Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-10-03
Thinking 1t
Through
by Paul Sifton
LPA CoIumnist

AA(A -
Look at your youngest child
and he learns to stand up in his
play pen.
Look at your teen age son or
daughter, bending over school
homework, full of beans, dreams
and plans for the long future.
Danger hangs over their
heads like the mushroom cloud
at Hiroshima; danger of al
freeze-up of world trade, of de-
preston, of a cave-in of Europe
as it reaches for bread and
help on any terms; danger of
war before long, as human lives
are measured.
It's behind President Tru-
mans cautious words summon
ing Congressional leaders toI
discuss plans for determining
the action to be taken by the
United States to aid in preserv-
ing the stability and promoting
the recovery of the nations
which participated in the Paris
Conference" Con the Marshall
Plan):
Meanwhile, certain problems
have arisen in connection with
the economic situation in Eu-
rope that are of such an urgent
nature that their solution can
not await the careful study re-
quired for the overall deci-
sions. ..... The problems are of an
emergency natuRe which de-
mand immediate attention"
That means NOW. 1t should
have meant six months ago, or
a year ago, or the day after
W Day. We should never have
unlaxed and gone on a two year
spree of "decontrol' and infla-
ton while the war-ravaged peo-
Piles of the world, weak and
tired and sick, slipped closer to
the pit where bread seems more
important than freedom.
We're starting late in a race
against time, against hunger,
against a trade freeze-up that
has already started, against in
flation and aginst fear that may
turn to new waves of isolation,
of peace at Russia's price of
panicky militarism as we pre-
pared to fight alone against a.
world we had allowed to go to-
talitarian. Communist activity is
stepped up in Italy as dollars
run out and famine threatens.
France will run out of dollars in
three weeks, it is reliably re-
ported, and will have to clamp
down on spending; that can
mean an increase in Communist
votes in the October municipal
elections that would force Com
munists into the French cabinet
and thereby pull France out of
the Marshall Plan.
On the plans for getting more
aid to Europe quick, Marshall
has won and Agriculture Secre-
tary has lost. Export grain
quotas have been boosted about
120 million bushels over Andr-
sons idea. But that is not
enough. 1t could be boosted at
least another $50 million bushels
by (a) reasonable reduction in
the feeding of wheat to cattle
for expensive (and high profit)
luxury finishing" and (b) in
creasing the flour extraction
from 72 to 80 percent. 1t could
go to 90 per cent but the bread
wouldn't look so pretty. ct
would be daily proof that we
were doing our full share to in
sure a decent peace for free
men and their children.)
Truman's new Citizens Food
Committee begins by pleading
with the public to waste less and
buy cheaper kinds of food. But
Truman has also given It author
ity to "advise on ways and
means of carrying out the neces-
sary conversation effort" That
might mean rationing, ALLEGATION
and priorities, even price con-
troll. AFL President Green and
CIO President Murray are mem
bers; Charles Luckman, liberal
president of Lover Bros, is
chairman. The Committee is
heavily weighted with farm and
food industry lie d e rs who
fought, sabotaged and prema-
turely destroyed rationing, price
controls, priorities and alloca-
tions.
This Committee and the Con-
greSs will come up with aid
enough and in time-if you,
multiplied by millions, make
plain to members of both bodies
that you favor aid on an all-out
basis, starting NOW.
Take another look at your fu-