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Show THE PROGRESSIVE OPINION ; Small Business to Feel . Benefit of Reconversion WPB Release of Aluminum for Civilian Purposes Turns Tide in Favor Of Little Plants. By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator. WNU Service, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C. The press gave notice a few weeks ago of the installation of a swarm of bees in the office of a government agency. It was in the Smaller War Plants corporation, and it was placed there by that wounded and decorated in the last war, defeated for reelec-tion to congress, and of San Antonio, Texas, Maury Maver-ick. He said he got the bees to pro-vide a living example of how to keep busy. I thought the gesture amusing, typical of the dramatically inclined Maury. So I went down to look the scene over, noted certain subsequent events and I decided that the ges-ture, although amusing enough, was by no means an empty one. For within one week, something hap-pened, the significance of which has been all too little appreciated. Re-conversion began and the long stag-nant tide turned in favor of little business. It is only a trickle so far, but the flow has started, which, it is hoped, will eventually get the wheels of small business, which had been slowed down past the danger point, moving again in the manufacture of civilian goods. - Less than a month before, Maury Maverick, armed with a series of charts, had appeared before a con-gressional committee and said: "Concentration of production to the hands of big business has grown by leaps and bounds since 1939." Using the metal trades as an ex-ample, he said: "Since the war started, the propor-tionate share of little business in metal products industries has rough-ly been cut in half." Still later, just before the bees (or whatever it was) stung the govern-ment to action, Mr. Maverick be-came more pessimistic. He told congress: "The mobilization of small busi-ness has reached the critical stage . . . the civilian economy Is short of civilian goods and getting short-er .. . dangerous inflationary pres-sures . . . cutbacks in war contracts . . . are causing unemployment." It was a gloomy picture Mr. Mav-erick painted. His office had worked hard, the congressional committees on small business had worked hard, but the War Production board turned a deaf ear to all demands on the basis that any resumption of civil-ian production might interfere with the war effort. Maverick's Work Rewarded Then at last the leaven began to work the whole argument of the de-fenders of little business, based on the assertion that certain industries could be resumed without Interfer-ing with the war effort, touched the iron heart of Donald Nelson, head of the WPB (of which Maury is a vice chairman). Nelson 'arose and are being taken to provide tte.a engineers with Information for plants which have never worked with aluminum to learn how. Not many plants are familiar with this work and that is why we can't expect many pots and pans right away. And, of course, any and every plant which does start civilian produc-tion of any kind must first run a "gauntlet" as the saying goes at headquarters. The "gaunt-let" is a series of tests to es-tablish unequivocally that such a use of a plant's facilities and manpower will in no way inter-fere with the war production. Let us look at the question of these "idle and excess inven-tories" of steel surpluses and see what the argument for their availability for civilian manu-facture Is. I am told that there are some million tons of such inventories. That means that there is that much Iron and steel being held over and above the possessors' needs for 60 days ahead. The holders, generaUy speak-- . . tag, are the large manufactur- - ers. Willing to Release Surpluses And they are willing to let the surpluses go. First, because they know they can get all the prime steel they need from the mills. Sec-ond, because most of these inven-tories are made up of odd lots. Big industries use large lots. They can-not very well start an operation on one small lot and then when it runs out adjust their machinery to an-other lot of different specifications. The smaller plants are perfectly adapted to do just this. They nor-mally buy in small lots. They are more elastic. The difficulty in utilizing this ma-terial is not only in the acquisition of the steel but in the restrictions against making what you want out of it. This requires a relaxation of rules, too, for the manufacture of many articles is still forbidden, and that is another thing that the Small-er Plants corporation is working on. Process Will Take Time It is not a short and easy process but the big thing is that it has start-ed, for small business has reached the stage where its very existence as an institution is threatened. This is due, first, to a nationwide tendency on the part of the big plants to cancel their subcontracts which covered most of the work of the smaller plants. This was done for two natural reasons and one un-natural' and evil one. The first two were: because of termination of some of their own contracts by the government and because of greatly increased efficiency which made it possible to take care of additional work without having to sublet it to smaller concerns. But the third and evil practice which had grown up was the use of government-paid-fo- r facilities to du-plicate work of a type which in peacetime only small plants do. With these new facilities and with-out the small plant's know-ho- the larger factories wasted precious labor and took the little man's bread out of his mouth. Another reason why the small business man's position has been growing critical is the delay in col-lecting pay at the termination of the contract. He was left without and without the funds to carry on. And restrictions made it im-possible to earn money, meanwhile by making civilian goods. Reasons for Reconversion On the other hand, as Mr. Mav- erick s associates and the senators and congressmen who have worked so hard (and. until now, with com-paratively Utile success) point out there is a whole list of reasons for reconversion to begin here (in the little plant) and now They list them in various orders a"y. Seems t0 be as good as (1) To preserve small business as an institution; (2) To form a pattern by trial and error for reconve s on a grand scale; (3) To Ballon; ,4) To provide reVacement of Vital wornout products; i5) To prevent unemployment which U spring'ng up in many localities announced "the first of a series of moves" and suddenly the whole tide turned and an entirely different at-titude was evident on the part of the other members of the War Pro-duction board. This "first of a series of moves" takes away some of the restrictions on the use of aluminum and mag-nesium. But do not visualize a fountain of pots and pans, skillets and coffee pots springing into being overnight. Something is cooking but it is on a slow fire. More important is the raising of restrictions which have been keeping "idle and excess inventories of surpluses of steel" ly-ing dormant, impotent and useless, while small plants have the yearn-ing facilities and willing manpower equally idle and capable of convert-ing these "surpluses" into thousands of gadgets the consumer badly needs. Perhaps by the time this appears in print, the WPB will have issued an order raising some of the restrictions on this vital product. But all this takes time. Meetings have been taking place for the past weeks and the WPB is gradually coming around to the Smaller War Plants corporation's views and the insistent hammer on their doors by conscientious congressmen. As to the aluminum situation, as this is written, the present order is yet to be clarified. Steps Republican Party's Choice . i --"; '"V v.; V ''' ? - ; , ; i 'V ! GOV. THOMAS E. DEWEY OF NEW YORK GOP FORESEES VICTORY WITH DEVEY-ORICKE- R Republicans Unite Solidly Behind Governors' Ticket For Presidential Race. By GEORGE A. BARCLAY AMID scenes of harmony l and enthusiasm that pro-claimed to the nation the Re-publican party's unity of pur-pose, Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York was chosen the party's wartime nominee for the presidency at the national convention in Chicago. The delegates, whose nominating intentions had been apparent long before they assembled In Chicago, picked the governor by a 1056-to- -l vote. Then they made it an East-Midd- West ticket by choosing Ohio's John W. Bricker for the vice presidential nomination. A single Wisconsin dele-gate, Grant Ritter, farmer of Beloit, had cast a single ballot for Gen. Douglas MacArthur for the presi-dency. Governor Bricker was noml-- j nated unanimously. Wendell L. Willkie, Republican standard-beare- r in 1940, was quick to congratulate Governor Dewey. "You have one of the great oppor-tunities of history," he" told the nominee In a message sent from New York City. Flies to Chicago. As Franklin D. Roosevelt did in '1932, Governor Dewey flew to Chi-cago from Albany, New York, to deliver in person his acceptance speech to the delegates. Vast crowds surging around the Chicago Stadium hailed the nominee when he arrived from the airport. Inside the conven-tion hall he was given a tri-umphant ovation that ended only when Congressman Joseph W. Mar-tin Jr. of Massachusetts, house minority leader and permanent chairman of the convention, suc-ceeded in gaveling silence. Governor Dewey's speech was forthright and direct. It was re-ceived with rousing cheers by the delegates and the 25,000 citizens who thronged the con--, vention hall to the rafters, j The nominee accepted his great new honor with a pledge to "end one-ma- n government ' in America," crush Germany and Japan's will to make war and devote himself to "rewin-nin- g freedom" at home. The New Deal administration, he told the delegates, has grown "old and tired and quarrelsome in of-fice" and' is unequal to the great, pressing problems of war and peace. Keep High Command. Declaring that the military Con-duct of the war "must remain com-pletely out of politics," Governor Dewey said he wanted to make it "crystal clear" that any change in administration would not involve changes in the high command. Gen. George C. Marshall, chief of staff, and Adm. Ernest J. King, comma-nder- in-chief of the U. S. fleet, are doing a "superb job" he declared and should retain their present posi-tion and responsibilities. Governor Dewey made known un-mistakably that he will stand on to give their sons and daugh-ters to the agony and tragedy of war." Elaborating on the principle of providing jobs as Well as opporj tunity. Governor Warren declared that the formula lay in stimulating production to full blast, in a climate favorable to free enterprise. After accepting the permanent convention chairmanship, Repre-sentative Martin ripped into the New Deal ideology, which, he said, "... lives upon vast streams of government debt, and taking its shapes and destinies from the direc-tives of a bureaucratic elite under the command of a leader." "The first thing the Republican party will do when it comes into power will be to restore to congress its responsibility and function as the people's special instrument of con-trol over their government," Mar-tin said. Herbert Hoover Speaks. As the party's elder statesman versed in international affairs be-cause of his experience as Allied food administrator during the first war International collaboration in-cluded. Their views had the vigor-ous support of Wendell Willkie. But the prospects of any convention-floo- r battle quickly faded when the dele-gates shouted their acceptance of the platform without any audible dissent. Hail Dewey Leadership. The convention's action on foreign policy as well as on other planks in the platform confirmed the view that the Republican party will look to Governor Dewey for decisive leadership. For the delegates left to the nominee the responsibility for interpreting the platform and trans-lating its planks into a definite pro-gram. The platform's statements urging safeguards for the intrenchment and expansion of American farming, in-dustry, commerce and labor were expressions of traditional Republi-can doctrine. The farm plank, for instance, recommended what it calls an "American market price" as op-posed to subsidies, at the same time leaving the door open for aid from the government when and as needed. It promises the American farmer abundant pro-duction of food and fiber crops. It proclaims the need of guaran-teeing farmers "freedom from regimentation and confusing government manipulation and control of farm programs." Realistically enough, the farm plank gives heed to the fact that new surpluses might develop in the postwar world, with markets declin-ing, and it endorses the principle of crop adjustment only in times when surpluses to be dealt with are judged to have become abnormal and to have exceeded "manageable pro-portions." Domestic Objectives. .In the field of domestic policy, I j ine piauorm enuiiiuaieb a uumuci of objectives. These include "tak-ing the government out of competi-tion with private industry" and pro-motion of fullest employment through private enterprise. The platform pledges full support in restoring small business to a profitable basis by elimination of "excessive and repressive regula-tions and government competition." Decentralization of govern-ment controls, return to consti-tutional government, abolition of "wasteful government spend-ing," protection of the rights of "free American labor" of which the party proclaims it-self the "historical champion" all are given their place in the program which the Republican party seeks to effectuate. The labor plank is paced by a vigorous denunciation of the New Deal administration of labor laws. Gov. Warren's Keynote Address Governor Warren's keynote ad-dress was a vigorous performance. He listed these objectives of the party: "To get the boys back home again victorious and with all speed. "To open the door for all Ameri-cans to open, not just to jobs, but to opportunity. "To make and guard the peace so wisely and so well that this time will be the last time that American homes are called squarely on his party s foreign dec-laration and brook no postwar inter-national plan that contemplates a super-stat- He did envision, how-ever, American participation with other sovereign nations in a co-operative effort to prevent future wars. He pledged that he will make full employment a first objective of na-tional policy. He declared the New Deal had never had an employment policy and finally got people to work only after the country had en-tered the war. High interest had centered in the platform-buildin- job on which the drafting committee headed by Sena-tor Robert A. Taft of Ohio had toiled. Special attention was focused on the controversial foreign policy plank which had offered the only issue capable of producing a rousing inter-part- battle. The result, however, was a com-- ! promise a middle-of-the-roa- d state-ment calculated to conciliate inter-nationalist and ele-ments in the party at the same time. This foreign policy plank favors American participation in postwar security measures through "organ-ized international cooperation," but shuns membership in a World State. In sessions of the platform com-mittee preceding the presentation of its report, the governors of 15 states had sought to have more positive and binding commitments on post- - GOV. JOHN W. BRICKER World War, Herbert Hoover took up the question of foreign policy, say-ing: "It is obvious from the rise of nationalism that ideas of world supergovernment, no mat-ter how idealistic, are already dead . . . Peace must be based upon cooperation between inde-pendent, sovereign nations." Speaks for Women. Speaking for the women. Rep. Clare Boothe Luce of Connecticut raised the question of the U. S. doughboy's wants in the future. "G. I. Joe wants his country to be secure, from here out . . ." she declared. "If Jim could stand here and talk to you, he'd say: "Listen, folks, the past wasn't per-fect. But skip it. Get on with the business of making this old world better. "... We come to choose a presi-dent who need not apologize for the mistakes of the past, but who will redeem them, who need not explain G. I. Jim's death, but will justify it. . . . " Bricker Stirs Delegates. The honor of nominating Gov-ernor Dewey for the presidency went to Gov. Dwight Griswold of Nebraska. Governor Bricker who had withdrawn Ms own candidacy seconded the nomina-tion with an eloquent speech in which he declared he was "more interested in defeating the New Deal philosophy of absolutism than being president of the United States," so he was ask-ing the Ohio delegation to cast Its vote for Governor Dewey. apron Make the apronr checked cotton-i- t's j""' kitchen "shower" gin, ;; To obtain complete apron pattern for the ChL. p'!" (Pattern No. 5739), sia. '.! , medium and iar ,! 16 cents In coin, your ame " the pattern number. Due to an unusually lar.c , current war conditions si... is required in filling the most popular pattern m,n.v! Send your order to: SEWING CIRCLE nJ 149 New Moc.E F' San Francisco, cm." Enclose 15 cents (plus w r, cover cost of mailing) 'p No Name Address Applique Apron A BIG coverall apron for sum-me- r has a "basket" pocket of dark green and bright red cher-ries, green leaves and basket han-dle appliqued onto the body of the Lii" .1: 0 Mighty Gooi Eating Vl "Tl Criim are Creat Foods" jdifttli' ' , m I '-- v. J t 1 1 Kellogg's Corn Flakes bring you nearly all the protective food elements ''' i a"-- " of the whole grain declared essential jj' W i j j J to human nutrition. IFll'p' ' CLABBER GIRL goes with '.?.:f ' j the best of everything, for baking J1-- " i " g cunicAL ir.:pr.:vgl h after cr,!y 10-ds- y tr::j i" .mil,.,, , Foster D. Snell, Int. consult- - ing chemists, have just completed s with a group of men and women suffctms .. from Athlete's Foot. These people ere f ' told to use Soretone. At the end of only a j feet were ea- - ten-da- y test period, their ' '-- J iaed by a Physician. We quote from tfie (f 't"tt "pore ' ' "After the use of Soretone according to i f 4 the directions on the label for a period ; ! V ( ' ' pjilyJejHiays, 80.6 oftfiecasS ' 1 "4 showed clinical improvement of anto f fj; f tion which is most stubborn tB control : x f ( vl Improvements were shown in the SJUP ' Dura r fj tom f Athlete's Foot-t- he itchmg. t ' inS. redness, etc The report says: f vj "In our opinion Soretone is of very del- - j t;--. v U inite benefit in the treatment of tins ; ' ""M 1 uisease, which is commonly known as j , WV J 'Athlete's Foot'." i So if Athlete's Foot troubles you, do't x J porize! Get sorstonb! McKesson u bins. Inc., Bridgeport, Connecticut. i BRIEFS . . . by Baukhe 1 More than 6,000 bicycles are going to China by air. They are to be used by the Chinese army in areas where roads or lack of them present barriers to larger vehicles. Youths between the ages of 16 and 17 years may enlist, with their parents' consent, for training tor service in the U. S. merchant ma-rine. A farmer's financial succe ?' through measured thes'e hazard " L. wise farmer will insure his nex, ard now by investing a 'Ubstanal Portion of his warti. war bonds. income in Briefs ALBANY TO WHITE HOUSE: The New York gubernatorial office has been the training course for four Presidents and two unsuccessful candidates. Dewey is the seventh nominee to come before the national electorate after serving in Albany as governor. Four of the previous governors have reached the White House: Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Highlights ROMANCE: Mr. and Mrs. Thom-as Dewey became acquainted in Chi-cago in 1923, when Mrs. Dewey, the former Frances Hutt of Sherman, Texas, and Dewey were both music students at a summer course. Five years later when both had gone to New York for further study they were married. Mr. Dewey was practicing law at the time, and Miss Hutt was singing the lead in a mu-ic-comedy. |