The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-08
. Clapper
Wort Of Fight Order
OF World War ! Now Due
Civilian Status Differs
From That Of Soldier
Enforced Slavery Thing
Country Won't Stand
By RAYMOND CLAPPER

the problem OF placing labor IN
war industry and on the farms
well really get down to business
on this after the elections-we
might well take into consideration
the suggestions Of man who had
some experience in that field in
the last war-Bernard II. Baruch.
Baruch says a distinction must
be made between the soldier and
the civilian worker. The soldier
serves the nation directly. His
service profits no one but the
country as a whole. He has sur
rendered his ordinary civilian sta
tus and is clothed. housed. fed and
attended.
But the civilian employee serves
private industry operated for
profit. Enforced and involuntary
service for a private master is
defined by the supreme court as
slavery. Everyone now working
on manpower is conscious Of the
deep American repugnance Of
forced labor, and many feel tx
this must be taken into considers
ton II the purpose in mind Is not
to be frustrated by public resent
ment.
But Baruch does not say that
men in civilian life are free agents
in wartime. Perhaps, as a prac-
tical matter, the government can
not say, work here" But it can
say. as it did in 1918, Work
where you are needed or fight"
Baruch says that principle,
which was barely invoked in the
last war, can be immensely ex-
banded to deal with a situation
that is already far more acute
than it was in 1918. The govern
ment can specify cases of employ
ment for which women, men out
side Of military age and men not
fully capacitated are sufficient.
Employers can be forbidden to use
help of military capacity in such
jobs. The government can specify
whole classes of employment that
are not essential at all and it can
say that every man not IN mill
tary service must be used in an
essential occupation.
Further, the government can
say that if a man be called and
found unfit for military service
but fit for other essential work,
he must so employ himself or be
cut off from rations, transporta-
ton, fuel and other supplies under
government control. You could
take up his ration cards. That
principle could be applied to the
whole population. If you want to
eat, want to keep warm, want any
gasoline, you must work where
you are needed. That might be
effective.
Long ago Baruch said there was
no doubt that in a future emer-
gency there must be control Of
human effort behind the lines.
Production must be larger than
in peacetime and it must be
achieved while a large number Of
able-bodied men are absent in
military service. That means
everybody must go to work.
That principle might be applied
in a way not suggested in this
memorandum but which I under
stand Baruch considers practical.
II would be to make the employer
the point Of control. It would mean
something like a work card, which
other countries have had to use.
For instance, We are having
trouble holding men on the farm.
Employers might be required to
hire only men who could show
clearance from their local draft
boards, or from their local u. s.
employment service office. Thus
men needed on the farm would not
be certified, so that no employer
could hire them.
In short, there will be q grave
question about the desirability or
possibility Of ordering a man to
stay on a job. But 1t il possible
to prevent him from going to an
other one, and TO call him into
service If he is Of military age.
Much nonessential employment
also can be cut down by wPB
action in shutting off materials
and transportation. The main dan
ger is that we might get a law
so offensive that II would break
down in enforcement. Some, like
Baruch, think indirect pressure is
the most practical method.
Mr.. Clapper IL heard on KM0-
Mutual broadcast Mondays and
Ihur<dax. - m