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Show U. S. Businessmen Try E To Define Free Enterprise US Chamber of Commerce Officials Inaugurate Education Campaign Designed to Teach Specific Phase of Democracy. p'rJSaL By BAUKIIAGE A'ium Analyst and Commentator. VYNU Service, I'nlon Trust Building Washington, I).C. In the last few weeks In Washingtonand Washing-tonand 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 nil stand but there is considerable dilTcrehce 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 tines: "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 1 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 jody of businessmen, whose objective ob-jective is (I'm quoting from another pamphlet published by the Chamber f 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." n Important DUcovery The campaign of education among 'he Chamber's own members has een going on for tome time but .he general public didn't realize what was happening until they heard Eric Johnston, the president of the :hamber, make a speech early In March, copies of which, I am told, ire still In great demand. Mr. Johnston criticized labor but tor every one of the "seven deadly tins" which he said labor had committed, com-mitted, he confessed parallel sin committed by business. Johnston, In making this speech ind In his subsequent writings and Jtterances, Is practicing what his rganization has been preaching In lie campaign they are now carry-rig carry-rig on through the chamber's de-jartmcnt de-jartmcnt of governmental affairs in Washington. They provide a program which .heir local chapters can follow, tell-rig tell-rig how to organize discussion (roups, which they point out, should riclude public officials, ministers, professional men and women and clleve it or not they strongly recommend the (paid) assistance of i college professor. The purpose is 'lie 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 .roup guidance from which I was quoting. For and Againtt If confession is good for the soul, lie soul of business In Olympla. Washington (where the quoted lec-aire lec-aire was given), must be hale and hearty after hearing Dr. Watts declare: 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 fanners and labor la-bor unions. Vet many of them say that free competition among themselves would be j ruinous. So they lobby for meas- 1 ures to restrict business 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 medicine medi-cine which the United States Chamber Cham-ber of Commerce recommends the average American to absorb so that "free enterpisc" may be understood. under-stood. Here is another sample of straight-from-thc-shouldcr 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 Die 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 but space docs not permit it for it goes without saying that real "free enter-prise," enter-prise," its virtues and Its benefits, are expounded in great detail. But this Is enough to show you a surprising sur-prising degree of frankness, a remarkable re-markable willingness to think. It is something when the very people who often are loudest in their accusation accusa-tion that "free enterprise" is being destroyed by Tom, Dick, Harry, John (Lewis) et alia, are willing to admit that they, themselves, may be enemies of free, competitive enterprise. Hitting the Trail When Eric Johnston arose and declared de-clared that labor and management must "hit the sawdust trail together," to-gether," he started something. But actually he was only carrying on something which his organization I don't know whether he was the chicken or the egg had already started. It is a process by which businessmen (and In businessmen, the farmer Is Included for he is a mighty Important part of the American Ameri-can tree enterprise system) can get an understanding of what the American Ameri-can system of economic democracy really is and then see whether they are really supporting this American system or not I have no idea how successful Mr. Johnston and his colleagues will be but I know some of them are enthusiastic en-thusiastic enough to believe that he has rendered a service which makes him eligible as a contender tor the job of keynoter at the Republican National convention in June and some are even optimistic enough to provide themselves with curry combs just in case they might be called upon to groom a dark horse for the presidential race. But politics aside, there is cause for rejoicing when anybody sets out to try to define at least one phase of the thing we are supposed to be fighting for and to do some thinking about it. As Leonard Read, general manager of the Los Angeles Chamber Cham-ber of Commerce, said just a few weeks ago: "We have come to the conclusion that the best contribution we can make to the thinking In our country coun-try is to improve our own thinking." Amen to that. |