Evening star., 1942-05-31

SOlAIli hidtiOii Va eliC opA OAi6Ay ooSAdAAotAS
trend in English thinking noted by many
observers as war pressures have become
more stringent in that country, is pro-
vided by the cabled reports on the an
nual convention of the British Labor
party, held in London last week.
The trend toward state socialism was
particularly emphasized by the unani-
NOUS adoption of Harold Laski's resolu-
tion for planned economic democ-
racy," demanding continuation of war
time controls after the close of hostilities.
Controls imposed to mobilize national
resources, the resolution said, ARE no
less necessary for securing their best
use in peace and must, therefore, be
maintained after final victory is won"
Prof Laski, who holds the chair of
political science at the University OF
London, is well known in this country
as the outstanding intellectual leader of
the left wing in British polit. cal and
economic thought. So it is not without
significance that his planned economy
resolution was coupled with some criti-
cism of Winston Churchill's conserv-
atism The Prime Minister, Mr.. Laski
suggested, is not wholly alert to the
new. fundamental principles" posed by
this revolutionary war"
The character OF these new principles
was clarified by Mr.. Laski even before
the war in his very interesting book on
The American Presidency published
in the United States nearly two years
ago. That volume, an effective plea for
dropping the tradition against third
term devoted much attention to the
need for developing what Mr.. Laski calls
positive" government. 1t is an ad-
jective which sounds better than "totali-
tartan" but seems to have much the
same meaning.
u. S. Sees Measures as Temporary.
During the period since Pearl Harbor
the United States has seen rapid de-
velopment of positive government"
And so far, for three separate reasons,
the rationing and other DEGREES are
being taken in very good part by the
relatively undisciplined American public.
In the first place these Federal reStric-
tions and directives are obviously neces-
sary for effective conduct of the war.
In the second place, they give crafty
ing sense of personal cooperation and
as yet not too drastic individual sacrifice
in behalf of the collective effort. In
the third place, it is assumed that the
character of these measures is temporary
and emergency rather than permanent
and intrinsically desirable.
Thus there has been general approba-
tion when Paul V. McNutt, as chairman
Of the new War Manpower Commission,
has warned in recent speeches that this
agency will set priorities on where and
how a man may use his skill Thus
there was much more approval than sur
prise when Herbert Hoover, apostle of
individualism, stated lately that: To
win total war President Roosevelt must
have dictatorial economic powers =.
Moreover, we must expect steady de-
crease in economic freedom as the war
goes on
To date, however, the general assump-
ton is that these are theoretically un-
happy developments, necessitated by war
and to be accepted as patriotic action
rather than as one of personal prefer
ence. Seldom is it publicly argued that
the United States should embrace CEN
tralzed totalitarianism as a desirable
political philosophy.
British Trend Is Strong.
The still fundamentally conservative
character of American thought, however,
does not mean that there is no signif1-
canoe for us in the unanimous adoption
by the British Labor party of resolution
"for a planned economic democracy"
That action means that many in Eng
land are eager to see state socialism as
the permanent governmental form Of
postwar Britain. And there is more
than a hint that Mr. Churchill cannot
indefinitely rely on Labor party support
unless he gives assurances that this also
Is his objective.
If this summer shows little tangible
progress toward decisive military vic
tory. it may be anticipated that whoever
Is by next winter in power in England
will give those assurances to the Labor
party. For it is becoming increasingly
clear that the continuous drain on the