Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-22
Mr.. Truman Looks Ahead

The essential philosophy of the
25,000-word message which the
President has sent to Congress is
summed up in two of it's sentences:
1--WE must move ahead. No return
to the past is possible"
Mr.. Truman looks to the future
with confidence and If he is in the
least dismayed by the enormous
responsibilities which devolve upon
him as President, there is not a
hint of It in the combined budget
and state of the Union message.
He calls both for GOODNESS in set
ting our sights and caution in steer
ing our way on an uncharted
course" Yet he insists that we
must constantly press on, to the
end that ION the foundation of our
victory we can build a lasting peace,
with greater freedom and security
for mankind in our own country
and throughout the world"
There is small chance that the
message, in all particulars, will meet
with universal approval. It is diff
cult, for instance, not to feel that
there is certain confusion of pur-
pose in his approach to some current
problems. Mr.. Truman says that
"our chief worry still is inflation,"
and in one form or another this
theme is stressed repeatedly in the
message. There are two principal
factors contributing to inf1ationary
pressure. One is the tremendous
volume of purchasing power in the
hands of the people. The other is
the acute shortage of goods and
services on which this money could
be spent. Yet, although the Pres
ident cautions against tax reductions
which would add to the excess of
spendable funds, he takes his stand
unreservedly for substantial in
crease in wages, presumably some
thing between Is and 20 per cent.
And he urges that the increases be
made effective, not after the Nations
productive facilities are able to
satisfy consumer demand, but now,
while the shortage of goods remains
acute. To this extent his wage
policy is clearly infiationary and
inconsistent with other portions of
the message in which he appeals
for retention of price controls and
kindred curbs on imitation.
With respect to the strikes now
paralyzing large segments of indus
try, the message is cautiously word
ed: y Mr.. Truman says that these
strikes, if long continued, could put
heavy brake on our reconversion
program. So far as the Govern
ment's role in this situation is con-
cerned, however, he advocates moth
ing more than enactment of the
fact-finding legislation which he
proposed to Congress in December.
At that time he emphasized that
there is national public interest"
involved in major strikes, and he
seemed to believe that ultimately the
public interest would have to pre-
vail over the interest of either man.
agement or labor. In yesterdays
message, however, he said that the
Government would not use compul-
sion to achieve industrial peace
that the fundamental right" Of
labor ultimately to strike in support
of their position" must not be sacri-
feed. This seems to say that the
right to strike takes precedence over
all other rights-a doctrine which
not only is logically untenable but
which also is inconsistent with the
action of the Government in selling
struck industries under the Smith
Connally Act, which makes the in
stigators of strikes subject to GRIM
inal penalties.
On the budgetary side, Mr.. Truman
holds out the encouraging prospect
of a year-the first since 1930-in
which there will be no addition to
the national debt. With expenditures
estimated at 1913 billion dollars and
receipts, including something more
than 2 billion dollars from disposal
of surplus property and renegotia-
ton of war contracts, estimated at
31.5 billion, a deficit will be avoided
by drawing on the cash balance in
the Treasury.
In other words the deficit which
ont,1n LIZ x,rill ann,.. 4La C1x.o..,