Evening star., 1933-08-07
Blue Eagle or Boycott.

people ldSC lllSIlI ScIl. 11uSII II. ooihA
son, National Recovery Administrator,
called upon everybody to spend money
for unemployment, to buy needed
things. This, he said, is no time to
hoard and save money. If the people
do not spend now and get something
they will spend later for taxes and doles
and get nothing. Then, getting down
to specifications, he said
You should spend under the Blue
Eagle. If you spend there you are
spending for increased employment. II
you spend elsewhere you are hurting
the chance to end unemployment be-
cause you are helping to destroy the
business of the men who are paying
more for help, you are aiding those
who refuse to do so.
The usual timid minority which al
ways opposes q movement of this kind
calls this a boycott and holds up hands
in holy horror. saying that what is pro-
posed will ruin some worthy people
who cannot do what is necessary to get
the Blue Eagle We are making ar
rangementS to let the man who cannot
really cannot-do all things necessary
to get the full Blue Eagle, get one with
a white bar across its breast showing
the points on which that man Is tenn
porarily excused 1t will take another
'wo weeks to attend to all this. but
when that time comes no man III this
country who Is really doing his part
will have any excuse for non-member-
ship in N r. A-at least no excuse
good enough to warrant his asking for
patronage at the expense Of those who
lit hi yN1o
that attended to, it Is no boycott for
people who are sick of this curse OF
depression to patroniZe those who are
working to get us out OF 1t.
Gen. johnson does not avoid the
word boycott, which has a sinister
significance. The highest court has, In
the Danbury hatters case, held an Or
ganized boycott to be illegal and pun
ishable by the imposition Of damages
against those engaging in it. But the
impossibility Of such action against a
mass of people, consumers who refuse
to buy from firms and individual deal
ers who have not signed up under
the Blue Eagle, is evident. The right OF
the individual to choose the goods he
needs and the dealers who handle
them, In preference to other goods and
other dealers, cannot be questioned. II
his preference is based upon the failure
Of the manufacturer or dealer to align
himself with the policy Of the Govern
ment, adopted as an emergency meas
ure Of economic = cJvery, he Is still
within his right.
A boycott Is a weapon, welded tC
compel compliance with demands. The
courts have held that organizations
may not, without risk Of pecuniary
damages, use it to force the establish
ment Of wage scales. The buying
public is not an organization. The
organization that now in effect sug-
gests the boycott Of non-code producers
and distributors is virtually the Gov
eminent itself How could damages be
computed against either the Govern
ment or its agents Of compulsion, the
purchasers?
The fundamental purpose Of the
N. R. A. is to align all industries and
all distributors of wares, Of all kinds
in an economic solidarity, designed to
provide work for more people, better
pay and shorter hours for workers and
in consequence the broader distribution
of money for the general benefit Of in
dustry, OF business and of workers
The call that was sounded last night
by Gen. johnson is frankly that Of q
summons for cooperation, with the
boycott-refusal to deal with non
signers-as the means Of such cooper
alton. But the administrator does moi
specifically propose or urge the negative
method OF the boycott. He urges the
positive method Of dealing with the
signers. OF course the corollary leads
to the same end, and 1t leaves the Situ-
alton where 1t is decidedly to the ad-
vantage Of all who produce and dis
tribute the wares and services which
the people require to sign up In good
faith or lose trade.