Evening star., 1947-11-18
Text of Tofts Reply to Truman Message

] message
spend less money and reduce taxes,
to limit exports and to hold the
Marshall plan within reasonable
figure. and to control the growth OF
private credit. The Marshall plan Is
not primarily to relieve hardship
and starvation. Our whole contri-
button for food, fuel and fertilizer
under this plan will probably not be
more than s2,500,000,000. The rest
of the assistance requested is desir-
able, but much of it is not essential,
certainly not worth another OPA
in this country.
Apparently the President thinks
that we cannot adopt his version
of the Marshall plan without police
state controls and another OPA. I
said last week, in New York, that
the President was asking for two
completely inconsistent policies at
the same time. I said If we wanted
the $4,000, 100000 European form of
the Marshall plan we cannot have
lower prices. If we want lower
prices, we have to give up that Mar
shall plan. If the Marshall plan
is essential for the preservation of
Europe and the world, then we can
better stand higher prices than we
can stand complete relapse to a
Fascist RECOMMENDATION of every in
dividual in the United States.
But I believe very strongly that
We can adopt a modified Marshall
plan, probably with more benefit to
the countries concerned than If we
are too lavish. and I believe that we
can hold prices at reasonable
amounts with such a modified plan
if we cut other expenses and taxes
control credit and limit exports.
Surely, the American people dc
not desire a return to the days of
OPA. They know that the controls
won't work. They remember the
shortages aid the black markets. In
time of war morale develops
which makes it possible to maintain
some control, but in time of peace
those controls are certain to fail
They will not hold prices down, II
we permit other conditions to go on
forcing prices up. The American
people don't like to be regimented
and they don't like to be ordered
around by Federal officials. Our e&-
perience with prohibition and with
OPA both prove that vast black
market operations develop which
the Federal Government itself is
unable to control Morals are bro
ken down because 1t pays to be a
criminal.
President Removed Controls.
Surely, the Presidents memory
must be short. 1t was the President s
own Decontrol Board which took of
the controls on dairy products ano
grains in 1916. 1t was the President
himself who took off the controls OF
meat just before the 1916 election
1t was the President himself who
took off almost all other controls in
December, 1916, before the first Re-
publican Congress in IA years even
convened Can he sincerely believe
that the Government could now en-
force the controls he Is asking fol
without vast army of enforcement
agents? Or even with such an army?
The Presidents adoption of this
police state program represents the
final surrender to the left-wing The
President himself indicated clearly
within a month his disapproval oi
price control. What has happened
since? The growing Importance Of
the Marshall plan? But three COM
mittees of eminent men examined
the plan and found that We coulc
safely undertake 1t, or the essentia
part of it, without serious danger t.
this country While some mild form!
of ALLEGATION were suggested, none
of the committees thought a com,
plete price control, wage control, ra.
tioning system was necessary. Onl!
Leon Henderson and his crowd, anc
the Political Action Committee o.
the CIO advocated this program
There has been no change in condi.
tions except the conditions of polit.
ical strategy.
Stand at Crossroads.
From a Republican political stand
point, it might be better for the
Congress to give the President the
power which he demands 1t coulc
only result in failure and revolt
of public opinion against any mar
who is trying to enforce the law.
have had Republicans say to me
that we should swallow our pref.
udices and pass these measures fol
political advantage, so that chao:
and confusion will rebound to oul
advantage in November, 1948. But il
seems to me that the issue is fal
deeper than any political issue. We
stand at the crossroads today be-
tween free America and planned
economy. This is the last stanc
of the planners who think they
know how to run the peoples affairs
better than the people can know
themselves.
If this effort succeeds in time o.
peace, there will never be a timt
when an emergency cannot be sum-
moned up to justify the continue
ton of these powers. 1t was only
month ago that the Presiden
himself said that consumer ration
ing and price controls were polic'
state methods. That is the ISSUE
today. Not only in America, bu