Evening star., 1945-09-10

In the authors
and sponsors to FRANK H. Aen''
call their bill the full employment
bill. That makes 1t the demagogues'
delight. That insures support from
the craven and emotional. 1t gives
the labor lobbyists, the professional
liberals and the radical groups. gen.
orally, a sonorous slogan with which
to beat their breasts and arm their
press agents. Every tub thumper
in the country mouths the phrase.
It has strong appeal to those who
think with their hearts instead OF
their heads. Oh, 1t is smart title,
all right, but the bill isn't smart.
AS Mr.. Raymond Moley. says, it
should be called the fool" employ
ment bill instead of the full en-
ployment bill.
1t Just Won't Work.
Because it Just will not work and
no amount of amending will make
it work. That is the almost unani-
NOUS view of detached economists.
1t is also the private view of some
of the politicians who are support
ing it. And it is the view of most
of the independent newspapers OF
the country, regardless of their po-
ltical Affiliations.
Among these, the general feeling,
fully sustained by the facts, Is that
the bill opens wide the door for a
practically limitless governmental
spending program, through which
Government domination of private
enterprise will be promoted and a
great stride taken toward general
socialization of industry, which from
the start has been the ultimate New
Deal goal.
There are two sound reasons for
this assertion. One is the violence
with which the leading sponsors,
authors and advocates of the bill
deny it. The other is the indis-
putable fact that, without single
exception, every element, group, in
dividual and journalistic spokesman
hostile to the private enterprise sys-
tenn and eager to establish Govern
ment control over business is ar
IDENTIFY for the bill. So is every
crackpot in the country, which may
seem a redundant statement.
At any rate, the solidity and en-
thusiasm with which the socialistic,
communistic CLOSED shop" Gov
rnment-ownership dream world
Gin which no one works unless he
wants and, in health as in sickness,
everybody Is taken care of by the
GovernmenD groups are for this
measure is more complete than ever
before.
Its advocates meet this indictment
by saying that AL the bill actually
does Is to pledge the Government
to use every possible means to pro-
mote full employment when pri-
vate industry seems likely to fall
short" This is specious and ut
terly misleading plea. 1t neglects
to say that the administration is
the Judge, not only when private
industry falls" short, but of when
private industry seems likely to
fall short"
In other words, the decision un-
der this bill, supported by the united
forces hostile to private industry, is
left to an administration linked
with these forces. If they are strong
enough to get the support of the
administration for the passage oi
the bill, it is reasonable to suppose
they will be strong enough to COM
pei the administration to implement
the bill after it becomes law.
Wallace Chief Supporter.
The most earnest supporter Is
Secretary Of Commerce Henry Wal
lace, in whose judgment the Senat'
last spring showed so little conf
dence that it refused to permit hin
to handle the vast funds which Mr.
Jesse Jones, his predecessor, hao
for so long controlled, and, despite
White House pressure, gave him hi.
emasculated job by one-vote mar
gin.
Since his confirmation Mr. Wal.
lace has talked a lot about his love
of the private enterprise system ane
in his just published book he de-
votes many words to make thi.
clear. But no one can read this
volume without realizing Mr.. Wal.
lace's vehement distrust of the sys.
tenn and his deep belief in govern.
mental domination of industry
Clearly, the book was written anc
timed to promote the full employ
ment bill. 1t cannot possibly be en-.
acted without the Presidents sup
port, which he has given again ir
his recent message.
But its passage will be triumph
for MIR. Wallace and his CIO friends
not Mr.. Truman. Those who know
Mr.. Truman best are convinced thai
at heart he Is not for the principle
of this bill, which involves a vast
expenditure of Government money
and tends toward industrial regi.
mentation. Their conviction is thai
he is for it because it seems politi.