Sober Second Thoughts

by Paul B. McKee, Chairman, R.I. Committee on Participation of Rotarians in the Postwar World

The other day a friend of mine
remarked, “These are times when
almost anything could happen.”
These are certainly times when the
businessman—be his enterprise big
or little—is hoping and praying that
a number of things will happen so
that he can see his way clear to
carry a full employment roll and
continue his service to the public.

If anyone is inclined to shrug his
shoulders and say that everything
will be all right, or let somebody
else worry about the basis on which
we are going to do business follow-
ing the war, let him read the fol-
lowing editorial reprinted here by
special permission of The Saturday
Evening Post:

Right in the middle of an enthusiastic
outburst in favor of something or other,
have you ever felt that gnawing way
down in your soul producing the suspi-
cion that you may be just talking through
your hat? Well, every now and then,
editors feel that way, and being un-
usually candid in this business, we hereby
take our readers into our confidence and

expose a few sober second thoughts that

are driving us crazy.

For example, it sometimes occurs to us
that people may be worrying too much
about the horrors of peace. Some of us
talk as if it were necessary to expect a
grim day when nobody will have a job
and every shortcoming would be excused
by the reminder, “Don’t you know there’s
a peace going on?” There may be no harm

in suggesting that, when the war is over,
there will be instant demand for quite a
lot of people to do the thousand and one
things that are only half done now—
repair the radio, put in that extra bath-
room, work in laundries, read meters,
deliver milk, fix “flats,” survey building
lots, repair typewriters.

Another suspicion that haunts us is the
possibility that, when we cut loose at
Congress for refusing to close the “in-
flationary gap” of consumer purchasing
power, we may be leaving out another
inflationary gap which is even more con-
tributory to inflation—namely, unbridled
Government spending power. The Re-
publican members of the House Ways and
Means Committee made a fair case for the
proposition that it does little good to take
money away from the public by income
tax if ten times as much money is to be

shoveled into circulation through un- .

necessary spending.

Thirdly, as the Calvanist preachers used
to set it up, we are often a little worried
by the talk about how, come peace, the
free-enterprise system is going to have
one more chance to produce “full em-
ployment.” If it doesn’t come through,
then Harry Hopkins and the deluge. Our
feeling of discomfiture is caused by the
obvious fact that free enterprise can
hardly operate at the point of a shotgun.
It has to have a chance to move around
a little. If, at the first sign of a tailing
off from the present orgy, the bureaucrats
ery triumphantly, “There, we told you!
The index numbers are off two points
already,” then the customers will have

to decide between freedom and “full em-

ployment” at made work. The present.

propaganda is not calculated to suggest
patience as a factor in making the de-
cision.

On the other hand, we are a little ner-
vous when we hear some business leaders
sound off on free enterprise without ex-
plaining that they will have to hump some
if free enterprise is not going to have a

wreath surreptitiously laid on its tomb

every ground-hog day. Free enterprise
implies, of course, a “profit economy,”
but it won’t get anywhere for long if it
does not also function as a “use economy.”
It is our belief that little will be pro-
duced for “use” unless there is plenty
of opportunity for profit. Sometimes,
though, we fear that Eric Johnston has
not convinced all his members that vice
versa is also true.

Our final doubt concerns the widespread
acceptance of collective security as our
future international policy. Too many of
the peace plans we read suggest a rigidity
which would permit too little opportunity
for the inevitable workings of change and
evolution, as if the international police
force would slap down dissenters first
and talk it over afterwards. We must not
forget that, as has been well said, “peace,
to be durable, must be endurable.” Some

. encouragement is contained in a recent

speech by Elmer Davis, who said that we
must not freeze the future international
organization into something static. We
must remember always to leave open the
possibility of change.” (Copyright 1943
by the Curtis Publishing Company.)

 

“A World to LIVE In”
on the Air

John Burton, who broadcasts for
station KNX, Hollywood Station of
the Columbia Broadcasting System,
devoted one of his recent broad-
casts to a discussion of “A World to
LIVE In,” the book published by
Rotary International consisting of
39 articles on postwar themes from
“The Rotarian.”

Mr. Burton’s broadcast centered
on the .article by Arthur Holly
Compton, Nobel Prize winner in
Physics. He says this of the book, in
general: “The material it contains
is so good, so authoritative and di-
versified that I recommend it to
everyone who is interested in estab-
lishing a peaceful and a just world
order.”

A few copies of “A World to LIVE >

In” are still available at 25c each,
six for $1.00, or 40 for $5.00. Orders
should be sent to Rotary Interna-
tional, 35 East Wacker Drive, Chi-
cago, 1, Illinois.

It ISN'T Too Early

The weather may still be wintry,
but that doesn’t mean it’s too early
to plan for Victory Gardens. Al-
though Victory Gardens were a
great success last year, the Govern-
ment is asking for even more and
even better gardens this year.

At the Regional Victory Garden
Conferences held all over the coun-
try during February, certain things
were stressed: (1) the importance
of early planning, choosing the soil,
preparing it and having good seed
ready to plant the moment weather
permits; (2) the economic value of
Victory Gardens in producing good
crops and aiding in the war effort;
(3) cooperation with other groups
sponsoring Victory Gardens so that
there will be no duplication of ef-

‘fort; (4) encouraging Victory Gar-

dens as a means of curbing juvenile
delinquency.

Keeping youngsters busy in the
garden keeps them out of mischief,

‘and the proper kind of sympathetic

backing will give them the satisfy-
ing feeling of having a part in na-
tional defense.

Training Schools for
4-H Leaders

There are 60,000 boys and girls in
Indiana actively interested in 4-H
Club work. The Rotary clubs for
several years have _ sponsored
schools for the training of adult
leaders in this work. Interest in the
project has grown steadily. Recently
three schools for training of adult
leaders were conducted at different
localities in the 154th district, and
all were well attended. Rotary clubs,
with the cooperation of local Coun-
ty Agricultural Agents, located men
and women leaders from their com-
munities, and arranged for and
financed their attendance at the
three training conferences.

The clubs feel that this activity
provides another opportunity to in-
tensify the “Food-for-Victory” pro-
gram.

You can’t spell Rotary with an
absent ‘“‘t.”
—Springfield, Illinois
Rotary Review