Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-13
u. s. Learns
Something Of
MIR. Wallace
7 a TX Bares Opposition
TO Bill Of Rights
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

Roosevelt. so his thoughts on
democracy, expressed in his
speech 10 the Congress of Amer
lean Soviet Friendship, whatever
that was, last Sunday are i'm
portant.
This speech ran almost three
columns long. so il is impossible
10 repeat if all and check il
against that, which we usually
call the American Way, but that
is the only reason why certain
of his remarks on democracy are
lifted out of context.
think / can do il and still be
fair, however.
sVTHE new democracy. the
democracy OF the common
man." he said. includes not only
the Bill Of Rights, but also eco
nomic democracy, ethnic democ-
rscy, educational democracy and
democracy In the treatment OF
the sexes.
"Some In the United States
believe that we have over
emphasized what might be called
political or Bill of Rights democ-
racy. Carried to It's extreme
form. II leads to rugged indiyid-
ualism, exploitation, impractical
emphasis on states rights and
even to anarchy.
Russia, perceiving some Of
the abuses OF excessive political
democracy, has placed strong
emphasis on economic democ-
racy. This, carried to an ex-
treme, demands that all power
he centered In one man and his
bureaucratic helpers.
Somewhere, there IL n prac-
tical balance between economic
and political democracy. Russia
and the United States have been
working toward this practical
middle ground"
IT IS-th dlsparagement OF Bill
Il of Rights democracy which
should be most significant to
Americans.
3 Vice President Wallace. who
was and still is a mysterious
stranger TO the American people
and who would become presi-
dent in certain. circumstances
for which The constitution made
practical. foresighted provision,
plainly Is one of those who be
lieve that we have overempha-
sized what might be called
political or Bill of Rights democ-
racy' which. he says, carried TO
its extreme form. leads TO
rugged individualism, exploita-
ton. impractical emphasis on
states rights and even 10
anarchy"
As president. then. obviously
In his oath of office he would
have mental reservations toward
that portion OF the Constitution
which guarantees freedom Of
religion. OF speech and of the
press. the right 10 petition the
government, immunity from un-
reasonable search and seizure.
and scrupulously fair treatment
in the courts.
LIE MAY know more than
IL most Of us about Russia,
although IL is not easy 10 recall
when he spent much time there.
Even Wendell Wilkes eve
witness testimony is not wholly
reliable. for he was predisposed
when he went to Russia, re-
manned there only a few days
and saw no more than his hosts
wanted him 10 see.
Russia is a closed country and
many another traveller who re-
manned much longer has re-
turned skeptical and suspicious
of things behind the veil.
MR.. WALLACE thinks. per-
A'l haps correctly, that the
Russians enjoy economic democ-
racy, but the economic democ-
racy which he describes is
communism.
II may be that the democracy
Of the sexes is more practical in
effect than ours, although he
gives no proof that the women
of the United States enjoy less
democracy than they want.
But il need not be accepted at
his word that. in Russia. educa-
ton is any freer or that the
races in the minority are treated
any better than our minorities
here.
We have been reading for
many years about wholesale de-
portations in Russia on strictly
racial grounds and, as examples
of that diminution of bill of
rights or political democracy to-
Ward winch Mr. wallace TENDS,
there are many concentration
camps in Russia for the deten-
ton of persons who found them
selves in disagreement with their
government.
I THINK he is half right in say
L ing that Russia and the
United States have been working
toward a middle ground. y "
That is only 10 say. however,
that the United States has been
working toward a middle ground
to the left of the American way
away from the political or Bill
Of Rights democracy and away
from economic democracy and
= - a -