Imperial Valley press., 1941-06-04
UNNECESSARY, DANGEROUS
AND UNDEMOCRATIC

Even Great Britain bomb wracked and
at grips with national death in the great
est crisis of the empire, has not gone as
far as President Roosevelt would have
the United States go by enacting his pro-
posed property seizure bill.
The bill is the most dangerous thing
that has been submitted to the congress
of the United States in a hundred years.
1t must be defeated, if we are to retain
any of the rights for which the democ-
racies of the world are supposed to be
fighting.
The only possible excuse for such
bill is that it would allow the President
to take over and operate the produc-
tion facilities necessary to the making
of defense materials and creating defense
facilities.
He already has that power. He could
take over every defense factory in the
country tomorrow, without the enact
ment of any additional laws. The differ
ence is that he could not do it perma-
nently. Nor could he take over nom
defense industries, property and assets.
Under the proposed new bill President
Roosevelt could seize the home of pri-
vate citizen in the middle Of the Imperial
county desert, without any attempt to
prove that it was needed in defense He
could seize any property from any per-
pose or its usefulness. He could strip
a business mans office of its furniture,
a factory of its machinery, housewives
kitchen of its equipment, mechanic of
his tools, a hospital of its supplies, a
family of its automobile There would
be no limit-and no appeal. His power
would be absolute.
He could seize every newspaper, radio
station, magazine and printing establish
ment in the country, to set up person
ally dominated censorship worse than
any in the nations Of Europe.
No wonder Senator Hiram Johnson
thought somebody was Joking when they
told him of the bill.
Probably the President wants the bill
simply as a club. The administration
has declared that there is no intention
of seizing anything but defense items.
But the bill does not say so. II gives the
President sole power to determine what
he shall seize The American people cam
not afford to grant such club to any
man. 1t would be like walking into
mine shaft that has already cracked its
timbers in the beginning of cave-in.
We supported conscription and the
lend-lease act. We have endorsed the
Presidents foreign policy one hundred
per cent and we cheered his proclama-
ton of an unlimited emergency. But
we cannot support this bill.
AN ALTERNATIVE
While the administration day-dreams
of bill empowering it to (quoting) "re-
QUESTION and take over, either tempor-
arily or permanently, property of any
kind or character, whether real or per-
sonal, tangible or intangible, or any part
thereof ~ the nation still waits for
bill which would give the government
power to prevent work stoppages in de-
fense industries. And no such bill is
forthcoming Yet it should be the first
order of business. It should be harsh.
1t should apply equally and fairly to
management and labor. It should out
law irrevocably any defense industry
strike.
Where is that bill? The strikes go on
even increase. The nations industry
is crippled.
And the administration talks of seiz-
ing private property "of any kind
tangible or intangible
State control of harmful mjnorities is
democratic in national emergency. State
domination of all property Is Hitler's
way, with a emergency or without one.
Is that the way we want?