Evening star., 1949-04-10
Hoover Report Reception
In Congress DepIored
REORGANIZATION Held Msnseed hy
Indifference ard Politics
6v Fysmk 4. keI
4 NIrumeesl ~

H.
nert Krosrscosly s~ol4sn ard .Hrs~ass-v
eansllng, waSssfGl ard snssseaeaf = as-rcl
reflection O. The inertia ard arIn,s..ssrvscs IS.
the American recpae, ThFrr IS % ogAtr nay
20 explain IL The rsw&eus SITUATION - -
complete at indictment c. car gn@tzess -
severn ourselves As hAs n~sr naa~
These mAy seem harsh ~c:S3s sug lhs7 ase
sust3Sec ey the facts II th.a nA1sgr wv.s
free O. debt II iis egtlarns werw 4sEs}ss sAsec
Z there wetw q dependable Surplus r. -
Treasury Il there we're no way. clcass - 80
foreign sky Il peace @eye ASSURED or sr-
fense armament rr<fQced a. tAs minimum
and the res, O. tie world or Is ~Vo0oHsas
fee; ,An iceAl condition wasch 9, course
will never occur bal NAV he Assumed fcJ
the sake q argument. even then il ~e...a
BE- snexcusAals stapad not 20 enac; 'Ss
Hoover recommendation. which Dot CRY
would save s. 900 600 600 yrRr BAT iSyoas
the elimination O! duplication waste ard
&hsurct,lss restore reason ard effcaercY 70
= machine close 10 boggtng ccSn q !ts can
weight,
Even under tho ideal capGltsoas Asase
described there could he nc defense 9oj .0ee-
ton no argument against adopiIet1 no >er>s
IN refusal, But, under conditions So thrF
really ale. no, 10 act swaitls and fayosRc.v
close 10 national insanity II woa!d lie sns
mos. shocking demonstration OF popu.ag N
capacity III all history. II woald exi1thJ ihs
Nation as having ftfst. gone on record IS
realizing the necessity OF Trgalnln9 SoiN&
Of It's governmental maehinefS second a.
having It's request 10 be shown the way !aly
complied With, third, with fun kno~ledEe %
the danger. as having turned It's back. shut
its eyes and done nothing
These statements are by no means TOO
s,rong The truth Ia they cannot be made
too strong For here are the faets-~fAr. In
deed from those ideal conditions, financially,
the Nation is In an appalllns state, Instead
Of being free Of debt, the dehi--new more
than 200 hiilions-!s far greater than any
one dreamed could be sustained The an
nual interest alone is twice as much as tire
total cost of Government twenty years sgo.
Instead Of being lightly taxed, The tar bur
den Is unpreceden;ediy heavy II bears
grievously upon rich and poor alike, II has
reached the point where to GRin acutey
needed revenue. economists generally fear
the result OF adding 10 IL, Instead oi de"
pendahle surplus for nearly is years.
we have consistently run increasingly large
deficits Under such conditions any business.
big or little would be marked lnSolNent
branded as bankrupt. In other words. our
Federal fiscal structure u strained to tho
limit.
Instead OF permanent peace, for two years
we have been engaged In frtghtsning cold
war with Russia and no man can be sure II
will not become q shooting war. Instead OF
reduced armsments. st vast cost We are
forced 70 build up gigantic defense ma"
chine. And billions are being poured into
the friendly countries OF western Europe TO
promote their economic stability and
strengthen our position. Finally. ne have
iust concluded the North Atlantic pact. un-
der which in the next twelve months We ~ll
furnish TO the other signers ! ~ billion dol
lars worth OF military supplies. This a
billion is not provided for In the Presidents
budget and must be added 70 the B "a billions
necessary for the Marshall Plan in the COM
Ing year On top OF all this. before the ses-
sion has ended Congress siil have appFo-
priated several other non -budgeted billions
for 4 variety OF purposes The drain upon
the Treasury viii be terrific. We have got
to get more revenue or 30 under. Where is
the money coming from7 Even more
taxes are levied. we will still be far short Of
our needs In face Of these facts which no
one disputes one would think the Hoover
proposal 10 eliminate waste. increase EN-
cheney and save three billions annually would
seem heaven sent.
Literally. there h everything 10 commend
It, II Ia not a. II the Hoover Commission
were trying TO sell It, The idea was not
originated by Mr. Hoover but by Congress
itself II was Congress which unanimously
passed o resolution creating the commission
and asking II TO do the job The commission
has done the Job. Neither the accuracy OF
the reports figures nor the soundneks OF Ito
are questioned by any one.
Practically every newspaper in the United
States has approved. There Isn't so much AZ
trace of politics anywhere. No one con-
nected with the commission has anything
even remotely 10 gain No one In any party
disputes the vital necessity Of the proposed
reorganization. which every President since
Theodore Roosevelt has urged Informed
men know that II II fails this time II viii
never be done. This In the last chance
Opposition comes from the intrencbed
Federal bureaucracy and the, labor lobby.
Powerful as these are. they should be easy
TO override on 80 tremendously essential
matter as this. Yet. incredibly. It laRs.
Already II IL being said that Congress viI
evade responsibility Itself and merely author
ize Mr.. Truman 70 reorRanizs 70 ths extent
he desires. That OF course means nothing
nj all. Most Congressrnen shrink from doing
anything 10 disturb the constituents whom
they have on the pay roll. Their disposition
k 70 run away from the drastic steps they
are nov asked 70 take In the national inter
ests II some way is not found 70 save this
report from the lingering death which It's
opponents predict. this country's future s
not pleasant 70 contemplate. Easily. Il Is
the most important matter before Congress.
It's fate win affect every project upon which
We are engaged abroad a. veil as NJ home.
II is q dreadful thought that the people are
incapable Of being sroussd on 10 vital and
simple an issue,
and IL commands In every direction a view
Of the picturesque hills and daIes that have
made famous the course Of the Potomac"