The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-08-28
Economic . .
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National and International Problems
Ipseparable from Local Welfare

President Roosevelt's recent ap-
pointment of an Economics Defense
Board is generally regarded as proof
of the Administrations intention to
wage economic war against the Axis
on a big scale. The Board is headed
by Vice President Wallace, and its
other members are the Secretaries of
State, War, Navy, Treasury, Com
merce, and Agriculture, and the At
torney General. The important po-
sition of executive secretary has
been given to w. w. Riefier a pro-
fessor of economics at Princeton, and
a former economist for the Federal
Reserve Board.
Economic warfare will mean the
use of all this country's vast re-
sources to advance the cause of the
democracies, and to oppose the pur-
poses of the relationships. A start
has been made in the case of Japan.
The Administration is obviously pre-
pared to squeeze the little island en-
pire to the limit. Our present Far
Eastern policy says, in effect, that if
Japan will call off her current pro-
gram of conquest, we will continue
to buy her silk and sell her the raw
materials she so sorely needs-while
if japan insists on going ahead in the
East, she need expect nothing else
from us than ruthless economic sane
tions and possibly naval war.
When it comes to Germany, our
technique must of course be different.
We have had almost no trade with
the Reich since the war began. Bat
tleground of the trade warfare in this
case will be Latin America. Despite
all our past efforts, Germany is still
a big factor in many countries south
of the Rio Grande. Job ahead is to
destroy Germany's Latin American
influence, and disrupt her plans for
bartering her manufactured goods for
South Americas raw materials.
At the moment, it looks as if most
of South America is ready to play
along with this government. Uncle
Sam isn't loved without reservation
down South, but thinking South
regard him as far better
friend than Herr Hitler In the case
of South American countries which
hesitate to adapt their economic and
policies to ours, polite
threats Of trade penalties and even
pressure may be used. This
government is dead certain that South
America must be saved for the demo-
cratic cause if the war is to be won,
and it will not hesitate to do any
thing possible to keep South America
in line.
Vichy's complete sell-out to Hitler
will also form ths. basis for U. S.
action. Few will be surprised if
marines eventually take
over Martinique and other French
Islands in this hemisphere. And if
Vichy goes ahead with her plans for
a joint French-German "defense' of
Dakar, many expect that we
will have to send our Navy in to do
tbo +,ll,;,o fo,. nc ro,4,J f D,l.
n,oons controI oror trada rontos and
,,,;I;+,,,, ,,oe,;+;o,,,, Ill .;t.I ~
this hemisphere. From a naval point
of view. Dakar is = fairly touph nut
to crack. but our admirals think if
could be done with dispatch.
p,ee;o,s o,trn into +ho r,uo
WOW -; tho o,;n;, rp nf ,,,an+ | ha u' olo|l, ,,,
o,r ear,I, nar+inination u ,m,,;,,nI,, 'l' 'p Iau
4ha tina ha;nn w ~ ', Iaast thano ,,s ~ ,,d.L
ina for rs 80 do d. h,,t ' somd ad ,,,a+an;aI. 40 mGa
,hroad r. tbo An,ou;o,n ~ aaa 'sI1 Ioal ''.,' 'sn
into hattie + is n,,oh ,,,ana s 1;ral,, J9 - -
he IN tbo pacifo nm aT "a Af,;aa t than w
IN E,rono ~ '~'' '''''''
The ioi,+ dec,or,+;op IF no,;or ;s
sued bv Prime Minister Churchill and
President Roosevelt following their
dramatic meeting at sea seems to
have as its prncipal objective the as
surance to a Il nations. including Ger