The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-14

Providence, R. l., March IA. - Im- mediate declaration by the United States and Great Britain as to how they propose to use their vast powers in the postwar period was urged here today by Ralph E. Fland- CTS, president of the New England Council. Flanders addressed bus 4neSs leaders from the six New England states assembled at the Providence-Biltmore Hotel in the 62nd Quarterly Meeting of the New England Council.
 "If the people of this nation are to wage the present conflict with the wholehearted faith and energy necessary to bring it to a successful conclusion, we must have a clearer picture as to both the national and international ends for which the conflict is being fought" the speaker declared.
 we face a situation today which is far greater and far more funda- mental than the narrow question of the physical defense of the United States. We are faced with an emergency which is going to de- termine for good or i'll the life of the citizens of this country for genera tions to come. All the nations hu- man groups and business activities are now nearing the point of sacri- flee. The question is: What is this sacrifice being asked for?
 Relationships
 We should now, at this point. be earnestly planning for the present and postwar relationships between agriculture, labor, business, and gov ernment. These proper relation ships are a part of the purpose for which we are arlning as the arsenal of democracy. The things we do i'll the process of arming, the institu- tions we set up, the habits of mind into which we allow ourselves to fall, may yet destroy within our bound- aries the institutions we are seeking to preserve outside those boundaries.
 Our record until now has been one of failure. The needed cooper ation has not been attained. The productive forces of the nation have not been tapped. It has taken new war to put us again on the road 10 full employment
 Therefore, one sector of this problem, on which we must be work ing now, is the problem of safe transition from wartime economy to a peace-time economy. It is pri- marily the problem of maintaining employment and more nearly at taining that equality of opportunity which is the American ideal. II international victory is not to end in national defeat. these matters must be a present serious concern. If we can work at them now, If the people of this nation as a whole are con- vinced that hopeful plans for these national ends are being developed now, they will the more wholeheart- edly submit to the sacrifices which are in store for them.
 For the transition from a high level of wartime production to @ corresponding peace-time produc- ton and consumption IS not impos- sible. It is physically quite possi- ble, end much useful thinking mas been done on the means. The main lack in preparation for the task lies in the lack of mutual under standing and cooperation between government. With that misunder- standing removed, wartime eX- penditure can be replaced by gov err1nental peace-time expenditure, and this in turn by the large pri- vate expenditure of a prosperous people.
 To What Ends?
 "The other great question - the international question - is this: To what ends will the achieved world dominion of England, China, and ourselves to be directed?
 "For the present, this question lies between England and ourselves. This likewise is not something to be put off until the wars end, to be dis cussed as an aftermath of victory. It is essential that it be made clear n0w