The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-10
Fair Enough
By wEsrBRooK PEGLER
Copyright, 1916, BY King Features Syndicate.)


NEW YORK, Jan. 9.-That portion Of Presi-
dent Truman's report to the nation which
dealt with strikes and his own habby and
timorous proposal Of a fact-finding process
was too pathetic for serious consideration ex-
cept for the purpose of mailing its absurditles
and refuting them out of his own text
In the first place, he blames Congress tor
calamitious failure merely because Congress
refused to adopt plan proposed by him
which, by his own admission, offers nothing
new.
Mr.. Truman here adopts his predecessor
attitude that those who disagree with him
are not merely mistaken but guilty.
But let us consider his contradictions.
Eve have gone long way in getting our
workers and factories back on peacetime
basis he said. MEN, machines and raw
materials are already back in peacetirne pro-
duction in greater numbers and are producing
more goods than any one of us dared to ex-
pect few months ago."
We know that isn't so and we know he
knows it and he admitted he wasn't telling
the truth when, a little further along in the
speech, he said 'the reconversion period
through which we are now passing has as
many elements Of danger to our economy as
the war PERIOD
Obviously If we were producing more goods
months ago, the present hour would not be
time Of dangers equal to those Of the war
period. The truth is, of course. that he has
not exaggerated the danger but in leading
up to mention Of menacing situation in
herlted from Roosevelt he couldn't resist the
politicians temptation to balance a warning
and admission with a dishonest boast. Nc t
OF the public did innocently hope that by this
time new automobiles would be common
sight and had right to hope that the Presi-
dent would throw his influence to the side of
| the people who are ready to buy but can't
get new cars only because few union ex-
ecutives introduced into dispute over wages
| a demand that they be empowered to regu-
late dividends and fix retail prices. Neither
the vicious Wagner act nor any other federal
| or state law passed ostensibly in the interests
of '1abor'' ever contemplated any such de-
| nand as a legitimate grievance. Yet Mr.. Tru-
man attempts to blame General Motors for
refusal ''to cooperate on a basis which
| meant concession of fundamental economic
principle.
| Again, he said ''once the public knows the
| facts it can make its opinion felt In practi-
cal way but added that, mo detailed in
formation 50 obtained from the books Of any
company Is to be revealed
II the information is not to be revealed
then how can the public know the facts?
The answer is, of course, that it would be
revealed because the union bosses would de-
mand access to the facts and are now de-
manding it as one of the reasons for the
strike which has created "as many elements
| Of danger to our economy as existed In the
war period.
every day that production Is delayed and
civilian goods are kept from our markets by
strikes or lockouts brings injury to our recon-
version program he said. 'Laboring men
and women are using up their savings"
And this, he said, was the reason why he
demanded his fact-finding make-shift, neglect
4 ing to point out as, in any honest survey Of
the facts, he should have, that there is no
lockout in any big industry and that the
strikes were called, not by the companies
but by the union executives. Their timing was
the tip-of. They struck with demand that
was thrust at the very heart of our capt.
talistic economy at time when, through long
unemployment Of millions they could dissi-
pate the savings of these people. depress the
value Of government war bonds and promote
initiation through the sale Of trash or idiotic
luxuries instead Of useful merchandise. The
recent Christmas shopping season was dis
Iheartening proof Of this. A serious-minded
merchant from the west visiting New York
on a buying trip a few weeks ago said he
wished he could close his department store
because he had nothing but rubbish to offer
and felt that his patrons would be better off
if they could be induced to keep their money
until he had something Of honest value to SELL
Did Mr.. Truman balance his demand for
access to the employers private affairs with
a likewise firm proposal that the unions SUBJ
nit to some standard of regulation Of their
revenues and their uses? He did not although
these powers, which do not deny but boast
that they closed down production have enor-
nous treasures which 'fact finding body
might consider far in excess of their 1egti-
mate needs and have used their money to
swing elections, including Mr.. Truman's in
1914, whereas corporations are forbidden to.
i The complaint against the sitting of pro-
posed laws by minorities in Congress who
happen to be majorities Of committees would
have come with more decency and grace from
a man less servile to the Roosevelt myth.
From such one it would be legitimate
criticism of Congress which the public could
endorse with angry fervor.
But Roosevelt killed the Hobbs and Smith
bills in the Senate few years ago by tele-
phoning priceless, shameless flunkeys in the
Senate commands to keep them in commit
tee. Mr.. Humans record is innocent of any
protest against this nasty fraud upon the
people when It worked to the low political
advantage Of his late chief.
Altogether a cheap and devious speech,
falsifying issues, nisp1acing blame and ex-
cusing the guilty. Mr.. Trunan's New Year
, message on strikes offered no hope. By any
sincere and intelligent appraisal, it must di-
4 rninish the peoples respect for man who