Evening star., 1940-09-01
Text of WiI|kie Speech
Conscripting Industry Is Branded
Cheap Political Proposal

with the slightest knowledge of the
modern court interpretations knows
that the term facility" includes al
most every instrument in our eco
nomic life, including newspapers,
radio, agriculture, etc.
No Assurance of Redress.
Under the framing OF this amend
ment, there Is no assurance that
there would be true redress In the
courts. The courts would have power
to fix the compensation due the
manufacturer under the condemna-
tion proceedings. But no machinery
is set up to determine whether the
facility" is really needed for ma
tional defense, whether the agree
ment" sought by the Government
included reasonable price, whether
the manufacturer actually refused
to accept the agreement" etc. From
the day the bill is signed, any facil-
ity or industrial plant, big or little,
can thus be arbitrarily acquired and
the business ruined.
1t is hard for me to imagine a
quicker, more efficient way to under
mine American democratic institu-
tons and free enterprises. The
amendment is completely analogous
to the little subterfuges by which
relationships have been established
in Europe. 1t is said that these
powers ought to exist for the pur-
pose of holding club over indus
try but that they need not be used.
I am wholly in favor of provid-
ing the Government with enough
power to force a recalcitrant mi
nority of the industrial community
to cooperate with our defense pro-
gram. In my opinion, adequate
power already exists. But if Con-
gress wants to grant more powers,
these should be made specific and
the people of this country should be
protected against their abuse.
For by what token are we to
assume that the present admins
tratlon will not use these powers to
It's own political ends? The present
administration has sought more
power at every opportunity. Against
the spirit OF our form of government
1t sought to pack the Supreme
Court-and was rebuffed. It will
be rebuffed today if the present is
sue is clearly explained to the
American people.
Sees Capital Staying Idle.
1t Is said that this almost infinite
power Is needed to speed up the de-
tense program. In my opinion it
will have just the opposite effect. No
man with money to invest in new
piants-something We desperately
need-will risk that money If the
Government can subsequently con-
flscate the plant for arbitrary rea-
sons. The result is that our huge
funds of idle capital will remain idle.
our unemployed will remain idle
and the things that we so desper-
| ately need for our defense will re-
main 'on order"
The psychology of business under
such circumstances will be the psy-
chology of fear. After eight years
of it, we know the effects of the
psychology of fear-the unemploy-
ment. idle factories, demoraliza ton
of industry. agriculture and finance.
This is not the way to make our
selves strong.
The secret Of industrial produc-
tivity is confidence. And confidence
will prove to be the secret of our
defense.
There is tagged onto this amend
ment an ingenious sentence which
provides that nothing in the act
shall be construed as undermining
any State or Federal act regarding
labor. I believe this sentence should
be construed as supporting, among
other measures, the Wagner Labor
Rela tions Act, which guarantees the
right of collective bargaining.
Could Conscript Farms.
However. Mr.. Roosevelt has
already said that labor has no right
to strike against the Government.