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Show airiVli'JiiinwJiiiiltilllllin BARUCH PREDICTS INFLATION WASHINGTON. Elder Statesman States-man Bernie Baruch revealed some interesting figures on inflation recently re-cently in an off-the-record session with 14 younger congressmen at his Shoreham hotel apartment. Baruch' s prediction was that the nation was hell-bent for inflation and soon. Piecemeal increases in wages, profits and the cost of living have been uneven, Baruch said, with wages lagging behind. For that reason rea-son he no longer favored his prewar Idea of a freeze on both prices and wages. Our only hope, said the elder el-der statesman, is that we can weather weath-er the next six to nine months without with-out running into serious inflation. If we do that, our chances of a strong recovery from the war boom are good. "The huge pent-up demand for products which we will see during dur-ing the next nine months, is a very serious threat," said Baruch, Ba-ruch, stressing the importance of holding prices down. He amazed his listeners by saying say-ing that he is completely opposed to tax reduction of any nature at this time. "Not only does the government govern-ment lose needed revenue, but it is an unhealthy thing for our general economy," argued Baruch. Rep. Andy Biemiller of Milwaukee asked what Baruch thought of the statement by General Motors' president pres-ident C. E. Wilson that if wages are raised 30 per cent, prices must go up 30 per cent. Baruch talked at some length on the general question of rising ris-ing prices, but gave no direct answer. an-swer. Finally, Biemiller repeated his question. "I'm afraid I can't agree with Mr. Wilson," Baruch said. WAGE NOT PRICE INCREASE "Isn't it true that industry can give a 30 per cent wage increase without having to raise prices more than about 7 per cent?" Biemiller persisted. "You are approximately right," Baruch agreed. "I believe the figure fig-ure you may have heard is actually Wi per cent." Baruch also told his guests that he felt we were making a mistake in speeding manpower demobilization. "With the world in its present situation," he said, "it seems to me it would be wiser to proceed slowly with demobilization, de-mobilization, in order that we not weaken ourselves at a time when power is apparently still an important thing." He agreed also with an idea proposed pro-posed by one of his guests, Estes Ke-fauver Ke-fauver of Chattanooga, to have cabinet cab-inet members and other high officials of-ficials appear on the floor of congress con-gress where they can be questioned by congressmen. Such a practice would make for much greater cooperation co-operation between the executive and legislative departments, Baruch said. Present in addition to Biemiller and Kefauver were Representatives Representa-tives Albert Gore and Percy Priest of Tennessee, John Sparkman of Alabama, Al-abama, Mike Mansfield of Montana, Henry Jackson of Washington, Jerry Jer-ry Voorhis and Chet Holifield of California, Cal-ifornia, Bob Sikes of Florida, Mike Monroney of Oklahoma, Bob Ram-speck Ram-speck of Georgia, and Jamie Whit-ten Whit-ten and Arthur Winstead of Mississippi. Missis-sippi. CHURCHILL IN DEFEAT Winston Churchill recently told friends how he felt after his defeat in the British elections. The first few days after his defeat were ter-I ter-I rible, Churchill confessed. The very next morning he arose and fretted because there were no diplomatic cables ca-bles to read. Through the war, his first morning chore was to read the top-secret military and diplomatic i cables from all over the empire; and he paced up and down Intermittently Intermittent-ly for days, fretting because there (were no cables coming in and because, be-cause, though he felt things were going wrong, there was no one to whom he could send cables to straighten tilings out "Finally I went down to the south of France," Churchill confessed. I "They treated me well there. I 'painted several pictures and they fed me some wonderful food. But still I couldn't get over tills idea of no cables coming in and no cables going out. Each morning I fretted when I read the papers. But finally one morning I felt better. It suddenly sud-denly dawned on me that I wasn't prime minister any more and It wasn't my worry, and I've felt better bet-ter ever since." Note Churchill's health is touch and ro. Ills doctor Ims ordered him to cut down on his food and drinking. Sl'.NATE I'XniCK STATESMEN Here are the ngi-s of the elder statesmen of the somite: Bimkliriui of Alabama, 73; George of GoorjjU, M; Thomas of Idnlio, 71; Willis of Indi.'uin, 71); Capper of Kansas, 80; Reed of K:ms:is, 74; B:u'kli-y of Kentucky, Ken-tucky, lid; White- of Maine, Hit ; Walsh nf Massachusetts, 73; Blllio of Mississippi, Mis-sissippi, fill; Murray of Montana, (ill; McCurrnn of Nevada, Hi); Halley of Morth Carolina, 72; Monro of OlUa-ioiiui, OlUa-ioiiui, 74; Green of Hhodi? Island ;tl; Austin of Vermont, Wl mui Me ellar of Tennessee 7(1 |