The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-08-28
Suppose Hitler
Stubs His Toe?

In a grass-covcrcd triangle in
historic Pennsylvania avenues eel
bow where it Obliginglv stops to
keep from running into the Treas
ury building. stands a temporary
glass house. Around it are booths
and tents. a bandstand, and fierce
looking cannon. In the glass house
defense bonds are sold. In the
booths, there are representatives of
the Red Cross and the United Serv-
ice organizations. Recruiting Of
fcers for the army, navy, and ma
rlnes will politely explain the tools
of their trade.
That square is the symbol of this
capitol city. once more a soothing
town, into which government work
erS have poured at the rate Of 5000
a week for a whole year. And still
they come. New government build
ings have pushed far outside Wash
ington's borders. across the Poto-
mac. One after another. apartment
houses are being changed into Of
fees.
Dollars pour ont of the treasury
at the rate Of moro than a billion
a week.
That's Washington today.
If a Toe Is Stubbcd.
But suppose that Hitler stubs his
toe!
Suppose he doesn't stub it until
l944-that is when we will have
reached full production. total en-
ploymcnt-and suddenly peace is
upon us.
Over night. %, 600, 900 men will
have to find new jobs because
planes and ships and tanks and
bombs and shells will be a drug on
the market.
Three and a half million more
men in the armed services will have
to be demobilized, and most of them
will have to earn their keep at
peaceful trades.
There are some people who think
it is not quite patriotic to think
about such things. right now. But
the thoughtful ones know that prep
aration for peace is an even bigger
problem than preparation for war
and is hardly soon enough to
begin thinking about it.
Planning Board.
And so they are thinking about it.
Especially a little group with mod
est offices in the state department.
the National Resources Planning
board.
The chairman of this board is
Frederic Delano; one of the vice
chairmen is the noted political sci
enlist, Charles Edward Merriam.
The board was established in 1889,
under the Reorganization act, as a
principal division of the executive
office of the President. 1t operates
with technical assistance, co-operat-
ing with federal, state, regional and
private agencies and institutions,
preparing reports and outlining
plans and programs on the use and
COIlSeI VdLIOll O1 NATURAL RESOURCES.
Right now. this board is begin
ming the tremendous job of prepar-
ing for peace. Its members believe
that switching back to production
for peace will be easier than switch
ing over to production for war.
These planners say that produce
ton of peacetime goods can be
balanced by consumption; that the
process, thanks to this nations
great resources, will pay for itself,
and that a higher standard Of living
will be possible for everyone.
Two things are necessary to
achieve this end: First, detailed
planning. Second, cooperation of
government, industry, agriculture
and labor. AS in all such govern
ment-guided efforts, the degree of
cooperation obtained will deter
mine the amount of regulation re-
quired, SO that, in the end, it comes
down to the individual. In the
hands of each of us rests the solu-
ton of this great problem-the prep