Evening star., 1942-03-22
Pressure of Events, Not Desire,
Is limiting u. S. Totalitarianism
Been Voiced in Britain and Issue Steadily
Is Moving to Fore Here
By Felix Morley.

In an editorial page article IN the Lon
don Times of March II, Sir William Bev-
eridge, the dean of British economists,
has bluntly advocated wartime changes
which would eubody a fundamental
transformation of democratic govern
ment as traditionally practiced in Anglo
Saxon countries.
AS reported in the New York Times, his
program calls for virtual elimination of
the profits system for the transforma-
tion of trade unions into conscious
agents of national policy" and for the
temporary abandonment of all vestige of
party government. These radical sug-
gestions are close to sensational in them
selves. They are the more striking be-
cause of the character and prestige of
the man who sponsors them.
Sir William Beveridge, now elderly, is
no armchair economist More than any
other individual he was responsible for
the introduction of the highly efficien.
British system OF unemployment relief
and for some years he was the very
successful executive of the famous Lon
don School of Economics and Political
Science. His administrative talents had
earlier been demonstrated in both the
Ministry of Munitions and the Ministry
of Food during the last war In politics
he is Liberal, avoiding both the Tory
and Socialist camps.
State Supremacy.
Such Is the practical and heretofore
consistently moderate position of the
man who. confronting Great Britain's
very critical problems, now goes far to
invoke the totalitarian method of solu-
ton For the Beveridge program calls
fatty for an enormous extension of the
authority and responsibility of the state
and an equal contraction of the present
functions of business management, of
itical parties
Sir William Beveridge advocates these
measures only for the duration of the
war. He agrees that "a one-party state
Is not democracy" and therefore con-
cludes that party organizations must be
kept alive during the war" even though
"a war government should not be based
on them
But it is difficult to believe that the
fundamental changes suggested would
prove ephemeral if they are once insti-
tuted for reasons of efficiency.
The production and managerial prob
lens of Great Britain are far greater
than any which this country has as yet
been forced to confront. So it is logical
that the proposals of Sir William Bev-
eridge should 60 further than any so
far advocated by a leader of similar
standing in this country. But in the
overtones of the 40-hour week debates
are indications that the same great issues
are steadily moving to the fore with us.
President Roosevelt is, of course, cor
rect in emphasizing that there is nothing
In the wage hour law which limits the
wartime working week to 40 hours.
With many plants in operation round
the clock. it is doubtful that there is
much public misapprehension, at least in
industrial communities. on this point.
But the Presidents critics are also cor
rect in saying that the present law does
In effect place so per cent penalty, 100
per cent for Sunday labor, on manufac-
turers exceeding the 40-hour standard.
Even though the Government indirectly
pays this penalty it has tendency to
restrict war production.
Wages and Profits.
Tho powerful movement to suspend the
40-hoar week for the duration is the
natural reaction, growing stronger as the
dangerous deficiency in shipping and
other war essentials becomes more obvi-
ous Appropriately parallel with this
movement is that which demands a
simultaneous, and low, ceiling on war
profits, to make sure that any saving on
wages shall not go into the pockets of
favored individuals or groups.
A factor of significance is apparent as
public opinion, reflected in the sentiment
of both Houses of Congress, comes in
creasingly to demand the removal of
legislative restriction on working hours
and the application of legislative restric-
ton to wartime profits. This is that the
administration clearly does not want
either Of these changes. feeling that
emergency taxation will take care of eI-
cess profits and that an unlimited work.
ing week would be socially retrograde
step.
In this matter at any rate, the admin
istration Is definitely resisting the trend
toward ever greater governmental con-
trolls The White House is not in accord
with the totalitarian program which Sir