Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1945-01-12
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY Paul
MaIlon

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11-Mr.
w RooSevelts announced pro-
gram for the fourth term pro-
poses compulSion as the answer
TO the most prominent pending
war and postwar questions.
Not enough 4-FS are going
into war work. Compel them.
Not enough nurses are volun-
teering. Draft them. Labor
shortages exist in some few but
important war lines. Give the
President power TO draft every
one for war work.
For future defense of the
country, draft the youths for a
year of training in army camps.
For 60,000.000 postwar jobs. let
private enterprise be encouraged
10 furnish them, but let the
government also furnish many
by great public works (airfelds,
roads, neW-4F*S1
The congressional reaction to
these ideas was hesltant. The
President was fresh from a sue
cesSful election to fourth
term. with increased maiorities
in Congress, yet the common
calm congressional comment
suggested only the AZ draft
would be authorized probably
a nurses draft would be included
Cif this scare does not work.,
but certainly a work draft would
not be voted soon, and the youth
draft for peace might wait until
peace for decision.
The postwar business program
was rather generally approved
and will no doubt be provided
by Congress as it comes along.
WHY this resistance, largely
w silent and unexplained. 10
vital points Of a program which
Is not new in any respect, the
President h aVing proclaimed
himself for most Of these things
before? The answer is the aver
age congressman is scared.
Opposition was crushed politi-
cally in the election, but the
general reaction here even to
that result was somewhat the
same -heSitancy, silence, fear
(of elements prominent in the
reelection campaign
1t is not a partisan matter,
and it is not being pushed for
political effect. No one is much
interested in such things now.
It is a recognized genuine state
of public affairs.
The President looks upon his
work-draft suggestion, no doubt,
as reasonable and democratic
solution. England has a much
milder counterpart of the same
thing, being empowered to draft
men for the army, and then to
assign them 10 industry. They
have put draftees into the
mines TO work.
The President says he in
tends TO use the power only
Sparingly to meet emergencies
(although there are few pow
ers the administration has not
used, some more fully than an
ticipated.)
He counsels, now Che did not
before) safeguards which would
not draft a man to work for a
lower salary than he had been
getting.
WHAT is certainly also be-
w hind the idea, but not
mentioned, is the power such
legislation would give the Presi-
dent over strikers and -noncon-
formiSt labor union leaders or
workers. They could be drafted
TO work Gall union leaders have
been against it,
Judging not only from these
reiterated demands for mTe
government compulsory powers,
but also the steps taken re-
Gently closing all race tracks,
Tightening rationing and the
other war compulsory DEGREES,
il is impossible to refrain from
the conclusion that this govern
ment is moving further and fur
Their to the compulsory theory.
It's ideal of a perfert form of
government seems to be a new
kind of democratic state-ism
preserving free enterprise, con-
Trajectory as those terms may
sound. This may be the fourth
New Deal.
Actually the only factor hold
ing Congress back is that the
need for these steps has not
been proved conclusively. If, in
the near future, anytime, a
major setback in the war, a
wave of strikes, or a critical
shortage of labor which cannot
otherwise be met, develops a
crisis, the congressional attitude
could then be swung easily in
favor of such form of action.
INDEED, Mr.. Roosevelt's tao
i tics of not pressing for the
work draft Immediately, sug-
gests he is hiding his time for
national support.
Consequently any sound anal
ysis must conclude that the
plotted march of the fourth
term is definitely headed to-
ward extension Of compulsion
,Ar,InfaI.F for ufav