos in the IWMfcaf of the war and which -as principally JJJf^Wt far tam establishment of an Office or War aww beaded by' Director Byl nes...
...A general national program has been fixed...
...And the large plane manufacturers will have the advantage of that without having to spend a penny for the experimental work that went into the preliminaries of mass production of these planes...
...Topalovlch is head of the Socialist Party of Jugoslavia, and is the leader of the Jugoslavian labor movement...
...The President stigmatized the measure as providing relief "not for the needy but for the greedy...
...Frank T. Hines, head of the Veterans Administration, to carry out the Baruch Plan...
...The proof of it lies in his plan...
...legislators selected to serve the Interests of the entire nsi ion chose rather to gain the approval of group represenUwea who ware, ou the ground in Washington...
...Keams of ro*7 "«T« heea »"«* ** written ¦beat the Baraeh Plan...
...To keep their men at work, the Taylor company asked to be permitted to work on experimental aircraft for post-war civilian use...
...The so cslleil Victory Tax was left on the books...
...RICH Storm Over Education...
...He eeald have allowed the bill te become law without hia signature...
...Let it be campaign talk...
...Seek to Head Off Truman Report JfASHINGTON, D. C—The shaping of America's post-war economy reached the stage of positive action this week with issuance of the President's Executive Order, implementing the controversial Baruch Plan on which Bernard Baruch has spent several months in the planning, and which was made public late last week...
...There was some evidence of foreknowledge of what's ahead in the nervous haste with which War Mobilisation Director James K. Byrnes rushed appointment of William L. Clayton, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and Brig...
...The Truman Committee report would provide impetus for the more by the Senate Post-War Committee, under the leadership of two Democrata, Senator George of Georgia, and Senator Murray of Montana, for legislation to establish an Office of Demobilisation to direct the reconversion of industry from war to peace production and to establish the policies under *• Government will diapose of surplus war ¦"•¦rieJa, the value of which has been variously esMmaMM franfe (A 4a lAflV WilUm* umuaMmi — m wary great respect in Washington for the Coasmittoo...
...The balking of monopoly control, and the fact that theirs is basically the more democratic procedure, are the two best arguments of the advocates of Congressional control of reconversion and post-wsr planning...
...aM fight...
...aho*a$ Elections in the ILGWU...
...The net result of the situation is that the large plane manufacturers, the day war ends, will simply keep on* producing the same planes with a big headstart on the civilian market, while the small companies and new companies will have to spend a year and large ¦ iiimi of money experimenting with new models...
...Addressed on February 11 to Jugoslavian Prime Minister Boxidar Purich in Cairo, the dispatch announced that: "In the free Jugoslav mountains 273 delegates have gathered in a great national congress...
...The Jugoslav National Congress sent messages of greetings to President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and Marshal Stalin...
...The first is indicated by Joseph D. Keenen, former official of the Chicago Federation of Labor who is now s Vice-Chainnan of the War Production Board...
...Despite the needs of even rrester plane production this year than last, the Taylor company has not been given any other production to take the place of the cut...
...But because the "little people" still vote in America, the proponents of legislative instead of executive action, are insisting on Disking room for "little business" in the reconversion problem...
...Churchill expect Mihailovich to light the Nazis with bare fists...
...Churchill's government that the British were supporting tha Communist Tito in Jugoslavia with arms and supplies of war...
...All of that is encouraging news...
...Churchill referring to Communist efforts to seize Greece and Jugoslavia in such words as: "We should judge all parties and factions dispassionately by the test of their readiness and ability to fight the Germans and thus lighten the burdens on the Allied troops...
...The structure of monopoly jn the plane industry ia practically complete...
...In other fields, concerns were permitted to regard income from regular sales as capital depletion...
...Many sorts of business were excused from the excess profit tax by special mention...
...Move Towards a Reaency in Jugoslavia Informed diplomatic circles in Washington expect a joint British-Soviet move to depose King Peter and establish a Regency in Jugoslavia...
...The British appear intent on building up a record for fumbling in their dealings with dictators...
...In his message the President cited six examples...
...AM EDITORIAL The Needy and the Greedy PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT is a great gentleman, but * now and then he breaks through with a fine sample of plain speech...
...This was the first failure...
...Against whonj or what...
...When he called the "states rights" soldier-vote bill a "fraud," he put into a public document what the soldiers and their relatives were saying everywhere...
...The only change they'll need, will be to leave off the guns and they become perfect cargo and passenger carriers...
...It hat frequently been said thst Barurh is undoubtedly America's mobt intelligent conservative...
...The second fly in the ointment is that wh''e small manufacturers such as Taylor are not permitted to io any experimental work on aircraft for post-war planes —and doing it at government expense...
...It is so ftod, in fact, that it nearly succeeds in obscuring the firt that it slants the future industrial life of America the way Big Business wants it...
...i„| IIMllll the ef such newors I• Hat peoples lefi-lalare...
...The President could have taken the easy course...
...Said Keenan: "For 1»44 we must deliver over 100,000 planes, as compared to 86,000 in 1943, and these planes will sversge JO.Obo lbs, as compared to 8,600 in 1943...
...The political parties have unanimously postponed till the end of the war all separate party activities, and have together with the Ravna Gora Movement formed the Jugoslav Democratic Popular Union...
...The same members of the House and Senate who now splutter their hatred and anger have gone through the same motions often enough...
...In fact, nothing is more certain, than the real battle is only just aoout to break out and that in the next few months the issue of Postwar Planning will achieve the status of No...
...We have seen the same process many times before...
...This is the exact truth put into a snappy epigram...
...Churchill they reminded that they were looking forward" to "the realization of the great ideas of liberty formulated in the Atlantic Charter, upon which our nation too wishes to build their regenerated, democratically and socially organised state...
...That is, if there will be any small companies or new companies that will be able to stay in or get into the plane production picture in the post-war...
...ami the eeannoala af eaeeu*» •*» >on must be not only superior in the persuasive...
...A bill to bring into tha treasury at least that amount is absolutely necessary as an anti-inflation measure...
...Churchill went on to aay: "This ia no time for ideological prefereneea on one aide or the other and certainly the government has not indulged themselves in this way at all...
...j.c...
...And that should not be a surprising end-result for a plan written by Bernard Barurh and John H .acock, both of them Wall Street bankers...
...But that runs ourvtar to the dnmarda of Big Business that new business ventures or reconversion by Little Business be forbidden until after Big Business has reconverted and gotten a head start in peace-time production...
...Government officials in charge of plane production privately admit that a large number of p'tr.e models now being made under government contract by the large manufacturers are adaptable in every detail for post-war civilian usee...
...It was far from reassuring, in the view of these diplomats, to hear Mr...
...9nm this g»aat national Congress <*e scud greeting* to the Government of Jugoslavia...
...The President haa asked for a bill which WAuM piovide ten billions of additional revenue...
...In peacetime the manufacturers of Tsylor Cubs, the company is a small producer which found a place in the war program by making training planes...
...Very well...
...in bringing eat into the open all that lies hack af the bill, the Praeleant haa performed a public service...
...loopholes were provided for the escape of many prosperous corporations and individuals...
...EJJJIPPJ Br smell, apparsutly were jostled *"«eual baste by the grapevine report that the IT™***, feesmlllse'e report would support those waM tmSSm af sse.ull.s si das It «si ml Ms) as if slain, and that con *"¦"•» of ¦imiMLll...
...This was the languge Mr...
...Congress failed conspicuously in two respects...
...That is a statement which comes close to being barefaced and insufferable hypocrisy in the light of the recent announcement by Mr...
...It is s good plsn...
...Not since the days of Andrew Jackson have we had anything better in the way of straight talk in high places...
...All parts of Jugoslavia are represented as well as all great nonpolitical organizations and all the democratic political parties, save the Croatian Peasant Party, with whose legitimate representatives contact is not possible due to the action of the enemy...
...But what *»• done by...
...But there were ing wet blanket on the embassies of many of the small parts of Mr...
...d Ufic of debate aww, but they weed also te (Continued aa Page Three) Bertrand Russell The Future of Asia Music Goes AWOL ferdinand lund-erg The End of the Baltic States............solomon schwahz Two Steps Toward the Monopoly State damul uu The Cost-of-Living Index...................mojdus mitcheli Political Reaction in Canada.....................a...
...On November 7 we will make the count...
...Churchill's speech which fell like a deaden- * European nations...
...Bat much can he eempnmti lata Httle by ettiag the central fact that it aaahlaa Big Baaineaa, which mw hoMi complete central of the aatiaa'a wartiaie economy, to retain that newer throagh the period »f reconversion and ik« peacetime economy to follow Ihe Barach Plaa inanree the carleHiiation, or Monopoly control, of American industry, which is the price being demanded by Big Business for its patriotism in continuing present wsr production...
...Zhivko Topalovich, chairman of the Jugoslav National Congress...
...Stalin was assured of their enthusiastic admiration of Soviet victories over the common foe, and waa reminded that "our nation too has given and will give the greatest sacrifices so that for all nations, great and small, may begin a new era of a better and happier life in Liberty, Democracy and Social Justice...
...The first move came recently with the evidently cockand-bull story about fascists in Egypt attempting to assassinate King Peter...
...On the other hand, various sorts of exemption were provided for corporations and persons -in the upper income brackets...
...JJJP eawe...
...Churchill say that "Britain ia intensely interested in maintaining Poland's independence" and then add that "I also have sympathy with the Russian standpoint...
...There are two important things wrong with that picture...
...the, EnwitoUhk the last word on the subject...
...And to add insult to injury, Mr...
...This provides for contributions from persons making as little as $12 a week...
...The second move came this week with another pipedream from Cairo reporting that King Peter was the captive of "fascists" in Egypt, and was being held incommunicado...
...Tha aocsnd waa the ene which called forth the presidential epigram...
...Speculation on the unusual haste with which the Baraeh Plan was followed by the President's Executive Order which, in turn, was anticipated »y the appointment of Clayton and Hines—and which, therefore, allowed no time for public con sideratioa and debate on the important issues in vslvsd—revolves about the reliable report along the Washington grapevine that the third annual report of the Senate's Truman Committee which >» due to come out next week will provide powerful harking far the view that reconversion and postwar planning should be directed by legislative tataerity rather than executive authority...
...Recently the production of training planes by the Taylor compsny was cut 50 per cent...
...Sfopt Towards Cor fe/iiiotlon l« Eviction An example of how cartellixation is being promoted under present Big Business control of the War Production Board, is afforded in the case of the Taylor aircraft firm...
...General Mihailovich, as representative of the Jugoslav Royal Government, was present at the Congress...
...From his preoccupation with the subject of planes and the widely-publicized news of the stepping up of American plane production, it is now guessed that the big assault on Hitler Germany is due in about six months...
...We all knew what was going on as the sections of the bill were drawn up...
...And the only answer of the reactionaries is that "this is campaign talk...
...But such a massive tax program would, inevitably, reflect social purposes...
...Nor was it encouraging of the democratic forces in the small nations of Europe to find Mr...
...porters of the President will line up on the other aide...
...Let the reactionaries, both Democrats and Republicans, stand on this bill...
...Roosevelt was addressed as the "representative of the great allied American nation, which has rsised so high the banner of democratic and national liberties...
...In that case what reassurance is it to move the frontier from here to there, . What difference can that make...
...I cannot feel that Russia's demand for reassurance about her western frontier goes beyond the limits of what is reasonable or just...
...That little Poland perhaps will not attack the Big Bear...
...They must realfxe that they and the President are on opposite sides of a vital social problem, the problem of the distribution of wealth and purchasing power...
...Jugoslav Lobar And Mikhallovitch A dispatch which did not get into the daily press came two weeks ago from Jugoslavia...
...The need of national income and all notiona of aocial justice were forgotten in an effort to prqpitiate clever and high-priced pleaders for special privileges...
...Its bill weald raise two billiona of additional revenue hat weald, at the same time, drop out of the federal revenue something ever one billion...
...Bat in refusing te follow the easy way...
...whose chairman is Senator Harry k tnmn Mismomri...
...What nonsense...
...queried diplomats...
...The cards are already stacked that way...
...His declaration of loyalty to His Majesty King Peter II and the constitutional and legal order of Jugoslavia, and of the exclusive right of the freely-elected representatives of the people to reorganize the country, were greeted with enthusiasm...
...Atthe same time it is intended to increase the entire a.tk.'lig force of"the imfustry" 15 per centT"Since it* is* estimated that the efficiency of tha industry will increase roughly about 25 per cent, how will we be abla to meet our goals, calling for about 40 per cent increase in production...
...Bsruch's Congressional opponents probsbly will not be able to produce a plan much better...
...In Tuesday'a veto message on the tax bill he coined a phrase which, precisely because it puts into aharp worda the thought of millions, can be anawered with nothing better than spluttering rage...
...M ¦•ratogy of the Executive Order new iaeea the raVlsH"* "* NrWative anion with a fait accompli...
...When members af Congress srrues him of maneuvering with an eye en the November election, they are betraying their fears...
...And its third annual report "Ha varying decrees of anticipation...
...1 on the Hit and Run Parade...
...W ashiugtM who »ant Is) aw the ¦¦*ne« powers involved retained in the hsads of...
...Reassurance...
...The next step is expected to be the declaration that since King Peter is a captive of "fascists" therefore his orders are by duress or something of that sort—but the main point will be that they can' no longer be credited, or obeyed, and therefore a Regency or something like it must be appointed, until Peter can be "rescued" from the "fascists...
...Does Mr...
...Chamberlin did it with Htler...
Vol. 27 • February 1944 • No. 9
