Evening star., 1937-03-08
CHASE SEES TURN
TO COLLECT|V|SM
NECESSARY|N
Economist Defends Role of
Government in Business
at Town Hall.
REVISED N. R. A. HELD
"VERY MUCH IN ORDER"
Approval of Presidents Court
Plan Brings Applause and
Polite Kisses.

Defending government In business,
Stuart Chase, economist and author
last night told the Town Hall thai
specialization and the machine have
brought an epoch to an end" and that
the United States must of necessity
follow the world trend toward collec-
tivism
A crowd that filed the main ball
room at the Shoreham heard the
speech and took part in the open
discussion that followed the Gus
tomary questioning by the panel.
Emphasizing that he would be
the last one to argue that the Gov
ernment should feed and care for
me from cradle to grave" Chase
said that nevertheless there Ia
definite place for government In
modern life, and that this is to act as
co-ordinator in the complexities
that have arisen. The community
must do the essential things that an
individual cannot do for himself,
he added.
The goal to be aimed at. Chase
said, is community survival" and
this, he amplifled. means broadly,
Jobs and security with the Govern
ment cooperating with private in
dustry.
Revised N. r. A." Discussed.
Specifically. he replied, in answer
to question by DR. Leverett S. Lyon,
vice president of Brookings Insti-
tuition, a member of the panel, "a
revised N. r. A., taking in reasonable
hours. minimum wages and abolition
OF child labor, is very much IN
order"
Linked with this, he continued, lis
| the whole question of national re-
sources Amplifying the speaker
explained that erosion control, flood
control anti-pollution and grazing
are problems that demand attention.
| not only for the continued existence
Of the country. but also as a mearr.
of putting millions of men to work
from the lowliest of labor to tn.
most skilled technicians."
! AS to those vino raise the question
OF expense, Chase said that I'VE can
not afford not to do it."
The farm problem also must be
solved, he insisted, or those who sup
ply our food will revolt" He doubteo
the soil conservation plan, substi-
tuted for the A. A. A., would work ir
the manner its sponsors hope.
Chase SroFad of he iJao that
! program he feels must be devised
would lead either to Communism or
Fascism. Rather, he thinks that the
co-operatives of Sweden offer a sug-
gestion of a solution, although he
agreed the Swedish plan might not
work in this country because of the
different temperament of the people
In the final analysis, he wondered
he said, if it will not be possible to
devise an American way to do the
things that must be done
Doubts Experimentation.
DR.. r. G. Steinmeyer of the Uni
versity of Maryland, another Of the
panel, asked if Chase thinks the
United States lis in for a definite
period of experimentation" but got a
negative reply.
We've got to push ahead boldly
with our plan and educate for all
we're worth" he said. In the same
connection. in response to a query
from the floor, Chase agreed that ar
institution for the training of civilian
personnel for government work along
the lines of West Point and Annapolis
would be helpful. More and more
he finds. he said, that young men and
women are taking deeper interest ir
government service.
So far as concerns those who criti-
cize government in business, Chase
pointed out, former President Hoover
confronted with the depression, Gre
ated the Reconstruction Finance
Corp. in an effort TO stave of col.
lapse
Alfred P. Sloan, jr., head of Genera
Motors, Chase said, had declared that
Government creates nothing" but
"if the Government hadn't built
roads. where would Mr.. Sloan be?'
He also jibed at the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers, who, 'tc
use the choice language of one Of it:
members, 'ganged up on the New
Deal and called, throw the Gov
ernment out
What If Tariff Is Dropped?
Suppose the Government hac
taken them at their word and thrown
out the TARIFF" he quered. The Ma
tional Association of Manufacturer:
would have moved heaven. earth ano
hell to have imports regulated"
Wilson M. Compton, secretary anc
manager of the National Lumber
Manufacturers Association and pro-
fessor of economics at George Wash
ington University, the third member
of the panel. told Chase that al
though I think we can get along with
out rugged individualism, I do thinE
we need a few more rugged indi'
viduals."
Chase's sturdy defense of the ad.
ministration, in particular the spend
ing which he said had created $ll.'
600 10000 new purchasing power
even if there had been waste, drew
applause The assertion he favored
President Roosevelt's Supreme Cour
plan also brought hand-clapping, bu
intermingled with good-natured misses
Lothrop Stoddard presided in the
absence of DR.. John w. Studebaker
commissioner of education.