The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-02-23
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BRITISH TOM-TOMs

CLEVELAND, OHIO.-Here we
60 again. The U. P. quotes the
British Bishop of Ely: "Unless there
is some change in the minds of ma
tons, cannot see any hope for the
future of the world in the rest of
this century"
He is not directly quoted as to
who he thinks should repent, but
he earlier strongly limited: IF I
were a citizen of the United States
would not have an easy conscience.
Just standing aside and doing moth
ing when a great struggle for liberty
is progressing, doing nothing but
getting rich quick in the supply Of
munitions to those engaged in
slaughter would not give me an easy
conscience"
Same Old Chant.
It is a faithful reproduction of the
constantly increasing priestly mean
tations which helped push us into the
Great War of 1917. It is a form of
mediation known to our ancestors
ever since they began walking on
their hind legs-the tom-tom beating
and voo-doo death masks of the AT
rican medicine men, the mutations
to some Sitting Bull in Sioux sun
dance, and the Allah-Il-Allah of ev-
cry Arab incursion from Mohammed
to the Mad Mullah.
We seem also to be going jura-
mentado about ''leetle Finland"
and China-not so ''leetle" but plen-
ty communistic. We are going to
lend money to both knowing pretty
well that it will never be repaid and
that the Finnish loan is made as a
subterfuge. We got all heated up in
the same way about the ''leetle
Japs" in their war with Russia and
they turned around and ever since
have been kicking us in the pants
if our face was turned and stepping
on our corns if it wasn't. Then we
actually jumped and shot the works
about ''leetle Belgium"
To Hush Things Up.
These are not the only parallels.
Press reports say that our state de-
partment isn't going to write Eng
land any more tart notes about in
terfering with our rights on the high
seas, or make public the instances
in which she does interfere, but just
settle all such quietly-allee samee
Walter Hines Page, Colonel House
and Robert Lansing. Why not make
public these impertinences and our
record of protest, if any-unless Sem
ator Borah was right and the state
department is just a British en-
bassy.
No Service to u. S.
We also threaten to embargo
trade with Japan and sever diplo-
matte relations with Russia. Both
threats greatly serve Allied inter-
ests. But what American interest
do they serve? 1t is 1916 and 1917
all over again, except that we are
moving much more rapidly in the
same direction.
Another World war parallel is ap-
parent in word that the Allies are
financing extensions to powder
works for their exclusive use to
manufacture explosives and that the
aircraft manufacturing companies
will make aircraft only if the nee
essary plant expansion is paid for
by their customers and only on cost
plus contracts.
We can't blame them for that in
view of the uncertainties and threats
of initiation, but this also is an echo
of the World war and at least one
of the causes of our entry and also
of the disastrous sky-rocketing of
prices that preceded it.
Easy Conscience.
l suppose that we are such suck
ers that nothing that can be said
can save us but, to get back to the
bishop of Ely. My conscience as
citizen of the United States rests a
lot easier on our international rec
ord of the past % years than would
my conscience as a British subject
especially if I were a man of God
like the bishop of Ely.
CONVENTIONS AND LUNCHES