The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-12-31
FACING
THE FACTS
With PHILIP PEARL
After the war-what?

important question the other day at
the Labor For Victory broadcast in
which the American Federation Of
Labor saluted the IVA.
We heard David Lilienthal, head of
1.-THE IVA, and Samuel Roper, chair
man of the Tennessee Valley Trades
|and Labor Council, tell about all the
wonderful things the IVA has accom-
Iplished for the workers, the farmers
land industry in the Tennessee Valley.
We heard them relate the remarkable
contributions the IVA has made to
the nations war production effort. And
we began to wonder whether the post
lwar answer to the challenge of pro-
ducing for peace might not be more
TWAS.
That thought brought us smack up
against the remark made by William
lP. Witherow, retiring president of the
National Association of Manufacture
Iers, to the effect that we are not fight
ling this war 'tO build more Twas on
1.-THE Danube
We didn't quarrel with that state
|ment, but we ventured to suggest over
| while for such nations as China and
India to build Twas for their people
| when they are faced with the prob
lem of postwar rehabilitation.
Not Waiting for HandOut
Well, we found out right away that
we were bit late with that sugges-
Ition Experts from China and Russia
land other countries already have Wis
lited the IVA and made careful inspec
| Itions of its operations with Il view to
linaugurating such projects in their
own lands when peace comes.
TO our way of thinking, that puts
/ Mr.. Witberow in his place with Il
bang 1t illustrates quite effectively
the insufferable smugness of some of
our self-important industrialists who
think the people of other lands have
no initiative and are only waiting for
us to give them q handout.
No, we won't have to build TWAS
on the Danube or the Yangtze or other
The people of those countries will be
only too glad to do it themselves. They
are quicker to recognize a good thing
than many American business men
who are now suffering-and have been
Suffering for the past ten years-from
the worst case of the jitters economic
experts ever have encountered.
They're afraid of IVA and all it
stands for because it demonstrates the
kind of progress that private indus
try has failed dismally to achieve on
its own initiative when times We're
slack. They're afraid of it because
they lack Imagination and drive and
are blinded by fears and Nightmares.
Instead of cursing that man in the
White House." it would be good idea
for American businessmen to wake up
to their postwar opportunities now
and begin planning TWAS on their
own account.
New Business Leadership
Even though some of the rut-im-
prisoned industrial barons will try to
continue business along the same old
lines after the war, we look for a big
change. Men like Henry j. Kaiser and
lAndrew j. Higgins will not be content
to do things in the same old way. They
will not be satisfied with small pota
toes The war has taught them to
think i'm broad terms, to break the fet-
|terS of tradition, to seek out new
methods and new industrial worlds to
conquer. Instead of the Government
having to show business the way,
these leaders of industry will show
Government the way out of our eco
Inomic StraitiaCket.
h The outlook is particularly promis-
ling because men like Kaiser and Hig-
IginS have no fear of dealing on CO.
Operative terms with labor. They
|have learned that it pays dividends
not to fight organization of their work
IerS but to encourage it. That, of
course, is one of the basic reasons for
the Twas success.
! Those who worry about the future
)of private business in our economy can
lget rid of their nightmares by the
|Simple process of living up to their
social responsibilities. The day is past
when business can prosper on Il one
lway street. It's got to give as well as
take in order to get along in the new
J world. 1t can no longer concern itself
'|only with profits. 1t must take into
- account the welfare of the community
rland the nation il serves.
:. We use the IVA here merely as n
=, ,ISymbol. We don't believe the answer
ITO all our economic ills is in the de
lrelopment of new hydro-electric PROF
',IectS. But we do believe-and very
|earnestly-that private business must
lIdevelop IA broader social consciousness
land help itself by helping others BY
ldong this private industry and pri
lNate profit will not only survive but
leXpand far beyond any past limits il
the days to come.