Evening star., 1942-07-12
Politics Interferes
With War Effort
By OUen L. Scott.

| quick project.
The farm group through its repre-
sentatives in Congress, is trying to
! squeeze the last penny out of its sud-
denly favored position. The labor group,
| through It's union leaders and its repre-
/ sentatives in Congress, is demanding a
| bigger and bigger slice of the national
| income. Politicians, instead of using
| them influence to show the Nation the
need for mobilizing to fight war, are
| trying to please everybody by promising
them riches rather than sacrifice.
This situation is apparent from the
bottom to the top in Government.
President Roosevelt has encouraged
the public to go on burning up a pre-
cious stock of rubber by inferring that
some way would be found to give every
body tires There is fear that Nation
wide restriction on driving might have
a bad effect on the November elections.
1t is the same with taxes. There is a
dangerous financial situation in this
to barely onefourth of outgo in the
fiscal year now starting. Yet Congress
balks, and so does the Treasury, at doing
the sort of taxing that would ease the
danger. Eyes are on the election, not
on the war finance problem.
Income OF American farmers is near
the highest of all history. 1t will ap-
proach $4,000 100000 this year. In terms
of purchasing power that income is
oh y,
by the attitude of the farm bloc in Con-
gress, it appears that American farmers
are being robbed. That bloc demands
higher prices. new guarantees, bigger
subsidies. 1t is without concern over the
question whether rising food prices will
add to pressures for imitation.
American workers never in history
have earned as much as they now are
earning. They are to have more than
100000 100000 in their pay envelopes
during 1912. They are earning nearly
80 per cent more than they earned in
1899. Yet their leaders keep on insisting
that they should get more, regardless of
the economic effect of these demands.
Labor leaders refuse to accept any CELL
wages. They see in the war a chance
to lntrench their organizations.
Taxpayers in middle and higher in
come brackets are being hard hit by
war taxes and will be harder hit. Yet
the proportion of national income in
their hands is not large compared with
that in the lower income fields. The
nd
cal reasons, are refusing to dip down
into the great mass of income for tax
purposes. The result is that in the
fiscal year starting July / about s20,-
000,O0O,000 in taxes will be collected to
pay a $77,000 100000 bill for operating
the Government in war year. No other
major nation on earth permits its
finances to become so dangerously out
of balance.
1t is the same story up and down the
line.
Businessmen are moving out of the
get-rich-quick period because they en-
joyed their experience In 1910 and l94l
when business as usual was being upset.
Even so. they continue to enjoy the big
gest salaries they ever enjoyed and to
have the largest profits, before taxes,
that they ever had In 1912 taxes will
dig rather deeply into those profits.
only the men who are drafted are
showing any inclination to make a
sacrifice In order to try to win the war.
They are taken from jobs and homes to
enter life of danger and sacrifice ct
$50 month, while the big pressure
groups threaten to cut down on the
amount of food they produce or the
amount of work they do if they are not
given the last penny of riches.
This Is not an edifying spectacle. Off
clals admit that it grows less edifyinp
with each defeat for our side and with
each new casualty list. Yet these same
officials doubt that anything can be done
about it-at least until after the No
Vemoer elections They reason that the
American people will not stand for anv
tampering with their living standards,
war or no war, and that the people can
not be asked to make real sacrifices until
they have done their voting.
After that, with two-year period to
intervene before they can vote again.
the squeeze can be applied. Such is the
reasoning that guides actions in WASH
lngton. 1t Is reasoning based altogether
upon self1shneSs, with each individual
and each group thinking first of all about
private interests. If majority of the
voting public is not moved by the selfish
considerations that politicians consider
that majority to be moved by, some of
the present members of Congress will be
looking for other employment next No.
vember.
1he troubles that confront Leon Hen.
oerson, as price control and rationing
administrator. trace to the attitude of
the Nation, as that attitude is interpreted
by Congress.
Mr. Henderson must do for the masses
OF the people what William Knudsen and
Donald Nelson have done for industry
during the past two years. He must con-
vert individuals in the retail trade and
lnolVldual consumers to war. That con-
version or mobilization requires that peo-
pie give up some of their luxuries and
some OF their independence of decision
so that the greatest possible national ef-
Tort may be made. Unless such an effort
is made the present war may drag on
forever.
1t Is Mr.. Henderson's task to prepare
the people for some downward adjust
ment in their living standards. His is
not an enviable job. He is going about it
with what every unbiased observer here
regards as courage and fairness. Yet he