Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-08
u. S. Turns
To+aIi+arian
In Purpose
Biggest Atte mpt Due
Now TO Conservatives
By PAUL MALL0N

w All this confusion over
ideslistic planning in the war
and postwar world seems trace
able to the single fact that our
leaders do not seem to know
where they want to go.
The evidence in the daily re-
ports indicates they do not
know whether they want 10 go
to democracy or totalitarianism,
or TO compromise somewhere
between. Their objective has not
been decided in their own minds.
Undersecretary of State Sum-
ner Welles, for instance, has
outlined purely democratic
plan of "live and let live for
economic relationships in the
postwar world. but his basic
idea for the political aspect of
the peace is founded on the use
of force by some kind of an in
ternational police army, and an
international tribunal, dominated
by the big Allied nations.
An eminent British church
leader was quoted last week in
London dispatches as having
said the basic principle of Hit
Ter. requiring every one to fol-
low a leader. was essentially
sound, because every one will
not stay in line unless so di-
rected.
QUT now comes the clearest
~ OF all possible cases expos
ing our blind wanderings be-
tween the ideals of democracy
and totalitarianism in the Aus
tin-Wadsworth bill, proposing to
let the President draft any one
for any job.
The bill is submitted, strange
~ enough not by the left wing
from which source il might
more reasonably be expected,
but it comes from conservative
and Republican leaders. such as
the exceptionally able New York
Rep. Wadsworth and Vermont's
Senator Austin.
The bill was written by a
Wall Street lawyer. Grenville
Clark. who devised the original
draft act at an opportune time.
and is approved by the Ameri-
can Legion-which means there
is powerful steam behind it.
These forces all look at the
proposal as an extreme wartime
necessity. which would 60 no
further than the peace. and, 10
years ago, it might have fairly
been so considered.
But. in the light OF all the
agitation over idealogies dur
ing fight by this democratic
nation for it, way of life against
a totalitarian way, the measure
spurns democracy and espouses
tiit "oJ VI Obl CiiCiiiitSs
TNHERE is no argument about
L what the bill would be. 1t
would make all males, from Is
10 65, and females, from 18 to
so, subject to drafting for any
industry which Mr.. Roosevelt
would consider essential to the
war. He could take two men,
now earning $50 week and put
one on a farm at $50 a month
and the other in shipyard at
500 a week.
With a fourth term coming up.
II is obvious, also, that he could
consider Mr.. WILKES legal
business as non-essential, and
draft him to work on a farm
mot saying he would What he
could do to John Lewis or nom
conforming labor groups would
afford just as interesting specu-
lation.
There is no limit TO his power,
except such specifications as are
cited in the bill exempting the
armed services. women with
children under 1S. or pregnant,
and all state officials (it does
not say anything about federal
officers in Washington.
The conservatives admit the
bill gives Mr.. Roosevelt totali-
tartan powers practically equal
TO Hitler's in this respect. but
they excuse il in two ways.
THEY say, first, they do not
Il intend TO use the power, al
though. of course, they are notl
the ones who will decide to WHAT
extent it is used. They say if
the United States employment
services have the power TO make
a man go TO a certain factory,
he will go without a draft call.
In all their arguments they
rightly assume that the man.
power situation is in mess, and
contend the bill fixes straight
new policy which will dispel the