Evening star., 1945-01-19

TOT some weeks ::;;33:::$*3:;S
now orders of $
one sort or an
other have fol- Frank R. Kent.
lowed each other almost daily.
1t Is clear that the war is going te
be brought home to great many
persons this year whom it has
scarcely touched up to now. Nobody
ought to object to that, and very
few do. Most of the new directives
are obviously needed. And the only
sound criticism is that they were
obviously needed a long time ago
1t may seem repetitious to say, but
1t is nonetheless true, that most Of
the things now being ordered were
urged by Mr. B. M. Baruch in vari-
Gus reports to the President or his
aides from year to 18 months ago
The basic trouble with the admin.
tstration's conduct of the war Is Its
apparently incurable procrastina-
ton. 1t always requires a crisis to
get it to do the sound and logical
thing-a habit which certainly has
prolonged the war as we'll as added
to its cost.
At the moment there is crisis
In the fight against imitation, ano
and there is crisis, also very seri-
Gus, in the manpower situation. AS
to the first, the leak in the dixie,
created by the increases forced by
CIO leaders for the steel workers
threatens to be widened by new de-
mands not only from the CIO but
the AFL as well.
Pressed by Labor Chiefs.
Mr.. Roosevelt is being pressed
hard by the professional labor lead
ers, to whom he owes lot, and he
is again being menaced by Mr.. John
L. Lewis, to whom he owes nothing
His War Labor Board and Economic
Stabilizer Vinson are under fire from
both the friendly and the unfriendly
labor chiefs and the pressure on the
President is heavy.
He may stand up under this pres
sure but if he does it will be the first
time. In the past he has consist
emily given way and he is expected
to do so again.
Concerning the manpower prob
lem, it is commonly agreed that it
has been botched about as badly
as it well could be- And now very
acute crisis has arisen. The mill
tary service needs 10000 more men
a month Industry needs very
large number. There are months
more of hard and costly fighting
ahead in Europe.
War production, which has Ian
guished through absenteeism, strikes
walkouts and general labor lag, has
got to be increased. The estimate
is that the military and industrial
machines between them will require
more than 100000 men in the next
year if the requirements of the
armed services are to be met.
The responsible military authori-
ties have united in asserting that a
national service law is the only ade-
quate answer. At their request the
President recommended it in jan
uary, 1914; at their request he
recommended it three weeks ago;
at their request he recommended
a modified form of it again on Wed
nesday.
Up to that time the national serv-
ice proposal was very sick, indeed
Most observers believed it dead. The
reason was lack of conviction that
Mr.. Roosevelt was Fundamentally
for his own recommendation.
This idea was voiced week ago by
Chairman May of the House COM
mittee, who said the bill could not
60 through unless the administra-
ton (Which means Mr.. Roosevelt)
was Fundamentally" for it. Others
expressed the same thought.
Their justification was the fact
that Mr.. Roosevelt scuttled the bill
a year ago by imposing impossible
conditions and then doing nothing
plus the further fact that, though
this time he made no conditions, he
had not put his weight behind the
measure.
IuuSt oU DOWh LIuC.
Now he has revived hope of its
enactment. But if it is to pass he has
to do much more than write a letter
He has to do more than tell his legis-
latlve leaders that this proposal is
must" with him and he wants them
personally to go down the line hard
In brief, he has to make real
fight for it-a fight, for example
such as he made eight years ago to
pack the Supreme Court. He really
exerted his full strength then
though in a bad cause. This time he
must exert it in a good one if he
wants it to win.
In particular, he should concen-
trate on his labor leader friends, Mr.
Green, Mr.. Murray and Mr.. Hillman
If these men can be got to Withdraw
opposition the bill will go through
For they are the biggest obstacle
These men are the Presidents politi-
cal and personal friends. He ought tc
call them together and "lay it on the
line" puncture their selfish argu-
ments and force them to accept his
Judgment and that of the chiefs OF
staff.
If he cannot bring himself to dc
this, then the suspicion that, regard
less Of his reiterated demand, he is
not Fundamentally" for his own
proposal.
A New York newspaper editorially
objects to singing these labor bosses
out for chief responsibility ano
points out that the National Associa-
ton of Manufacturers, the Chamber
of Commerce and many individual,
employees are also opposed.
This, Of course, is true, but it does
not alter the fact that the labol
bosses have far more influence ir
Congress and at the White House