Evening star., 1932-06-20

Owen D. Young's address to the
graduating class of Notre Dame Uni
verslty has inspired much thought as
to the possibility Of greater efficiency
under the control of a dictatorship in
a national emergency. While his ad-
vice is Hospitality received, there is some
sentiment that executive strength is
, dependent on the possession of leader
ship by an executive under existing
constitutional provisions.
The statement by Mr. Young caus-
ing the controversy was, Our demo-
cratic government has from the be-
ginning insisted on sharply delegated
powers, with adequate checks and bal
ances, lest the sovereign yoke we threw
OH In the Revolution reappear to de-
stroy our political liberty It is cutie
explalnable, therefore, that a govern
ment OF powers widely distributed into
carefully segregated and insulated COM
partmentS should function under nor
NAL conditions and should fail us alto
gether when the avalanche comes"
"Mr. Young's plan," according to
the Lincoln State Journal, lis an in
dictment of our democratic govern
nent. The argument for the central
Aatlon OF authority in order that the
government may function quickly and
ditions, charges our system with failure
to measure up to all the trials put upon
it. And the failure is not hard to de-
tect. 1t is for that reason that Mr..
Young's arguments and his plan are
receiving careful consideration" The
Newark Evening News voices the iudp-
ment: THE Nation looks to the Presi-
dent for leadership President Lincoln
mad extraordinary powers in the Civil
War. Ditto for President Wilson in
the World War. Pres;GenJ Hoover and
the cabinet should have them in this
war"
Not many men of Mr.. Young's back
ham Age Herald, would dare to de-
plore the constitutional limitation
which hampers our democracy under
conditions such as have prevailed for
two years and half. But in this re-
spect, as In his appeal to the graduates
to beware of slogans while refusing
to be downhearted or embittered he
IS the social philosopher who lives IN
to the advice he gave to his listeners To
subject everything to the three tests
OF ldealsm, sound execution and
craftsmanship"
"Dictatorial tactics are urgently need
eo. argues the Ann Arbor Daily News.
with the comment: This does not
mean that the Nation wants or re-
qulreS a dictator of the Mussolini
stamp, but a compromise between him
and government by oratory and politi-
cal Self1shneSs begins to look like q
temporary necessity In these United
States
The Young speech puts the finger
on oennlte weaknesses of the present
oroer, advises the Rochester Times
Union, and that paper reviews the de-
tails OF what it considers the existing
need, with the statement: THE first
Is the gambling spirit. The difficulties
OF the present era are due in no small
degree to the fact that men would not
wait to take the gains that come from
the honest creation of real values, but
rushed to take advantage of all sorts
OF speculative gains Nor was this all.
They were ready to mortgage these an
t1c1pated gains to justify wild spending
IN the present. Such a situation was
bound to produce a violent reaction.
The evil is not one easily cured, because
1t cuts deep into the nature of human
character. But to point it out is to
contribute In at least some measure to
its solution. Mr.. Young also indicated
that our Government, with its elaborate
system OF checks and balances, is i'll
adapted to vigorous action in emergen-
cies. This IS absolutely true. Nor is it
any answer to say that sooner or later
we muddle through. There are occa-
sions when the element of time is de-