Evening star. [volume], April 05, 1948, Image 9

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
' Power to lax Is Seen
£ Returned to Congress
In Overriding of Veto
Votw by Legislators Held
• Repudiation of Truman
v, By Spokesmen of People
ofl! By David Lawrence
Control of the taxing power la
beck in the hands of Congress,
where it belongs.
•n Abuse of the presidential veto to
• - compel a two-thirds vote before the
people can get changes in their tax
t rates has resulted in a humiliating
• defeat for President Truman.
Taking his cue from President
, Roosevelt, who vetoed a tax bill for
the first time in history—a veto
" which, incidentally, was overridden,
’ too—Mr. Truman twice prevented
*" the National Legislature from flying
tax rates.
Now by a substantial majority
well over two-thirdt*-Congress has
* taken back into its own hands the
fixing of tax rates. ^
It alight be said that Congress
b* can be prevented again from mak
ing new tax laws. But it is a far
different thing to enact a new, law
now than it has been heretofore
when a minority of Congress, sup
porting a presidential veto, could
keep existing high rates in effect
indefinitely.
Leadership Questioned.
When so many members of
rt<- President Truman’s own party in
ni both the House and Senate desert
him to vote for tax changes, it is
a sign that the Chief Executive has
adopted a stubborn position which
*r makes his leadership of the party
more theoretical than real.
In this campaign year the Demo
crats who voted to override the
veto must go before the people say
'c Ing, in effect, that the President
was wrong in his attitude.
Hie arguments made in the first
n, two veto messages are much the
same as in the one sent to Congress
last week. Mr. Truman says that
tax reduction is not possible because
of huge expenses abroad or because
■’ surpluses must be used for debt re
tirement. What he is contending,
In reality, is that the American
people must operate indefinitely
under wartime tax rates.
Mr. Truman uses the same dema
goglc line he has employed before—
namely, that 40 per cent of the tax
• reduction goes to people who earn
more than $5,000 a year. Does he
- mean that tax policy must be based
on some form of communistic share
the-income doctrine such as has
undermined democracy abroad and
weakened so many countries?
High Prices Laid to Government.
By overriding the veto, the legis
lators have responded to public
opinion. To the argument that tax
reduction will produce inflation by
increasing the purchasing power of
millions in the low-income brackets,
there is a simple answer. It is that
the huge expenditures by Govem
' ment, which create new demands
for goods, are sending prices upward
in an inflationary cycle and the
• low-income groups need the pur
chasing power to maintain a decent
standard of living.
Mr. Truman endeavored to rebut
« the contention that investors would
be helped and thus business would
benefit by the inflow of more risk
v capital if taxes were reduced. He
said business profits were high and
• funds had been available in adequate
quantity. But he failed to distin
• guish between borrowed money with
fixed obligations and interest' and
the lack of equity money such as
has built up American industrial
power.
If the tax structure had not been ,
changed this year, the whole eco
5 nomic structure would have been
weakened.
Mr. Truman hinted twice before
at the possibility of a crisis over
seas and now. he does not have to
hint, because the situation with
3 Russia is plain. But Congress
« understands that, too, and has come
to the conclusion that if war
breaks out higher tax rates can be
enacted overnight. The "'American
s people will gladly pay wartime tax
i« rates during a war. what they
object to is the arbitrary attitude
of a President who saya, in effect,
that wartime tax rates must con
tinue for decades to come. If his
>' reasoning is accepted, there can
r never be any tax reduction while
there is a huge public debt, and
obviously the public debt will not
be reduced materially for 50 years.
- Obstruction Is Seen.
Mr. Truman has failed to apply
a reasonable policy either to debt
retirement or tax reduction and,
after having been opposed twice by
t a majority of Congress, he has en
deavored a third time to maintain
his policy of obstruction.
There may be a deficit instead of
a surplus if war-emergency spend
ing grows, but there is also the
, chance that the very armament
spending may swell tax receipts at
the new rates to levels never be
fore reached, so that the estimated
loss of revenues will not material
.,i ise at all.
In any event. Congress will meet
c the fiscal situation as it arises and
it will take only a majority vote
to* enact higher tax Tates if they
» become necessary. Tax legislation
should be left to a congressional
«> majority, which, irrespective of
party, usually reflects the will of
the people. In a parliamentary
system of government, Mr. Truman
*: would now be out of office as he has
been repudiated on a measure of
prime Importance by more than a
two-thirds majortty.
8 (Reproduction rights reserved.)
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This Changing World
Fear of War Is Mounting in Europe,
With Russians Also Showing Strain
By Constantin0 Brown
War fever is mounting in Europe
by leaps end bounds. According to
reports from official and unofficial
American observers, the concern of
the massee ex
ceeds that which
existed in West
ern Europe In
the fateful days
of late summer
IMP.
The official
spokesmen of
the various gov
ernments still
are trying to
maintain an op
timistic attitude.
They say the
present crisis is
merely tempo
rary and that it
will be passed successfully if careful
diplomacy and a certain amount of
give and take are practiced.
They admit privately, however,
that they do not quite know how
the crisis can be alleviated, since
all active diplomatic intercourse
with Moscow has come to a halt.
The Soviet government appears
to be in a less compromising mood
than the German government was
after Munich. Hitler at least lied
about being satisfied with the ter
ritorial gains he had obtained by
diplomatic action and pretended to
be willing to negotiate further.
Joseph Stalin and his Politburo
are in a defiant mood and refuse
even to pretend they are willing to
take any step which might avert
another world catastrophe.
People Openly Concerned.
The peoples of Europe are openly
far more concerned than their gov
ernments. They accept with a cer
tain degree of fatalism the fact that
they will have to suffer the horrors
of another war. They appear de
termined to face the issue, since
most of them prefer fighting to
subjecting themselves to the Asiatic
totalitarianism which now, threatens
the world.
They all look hopefully to the
United States, which they regard as
the only power that can save them.
The peoples of Europe have hopes—
possibly exaggerated—in the power
of the atom bomb. Pew people, ex
cept in official government quarters,
believe that it will deter Soviet
aggressiveness. - But they believe
that R can defiat the Russians,
once they start their forward move
ment.
The atom bomb fives Europeary
the same feeling of hopefulness aa
the Magtnot Line gave the French
people before Hitler’s blits in 1940.
In Russia itself there is the earns
war fever, engineered by the Krem
lin itself. It is, of course, difficult
for the diplomatic officials of the
western, nations to judge what is
happening in the vast Soviet terri
tory. These once-honored foreign
guests are treated as undesirable
aliens and are subjected to very
drastic restrictions on their move
ments.
Movements Are Restricted.
No ambassador or member of his
staff can leave his official residence
without being followed by secret
police agents. Their official con
tacts are confined to a few taciturn
Soviet officials and to conversations
with each other.
Occasionally some nationals of
the less suspected countries—such
ss those of the Middle East and
Asia—have a chance to travel to
the V. 8. 8. R. and to tell their
diplomatic representatives what
they hear or see. These, in turn,
spread .the word to their col
leagues whose nationals are allowed
to travel only in drastically restrict
ed areas.
But the feeling of people in
Moscow can be gauged to a cer
tain extent from the attitude of
the native personnel in the various
diplomatic missions. Of course, all
these persons—women as well as
men—are in the employ of the MVD
(secret police) and their job is to
pick up whatever bits of informa
tion they can from their employers.
Nevertheless, it is possible for
experienced observers to judge the
trends from the attitude of these
Russian employes. In recent weeks
they have become arrogant and far
more sulky than in the past. A
few officials of some western em
bassies hear what is going on in
shops and other public places, which
they visit under the surveillance
of the secret police. They detect
i suppressed excitement among the
people of Moscow which is similar
to that which existed during World
War II.
There is an atmosphere of ap
prehension which is believed to be
stirred up by the government itself.
On the Record
An Open Letter to the Italian Pople:
Very Life of Nation at Stake in Election
By Dorothy Thompson
People Of Italy!
Will you listen a moment to an
often proved friend of your country?
Your life as a nation is at stake
in the April 18
elections. Each
of your individ
ual lives is at
stake. And peace
is at stake. Will
you make Italy
a colony of
Russia? Will you
see Italians
thrown into the
long trains that
already h a v e,
taken millions of
Balts, Poles,
3 a e c h s, Oer
nans, and others
a the mines and "•*•**» Tkwaassa.
[uarries of "Siberia and Central'Asia? ,
Will you turn your factories into
vorkshops to turn out textiles for ,
he backs of Russian commissars, '
ind motor cars for your oppressors? ,
And if you do, d6 you think the
United States forever will sit su
pinely by and watch Europe become
i Russian colony?
Is it not clear to you that a vote
lor Russia in Italy would bring the
vorld nearer war? •
Italian people! Destroy commu
nism, root and branch. Vote for
oeace!
The Russian government has
ipent hundreds of millions of lire
n Italy to buy your votes! „ Prom
whence do you think comes the
money for the enormous Communist
:ampaign, permeating every nook
ind cranny of Italy? Prom whence
he salaries to pay their henchmen,
professionally trained to seduce your
nlnds? Prom whence the paper for
he posters that cover the walls of
rour buildings and the pamphlets
hrust under every door? Prom
whence the money for lorries and
sound trucks and the traveling ex
penses of agitators, rushing like rats
!rom end to end of yoqr country?
F’rom whence the flour, the sugar,
he coffee that these hand out to
rou, saying, “Look how kind and
food is Russia. Vote for her and
she will feed you.”
48,008,008 Slaves Sought.
Lies, friends! These are lies!
Thus would Russia seduce you into
becoming her first western Euro
pean workshop and colony! Thus
would she purchase 40,000,000 more
slaves! Is all Italy not worth a few
hundred million lire? Is the price
not cheap to persuade you to vote
away your lives?
America does not buy your votes,
for America is not trying to conquer
Italy. America does not pay the
salaries of agitators nor finance
Italian parties, for by such means
is the freedom of peoples under
mined and destroyed. But America
watches. If you throw out the
Communists, aid will come. But we
shall not send it to a Communist
government. Americans are not
fools., We shall not send money to
those who would use our dollars to
finance theik agents elsewhere.
‘And from whence then will come
aid? Prom Russia, whose own
people go barefoot, and on whose
collective farms there is insufficient
bread? Russia wants goods and
labor fropi you, for nothing in re
turn. Therefore she buys your
votes.
Today the Communists speak to
you with honey in their mouths.
But once in power their words will
their brutish deeds
Peasants! They promise you land!
They take you out and say: “These
acres see? They shall be yours
when we become your humble serv
ants.”
Reward Will Be Asked.
And they will give you land. Oh,
yes! They will take it from A,
and give it to JB. And then they
will say, “Now that we have given
you the land, you must reward us.
Three fourths of what you produce
must be ours, at the price we
decide.” And when you complain,
“But, comrade, we starve; and for
what you require of us we have
neither seed, nor fertiliser, nor
equipment to produce,” they will
become angry and take the land
away again, and send you to forced
labor, and you will wring your
#
bands ana weep. So U It wherever
they have power.
Workers! Today the Communists
promise to make you the master
class, the rulers of Italy! But if
they Win, you will live on that
propaganda! There will be com
missars over, you more heartless
than the Egyptian pharaohs. They
will set up quotas and If, for even
the best of reasons, you fail to
meet them you will be brutally
penalized. If * you complain, you
will be arrested. If you strike; they
will send you to prison. From all
you earn they will subtract a com
mission. And you will wish you
never had been born,
if’Mothers! Today the Commu
nists speak sympathetically of the
family. They1 oast down their eyes
piously before the Virgin, and
speak of religion with respect.
But if you vote them power, they
will bring up your children to mock
their parents and their, pod. And
if you protest, they will take your
children away. They are not
Christian men.
Revenge is Threatened.
People of Italy! Be fearless! Today
the Communists say, “We know
about you, that you are for us,”
and smile upon you benevolently.
Or they say; "We know about you.
You are doubtful. And we shall re
member and take our revenge."
What manner of men are those,
who so threaten their neighbors?
Would you then give them power—
to revenge themselves wherever they
merely suspect?
Do you not scorn these people
with Latin pride? Do you think if
you give them power you ever will be
able to take it back by your votes?
No. If you vote for. them you are
voting away forever your own and
your children’s freedom, unless
others win it back for you by war.
Your vote is secret and they can
not know. You workers, In the fac
tories, protect the secrecy of your
vote! It belongs to no one but your
Individual selves. It is your weapon
against your oppressors and against
the traitors!
From America we send you our
confidence and our prayers.
Down with Russian communism
and treason!
Long live liberty!
Long live Italy!
Long live the free confederation
of Europe!
Long live peace!
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[LOUIE
.—By Horiy Honan
Case for Service Women
i
House Rejection of Permanent WAVE
And WAC Held Contrary to Need
By Doris Fltsson
The same Congress that is about
to draft boys and young men from
the Nation’s schools, farms and
factories is turning its back on a
pool of trained
women who
want to serve,
who do not have
to be drafted
and who can do
an impor t a n t
share of the
work better than
men.
The House
Armed Services
Committee un
expectedly re
jected the united
plea of all top
military and na
val commanders D»ru
for a bill incorporating a WAC
service in the Army and a WAVE
corps in the Navy up to 2 per cent
of the authorized strength of each
establishment. Instead, they re
ported their own version that no
body asked .for—a reserve corps
which is not attractive to the
women and will not do the job for
which it ostensibly is designed.
No# they have got their substi
tute on the consent calendar for
tomorrow in an apparent effort to
slide it past the House without
debate on the merits.
Military is Baffled.
The situation baffles the military.
Committee Chairman Andrews and
Representative Vinson of Georgia,
ranking Democrat, realize the situa
tion is critical: they ardentlv suo
port both the draft and universal
military training. But why they
prefer to take their constituents' un
trained sons out of school to do
badly jobs that Wacs and Waves do
superbly is still their secret. Their
touchy evasions on the subject
breed a suspicion that these legis
lators of 99 and 99 respectively re
trek t to th« emotions of a bygone
day when faded with the realities
bf total ♦ar. '•
1 Naturally the women’s services
would prefer to make a fight for
What they know is right, If they1
were people of poor spirit they would
sot have undertaken and could not
have done their splendid job in the
war. They perceive clearly that a
reserve will not give them the tools
to finish the job.
They have the undiluted backing
sf their superiors. Secretary For
restal, Gens. Eisenhower, Bradley
snd Vandenberg, Admirals Dehfeld
and Nimitz, Army and Navy chap
lains—all testified in their favor be
fore Senate or House committees
with not a single witness appearing
In opposition from any source. All
echoed Gen. Eisenhower’s: “There is
nothing in this bill but simple ef
ficiency.”
Dilemma Explained.
Yet the women’s dilemma is this:
The Senate last summer passed
the regular status bill unanimously
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and without debate. Any House
version will go to conference where
Senate conferees will wholeheartedly
battle for the Senate position.
So a chance of eventual success
exists.
But so does a chance of defeat.
And defeat means a reserve with
such limited •appeal that only the
hangers-on who cannot compete in
private business will remain in the
services. The Job will have to be
attempted without the natural lead
ers, the competent women who can
devise and administer the expert
plans which will mobilise women in
time of danger.
It could be that the House lead
ers deliberately prefer to have the
Senate take The responsibility for
installing the women’s services and
would not make a conference fight.
It has happened before.
Representative Margaret C. Smith,
Republican, of Maine, a member of
Armed Services Committee, and
Chairman Edith Nourse Rogers of
the Veterans’ Affairs Committee,
support regular status for the wom
en’s services. They are prepared to
object to the reserve bill if it is
tactically wise.
Meanwhile Gen. Mac Arthur cables
from Japan that he is reluctantly
putting 100 Wacs on the transports
for home April 15 so they can be
mustered out when present legisla
tion expires in June. Both he and
European commanders have been
requested to hold off as long as
possible on the remaining hundreds
until the congressional decision is
final.
McLemore^
Starts Coast-ta-Coast
Journay by Truck
By Henry McLemore
As those at you who are unfor
tunate enough to read me each day
know, I am In the process of cross
ing the country from New York to
Los Angeles by
truck.
This dispatch
is being written
in Harrisburg,
Pa., a charming
city and one
wbid\ I and my
e ompanlon,
Bogart Rogers,
made the first
day out. We
could have font
much farther
the first day had
we known that
trucks are not
too popular and Osmt Melee****.
had we not stopped so often to ask
good Americans what they thought
of the state of the Nation and the
world.
Let me first explain about the un
popularity of the truck. While a
great portion of America’s produce is
moved from place to place by truck,
the truck has little or no social
standing. We found this but real
quick. As you undoubtedly know,
the easiest means of leaving New
Yorka for the west is the Pulaski
Skyway, a magnificent elevated
highway that starts not too far from
the Holland Tunnel. It sweeps
above the Jersey meadows and elim
inates miles and miles of tortuous
traffic which belongs to Jersey City,
Newark, etc.
Drives on Skyway.
As a passenger car owner who
hsd used the Pulaski Skyway a
thousand times, I blithely drove the
truck on it. A quarter of a mile
further along I saw a sign. It read
something like this: “1900 fine, two
years in jail, or both, for driving a
truck on this highway. TYucks, use
the truck route.” Then a policeman
arrived and in the gentle “bedside’’
maimer at all minions of the law, he
ordered us to get back to earth
where we belonged.
He gave us what amounted to a
lecture on class distinction and left
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At Allentown. Pa., we asked the
first two of the millions et questions
we intend to ask before we reach
California. Our first question wee
laden with dynamite. “Is this the
right road to Harrisburg?’’
Our second question, put to one
Oliver Gebbert in, a dealer in used
cars, was this: “What do you think
of the atomic bomb?”
“Phooey,” said Mr. Gebbert.
Draws Out Fall Opinion.
Under our skillful questioning, bit
by bit we drew from him his full
opinion of the atomic bomb which,
boiled down to Its heavy water, is
this:
“As far as this country is con
cerned, it is an almost useless
weapon of warfare. America will
never drop the thing except from
desperation. If Russia overran Eu
rope today, v* would never drop it
on Rone, Paris, Trieste, Prague
soldier it killed it would also kill
10£00 blameless civilians, tow Bow
could our troops occupy a country
that was radioactive? If a country
won’t go for one year of military
training, it will certainly not coun
tenance sending its boys into terri
tory where Geiger counters bum
ilka slap-happy crickets.”
Mrs. Gebbert called Mr. Gebbert
to come into the house. Like any
dutiful husband ha obeyed, but be
fore be left be said this:
“The wily good thing about tho
atom bomb is that it belongs to
good people. I am quit* sura that If
Russia owned it Russia would have
already used It on us.” I think Mr.
Gebbert is right.
Tomorrow in Nashville, Turn., X
intend to attempt a feat no news
paperman has ever achieved—put
ting both ears to the ground simul
taneously. Any newspaperman out
put one ear to thefground, but both
—boy, that’s something.
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