The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-06-09
ToU s WAR MINIoNS, HITLER IS A
PIKER!
(Bv BRUCE CATTON)

II is about time that someone IN autnOr-
itv showed the United States War Depart
ment lust what kind of country this is and
lust who is boss in it.
The War Department, which IS supposed
70 be the strong arm that protects the re-
nubIic. is now disclosed to have prepared
the blueprints for dictatorship IN this
country: dictatorship as ruthless and OPP
pressive as any of the overseas Varletles.
This sounds almost Incredible. The truth
of il is revealed in the series OF ollls report
edly prepared by the War Department TO
he introduced and rushed through Con-
gress upon the outbreak of hostllltles. All
these bills, however, have been introduced
bv Senator Bennett Clark (Mo) OF the
Senate munitions committee. Clark has no
desire that these bills be passed. He mere
" wants Congress and the country to know
what the War Department has in store Tor
US.
These bills would provide that in time
of war the entire country would go under
absolute military control The president
would declare an emergency and, as COM
mander-in-chief of the armed forces, would
instantly take over the whole country.
The press would go under censorship.
An men over Is would be drafted. The
right of habeas corpus and the right to
Jury trial would be suspended. The presi-
dent could seize any property that he saw
fit, at any price he chose. The manufac-
tufe, sale, transportation, and distribution
ofsan foodstuffs and commodities would be
licensed. pie. ..' ..- .. ....
lIf you have caught your breath after
reading that amazing outline, you are IN
vited to realize that these powers would
exist for six months after the president de-
clared the emergency at an end-and. ne
need not even issue that declaration unit
he felt like it.
That our War Department should spon
sor bill so completely in violation OF every
tradition of American freedom is almos
unbelievable. .s' 49,
Think, for a minute, what its conse
quences would be. ..-.. -.
Every bit, of property in the United
States could be confscated for any piir
pose the president might think good: Ever
working man in the country could be com
PEELED to work any number OF hours, uf
der any conditions, at any wage, IN an
factory, that the president might decide.
ANY man who baked at any of thes
provisions would be tried-not by CIV
cdart, but by an army court-martiai.s
Neither Hitler nor Mussohni ever though
of anything more drastic than that. '".
1T may possibly be, as the War Depar
ment claims, that reorganization OF tn
kind is essential to winning war. Ii ths
isdhe case, it is up to this country to adoI
the most uncompromising kind of paeitisn
for there is no conflict on the horizon tn
winning of which would be worth whs
this War Department plan would cost.
But it is far more likely that some mil
taristic functionaries have simply gor
slightly screwy. . ... -.,.s o..
The best thing Congress can do is to tai
upthese bills, debate them, vote them dow
Overwhelmingly and demonstrate that Il
people of this country just aren't havir
any. After such demonstration, the mi
tarists might have difficulty in jammir
them through upon the outbreak of war 4
any event, the nation will be we'll warne
The War Department might as We
know right now that the American Peep
don't want dictatorship at any price.
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