Evening star., 1933-05-28
INDIVIDUALISM is VICTOR
NU. S. INDUSTRY CONTROL
Temporary Emergency Powers Provided
and Wartime Leader Is Expected
to Carry Out Spirit.

trial organization. But We shall have
an opportunity. at the md of the two
year emergency period, to pass judg-
ment on whether and how much We
wish to keep.
1 have described the new regime in
industry by analogy to the draft act
during the war. There is even closer
analogy to the mobilization of industry
which took place at the same time.
That wartime control of industry by
government. acting through the War
Industries Board was similar to but
went further than the present control.
But at the end of the war the thing
was scrapped completely. All the re-
strictions were lifted. and industry al
lowed again to 60 its own way according
to the old American principle Similarly,
the spirit that has dominated the writ
ing OF the present bill. and seems likely
to dominate its administration, contem-
plates that so soon as this emergency
war against depression is won, every
thing in this bill shall be scrapped-
excepting. as 1 have said. the possibility
that through the coming experience we
may learn some things which We may
freely decide to keep.
In all this the personality of Gen.
johnson Is conspicuous factor. In
addition to the draft. Gen. Johnson also
was one of the principal administrators
Tin association with Bernard M Baruch.
head Of the War Industries Board) of
the wartime control of industry and
now. apparently, he is to be admins
traitor of the present emergency con-
troll. Because the word general" ap-
pears before his name, it is commonly
assumed his experience has been mill
tary only and that. because he is mill
tary. he tends toward the autocracy
which America instinctively fears. The
fact Is Gen. johnson has had business
experience. knows business by partici-
patton in business-and is by tempera-
ment the strongest. Of individualists.
Wide Power Provided.
Let no one doubt that the control
of the industry bill will give. and the
administrator of it will possess, very
great power-what Gen. johnson saws,
goes. This bill has got to-" But
the nature of the power is aptly de-
scrlbed by phrase which came to the
lips of President Woodrow Wilson at
the time the war time control of indus
try was being devised-the phrase has
remained to this day a familiar quo
tatlon among those lieutenants of Will
son who managed the war. The power
is "a club behind the door" not to be
used If use Of it can be avoided, but
always within reach Of the admins
traitor, and, more important, always
present In the minds OF those business
men who are obliged to realize that
either they must cooperate along lines
springing voluntarily from themselves
or submit to orders issued by the Gov
crnment administrator.
In such a Government control of in
dustry as we are now about to embark
on, the spirit of the administrator is
almost everything. The bill contains
a may" and must" 1t is to be
operated, just SO far as possible through
the ''may"-but the must" Is always
there.
What will happen is that the Govern
ment administrator (Gen. johnson pre-
sumably) will send for the leaders of
one industry after another. Probably
the first will be the great industries
which compose some 10 per cent of the
whole, steel and iron, coal. oil, the
motor industry and one or two others
| The administrator will probably deal
with the already existing trade asso-
citation in each industry. To them the
administrator will say in effect: Get
together, agree among yourselves on a
minimum wage, hours Of labor and
other regulations which are practicable
in your particular industry"
The self-determined rules thus ar
rived at will, in probably 10 times out
of 20, be approved by the Government
administrator there must al
ways be. With this accomplished the
industry can be of to go its way to-
ward the resumption Of larger activity
which Is the essential aim Of the new
regime. Among other advantages. each
CONTINUED on Third Page.)