Evening star., 1942-01-02

in moral Or -
else Mr.. oose- David Lawrence.
welt is aSming that somehow or
other Ameca can win the war and
still carry n reform programs and
socialistic kperiments in class COM
bat insideAmerica.
1t is a dngerous assumption Lack
Of foresigl has already brought its
disasters. Under the American sys-
tenn of gwernment. the American
people canot do what Prime Min
tster Chuchill recently told the
United Sites Senate that the Eng
'sh peopl can do, namely, to re-
hove the elected head of their
safe at any moment The Com
rnnder in Chief of the Army and
MY of tie United States can suf-
fe a dom Pearl Harbor defeats
an the less of American territory
as in the Philippines either be-
caue of lack of economic prepera-
ton or Incompetent leadership in
milhry matters but nothing can
evidotly be done about it by the
peopl
Feuds of Persecution.
II 6nestic reform, therefore, is
to be srried on by the New Deal
Irrespective of war, then a move
ment t bring about the passage
Of q costitutional amendment to
permit te American people to re-
move atwill their Commander in
Chief WIN he fails can be con-
sidered essential for American
democrac as it Is already for Brit
ish demUacy.
Mr.. Roswell of his own initia-
tive brokehe third term precedent.
Yet the .merican people are be-
hind him today in the most re-
markable demonstration of national
unity the ountry has ever known.
Even the tct that as Commander
in Chief, Nr. Roosevelt must have
known how critical were the rela-
tions between America and Japan
prior to December 7 and hence
must have had the ultimate respon-
sibility for seeing to r. that the fleet
was on the job "a hours a day
1as not brought forth any wave of
riticism of the President. But can
n administration expect criticism
be adjourned when it allows
Aaerican industry and business to
bt sabotaged in the midS of war
bypetty bureaucrats who carry on
the feuds of persecution?
Acase in point is the punitive
law nit just filed by the antitrust
divis.n of the so-called Department
OF Jttice against Americas two
major ,roadcasting companies-the
Columla Broadcasting System and
the Natnal Broadcasting Co.-with
vague targes of monopoly that
look as they had been trumped
up Just ecause the broadcasting
companleshad the temerity to ask
the courtso restrain a recent order
OF the Fderal Communications
Commission designed to break up
their presen business. The broad
casting comrnies were warned then
by an arrognt spokesman of the
F. c. c. thatthey had better not
60 to court t attempt to defend
their rights else they would
suffer. And NV the punishment
has come.
Peculi& Tactics.
For how else can the peculiar
tactics Of the antitrust division of
the Department Justice be ex-
planned unless in ahoots with the
p. G. c. In the drie now to invoke
severe statutes as neans of forcing
the broadcasting companies into re-
ceiverships and liquidation? For
more than eight yers the same
practices complained If have been
going on. Why WASH suit filed
a year ago or two year ago? Why
is a second big lawslit filed in
Chicago courts by tn antitrust
while the first silt involving
basic issues in the RADIO business
has not even been triee as yet by
the Federal courts in Nw York?
In time of war it is more than
ever necessary to maintin broad
casting at high state OF efficiency,
Just as it is important for aluminium
plants and production to De carried |
On as efficiently as possible. But the
of Justices saboteurs
Of morale have instructions evil
dently to carry on their persecution
as-usual program.
Since war effort is to absorb so |
Der cent of our national economy,
he managers of American industry
ought to be free from harassment.
The Government fixes the prices
md allocates the quotas anyway
md even indirectly runs the radio
networks so it isn't clear why the
tatute of 1890 on the technicalitns
II competition has to be enforced
light now.
The Congress is seeking to cut
lown what are known as mon
License" expenditures. A movement
o eliminate "anti-defense" expendi-
ures would seem to be logical, too.
I the President is still bent on
arrying on New Deal class warfare,
hen the Congress alone can pre-
erve democracy and increase war
ime efficiency by using the power
t the purse strings to check the
who have not yet dis
overed that there Is q war on,