Evening star. [volume], June 23, 1950, Page A-9, Image 9

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Johnson's Statement
On FTC Decisions
Is Called Amazing
Writer Sees Plain Effort
To Pull Many Political
Chestnuts Out of Fire
By David Lawrence
An amazing statement has come
from the offices of Senator Ed
Johnson, Democrat, of Colorado,
chairman of the Senate’s all-im
portant Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce.
It is amazing not because Sena
tor Johnson and his colleagues
feel aggrieved over the President's
veto of the "basing point” bill, but
because they are taking Mr. Tru
man literally and are going to
hold an independent agency—the
Federal Trade Commission—ac
countable directly for the clarifi
cation of certain of its decisions.
These decisions caused the present
controversy over the right to ab
sorb freight charges by quoting to
customers a "delivered price.”
Originally, when Congress
created the FTC, it was supposed
to be a quasi-judicial body. *It
was not supposed to be subject to
executive or legislative pressure.
For the FTC now to attempt to
amend what the Supreme Court
of the United States laid down as
the law of the land or for the
commission to attempt to meet
the viewpoint of the majority of
Congress, which wanted Mr. Tru
man to sign the remedial bill, is a
distortion of the functions of that
agency.
Administration Embarrassed
Plainly there is an effort here
to pull a lot of political chest
nuts out of the fire. The adminis
tration is obviously embarrassed
politically and from an economic
standpoint by what has happened.
In April, 1948, the Supreme Court
agreed with the FTC that de
livered prices which absorbed the
freight rate w'ere the result of
identical action in the cement
industry.
Had this been all that the court
said on the subject, it would have
been apparent that only "con
certed action” to fix identical
prices by absorbing the freight
was being struck down by the
decision. But Justice Black in
speaking for the majority of the
court went further when he said:
“While we hold that the com
mission’s findings of combination
were supported by evidence, that
does not mean that existence of
a ‘combination’ is an indispen
sable ingredient of an ‘unfair
method of competition.”
Congress attempted to clarify
this point by passing a new law to
remove all doubt that “delivered
prices” could absorb the freight
provided each seller acted indi
vidually and not in concert. The
President vetoed the bill last week
on the assumption that the meas
ure was unnecessary and that the
Supreme Court didn’t mean what
it said. His message was construed
as meaning that the Federal
Trade Commission itself now
would clarify what the court failed
to clarify.
Extraordinary Pronouncement.
Senator Johnson, therefore, has
appointed a subcommittee of five
Senators—all of whom favored
the bill that was vetoed—to make
sure that the FTC makes good
on the implied instructions which
the President’s veto message con
veys to that comtnission. Mr.
Johnson, in his statement, says
he felt that "the frequent shifts
in position of the Federal Trade
Commission, particularly its early
approval and later disapproval of
the O'Mahoney bill, had destroyed
public confidence and required
continued close day-by-day watch
fulness over Its activities in this
field.”
This is an extraordinary pro
nouncement but the Colorado
Senator and his committee have
every right to survey the work of
the commission because, as he
promises, legislation may be
needed on this subject at the next
session of Congress. He also In
tends soon to submit written
questions to the FTC so as to
make explicit what can or can not
be done to promote competitive
prices by absorbing the freight
charges.
Many of the industries of
America and their lawyers are
pondering all this with grave con
cern. Some think they may join
the "let’s take a chance” school
of thought, which wants to begin
absorbing freight and depend on
the beneficence of the administra
tion not to prosecute them for
violating what the Supreme Court
plainly said. Others fear to take
any chance and are adopting the
"let’s play safe” doctrine.
As long as shortages in certain
commodities exist the problem
will be academic, but wherever
supply is in balance with demand,
there is a concrete choice to be
made between reliance cm a gov
ernment of laws or on a govern
ment of men—the fallible bureau
crats who are swayed one day by
one pressure group and the next
day by another.
(Reproduction Right! ReserYed.)
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Dickson 465
This Changing World
Schuman Plan Offers The One Hope
For Peace Among West Europe Nations
By Constantine Brown
The six-nation conference now
going on in Paris to work out de
tails of the Western European
coal and steel pool is evidence of
the firm inten
tion of govern
ments in that
! part of the con
! tinent to bring
the Sch u m a n
i plan to frui
tion.
The proposals
a d v a n ced by
Foreign Minis
j ter Schuman of
France — based
on a plan form
ulated by Jean
Mon net. the
noted French
economist—without doubt consti
tute the most important step
ever taken toward unity of West
, em Europe and the creation of
such close economic and political
ties between the countries of that
: region that they could never af
ford to go to war among them
| selves.
The eagerness with which not
only Western Germany but Bel
gium, the Netherlands, Luxem
bourg and Italy took up the sug
gestion and agreed to confer on
details of the plan demonstrates
their awareness of the vital na
ture of the changes which the
Schuman plan proposes.
The fact that the British gov
ernment is reluctant to go into
any system which involves the
sacrifice of some of its sovereign
ty will not deter the continental
countries from carrying forward
as energetically a$ they can a pro
gram which offers the one hope
for permanent peace among the
countries of Western Europe.
Plan to Be Broadened.
Conceivably the pool plan will
be broadened to take in other
phases of the participating coun
tries’ economic life, and already
the French are proposing that
agriculture be the next activity
to be unified.
Such broadening of the pool is
almost a foregone conclusion if
the greatest benefit is to be reaped
from economic unification. Pool
ing of industry alone would pro
vide some great results, chiefly
in bringing under one authority
industries which are competing
[now under six different authori
ties. But the elimination of com
petition and integration of indus
; tries for more efficient operation
is only one of the possible con
sequences of the Schuman' plan.
If the free flow of coal and steel
within the pool creates an eco
nomic tie which serves to prevent
war, the free flow of food would
| serve that purpose even more.
If Britain finally refuses to have
anything to do with the movement
1 for Western European economic
union the Schuman plan would
be dealt virtually a death blow.
But it appears that Britain can
not afford to give the plan such a
blow, particularly since the United
| States, which has been supporting
Britain ever since the war, stands
| four-square behind European in
, tegration.
Long and Tortuous Path.
The British Labor government
may be forced, by pressure of
opinion in the United States and
Western Europe, to take some
part in this greatest attempt to
make sense out of Western
Europe’s present conflict of eco
nomic and political interests.
Certainly it will be difficult for
the British to refuse to give up a
small slice of their sovereignty to
a supranational authority w?hen
other governments, aware that
their economic and political
strength must be built on union,
are willing to make the required
sacrifices.
Although the French proposal
for a European Parliament ap
pears to be aimed to make eco
nomic integration more palatable
to the London government—for
presumably it would give the Brit
ish a democratic forum in which
to protect their own interests—
the prospect of easier access to
supplies of food on the continent
which the farm pool proposal im
plies may be an even greater in
ducement.
The path toward European
union will be long and tortuous,
but a start is being made. Those
objections which have merit can
be met. Those which are based
simply on pure self-interest will
have to be overcome by pressure.
If any country frustrates this
great step toward the removal of
causes of war within Western
Europe it must bear the respon
sibility for the tragic conse
quences.
The G. O. P/s Only Issue
Truman Says Republicans Use Red
Smears For Lack of Other Issues
By Doris Fleeson
President Truman told the
Democratic Governors at their
private luncheon that Republicans
i had resorted to Communist smears
because they
didn’t have any
issues.
I Actually the
adminis
tration is in a
race with Re
pub 1 icans to
keep them from
having an issue
which could be
very trouble
some. By a co
incidence the
Governors had
just been mak
ing clear their
own concern with it in their an
nual conference at White Sulphur*
Springs, W. Va.
The reciprocal trade agreements
; to encourage foreign trade are be
ginning to bite into the American
economy. Coal, glass, pottery, tex
tiles, etc., are feeling the compe
tition with resulting unemploy
ment. Governors, both Democrat
and Republican, asked Secretary
of State Acheson many searching
questions about what he proposed
to do about it.
Called Hard Problem.
The Secretary had no trouble
inducing the Governors to take
the large view of foreign policy
generally but he knows the large
view of direct Injury to the pock
etbook nerve is rare. He said it
was a hard problem and rather
thankfully added it had been as
signed to Gordon Gray for
study. He also tentatively men
tioned an old suggestion that the
i Government subsidize United
States industries which were be
ing injured and charge it up as a
national defense cost since trade
strengthens our Allies.
A concrete use of the issue was
simultaneously being threatened
outside the conference room by
Republican National Committee
man Walter S. Hallanan of West
Virginia who had dropped in to
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pay his respects to the Governors
and press.
Mr. Hallanan said West Vir
ginia Republicans would run an
old-fashioned full dipner pail,
i“save the working man's job” cam
paign to elect six Congressmen
this fall. The highly industrialized
State has been hard hit, he said,
especially coal.
This fact has been recognized
by Senator Neely, West Virginia
Democrat, who heads an Educa
tion and Labor subcommittee in
vestigating the situation. “We’re
going to use the Neely subcommit
tee testimony as our textbook,"
Mr. Hallanan asserted.
President Sympathetic.
Senator Neely has been out of
the Senate pampering a leg injury.
His colleague. Senator Kilgore, ex
pressed confidence that the ad
ministration would move in these
matters long before November.
Senator Kilgore said he had talked
to the President, who was most
sympathetic.
Senate Republicans expect to
make their usual reciprocal trade
challenge—the peril point amend
ment which would effectively re
strict tariff concessions—some
time this session. But the trade
agreements legislation is not up;
their problem is to find a proper
parking place for it,
A minor bill that the President
could veto offhand won’t do. Yet
they don’t want to tack it on. a
bill importart to them because
they fear Mr. Truman might seize
on the amendment as excusing a
veto. The tax bill represents the
latter hazard.
More and more it appears that
Mr. Gray deserves the sympathy
of the republic. Last week the
British Labor Party politicians
made it harder for him by rebuff
ing the Schuman plan. Now the
political pressures are building up
at home.
The total of exports always in
creases with expanding foreign
trade, according to State Depart
ment experts. This, of course, will
not stop the cries of those who are
injured in the process.
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Political Heresy in Ohio
Lausche Stand on Senatorial Race
May Be Good Tip for Dopesters
By Thomas L. Stokes
When President Truman asked
Democratic governors assembled
here for a luncheon with him for
their help in electing a Demo
cratic Congress
in November
there was one
Governor pres
ent who must
have had a
momenta ry
feeling of em
barrassment.
This would
seem at least a
justifiable sup
position about
bushy - haired
Frank Lausche
of Ohio. He
had attracted Tho“»*
considerable publicity earlier this
week when he told newspapermen
at the Governors Conference at
White Sulphur Springs, W. Va„
that he hadn’t decided whether he
would vote for the Democratic
candidate for Senator in Ohio,
State Auditor Joe Ferguson, or
for Senator Taft who, it is well
known, is No. 1 target for Presi
dent Truman, the Democrats and
their labor allies.
He had prefaced this announce
ment by describing Mr. Ferguson
as "a good and fearless auditor"
—which provoked a loud guffaw
from his hard-boiled newspaper
audience there—and Senator Taft
as “a forthright and fearless pub
lic official” and wound up by say
ing his vote would be guided by
the best interests of the Nation.
Democrats Startled.
This sort of uncertainty in the
midst of a hot campaign ap
proaches political heresy, and it
startled Democrats here in the
high command and in his home
State. Mr. Truman, only three
hours before the luncheon here,
had given a fairly good idea of
how he regards such an attitude.
While he had a brusque "no com
ment" when asked at his own
regular press conference about
the Ohio Governor’s statement, he
added in the same breath that he
had no doubt Ohio would elect a
Democratic Senator and then,
when asked how he would vote if
he voted in Ohio, replied that he
would vote the straight Demo
cratic ticket.
The Ohio Governor was natu
rally the center of interest for
newspapermen who milled about
the hotel room where the lunch
eon was held—a private affair to
which they were not admitted—
and he was pursued as he came
and went, the "star" of the occa
sion. When asked afterward if
he had shaken hands with the
President, he replied, slightly an
noyed:
kji course—xnw jrresiaent is
most delightful and pleasant.”
Thfcre was no reference at the
luncheon to the Ohio incident.
The Governor has become the
private hero of Republicans who,
of course, cannot be too kind pub
licly because they have a candi
date of their own for Governor
against Mr. Lausche, who is run
ning for re-election. He has been
the beneficiary of all sorts of praise
for his "courage and independ
ence” from some quarters, just as
was Jimmy Byrnes of South Caro
lina, former high Roosevelt and
Truman administration official,
when he began to attack the Tru
man program.
This is all well and good, but
skeptics who have watched the
Governor’s political career have
some ideas of their own. They
ask, in the first place, why it is
that Joe Ferguson, who is not an
outstanding figure, is the candi
date against Senator Taft? It is
because Governor Lausche, who
was regarded as the strongest
candidate, refused requests from
party leaders that he run against
the Senator who is, indeed, a for
midable opponent.
There is not too warm a feel
ing in the Democratic high com
mand toward Gov. Lausche be
cause of his refusal to go along
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for the party's sake, as party men
often are expected to do, to take
on a hard job in a tough year.
Frank Lausche always has
played a lone hand in politics,
and thus far successfully. He ran
on his own in 1944, with little
help to President Roosevelt and
the national ticket, and carried
the State while Mr. Roosevelt lost
it. It was only at the eleventh
hour that he raised a hand finally
in 1948 for Harry Truman, who
seemed to have no chance. The
President barely scraped through
in Ohio, thanks to the farm vote
while Gov. Lausche won by 221,
000.
There may be some clue in the
report that the Ohio Governor
feels that a conservative reaction
is setting in, since he has been a
good weather prophet before. Per
haps the most important thing
out of this Ohio episode is infor
mation for the dopesters that it’s
best to string along with Sena
tor Taft in Ohio and take the cue
for other hot spots, from that.
McLemore—
Shine Boys in Damascus
Are Best in World
By Henry McLemere
DAMASCUS. Syria.—Incidental
intelligence about Damascus: My
favorite businessmen here are the
shoe shine boys, of which there
were some 25.
000 at the last
unofficial ac
count. They not
only give you
the best shine
in the world:
they do it for
less money and
with the most
e x p e nsive
equipment to be
found any -
i where. Their
jshoe shine
boxes are made
of hand-ham
mered brass, as are the contain
ers for the various fluids and
pastes with which they anoint
your shoes. A similar box in the
United States, if it were avail
able, would cost close to a hun
dred dollars, yet a shine costs
I about three cents in American
money.
What puzzles me is how a shoe
shine boy ever accumulates
enough money to become a shoe
shine boy. Are they the sons
i of wealthy parents? Does the
| government advance funds to
; youngsters who show talent with
the brush, rag and shoe paste?
Or is there a foundation, pat
terned along the lines of the
Rockefeller Foundation, which
gives aid to Damascenes who
show unusual talent for making
a shoe, even the oldest one,
shine like a bride’s eyes as she
walks down the aisle?
Any reader who can enlighten
me would do me a favor by cabling
me in care of the Semiramis Hotel,
Cairo, where I'll be when this
reaches print.
Call Insurance Man.
Before visiting Damascus be
sure to call your favorite insur
ance salesman and take out a:
sizable policy protecting you
against being run over by a don
key. Donkeys have the right of
way here, just as they have had
since time immemorial, and there
are enough of them to control
completely the right of way. I;
neglected to take out such a
policy with my favorite insurance
salesman. Miss Carrie Freeman.
Daytona Beach. Fla., and as a
result I am going to be out a
few hundred dollars.
Donkeys are little, yes. but they {
are persistent, and when one
sticks his muzsle in your ribs and
keeps pushing, it is part of you
that yields, not the donkey's nose
Donkeys are not equipped with
horns or sirens, either, so they
sneak up on you. But one can
hardly complain. The donkeys
have been here centuries and cen
turies before the first American
visitor arrived, so they have a
sounder claim to the streets of
Damascus.
If you are a visitor, and want to
start the day wrong, buy yourself
a drink from the cold-drink ven
dors who wander the streets of
Damascus. The drink, usually
bright red in color, is carried in a
big glass jug. surmounted by a
vast amount of silver work, nearly
always in the shape of a sailing
ship.
The vendor attracts attention
by beating two silver bowls to
gether, and serves the drink in
glasses. He cleans the glasses by
pouring in four drops of water,
no more, swirling the drops
a-round. and emptying them on
the street. As magic a user of
words as I am. I am unable to
describe the taste of the drink
It is my guess, however, that it is
compounded by mixing the tears
of a heartbroken donkey with
equal parts of water from a bird
bath frequented by young owls
and water from the Red Sea at
low tide.
Be Careful of Potion.
One glass of this mixture
(of which the Damascenes partake
with great relish) is guaranteed
to make the average American
drop to his knees and ask forgive
ness for anything bad he has
done during his lifetime. Two
glasses and it is too late to do
anything. Three glasses and the
next thing that happens is a wire
to his next of kin.
Damascus is one of the few
places I know in the Near or Far
East where you can send out
something to be dry cleaned with
the assurance that it will be dry
cleaned, not washed. Laundry is
fast and superb.
The best night club in town is
the Black Cat. It advertises as
the only club in the world with
22 acts and no cover charge. The
ad is true, and the blessed thing
is that the 22 acts require just 22
minutes. Most of the acts are of
the type which is known as (this
being a column for family news
papers* abdominal dancers.
The most popular hangout in
town is Freddie’s. Freddie is a
transplanted American, and what
you won't meet in his saloon has
yet to be met. Note to Time
Magazine: Please send Freddie a
fresh clipping of the story in
which his place is mentioned He
has just about worn out the one
he has showing it to all new
comers.
Brother Crosby and Miss Grab!*
are the Americans Damascus
would like most to see
That's all for the moment.
Meet you at Freddie's
(Distributed by McNauaht Syndicate Inc *
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