Evening star., 1947-11-30

And 1t may well become the peoples
economic resources.
For, 1t will be the boards duty
not only to stimulate and expand
production in those industries max
ing war essentials but equally its
duty to protect, insofar as possible.
those industries not essential to war
programs. However, while this at
tempt to alleviate the tremendous
pinch on the whole country's
economy will be major duty to the
unit, there is no promise that war
will become a cream-puff affair as 1t
affects the ordinary citizen.
The abnormal conditions of war
will always demand sacrifices as the
price Of victory and only actual
needs, not fancied ones, will ever be
satisfied in such periods. To save
heavy and long privation, temporary
deprivation will be necessary no
matter how much planning is done
Reports Only to President
Set up by the National Security
(unification) Act. the board is COM
posed entirely of civilians and re-
ports only to a civilian. the President.
Headed by Arthur Middleton Hill,
55, whose wide business experience
has included direction of the huge
Greyhound (bus) Corp, the board is
specifically charged with advising
the Chief Executive concerning the
coordination of military, industrial
and civilian mobilization"
Mr. Hill likes to stress that it is
an all civilian outfit as contrasted
with the military. Its other members
are the Secretaries of the Treasury,
Defense. Interior. Agricultural, Com
merce and Labor.
THE act makes it clear that the
planning for the utilization of our
economy in time of war is primarily
civil and not military RESPONSE
bility," Mr.. Hill said. Civilian di-
rection Of the economy is essential
in view of the democratic traditions
and the organization of the Amer
ican economy which, under our
great free enterprise system, will,
in final analysis, always be called
upon to produce the munitions and
weapons for the common defense
in the event of war.
THE board IS visualized under the
act as the Presidents principal
channel of advice on matters con-
corning the state of the country's
readiness In the field OF economic
preparedness" he added.
Thus the Munitions Board, which
plans the military mobilization, will
be more or less the armed forces
claimant in the over all mobiliza-
ton, as Secretary OF Defense For
restal described 1t at a recent press
conference.
The United States has not ever
experienced total war" Mr.. Hill, a
mild-marnered, gray-haired, delib-
crate, spectacled man of medium
build, said. ITO date the CONT
mental United States has not been
subject to direct attack.
I'VE are prone to think that we
were engaged in total mobilization
in World War H." he continued.
Actually our mobilizatio did not
tax our resources to the greatest
extent possible"
Preparations .Ausur Peace
Mr.. Hill sees the countrys total
preparedness program as taking on
a symbol of peace. Any fully pre-
pared country Is less liable to at
tack than one that Is unprepared he
believes.
Testifying before the special Sem
ate Committee Investigating the
National Defense Program, Bernard
M. Baruch said that as ito eco
nomic and industrial aspects of the
last war. because Of our foot drag
sing and fumbling. because of our
inability to apply corrective methods
when they were clearly indicated
the war cost us, unnecessarily, thou
sands of lives, extra billions of dol
lars and months Of time"
The main motivation behind Con-
gress creation OF the board is the
fact that in an atomic war An
enemy will not blast Miami Beach
from the face of the earth and then
telegraph Washington that he is
ready and that the United States
will be given so much time to pre-