Ot» rToT ■ Old ■ ^NNOV B "Do you think we give him an inferiority complex?" On Truman's inaugural By Henry Wallace It was the earnest hope of the people of America and the world that President Truman would dedicate his new administra tion to the establishment of a common ground of understanding with Russia as a basis for peace in one world. That hope was kindled by his statement in Kansas City on Dec. 27 when he expressed confidence that all out standing differences with Russia could be resolved and the cold war ended during his term of office. Today, Pres. Truman shattered that hope. Nothing has occurred since Dec. 27 to require a change in the position the President then took, except statements from Russian spokesmen reit erating their desire to find the basis for mutual understanding. Today the President gave his answer. It comes closer to a declaration of war * than the inaugural address any peace-time rresi Wallace dent in our history. His statement that capitalism and communism cannot live together in one world makes war the only eventual alternative. STEP TOWARD WAR President Truman makes it plain that no effort will be made to arrive at a peaceful understanding with Russia for the settle ment of differences. Instead, he proposes measures which will irrevocably split the world into two hostile camps in preparation for war. He asks for a treaty establishing a North Atlantic Military Alliance aimed at Russia, and authority to use American military equipment and military advice to arm western Europe for war. This grave step would violate the unbroken tradition of 150 years against involvement in peacetime military alliances outside of the Western Hemisphere. It is important for Americans to recognize that the armed conflict for which the President is asking the country to prepare is a war against almost half of the people of the globe—the two hundred and fifty million inhabitants of Russia and eastern Europe, the five hundred million Chinese people who are about to establish a coalition government with Communist participation, | and |the millions in western Europe and Asia who are adherents of sojme form of Marxist socialism. The conspicuous failure of American policy in China and Greece, not mentioned in the President’s address, is convincing proof that we cannot successfully fight ideas with guns. Yet, the President’s only answer is to call for more guns. A-BOMB BEHIND FINE WORDS The President calls for a “bold new program for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress avail able for the improvement and growth of underdeveloped areas.” These are fine words with which I and all men of good will would be in complete agreement. But it is evident from the President’s address that the scientific advance we are preparing to give half th world is the atomic bomb. So long as that is our purpose, help to other underdeveloped areas can only take the form of a thinly veiled imperialism under cover of which great American corpora tions will exploit the backward peoples of the world. The program which President Truman proposes spells a permanent Federal budget in excess of $45 billions a year, with increasing amounts devoted to armaments and war preparations. The American people will be called upon to pay the cost of that program through the sacrifice of the domestic retorms which the President promised during the election campaign, lower living standards, greater insecurity and the loss of basic freedoms. No statement by any American leader has ever so clearly spelled eventual bankruptcy for our nation. We of the Progressive Party insist that there is an alternative course. Speaking for the conscience of the peace-loving people of America, we insist that the two systems of capitalism and com munism can and must live together in one world of peace. We declare that if, as we believe, our American system is superior, it must demonstrate that superiority by giving to the people who live under it greater abundance, freedom and security. NOT TOO LATE YET All Americans who love peace and are attached to the prin ciples on which the United Nations was founded must make their voices heard, and heard now, in opposition to the fatal steps which President Truman has proposed. It is not yet too late for a con ference between the President and Premier Stalin to compose Soviet-American differences and end the cold war. To protect their own security and freedom, and guard world peace, all Americans must demand that this course be taken, while time still remains. TALK THAT Marshall Field readying a new morning Chica go Sun. The new operation would be a full-size eight column rag like the original Sun. Meanwhile, the Sun-Times tabloid would continue on its around-the-clock spin. If any reader detects a method short of madness in this blueprint, please report it to this column prompt ly. —O— This is the last column Ol’ Pete turns out for you and he is sad. This columnist’s only gripe! about the switch to the National Guardian (see page one) is that if he wants to catch your eye hereafter he’ll have to take out a want ad. So before Mrs. Williams’s son Peter becomes the latest victim of the layoff wave, he wants to show you a sampling of a dictionary he is compiling for Chicagoans. Here is why you should watch for it on your newsstand: STREETCAR NAMED CTA: A scientific principle which states that though the distance between two points may be the longest imaginable, so is the fare, so you break even in the end. Leaves something to be de-, sired. ALDERMAN: Man who owns a real estate office, garbage cans, a legal piece of Chicago and a rotating chair in City Hall. Not to be confused with a ward committeeman who owns an alderman. SIDEWALK: A public enter prise kept in good repair, where possible, to receive citizens leap ing from windows of homes on fire. The latter are often in poor repair, because they are private enterprise and therefore outside the field of public interests. SALES TAX: Small daily con tributions restricted to those who purchase manufactured items, such as food. Purpose is to relieve corporations from need of paying taxes, lest they move elsew’here, thus leaving the entire state unemployed and we would have to pay r. sales tax to raise money for relief checks. Looking at By Rod Holmgren APPARENTLY the State CIO leadership smells the “meat a’cookin,’’ just like Democrat Paul Powell of Vienna. Minutes of the Illinois CIO Council executive board for Nov. 11 contained this interesting passage. “Chairman Germano stated that as a result < of our victory, some people may go to the Democratic Party for patronage, using the name 1 of CIO. The CIO is not a patronage-seeking or- | ganization, but we are vitally interested in see- ( ing that organized labor is represented in cer tain key places, so we can protect the interests of the workers and seek further gains. It was moved, seconded and carried that the Demo cratic Party be informed that if any patronage m is to be awarded CIO, it should be screened through the State Council offices.” In other words, CIO isn’t looking for patronage, but if there’s any around, it would like to see that it’s properly used. Sun-Times and Herald-Ameri can gave big play to story some 400 persons spending winter days in Florida and California are drawing jobless benefits from Illinois. Implied in the promi nence given the story was the idea there’s something wrong about it. Fact is, most of the 400 ☆ V are vacation-land workers — bartenders, waiters, hotel work ers and musicians. If the Chica go editors think any jobless worker has a fancy time in either Florida or California on $20 a week jobless benefits, we suggest they try it some time, r ILLINOIS trade unionists have reason for particular concern over fact Sen. Scott Lucas (D. III.) is the new Senate majority leader. In that post, he will be expected to lead the fight for Pres. Tru man’s program, including Taft-Hartley repeal, in Congress. Lucas’ congressional score shows he has a long-time anti-labor record. In 1943 he voted for the Smith-Connally anti-strike bill, which FDR vetoed. In 1946 he voted for the Case anti-labor bill and in 1947 he voted FOR the Taft-Hartley Act. -A. President Soderstrom of Illi nois Federation of Labor has written every member of Illinois House of Representatives asking them to vote for HR 17, intro ☆ 'i duced by Rep. Robert H. Allison. Measure would memorialize na tional Congress to repeal Taft Hartley. Purpose of Soderstrom letter is to get our state reps on record in a roll-call vote. Great! r WATCH for squabbles among -right-wing CIO leaders over support for activities of CIO-PAC as against those of ADA_ Americans for Democratic Action. PAC Director Jack Kroll told CAW leaders in Milwaukee the other day to “lay off” ADA activities, despite the fact CAW President Reutber is one of the most aggressive pushers of ADA. ☆ ☆ ☆ MORIS BIALIS, manager of Chicago Joint Board, ILGWU, left this week for London, where he will attend conference of the World’s Clothing Worker’s Federation. First time WCWF has met since 1928. Before he left Balis said: “We want to learn from the ex perience of clothing workers in other countries and share our experiences with them in promoting peace and prosperity.” Also present, he said, will be needle trades unionists from England, France, Belgium and the Scandinavian countries. Hmm. Maybe they’ve thrown the needles away in Italy, Czechoslovakia, Ger many, Poland, Palestine, etc? Or maybe they’ve stopped wearing clothes? Political Pot..... by Bernie Asbel WORTH speculating on is whether Illinois Bell Tele phone is rounding up aldermen to call off the dogs. The city cor poration counsel has given the phone company its strongest op position so far in hearings on the rate boost. Illinois Bell is per spiring even under this liim.ed measure. At tne last j city council' meeting, E. G. I Carr, phone] company spe \ c i a 1 contract I \ manager, sat I in a reserved \ seat just be j hind the alder ! men More than a dozen key lawmakers, one by one, huddled with Carr ir earnest conversation. One alderman slapped Carr’s back when their confab was over, and whispered in jovial humor: “What are you trying, to do? Buy us off?” Joke. ——o ■ THE bipartisan game pays off in more ways than one, for those who like to play it. Former Rep. Everett Dirksen, of Pekin, 111. was all set, come election, for a good job in Paul Hoffman’s ECA setup in Europe. It was to be repayment by Tom Dewey for the congressman’s lone wolf Dewey support in the Illinois delegation at the Repub lican convention. Dewey’s loss looked like Dirk sen’s loss. But now Dirksen is about to be offered a good job anyhow in Paul Hoffman’s ECA setup. This time by Paul Hoff man. “—o— COOK County job holders missed out on a trip to Washington for the Truman in augural. Election fight for county officers too hot to leave behind. ~ O " PROGRESSIVE-American La bor Congressman Vito Mar cantino was guest at a private party in New York commemo rating one year since Henry Wallace announced his presi dential candidacy. Called upon for a few re marks, Marc referred to four years from now when he fore saw “Henry Wallace sworn in as President of the United States—and yours truly as the speaker of the House of Repre sentatives.’’ You’ll see on page one of this issue that you will be getting the National Guardian at your home every week. It will take the place of The Standard and its features—including this one. Those who have been reading the Guardian know it for the fine people’s paper that it is. Many readers of The Standard have said they felt the need of more national and international news together with their infor mation on local campaigns. The Guardian, with special Illinois coverage added to its regular material, will answer that need. But the day must come soon when Illinois progressives can weld themselves strongly enough together to support a vigorous journal of their own with finan cial stability and broad, com plete news coverage. There is no comparable weapon. That day will come when pro gressives root themselves in the city and state with strong po litical stability and broad com munity ties—with friends, neigh bors and brothers in the shops. That is the most wholesome guarantee for forward looking politics—and for forward look ing journalism. THE ILLINOIS is owned and published weekly by The Illinois Progressive Publishing Co., Inc., 187 N. LaSalle St., Chi cago 1, 111. Phone: RAndolph 6-9270. METZ P. LOCHARD.Editor ROD HOLMGREN.Managing Editor JOSEPH PERSILY.General Manager Entered as second class matter October 5, 1948, at the post office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of March 3. 1879.