The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-06-13
! COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS

tional defense, more and more voices
are pointing out today, even amid the
clamor for rearmament. While hearth
ly supporting the emergency national
defense program, organized labor has
steadfastly pointed out that improve
ment of domestic economic conditions
is a line of defense that can't be ne
elected without danger.
All during the depression, labor
strongly emphasized good housing as
bulwark of recovery and national Sc
curity and supported the slum-clear-
ance and low-rent housing program of
the United States Housing Authority
since it's creation two and half years
ago.
The part of the USHA in national
defense was recently clearly set forth
by the authority's administrator, Ma
than Straus. What he said is of
especial interest when the question of
national defense is so much to the
fore.
Answering the question, does the
USHA program aid national defense,
Administrator Strauss told an audi
ence at Utica, N. Y, gathered at ded-
ication exercise for a USHA-aided
low-rent housing project:
"People constitute the very basis of
national defense. The mechanical en-
gines of war can serve no purpose un-
less they are backed by men and wom-
en- determined to protect their homes
and able, because of strong bodies and
sound minds, effectively to carry out
that determination.
"We need factories to build ma
chimes of defense. We need good homes
to build human beings, sound in char
acter and strong in body. They are
the first line and the last line of the
defense of the nation.
"There is no need in Europe of a
miracle, a magic bullet to end the war.
In America, we have forged a magic
bullet that is winning another war. 1t
is the war against the slums and the
magic bullet is the USHA."
Approximately 100000 Danish-born
Americans and some 100000 Ameri-
cans of Danish parentage who live in
the United States are deeply con-
cerned over the plight of democratic
Denmark. The American friends of
Danish Freedom and Democracy, with
headquarters at 420 Lexington Avenue,
in New York City, has become focal
point for expression of friendship
toward the Danish cause.
Denmark is the only nation outside
of the United States where the Fourth
of July is celebrated each year. The
ceremony takes place in Rebild Ma
tiOnal Park, which was donated to
Denmark % years ago by Danish sons
and daughters in the United States.
The reason for such gift can be un-
derstood when it is known that nine
out of ten emigrating Danes have be-
come Americans.
X X X
Thousands of Danes have come to
America since the middle of the last
century,. Most of them have become
industrious farmers in the Middle
west. Many have become educators,
and large number have adopted
skilled trades, arts and crafts, and
still others are sailors. Large num-
bers have made their homes in Illi-
nOis,.. Wisconsin,. Minnesota. Iowa,
Nebraska, New York, and California.
Their culture has enriched the COM
l. InI
Some, like Jacob Riis, the humani-
tartan; Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor
and Niels Poulsen, philanthropist, have
become well-knOwn for their achieve
ments in art, science, and education.
But the greatest number of all these
useful citizens have quietly carried on
the traditionale freedom and cultur
which is now endangered by Nazi rule
in Denmark.