Evening star., 1940-03-05
SchweIlenbuch
Continued From Page B-14.)

leaves a true net increase IN the
national debt of S10,475 ,00OO Of
this, $4,000 100000 was spent paying
of the obligation created during the
Coolidge administration for the SOL
diers' bonus. Deducting this 81
OOO, 100000 payment, which should
not be charged against President
Roosevelt, you have an actual net
increase in the national debt up to
December 81 of S8,475 900, 900. The
deductions that 1 have made are
actual cash deductions, but that
doesn't mean that the country as
a whole hasn't many other assets
for the money which was spent. We
have school buildings, public build
lngs, highways and streets, water
works, reclamation and power dams,
airports, rural electrification lines.
There isn't time to list them all or
give the amount for each. But these
items of a permanent nature, which
have been added to the total ma
tional wealth. have value of s13,-
50o000,000. In addition to that we
spent $4,500,000,000 on national de-
lenses. Certainly, nobody today re-
grets that investment.
The third cnarge is that President
Roosevelt has let labor run wild. We
have had too many strikes. The
other night heard over the radio a
speaker tell of the Railroad Brother
hoods record during this last 10
years. with no strikes, no contracts
broken by either side. I thought,
why couldn't all labor unions be like
the Railroad Brotherhoods. Then I
remembered 1916 when they were
fighting for an eight-hour day. got
some Of the magazines of that day.
I found there the same attacks upon
the railroad brotherhoods that are
now being made upon the A. F. of L..
and the G. 1. O. Let me read briefly
from one of them which is typical:
Are the patriotic citizens of
! this country going to remain inert
: and let this disease continue it's
ravages? Are they going to let
the barons of organized labor
secure stronger and stronger
hold on their Government until
this Nation will be converted into
mere mobocracy?
That is what they then said about
the Railroad Brotherhoods. Both
sides to that controversy have since
learned how to deal with each other
amicably. So long as we have the
Weirs and the Girdlers dominating
nl1r in61,Strio1 ccopo met co 1oro WI
we have labor controversy.
Industry's Return Higher.
The fourth charge is that business
can no longer operate at a profit.
The facts are that during the three
years from 1886 to 1888, inclusive, the
net profit of industry averaged 83
per cent on net worth, the highest
return ever made by American in
dustry; this compared with 6.5 per
cent in the three years from 1927 to
1929. The fact is that last years
figures show a substantial increase
In net profit over the year before.
For the last six and one-half years
we have heard scare stories None of
them proved true. You were told
that Roosevelt was to plunge us into
imitation. Yet today the American
dollar is the soundest and most
sought-after currency in the world
You were told when we passed
the Wheeler Rayburn bill public
utilities stock values would be de-
stroyed. Since then, the average
index figure for utilities common
stocks has gone up from 63 to SO.
You were told that the President
wanted to control the courts in
order that he might destroy your
liberties. Yet three weeks ago the
Supreme Court, majority of which
he has now appointed, handed down
the most outstanding opinion sup
porting the liberties of the people
1t has ever rendered.
You were told that if we passed
the reorganization bill, Roosevelt
would become dictator. Yet the
two reorganization orders he has
sent to the Congress were ap-
proved almost without debate.
You were told last fall when we
passed the Presidents neutrality
bill that within two months we
would be at war. The leadership of
Franklin Roosevelt has kept and
will keep us at peace.
Republican speakers rely chiefly
upon their prediction that disaster
Is just around the corner. Fortu-
nately for the American people that
seems to be the same elusive cosler
around which Hoover promised to
dnd prosperity.
These last 10 years have been
cruel ones everywhere. All about
US we see civilization threatened.
The rest of the world is at war. We
are at peace. The economic struc-