"But Who Has Won?"

It was indeed a queer-looking party that assembled on the bank--the birds with bedraggled feathers, the animals with their fur clinging close to them and all dripping wet, cross and uncomfortable. [They had all fallen into the pool of tears which Alice had wept when she was nine feet tall.] The first question, of course, was how to get dry. . .

Said the Dodo: "The best thing would be a Caucus-race."

"What is a Caucus-race?" said Alice.

"Why" said the Dodo, "the best way to explain it is to do it." It marked out a race course in a sort of circle, and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there. There was no "One, two, three and away," but they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However, the Dodo suddenly called out, "The race is over!" and they all crowded around it, panting, and asking: "But who has won?"

Everyone felt uncomfortable after the war, and thoroughly soaked in Government control. Steelworkers, autoworkers, other workers struck. They wanted higher wages. Management said crossly that it could not pay higher wages--unless the Government let prices rise. Production came to a virtual standstill.

Mr. Truman stood somewhat helplessly in the middle.

Week after week Price Boss Chester Bowles (hold-the-line) and Reconversion Director John Snyder (let-it-rip) raced around wildly, along with their disciples, until last week Mr. Truman announced that the race--he hoped--was over. It was ended by a new wage-price policy, which the President admitted was a "bulge" in Bowles's line. (Others thought it was a complete withdrawal to a new position.) Chief points:

P: Wage boosts will be permitted under various circumstances--as long as the Office of Economic Stabilization approves. (Only an unimaginative labor leader would not be able to find a circumstance to fit his case.)

P: Prices would be lifted if it could be shown that they were not high enough to "assure profitable operation" at high volume. OPA would make the adjustments, but the OES would also have to approve.

P:All decisions would be subject to review by the Office of War Mobilization & Reconversion.

Admittedly this was not the best of all possible solutions. Success of the formula would depend on the agencies' ability to handle their herculean assignment--and on the Solomonic wisdom of the heads of OES, OPA and OWMR. These were the very men who so lately had been quarreling with each other.

Chester Bowles would be promoted to boss of OES, replacing Judge John Caskie Collet, an innocent bystander. Said Henry Wallace, who believes in tight Government control: "Plain people all over America are cheering Chester Bowles. Chester, I salute you!" But Mr. Truman said firmly that his old crony John Snyder would still be head of OWMR--and thus sitting over Chester Bowles. Paul Porter, who has been chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, would take over OPA.

Who won?

The Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought. At last it said: "Everybody has won, and all must have prizes." The whole party at once crowded around Alice, calling out in a confused way: "Prizes, prizes!" She pulled out a box of comfits and handed them round.

"But she must have a prize herself, you know," said the Mouse. Then the Dodo solemnly presented Alice's own thimble. They all cheered.

Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh. She simply bowed and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could.

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