The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-07-14
SENATOR MURRAY
ANSWERS WALL
Street JOURNAL

WASHINGTON.-In a letter to the
Wall Street Journal, which he made
public today, Sen James E. Murray,
of Montana described as Illogical an
editorial assertion by the Wall Street
publication that rise of sectional
| ism" in this country is indicated by
his proposal to dispose of government
owned surplus stockpiles and plants
in such manner as to avoid further
concentration of industry in the over
crowded industrial areas of the coun-
try.
Apparently, sad the senator, who is
chairman of the senate small business
committee, the newspaper based its
conclusions on his statement, in re-
cent public address, that the federal
government will have one hundred
billion dollars worth of goods to dis
pose of at the end of the war, and
that this disposal should be admin
istered in such way as to help the
backward areas of the country-help
the small businessman and the small
farmers achieve stronger position
in the economic life of the nation"
Senator Murray, in his letter, sought
answer to two questions, as follows:
Why is interest in the welfare of
the small businessman and the small
farmer in twenty-seven of our under
developed states sectionalism?
How do you arrive at your premise
Iaf n cd, ,+o fo,
the present lopsided economy central
lied in eleven over-developed eastern
states is synonymous with the high
est national INTEREST,""
The editor was told that, in the
senator's estimation, the Wall Street |
Journal falls seriously short" of its
usual high degree of objectivity."
The Montana senator added, "You
accuse me of 'totalitarianism,' because
said, as you quoted me, that I am
concerned with prevent
ng a further Capitalization of bust
ness in already over-developed areas.
By this | meant, as you rightfully i
concluded, government discretion in
iisposing of it's war surpluses so as
lot to accentuate the already danger
Jus Capitalization of our industry
Now there is nothing ambiguous
II unknown about Hitler's economic
We have the whole con-
inent of Europe upon which the mid
lie class abs ben ruined, perhaps IA
ally, to testify to his economics.
Dotalitarianism is economic and in
ustrial Capitalization. Over and
ver again Hitler's spokesman have
eclared that they, were not satisfied
With mere economic and industrial
entralization in their ambition to :
ontrol Europe-they want technolog- {,
cal control. Everything that totali- !,
arianism stands for in Germany and :
n Europe is highly signified in the
resent centralized condition of our
1dustry and economy-which condi-
ion you appear to defend. /
"The totalitarian state fosters, pro- 1
ects, conspires with, and utilities, {
lonopolies and cartels as parts of L
he state apparatus; as parts of its t
nperialistic mechanism, too.
81 am for the Democratic state, the /
tate that uses it's discretionary pow /
rs to foster and protect the small l
and the small farmers, |
lus assuring free-enterprise capital
IN popular base and cutting the L
round from under the trend to both q
and political centraliza- t
on $
Senator Murray declared that it is L
OF sectionalism, or any ism in any \
snse, to point to the hard facts in
sgard to the distribution of industry Il
nd population in the United States "
,day. Economists and many big q
lsiness men fear the course we are
'aveling, he pointed out p
He demonstrated that sixty-six s
reas in the industrialized eleven
astern states, covering only 134 U
ounties, barely 2 per cent of our "
ational area, have a population to- Ii
ny of no less than forty-six million o
eople. That's density of popula-
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