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Show IjPf (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) SEES 'PLANNED ECONOMY AS FORM OF FASCISM WASHINGTON Is figuring on the war in Europe continuing at least into, and possibly all through 1943, and that we will be a part of It No one has attempted to say when or how up to this time, but It is expected the opening may be with Japan and Hitler's support of the Japs against us. Washington hopes to stay out of active participation in the war until un-til our war production can be greatly great-ly increased, in fact trebled. That would mean an annual expenditure of 50 billion dollars a year. It would also mean cutting production for civilian use by at least 50 per cent The opinion In Washington is that all small manufacturing concerns that cannot be adapted to war production pro-duction will have to close and get out of business. It will mean the closing of thousands of small factories, fac-tories, a large proportion of them located in small towns. Big business is to be regimented, as the farms are regimented. The1 government will not operate them, but will dictate what they will pro- duce, whom they will employ and how they will operate. It is to be "planned economy" for American business. When the war is over the "planned economy" is to be applied to business busi-ness throughout the world, as well as to America, if America has the "say so" and in Washington they believe America will be in a position posi-tion to dictate. It is through such "planned economy" that an after-the-war depression is to be prevented. pre-vented. That briefly, is the program at Washington for the future. To me it is not a bright or promising future, fu-ture, either during the war or after it is over. To me it is the end of the American way of life, the American system of free competition competi-tion under which we have grown great To me it is the state capitalism capital-ism of Fascist Italy. INFLATION WOULD MEAN EQUALIZATION OF POVERTY WE ARE TOLD in Washington that America is to spend 50 billions a year on preparations for war and aid to the democracies. That is about three times as much as we have spent during 1941.. Where are we to get this 50 billion bil-lion dollars a year? What are we to use for money. Does it mean the printing presses? If it does, it means inflation that is disaster. It means destruction of all our values, as individuals and as a nation. It does not mean the equalization of wealth, but it does mean the equal!- zation of poverty, and it means I poverty for every one, with nothing to divide. Our domestie and foreign policies are so tied together that it is impossible impos-sible to determine where one stops and the other begins. America's future is in the balance, bal-ance, with the scales tipping definitely def-initely against our American way of life, our American civilization. TUEY, TOO, SERVE WHO MAKE CHEESE THE DAIRY SECTION of Wisconsin, Wiscon-sin, one of the greatest dairy producing pro-ducing districts in the world, is a two to five-hour haul to the Chicago market Wisconsin cheese Is now going to England, purchased and paid for on lease-lend account by the United States for the English government. Wisconsin cheese is selling in English stores at less than people in Chicago can buy it To help England, it is necessary to provide more than war supplies. Food is a major item. Of the first seven billions appropriated by congress con-gress for British assistance, practically prac-tically one billion will be used for food products from American farms, and American farmers have reason to be proud of the job they are doing. ' OUR ARMY FOR A REPUBLIC to create an effective fighting force there must be a purpose, enthusiasm, equip-ment equip-ment discipline. Today we have an army of one and a half million men, but to the rank and file of that army, all four ingredients are lacking. lack-ing. .To assemble and maintain that army has cost close to two billion bil-lion dollars. If we are to equip and feed the democracies of the world, it would have been belter if we had kept that million and a half men on the farms and in the factories, where they might have been doing their part in providing the food and equipment so badly needed. They would have been more effective and better satis-ned. satis-ned. THAT SHRINKING DOLLAR . THROUGHOUT the last 200 years m all nations the cost for the neces-itiei neces-itiei i of life-for food, clothing, shelter, shel-ter, fuel-has taken 65 per cent of the income of each individual. In this country as late as 1905. the gov-ernment gov-ernment took an v additional five cents out of each dollar for taxes But taxes are now taking about 30 cents, leaving us only five cents that we can do with as we please. That may account for the decrease in collections at Sunday church services. |