Evening star., 1944-08-31
Roosevelt Seen Turninq
Left More Than Ever
Many New Reforms to Be Sought
1t he Wins, Says Lawrence
By Dapid Laurence

II ne wins, Says Lawrence
By Dapid Laurence
The definite impression is growing
here that President Roosevelt, in the
event Of reelection, will turn more to
the left" than ever before and will give
during his fourth term the most radical
administration Of his entire career.
Many new reforms, the attainment of
which has been interrupted by the war,
Will be sought. This pattern Is forecast
by New Dealers who feel that whatever
concessions Mr.. Roosevelt may have felt
1t desirable to make to the Southern
Democrats In the last two years Will be-
come unnecessary during the fourth
term.
The defeat Of several Southern DEM
ocratic conservatives, the stronger and
stronger position politically being as
sumed by the CIO-the principal ally of
the Roosevelt administration-and the
need for the creation of jobs for return
ing servicemen are all factors that are
expected to be influential in the estab-
Ishment Of a planned economy.
Price control modified somewhat from
wartime but nevertheless sufficiently
powerful to exert a penetrating effect
on the operations of business, and in
dustry, would be continued, and there
would be an effort to keep wages and
salaries stabilized on the theory that
tnls Is essential in order to prevent in
| flation.
Closed Shop Arrangements.
The administrations policy of secur-
| Ing nce-of-membership Clauses
In contracts of labor unions will be con-
tlnued, and the prospect Is that MANY
OF these contracts will be converted into
closed-shop arrangements under the
economic coercion Of strikes or threat
ened strikes.
| The biggest single item in the reform
program has been slumbering for the
last three years. 1t concerns the cartel
system In foreign trade. The admins
tration is opposed, of course, only to
cartels In which private businesses of
this country are engaged. The new car
tels would be Government MANAGED 10
lar as the United States is concerned.
| Inc second item concerns the break.
up OF large industrial units in America.
Many companies which have had a large
volume OF business in this war would
md themselves under scrutiny. The
pressure OF antitrust lawsuits would be
used to force what is to be called COM
petition
Actually, however form of subsidized
competition may come into being If the
Roosevelt administration is continued
IN ONCE. This means the use of Gov
ernment 1avors to assist certain units
tc compete with others This NAV hap
pen especially in the field of surplus
property and war plants.
The New Dealers think that the
"production-for-u doctrines of the
Socialist party have some merit in
them and that a system of Govern
ment utilization of war plants to give
employment would meet with support
In Congress because of the widespread
Unemployment that may follow the
cancellation of war contracts at the
end of the war.
Club Over Enterprise.
Thus the pressure to prevent cancel
latlon could find employer and employe
at the mercy of the administration in
washington. The idea that certain
commodities should continue to be pro-
duced and that the surpluses Should be
bought by the Government or made
available at lower prices in competition
with already existing plants is one
that has been banded about here in
the National Capital ever since De.
cember, l94l, when war broke out
1t has always been apparent tha,
when the war was ended, the New
Dealers would wish in some vay te
hluence prices and competition BY
causing the Government to hold sur.
plus plants as club over private enter.
prise.
Legislation governing surplus prop
erty and Unemployment plans has no
yet been worked out The Senate ant
House may reach compromises but i
is reported that President Roosevelt
may veto the measure when it come
10 him and demand something mucl
more akin to the Murray-Kilgore bill
The New Dealers are frankly hopefu
that a fourth term for Mr.. Roosevelt
will not only mean resumption of tn
reform program, but they are confiden
that by such course the New Des
may expect to retain indefinitely it
labor union support which, If Mr.. Roose
Welt is reelected, will be given tn
major share of the credit for tn
victory at the polls.
1t looks like a period of economic ane
political disturbance is coming inside
the United States the moment hostili.
ties cease in Europe.
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