The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-02-22

In these blustery winter days
when ice and snow is the plague
of pedestrian and driver. we, can
scratch the surface of official
Washington and begin to realize
the importance of Cordell Hull,
our secretary of state. Silk-hat-
ted diplomats, others of the more
democratic nations in their dark
business suits, attaches and sec
retaEies hasten to the State De-
partfnent to secure the attitude of
the American government on the
latest development. The man, in
the street is silent, but he knows
history is being written. He won
ders too will his country be fight
ing to once more preserve the
prestige of European democra-
cries. even though it is hardly
Democracy in the light of Amer
lean thinking.
It is not difficult to locate the
pulSating energies of intrigues
and alignments. Ambassadors
and ministers are spoken of as
persons with a wide and warm
circle of friends and sympathies
for the plight of the invaded coun-
tries are quite frankly spoken.
On every lip of free loving Amer
leans are the words, Brave Fin
land, God give her victory.
Father Walsh, whose civic in
terests are wide, sponsored the
premier of Gone With The
Wind, and every seat in the
house was sold, netting almost
fourteen thousand dollars for the
Finnish Relief Fund. Only two
seats were vacant, Senator and
Mrs. BOrah-and only because
death had claimed the veteran
member of Congress who was
fearless of the tongue-lashing of
others.
Barely two weeks ago the pre-
mier of ABE Lincoln in Him
ois'' attracted every dignitary in
the. capitol The weather was
bitterly Ccld-but l witnessed a
spectacle that turned me hot and
cold inside. A line of picketS pa
raded ceaselessly before the thea
ter to mar a brilliant occasion.
Keith's theatre is directly across
from the Treasury. In that line
Negro men and white women
marched. 1t made many south
erners wonder or be thankful
that south of Washington things
are different. One bearer had a
placard with the caption de
mocracy Is A Show.
Society reporters interviewed
the great and near-great, but the
person who caused the police to
sweat when the throngs broke
through and crowded for a
glimpse of our beloved First
Lady" l have seen Mrs. Roose-
welt before. but never did she
look more lovely. The picketers
pushed and showed to get as near
as possible and on either side of
the approach they were lined,
holding their placards like great
fans. l was about eight feet
away Amid this fanfare and
blaze of lights, Mrs. Roosevelt's
face shone with its smile of well
come, and then she noticed the
pickets ard became serious as
she said. 1T is a shame to picket
a fine show such as this and I am
sorry that must pass through
a picket line.
Indeed. she was not the only
person present who was sorry
Many lips muttered things which
remained better unSaid and fists
clenched tighter as finger nails
dug deeper into their palms. The
American public pays little at,
tention to these activities, but it
is a sign of growing unrest among
the undesirable element and the
disgust NAV develop into con-
certed action which might in the
end undermine Democracy.
Washington political circles
buzz with political activity but
the vast army of government en-
ployes will say less than they
have ever said before. The Hatch
Bill practically takes away a
persons breath and leaves him
wondering if it is a democratic
instrument in a democracy. From
now on before any comment is
made the government employee
had best make certain there are
no dictaphoneS or unfriendly ears
about when he wants to criticize
some politician or party Many
features Of the bill are excellent
but it imposes a most un-demo-
cratic censorship on almost a
million Americans of above aver
age intelligence. In recent years
many reforms have been Secur-
ed by organized labor and this