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Overproduce Idea Assailed By Labor Sec'y

Labor Secretary Maurice Tobin has tagged as "fantastic" any idea that there can be overproduction in excess of the world's great needs.

The United States has been able to have an expanded armament program and at the same time an adequate supply of civilian goods and it would experience no serious problem in "readjusting to the increased production of consumers goods when defense production tapers off," he said.

"We have discovered that there are always new horizons of demand." declared Mr. Tobin in his recent address before worker, employer and government delegates from 60 nations at the International Labor Conference's 35th Session in Geneva, Switzerland.

"As I said here two years ago," he told the conference, "I believe there will never again be another major depression in the United States. The free nations want to turn away from armaments and military preparedness and concentrate their energy on the great task of improving the well-being of our peoples."

Mr. Tobin declared that "The free nations are not responsible for the current emphasis on armaments. When World War II ended, they disbanded their armies, scrapped huge quantities of military equipment, set their factories to turning out the implements of peace. If the nations in the communist world had done the same, there would be no world crisis today."

Confidence in Free Men

The United States, said the labor secretary, has confidence in the power of free men to work out solutions to the grave problems ahead of all nations and to cement the foundations of world peace.

ILO's goal, he added, "enlists the full and enthusiastic support of the American people. We must support it with all the vigor and energy we possess."

Noting that ILO has been engaged in technical assistance since its beginning and that this activity has increased greatly under the technical assistance program, Secretary Tobin told the conference:

"It is noteworthy that neither the Soviet Union nor any of its satellites have contributed to these United Nations programs to aid the economically-underdeveloped nations. The fullest use of this mechanism provides the most effective means for realizing the standards which the ILO has adopted and which it may adopt in the future."