Evening star., 1938-03-01

powers arDltrarl-
ly, to fix prices, to limit output, in
short to do all those things fer war
purposes which it now is being sought
to do by the New Deal for purposes
Of fighting the depression.
Yet. out of an abundant experience
with the American economic system,
Mr.. Baruch utters words of caution.
He does not believe in frustrating
economic or human laws. He urges
that evils and abuses be curbed and
eliminated, but that experiments for
experimentation sake be abandoned
and that the administration choose
between a system Of private initiative
properly restrained and a system of
RECOMMENDATION that will lead eventually
to economic disintegration and ruin.
Devoted to President.
No man in the Democratic party
has been a more faithful giver of
funds. and without hope OF reward,
too. No man in the Democratic group
Of old Wilson followers has been per-
sonally more devoted to the President
than has Mr.. Baruch. While others
criticized and engaged in verbal at
tacks and sarcastic speeches, the
former head of the War Industries
Board confined his effort to personal
persuasion at the White House. Again
and again he urged counsel of mod
Grafton and urged upon the President
not to try to put reform too far ahead
Af rorNVorv RI
The fact that Mr.. Baruch speaks
his mind so comprehensively to the
Senate committee now is significant
apparently of his belief that the time
comes in crisis when 1t is the duty
OF every man Of standing to put aside
considerations of friendship and give
the public the benefit of his knowI-
edge and experience.
The members of the Senate, both
Republicans and Democrats, know Mr..
Baruch well. They know that, ever
since war days, he has not been ac-
lively engaged in business, but has
been spending his time and money on
research into national probe ms, hop
Ing to be Of help in formulating pro-
k1cccARc UAIIOIldl pOllCleS.
Intelligent Liberal.
Mr.. Baruch is what might be called
IN intelligent liberal" He has no
sympathy with the blindness Of the
forces Of reaction, even though his
early years were spent in Wall Street.
AZ q philanthropist and public-spir-
tied member Of the New York COM
munity Mr.. Baruch has become one
Of Americas most respected elder
statesmen.
For the last five years many people
have at times attributed to Nh. Baruch
An influence over New Deal policies
which was very much exaggerated. He
has been accused Of foisting the N.
r. A. on the Government, but the
truth is his advice was more often
ignored than accepted, something
which Is by no means to his discredit,
because the public knows today, in his
first extended statement on national
economic policy, that his views are
those OF sane liberal who believes in
the system of private initiative and
not those of radical or empiricist.
Mr. Baruch puts his finger on basic
causes. He sees in our inequitable tax
laws the origin Of the feeling of in
security which prevails throughout the
business world. He is dubious about
the future only because he wonders
whether government, and particu-
larly Congress. will wake to the dan
gers of indecision which lie across the
path Of the New Deal the zigzageing
from side to side and the constant
threats to the investment of the citi-
Den's savings.
Business Not Exonerated.
The wartime leader does not exon
crate business from blame, but points
TO faults that need correction. It is
easy to see that Mr.. Baruch believes
Mr.. Roosevelt has selected the wrong
approach and that it would have been
better il he had followed the Woodrow
Wilson formula. The wartime Presi-
Gent knew there were social as well
as economic evils in America, but
he did not believe in tampering with
what was good in order to reach at
. sporadic evil. He felt that it was
better tc concentrate on doing as
much as possible to eradicate abuses,
but he never thought it was wise for
the surgeon to use battle-axe. He
always advised the scalpel and urged
that the knife be used sparingly, at
least while the patient was being
nursed back to health.
Mr.. Baruch's frankly given advice
Is interesting not because he has said
anything that has not been said be-
fore. though he does express it in
well-rounded and pungent phrases.