The Wilmington morning star., 1945-11-11
Current Problems
BY ARTHUR KROCK

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10-In making his sur-
vey of the economic and social condition of
Massachusetts, as chairman of committee
created by an act of the State Legislature
Joseph P. Kennedy has been urging one par.
tiular approach to solution of problems which
has attracted much local attention, and, hav.
ing already produced excellent results, is like
ly to be noted more widely. He has counseled
the citizens of his native aState to attack I'm
satisfactory situations on a community basis
instead of looking to the Commonwealth and
to Washington for all remedies.
Mr. Kennedy has adopted his own advice
successfully in dealing with immediate indus
trial problems at Salem and Framingham.
and the city of Lawrence has performed a
similar service for ITSELF The general thesis
of the former Ambassador to Great Britain
is that, if communities will tackle their
troubles at first hand, they will find the sit
uation can be localized and locally adjusted
in many instances. But there must be in the
communities he has told audiences through
out Massa chusetts, civic spirit, elements (such
as newspapers, banks, business and labor
leaders and successful citizens) with sense
of responsibility and local patriotism, and
above this there must be realization of the
new social and economic facts Of American
life.
To various cities in Massachusetts Mr.. Ken
nedy has commented, without favor, on the
fact that they have newspapers without the
competition he considers generally helpful to
a community banks with too dominant an
influence rich men without an awakened
sense of their communal duty; and labor lead
ers who are not thinking in community terms
where single industry furnishes living to
the entire population. He has counseled these
cities to remedy their conditions by a local
approach and local pride that in early days
had much to do with their establishment and
growth. If these things are done the EXAM
bassador has been saying it will be surpris-
ing how many problems can be disposed Of
without appeal to the State House, the White
House and the Capitol at Washington.
He has stressed the cohesive power, when
properly engendered, of small communities
with local spirit in contrast with large ones.
which have lost that spirit and turned to the
general political authority. An instance he
gave was that of the city of Lawrence, which
raised $1,000 900 for a hospital while great
metropolitan cities were falling behind in
reaching quotas for humanitarian projects
that were far smaller per capita. And he
improved his point by recalling that the loss
of the textile industry by Lawrence-the sort
of experience his survey was undertaken to
repair and in the future prevent-gave the
town a heavy economic blow not many years
ago.
pressed his own platform for the postwar era.
It's cheerful basis will surprise some persons
who have heard him over the years in gloomy
prophecy Of the future. And its advocacy of
the position that workers are entitled to
larger share of the national income will sur
prise others He has also asserted to nunaer
Gus groups in Massachusetts that a national
income of $40, 900 100000 is not only neces-
sary but feasible; that no likely act of gov
RI,
produce initiation if people put back to
produce; that production is everybodys prin-
cipal business; that every move should be
tested on this objective, and, if it is found,
the rest doesn't matter much; that industry's
profits have been far too large; and that find
ing jobs for returning veterans should be at
the top of every list.
When the ex-Amba ssador completes his sur
vey, which has taken on some of the color
of crusade, the plan of the Massachusetts,
interests that drafted his services is to es-
tablish a State Department of Commerce. He
is to draw up plan for this, and his re-
port will give the reasons as well.
Already other States are bestirring them
selves for similar inspections of their assets
and liabilities in the hope of getting formulate
to solve difficulties which have beset them
also-some like the industrial problems of
some of a different nature. It
is probable that these projects will be stimu-
lated by the ex-Ambassador's report to his
fellow-citizens and that his prescription of To-
cal treatment will be called for and tried out
ancient Greece in some respects and has
the idea is not new (since it goes back to
in many American communities. If so, while
the idea is not new (since it goes back to
ancient Greece in some respects and has
merely fallen into disuse in this country
MIR. Kennedy will have made an important
national contribution out of . public-spirited
enterprise that began as very local one.
His cheerful approach to grave issues while
so many others are Respondent deserves ad-
ditional notice It demonstrates anew what
those who know the ex-An1bassador best have
often observed-that he is a sort of Mark
Tapley. Mark it will be recalled displayed
his basic optimism only when things were
going very badly. AS he explained to Martin
Chuzzlewit, that was the time to be cheerful
and the best-because it appeared to be the
to overcome what was going wrong
Mr.. Kennedy's optimism has a stronger
basis and he has qualified it by saying that
it must be sustained by the actions he ad-
vises if pessimism is not to prove itself by
disastrous events. But he feels sure this can
be done, and that is hopeful viewpoint
New York Times