Evening star., 1941-07-20
THE Shape of Things to Come
Variety of Plans Under Consider REIMBURSEMENT
By Raymnd Brandt.

1
lens of 1919 appear as simple as an
| arithmetical sum. New political and
economic PHILOSOPHERS, new inventions,
new hopes, new horizons and even new
| understandings have developed within
the past two decades, and while the out
line of the shape of things to come is
not clearly discernible, the trend of world
events is manifestly away from the il
! lusory security of 1889
Experience has demonstrated that
peace treaties, negotiated or dictated, do
not solely determine the futures and
fates of countries What has happened
determines the future, and even a peace
conference cannot change the pattern
for long
Americas blunders during and after
World War I have caused thoughtful
governmental officials, industrialists,
economists, historians and others con-
cerned over the future of this country
to think about the need of a plan to
cope with inevitable postwar problems.
| 1t must be reported, however, that little
| progress has been made, and that no
national group of promise has been or
| ganized Several governmental. in
dustrial and volunteer agencies and a
| few individuals are amassing material
on specific questions bound to arise, but
| there has been no well-directed effort
to bring these relatively few groups
| under one head.
At the beginning of this session of
Congress Senator Robert F. Wagner of
New York, often a New Deal spokesman
on social and industrial topics. intro
| duced a bill for "poSt-emergency
economic advisory commission" to be
| composed of II members - three to be
appointed by the Speaker of the House,
three by the President of the Senate and
six by the President of the United States
but this resolution slumbers in the
Senate Banking and Currency Commit
tee, of which Wagner is chairman.
Conference Proposed
Representative Jerry Voornis. Demo-
crat, of California introduced similar
bill in the House and brief hearings
| before subcommittee of the Labor
! Committee have been completed. The
t record has not been printed and the SUBJ
| committee has not yet reported 10 the
! full committee There is no doubt the
/ subcommittee will report favorabIy on
/ some sort of conference to study pro-
/ spective postwar problems. but if the
measure is to be approved by Congress.
administration support will be required
The Wagner resolution would direct
the commission Ito study the economic
| problems likely to confront the Nation
| upon the termination of the present de-
| Tense emergency and to formulate
comprehensive program for the full utili-
zatlon OF Americas resources of men and
machines in maintaining and improving
the economic well-being of all the peo-
pile"
The New York Senator is quite will
ing to have the authority or the COM
! position of his proposed commission
changed to suit the desires of Congress
He introduced his resolution as a start
ing point. His objective is a competent
/ organization set up to draw a blueprint.
which can be followed when peace
| armed or otherwise. is restored.
The experience of the World War" he
| points out, taught this and other coun-
| tfleS the Importance of preparing in
advance detailed industrial mobilization
! plans for wartime emergencies. For 20
! years the formulation of such plans has
been the statutory duty of an important
official of the War Department. This
JOINT resolution proposed that during the
present defense emergency responsibility
be fixed in commission to plan for the
equally vital task of marshaling and
| utilizing our full resources for the davs
and the ways of peace. Such planning
has already been undertaken by Great
Britain, which is engaged in a deadly
struggle for its very existence. 1t is all
the more appropriate for our Nation.
! which is untouched by the ravages of war.
Postwar Economy.
If We are to avoid a post emergency
economic collapse. a multitude of prob
lens will press for solution in the field of
employment, in foreign trade and in our
| fiscal. agricultural and industrial policies.
Consideration of these problems should
begin promptly in order that fully ma
| tured plans may be available when the
! emergency ends.
THE conversion from defense econ
| omy to a peacetime economy with a
minimum of shock and disorder in the
economic system, will call for statesman
Ship and national cooperation of the
| highest order. Whatever action NAV be
formulated TO this end by individual.
public or private groups, there is need for
one agency such as the proposed advisory
commission to coordinate and carry
forward all these efforts in order to
develop consistent program which will
command general attention and support.
| This is the objective of the joint reSolu-
ton propose. OF course, nothing would
be done or even considered by the COM
mission that interfered III the slightest
degree with our speed and efficiency in
carrying out the immediate and para
mount objective of the American people
to mobilize our full man power and
machine power for the defense of our
shores and for extending material aid to
the democracies abroad"
The resolution has the support of the
American Federation of Labor the Con-
gress of Industrial Organizations and
several national religious federations, but
so far no hearings have been held or
scheduled. The c. l. o. has its own plan
OF reconstruction, calling for industrial
councils" with equal representation of
labor and management and q govern
mental chairman, which would speed up
the present defense program and carry on