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Show ,1 m i i ii . i i in I 1 lAlLk' J ' i i , ,,,,,,,,1 U. S. Businessmen Try " Ct7, To Define Free Enterprise . ; Chamber of Commerce Officials Inaugurate , , - ( i Education Campaign Designed to Teach Specific Phase of Democracy. j 1 By BAUKIIAGE Vews Analyst and Commentator. WNU Service, Union Trust Building Washington, D.C. In the last few weeks in Washington Washing-ton and in London, too, for that matter there has been a crescendo demand for an explanation of our foreign policy, and it Is reported that a similar cry is going up from the soldiers at the front What are we fighting for? Secretary Hull attempted an answer an-swer not too satisfactory to his critics. There will be further official efforts at elucidation. But at least one brass-tacks institution whose headquarters is in Washington has come to the conclusion that before we can understand what we are fighting for, we must have a better understanding of what we think we want to fight for. Everybody on the allied side claims that democracy is the common ground upon which all stand but there is considerable difference as to how each one defines democracy. Leaving the broader international aspects for a moment, I want to report a unique campaign of education educa-tion whose purpose is to find out Just what is meant by one specific phase of democracy about which we hear a great deal, namely, "free enterprise." This organized effort is being promulgated by the one group whose members use that term most frequently. And, as their leaders admit, frequently fre-quently don't know its meaning "and often do not even subscribe to it the United States Chamber of Commerce. Com-merce. Before me, I have a document from which I want to quote five lines: "Said one newspaperman to another: 'I'd fall dead if I found a businessman who wasn't in favor of free enterprise.' "Replied the other: 'I'd fall dead if I found a businessman who really wanted it.' " The document quoted from is not a communist pronouncement it is "The Economic Sentinel" printed by the United States Chamber of Commerce, Com-merce, and it is just part of an educational edu-cational effort on the part of this body of businessmen, whose objective ob-jective is (I'm quoting from another pamphlet published by the Chamber of Commerce): "To develop in every community commu-nity a group of leaders who really understand, and who can explain and who can convincingly convinc-ingly advocate the economic system sys-tem of free, private, competitive compet-itive enterprise, or to put it another way, American enterprise." enter-prise." An Important Discovery The campaign of education among the Chamber's own members has been going on for some time but the general, public didn't realize what was happening until they heard Eric-Johnston, the president of the chamber, make a speech early in March, copies of which, I am told, are still in great demand. Mr. Johnston criticized labor but for every one of the "seven deadly sins" which he said labor had committed, com-mitted, he confessed a parallel sin committed by business. Johnston,- in making this speech and in his subsequent writings and utterances, is practicing what his organization has been preaching in the campaign they are now carrying carry-ing on through the chamber's department de-partment of governmental affairs in Washington. They provide a program which their local chapters can follow, telling tell-ing how to organize discussion groups, which they point out, should include public officials, ministers, professional men and women and believe it or not they strongly recommend the (paid) assistance of a college professor. The purpose is the understanding of that democratic demo-cratic principle free enterprise. It was from the document compiled com-piled by one of these doctors of philosophy, Dr. V. O. Watts, economic eco-nomic counsel of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, for such group guidance from which I was quoting. For and Against If confession is good for the soul, the soul of business in Olympia, Washington (where the quoted lecture lec-ture was given), must be hale and hearty after hearing Dr. Watts de clare: "A city chamber of commerce opposes restrictions which neighboring neigh-boring towns sometimes place on deliveries of merchandise by city merchants and truckers. Yet the same organization is likely to help erect similar barriers bar-riers against out-of-state or out-of-town enterprise which might compete with its own industries or merchants. "Businessmen dislike restrictive restric-tive policies of farmers and labor la-bor unions. Yet many of them say that free competition among themselves would be ruinous. So they lobby for measures meas-ures to restrict business competition competi-tion and to legalize price-fixing by government or by their own organizations. "Chambers of commerce frequently fre-quently join the clamor for uneconomic un-economic local projects of the state or federal government on the ground that 'other places are getting theirs; why shouldn't we get ours?' Such chamber of commerce com-merce socialism leads to increased in-creased tax burdens which correspondingly cor-respondingly restrict markets and jobs in free enterprise." This is the kind of strong medi cine which the United States Cham ber of Commerce recommends thi average American to absorb so tha "free enter'pise" may be under stood. Here is another sample o straight-from-the-shoulder talk: "Recent corrosions of economic eco-nomic liberty in the United States are not due to the efforts of a few communists or fascists. Instead they chiefly come from the fact that so many of us care only about our own liberties and are indifferent or even hostile to possession of similar liberties by others of our fellow citizens. In fact, for a momentary gain in higher prices, higher wage rates or government favors, many of us are willing even to sell our own freedom." I wish I might quote further bu space does not permit it for it goe without saying that real "free enter prise," its virtues and its benefits are expounded in great detail. Bu this is enough to show you a sui prising degree of frankness, a re markable willingness to think. It i something when the very people wh. often are loudest in their accusa tion that "free enterprise" is bein, destroyed by Tom, Dick, Harry John (Lewis) et alia, are willin; to admit that they, themselves, ma; be enemies of free, competitiv enterprise. Hitting the Trail When Eric Johnston arose and de clared that labor and managemen must "hit the sawdust trail to gether," he started something. Bu actually he was only carrying oi something which his organization -I don't know whether he was th chicken or the egg had ahead; started. It is a process by whicl businessmen (and in businessmen the farmer is 'ncluded for he is : mighty important part of the Ameri can free enterprise system) can ge an understanding of what the Ameri can system of economic democrac; really is and then see whether the; are really supporting this Americai system or not. I have no idea how successful Mi Johnston and his colleagues will b but I know some of them are en thusiastic enough to believe that h has rendered a service which make him eligible as a contender for th job of keynoter at the Republica National convention in June an. some are even optimistic enoughs provide themselves with curr; combs just in case they might b called upon to groom a dark hors for the presidential race. But politics aside, there is caus for rejoicing when anybody sets ou to try to define at least one phas of the thing we are supposed to b fighting for and to do some thinkin about it. As Leonard Read, geners manager of the Los Angeles Cham ber of Commerce, said just a fe weeks ago: "We have come to the conclusio that the best contribution we ca make to the thinking in our cour try is to improve our own thinking.' Amen to that. |