EDITORIAL-COMMENT
Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, May 12, 1945
Living Together
Ruth Taylor
y As the judge in the divorce court said: “It used to
la* that people were married for better or for worse,
but mostly now it seems to be just for the better.
They won’t stand the worse.”
^ ou have to put up with all sorts of things to live
with other people. It takes team work, both sides
being willing to work together. It means you have
to think of the other fellow’s rights as your respon
' sibility.
Each person, or each group, or each nation, al
ways believes itself or himself is the standard by
which all men should be measured. He or it is
l ight. Therefore, others must conform to that stan
dard of rightness.
Hut when people begin to work together, they
learn to know that there are varying shades of
rightness. They begin to assume that their’s is
not the only side. >
Hiving ogether either as individuals or as nations,
requires understanding—and what is more, a will
ingness to understand. Interdependency does not
mean the other fellow must do all the giving. Re
lationships must be reciprocal if they are to endure.
Danger does not lie so much in what people be
lieve but in the uncompromisingness with which
they hold those beliefs. It is much easier to be
critical than to be correct.
The strength of any lasting association, whether
it be between individuals or nations lies in their a
greement upon fundamental ideals, in their willing
ness to concede to the other the rights they want for
themselves,' in their interest in the others’ good for
tune, and in their friendliness or loving kindness.
In short, and to lx* very trite—it needs the strict
application of the Holden Rule in all things.
Human kindness is the foundation of life on
earth. Certainly theer are occasions when differ
ences arise. But it is up to us to so handle ourselv
es that we can meet in peaceable fashion those with
whom we disagree and can learn to work out a way
to solve our mutual problems. That is all that liv
ing together means—whether or not we are indiv
iduals, groups or nations.
---
DYNAMITE
-by H. George Davenport- f
THE BIG THREE AND P. T. BARNUM
It was I\ T. Barnum who coined the phrase,
“there’s a fool born everv minute.” Barnum start
ed out giving the people legitimate
shows As he progressed, he found
out that people wanted to be fooled, so
lit* concocted all kinds of silly things to
tool the people. The more the people
yelled fake, the larger were his gate re
ceipts. Today we have three big men,
maybe on the square, maybe not, but to
my way of thinking, I’d prefer any P.
T. Barnum. Two of them are suppos
ed to he fighting for democracy—the
Hat enport other isn’t saying much. In America
the black man is used as putty to stop up the leaks
in the army, navy and air corps. Discrimination
is rampant. It was Wilson who instituted the seg
rogation in the U. S. Government P. 0. and other U.
S. jobs. With one stroke of the pen he had separ
ate wash rooms installed in all government depart
ments. especially in the south. The first Mrs. Wil
son was the instigator of the plot. At least we un
derstood President Wilson, we know where he stood
But I'll be hanged if I can understand a President
who could arrange for the postwar handling of for
eign countries’ affairs, and afraid to lay down the
law in his own country. England is not fixing to
up her colonies. Both England and Prussia will
gain territory after the war under the guise of pro
tectorates. Russia will fight for the use of the Dar
denelles—a black sea fleet—and an eastern seaport,
possibly Mancliukuo. Turkey or Japan will not be
able to resist. England will let Russia have it so
she can hold on to what she has, possibly get back
Shanghai, Singapore, and control of the Dutch East
Indies. lT. S. will be satisfied with kicking Mont
gomery Ward around. Why do L say that P. T.
Barnurn was right % Well, not so long ago, you
heard this phrase, “Again! Again! Again and A
ain!—Blah, Blah, Blah.” Then we were re-elected.
*
Which Way Will America Choose?
(Extension of Remarks of Jerry Yoorhis of Calif.,
Statement by the People’s Lobby;
in the House of Representatives Mon., Mar. 26, 1945
Mr. Yoorhis of California. Mr. Speaker, at the
request of the People’s Lobby, 1 am inserting here
with with my remarks a reeent statement by that
organization, entitled “Which Way Will America
Choose?”
Mr. Benjamin C. Marsh, the executive secretary
of the Peolpe’s Lobby has frequently appeared be
fore congressional committees to testify on various
types of legislation.
This war has proved that the United States of A
merica has tufficient farmo, experienced farmers,
factories, technicians, mechanics, and natural re
sources—such as coal, iron and oil—to supply a good
standard of living for all our people.
In spite of having 11,500,000 men and women in
our armed forces, our production is such as to en
able the majority of our people to enjoy the highest
standard of living in the world—and still "send
goods to our allies, at a time when we are producing
enormous quantities of guns, ships, airplanes and
munitions.
This is not the result of “private enterprise.”
Many of our big manufacturing plants would not,
or at any rate did not, convert from peace produc
tion to war production, until the Government guar
anteed them prices to cover all costs, including a
lot of wasteful advertising—costing the taxpavers
billions of dollars.
Government-planned war production, which is
much harder to plan than peace production, because
submarines, shifts in the fighting, casualties and the
enormous distances goods must be carried, upset
calculations.
Government takes all the risks in war.
After this war will we go back to “one-third of
our people ill-fed, ill-clad and ill-housed,” as we did
after World War No. 1 ?
It we do—World War No. 3 becomes almost in
| evitable.
America is the one great nation where nobody
needs to “go short” if willing to work.
We could be the storehouse of democracy in peace
as we are the arsenal of democracy in war, if we do
not return to the system underwhich we never pro
duced and distributed enough to maintain peace.
From 1922 to 193(5, when this war really started
in Spain our productive machine ran one-third short
of maximum production, therefore our people ran
short.
You can’t eat your cake it' you can’t make it.
America has all the making of all the cake Amer
icans can eat—and enough to share some i*ith the
world.
Big corporations make more money out of scarc
ity, and the resulting high prices.
That is the reason American trusts and interna
tional cartels were started.
When the owners talked about “the law of supply
and demand” they meant that they wanted a law
that would keep down supply and increase demand
—that would increase profits.
About 20 years ago, big corporations got less than
half of all profits, now they get about two-thirds
I and would be willing to have 99 1-2 percent.
Can we block their game?
Yes; it' enough Americans like you protest.
Early in the war, the Government spent about
$9,000,000,000 on plants to produce airplanes, ma
chine tools, steel, aluminum, synthetic rubber, gaso
line, magnesium, etc.
The Government now owns about half the mach
ine tool factory facilities.
The Government owns a tenht of steel productive
capacity—and enough of many other plants to con
trol much important production.
The big corporations want these plants.
Private ownership of factories, mines and other
things essential to production gives the owners the
right not to produce the things he people need—un
less they get the profits they want.
This is a dangerous form of dieatorship.
It would be as bad policy to give up Government
plants in peactime as to give up our ships in war—
if we want to ensure full production.
There is only one way to raise the living standard
of all Americans.
That is to have full production of' everything A
mericans need, and pay producers enough to buy
the products of industry and farm, out of current
income—not by general installment buying.
To get this American standard for all—the Peo
ple’s Lobby is trying to get the Government to keep
the factories and plants it has built for war produc
tion—and convert all possible, to peace production.
Most of them could be converted in from one to
six weeks.
They wuld be operated through public corporat
ions—by production engineers and technicians who
Later on, came Pearl Harbor—“Remember Pearl
Harbor”—“Let’s win the war” as the next slogan.
We were re-elected. Then we heard after election
that the Atlantic Charter was only a memorandum.
We swallowed that, too. Bretton Woods was an
other meeting place where the financing of the post
war world was discussed. AVe swallowed that too.
The Dumbarton Oaks was the next place where it
was decided to keep peace by force if necessary.
“They met to plan no more wars—yet decided to
fight to keep peace.” In the language of Gracie
Allen, “Ha! Ha! Ha!—I don't get it.” The Chapul
tepec act—Mexico City, another comedy was added
—the 4 Freedoms was lost in the shuffle. The pres
ident told all about ealta, but forgot to tell about
the 6-3-3 votes—Now we saps go to San Francisco.
White man you are as silly as some of the Negroes
in the 2nd AYard in Chicago. I repeat, “P. T. Barn
um was right.”
' I
A ews-letter
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
Washington
‘•THE MISSOURI GANG" (a nick
name you'll hear often; connota
tions are as yet not unfriendly) is
expected to replace many New York
Roosevelt intimates Roosevelt of
ten appointed conservatives to top
places, but immediately below that
was the “subway circuit”—radicals
who had direct pipelines to the
White House iiner circle Its pow
er consisted in its ability to pre
vent conservative superiors from
following natural inclinations Dis
liked policies were frequently sab
otaged by tips to Washington gos
sip-columnists. The circuit, thus
extended, formed a very powerful
clique.
Leftwingers fear that the “sub
way circuit" will give way to sub
ordinates nlio will he loyal to a new
group of Missourians anil World
War I friends of the President; the
whole framework of government
Suffers tremors when a new Presi
dent takes office.
Leftwing attitude:
THE NATION: "With Truman
labor will have to fight hard for ev
erything it gets and be extremely
vigilant about keeping what it has
Noblesse oblige, which labor could
count on with Roosevelt is no more'
MAX BERNER, writing In PM;—
"President ruman, some of your so
called friends say you will swing
the country to the right If you do
so now breaking the understanding
that President Roosevelt had with
labor leaders and rank and file, it
would be a tragic mistake_
"Going to the right would mean
alienating ourselves from the whole
trend in Europe and strained rela
tions with Russia.
"President Truman, your so-call
ed friends say you are going to end
the era of personal rule in the
White House Even before Presi
dent Roosevelt has been buried, (re
actionaries) begin their campaign
to make a cipher out of the Presi
dency You must have the streng
th to show them that they are
wrong
“President ruman, your so-call
ed friends are saying that you will
restore the rule of Congress. Per
haps it is because the reactionaries
kniw that their only chance is to
work through the men in Congress
they control, instead of through
a Presidency they cannot control ’’
THE NEW REPl III.1C, whose ed
itor says that small-town America
is still iving in the ]9th century:—
"Mr Truman comes from a small
Midwestern town and bears the cul
tural inheritance of the American
middle class which has not been
culturally attuned to a world in
depression, war, and revolution.
COMMIT NTSTS whose world-wide
current attitude >s cooperation with
Russia, raise the question: “Can
Truman win Stalin’s confidence?”
NEW DIRECTOR OF RECONVER
SION: An early appointment of Tru
man Administration elated leftists
Robert Nathan was named director
of reconversion under "Assistant
President” Vinson. Nathan’s Wash
ington apartment was a favorite
meeting place for the ‘‘subway cir
suit-” Wallace's ”60 Million Job”
program originated in part with
Nathan .
Current belief, however, is that
Nathan was not appointed for his
ideology, although the President
was conscious if the value of this
gesture to the left. Nathan, a
brilliant young economist, while in
charge of WPB planning, demon
strated an unusual grasp of the war
production problem. When others
fumbled, he was decisive. His cap
acity is equal to his new assign
ment. The left is delighted to
have this springboard fir its Key
nesian propaganda. (Keynes: Don’t
wince at deficits, however large, if
required to maintain full employ
ment )
Nathan's book, "Mobilizing for
Absndance.” (McG: aw-Hill, New
York, $2 ) calls for “intelligent
central direction” of the esonomy
Hsi prigram is basically the Mur
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IF ALL 'FOREIGNERS' WENT BACK
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VlNWANS /
Appreciate America, tee.
ray-Kilgora- -Thomas -O'Mahoney ,
Full Employment bill. He says.-—
“First, the people must determine
upon the approximate level of total
production which is sought A
gross national product of ?150 bil
liin at 1943 prices would seem to
be a resonable and feasible level.
“Next, we must forecast the
probable magnitude of consumer
expenditures and of savings at this
level.
"Finally, we must estimate the
magnitude of the various offets to
savings which can be expected year
after year under a steadily grow
ing volume of total production
"Then, as has already been stated
if prospective savings are far above
prospective offsets to savings, steps
must be taken either to reduce the
volume of savings or else to support
offsets to savings by large-scale
have proved that they know their business—as A
meriean mechanics have, by their war production
records.
What will happen if we don’t have all factories,
plants, mines, and so on, run to meet America’s
needs?
The United States Department of Commerce re
ports that in 1946—
“Even with an average workweek 5 hours shorter
than in 1040, there would be more unemploved than
the 13,000,000 in 1932.”
Aren’t 13,000,000 unemployed 13,000,000 too
many?
If you want to learn more of what to do to get,
and keep, full employment—which America never
has had in peace, but always could have, in peace as
in war—
Write People’s Lobby, Inc., rooms 307-308, 1410
H Street, NW., Washington, D. C.
The People’s Lobby is trying to get the Govern
ment to adopt the principle of paying as large a
part as practical of the costs of war by current tax
ation, based on ability to pay, exempting income es
sential to health and well-being, as determined by
Government agencies.
It is also working for:
1. Government direction of farm production, and
control of processing and distribution of farm prod
ucts, during the war economy, with direct payments
where needed to marginal farmers.
2. Effective Government control of prices and of
quality of essential consumer goods.
3. The participation of the United States Gov
ernment in international arrangements, such as the
control of money, credit, trade, natural resources,
and cartels.
government spendipg. Govern-,
ment spending must fill in the gap I
when private offsets to savings de- ;
cline. ”
Deficits as high as *:t0 billion a.
year would not disturb Nathan if
they are required to prevent un
employment
Nathan believes that ‘’over-sav
ing” is a principal cause of depres
sions “The power to tax is the
power to create" he says. “If the
burden of taxation is removed from
the lower income levels, their de
mands tor goods and services will
be enlarged These taxes should
be borne by the middle and higher
income levels, where taxes can come
from funds which would otherwise
be saved.”
RECONVERSION: As repeatedly
predicted here while official reports
were stating the contrary, war pro
duction will be substantially reduc
ed before long. V’E day isn’t im
portant any more Cutbacks are
already being issued. As contracts
are completed, no replacements are
authorized.
Willow Run is to be closed by
August. One Eos Angeles plane
maker sent cancellations to 3.000
subcontrators. Certain bomber and
fighter planes—types unsuitable
for the changed Jap war since Ok
inawa—are bein>$ dropped Pro
duction of ships is being drastic
ally reduced Armed services now
admit war production will be
down 24% within first quarter af
ter VE day and 55% within one
year. In all j>robabilityi even
these percentages are underestim
ates .
Insiders estimate that at least
2,800,000 will be released from war
work and the armed services with
in a few months_ 4,700,000 within
six months Nevertheless, OWM
and WPB expect demand from
peacetime Industry for the next
year will be so intense as to create
a tight Ubor market for the coun
try as a whole Refusal of labor
to shift to labor shortage localities
may cause spotty unemployment
IN ANOTHER FEW MONTHS, re
duced wa meeds may loosen up 3
million tons of steel. Much will
go into civilian rehabilitation
Railroads and farm machinery will
come first—then trucks and buss
es. Radios and refrigerators will
get a little assistance, but only for
essential uses. Things like office
furniture will have to wait. By
midsummer the automobile indus
try may get going—at a rate ol
perhaps 2 million cars a year.
_
GERMAN SLAVE-LABOR: Prof
essor Varga, Soviet official, two
I years ago proposed that 10 million
| German men be put to work in
Russia for 10 years At Yalta,
Russia demanded that Germans be
imported to rebuild its ruined areas
At the first press conference after
Yalta, Roosevelt suggested "it
might not be a bad idea." In Mar
ch 9th Gallup poll, Americans by
71% to 20%, approved that 3 to 4
million German ex-soldiers be re
quired to spend two or three years
rebuilding destroyed. Russian cities.
Currently discussed proposal: 5
million Germans for five years
Soviet policy to spread this man
power throughout Russia Not be
ing allowed to bring along Ger
man women, many men during a
five-year period would marry Rus
sia girls. Children are raised most
ly by mothers; only the Russian
language would be taught in
schools; thus, the new generation
would be Russian. No resembl
ance to foreign colonies in which
entire families of a single nation
ality live.
Both BukmIsi anil Germany have
suffered ilevaMfatng loses in males
of military age. Hu*sin’» losses
II<»uIII be partly offset by this new
ly imported manpower. Postwar
Germany, further depleted of male
virility, would decline faster than
any great power Mince Carthage was
razed by Seipio in 1-Wi B.C.
These proposals draw sharp at
tack from groups headed by Doro
thy hompson and Norman Thomas
Their theme: "Not since ancient
times have citizens of a defeated
nation been carried off by the vic
tors into slavery.”
Friends of Russia reply: while
the men selected would be prison
ers in the sense that labor is in
voluntary^ they would be paid wag
es at prevailing Russian rate
Captive Germans who volunteer
are now being paid at usual piece
rates. Some energetic conscripted
German workers, it is claimed, are
making more than the Russians
working alongside of them
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSA
TION :I»ok for early Presidential
message to Congress on broadening
unemployment compensation Tru
man is expected to urge lengthen
ing unemployment coverage period
to 26 weeks at not less than $20 a
week .
Recent study shows that out of
43 million non-agricul.tural work
ers 13 million are not covered by
exiting unemployment compensat
ion laws.
10 Cents Worth of
GOOD READING, the
THE OMAHA
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