Evening star., 1940-05-15


events in terms of their own selfish
ambitions, little realizing that if
Americas unity in the face of ma
tional peril is to be achieved, it will
have to be by eradication of class
conflict and much Of the so-called
social legislation which has been
put on the statute books.
For one thing, the wage and hour
law will have to be scrapped in the
larger industries, at least, as the
demand grows for speedier produc-
ton and ovsrtime shifts. Technical
Quibbling by means of such conflict
provoking institutions as the pres
ent Labor Board will have to be
summarily ended. Business will not
be able to reach higher production
levels unless output per man can
be materially increased. France
found the 40-hour week was the
main reason for her delay in getting
armament, and England had to
abandon the shorter work week.
Regulation of Profit.
On the side Of management and
capital there will doubtless be lmi-
tation and sharp regulation of prof
its. But unless collectivist system
is to be accepted-and its introduce
ton will mean a long period of dis
unity-the only way to get higher
and higher production is by an ex-
pansion of the present economic
system operated by the present
managers Of private business.
The third-term debate comes
into the problem very directly. If
Mr.. Roosevelt is to be accepted as
third-term candidate, he must rid
the Government Of the radical ele-
ments which are really interested
in imposing a collectivist system.
Unless the President can give busi-
nessmen the assurance that he will
play ball with them and not use the
war to allow more Government own
ership and more delegation Of power
in the hands of collectivists, there
will be tragic area Of disunity.
Undoubtedly Herr Hitler is count
ing on American incapacity to unite
in a crisis. He counted heavily on
the chickering's inside the British
and French democracies, and he
judged the two countries well.
Unparalleled Apprehension.
The plight Of the allies has
brought the beginnings of a period
Of unparalleled apprehension. Con-
fldence in the ability Of the allies
to hold on until the United States
can bring help is being impaired
by the news bulletins from abroad.
If the British and French have a
well-prepared plan Of defense and
are in a position to hold of their
enemy until next spring, then Amer
tcan aid may be expected to be
forthcoming, but the Nazi war
march is form Of propaganda that
is beginning to do on this side of
the Atlantic what it has done to all
neutrals In Europe-paralyze peo-
Piles into inaction.
What can America do to help?
No longer is there much talk Of
what is neutral or unneutral.
The simplest approach to the
problem would seem to be to build
In the United States q huge war
laboratory with tens of thousands
of planes In production and with a
war machine designed for our own
use, but giving its immediate output
to the allies at low cost. The re-
vision OF the johnson Act and other
laws might take considerable time
and produce more cleavages inside
the United States. But there is
no law to prevent sales Of surplus
property or war materials If carried
away by foreign governments. In
stead Of credits to the allies, the
American Government might buy
the output of all airplane factories
and stimulate, through the r. F. C..
capital loans, the building Of more
and more plants.
Appropriations Are Flexible.
Federal appropriations for war
purposes are usually phrased in a
flexible way, and If purchases by the
American Government were CEN
tralized and planes sold to foreign
governments direct through foreign
purchasing commissions working In
close cooperation with the Ameri-