Browning chief., 1948-06-11
LOOKING
!: AAE4D
BY GEORGE S. BENSON
h Presidezf--Hardixg college
Searry. ATksxfas
European Check-Up

european NaeCk-Op
How would you like to be able to
take a five-weeks' trip to Europe to
see if what you've heard is true?
Mr.. Ernest T. Weir, chairman Of
the National Steel Corporation of
Pittsburgh, did just that. He made
informal contacts with people of all
sorts. Then he had opportunity
to interview outstanding men of
finance and industry in each coun-
try.
Because of Mr.. Weir's nationally
recognized leadership, and because
I consider him a far-seeing and
capable observer, want to give you
some of his conclusions.
People Must Work
English businessmen he inter-
viewed think England must work
out her own salvation. They said
more U. S. dollars poured into Eng
land would be harmful. Our 81 bill
lion loan to them has been wasted,
they told him, and has kept Eng
land from facing problems square
ly. "England's greatest need is for
better government, more hard work
and greater production
France, excepting war-torn areas,
was in about the same physical
shape as England. 'The most seri-
Gus condition in France is the black
market in money!" he added. The
black market offers twice as many
francs for a dollar as the govern
ment allows officially. 1.-THE great
problems of France are bad gov
| ernment, encouragement of the peo-
! pie to believe they can live without
/ working, and the consequent failure
OF the people generally to produce" I"
Follow Up the Money!
Mr.. Weir thinks the German peo-
pie must have full liberty in the re-
construction of their country. He
branded the Morgenthau plan, as
applied in Germany, lone of the
great crimes of history" America
should stop lending or giving money
without proper planning and full in
vestigation of the use of the money.
At the same time, he believes Ger
many is safe place to put funds
for reconstruction, with proper
i plans.
The individualism of the people
in England, France, and the United
States makes communism an un-
real danger. He believes the peo-
pie in these countries will never,
for long, permit 1.-The iron heel on
their nccks." 1t is his belief that a
program financing foreign nations
so they will not 60 communistic is
without justification. People who
will stand for Communism will go
in that direction irrespective of what
we may do to the contrary"
Need for Leadership
Europe is loafing on the job of
genuine recovery, he believes. THE
day they roll up their sleeves and
go to work, recovery will begin. "
Visitors find the English and
French, supposedly starving, work.
ing only 40 hours week. Mr.. Weir
asks: why don't they adopt a six
day week, which would greatly in
crease the production of all mate
rials?' There are enough resources
and manpower. Given the right
kind of leadership and adequate
incentives =. the peoples of Europe
would work harder and more pro-
ductively.'
Mr.. Weir's phrases fright kind
of leadership" and adequate incen-
tives" suggest the key to this en-
tire puzzle of European difficulties.
Take away the profit motive and
people lack incentive to work. Then
add tax oppression and all the de-
cay of leadership that Europe has
had to put up with. The result is
unrest and economic chaos. Grab
bing tina nearest ism" will not
! bring prosperity, nor freedom of any
kind, for anyone. That is the way
to shackles that bind men: hands,
| feet, and ideals,