Show I 1 NEWS BEHIND H I ND TH THE E NEWS Written ft for The h Tele Telegram By R Ray Tucker e WASHINGTON President Roosevelt can inaugurate his proclaimed proclaimed pro pro- claimed system of planned production production pro pro- in industry simply by givIng giving giving ing the nod to a memo now in his desk drawer It was prepa prepared ed by byan byan byan an S E C economist and it is the most comprehensive program for fora a controlled economic state ever framed in the U. U S. S A. A It proposes the formation of a a. committee within 10 key Industries Industries Indus Indus- tries that shall represent the following fol foi lowing groups Capital management management management manage manage- ment government labor fabor the con con- sumer These central agencies would continuously chart every process which throws light on the nations nation's capacity to produce and to consume They would have at atall atall atall all times a complete statistical portrait of the American economic plant Though too technical for extended discussion here it appears appears appears ap ap- ap- ap pears to furnish a method for steady and stable production and consumption Underlying theory is that severe fluctuations in total national in income income income in- in come and prices should be pre pre- vented Proponents of the scheme contend that it makes little difference difference difference differ differ- ence whether prices are high or orlow orlow orlow low so long as they parallel the total amount of money which buyers buyers buy buy- ers can afford to pay for the sum total of goods The memo does destroy one airy formula promulgated promulgated promulgated gated by the White House House name name namely ly that any system of planned production can be set up over over- night It is a a. year 10 job at least For that reason it may be sup sup- pressed The terrific opposition which the Roosevelt administration in in fact any administration faces administration faces in an honest and sweeping enforcement of the antitrust laws is strikingly illustrated in the unwritten history history his his- tory of the prosecution of the oil defendants at Madison Wis When faint rumors of possible government action leaked out C I er O-er John L. L Lewis intervened because he ho feared it might cost the jobs of some of his refinery workers Then Senator Guffey of Pennsylvania an old oil man himself himself him him- self escorted seven senators into Trust Buster Robert H. H Jacksons Jackson's office and urged an out of court compromise A week later they returned for final answer but At At- torney General Cummings Informed Informed in informed In- In formed them that it was too late to stop the proceedings even though the defendants had contributed contributed contributed con con- about to the party chest in 1932 Standard Oil Man James P. P Moffett Moffett Moffett fett a presidential favorite also entered the protesting picture but without any luck So did Mike Benedum a who gave to the 32 campaign Not Tot a political stone was left un unturned unturned un- un turned by the big moguls The A. A G. G was sympathetic wished he I could help the boys out but newspaper newspaper news news- paper publicity he explained had placed the trust busters on a aspot aspot I spot In summoning the big three of the house ways and means committee com corn to the White House President President dent Roosevelt was not seeking to influence their votes on the pendIng pendIng pending pend pend- ing tax measure He was striving to prevent the up break-up of the most important committee on capitol capitol cap- cap itol Itoi hill Mr Roosevelt begged Chairman Doughton of North Carolina to reconsider his decision to retire at the end of the present session F. F D. D R. R pointed out that if Mr D. D quit the chairmanship would fall to Cullen of Brooklyn and that right behind Mr Cullen stood Christy Sullivan Sullivan Sulli Sulli- van Tammany leader who rarely shows up at the tha capital The president doesn't want a committee commit commit- tee dealing with such vital problems problems lems as tariffs and taxes to fall into the New Yorkers' Yorkers clutches For the same reason he begged Representative Disney of Oklahoma Okla Okia- homa to forego his ambition to torun torun torun run against Elmer Thomas for a senate seat Mr Disney is one of the most able members of the committee The president of course hasn't publicized his fears of Tammany control of this important agency or his desire that dominant power remain in the hands of North Carolinians and Oklahomans rather than in New Yorkers Yorkers' But Buthis Buthis Buthis his suspicion of the Sulli Cullen-Sulli- van contacts with big business lies behind his move to euchre them out of the chairmanship The war var department has been forced to make male a wholesale sion of its secret industrial mobilization mobilization mobilization mob mob- plans as a result of bankruptcy bankruptcy bankruptcy bank bank- reorganizations which have occurred under the Roosevelt re re re- gime Peacetime failures have jeopardized the wartime machine For more than two years military mili tary planners have been signing up factories for production of es essential essential essential es- es weapons in the event of war The type of munitions and supplies to be turned out at a moments moment's mo mo- nio- nio ment's ments notice as well as the plant capacity to be taken over by the government was carefully jotted down in the departmental files The industrial machine was supposed supposed sup sup- posed to swing into emergency production upon receipt of a telegram telegram telegram tele tele- gram from G. G H. H Q at Washing Washing- ton Now it develops that many in industries industries industries in- in previously enlisted have undergone changes involving their corporate setup and personnel The new managers have no knowledge of previous arrangements arrangements arrange arrange- ments with the war department for transforming their plants into arsenals But Louis Johnson Capable capable capable ca ca- pable assistant war secretary in charge of this problem has arranged arranged arranged ar ar- ar- ar ranged for personal consultation with the new industrial nabobs Psychologists estimate that the number of people who will sign any paper laid before them amounts to about 10 per cent But the recent rush of congressmen congress congress- men to underwrite a document indorsing the Spanish loyalist cause indicates that politicians are superlative suckers About 13 per cent signed Sixty members of house and senate wrote their names beneath beneatha a proclamation blessing the loyalist loyalist loyal loyal- resistance to General Franco Immediately the Roman Catholic pro Franco reaction set in and the congressional signatories were severely condemned Although 60 had affixed their names to the original petition more than 30 subsequently hemmed and hawed and admitted that they didn't know what they were doing when they wrote their John Hancocks Most of the signatories blamed their mistake on their secretaries That's what a congressional secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary is for Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |