The Union County journal. [volume] (Marysville, Ohio) 1875-1951, 1950-07-27

The Chamber of Commerce OF
the United States came out to-
day for the freezing of salaries,
wages, prices and profits in the
event the nation is plunged into
war because of the Korean crisis
eff and when such an emer-
gency comes" said a statement
by Otto A. Seyferth, Chamber
president, americans will ac-
cept all curtailments of Individual
freedom that are necessary in
War."
The statement of the Chamber
president pointed out that the
country is not yet engaged in an
about war effort and urged that
any immediate controls that may
be necessary, be put on a volun-
tary basis.
Mr.. Seyferth's statement said;
Confirms Crisis
"The Presidents message con-
firms the existence of a grave ma
tional crisis.
American businessmen, like
other segnents of our national
life, stand ready to make all sac
crifices necessary to preserve
what successive generations OF
Americans have built.
Zone thing is already clear. In
fighting the spirit Of totalitar-
ianisrn abroad, we must be alert
to the preservation of freedom at
home. Representative democracy
works. 1t works in peace. 1t will
work in war, if we will let it.
certainly the crisis is such as
to make it imperative that Con-
gress quickly determine the need
for more appropriations, more
man-poWer, and more domestic
controls. In this process, Congress
should quickly obtain the views
of leaders in all fields of Ameri-
can endeavor.
Seek Advise
There are available through
out the United States host of
able men who, having worked
out the last wars regulations,
possess wide knowledge OF
whether those regulations operat-
ed well or badly. Those men
should be called upon to advise
government, so that industrial
mobilization, to whatever degree
undertaken, may be done eff
GENTLY and well.
Such action would be in the
tradition of representative de-
mocracy. Our institutions provide
the highest degree of freedom fol
the Individual - but Americans
have also proved that they ear
subject themselves to the rigiC
disciplines of war.
"If war is forced upon us, free
dom must be temporarily eur
tailed. A few short years ago
Americans in all walks of life
permitted the suspension of then
individual freedoms, in the be,
lief that by SO doing they wert
making freedom secure, Faced
with necessity, they will do sc
again; but they will insist thai
government recognize the fact
that Americans so not like to be
/ forced.
Face Some Controls
in spite of our grim Korean
losses, we are not now engaged
in full-seale effort, nor is full
mobilization proposed. But WE
do face the probability of re-
turning to some measure of con
trolls. We hope, however, thai
Congress will rely upon voluntary
effort to the greatest extent pos
sible in keeping the civilian econ
omy steady while we step up oul
military preparedness.
Controls may be needed, bu'
they should be imposed reluc'
tantly, to be quickly abandoned
when they have served their pur,
pose. The spirit that lies back o.
controllism is Nthe very sort ot
thing that we are fighting against
It was our opposition to dictator
ship that led us into the las
world war. Now in Korea we are
resisting aggression by the pup
pets of a power whose sole objec,
| tive is to fix upon people every
where a complete governmental