Evening star., 1940-09-01
BY the Associated Press.

RUSHVILLE, Ind, Aug. 3f.-Wen.
dell L. Wtllkie, Republican prestden.
ttdI nominee, issued the tollotCino
statement today:
Twice within the last 48 hours
have asked President Roosevelt
simple question-is he for or is he
against the Overton Russell amend
ment? The President replied that
he did not comment on pending leg
islation or amendments thereto. He
has, of course, commented many
times on pending legislation and
amendments and did so no later
than two weeks ago on an amend
ment to the same bill.
The Cverton- Russell amendment
was introduced In the United States
Senate by two New Deal Senators
1t was supported Friday in the
Senate by a large number of other
New Deal Senators. 1t is, there
fore, a fair assumption, in view Of
the Presidents obvious avoidance
and the action of his party leaders
istration measure.
The consequences of the passage
of this amendment will fall heavi-
est upon American labor and those
of small means. You cannot con-
script industry without conscriptine
labor. You cannot conscript in
dustry without stagnating the func-
ton of our economic life. The ar
bitrary power to seize our instru-
ments Of production Is almost as
serious as their actual seizure.
Calls 1t "Cheap Proposal"
This amendment is cheap politi-
cal proposal Of the kind which
brought France to it's destruction
1t is defended by the catch phrases
Of politicians with which the Amer
lean people are so completely weary
The politicians of France by arous-
ing the prejudices of the people, de-
stroyed the effectiveness Of French
industry, nationalized portions OF
the productive capacity with the
inevitable result of disaster. failure
and defeat. The slaughtered mil
lions of brave French soldiers con-
stitute a tragic monument to such
demagogic legislation and the false
leadership of politicians who either
did not understand or else cared
more for Office than for their coun-
try.
Several years ago these same
catch-phrases were used to drive
American industry out of the pro-
duction of high explosives. Today the
United States is without any real
productive capacity for the manu-
facture of high explosives and pow
der so basically necessary for war
If this amendment passes, it will
be disastrous to the building of an
adequate defense in the United
States. The issue Is that vital. II
would be much wiser for the Amer
lean people to authorize their Gov
eminent to Immediately take over
our entire economic life than tc
thus hamstring, stagnate and rem
der ineffective the functioning oi
our economic system. I again call
upon the President of the United
States to state his views.
Says L. S. Must Remain Free,
We in America have two great OBJ
jectives today. We must prepare
ourselves in industry, in agricul-
ture and in arms to defend this
country from any possible attack
And We must preserve our liberties
for ourselves and our children. Sc
far as 1 am concerned I would
dread the achievement of one OF
these objectives without the
achievement of the other. The
United States must become strong
but it must remain a free land for
free men.
In conformance with those OBJ
jectlves We must in a time of emer-
gency land I believe that this is
such time) be willing to lend our
Government enough extraordinary
powers to speed up the defense
program. But We must never lend it
much less give it-more power
than it needs to help us accomplish
that job. We must not set up q
dictatorship to fight the dictators.
The Overton-Russell amendment
grants to the Federal Government
absolute and arbitrary control over
virtually our entire economic sys-
tenn without any safeguards to our
freedom. An administrator that
so desired could, by the use of this
amendment, step into any radio
station, newspaper, manufacturing
enterprise or any other facility"
and take it over. The sole pretext
would be failure to reach an agree
ment with the owners. Any one