Evening star., 1945-01-25

be . living force only II 1t means
the good life for all the people.
The millions Of more productive
jobs that this program will bring
are jobs In private enterprise.
They are jobs based on the ex-
panded demand for the output Of
our economy for consumption and
investment. And this program need
place no real burden on, the Federal
budget, Notwithstanding the reduc-
ton in taxes which must come after
the war. On the contrary, pro-
gram of this character can provide
America with q national income of
such size that it will be possible to
reduce the tax rates still further on
personal incomes, on business profits
and on consumption and still collect
enough tax revenues to meet the
needs of the Government, including
orderly retirement Of the national
debt.
These should be our immediate
goals, once final victory over our
enemies has been achieved. Now
there are those who say that these
goals are the dream of a man
willing to jeopardize the country's
future with untried ideas and
idealistic schemes" These people
think they are the realists.
Hits Limited Vision"
Actually these are the persons
of limited vision and stunted imag-
ination. These people are of the
same breed as those sound busi-
nessmen" who haggled over pennies
in the purchase of strategic stock
piles before the war only to leave
the materials for the Japs to use
against us. These are people who
will fight against enemies waging
total war by pinching pennies.
These people think the same as
those who said the President was
dreaming when he declared in 1910
that the American people would
produce $4,000 planes in one year.
Do these Monday morning quarter
backs have that great faith In the
American people and in their way
Of life, which is required in order
to understand the meaning of
America?
am confident, however, that the
great majority of the American
people share the same great faith
in America and in the American
way of doing things which / have
expressed here. We know our way
and the road ahead is straight and
broad, although there are many
hills which we must climb. The
program which I have set forth is
only the first milestone, for the ca
pacity of the American way of life
in the years to come is beyond the
vision of man. The American sys-
tenn of free enterprise Is the best
the world has ever known and
through it We can obtain, God will
ing, the best that this world has to
offer.
Asks Probe Of RFC.
1t Is in this perspective that
appeal to you to consider S. 375
the so-called George bill. I sug-
gest that the Congress appoint
committee to investigate the past
activities of the Reconstruction
Finance Corp. in order to deter
mine whether or not the Congress
feels that the powers of the RFC
have been administered IN such a
way as to do the most good for the
American people. If the Congress
does not feel that the powers of the
RFC should be exercised in such a
way as to further the objectives
which I have set forth here, then
I respectfully urge the Congress to
take the RFC out from under the
control Of the Commerce Depart
ment. For I can tell you here and
now that If the RFC is left in the
Commerce Department I will use
its powers in the interests of all
the American people.
The greater part of my presenta-
4 ton has had to do with the prob
lem of applying the eight principles
of the economic bill of rights when
peace comes and we are struggling
with the inevitable readjustments
that follow war of this tremen-
dous magnitude Great as that
problem is and important as it is
to plan for 1t, we must all recog-
nize that at the moment when our
boys are relentlessly destroying the
Japanese and German might over
seas we have a sacred obligation
to do the most effective job pos
sible on the home front. It is my
hope that we all cooperate to the
utmost in doing that job while at
the same time we press ahead with
the utmost vigor to prepare for
that first and most important plank
in the economic bill of rights-full
employment.
Pledges About Effort.
We must now devote all our ef-
forts, and when I say all, I mean
all, our efforts to winning of the
war. I propose to leave no stone
unturned, if confirmed as Secre-
| tary of Commerce, to see that every
branch, every activity of the Com
merce Department and of the agen-
cies under its control is directed
toward the sole purpose of helping
to bring the war to a successful and
speedy close and of returning our
boys back home as soon as possible.
If the RFC and its subsidiaries
will remain with the Commerce De-
partment, pledge myself to utilize
all its powers and resources d.
rectly toward speeding up the war
effort. But there is one thing that
would like to say in closing.
If we are to win this war speed
lily we on the home front must all
coordinate our efforts to that goal.
We must all stick together and work
together, as the boys are doing over
there. We must bury whatever per-
sonal differences stand in the way
of attaining that No. / goal before
us. This is no time for personal
and petty controversy.
Whether the RFC and its subsidi-
aries are included in the Commerce
Department or not, I win concen-
trate all of my efforts and the eff
forts of the department under me to
the winning of the war. / want to
make it clear that if it is decided
that the RFC should not remain
L. ~