The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-11-19
SUPER-MEN OR OKIES

The President has stated with con
viction and determination that we
must put an end to want and hunger
Mrs. Roosevelt has likewise as en-
phatically averred that we CAN have
a people well fed. The government
has made increased production the
keynote of the defense program with
the ultimate goal that of building a
strong nation through adequate and
abundant diets for all our people.
Various public persons and those to
whom we look for guidance in matters
Of public concern reiterate the import
ance OF food in making our nation
strong. They say again and again
that the under-fed one-haIf of US can
and shall have more and sufficient
food They say we can have it and
explain how: We must work for it."
I'VE must have this goal" every man,
every woman and every child in Amer
lea must be well-housed, well-clothed
and well-fed." They say every man
must have job, every family must
have decent standard of living.
Economic security must be assured
every American family, etc., etc.
The thing however, that seems
curious about all these loud speakers
who have suddenly awakened to the
real enemy in our midst is the fact
that no one of them has dared to
put his finger on the cause Of the
growth and development of the ever
increasing want and insecurity that
has accompanied the spectacular tech
biological progress of this country.
Perhaps it is because they do not rec
ognize the cause and like many self
de1uded people believe that all that is
necessary to transform the theology
Of the present into something more
momentous and suitable to the occa-
sion is spiritual awakening" or a
growing sense of patriotism generated
by earnest and lofty appeals. But
the world has seen many spiritual
awakenings and many a renascence of
patriotism only to sink back into
worse and more want and insecurity.
These vociferous loud speakers
either do not dare to say or do not
know, that the evil genius which has
created poverty and want is the time
honored institution of the profit sys-
tenn, honored because people have
wanted it and they have wanted it
because each secretly believed that
he could successfully compete with
his fellows and get for himself an ac-
emulation of the worlds goods and
comforts
The idea of building strong nation
through developing a strong people, a
people well-fed, secure and happy, is
the soundest thing that has come out
of the defense program. But can it
be done by appointing committees,
setting up bureaus and calling upon
the people to lay personal aims aside |
and come out for wide sweeping |
patriotism? The proof of the pudding |
is in the eating and it would seem
in particular to those who have no |
stake in the defense of the profit |
system and find their cupboards be-
coming more like Mother Hubbard's |
as the cost of living mounts-that it |
is working out in the opposite direc-
ton.
Secretary of Treasury Morgenthau
has made noble appeal to the con-
Stunning public to give it's firm support |
to the administration in the fight to
ward off initiation and warns that we
must not repeat the mistakes of the
1920s which caused such widespread
suffering. He says If the government
has the support and understanding of
the 100 million Americans we shall
not fail in defeating the bogy of infla-
ton. A very fine lingo indeed, but
never a word as to what concrete
steps the consuming public is sup
posed to take to fight this ever larger =