Evening star., 1950-09-17
Sees Trumun to Blame
For More InfIotion
Writer Also Holds Labor
At Fault on Controls
By Fronk R. Kent

The White House attitude toward in
fation, which many feel to be our most
dangerous enemy, is not such as to in
spire confidence. The acts of the ad-
ministration not only clash with it's words
but seem clearly designed to promote
rather than restrain imitation. In addi-
ton, they certainly have high political
flavor.
In time of national peril, this Is q
serious charge. But the apparent in
tention of Mr.. Truman not to uSe-at
least until after the election-the great
powers which Congress has given him to
keep prices down seems to leave no
other possible conclusion. A review Of
the facts makes this plain. In the first
place, the President did not ask for the
full powers voted him. He got them
not because he wanted them but be-
cause in his remarkable Illuminating
statement before Senate committee, B.
M. Baruch not only made clear the
frightful consequences of uncontrolled
initiation but again reiterated the obvi-
GUS and uncontrovertible facts that
prices cannot be controlled unless food
costs, profits and wages are controlled
at the same time.
1t is, he pointed out absurd to deal
with imitation piecemeal. Ceilings must
be put over eyerything-and without de-
lay-to be effective. Failure to deal
firmly with wages had added hundred
billions to the cost of the last war, pro-
longed it by six months and greatly in
creased our casualties. No one-not
even Mr.. Trumans Council of Economic
Advisers-disputed Mr.. Baruch's facts,
and they made so deep an impression
on Congress and the country that by an
overwhelming vote the former passed the
bill giving Mr.. Truman full powers to
do what clearly should be DONE Never
before has the Congress voted q Presi-
dent comparable powers without being
asked. Never before has President had
such powers forced on him. Never be-
fore has Congress shown more eagerness
than the President for the imposition
OF economic controls in a crisis. Never
before has the country evinced a greater
desire to be put under economic control
than the President proposed.
Why, then, is the accusation now made
that the President does not intend to
use these powers until after the election
-~lf then? Why is it charged that poll
tics is influencing the Presidents course?
Primarily, this is because of the ex-
traordinary way in which Mr.. Truman
avoids any save the vagueSt mention of
wages in his talk about controlling in
hation. Not once has he said single
firm, unequivocal word about wages Not
once did he suggest to Congress that he
wanted authority to deal with wages as
well as other things.
The presidential shying away from his
vital subject is given added significance
by four things: % The absolute unity
among the labor bosses in opposing any
wage control of any kind at this time;
90 their equal unity in pressing for
further wage increases before the elec-
ton; 90 Mr.. Trumans frequent con-
ferences with Jack Kroll, head of the
CLOS political action department, and
his recent off-the-record dinner meet
ing with some so of the labor bosses; C4) !,
the almost complete dependence of the
Democratic Party on the organized labor
vote tNeW York is the most notable ex-l
ample) and the consequent SubServiency
OF the national Democratic leaders to
the labor demands; (5) the militant
pro-union attitude of the Secretary Of
Labor. s.
--.--. ~
Considering all this, the present con-
viction that Mr.. Truman will do little,
beyond making gestures to combat in
fation in the next two months is not
surprising. The new law ties prices and
wages together and requires control of
both. If, as is evident, no move is to be
made to control wages, then both will
be postponed. In a recent issue the
ot1tI1
that "the decision appears to have been
reached to permit imitation to run full
new round before setting up any real
resistance" "a full new round of wage
rises" it declares, lis to be permitted
before any controls are clamped upon
wages and prices. This will carry retail
prices up by and 10 per cent" Consid-
ering the heights which these have
already reached, this is rather appall-
ing prospect.