Evening star., 1942-12-01
Controls Must End
Quickly After War,
Witherow Says
NAM Chief Declares
Change Necessary to
Save Business

Ey the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-William P
Wltherow, president of the Ma
tlonal Association of Manufac-
turers, said yesterday there must be
a quick postwar relaxation of Gov
ernment controls over business if the
system of free enterprise is to sur
vive in the United States.
Witehrow, Pittsburgh steel man.
ufacturer, in a statement preceding
the opening Of the association con-
vention Wednesday at which 1000
OF the country's leading Industrial
lists are expected to be present, said !:
Patriotism has been substituted
Tor the profit motive as a driving
force and the managers of indus
try are measuring up in every
respect to their great responsible
ties. When the war is over the time
Will come when patriotism no longer
will be stimulated by present emo
tions and the desire of producing to
win the war.
IF the present trends toward
RECOMMENDATION and central author
ity are not checked up short when
this time arrives-if they are ac-
cepted as the new order'-there
will be no turning back"
Points to Patriotism.
WitheroW said he had found evi-
dence on every hand that:
"0D The management of Ameri-
can industry will permit nothing
within their control to stand in the
way of the speediest possible VIC
tory;
"(2) The principles of free enter
prise be preserved intact except
when modification for the duration
OF the war is essential for victory:
go Corrective measures be taken
by appropriate executive or legisla-
tive action to end labor union prac-
tees which, by output restrictions.
strikes or slowdowns, or organizing
activities as usual, cripple the war
effort"
Referring to the output of Ameri-
can industry since Pearl Harbor,
Witherow said. When military CEN
sorship is lifted ultimately. some of
the production achievements of this
war will amaze even those who have
come to take the miracles of Ameri-
can manufacturing methods as
matter of course"
Sees Basis in Freedom.
WitheroW said that so long as the
war lasted central government must
take the responsibility for regimen
tation of the Nations physical and
human resources and thus "individ-
ual enterprise necessarily must take
back seat for the duration.
This augmentation" he said,
must not be mistaken as the basic
source of efficiency In industrial
anagement-even in the troubled
times of war.
These abilities and skills to pro-
duce have been developed through
the years, through generations, as a
result of free competition to meet
the demands of customers.
They are now employed in the
war effort-not only to provide the
things that are needed to win the
war-but to provide them at the
fastest possible rate at the lowest
possible cost"
WitheroW concluded:
Il call upon industry to employ
every available medium to break
through this haze of uncertainty
that obscurs the outlook for the fu-
ture and the true meaning of free
enterprise.
Il say that industry must counter
with everything that yet remains in
our hands the misuse and the con-
tinUance of Government control aft
er the war is over and after the
necessity for it no longer exists,
This uncertainty as to the fu-
ture must be eliminated if we are
to build the glorious future for
which we are stalking our all at this
moment"