Evening star., 1944-08-28
War on Business Seen
With Coming Of Peace
Lawrence Calls on Administration
To End MANAGEMENT Battle
BY David Laurence


BY David Laurence
The biggest single need inside the
United States after the war Is over
will be peace-an end to friction and
the theological war which has been
fomenting class hatred, racial bigotry.
strikes and economic conflicts within
our borders.
Will President Roosevelt or Gov,
Dewey be better able to accomplish that
objective? For when 100000 boys are
oemobilized it will be necessary to find
jobs for them. This can never be done
If left wing and right wing are to fight
battle of determination and If
political regime in Washington exploits
such crisis for its own end.
The Roosevelt Administration has not
started of with any encouraging pro-
gram for postwar peace in America.
On the contrary, last week 1t showed
signs Of continuing and even inten-
styling its eleven-year-o war on
American business management.
Points to Rail Lawsuit.
The administration, apparently un-
mindful of the marvellous job done by
railroad management during this war,
showed its gratitude last week by be-
ginning lawsuit against Al major rail-
roads, their officers and directors.
Ever since 1888 the Interstate Com
merce Commission has been vested by
Congress with the responsibility of reg
ulating freight rates. But now the ad-
m1nistration insists that, even In doing
what the ICC prescribed and approved,
the railroads have all these years been
violating the antitrust laws. Clearly
this is going far afleld to look for
trouble these days. Does it mean that
Congress and particularly that liberal
OF liberals, Senator Wheeler, Democrat
Of Montana, chairman of the Interstate
Commerce Committee of the Senate,
or his colleagues in the House, have
been sitting idly by for eleven years or
more while something so important
as this in their legislative or inquisi-
torial jurisdiction has been neglected?
The Roosevelt administration has de-
clared war also on other industries and
business on issues mostly arising prior
to the European war and has filed ia
separate antitrust" and restraint of
trade" suits against companies and in
dividuals who sell or distribute such
commodities as dyestuffs, magnesium
aluminium, metal hose, air filters. meat
petroleum, newspapers, tobacco, surgical
instruments, animal medicines, air con-
oltloning, motion pictures, frames for
eyeglasses, granite, open-mesh bags,
plumbing, alcoholic beverages, gas, gro
cerles, matches, chronic acid, fish, east
ern hams, hogs, sheep cheese, drugs,
bread, sand and gravel, Photographic
material f1uorescent lamps, tire retread-
ing, watches, parking meters, sponge
and insurance
Plainly, while there may be merit In
some of these suits, it Is difhcult to be-
lieve that so many business men know
ingly violated any law, and it must be
that the antitrust laws themselves
need Qualification or else that the pres
ent laws are being used as instruments
for an theological crusade How can
there be peace or reconstruction under
such circumstances? Risk capital in
vestment and unemployment in postwar
industries will be gravely retarded by
the uncertainties lowering over these
businesses.
Reform Complex-Active.
The New Deal was declared dead"
apparently only for campaign purposes.
Evidently 1t has merely been slumber1ne
and the reform complex Is to become
active again in the Roosevelt admins
tration in the event of reelection. For
there has been nothing done to over
come the suspicious which are growing
up about the wreckage operations being
conducted by Attorney General Biddle
with the millions of dollars voted him
by gullible Congress.
During the war some of these anti
trust suits were laid aside. This was
done because the Army and the Navy
and the War Production Board insisted
that management be given a chance to
produce the needed weapons of war.
The New Dealers didn't want to do II.
Ony after the President became con-
vinced that the war effort would be
impaired were the suits postponed. Now
the cases are to be tried soon and the
warfare will be on again.
Can it be that the idea Is to force
such chaotic situation upon the coun-
try that in desperation Government
ownership or rigid control by Govern
ment of all business will seem TO be the
only alternative? This fits in with
recent signs of drive to put into effect
the socialistic production for use" the
ory in disposing of surplus war prop
erty.
The whole mess in the War Produc-
ton Board that came to a head last
week has been theological from the be-
ginning-a struggle for power between
New Deal and anti-New Deal personnel
Will America ever be rid of this ham
dicap? Can Mr.. Roosevelt really turn
from mood of class warfare to a mood
OF peace and constructive healing of tho
wounds of economic strife? Or Is this
a role that can be filled only by a new
President and new leadership?
This may yet come to be paramount
issue for the voters OF America to de-
eide at the polls.
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