Evening star., 1945-12-25

Ing aDOuC one
important part Lowell Mellett.
of the world-the United States.
What was good enough for our dad
dies, they say, is good enough for us.
That is the dubious Christmas
greeting the Congress has given the
people of the United States, includ-
ing the boys home, or on their way
home, from the wars.
Thoughts of Home.
What the boys in the shell holes
thought about, only the boys them
selves know. But it is hard to be-
lieve they thought they were fight
ing for country that was unwilling
to assure them of their right to a
Job If they returned alive and able
to work. Hard to believe that they
thought of Gods country as place
that contained no shelter for them
selves. When they thought of home
they must have thought of homes
for themselves, their wives and their
children.
But Congress has had a different
idea. A job? Yes, if you are lucky
A home? Yes, if you are very lucky
indeed.
When we say Congress, of course
we do not mean all the members; :;
we mean only the majority in the
vote on any measure There is a
considerable minority that feels diff
ferently concerning jobs and homes.
For better than year, they worked
patiently and persistently to estab-
lish it as national policy that any
American who wants to work has
right to work. They would have
had the Government accept the
obligation to think about this, year
in and year out, and to be prepared
to assure employment of some use
full kind, when and if private enter
prise failed to do so.
Classed as Socialism.
But the congressional majority
decided this was nonsense-or, worse
than nonsense, that 1t was social
ism.
They seem sure that the boys will
understand, that the boys will be
happy to go hungry and homeless
rather than have socialism, 1t
hasn't occurred to them that the
reverse may be true; that the boys
may be willing to take any ism
rather than go hungry and home
less.
1t is time this did begin to occur
to the Congressman, assuming they
are really opposed to any radical
change in our form of Government.
Time they begin to understand they
are following course that may re-
suit in the realization of their own
worst fears.
The weeks away from Washing
ton will give them an opportunity
to re-examine their own conduct
and prepare to correct it. In the
case of the full employment bill,
this will not be hard to do. A sub
stitute for the cowardly compromise
they've enacted could be passed in
a day.
Housing a Problem.
In the matter of housing, it won't
be so easy. 1t will take time to de-
wise legislation, set up machinery
and produce houses. 1t will require
all the ability Congress possesses,
because much must be undone be-
fore there can be a proper begin
ming.
AS a first step Congress should
throw the money changers out of
the temple, the money changers
who have hung around the necks
OF the lawmakers during all the
time the matter of housing has been
under consideration. They are pri-
marily responsible for the fact that
the war has ended with the country
unprepared to deal justly with the
men who did the fighting.
Ironically, the best thing that
could happen for the money chang
ers would be to have themselves
thrown out. just as they are now
opposing any reasonable housing
program. in earlier years they
fought any legislation that touched
them at any point-the various
banking reforms, deposit insurance,
HOLC, FHA and the rest. From
every such enactment the money
lenders have benefited, perhaps