The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-08-16
SLOWING DOWN FOR THE
CURVES
BY J. E. Jones

Just a few weeks ago Washington
had its first serious attack of hysteria
and filters, for several years. The
war excitement was described as al
most as intense on this side of the
Atlantic as in war-stricken Europe.
A total defense" program was rush
ed through Congress with more
speed than in 1861.
If the two great national political
conventions had not interviewed the
speed at which the Government was
going might not have slowed down
for dangerous curves. Perhaps we
should be thankful to politics for
having given Washington statesmen
time to cool their heads and rest
their nerves.
The strength of Democracy is
asserting itself once again, as Is
proved by the fact that the people OF
our country show determination
to save America first, by preserv-
ing private enterprise, individual
liberty, cultural and economic rich
es, peace with progress and techni-
cal gains that have been wrung from
the closets of scientists, electrical
engineers, and from the laborator-
les of chemists.
While party politicians were
rounding the slippery curves at
Philada., and Chicago our loyal
American public took inventories of
New Deal reforms, and seriously
appraised all the existing measures
and programs that have been on trail
the last half dozen years. Should
they be carried on, or dropped as
obsolete?
The political yells from Republi-
cans and Democrats demanding
thousands of airplanes a week, and
thousands of tanks and ships, and
compulsory training of boys and men
for war, sounded rather crazy to the
rich man, poor man, beggar man,
editor, lawyer, chief, etc.
Some weeks ago Americas Air
Ace made an appeal for a definite
program for preparedness, and he
was vilified by the politicians who
proposed to do the same thing in
reverse; preparedness in a jiffy, with
out waiting for the program. Since
uhen the Government at Washing
ton has slowed down at many curves
and learned a lot of lessons from
cool Stettinius and Knudsen and
many sensible outsiders.
New plants must be built, tooling,
machinery, equipment and plans; as
we'll as skilled and trained work.
men must be brought to the job.
fine must elapse before a thous-
and planes day, or any other great
production can be expected.
Even more significant is the res
toration of commonsense, by force
of public opinion, which revives the
historic, belief that SO much haste
will spill the broth" Finally, one
may write, that the United States
and the Western Hemisphere face
no immediate dangers. The high
muck-a-mucks of our Government,
| Army and Navy know that there are
two or three years, at the least pos
sible calculations, before all these
total defense plans will be need
ed, or can be made operative; and
they also know that Nazis andsothers
will need an equally long time--after
they finish Europe, to come across
the Atlantic Ocean to wipe up the
United States. That's why there has
been a lot of slowing down at the
curves--which is a good deal safer
and more sensible than the hysteria--
Iand--chatter--ways of just a few
weeks ago.
Besides: The Nazis kind of tools
of war that we are making may be
Obsolete" by the time the Nazis
arrive on our shores. 1t is not at all
unlikely but what this devilish war
stuff will also become Obsolete"
before the United States is next.
Under all the circumstances the
American thinking people are like
ly to turn their attention to the Fall
election, and pick their party re-
calling at the time the old practise
sentence that now is the time for
all good men to come to the aid of
their party"