Evening star., 1944-07-31
Dewey Assai|s
Delay in Plans
|0nReconyersion
Warns Notion Can't
Afford Another
Depression Period
By j. A. O'LEARY,
Star Staff Corresnnndent

PITTSBURGH, July 31.-Lash-
ing out at the New Deal, Gov.
Thomas E. Dewey, Republican
nominee for President, today
labeled the period from 1888 to
1910 the Roosevelt depression"
and warned that the country
cannot afford another such Pc
riod.
He charged the New Deal had
failed to plan for postwar recon-
version and declared 1T may not
be long before the most vital thing
that faces every American is his
opportunity to work"
! 1t was the most direct attack he
has leveled at his opponent in the
presidential race since he accepted
the Republican nomination in Chi
cago. and came at the first press
conference to be held on his current
trip to st. Louis for the conference
of 26 Republican Governors.
To Confer on Reconversion.
Reminding his press conference
that Pittsburgh produces one-fourth
of the Nations steel, and one-fourth
OF the coal supply, Gov. Dewey ex-
planned that he came here to discuss
postwar reconversion with those who
are close to the problem.
While the physical reconversion
of facilities will, perhaps, be not as
great here as in arms factories,
where they will need new machinery
and equipment to make refrigera-
tors and other things, the employ
ment problem will be, perhaps, more
acutely affected here with the
tapering off of production as we
come nearer TO the end of the war"
he began.
For that reason I wanted to stop
here to meet. first hand, the people
close to the problem in all its
aspects
We are making gratifying prog
ress in the fighting of the war, but
governmentauy speaking, We are
making no progress for what will
follow. In this election it is too
easily forgotten that We are electing
President, most of whose term
will be in peace time.
AS l see it, the United States
simply cannot face another period
IKE the Roosevelt depression, which
lasted eight years. with more than
lc0o0,000 unemployed almost con-
tinuously, from 1888 to 1910, inclu-
Sive.
Accordingly, while We are pre-
pairing 4 method of handling gov
ernmental problems at the Gov
ernors' conference. my purpose here
Is to prepare the too-long DELAYED
preparations for reconversion. which
involves employment.
1T may not be long before the
most vital thing that faces every
American is his opportunity to
, work, either for himself or some ons
else. am entirely satisfied that,
, with competent government, oppor-
tunltles in this country are still un-
limited. We don't have to surrender
our liberties to totalitarian New
Deal. We can't afford to-"
When a reporter in the back OF
the room asked the Governor if
he thought the oppcsition's argu-
ment against changing horses would
be effective, he quickly retorted
i should say that was demolished
IN Chicago-they changed one-half
of the horse"
Gov. Deweys reference to eight
years OF Roosevelt depression" was
) construed as an effort to counteract
| any Democratic attempt to blame
) the prewar depression on the last
: Republican administration.
; Crowds Greet Candidate,
Labor representa- tiveS make up
one of the groups Gov. Dewey will
, confer with today, but when a
I. newsman inquired if John L. Lewis,
. head OF the United Mine Workers.
, would be present, the Governor
said. Not so far as l know" -
When Gov. Dewey said the Dem.
ocrats changed "one-half of the
horse" some one inquired, Which
half?f Gov. Dewey smiled. but let
, the question pass.
Crowds gathered at the depot and
> along the route to the hotel hold
ing pennants bearing the greeting,
/. &C. Dr7yT1y,1y