Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-30
owl Issues Booklet
Appealing 10 Nation
To Battle Initiation
Warns People Against
Unwise Spending; Asks
All to Shore Burdens

Pointing out that our days of
guns and butter" are gone, the Of
flee of War Information today fired
a 128-page broadside in the Gov
ernment's battle to control living
costs and prevent imitation
Compiled in cooperation with
other Government agencies, the
booklet, Battle Stations for ALL"
touches briefly on multiple wartime
problems 1t emphasizes the three
great objectives-to win the war, to
share the wars burdens and hard
ships democratically and. to win the
peace that follows. -.
James F. Byrnes, director OF eco
nomic sterilization. In q letter to
Owl Director Elmer Davis, says of
the booklet:
The ramif1ca tons of economic
sterilization are so widespread that
it is not always easy for the public
to follow. That, 1t seems to me, is
the great value of your new book
let-that Is, it brings together for
the first time in one place the full
story of this whole side of the war.
1t fills gap that needed filling
Heavy Borrowing Ahead.
Dwelling on the problem of taxa
ton, theme ripping through the
writing like symphonic motif, it
points out that. despite the increased
financial yoke placed on civilians.
the heavy burden of war still will
force the Treasury to borrow be-
tween $50 ,000. 000, 900 and $4,000
100000 during the 1913 fiscal year
and again during the 1914 fiscal year.
1t warns that the Nation steadily
is approaching the limits of capacity
as to plants and materials. At that
point increases In war output will be
possible only through the more in
tensive use of every facility, every
bit of material, every ounce of man.
power. Then it becomes fght to
reduce costs and get the most out of
every tool,
Cautioning against a mad spend
ing spree induced by increased sala-
ries, the booklet quotes Mariner S.
Eccles. chairman of the Federal
Reserve Board:
When incomes are at high levels.
that is the time when people should
reduce their debts or get out of
debt"
Mr.. Eccles is described as one of
the advocates of liberal spending
during the depression.
The danger signal is embellisned
with examples of businessmen and
farmers caught up in the wave of
intlationary spending during the
World War and swept into bank
ruptcy when the BUBBLE burst.
The antidote for free, needless
spending is a tightening of fist and
belt, getting along on what we have
and investing surplus funds in War
bonds. This also would have the
effect of conserving and stretching
out the stockpile of goods for civilian
consumption, which, it declares, Is
enough to see us through the war.
1t SCOTS at talk of Americans max
ing the sacrifice of using their
radios longer.
Admitting the needs of the armed
forces will make a large bite in the
food supply despite record breaking
productions in cattle, hogs and milk,
plus a two-year supply of wheat
stored in granaries, the booklet as
sures the populace of an adequate
diet.
Price control has slowed the rise
OF living costs, but not prevented it.
In trying to hold price ceilings
against the squeeze of production
costs, the booklet suggests as solu-
tions: Lower profit margins, elimi-
nation of frills, standardized pro-
duction and distribution and the
granting of subsidies In particularly
hard-pressed cases.
The booklet delves into every
phase OF our economic warfare. fire.
quently comparing prices and stand
ards of living with those in England,
Canada and other countries. 1t
hurls challenge to the American
public to knuckle down to 100 per
cent participation in the war effort,
closing on an ominous note:
I'VE win or lose-there can be no
compromise. We win or lose not
only the war, but the peace after
ward. In the Presidents program
lies the blueprint for victory on the
home front-in the war and the
peace. 1t lies in our own hands
now to decide our futures. Free men
never asked for more than that"
Copies of the booklet will be dis
tributed to Government agencies,
libraries. schools, colleges and Con-
gress. They may be obtained from
the Owls Division of Public In
quiries.