The people's voice., 1940-08-07
BY FARM RESEARCH

The hottest" thing in town during
the past ten days is still the Burke
Wadsworth Compulsory Military Serv
ice bill, HR 10094, S 4164. After hav
ing approved item by item every fea
ture Of draft bill, the Senate com
mittee on military affairs suddenly
baked and refused to take the sole
remaining step, that of reporting the
bill out.
Meeting in executive session OF
July 30, and shaken by the enormous
rising tide of opposition to this bill
the senators on the committee split
wide open, the republicans refusing
to vote for the bill until the president
who is already on record in favor OF
the principles of the bill, shall commit
himself specifically upon it, and the
democrats accusing the republicans of
making political capital out of nation
al defense, and vice versa. On July
81 the Senate committee amended the
age limits of the drafting age to the
period 21 to 81, rather than IL to
65 but even so, has not yet reported
the bill out
Incidentally, with this blow off, the
hearings continued in the House on
the same bill, before the House COM
mittee on military affairs. Here, be-
| fore packed chamber, much of the
opposition that was so slow to rally
while the measure was pending be-
fore the Senate committee was ex-
pressing itself The chairman of the
committee, Congressman May, who
had stated that the hearings would
be closed by Friday, July 26, because
found himself unable to stem the
stream of witnesses appearing against
the bill. Often, when the witnesses
would score point against the meas
ure, demonstrations by way of ap-
plause and cheers rocked the room.
Mail is flooding the congressional Of
fices as it has not since the days of
the supreme court fight.
This bill is not dead yet, and is still
the most dangerous menace on the
agenda. But, if the wave of opposi-
tion continues, it will soon be thor
oughly and completely routed. Or
ganization opposition to this bill, ini-
TALLY led by large sections Of the
Farmers Union, has been followed by
churches of all denominations, youth
groups, peace groups, and most re-
Gently by John L. Lewis on behalf of
the CLIO, who stated on July 80 at
the convention of the United Automo-
bile Workers of America:
"The CLIO has taken a position
against the measure. If an army |
Of such magnitude G. million) were
built, just as sure as the sun rises |
tomorrow, by that act of congress
there will be planted the seeds of the
destruction of America"
Tax Bill
Further reflecting the indecision
If congress at this juncture, the Sen
lte committee, the House committee
ind the Treasury department, have
Zach in turn disagreed with the other,
Is to the type of tax bill that had beed
lgreed upon as the proposed excess
Profits tax BILL Readers will remem-
,er the Presidential declaration of
uly l, calling for "a sharply grad
lated tax on corporate and Industrial
rofits,' and the strike by business
hat thereafter ensued when the gov
sought to purchase defense
materials. 1t was agreed thereafter,
n or about July IL, that the tax meas
re would repeal the Vinson-Trammel
90 profit limitation act and to pass !
egislation permitting the amortiza-
ion of new plants within five years
With large interests opposing taxa
ion of excess profits in individual in
ONES, and corporate interests oppos- >
lg profit limitation, and the Treas
ry department already having made
le agreement that it has, this con- =
lsion is not surprising, for there is L
cry little left upon which the govern
lent can impose an excess profits
TX. Nevertheless, 1t is likely that u
ome bill will be proposed, inasmuch Y
8 the administration is committed to q
lie introduction of bill at least bear Il
lg the title of excess profits tax" =
Il
Cartel u
The proposal of Pan-American :,
artel to purchase and dispose of y
emispheric surpluses, has been cold =
louldered by South American repre- =,
ntatives. The logical place to have :,
'ocured such an agreement was of =,
'urse at the Pan-American Confer 3;
ice at Havana, which has just termi- -
tied. The best that our State de-
lrtment could procure in the way of =,
int action among the South Ameri-
n republics with our own, was moral a.,
cognition, of qualified form of the i,
Onroe Doctrine = still long way ",
pm the principles of an economic !, !,
ion that would purchase surpluses -,
d jointly market them. Canadian -,
leat interests, with 240 million - :,
shell carry-over which they would o.