Evening star., 1945-01-03

small part.
In the first instance, Mr.. Roosevelt
delayed acting for year and half:
IN the last, there were nearly 16
months of proscrastination follow
ing the recommendations. There is
no way to compute the cost to the
country of these delays, but few will
argue that they have not prolonged
the war and thus added to the
casualty lists.
The basic reason seems to be Mr..
Roosevelt's reluctance to accept
advice save from his own hand
picked group, which includes his
speech and message writer's, all of
whom are subordinates. When
counsel came from independent
sources, though he did not question
its soundness, he has acted only
when matters have gotten into such
a mess that action had to be taken.
In now applauding the recent
trenchant orders of War Mobilizer
ByrneS, it is impossible not to wish
they had been issued in 1943, when
first urged. Men able to look fairly
at the facts feel that a year from
now there may be even greater re-
gret for the presidential failure to
function effectively in the fiscal
field.
State Department Shifts.
Recently, under Mr.. Roosevelts
direction, there has been a real re-
organization of the State Depart
ment. A number of flrst-class, emf
nently qualified men have been put
into important posts. The reason
given was that the great. compli-
Gated problems of foreign policy
created by the war, and which will
be created by the peace, make it
essential the depar ent be
strengthened by bringing in the very
best available men.
If, it is now asked, this is essen
tial for the State Department. why
is it not equally essential for the
Treasury?
A good many months ago reor-
ganization of the Treasury Depart
ment was urged on Mr.. Roosevelt
on the ground that war and peace !
problems of such unprecedented size
and compleXity were confronting
the Treasury as to leave no excuse
for not calling in the best financial
brains in the country to. cope with
them. Ways have got to be de-
vised to swing a debt of 300 billions. |
A courageous, comprehensive and !
nonpolitical tax policy has got to be
formulated Imitation has got to be
fought and overcome if ruinous
chaos is to be averted.
Here, it will be conceded, are
fiscal matters to test the capacity /
of the ablest and most experienced |
f1nanciers to be found. One cannot |
find such men in the Treasury De-
partment today. On the contrary,
no one will contend that Secretary |
Morgenthau has surrounded him
self with the best available men, or |
counsels with the best available men
In financial circles.
He has not, in fact, brought into |
the Treasury since the war began
any man of the high capacity of Mr..
John w. Hanes, who resigned as
Undersecretary because he was un-
able to get White House or Treas
ury approval of policies he believed |
to be vital.
This is not to say that there are |
no good men in the Treasury De-
partment. The Undersecretary, Mr..
Daniel Bell, is a good man. For |
merly Director of the Budget, he is
an excellent career official. And |
there are others The point, how
ever, is that in this great national
crisis there should be in the Treas |
ury not only good men but the very |
best there are. The best we have
effort has been made to get them.
NonpoliticaI Tax Needed.
The results are not good Fiscal |
matters, notoriouSly, do not interest
Mr.. Roosevelt. Budgets and tax
matters bore him. In consequence, |
the Treasury Department has not |
been built up to grapple with these
vast new problems, and it has utter
ly failed to evolve or sponsor an
adequate, nonpolitical tax proposal.
Recently, Mr. Morgenthau wrote
that ratification of the Breton
Woods international monetary
agreements is vital. He is right and
undoubtedly the President agrees.
Recently, too, Mr. Morgenthau lost
by resignation two good men-As-
sistant Secretary John L. Sullivan
and his special tax adviser, Mr..
Randolph Paul.
If, before ratification is asked,
some new and concededly qualified
men could now be brought drafted
If necessary into the Treasury De-
partment as they were in the State
Department, confidence in the
Treasury would be enhanced, op-
position to ratification would be
lessened and the general fiscal situ-
alton improved. 1t seems simple
thing to do. Yet, it has been urged
for a long time without action.
Why? One reason is because the
ablest men experienced in finance
naturally are in New York, and
both the President and Mr. Morgen-
thau dislike having to admit that.
Another is fear that the liberals"
would yell that the administration
has put the money changers back
into the temple" and gone Wall |
Street"
But yells to that effect did not |