Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-18
By HUGH S. JOHNSON

WASHINGTON, March 49,
w Appropriations or authoriz-
ing the spending of vast quanti-
ties of money in record time
without much. if any, dissent
certainly is an indication of
unity. American d e m racy
demonstrated in 1918 that it
was more efficient in organiza-
ton and production of defensive
power than regimented German
autocracy.
The appropriation of money,
as planlessly done then as now.
was a means to that end-but it
was not that end.
Anybody can authorize spend
ing in any neutrality-suspicious.
even stopping to consider where
the money is coming from or
what the effect of il will be. 1t
can be done with a few pen
strokes.
IT IS easy. too, II sufficient au-
L thority is granted, to get out
an edict or decree. providing that
no more aluminium, for example,
shall be used for civilian uses,
that no more civilian automo.
biles shall be made and no more
planes furnished for any but
military aviation.
But these spectacular, easier
ways are not the final or even
necessarily the efficient methods
of doing the tremendous job
ahead-the job of gearing the
all-powerful American industrial
machine up to the disgorging OF
the required avalanche of war
material necessary for the pur-
pose to which we are COM
mitted.
Nor can that purpose be ac-
complished without a far better
organization and unification of
government with industry and
labor, of industry itself, labor
itself. and of the whole people,
through planning and leadership.
TO a combined and even inspired
purpose to one single end--a
maximum American effort to do
its part ito fight the war. 10
win the war and above all. for
America as we understood il,
to survive the war"
THAT just isn't being done
Il quickly enough or thoroughly
enough to do credit relatively to
our own past experience or COM
paratively with British or Ger
man experience.
Consider the question of or
ganization of industry to counsel
with, receive the demands of
government, and meet them, in
dustry by industry. in a COM
pletely modified effort with the
greatest possible speed and the
least waste. confusion and dislo-
cation.
To do that there should be a
representative committee OF
each great industry sitting in
Washington constantly with
representative committee of the
government supply departments
under an impartial chairman
representing for the President,
the whole people of the United
States. Nothing of the sort ex-
lists.
INTERFERENCE with normal
L employment and production
must be done fearlessly wher-
ever necessary-but with care
and wisdom. Preservation OF
civilian morale and our eco
nomic system is also principal
war policy.
Take the question Of the
aluminium shortage, If any. Tons
of aluminium have been dis
tributed to American homes and
factories over decades.
How much of it could be salv-
aged and reclaimed now? No
body knows.
But if. under proper govern
mental guidance, the Boy Scout
and Girl Scout organizations of
America were turned loose 10
find out by a quick canvass,
house to house. factory to fac
tory and scrapyard to scrap
yard. we perhaps would know
in a week or two
MAYBE that wouldn't pro-
NI duce much aluminium. but
il would do something more of
infinite Importance.
1t would convince our people
that employment in aluminium
fabrication had not been need
lessly sacrificed.
1t would give every one of
these boys and girls and, TO
some extent, every household in
this country some little part in
this united effort
Similar moves should be made
to find something for civilian
organizations in our great ma
ton of congenital "joiners" to
do to advance this whole de-
Tense effort. Give everybody
something to do.
A MOTHER thing that seems