Economics And Influence

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30562, 3 October 1964, Page 4

Economics And Influence

The American Problem. By Robert G. Wesson. Abe-lard-Schuman. 288 pp. Index. Mr Wesson discusses the problems arising from the decline, in recent years, of America’s economic power, and the weakening of her political influence abroad. He quotes figures which show that while in 1945 the United States produced 59 per cent of the world’s steel, by 1961 she was producing only 21 per cent. There has been a similar sharp decline during the post-war years in iron, coal and petroleum. By contrast, the production of the Soviet Union has increased enormously, and her industry continues to expand. Mr Wesson goes on to describe the pillars on which America’s greatness, both at home and abroad, has been built—a fertile and accessible land, a temperate climate, an exceedingly rich abundance of minerals, and, apart from the brief period of civil war, an absence of serious internal dissension. A geographical expansion came to an end, however, economic growth lost momentum, so that today American shares of world production of the basic materials of iron, steel, cement and coal, stand at less than half their early post-war levels.

The position of the United

States as a world power rests in particular on her economic wealth; and Mr Wesson shows how the challenge to America's economic dominance has had repercussions in foreign affairs, notable in the field of the Cold War, where her influence has been retreating rather than gaining ground. He emphasises, however, that ultimate issues are not decided by world crises, but by domestic policy. Americas task, he believes, is to accelerate technological development to its maximum capacity and to spend a much greater portion of the national income on education. America’s failure to move forward, according to Mr Wesson, is not due to a lack of resources but to a failure to make adequate use of her facilities. On the political front, the author believes that the United States can best serve political stability and the cause of world peace, by sharing its authority with several other world powers, including possibly a unified Western Europe, though this is admittedly not a likelihood of the immediate future. A better balance of power would thus supersede the present dan-gerously-balanced system of a two-power world, and make the possibility of a nuclear conflagration less likely than it is at present. Mr Wesson does not offer any infallible solutions, but he shows effectively the dangers of complacency, and he has some sane and carefully considered suggestions for a more fruitful policy in the future.