Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-05
Power to End
Strikes Vital
To Defense
Dollars Spent No Rule
Of Arms Production
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON

these are the four powers
needed TO get maximum war
production.
The power of priorities has
been broadly granted to the adj
ministration by Congress. 1t is
a power TO say, regardless of
contract or any other private
interest or obligation. in what
relative order any supplier shall
produce or deliver his product
wherever n public requirement
is in question.
The President has requested
full powers of communicating.
This is a power 10 take any
kind of private property for
public use upon payment TO the
owner Of just compensation, as
required by our Constitution.
Congress should, and doubt
less will, grant this power with
out stint or limit. 1t, in large
part. already exists. While il
sounds dictatorlal. IL is the least
arbitrary and unusual Of any
or the four powers mentioned.
II Is really nothing more than
the ancient power of eminent
domain. and is. by strong i'm
plicatlon at least. expressly auth
orized by the Constitution even
in time Of peace.
THOUGH price control is not
L new idea. il was never
very effectively used until our
experience in the World War
and then too little and too
late, tfWaStrind- the Colo
MES in the Revolution and in
the Confederacy. but not scienti-
fically.
The Germans have used II
with success. We have made
few gestures. hut we are letting
the real opportunity slip
through our fingers.
The reason for timidity and
insufficient action on this point
is probably much the same as
the reason for failure on the
fourth point effective means to
prevent labor Stoppages in war
production.
Price control means wage con-
troll and is utterly impossible
without wage control. This adj
minlstration seems willing 10 get
as tough as could be desired on
every element in the defense
effort except labor.
Until II is willing 10 get tough
all around there j. not going TO
be a satisfactory war effort.
I DUNAWAY prices and strikes
~ at key points are the worst
dangers We have 10 face Re-
Gently there has been a tendency
TO measure our war effort by the
amount of money spent in com
pariSon with first World War
effort, or our earlier effort this
time.
That may be one rule. but il
is a rubber yardstick. Increased
spending could conceivably be no
indication of increased tonnage
OF production at all
3. NJ Baruch estimates that
increased prices already have
/ increased production costs from
10 10 20 per cont, III they are
not stopped they could, as they
did in the World War. multiply
expenditures per unit OF produc-
ton.
AS measured in prc-war dol
lars, World War costs were in
creased 10 percentages as fol-
! lows:
United States. 217 per cent;
other associated powers. 369 per
cent; Central Powers, 1856 per
cent.
DECENT tendencies 10 meas
IL ure performances by dollars
spent are about as trustworthy
| IN ItNtul ltIih'ih-ltH w i' PCi
progress by saying we have
doubled. trebled. or increased
production "tenfold. or that
our goal" Is similarly to multi
ply production rates without
telling the tonnage rate TO
which the multiple applies.
A thousand times zero is still
zero and multiplication Of any
small and insufficient rate may
still be insufficient
The President should be freely
given all four powers. But II Is
one thing 10 have powers and
another thing 10 use them effec-
lively.
Many Of the four powers dis
cussed have directly or indirectly
been at his disposal for long
time. The blunt truth is that
they have not been used effec-
lively. and are so far from being
used effectively now. that a ques-
ton is unavoidable as 10 whether
the subordinatcS entrusted with
their use understand them and
the problems clearly enough ever
J 10 use them effectively.
Distributed by King Features synd.. In
Reproduction in whole or in part
strictly prohibited.
25 YEARS AGO TODAY