Show NEWS ci BEHIN dUl 1 y n 1 THE By Released by Western Newspaper Union CURRENT EVENTS BAFFLE NEWS READER WASHINGTON The strikes wage actions and economic debates from tram the labor and food subsidy must seem wholly beyond the of even e a well In formed news reader In truth some developments are arec beyond c ond the full understanding of the participants who are splitting statis statistical hairs and pulling political ones The Die controlling forces behind the developments jev however can be set forth with an undeniable assurance which should enable readers to un un- understand the implications of current news fc A Areal real national economic crisis has r arisen from the campaign of labor leaders to break the loose l ose economic bounds fixed by the administration an 10 wages and prices The unauthorized unauthorized coal strikes the threatened rail rail- railroad railroad road strike and similar develop develop- developments developments developments ments must be traced to that labor initiative The seriousness of oC the situation apparently Is not fully understood Nor tor or has the public been Informed of the depth of oC White House perplexity In trying to find compromise lions The White House plan however Is clearly learly discernible between recent developments The Vinson decision I against a full eight cents an hour hourI I rail increase to operating non em em- employees employees plo ees and the War Labor board j em-j split decision 7 to 5 In the Illinois coal oal contract granting a possible 10 a week raise show the administration Lion tion Is ready to bend If U not officially break the ceilings of the Little Steel formula But It obviously wants to hold down the break to a point that will not oot again throw prices into any anyS S higher gher l inflationary ground than nee nee- essary At the same time its talented mo- mo blUzer Jimmy Byrnes is soft shoeing his way around Inside congress try try- tryIng tryIng Ing to get some arrangement for continuance of the Commodity Credit corporation food subsidies which will make the consumer and wage earn earn- earner earner carner er think prices are arc not as high as I they are by making the treasury stand some of the increase I In short the White House method Is to compromise at whatever negotiable Liable point it can find in order to stave off another general wage and price increase Weeks will be re reo required to work It out If it can be worked out and the effectiveness of the results cannot even be guessed The crisis has war and political aspects as well as economic sig sig- Coal production already has bro bro- broken broken broten ken ten down to the point where suffer suffer- suffering sufferIng suffering ing in many localities can be expect expect- expected ed this winter Production initiative was disturbed long before the re re- recent rec recent cent c nt crisis by the fact that that sons sons sons' and andrri friends of miners were able to find other war work paying higher wages Then also the railroad brother brother- brotherhoods brotherhoods hoods are a powerful group which usually gets what it wants A rail strike obviously cannot be allowed In In view of war necessity even if it itIs itis Is 5 voted All this agitation Is of course be be- being beIng ing used by Byrnes to frighten con congress gress into a compromise on a food subsidy but apparently without much effect Even if U Mr Roosevelt's compro compro- compromise compromise compromise mise plan is successful it probably will lead the nation Into higher In in- Inflationary inflationary ground but apparently he hopes the ground will be becloud becloud- beclouded ed so as not to scare anyone Also such negotiated decisions must be temporary Both labor leaders and farm lead lead- leaders leaders ers apparently justify their exist exist- existence existence ence by planned successive cam cam- campaigns campaigns to increase wages and better conditions without end Their organ organ- organizational organIzational setups are such that they cannot afford to take a national eco ceo economic viewpoint or viewpoint or accept one which conflicts with theirs Nor have they overlooked the fact that a critical presidential election Is in hi the offing next year having re reo recently recently modified their national tout teal leal pledges at their conventions to the point of practically inviting the President to fish for their votes if 11 be he wants them them and and to use bigger and better bait ball ballAn An overall arbitrary freezing ol of both prices and wages at the outset of this war as Baruch demanded might have obviated the existing dif dif- But with a policy of and adjustment having pro pro- proceeded proceeded as far as it has no one seems to be able even to suggest a wholly satisfactory or guaranteed solution 4 0 A WORLD POLICE TOLICE FORCE The whole international police force notion dropped almost entirely out of the senate debate Even New Dealing Senator Pepper who only a few months back was talking about a world state and an international army did not bring up the first sub sub- subJect and conceded that an force was a matter of future discussion a long way off This enabled critical Senator Van Nuys to say say and and rightly that rIghtly that the Connally resolution did not promise such a force The Idea seems dead de d. d |