Evening star., 1945-11-02
By DORIS FLEESoN.

The stop, look and listen sign has
been hoisted in Washington by the
disinterested and experienced Ber-
nard M. Baruch.
Concluding, as he puts 1t, his
second round trip" to war, Mr.. Ba-
ruch wants the expanding firm Of
the United States of America to
draw up q national balance sheet
for its stockholders, the Americans.
He wants to know what this coun-
try owes, what it has got left, what
revenues 1t can count on and how
much 1t can afford to give away.
Does anybody know?" he chal-
lenged the Senate science subcom-
mittee.
With grin he added: "I do not
wish to say that we are not as good
rs we think we are. But we think
we're awful good and that our horn
OF plenty will always be full of won-
derfu things we can shake out at
will. I've been hearing things about
our depleted resources since we
poured them into this war. I want
the facts"
Hits Political Approach.
Mr. Baruch attacked Washing
toms political approach to all prob
lens. 1--WE talk politically" he COM
planned, "but we don't talk econom-
les so that we can answer the great
est question of all: How am going
to make living?' That's what peo-
Pile want to know"
He urged Congress to examine the
country. dispassionately as If it were
q BUSINESS and see just how good it
is before branching out. II do not
want anything / say to be construed
as meaning we should not help
Others" he warned. "We must and
will Nelp all those who have made
such great efforts in the war;"
The subcommittee, which had
called him to testify about the pro-
posed national research foundation
he favors it-appeared delighted
to have the witness develop his
theme. Chairman Kilgore COM
planned he had introduced a resolu-
ton for a national resources inven-
tory which had been referred to "the
wrong committee, Foreign Rela-
tions," and by it pigeon-holed. Mr..
Baruch passed this by. He is an
astute witness, tenacious of his own
points.
First we ought to list our debts"
he continued. I'VE have demand
loans of 46 billions besides long
term obligations to corporations and
individuals. Second, we ought to
find out how much have we got to
borrow to meet our obligations and
to meet the foreign commitments,
UNRA, Breton Woods, loans and
SO on. do not want to say what
those latter sums ought to be but
they will certainly total 20 billions
or more.
That's a lot of hay.
Calls for Stock Taking.
Then we've got to figure out
what our intake has to be SO our
bonds and currencies will be safe
What production can we achieve
from the resources of our soil plus
our brains and Drawn?
Finally, we've got to arrive at a
distribution of it. All over the
world they are crying for what we
can produce. After this country
has settled on its own needs, let's
divide the rest among those who
need 1t. zaa
"But before we can control infla-
ton at home. before we can deal
with all these great problems abroad,
we ought to have that stock-taking."
In indorsing the science cabinet"
as he termed it, Mr. Baruch warned
the atomic bomb would not take the
place of preparedness, including uni
versal military training. "If the
American people fall victim to the
notion that nothing but scientific
advance is needed for public safety,