Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-20
WeeksBIarnes
Scare Politics
On Democrats
ny GOULD LINCOLN
star stan Writer

ASNuluClhLa III loIlkICAh, Ntck-
ing 10 make capital out OF the
recession. are staging polit-
zeal hippodromes under the
guise OF public hearings 10 sup
ply false charges. fake prom
iScs and scare headlines and
thereby unsettle public psy-
chology"
Speaking at a Republican
gathering in Skowhegan, Me,
the Secretary said In effect
that some Democrats are plac-
ing party above country. en-
gaging in responsibility In
their proposals and their votes
and destroying confidence In
business and the free enter
prise system TO which the exist |
ing unemployed must look for
jobs.
I'VE Republicans" Mr.. Weeks
said. always welcome legiti-
mate investigations and Coop
erative search for sound ways
10 stimulate economic growth. |
But We deplore any limelight
play whose chief purpose is to
foment panic propaganda, Just
as spring confidence is begin
ming to return"
Hits professional PessimiStS"
Mr.. Weeks was hitting par
ticularly at the hearings before
the House Banking and Cur
Iency Committee. which start
ed last week with former Presi-
dent Truman as the Demo-
Gratis lead-off man. and at the
hearings which Senate Demo-
cratic Leader johnson OF Texas.
has called on President Eisen-
hower's vetoes Of the Farm
bill and the Rivers and Har-
bors bill-which the President
has denounced as unSound-al-
though advanced by Democrats
as cures for the recession. The
hearings on the Presidents
vetoes-unprecedented in re-
cent years - are expected 10
start soon.
1.-THE common sense Of the
American people is so strong.
the foundation of our economy
so solid, the prospect of renewed
economic growth later this year
so bright, that the alarmist ru-
mors of professional pesSimists
so far have not made much
headway." Mr.. Weeks declared.
Opening his address. he said:
"The most important subject
in America today is a four
letter word-jobs."
Cites Cruel DemagOguery"
At the same time. Mr.. Weeks
continued. THE most dangerous
politician right now is anyone
who through ignorance, reck-
less schemes or cruel dema-
goguery-delays the Nations
unemployed from getting back
to steady work in private bust
ness as swiftly as possible"
Denying fatty Democratic |
charges that the administra-
ton is delaying needed action |
to help speed recovery. Mr.. |
Weeks charged that it is the |
Democrats who have been I
dragging their feet" and not |
acting on President Eisen-
hower's program designed to /
provide jobs. %
The unemployed, Mr.. Weeks
said, want real jobs. Their |
hope is to get steady. profitable |
jobs in factories and stores
not phony promises of jobs that |
fail to materialize."
He complained that many OF
the panaceas - public works
projects-advanced by Demo-
Gratis. will not provide work for
a long time and so will not |
meet current needs.
9.5 Million JObless in 1899
"Unsound remedies for de-
pression) were dreamed up be-
fore in the New Deal days by !
witch doctors and spendthrift |
politicians" Mr.. Weeks said |
after trying for six years ev-
cry radical scheme in the book, |
there we're still 9.5 million I'M
employed in 1899. 1t took a
world war to bring unemploy-
ment to halt. America never
wants a repetition of that kind !
Of pump printing and job max
ing"
Under President Truman"
he said. who is now trying to
cast smoke screens over his
own economic failures. SPEND
ing increased alarmingly, defic-
its became habitual and the
dollars buying power declined
so steadily that housewives
were frantic about the rising
cost Of living"
Secretary Weeks said that
behind the ballyhoo of manu-
featured gloom is the fact that
today 81 million men and wom-
en- are gainfully employed
more people than were ever
employed under any Democra-
tic administration-and even
now under recession conditions
their average hourly and weekly
earnings are higher than in
New Deal times"
Cites Prosperous Years
The Republicans chief con-
Germ, however. is the anxiety
and hardship Of approximately
5 million unemployed, Mr..
Weeks continued. He criticized
the Democrats for not having
acted long ago on President
Eisenhower's recommendation
for extension of unemploy-
ment insurance.
Mr.. Weeks. said our private
enterprise economy has given
Americans the highest standard
Of living on earth, and before
this year. three years OF the
greatest prosperity in all his
tory. He recalled that in rs
years there have been 10 sepa-
rate declines.