The Wilmington morning star., 1945-08-17
Preparing. For Peace
BY ARTHUR KROCK

WASHINGTON, Aug. l3-1he GoVernm emit
for both the legislative and executive arms
are equally involved-is being criticized for its
lack of readiness for peace. The point made is
that it is unprepared with complete and de-
tailed programs to deal with the numerous
postwar problems the instant they arise s1d
with precise machinery to carry out the pro-
grams. The intelligent and sincere critics who
have begun to make this point will be Joined
DANGEROUSLY by purely political critics as soon
as Congress- or its advance guard, returns to
Washington
But it is fair question whether demo-
cratic, two-party Government can ever be pre-
pared in high degree for the end of such a
war as this one There are hundreds of olue-
prints on hand addressed to every conceivable
problem (some Of which will not even arise)
and important decisions have been made But
plueprints, which seem realistic and president
when they are drawn up before the event, have
a way of losing both qualities in the binding
light of the event itself, particularly one of
the impending magnitude And so have ad-
vance decisions. That is what is happening in
Washington today and will continue to happen.
There is also the question whether war can
be efficiently and successfully conducted by a
Government with a split mind-one-half of it
conferred on peace. The War and the Navy
Departments, for instance, have had as their
fundamental duty the winning OF the war.
Nothing is more disorderly or Wasteful than
war, and attempts to codify it, or to depart
mentalize it so that military activities will
merge smoothly into those of peacetime, d.
vert the minds of men charged with war from
the principal effort This is also applicable 10
the President in his dual role Of Commander
IN Chief and Chief Magistrate Yet the Presi.
dent and the War and Navy Secretaries in.
stantly, at the end of hostilties, inherit the
principal and most acute postwar problems
Even II they were autocrats, in a one-party
government, the obstacle Of the split mind
would still confront them
The Nazi rulers gave good proof of this.
On the basis of cold logic they foresaw the
victory OF Germany in 1941 and they founded
their plans on this forecast One of the con-
sequences was that they threw into the Nazi
Army the scientists and engineers who might
nave solved first the secret of the atomic
bomb. When the Germans were forced to I'M
conditional surrender. their researchers in this
quarter were year behind those of the United
States, Great Britain and Canada, whc oper.
ated on the principle that the duration could
not be guessed. That principle, which has dem
onstrated its success in military terms, is one
OF the chief causes Of the postwar unpreparad.
ness th(t now exists.
Can nation have it both ways? Probably
it can when the fronts of war are limited.
and government power is both unified and sb-
solute But that has not been the situation of
the executive government of the United States.
1t has enjoyed the greatest war powers in its
history. But large section Of these were de-
rived from Congress, and the exercise of some
OF tnem mad to be preceded by cautious 1ego-
uaton on Capitol Hill And never has gov.
eminent had to fight on so many fronts.
The broad criticism, therefore, seems to be
premature. The current situation lends weight
to that conclusion in this way:
BY every sign World War II is Virtually
over AS word was awaited from Tokyo there
was probably no official of any CONSEQUENCE
IN washington who doubted that unconditional
surrender, whatever the immediate .Japa,es.
response. was an inevitable matter of hours or
days Yet the United States Government was
ooAgeo TO keep its mind meshed in the gears
OF War-maklng. Postwar and domestic prob
iemS were in the forefront of discussion and
mere were numerous conferences upon Them
When, after the japanese surrender. can III.
relaxatlons begin, and what shall thew be-of
the ora1t' OF gasoline rationing, Of certain
plIoll'y controls OF materials for civilian goods
LOT example? How can small business be oro.
tected IN the early rush for manufa cturine
supphes and markets until an orderly plan
can be put into effect? What temporary meas.
ures can be taken to deal with the wage-and
nours disputes which are expected to come
as deuge after w Day? Can Congress leg
lslate on unemployment compensation before
unemployment becomes the most acute ma
tional condition?
In Washington today, as for the past few
days, none Of these questions has suffered
rom inattention. Plans to solve or otherwise
zeal with them are here In abundance. Rut
overshasdowing and RELOCATING them. in so far
as really coming to grips with them is con-
cerned, was the death-watch on Japan. Mem
ners OF the government, if they could achieve
the miracle of the split mind, were Obliged to
remain on war footing
IT, however, delay and indicision continue
1or considerable period after the surrender
tne CRITICISMS will be neither premature nor
Unjust. mat is the time when the President
must choose among the blueprints, as revised
IN m tne light OF reality. though perhaps-after a
Irst cnolce-he will be obliged to turn to
others. That is the time when he will be called
on 10 reveal his true administrative caliber.
ana 50 Will those under him who are CHARGED
WIN the making of postwar policy. - New
York Times I've"
QUOTATIONS