Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-12-19
i Might Be
|Wrong--BUT|
by p. G. Strombers

this column last week, a feeling
Of security had gradually dis
PEELED the panicky fear of last
summer. William S. Knudsen,
member of the National
Defense Commission, comes forth
with the statement that we are
tagging behind in our prepared
ness program. Our inability to
"get going" Mr.. Knudsen attrib
utes to too much pickering and
false idea that our defenses are
moving forward according to
schedule.
@Our hoped for production
figures for January, 1941, have
been scaled down thirty per
cent" he said. "Speed and more
speed must be the constant aim"
In his speech before the Ma
tional Association of Manufac-
turers, the former head of
General Motors admonished his
hearers to "talk to your men.
Make them feel that it is their
responsibility as we'll as yours.
Ask them what they think of
civilization that drives women
and children to live in cold, wet
holes in the ground. We have
gone back thousand years in
the last year. Why? Because
few individuals decide the ac-
tions of totalitarian nations and
democracy is fighting for its life.
Let us work and work harder
SO that the possibility of such
barbarism spreading to our
shores win be an impossibility
forever"
He pointed out that the public
is sold on the defense program
and that We should aim to get
production on a war basis.
Mr.. Knudsen's words should
ring through the country. THE
P U BLIC Is SOLD ON
ID E F E N S E and will hold to
a strict accountability those in
authority whose every energy
should be devoted to top produc-
ton results with proper coordi-
nation. There is and can be no
excuse for Government officials,
big business executives and labor
leaders if they fail to do their
part regardless of financial,
social or political considerations.
The one unfortunate fact about
our people is that they have
lived so long in absolute security
that they are either apathetic or
too confident that all is well.
They fail to realize that high
sounding speeches will not stop
bombers and tanks. We need a
responsive and enlightened public
opinion which will encourage
patriots to greater effort through
love of country and, through
fear, force the best from those
who might place personal gains
first ADD country secono.
We have no time to lose on
"appeasement" of any group =
nor should we have the patience
to endure it. If there be a man
in an important position so de-
void of patriotism or apprecia-
ton of the immensity of the
problems facing US today, he
should be relegated to the rear
rank of labor detail in one of
the environments.
Even though we escape the
necessity of going into the war
it is still fact that future years
viii burden us with a different
view Of life as consequence of
the war. Is it conceivable that
any sane person can fail to
realize the danger to which our
way of living is exposed? Is it
conceivable that, with the sad
and disastrous fate of France as
an example, history will record
that the United States, the rich.
est and finest governed country
of all time, fell because her peo-
pie failed to recognize danger
from destructive monster?
With the undisputed facts re-
garding the treatment Of both
canftaI and labor in EuroDe it