The midland journal., 1946-02-01
LOOKING
AHE4D
" GEORGE S. BENSON
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Seary. ArkaTsas
Produce

The family (not the state) is the
social and economic unit in the
United States. In this respect our
country stands almost alone.
France went collectivist in the au-
tumn election. England went col
lectivist last August. Russia has
been collectivist since shortly after
World War I. Germany and japan
are no longer powers. America is
the one powerful stronghold OF lib
erty for the individual.
Old-world politicians glibly pre-
dict that Uncle Sam will be next TO
follow Russia's example, but they
don't know America. Income per
person here is twice that of any 9th
er country. Even before the recent
war, industrial wages in America
were twice as high as in England;
four times as high as in Russia.
Our national income was bigger
than that of any six other countries
you pick 'em.
A Relative Matter
In its early stages, communism
always is perfumed with SAVIOR OF
freedom freedom from some
thing. Britain has more liberty
than France today; France more
than Russia. Even the Russians
may feel better in a delirium Of
paternalism than butchered by re-
peated revolutions, but that's not
saying much. A convalescent can
be better than an invalid but still
not be envied by well man.
England used to have free, pri-
vate enterprise but the government
tinkered with it until it was no long
er free. Taxes squeezed corpora
ton profits until the owners could
not keep their plants modern. AS
a result, volume could not grow and
wages could not rise. The unhappy
workers finally gave the nation a
staggering swig of Russia's political
vodka and elected a state-owner-
ship parliament.
An Invalid Republic
France, the worlds habitual bat
tie ground since Caesar, had an
other problem. Her small business
men and farmers (many Of them,
at least) preferred open competi-
tion but the country's capitalists
were bankrupt by years of German
occupation. To get going after the
war, the French submitted to gov
ernment, the only power with au-
Mority, to assemble the needed cap
ital and set up credit to do busi-
ness.
No such difficulties face the
American people. Our factories are
still financed, can yet keep modern.
Our land has harbored no pirate
army. This nation has little to fear
but cheap labor; not here, of
course, but abroad. Collectivism
means cheap labor - wages uni
form and low. Such countries can
initiate American products, make
them poorly and sell them cheaply
right in America if we. permit.
Forget the Tariff
This same set of facts has been
presented by people plugging for
high protective tariff but that's only
a crutch. The modern, 16-cylinder
method for beating cheap-labor
competition is to produce. Amer
icas skilled workers using Amer
ica's costly machinery can turn out
any manufactured product, in bet
ter quality and at a lower cost than
is possible in cheap-labor setup.
There is collectivist theory that
manufacturers will make too much
profit for the good of society unless
their workers slow down production.
1t is not true. No friend of Labor
will put any obstruction in the way
of maximum production because it
is the road over which men must
march to better wages and higher
living standards. 1t is also this ma
tion's escape from collectivism
which brings slavery.