Evening star., 1950-12-14
The Political Mill /
Woit-ond-See' Policy
Due for Change Shortly
Koreo Setback and Living Costs
Force Administration Hand
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

f0rce Administrator Hand
By Gould Lincoln
Maybe we are going to change. Maybe
We are going to do something about
all-out mobilization, both military and
economic. If so, two happenings are
esponsible-rather than any far-seeing
ability amcng the powers in Washington,
The first is the overwhelming attack by
forces of Red China in North Korea,
The second is the rapid rise in prices and
the cost Of living in the United States.
Before the congressional elections. mill
tary mobilization was soft-pedaled-
the administration lodged the imposition
OF economic controls, although Congress
had given the President authority.
For months there have been appeals
to the National Government for greater
effort to put this country in state of
preparedness to meet military attack
and to prevent disastrous imitation SEN
ator Lyndon johnson Of Texas, Demo-
cratic member of the Armed Services
Committee. has prodded constantly, and
so has Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, tr.,
OF Massachusetts,, Republican member
OF the Foreign Relations Committee.
Now. 1t appears. their hopes for about
mobillzatlon are to be gratified.
"Six Costly Months"
Speaking in the Senate on Tuesday.
Senator johnson said that the wait
and-see" policy of the administration
had delayed adequate preparation "for
six costly months" although this country
and the free world have been at war all
that time against the Communist aggres-
SorS.
Faced with the task Of girding this
Nation for a struggle that may outlive
us all" said Senator johnson, I'VE have
committed ourselves only to policy Of
not committing ourselves. For the COM
mon defense. we have thrown up a
chicken-wire fence, not wall of armed
might"
Senator Johnson's complaint was that
there has been no one to tell the
American people where we are going.
His considered judgment. he said, was
that no problem Of preparedness should
be OF more immediate concern than the
present state of public confidence. "The
American people have not lost faith In
themselves or in their country" he con-
tinued. "but the American people are
fed up with double talk in Washington"
He told his colleagues the American
people are anxious to unite, but, he said.
they cannot rally around a vacuum.
They cannot give their unified support
to policies that do not exist"
The Texas Senator commented on q
strange situation for Americans to find
themselves in. He said:
''We are in war, but all our effort
Is seemingly directed toward staying out
OF the war We are already in. This Is
adolescent nonsense"
Peoples Confidence Hit.
The administrators policies seem
almost to have been designed to break
down the confidence of the American
people. The people have been told for
a long time that nothing could be done
about Communist China-even though
1t imprisoned an American consul-gen-
eral and held him for six months. They
have been told that we cannot fight
Communist China after she attacked the
United Nations forces in Korea-al-
though there were plenty of ways and
means to that end-without an Army
invasion Of China. That's new thought
for Americans. They have been given
the impression that the United States
cannot fight war with Communist
Russia, with a chance of success. All
this is calculated to give the American
people an inferiority complex-which
Americans have never suffered before.
The time has come-in ract it came q
long time ago-when this country must
have global policy, in which we-not
Communist Russia-must decide where
we shall fight and where we can fight,
as the Texan insisted. And turning to
the need for prompt mobilization Of the
countrys economy-as well as of its
manpower-Senator johnson called at
tention to the fact that on November %
the wholesale price index reached an
all-time high-171.7. That represents
an increase Of 1928 per cent since April.
To illustrate the short-sightedness Of
the administrations wait and see"
policy in the economic field, Mr.. john
son said that the tax dollars that would
have bought 100 miles Of field wire
before the Korean war would buy only
85 miles In September-and only 78 miles
in November. He added that the tax
money which would have bought 10000
barrels Of fuel oil before Korea would
buy only $500 IN September-and only
4,700 barrels in November.
He spoke of "tax money" and its pur-
chasing power merely because these are
materials which are needed in the de-
tense program. And must be bought by
the Government Private citizens, how
ever. can get no more with their dollars.
The time is over-ripe to do something
about this.
6..>.xs