Remarks at a Meeting With the National Conference of Business Paper Editors

It's a pleasure to have you here again, and to meet you all. I have nothing particularly new to tell you, except that one thing I think you will be interested in is the setup of this new Economic Council which was authorized in what they call the full employment bill--which is rather a farfetched title for it. The Council is intended to keep us abreast of trends nationally and internationally. It is working now almost full blast, in cooperation with the Federal Budget Director, and is beginning to make some of its surveys. Its first report, in all probability, will go in with the Budget Message to Congress in January.

It will, from then on, give us a chance to look into our national resources, and our national income, and business over anticipated periods, with an idea of cushioning the situation, when necessary, by the policies of the Federal Government. We hope--before we get through--to find out just what are the total assets and liabilities of the United States as a nation.

And I think we are off to a start that will accomplish the purpose. We are trying, also, to make the Federal Trade Commission operate in the manner in which it was intended to operate when they set it up. The Federal Trade Commission, over a period of years, has been to some extent neglected. We are trying to reorganize and revitalize the Commission in such a way that it will be an asset to business. We want to help you find out what the law is, instead of having you run every time you see a Federal Trade Commissioner coming to look you over. I am talking about the business interests of the country particularly, which you represent and for which you speak.

And I don't know of anything further that--

[At this point Paul Wooton, President of the National Conference, interposed and asked if this were not the first time in all history that there had been recognition that the Federal Government had an obligation for employment.]

Well, officially, yes. I think the Employment Act of 1946 is the first legislative enactment with the idea of using the whole resources of the country to make the country run better. And of course that entails employment and everything else that goes with it. It also entails a policy that will encourage business to function efficiently, instead of having Government and business at loggerheads and fighting each other all the time.

We have Government principally to act as, say, an umpire, to see that everybody gets a square deal. That is the ideal situation sought by the Constitution of the United States, which in my opinion is the greatest document the Government has ever written. It took us about 80 years to get a good start and to make it operate, and we are still trying to make it operate efficiently. I think we are gradually approaching a situation where we shall have peace in the world, with the United Nations Organization operating on the basis of a constitution for the whole world. We are going to make atomic energy a weapon of peace. We must get that mental attitude--live and let live--love one another--but then I didn't intend to preach a sermon.

I thank you.