Evening star., 1947-11-14
TheGreatG GameOfPOlitiCs
Truman's Message to Special Congress
Should Deal Candidly With Initiation

President and opposition party Is
even greater. The latter is con-
vinced that tax reduction along the
lines vetoed by Mr.. Truman last
summer is necessary to continued
industrial health and employment.
But the administration attitude is
not only strongly against tax reduc-
ton but inclined the other way.
Secretary Of the Treasury Snyder
insists that the foreign relief bill
must come out of current revenue"
which clearly is impossible unless
more revenue Is provided through
more taxes. And Mariner Eccles,
head Of the Federal Reserve, openly
advocates restoration of the cor
poration excess-profits tax, to the
complete abolition of which (by the
Democratic Congress in 1946) Mr..
B. M. Baruch-and a good many
others-were strongly opposed.
Thus there seems here an ire
concilable conflict, with Mr.. Tru-
man and the labor bosses, who since
his Taft Hartley bill veto are lined
up with him politically, holding the
Republican record in the last ses-
sion responsible for the evils which
aff1ict us and the Republicans firmly
insisting that Mr.. Truman's eco
nomic policies are unsound and
political.
Admittedly this is bad state Of
affairs and no concrete suggestion
for improvement has been advanced.
The 1948 presidential campaign
being less than eight months Off ma
turally causes each side to be srls-
picious politically Of the other-and
the suspicious of both are certainly
justified.
Gravity of the Crisis.
The appalling thing about all this
is that on the wisdom and speed
with which we act depends not only
the safety and well being Of our
own people but literally the lives
Of millions of men and women
abroad. It iS hard to exaggerate
the gravity Of the crisis. If ever
there was a time for parties and
politicians to rise above partisan
ship and personalities this would
appear the time. II one or the other
of these clashing forces does not
develop enough bigness to reach
the level of unselfish patriotism
there Is not a great deal Of hope.
The first step toward this level
would seem up to Mr.. Truman.
Perhaps he will take it. Certainly,
it would be an advance If in his
message he could be completely
realistic In his approach to the
vital question of imitation. It would,
In fact, be rather thrilling if he
could bring himself to state clearly
and unequivocally two things that
every intelligent man knows. The
first Of these is that there can be
no real control of prices without
wage control. The second Is that
one of the main causes for the
higher cost Of food Is the Govern
ment policy Of farm subsidies and
guarantees which artificially sup
port food prices.
The first position unquestionably
would be offensive to the labor
politicians with whom he is now
linked and who even now are busi-
ly planning new wage demands; the
second would stir resentment among
the powerful farm organizations,
which exert great weight in both
branches Of Congress.
Nevertheless, if. faced with 20
great an emergency, Mr.. Truman
should deal candidly and courage
ously with these two fundamental
facts which nearly every politician
publicly evades though privately ad-
mitting, the response from the rest
of the country might well be over
whelming. It would be an exhibi-
tion OF fearless patriotism such as
we have not had in a long time. It
easily might turn out the best pos
sible politics, too.
At any rate, with the Democratic
President showing that kind Of
bravery and bigness, the Republican
leaders In Congress hardly could fail
to cooperate. Should they fail, they
would stand convicted of q singular
ly despicable kind Of partisanship.
Also, they would assume . very
great responsibility.