The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-02-06
THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF A
 CUB REPORTER

THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF "A
 CUB REPORTER
 If you don't dellounce the "ism" mobs among us, and what they are plotting against the United States you are accused of not caring about what might happen to your country If you get indignant and angry about them-you're hys- terical If you boff the Nazis you're a Communist If you attack the CommunistS-you. are charged with being in the employ of the Dies Committee .. If you criticize the Dies Con1mittee-you're un-American.
 If you don't pan the Nazis-you're a Red If you don't jab the Reds-you're a fellow traveller . If you boost the President-you are reminded of the IT million Repub- hcans who voted against him the last time If you knock the President you're an economic royal ist If you don't applaud the G-men for doing their duty you're against law and order If you applaud the G-men you're J. Ed- gar. Hoover's stooge.
 If you refuse to take 8 stand against pogrons of Jews, Catho- lies and others in Poland, Germany and Russia-you're an atheist and against religion If you oppose the barbarlsm abroad and the oppression of human rights-you are trying to get the United States into the war If you say you're a liberal-you're fence-sitter If you warn the citizens about the alien enemies among us-you're a rabble-rouser and trouble-maker But if you simply repeat column after column that you're against all the isIns except Ameri- canism-you're a professional flag waver!
 The following is from British newspaper. It is entitled Ostrich. "The United States of America IS now rapidly retreating into splendid isolation. Just how splendid iSo- lation can be only Lord Beaver brook can tell you. But the posi- tion is now, that she is determined to keep clear of the Allies. She is also dead set against Germany: and is still very sore at Japan. She disapproves of Italy, loathes Russia will not help the Scandinavian countries if and when you-know- what occurs. And she is marked y reserved and frigid in her deal- ings with those Latin- American states that have totalitarian lean- ings. The United States has only one dear friend-America. It looks like a beautiful friendship-but can it last?"
 Humbert Wolfe, the British poet, who recently died, was one of Br-- tain's institutions. His sassy poems, aimed at the big-shots there, and his mockery of the British press, IS recalled by the above comment:
 "You cannot bribe or buy or twist, Thank God! The British Journalist; But when you see what he will do Unbribed, there's no occasion to!
 An American editor has one of the most difficult jobs of them all for the strange reason that the integrity of the American press IS the highest on earth NO man qualities as an American journalist unless his North Star is the Truth
 From the Dawn of History the Friends of Truth have been called the Enemies of Man
 Every editor of any experience knows that while Truth is young 1t hss ten Enemies for every Friend And when Truth is old it is no longer news But long at- ter the facts are accepted and for gotten-the man who made them public-is remembered and hated
 Because Truth is impartial to Friend and to Foe To Minorlty and Majority-to Pride and Preju- dice But an editor finds com fort in the course which is always a straight line and along Tne Way that fears no man His only reward-is that by helping men live together-a man learns N live-with himself.
 Then there's this newSpaperman- stuff that's had all the foreign war correspondents in stitches . <. II may be apocryphal, but the staff over in the New York APEE offlce swear by it During the War saw bombardment last Fall, Lloyo Lehrbas, the APEE man there, H. nallv got a call through to Milo Thompson, the APEE foreign news manager who happened to be Ill Copenhagen After many at tempts, Lehrbas got good connec- ton Talking fast and clear Iy, he warned Thompson: Take this fast and don't interrupt. may be cut off any moment. Get down what you can!" Lehrbas then gave a running account of the bom- bardment After talking breath lessly for three minutes, Thompson broke in: "Wait a moment-tiA get a re-write man!"
 We said the other day that Melancholy Baby" was the best of the torch tunes, and we were reminded of its history even though we've recorded it before The author and composer is one of ou1 most successful songsmiths. A