Detroit evening times., 1945-03-20
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY Paul
MaIIon

M RShlNG O4N, NdTCH 10 -
w Some gross misreading and
miSinterpretations have devel-
oped over a series of four
column reports / wrote from
South Atlantic war centers con-
cernlng the outlook and think
ing of the people in all walks
and works of life, their fears
and diScouragementS,
Their attitude cannot possibly
be misunderstood. 1t is reason
able, nonpartisan. not a view
point but a general condition
simply this:
There is more cash in pri-
Vaie hands than ever before in
the history Of any nation; more
money in wings accounts;
more caShable bonds. At the
same time there is greater
demand for goods : needed in
every phase OF living. TINS
plled-up cash could be used for
the orderly purchase of needed
goods. there h.oul d be no
nance Of depression or bad
times for three 10 FIVE years
ahead.
2 Yet the people generally
do not think about such things.
Naturally they are inclined 10
look only at their own individ-
ual future problem. the soldier
10 his returning job. the war
worker to a new job somewhere
at how much money. the war
community 10 how il will fare
in reConverSion, also the buSl-
ness man. the poor about in
flated postwar prices, the rich
bout taxes. the teacher and
white collar worker about his
fixed income in a world Of in-
fiated prices. etc, etc.
MO CLASS can see security
~ ahead. and as result there
has grown up A large number of
people whose thinking about
their own problems has led
them to encouragement and dis
heartenment on the threshold OF
victory.
This encouragement should
he dispelled by government
action holding out prospects OF
security.
To solve the problem. Mr.,
Roosevelt could well call IN the
brains of the country as ne die
for the war production job.
THE reaction TO this simple
Il analysis of observable facts
and a constructive. rather obvr
Gus. remedy betrayed the con
fusion existing in the country.
One editor said this was po
litical attack upon the New
Deal. trying to spread fear. The
truth is the New Dealers are
more discouraged than any
other group. as witness their
CWallace) proposal TO spend
lend huge government sums for
60000,0O0 Jobs TO handle unem'
ployment.
Another editor considered il
an attack upon the South, al.
though the report said | had oh.
served the same condition in
public thought on a trip through
the Midwest A few weeks earlier
and IN the mali from all Sec
tlonS.
a San Francisco editor said
the condition could not be true
of the Pacific Coast because he
had interviewed most of the
people on his paper and found
not one of them discouraged
about their future.
A CHICAGO financial editor
But look at the stock mar.
ket.'
Yes. look at il, and look al
what it was in 1929 with in
hated values that no one did
anything about in time.
/ do not believe in pessimism
A man who allows himself 10 be
either an optimist or A pessi'
mist in these critical times is
only foollng himself.
The facts show that all the
government has done so far Is
10 arrange 10 hand out money
10 jobless soldiers or war work
crS. to conceive big public
works, rivers and harbors and
highways expenditures, and such
methods, which are more diff
cult this time because the debt
is so high that these eXpendi.
lures cannot be provided in
gigantic sums through deficit
financing.
business will have 10 be
- kept at a sufficient clip Ia
pay the taxes necessary Ia
carry the debt-and the ex-
pcnditureS. But business alone
could carry us if provided an
orderly program of reconversion
and peacetime production so as
TO keep the demand for autos,
radios, etc, continuous and not
dry up the market too fast, or
be so slow as 10 cause unem-
ployment.
II may bp true a prcat MANY