Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-05-17
Truman Urged to Act
On Economic Controls
Executive Leadership Held Vital
To the National Welfare
Bv David Laurence

By David Laurence
President Truman has to make q
major decision soon-whether he will
allow the economic system to become
further demoralized or whether he Will
use the powers of his Office and the
statutes as he did during the war to
insure a continuance OF economic oper-
atoms during the postwar period.
Britain legislated to retain her war
time controls for another five years be-
cause the conditions arising after V-J
day were deemed to be part OF or TO
be In direct consequence OF the war
itself. Mr.. Truman has indicated to
callers that he thinks the British were
foresighted and that he wishes America
had done the same thing.
Now the opportunity is presented for
the President to insist that reconver-
sion be regarded as Of paramount ne
cessity to the national welfare. He can,
if he chooses, reinstitute wage and
salary controls and maintain price con-
trolls under the Second War Powers Act.
Extensions required can be gotten from
Congress If the President formulates an
overall program and takes his case to
the country.
Leadership Needed.
What Is needed is executive leader
ship. Congress would rather see the
President take the initiative than to do
so itself. The coming elections have
confused tho rnernhcrc oouyhof
was indicated by their failure to give
the Selective Service System the au-
thority it requested
There has recently been little CO.
operation between the executive and
legislative branches Of the Government,
largely because Mr. Truman has en-
deavored just to get along" with Con-
gress. Presidents in recent years have
been successful in getting legislation
through the Senate and House only In
proportion to their ability to persuade
the country that 1t is necessary.
Naturally the country accepts the
argument of President when it has
confidence in his judgment. Mr.. Tru-
man has allowed his hold on the coun-
try to be frittered away to some extent
by his drifting policy on labor questions.
He has heSitated-and it is said for
political reasons-to put the weight of
his office behind bills to curb the mo-
nopoly powers of labor unions and to
penallze abuses of collective BARGAINING.
If Mr.. Truman permits the country to
be injured by drifting policy, he can
not expect to get supporters when he
does cry national disaster"
Good Politics Argument.
If Mr.. Truman is thinking about poll
tics, there's good argument for an
aggressive leadership on what might be
termed middle-of -the-road" policies.
Certainly the Nation isn't in a radical
mood and the contention of the PAC
folks that acceptance of their views is
necessary to 1913 victory for Mr.. Tru-
man falls to the ground because the
Republicans will never nominate a radi-
cal or New Dealer. Mr. Truman stands
to benefit by retaining the middle or
independent vote, plus the regular Dem
ocratic vote.
BY his appointments to the Supreme
Court and by his willingness to get the
Wagner Labor Relations Act clarified
without eliminating any Of the rights
that labor should retain, Mr.. Truman
will be able to maintain a majority In
the electorate. Just as Mr.. Roosevelt
stayed In office by reaching into the
opposite political party, so Mr.. Truman
Will find it necessary to do likewise.
Only Mr.. Truman this time will discover
that the voters on the radical fringe
would not dare to start third party
and thus insure the election of a Re-
publican and hence they must stay in
the Democratic party.
1t is unfortunate that politics must
play such a controlling part in the
making of decisions hegeabouts. But If
politics is the prime consideration. there
Is every reason for an assertive leader
ship to reflect the middle-o -the-road
viewpoint which the country has TODAY.
mat viewpoint is succinctly expressed
IN this way-America never has belonged
and never should belong to any special
group or class. The Jeffersonian motto
OF special privileges for none and equal
lty for all still is the basic American
doctrine which, if sincerely applied can
win elections
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