| Show PEACE PACT Avenue to War As he did in the Taft-Hartley Taft repeal fight Sen Rob Robert rt Taft R. R Ohio would lead the opposition opposition tion lion to senate ratification of the Atlantic pact That is the treaty in which America joins its iu western allies in an agreement that an attack on any signatory is an attack attack attack at at- tack upon all and all and that a signatory nation may take any reprisal steps it in deems fit IN HIS InS SPEECH to the senate Taft declared the pact was inextricably inextricably inextricably in linked to the rearming I of Europe insisted this would lead I to an armament race and pointed out that armament races lead to war Thus did a highly effective senI sen- sen senator sent sen sen- t I ator most coherently raise the question of whether the pact really means peace or war Taft was not without support in his conception conception conception concep concep- tion of the pacts pact's potentialities Five senators jumped to their feet to applaud his remarks and some 12 or 15 senators were applauding at the end This was construed by some observers observers observers ob ob- servers as indicating the extent of the opposition Taft was not wholly against the pact despite his ringing tion He asserted that even now he would be willing to change his mind if a reservation could be incorporated incorporated incorporated in in- into rat ratification making plain that the treaty did not bind America to furnish arms Said Taft There is no question that the arms program and the treaty were negotiated together There is no question in my mind that foreign nations which signed the treaty regarded ed the providing of arms as an essential part of it if we ratify the pact and fail to furnish the military aid I believe believe believe be be- lieve we will at once be accused of ol repudiation and the pact will be completely discredited E ERP RP FUNDS Slash Voted There appeared to be a change of sentiment regarding aid to Marshall plan countries The senate senate sen sen- ate appropriations committee had I voted to slash 10 per cent from rom sec sec- year ond-year funds asked for the ac- ac The committee also tied up 50 J million dollars of what was left leftIn leftin J in order to cut Spain in on the European recovery program should the administration see fit The program would get something more than billions President Truman Truman Truman Tru- Tru man had asked approximately 2 billions A committee member disclosed disclosed dis- dis l closed that one group within the membership had attempted to chop 19 per cent off eft the requested t appropriation 3 H r Chairman n McKellar D. D Tenn Term estimated that the committee cut approximately million dollars from President Truman's budget estimates for actual appropriations in foreign spending which includes other programs besides the Marshall Marshall Mar Mar- shall plan The sum voted for the Marshall plan would be spread over the 12 months ending June 30 1950 This was nearly million more than the house bouse had voted voted but but the house bouse bill would have permitted expenditure expenditure expenditure expendi expendi- ture of the fund in 10 months if necessary A committee aide explained to Washington newsmen that unless the loan is made to Spain the withheld 50 million dollars could not be used for tor any other purpose I Wrong Job I You may be happy in your I work and pleased with your occupational niche nich but the fellow fellow fellow fel fel- fel- fel low at the desk or machine next nen to you may not be It is the opinion of Robert C. C Chicago university professor that at least half bait of all adults definitely are misplaced misplaced misplaced mis mis- placed or could have bave been better better better bet bet- ter placed if it modern vocational vocation vocation- al methods had been available during their formative years attributes s much of the present social unrest high divorce rate and high IncIdence incidence incidence inci IncI- dence of mental illness In the United States to the many unfortunate unfortunate unfortunate un un- fortunate occupational choices of its workers US U.S. ECONOMY Truman Concedes While there was some measure of contradiction in concept President President President dent Truman in his message to congress on the economic state of the nation had conceded that recession recession recession re re- re- re cession forces were alive However in a neat bit of linguistic linguistic linguistic maneuvering he declared the current situation one in which the national economy was in orderly order order- ly retreat from a serious inflation At the same time however paradoxical paradoxical paradoxical para para- the warning might seem he declared that there could be beno beno beno than no greater economic folly an attempt to balance the federal budget in a declining national economy He highlighted the contradiction by adding that such a move would only aggravate t the h e recession forces against which his new policy policy policy pol pol- icy was directed OF CHIEF INTEREST in his report report report re re- re- re port was his abandonment of an earlier plan to demand four billion billion billion bil bil- bil- bil lion dollars in additional taxes He lightly dismissed this former policy with the statement No major increase in taxes should be undertaken at this time Instead he proposed liberalization of allowances allowances allowances al al- al- al for past losses in computing computing computing com com- income taxes and increasing estate and gift taxes The Presidents President's obvious reversal of policy was held to be little less pronounced than the findings of his council of economic advisors on whose report the Presidents President's message was based They found that since January the forces threatening stability had become predominantly deflationary a and n d that the weakening of markets had become general i KRUG A Denial Drew Pearson was in hot water again Generally accused of partial responsibility in the death leath of former defense secretary James Forrestal the newspaper and radio columnist had reported the U. U S. S interior secretary Krug was very ill with athletes heart In a letter to Pearson Krug's physician Dr R. R Lyman Sexton asserted Krug is completely well welland welland welland and able to do twice the work of the average person N Wherever one stood on the propriety propriety propriety pro pro- of Pearsons Pearson's discussion of the health of top government officials officials officials it would be remembered that several of his reports on the condition condition condition condi condi- tion of Forr Forrestal's health origin health origin originally ally denied by the navy were navy were later admitted REUTHER Still on Top With thatched red-thatched fiery fieri Walter Reuther still at the helm the United Auto Workers union numbering num mum bering some million members could be expected to hold firm in any demands made for wage increases in creases or social benefits BRUSHING aside token opposition opposition tion from left wing elements ele lents gents Reuther was elected to a s third term as UA W president by a s top-heavy top majority T The h e voting which reelected Reuther was a new triumph for the wing right-wing forces in the union which catapulted him into office in 1946 and rewarded him hum with control con of the thc other international offices of of- ices and the board at the 1947 con con- His new term will expire in April 1951 UA W DELEGATES moved Into the election of top officers after hearing Leon Keyserling of President President dent Truman's council of economic advisers tell them that as a general general gen gen- eral proposition the kind of wage policy which will help maintain full employment in this country and which will vill maintain our economy economy econ omy on stable levels is one which adds to consumer purchasing power pow pow- er from rom year to year year because because we have the capacity to produce more goods from year to year The auto workers unions union's big fight was with Ford motor company which in opposing proposed wage rates offered to peg wages at present levels for a given period regardless of what of living developments brought about FORD contended the cost of 01 living has gone down and there was no justification for pay raises basing the argument on the UA W contract which called for pay hikes as the of living increased Reuther opposed that line of reasoning reasoning reason reason- ing contending that the unions union's economists have proved by a survey survey survey sur sur- vey that most industries can afford wage increases now MONOPOLY Y Clark Agitated While President Truman was delighting delighting delighting de de- de- de lighting business generally with his abandonment of any tax in crease proposals US U.S. Attorney General Tom Clark was agitated over the growth of big business and urging curbs on concentration tion of economic power CLARK APPEARED very much disturbed by the situation and let go both barrels in his shots at big business as he testified in a con- con investigation into monopolistic monopolistic mo mo- monopolistic practices He termed business r an economic blackjack and urged that the federal government get busy doing something about it He told a house judiciary subcommittee tee that most people were victims of three erroneous assumptions He listed them as 1 Assumption that competition continues to thrive as long as there are at least two or three or four in the field 2 Assumption that the bigger the producer the better the quality of the goods and the cheaper the price to the public 3 Assumption that companies become become become be be- come big because they deserve to tobe tobe tobe be big big in in other words that they outdistance their competitors because because because be be- cause they do a better job render a greater service or furnish better better better bet bet- ter goods CLARK DECLARED he did not share any of these assumptions Continuing ng his testimony before the committee he said The fundamental i issue s s sue u e is whether the economy of this country is to remain free and competitive or whether it is to be subjected to private regimentation through monopoly monopoly monopoly mo mo- control Under Fire ire RH S SS 4 ii iii T PA i As an aftermath of the Involved Involved Involved In In- legal proceedings in the trial of Alger Hiss on a perjury perjury perjury per per- jury charge growing out of spy investigations Presiding Judge Samuel H H. H Kaufman shown l Here ere is under congressional congressional congressional fire lire The senator was was was' reported reported re re- re- re por ported d considering a probe of the conduct of the trial BIG STEEL Strike Pledged There was trouble looming in big steel CIO CIa President Philip Murray had declared after alter fruitless gov gov- called peace talks that a million half steelworkers would be called out on strike at an nn early da date tee After conferences with federal conciliation director Cyrus S. S Ching the CIO reported a complete deadlock The situation situation situa situa- tion was critical |
