The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-12-26

2
have an ally in France, tow out
Of the conflict.
Editor Whites recent challenger
Is Editor Verne Marshall of the
Cedar Rapids. Ia, Gazette, with
his No Foreign War Committee.
Just incorporated in the Hawkeye
state, but committed to cam
paign on a national scale.
Production Chief william $.
Knudson Of our national defense
organization also has provoked
some pretty sharp retorts by his
limitations that our industrialists
and labor don't seem to appreciate
the terrible urgency of existing
international conditions. Our big
industrialists. TO be sure. haven't
said anything particularly sassy in
reply to Chief Knudsons remarks,
but labor leaders have.
The British aid Editor White is
clamoring for is aid short Of
war"-that is. short of our partic-
ipation in il. Editor Marshall.
however. insists that Editor
Whites activities in reality are
creating lust the psychology that
led us into the last world confla-
grafton" His ideas to squirt
water upon Editor Whites flames
in order to prevent them from get
ting beyond control again, as they
did the last time.
White In 1918
Editor White, it's true, tried
hard to keep US from getting into
that war. In 1915 he published an
editorial in his Emporia Gazette
urging US, for heavens sake, to
stay neutral, as guardians Of the
sacred ark of civilization" Editor
Marshall has dug up this editorial,
and wants to know why the Kan
sans tone is so different today
Editor White says it isn't, but
Editor Marshall says it is.
The Iowa editor emphasizes
that he's all for impregnable
American defense and that he
deems American aid to Britain
desirable, but that it mustn't
drag US into war" He defies
anybody to call him and his new
committee appeasers. totalitarians
or anything but determined pro-
Americans"
Nevertheless, that's what the
White committeeman are begin
ming to call their rival committee
members, and all signs are that
the controversy will get bitterer
yet as 1t wags along.
Defense Production Chief Knud-
sons observation that industry
and labor must be sold on our
arm m mt program was the
crack that got over-heatedly I'M
der our workingmens leaders coll
lars both A F. Of LIS and
c. l. O.s. wide as their differences
may be on other subjects.
President William Green OF
A. F Of L. promptly announced
that labors been sold on defense.
all along. and that this isn't
suitable juncture for hysteria-
the impression he gives being that
the hysteria is Chief Knudsons.
President Philip Murray of c. I.
o. goes President Green one bet
ter. with his assertion that, If de-
Tense preparations are tagging, it's
due. 10 the defense commission
stupid method" of di tributing its
orders. Plainly expressed. the
commissions stupid, including
Knudson, according TO Phil Muir
ray.
Playing Politics.
There are Industrial leaders
who. without being quite as out
spoken az Phil. complain that
the commission hasn't sufficiently
spread out its acquisitions for de-
fensive supplies. Their story is
that contracts have been aliocated
on the strength Of comparatively
a few companies political pulls,
thus swapping this few with work
and creating bottlenecks.
In short, the defensive atmos-
phere in Washington is growing
decidedly III natured.
So, apparently. is the stmos-
phere out in the sticks. II Editors
White Of Kansas and Marshall Of
Iowa are representative Of it
All hands astically IN
dorsa unifv. nut various and nu-