Evening star., 1948-05-02
Citizens Advisory Group
To Aid President Uroed
Writer Says Truman Is Handicapped
by Inadequate Guidance
By Frank r. Kent

writer SayS i fumAu Is l1dnQlCdppeO
by Inadequate Guidance
By Frank r. Kent
Among the graver defects in our system Is
the apparent inability of the Federal Govern
ment to function competently in a crisis. This,
Of course was proved in World War I, and
even more convincingly in World War II. 1t Is
true we won both those great struggles. And.
after each, we proudly tapped our wings.
loudly Growing about the superb job" we had
done, though every informed man knew that
the cost in American lives and American
dollars had been far greater than it should
have been.
Especially was this so of the last war because
in that, for indefensible reasons. we rejected
the hard-bought experience of the first and
refused to profit by its demonstrated mistakes.
Now, hardly three years since the shooting
ended in an effort to avert third world war,
the possibility of which is conceded by all, we
are embarked upon a foreign policy involving
sums Of magnitude and perils of proportion
greater than any one ever dreamed of in =
peace period. In conception as in cost this
policy Is truly on grand scale 1t is not too
much to say that if it succeeds we not only
shall have preserved the peace of the world
but saved European civilization from collapse
fails, even though war does not ensue, the
economic consequences would be awful Except
actual war itself, in all our history We have
never faced so great crisis nor one imposing
so heavy strain upon our resources or evoking
such risks
Clearly, here is situation calling for gov
ernmental competency of. the highest possible
degree. The urgency of managing our do
mestic affairs so to stand strong and steady
under the vast financial burdens of the Euro
pean Recovery Program is too plain to debate.
Obviously. this is program requiring the
putting of our fiscal house in the best order
reduction of debt, enhancement of revenue,
the elimination of waste curtalment Of gov-
ernmental costs, an end to duplication and red
tape avoidance OF unessential experiments and
expansion. In brief, nothing should be left
undone to buttress the soundness and strength
OF the whole Federal financial structure. That
Is just ordinary common sense.
But, with the great crisis on top Of us, are
we exercising ordinary common sense? Few
will so contend. The fact is that instead Of
acting intelligently we are behaving like idiotA
Instead of enhancing our revenues so as t6
reduce the great debt which is a conceded
menace to the national security, Congress de-
officials has diminished national revenue
through tax reduction-more than five billion
dollars Instead of contracting governmental
size and pairing governmental expenditures,
save those for national defense and foreign
policy, we are expanding and increasing at an
astonishing rate. We are about to launch new
and expensive experiments along medical,
educational, housing ands social lines, all OF
which add to the COST accelerate imitation and
ought not to be undertaken until the fiscal
foundation has been shored up. Overlapping
and waste among the Federal bureaus and
boards have not been reduced but increased
Confusion and incompetency are close to an
all-time high.
At this moment, no one knows with even
reasonable accuracy how much we will have to
put out this year nor how much we will take
in. What we do know is that at the rate we are
going deficit financing again threatens and
debt reduction is mirage. 1t is not surprising
that those who know the facts are distressed
and discouraged. With the national conven-
tions and political campaign ahead. there Is
a distrust and suspicion between Democratic
President and Republican Congress of such
character as to make real cooperation utterly
impossible, though cooperation was never as
acutely needed.
From men who truthfuly can be described as
disinterested there has come the suggestion
that it would be greatly in the national inter-
est If the President could be induced now to
create an advisory council made up of private
citizens in whose wisdom and patriotism the
country as whole has confidence For such .
group (though there are other qualified mem.
the names Of Herbert Hoover and B. M.
Baruch inevitably occur. Those who support
this idea point out that the main complaint
against Mr. Truman concerns the inadequacy
of his advisers; the fact that except for two
men in his cabinet, there is no one of real
stature and experience among those who sur
round and see him.
In this crisis If there were a board COM
posed of private citizens such as Mr. Hoover
and Mr.. Baruch. devoid of political ambition
and of known ability, integrity. patriotism and
experience, with whom Mr.. Truman regularly
consulted and upon whose advice he could be
depended upon to act, it would 60 very long
way toward putting the weight Of the Nation
behind our national policies and enabling us
to measure up to the great requirements of
world leadership. More surely than In any
other way bipartisan cooperation on vital
issues could be achieved. 1t would inStill con-
fidence and increase competency-both badly
needed in this administration. 1t seems step
to which neither Democrats nor Republicans
could object. Certainly popular approval would
be great.
factured on the Florida peninsula. Already
great areas in the western part of the State