Evening star., 1942-03-19

AIIy IAAIl6
about why, David Lawrence.
it may possibly be used by Berlin
In its short-waye broadcasts!
This amazing technique has been
invented by the New Deal propa-
gandists and press agents who, as a
rule, write the speeches for the
higher-ups. It is method undoubt-
edly adopted to discredit honest
criticism. because it, Of course. tends
to question the activities of the
New Deal party which Is in charge
OF the Government. Before next No
vember the cry will probably reach
It's climax in the warning that the
American people must not vote for
any but New Deal candidates for
Congress because to elect others
would be giving laid and comfort"
to the enemy
Technique Gains.
The policy OF calling unpalatable
criticism . means Of doing Hit
ler's work" because 1t anesedly d.
vides the American people. has been
slowly but surely coming to the sur
face. The same charge was made
the other day by an administration
spoke who sought to prevent
the House from voting funds to the
Dies Committee. BY a vote Of 33l
to 4e; however, the committee was
continued anyway.
The latest to fall victim to the
device is Donald Nelson, a consci-
entious and well-meaning public
servant. But he was poorly advised
when he used up radio time on the
major networks Tuesday night to
ten the American people that his
industry-labor committees are being
attacked by Berlin's short-wave
radio and that hence the criticism
made by Americans was ground
less.
Mr.. Nelson's speech said his plan
was neither labor plan nor man.
agement plan. neither scheme to
tear down onor. to build up unions.
and that critics who were trying to
make 1t, appear as anything else
but. q, War Production Board plan
were doing Hitler's work In America
by dividing the people.
Hits Management Function.
Now, what are the facts? Philip
Murray, head Of the c. I. O., has
been advocating the organization Of
labor industry committees for more
than = year. He has outlined plan
for each basic industry which re-
sembles in some respects the Ital-
ian Fascist plan Of state-controlled
labor organizations and in some re-
spects the Soviet system Of workers
committees. But whatever the plan
resembles, it seeks to usurp the man
agement function and has been
widely heralded as c. I. o. plan.
Industry has fought 1t repeatedly.
And the moment Mr.. Nelson made
his first announcement of the COM
mittees, the C. I. o. chieftain was
on the air promptly from coast to
coast with a speech gloating over
the fact that Mr.. Nelson had adopt
ed the principles OF the c. I. O.
plan.
Was it, therefore, wrong for lis
teners, especially employers, to as
sume that anything which Mr.. Muir
ray applauded 20 enthusiastically
and which for months before had
been pushed In Washington by
e. I. o. lobbyists was not an impair
tial plan but one which had in 1t
special advantages" for labor? Also
why did representatives Of the Navy
Department interested in speeding
production criticize the plan?
Axis Likes Production Cut
II is fantastic to suppose that, In
the exercise of one Of the Presidents
-four freedoms" the debate inside
America over production methods or
anything else will give aid and
comfort" to the enemy. The aid and
comfort comes not out of words but
out Of acts Of commission or omis-
sion-when American soldiers and
sailors do not have adequate weap-
ons with which to fight. 1t must
have given the Axis nations plenty
Of aid and comfort, for instance,
when they read OF how our naval
feet was defeated in the Far East