Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-12-06
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Washington, d. C.
WAR EFFORT

clifton and lnSlStence that demOc-
racy can't fight dictatorship with
out creating a dictatorship in itself.
It is not true but, like SO much other
sloganeering, things constantly re-
peated have way of getting them
selves accepted even without much
debate, especially if they have some
truth or an appearance of truth.
II is true that complete involve
ment in major war requires in
creased centralized power in gov
eminent and temporary surrender
Of some civil right, but what is thus
necessary falls far short of a do
nestle dictatorship.
What this country did in industrial
mobilization for our last war was
so effective that most warning ma
tons have copied the general plan
with their own variations-especial-
ly. Germany. Woodrow Wilson got
about what he asked for, but the
statutory dictatorial powers he used
were very slender.
AS far as industry was concerned,
the whole structure was built on two
powers-one was the power to COM
mandeer factories, the other was the
prescribed priority lists"-state-
ments of government needs for the
products of industry which the ad-
ministration decided must be filled
before any other orders. Comman-
deering differed very little from the
peacetime power of eminent domain
If the government needs proper
ty and the owner is unwilling to
sell the administration takes it over
and the courts determine what is
lust compensation" to be paid to
the owner.
Ii was not the use of these pow
ers, but their existence and the
tni"aI of them that enabled the gov
eminent to get what it wanted. In
almost all cases, mere request with
no threat or use of power was all
that was needed. In time of war,
in this country nearly all of bust
ness is eager to do its part.
But as in all such community eff
forts, there is always little "chisel-
ing fringe" of slackers who try TO
take advantage Of the burdens borne
by their more unwilling competition.
Both to make the combined effort eff
fective and to protect the patriotic
from the greedy, it is advisable
sometimes to get tough with this
gentry and it is necessary to be
able to do so.
Except for the railroads and a
telegraph company, which rested on
a different basis, outright comman-
deering was used only once. That
statement once before made in this
column has been challenged. 1t is
correct. The case was that of the
Smith and Wesson Manufacturing
company for refusal to accept an
award of the national war labor
board.
There was no press censorship ex-
cept the willingness of the entire
press voluntarily to comply with
suggestions of the administration.
There was tight control of exports,
as there is now. Food supply was
pretty thoroughly regulated by a
control of profits rather than of
prices and of a licensing system
governing distribution.
That was as near as this country
came to dictatorship in the greatest
military and industrial effort ever
made up to that time. 1t is as near
as is necessary now.
AID TO BRITAIN
William Allen White, who is chair
man of the Committee to Aid Brit
ain, thinks congress should pass
some kind of resolution announc-
ing which side we are on in the
present world conflict-not a dec
laration of war.
There isn't much doubt which side
we are on in our hearts. Actions
speak louder than words. By our
actions, as the President has said,
we are sending Britain all the aid
we can just now-unleSS we decide
to finance her war. Short of a dec
laration of war such declaration of
sympathy seems unnecessary and,
at first glance, not very important.
On the other hand, many people
in this country fear the direction in
which we are headed as path lead
ing straight to war. They are for
aid to Britain-with two important
qualifications. First that we do not
weaken our own defensive prepara-
tons, second, that we do not do
such things as will make war inev-
table.
In this state of affairs and un-
certainty about public opinion and
in this fog Of misinformation or no
information about just what is in
volved in this question, ! doubt II
Mr.. Whites idea about congress
sional resolution is as unimportant
as II seems. There is yet time and
there Is not yet any such hysteria
n would prevent q full and fairly
free debate.