Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-12
WiIIkie Sees Nation
Facing Post War Debt
OF 300 Billions
Few Ideas Offered
BY Administration to
Meet Problem, He Says
By the Associated Press.

"eet TIoOIem, ne SoyS
By the Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS. Feb. 12.-Wen-
dell L. Willkie said last night that
q $500 900, 100000 debt might face
the Nation when the war is over
and that Il have not heard many
practical suggestions from the ad-
ministration" for meeting the prob
lem.
He told the annual Lincoln day
banquet Of the Women's Republican
Club of Indianapolis that the solu-
ton lay I'm expansion and develop
ment within and without our borders
and in the marshalling of all our
economic forces-agriculture, man.
agement and captain harmony
and cooperation"
AN enormous multiplication Of
markets for goods and manufactures
of all sorts" would result, Mr.. Will
kie asserted, II the United States
co-operated politically and economi-
cally with other nations, trading
with them and showing them meth
DDS for their own development.
Mounting Debts.
Asking how the Nation was going
to meet the burden Of . huge debt
while expanding ''our economy be-
yond our fundamental social obliga-
tions," he declared:
Il have not heard many practical
suggestions from the administration
and I do not think we are apt to
hear many.
For the fact is that, until it went
into war prpduction, this admins
tration was never able to generate
national income of even hun
dred billion dollars.
1T produced instead mounting
debts and Unemployment. And II 1t
could not solve our economic prob
lens In the relatively easy condi-
tons preceding the war, there is
little chance that it will be able to
solve those problems in the exceed
ingly difficult conditions that will
follow"
ut is a foregone conclusion that
an administration whose principal
recourse before the war was to in
crease the debt, will find an even
greater increase OF the debt its re-
course after the war"
ssForesees Boom Period.
The s1940 Republican presidential
candidate asserted that perhaps for
brief time after the conflict there
may be brief period Of economic
recession. Then will probably
come a boom period"
But" he continued, ut will be a
boom largely of domestic origin
and of immediate essential foreign
reconstruction. Sooner or later,
however, American industry will
catch up with the demand. When
that happens. unless the situation
is handled with wisdom and FORE
sight by able, understanding men,
there is apt to be repetition Of the
old postwar depression cycle-mil-
lions of men laid of. business bank
rupt and great wave of despair
sweeping over the people.
Then, If those who know no solu-
ton but Government spending are
in power, they viii propose new bill
lions Of Government debt, and our
free system will meet its ultimate
crisis, For II debt Is materially in
creased afld restrictive economic and
unwise monetary policies are pur-
sued, our only possible solution will
be semi socialist state"
Cites Misconceptions.
Willkie said the solution lay "in
expansion and development within
and without our borders and in the
marshaling OF all our economic
forces - agriculture, management
and capital in harmony and CO.
operation"
He declared IAN enormous multi
plicatton Of markets for goods and
manufacturers of all sorts" would
result If America co-operated politi-
cally and economically with other
peoples, traded with them, and
showed them methods for their own
development.
Asserting that this should be a
challenge to Republicans" Mr..
Willkie said it was time to put an
end to misconceptions he said were
formed of Republicans by the party's
opposition.
He said the Republican had been
portrayed as "a socially unconscious
h!de-bound conservative, or even
reactionary - a narrow unknow-
ing nationalist and the end OF the
world will come ii he is elected to
power against everything
except possibly, against SIM"
TITS q good thing that we can
laugh at these misconceptions" he
said.
Urges COP to Lead.
Mr.. Willkie urged Republicans to
Lead in the renewal of trade treaties
and lease lend las temporary Incl
dents In our conception Of tomor-
rows economic world>structure."
Also, he declared that~"there must
never again be any question of the
right of workers to bargain COL
lectively through representatives of
their own choosing, or of the funda-
mental right of all our citizens to
be free Of racial Determinations 80
We must not listen to the strident
voices that would argue otherwise
seeking to divide us into groups
and to separate management from