The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-02-05
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS
Copyright by The Baltimore Sun and
reprinted in The Republican by
permission
A Conference Called For
BY FRANK R. KENT
W ashington, Jan. 81

A Conference Called For
Washington, Jan. 81.
There is a disposition in certain
Washington quarters to dismiss from
consideration at this time all post
war problems on the ground that the
primary thing is to win the war. OF
course, they are right about that, but
they are not right in the assumption
that thought given now to conditions
clearly recognized as inevitable fol-
lowing the war, interferes with win
ming it or diminishes concentration
on that objective.
##2
On the contrary, not to plan now
for what is sure to happen then is to
subject the country to unnecessary
and really appalling dangers. To be
caught unprepared to deal with the
tremendous job of transferring from
d war economy to a peace economy is
ineXcusable and indefensible. 1t is to
repeat in big and far more perilous
way the lack of foresight responsible
for the rubber shortage, which almost
overnight paralyzed the entire auto
mobile industry of the United States.
x.
Failure to prepare for the adjust
ment after the war will involve a very
much greater dislocation than that.
Failure to prepare for this adjust
ment is to risk a social revolution
that easily might plunge the country
into chaos and from which an Amer
lea, utterly different from the Amer
lea we have known, would emerge.
Warnings Of this possibility have
been sounded from time to time by
various persons but they seem to
have made little impression. Up to
now, no concrete step toward prepar-
ing has been taken. Yet no reflective
man will dispute the vital necessity
Of preparation.
This is why the just published re-
port Of the so-called National Re
sources Planning Board, of which Mr.
Frederick A. Delano, aged uncle of
the President, is chairman, is of more
than usual interest. This document
was written by DR.. Alvin H. Hansen,
special adviser to the Federal Re-
serve Board and great friend of
Vice-President Wallace. 1t is a
vague, voluminous affair, W ii c h
makes q great many recommendations
without suggesting any practical
way of translating them into reali-
ties. The fact most worth noting
about the report is that it is the
fourth distinct pronouncement on the
subject. The other three were little
less in length and slightly more con-
crete. But, in the main, all four are in
complete accord on the basic facts.
And, up to now, they are identical i'll
that not one has made the least
progress.
First, there was Assistant Secre-
tary of State Adolph A. Berle. A
pioneer in the field, Mr.. Berle pub
lished q book nearly a year ago point
ing out the character Of the postwar
problems and clearly indicating the
action that should be taken. In a
trenchant magazine article few
months ago he again warned of the
dangers and pointed out the oppor-
tunities. Next, there was Mr.. Charles
F. Wilson, president of the General
Electric Company. Concurring in the
Berle views, Mr. Wilson strongly eX-
pressed the conviction that failure OF
industry now to prepare and plan for
the return to a peace basis was to
commit an economic crime, criminal in
character.
-:
Third, there was Mr. Owen D.
Young, retired industrialist and head
of the American Youth Commission.
In a report made public last week,
Mr. Young accentuated, emphasized
and elaborated the points made by the
Messrs. Berle and Wilson. Among
other things, he called for advanced
planning to assure jobs for the mil
lions of young men who will be with
out jobs when the war is over
Which is exactly what the Messrs.
Berle and Wilson have called for
Further, Mr.. Young asserts that, in
addition to the youths from 16 to
q who will be jobless when peace
comes, there will be several millions
from 81 to 36, released from the
armed services and with strong
-