Detroit evening times., 1946-01-10
BEHIND
NEWS
Paul
MaIIon

CHICAGO, Jan. 10-The low
~ spirits of the country, which
are plainly evident to a traveller
but not TO Washington (see col
umn of yesterday are due to
deterioration of goods and serV-
ices to the public in every phase
of living, not merely railroad
transportation, in which phase
crackatrains run up to eight
hours or more late daily as a
matter of new custom. and some
have been known to leave their
point of origin as much as Il
hours late, during which time
citizens must live on station
benches.
Aple Washington
neus stir Was created by the
relaxation of rationing on
foods and noW on tires. When
you read the news in the pa
pers, IL sounded stimulating.
But the average man Who
goes out to get a steak, tire
or a pound of butter UiH find
the relaxation of rationing
Was an empty gesture.
You cannot obtain these
simpIsst requirements for
dolly tiUine any more than you
ean get adequate public trans
portation in train, buses or
streetcars.
THIS, as l reported yesterday
Il from this 10 day trip is the
cause of the evident decline in
President Truman's popularity
not the issues of his battle
with Congress. not his foreign
policy, not even directly. the
strikes monopolizing the front
pages.
Ten months after the end
in Europe and four months
after Gen. Macarthur landed
in Tokyo, public wants seem
less served in many features
than at any time during the
war. You see lines OF trudg-
ing weary housewives half a
block long outside stores.
Those 1 saw were seeking
either nylons or butter.
EEW people can get a hotel
Il room anywhere in the GEN.
trail states, without waiting in
the lobbieS a few hours. A great
bulk of orders for Christmas
presents could not be filled "un-
til January" if at all.
Shortages have simply en-
couraged the wholesale disre-
gard of the public interest, or
service to the public. and both
managers and workers have
taken advantage of this condi-
ton to a national extent. A
completely demoralized civiliza-
ton has taken thorough hold
on us.
These are the things people
are talking about, not unem-
ployment compensation, the full
employment spending proposal,
fair employment practices or
the issues which agitate the
politicos and the high-pressure
groups. OF two other things,
the public speaks TO itself;
(A) OF getting that boy home
from the armed services, and
(B) of why there is no general
feeling of peace after the VIC
tory.
ON THESE and most of the
" other issues of the day. dis
cusSed by commentators, includ-
ing myself, there is a consider
able amount of public bewllder-
ment.
To me question OBJ answers
question (A).
How can you expect TO get
the boys home, if there is no
assured feeling of peace? But
the public does not reason that
way. Neither does the soldier.
They both see so much inef-
ficiency around them, so much
government waste and un-
reasonableness. that they at
tribute everything TO those
causes.
/ found myself defending Mr..
Truman eventually TO practi-
cally all the couple Of hundred
people with whom / talked. j
found few had anything specific
in their minds against him. No
one was bitter about him, As
many we're with Mr.. Roosevelt.
Most thought him a fine fellow
personally.
But they were convinced
some one would have to lay a
heavy hand upon their troubles
TO cure them, and they doubted
the heaviness of his hand.
I told them the general dis
regard OF public interests
would be cured as soon as
competition was restored In
goods and services.
In Washington, deal in gen.
eralities, like the politicos do.
find Washington generalities
today are so far away from the
existing, living conditions of the
country, as to be almost absurd,
and people do not concern them