The Wilmington morning star., 1944-10-18

.r1 a;ten d,.ssres With them ~ much Is many Of
bis readers His articles the COED purpose Of
making people think
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1914, King Features Syndicate, Tic.
NEW YORK - Governor Dewey made q
charge in his Charleston speech which con-
Germs the whole future of the nation, as to
whether we shall ever 60 back to free enter
prise with freedom to work where we will
and at occupations which we prefer. For proof
Of the Roosevelt governments intent to take
over most of our industry and tell each Of
US where we could work. at what and for
how rnuch,'' he quoted from report by Adolf
Berle a veteran brain-truster now in the State
department. Berle disavowed any such plan,
insisting that he was voicing a warning not
desire.
But, would that cut the ground from under
Mr.. Dewey?
I have cited much more drastic and en-
phatic proposals by Mrs. Roosevelt and Harry
Hopkins which cannot possibly be disavowed.
They were not warning against these controls
They were demanding them n Hopkins
spoke in the voice of a boss giving orders.
'It does mean you." he wrote. for it isn't
just talk and it won't blow over
Both Mrs. Roosevelt and Hopkins wanted
government authority to chain individuals to
their jobs, to shift them about and, of course
to fix their wages Hopkins wanted govern
ment power to confiscate the peoples money
and property.
These were his words on that point mo
body should be allowed to decide for himself
how much he will give
These being the sentiments Of these two in
dividuals closest 70 the President why dent
they and the President openly fight for their
1
eide more intenigently it Mrs. Roosevelt and
Hopkins would frankly argue for their Ideas
and state the advantages which they believe
would result. The people might decide IN their
favor.
OF course. all they proposed is unconsti-
tu.ional and there is no authority to suspend
any part of the Constitution even in war A
few years ago, Mr.. Roosevelt fired out OF
his advisory circle peripheral member who
lhad written magazine article that displeased
him. But he did not repudiate either his wife's
plan or Hopkins nor has Hopkins been fired.
Hopkins still makes policy and we have
ri ht to suspect, therefore, that when he mace
his radical suggestion, he expressed views
which were not offensive to Mr.. Roosevelt.
Hopkins escape clause was, OF course, that
he was proposing war emergency measure.
But the fact is plain that once the deed were
done we never could recover. If private proc
erty were confscated under the government
power to decide how much each 1nolvitdal
should "give,'' then surely the Roosevelt gov
eminent soon would take it all anc lncloen-
tally, would own and edit the entire American
press which, of course is private properly
subject to such seizure.
The property could not be redlstrlputeo
when peace came. And, anyway, majority
of us may never witness the dawn OF 4egal
peace, meaning peace by treaty and the -
sumption of diplomatic relations. Already
there has been a serious proposal that sne
state of war continue for 20 years so that
Germany and Japan may be kept on proOa-
ton. This might be desirable IN that respec.
but it would also justify the, continuation OF
war emergency controls. In 20 years or lol
that matter. in four years under the KIND OF
controls proposed by Mrs. Roosevelt ana l1op
kins, people reduced to that condltlon "ou-a
lose entirely their control over their govern
men, They would get the habit OF ooealence'
Another idea offered by Mrs. RooseveiI, per
tinent to Mr.. Dewey's charge totai u:p
planning, was contained in her recen1 a4ssus.
sion of social equality as between WINE men
and Negroes AS naive indication OF the course
of her thoughts, Mrs. Roosevelt suggested tilat
Negroes be deported from areas, Wnele NY
are heavily predomlna- ana se'14ea -
where. One Negro Journalist coilpa 90 IL is
to Hitlerism and points out that, Dy .ls ~
ciple, Catholics or Jews also coula DC ~ ~
or dispersed so that they coulo NV s'
coreligionists to office. sch.,,,
| But let us consider an outline OF sen 80. a,,
of totalitarian infiltration as presehted 1@sn
in 1929 by man who at present not uaro r..
Influential planning position u n a e nat Tas
1ckes in the Department of the Interior Inc Inc
author of this plan is H. F. Raushenousn a ah
here, in brief is what he wrote about me ao'
sorutton of industry by the government maaa. e.
The students coming from the conegss W.
dav can be of enormous use to the illossn ,'';+,
~ government officials. One good man VIZ
lie sves and ears and wits about MN, .lis 4e
the department, can do more TO ssa.' h' ~.
techn;oue of control over industry than n 1ong
dred men on the outside. While tns s .ome
fine aim is the abolition OF the prom ",,,d
f,r nrivate use, our present strategy shoN ~
hn to make and take every oppoisun.v no
nrove that there is something De'1er u'"-
profit system"
That is a fair question which the Preslaent
Mrs. Roosevelt, Hopkins and Raushenoush any
MANY others in the Roosevelt government
should be willing to argue openly insteau ..
accusing Dewey of repeating odd lies "nen
he puts finger on the issue.