Show And They e Love It Welfare State Creeping Over Europe 0 By r John Barth arth ZURICH Switzerland The TIte welfare state in Europe is not in danger of happening It has happened American dip diplomats a t s are watching the growth of or the welfare state by concentrating on law enactments and official decisions of various govern govern- ments I But that's not the way to do doit doit doit it according to the consensus of observers ers Uncle Sam should tRl take e a keener look at the high tide of already engulfing engulfing engulfing en en- gulfing gulfing- the tho a average vera e European Sooner or later laler America must be guided solely by the extent to which the individual European European European Euro Euro- is able and willing to dig in and work as an individual Little Litho Such Motivation So far there has been little such motivation And that is the only thing thing- that will cause a great forward drive in reconstruction that will bring back any decent standard of living that in time will effect a 11 revolutionary economy econ econ- omy that is self sustaining Private business and industrial groups frankly have small in intention intention intention in- in of permitting their governments governments governments gov gov- to pave the way for a highly competitive free enterprise enterprise enterprise enter enter- prise economy These businessmen business business- men are just as strong for the welfare state in one sense as asar ar arc the masses in another They feel the government owes them thema a living Jiving in the form of anti- anti competition barriers and the protection and security of their businesses A switch in emphasis would vastly increase present foreign policy headaches but the venture venture ven ven- venture ture into realism might give ive America a better chance of winning winning winning win win- ning In the long run Widespread Boredom French and Italian economists point to the widespread boredom of the masses toward the men who govern O them The Th people watch their politicians politicians politicians poli poli- rush through scores of international discussions and diplomatic conferences only to end up out of breath and back at the same old starting starting- point Americans have failed to analyze the French situation from the viewpoint of the moral effect on the French people Continual political crises the constant reshuffling of the same old tired men to head up the government the vast and staggering staggering staggering stag stag- gering civil sen service ce ineptness and the widespread mismanagement mismanage mismanage- ment in business business all all have swung the average Frenchman toward personal security at any cost The a average era g e low low income income French worker is resigned to not earning enough money no matter matter matter mat mat- ter how hard he works So the government each pay day swells his purchasing power 16 by doling out tax money to him The Frenchman originally objected objected objected ob ob- ob- ob then he shrugged ed his shoulders and now he demands family allowances from the government gov gov- Seriously Comic Welfare in Italy has gone even further and would be comic if it weren't so serious There the employer gets the kitchen sink thrown at him by bythe bythe bythe the government He must pay for each low-income low each month the following Sickness insurance social in insurance insurance insurance in- in social I 1 insurance n s sur u r a n c e fund and social solidarity fund These four added to a family family family fam ily cost of living bonus and a family allowance mean that over O and above e the full salary the employer employer employer em em- must pay the government go another 25 The complicated organizations handling this dole are referred to as the paradise of racy The Italians like the French have become resigned to this second-rate second way of liv liv- ing An intriguing angle on the growing growing- frame of mind in England England England Eng Eng- land appeared when J J. J Arthur Rank and the film industry announced an ans they were feeling the pinch Unionists Had Answer Immediately the trade unionIsts unionists union union- fists came up with an answer They publicly demanded that the government t get into the movie business take over all vacant studio space for film production establish a state film tion and create a state-owned state theater chain of key houses In Holland increased state provisions for workers ha have ve made them unwilling to follow the production pace set by American workers In Germany a recent public opinion survey showed almost 50 of tHe Uie German people did not believe belie that they could govern govern gov gov- ern themselves democratically Germany was the great pioneer pioneer pioneer pio pio- pio- pio neer in mass social security After that came nazism There may not be an any connection but butone butone butone one wonders There are some bright spots in Europe and some fine states states- men-businessmen men but as things now stack up the scales have ha already tipped in favor of the welfare state Distributed by Cl Chicago cabo Daily News Service |