Evening star., 1941-10-31
Sees World New Deal
To Follow Present War
Economic Philosopher Expects
Extension Of Benefits
In Not Too-Distunt Future
ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE


ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE
SECOND WORLD WAR. BY Lewis
l.. Lorwin. Random House, New York.
When the armistice ending the sec
ond World War is signed, one thing i'm
mediately will become apparent. The
mere restoration of peace will not mean
a miraculous change in the social ana
economic conditions of the world, no
matter how much either OF the two
combatants may desire such a change.
In the event of democratic victory, no
worldwide Utopia suddenly Will come
to life. On the other hand, if the NaZls
win they even then will not find their
former enemies ready to submit meekly
to their totalitarian doctrines.
Thus, Lewis L. LorWin in this book
may be said to have embarked upon an
extremely hazardous enterprise. NO
matter how well-founded in theory his
opinions concerning the consequences of
the present war may appear, they are
by no means unquestionable.
For example, Mr.. Lorwin states that
the Germans, if they defeat Britain,
still will allow London to function as an
international economic center, although
secondary to Berlin. But this seems un-
likely in the light of the German policy
of seeking military domination as the
only method of insuring economic doml-
nation. Such methods already have
made Paris and Vienna insignificant.
limo the
peaceful evolution of a United States
of Europe" while he perSistently char
acterizes them with such adjectiveS as
hard headed" and practical" do not
seem to be sufficiently different from the
conceptions of Aristide BRAND to ensure
their success. AS for plans for a Fed
eral Air Force" to police all Europe
under international control, how many
would-be Hitlers would engage in bloody
intrigues to gain command of it!
In point of fact, however, Mr.. LorWin
is neither a Nostradamus nor a H. G.
Wells. His predictions constitute
minor part of his work. Most of this
volume is an analysis of economic trends
during the past 20 yearS-their causes,
their development and their present
status. AS such, despite the breadth OF
the subject this is a well-done job. re-
f1ecting such an amount Of scholarly
research as would seem almost impossible
for one student.
He demonstrates, for example, the
broad trend of internationalism that
rose during the 20s and ebbed during the
3OS. when, in order to combat a uni
versal depression, the various states OF
the world turned to purely national re-
organization and attempted self-Sufh-
cheney. He analyzes in detail the effect
of chronological development and shows
the increasing power of labor, the new
found importance of the technical expert
and the scientist, and the decline OF the
speculating businessman.
Perhaps the best part of Mr.. Lorwin' S
book is the first 10 pages. There is de-
picted briefly and clearly the insurgence
of German National Socialism. The
blood myth" and the medieval concept
of the nobility or elite. are the founda-
tions which are laid deep in the history
Of Germany for two hundred years. To
this was added the Bismarckian mill
tarism of Prussia and an autarchical
economic system that permeates every
activity of the lives of the peoples under
Nazi domination. Following this is a
twisted "Geopolitik," which maps the
world into more or less arbitrary spheres
of influence. Out of all these theories
there has been derived, Mr.. Lorwin says,
German imperialism which already
has swept nearly all of Europe and
which. as its ultimate objective, intends
to reduce the non-German world to a
position of serfdom.
In direct opposition to the Nazis' plan
for world organization, the concluding
chapter of the book presents plan for
a World New Deal" While numerous
details of the authors ideas and those
that he quotes from other sources are
subject to argument, the suggested de-
sign for the future is by no means fan
taStic. Generally speaking, it is worthy
goal toward which right-thinking citi-
zens of all countries might strive. AS
he says, THE trends of today may and
can give rise to great movement IN
the not distant future in which the
extension of material benefits to more
people will go hand in hand with the
more intensive growth of the spiritual
life of the individual
Much credit is due to Mr.. Lorwin, q
resident of Washington, for the prepara-
ton and construction of this volume
He now is consultant to the Nationa,
| Resources Planning Board and was al
one time economic adviser to the Inter.
national Labor Office in Geneva. His
book. the result of lifetime of research
and experience, represents him as a de-
servedly eminent economic philosopher
TEMPLE HOLLCROFT.