Evening star., 1953-03-29
Buruch Counsel Praised
As Service to Nation
Writer Indorses Ceiling Low
To Control lnfIution
By Frank R. Kent

To Control lnfIution
By Fronk R. Kent
Experience, it is said, is the best
teacher. Babies learn by experience,
children learn by it and adults who
do not profit by it are generally con-
ceded to be mentally deficient one way
or another In view of these indisputa-
BILE facts, is it not strange that they
do not apply to this great and highly
literate country as q whole?
The proof that 1t does not apply Is
overwhelming. That was made plain
again in the statement Of B. M. Baruch
last week when he appeared-by re-
quest-before the Senate Banking and
Currency Committee. This committee
is considering legislation which pro-
poses to put on standby basis the
authority and machinery necessary to
cope with another war or near-war
emergency, were one to burst upon us.
None Of these powers" Mr.. Baruch
explained, would go into effect now.
They simply would be placed on the
without delay at some future time or
peril"
4 4
There is nothing new in the legisla-
ton before the committee or in what
Mr.. Baruch said in support. A man
who learns from experience, Mr.. Baruch
became convinced Of the principles he
advocates through his experience as
head Of the War Industry Board in the
First World War. He has been preach
ing them ever since. He has presented
them in numerous articles, speeches
and many times before various commit
tees Of Congress. No one has ever dis
puted their SoundneSS or suggested an
alternative. There have been thousands
Of editorials approving them and q
great favoring public sentiment. At the
outbreak Of World War II, Mr.. Baruch,
pointing out the mistakes Of World War
I, strongly urged their immediate adop-
ton. The then President-Mr. Roose-
velt-agreed as to the desirability but
took no action because Of the opposi-
tion Of the labor union bosses.
After World War II came the Korean
crisis and again Mr.. Baruch went be-
fore Senate committee and gave his
views. One statement he then made
to wit. that failure in the second World
War promptly to put ceiling on prices.
profits, wages, rents, food, etc.. had
unnecessarily cost the country 100 bill
lions Of dollars, prolonged the war at
least six months and considerably added
to the casualties statement still
stands out, uncontradicted and unfor-
gotten-at least by few. It is difficult
to imagine more serious charge or a
more startling utterance. Its truth was
not and never has been questioned.
That time the committee approved the
Baruch proposals and Congress enacted
the legislation. Actually, 1t gave Mr..
Truman more power than he asked.
Unhappily, he failed to use it. Again
the obstacle was the White House alli-
ance with the CIO labor bosses.
\
The result has been a dangerous in
flation which has increased the cost Of
living: added more than 20 per cent to
defense costs, permitted damaging
strikes in basic industries and defense
plans which, among other things, have
contributed to the shortage of am
munition pointed out by General Van
. Fleet. And now again comes Mr..
Baruch, responding once more to re-
quest for his well-known views. It is
worth while to quote his words: "The
principles underlying sound mobiliza-
ton are unchanging. The object is to
organize the Nation so that no matter
what happens the armed forces will get
what they need when needed with the
. least necessary dislocation to civilian
life."
Continuing, he said. "This requires
allocating our resources so survival
takes priority over desire: it requires
power to commander, higher taxes
controls over credit and money, over
prices and wages, rents and other costs
to prevent imitation and to see that
what is scarce goes not to the fattest
purse or the biggest pull but to the
most essential needs without profiteer-
ing. The costs Of war must be shared
equitably by all or internal bitterness
will divide us. These objectives cannot
be realized unless the mobilization laws
are on the books before the emergency
breaks out. Let me emphasize that, par
ticularly for those who would wait until
the bombs are falling and the world
is aflame before enacting these stand
by laws. To wait is to die. To wait Is
to make certain our mobilization win be
needlessly slowed which means length
ening the struggle and booming some
to lose their lives needlessly."
A more solemn warning could not
be given US; nor by wiser, more ex-
perienced or disinterested man. What
he said was well said but it was mere
repetition of what he had been saying
for nearly 80 years. During that time
another war had been fought and won.
but at vast needless cost. Now, with
the Nation involved in minor war but
again threatened with a major one,
asked for his views, Mr.. Baruch merely
repeats what he has said dozens Of
times in dozens of ways. The question
now is-will we ever learn? Once Con-
gress acted upon his advice but the
head of the Nation failed the Nation
and for an ignoble reason. The COM
forting thing this time is that If Con-
gress again acts as it did before, there
is a man at the head who win not fail
to follow through--n and when tho
emergency bursts upon us.