The Ypsilanti daily press., 1944-09-07

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ton OF business men who when
Herbert Hoover was president, as
he has told me on several occasions.
proposed to him a distinctly fascis-
tic reorganization OF American
economics, which he regarded as
unconstitutional and un.American
and rejected as such. II eventually
reappeared as the NRA, the closest
imitation OF Mussolinis economics
ever tried outside Italy. II may be
pointed out that the proposal to
President Hoover was not by the
Chamber itself but by a group
within 1t. which is much the same
thing only covered up.
This same Chamber OF Commerce
OF the United States Is now taking
a referendum on social security and
although this column will appear
after the votes are in, 1t is of value
to consider the theories OF the COM
mittee supporting the proposition
that:
Protection should be provided
against the periods of job and in
come losses that are natural con-
sequence Of the workings OF free
and changing society"
What society is not changing?
Where and when has there been
static society? What Is meant by
the natural consequence" OF a
free and changing society? Well,
the authors Of this proposition try
to explain themselves and wander
right plumb into totalitarian phi
losophy. No matter how they twist
and turn. they come into a govern
ment control OF the economy and
the social conditions OF the country.
They are back to the ideas that
sent some OF them to Herbert HooV-
or to ape Benito the Duce. For
MD you what they say:
"A free competitive enterprise
economy is TO some extent chang
ing economy under which wage anu
income losses are inevitable. These
losses are due in large part to the
very fact that in free society the
individual, as we'll as the business
Arm, Ia free to spend income and
make investments at will. Decl-
sions not to spend or invest mean
lob losses. job and wage losses
are. therefore, to some extent In
herent In a free society,".
But a free and changing economy
also makes jobs. Men stop making
wagons and they or other men make
automobiles; they stop making Ice
boxes and they make electrical re,
trigsrators. Machines make JOBS
used TO be the slogan OF those ousi'
ness men who compose the Chamber
~ Commerce OF the United States.
What defeatism compels them no"
10 believe that there is no lntelll-
gence. no Imagination, no inven'
tiveness In American industry tnat
only the government can save
the American worker from unem-
nlovment? Do these men actually
believe that the enslayement or oe-
pendency upon government Is the
sole solution Of our social and po'
Iitical problems? II so, Earl Brow
der has been right and the argu'
mems of the Chamber Of Commerce
these two decades lies and
fraud.
Further, the argument states:
"a regimented society possibly
could abolish or reduce these lnse-
curities but only il the freedoms
were also abolished.
But what this report proposes ls
a regimented society because IL
the government guarantees an IN
come to every citizen TO prevent
him from suffering from the natur,
al consequence" Of a free ano
changing society, the government
should rightfully destroy freedom
ito spend income and make invest
ments at will. II the government
Ia to guarantee subsistence from
,he cradle TO the grave, 1t must
blueprint the entire economic sys'
tenn to safeguard itself from oank,
ruptcv and il must destroy all
forms OF what Is by many TO-DAY
called wasteful competition.
In capitalistic society there can
he no wasteful competition. Capital
ism rejects the concept that any
business requires protection from
competition. 1t demands freedom
for a new and better product or
method or organization to kill OIL
the obsolescent and inefficient and
stupid. The manufacturer who In
sisted upon making whips after the
automobile appeared took his
chances on being wiped out and
those who continued to work Tor
him instead OF chasing out to De-
troit TO get in on the ground floor
- can, industry deserved what