Evening star., 1933-11-10

Self-government by industry subject
to supervision by Federal officials, as
proposed by Gerard Swope, has much
support in principle, but some observers
question its practicability and, among
the skeptics, the Baltimore Sun wants
to know whether Mr.. Swope has any
formula to prevent fatty degeneration
among industrialists.
''Mr. Swope, with daring and mag
ination," according to the Salt Lake
DeSeret News, attempts not to destroy,
but to gather for business all the ad-
vantages of the recovery act and at
the same time make industry as nearly
self-governing as modern needs and
dominating thought among the people
will permit. This is mean ground be-
tween the indtvidualism existing before
the days of mergers and trusts and
the threatened entrance of government
into SocialiZed industry" The Rutland
Herald sees in the proposal a prospect
of early withdrawal Of the Government
from anything like direct dictatorship
over business, although it will probably
continue to reserve the extraordinary
powers conferred by the national re-
covery act-at least until Congress
meets in January"
"Mr. Swope," in the opinion Of the
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the President and 1t looks like a good
kite" The Union believes that his idea
is intended to provide for the enforce
ment OF the codes, now practically COM
pleted, which have been hampered by
the temporary nature Of their admin
istration." Suggesting that Mr.. Swope
was chosen to give the country a pic
ture of the permanent objective" and
the San Diego paper describes him as
liberal, intellectual, forceful and one
Of the really big men Of American
induStrialism."
There are those in high places" says
ing that the old philosophy Of capi-
talism uncontrolled will never come
back in America and, for that matter,
should never come back; that the meth
ods and systems and processes which
governed the economic machine in this
country have demonstrated their in
herent weaknesses and produced the
chaos in which the country founders
at this moment. 1t is conceivable that
this view can be substantiated and that
the reason America cannot return to
the era OF uncontrolled business and
industry Is not so much because of the
socialized sentiment that has been and
Is now being developed. but because the
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q world made vastly more complex than
1t was yesterday, will not permit it,
The basic difference between the
N. R. A. and the Swope plans" ex-
plains the New York Sun, "lies in the
balance Of responsibility At present
the Government is at the throttle. Not
only Is the day-by-day course of the
Nations business directed by the au-
thorities at washington, but the un-
certaintieS and the dissatisfaction over
results arise directly from this de-
pendence on government. BY the
Swope plan business would find itself |
on the road back to self-dependence,
while the best features of the N. r. A |
would serve as guide. Putting the |
operation Of all codes into the hands |
of National Chamber Of Commerce and |
Industry would throw the weight of |
responsibility where it can be most ef- |
fective. 1t would relieve the Govern
ment Of a mass OF detail work and !
reduce growing bureaucracy 1t
would block OF the business of industry |
from political influence. It should pre-
vent labor troubles that grow out of |
excessive authority In conflict with |
business. Y& the Government would !
retain the power to veto changes In