Show THE FAITH THAT IS AMERICA o By Wendall L L. L Willkie President of Commonwealth and Southern Corporation Corporation Cor Cor- as condensed by the Readers Reader's Readers Reader's Readers Reader's Read Read- ers er's Digest from a copyright article in the North American Review For centuries m my ancestors lived lived- in Central Europe Some Sonie of them 1 were re peasants some artisans others were landed proprietors but all of ol them through those cen centuries uries had been boen restricted in their opportunities to the group roup in which they were born an and l no one of or them had ever known the true meaning of liber liber- ty y In 1848 my father and my grandparents grandparents grand grand- parents came carne to America to escape this repression of Individual liber liber- ties They were led to these thes shores as were millions before and after them by a a. special reputation that the United S States ates had among among nations nations nations na na- na- na that the plain man always had a a. chance My 1 father and mother gave their six children the education which we received in America We went to high school and college And with schooling finished no doors were closed to those children Just because they came from a plain fa family In a n small town No class distinction no law interfered with their effort to earn a living HyIng in the occupation of their choice there ther was no restriction on their right to express their opinions as they pleas- pleas ed I e hO This is the family r record or 1 of any i number of American families N NWe We must be careful that under the guise of emergency the powers of government are not so extended as to impair the vitality of free enterprise enterprise enterprise en en- and choke off free ton lon on o of thought Already we hear the need for the government to control prices to license American business to regiment American and employers to censor the radio In a critical time there is the temptation to say to government You tako charge you you tell us what to do what to think If It we should yield to this temptation temptation temptation tion the end of our free fee democratic system might come como Once rOnce rights of freedom are surrendered they might not readily be returned lien len Ien having having hav- hav ing ng tasted power do not easily surrender surrender surrender sur sur- render power Justice Ex-Justice Brandeis recently said Experience should teach each us to be more on our guard to protect our liberties when the governments government's governments government's governments government's gov gov- purposes are Tare The greatest dangers dangers to liberty l urk rk in encroachment by men of or zeal well-meaning well but without without without with with- out understanding The war has not changed the grave domestic problems confronting AmerIca America America Am Am- erica it has just temporarily di diverted diverted diverted di- di our minds from them Industry will need a n. great deal of or additional capital and there should be no difficulty in getting this as soon as the millions of American investors investors in In- vestora are reassured as to the future future future fu fu- fu- fu ture of free private enterprise We have had colossal expenditures es for priming the pump and a a. colossal tax program to pay for these expenditures Free enterprise rise can alone make economic recovery possible 0 Our people control 45 per cent of the worlds world's wealth we enjoy the highest real wages we have the shortest working hours and our people have the greatest percentage of home ownership on earth The great days of ot American are by no means done We have only touched the border of or our achieve achieve- ment If I did not believe this I would not believe in America TH THAT A T F FAITH ITH ITH IS AMERICA |