Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-13
PegIer Sides
With Cudahy
In Ickes Spa+
Calls Story Punk Job
Of journalism
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

dlllDdSSduoI 10 belgium, SetS
a pretty good wigging from
Harold Ickes for interviewing
Franco. Goebbels and Hitler and.
while ! am no friend or even
acquaintance of Mr.. Cudahy, /
should like 10 take his end OF the
Spat because, as ] said. way
back there during the campaign,
Mr.. lckcS IS one guy ] can lick.
Mr.. lckes was made for me.
j know his style and how 10
move inside when he starts
cranking up that Schoolyard
right OF his and walk on his
feet and rub him around the
muSh with the laceS.
Unless he insists Mr.. Cudahy
needn't bother with Mr.. IckeS.
In a way | agree with Mr..
lckes on the journalistic exploits
Of Mr.. Cudahy in the enemy
country.
He Is an amateur, and my
criticism Of his work is that it
has been Just what you could
expect from an amateur.
He wrote pretty about The
flowers and the furniture. which
would have been all right as
dressing for the piece If he had
come away with the story.
But he didn nail Hitler down.
and the result was a common
place yarn in which Hitler as
Sured the United States that he
had no intention 10 attack US
at home, and not much else.
TCKES thinks this was naive
L of Cudahy. but ] read the
piece and | didn't gather that
Cudahy believed him
Instead. | thought, he was just
passing the word along for
Americans 10 believe or not, on
the basis Of past experience
with Hitlers assurances and
declarations as compared with
his performances.
\ professional reporter would
have put more questions and
would have pressed the ques-
tons and If Hitler had thrown
him off the mountain for that.
we'll a reporters answer would
have been
81 have been thrown off better
mountains than this"
But ! notice that first the
President took a pop al Mr..
Cudahy for turning IN, 10 the
best Of has ability, job OF
journalism, and that soon after
Ickcs was turned loose on him
10 finish him or.
That makes II look as though
they have taken the attitude
that our people haven't sense
enough 10 Shrug Off liitlerS
propaganda and that a journal
iSt who lands an interview with
HIM is guilty Of something
pretty bad
That would be new wrinkle.
because our country IS not Off
cially at war with Germany and
no reporter with any sense
would turn down n chance N
interview Adolf Hitler
II Hitler tells the reporter a
lot Of lies. those are not the
reporters lies but IIitlerS.
THE reporter isn't there 70
L tell Hitler what 10 say but
10 draw hum out on important
subjects and give his answers.
which then may be debated and
picked 20 pieces by our editorial
isis and political orators at their
leisure
IckcS is a fine one 10 be talk
ing about propaganda, anyway.
When did Ickcs ever sound
off on tho iniquitieS Of the Wag-
ncr Act and tho labor policy Of
the administration Of which he
has been "A part for more than
eight years as result OF which,
and for no other reason. IT is
now necessary 10 call out the
army 10 protect American citi-
zcnS threatened by mobs OF
Communist gorlllaS?
4 ND didn't Mr. IckeS come
"a out with a proposal that A
whole colony of refugees from
Spain be imported 10 the Virgin
Islands in the zone Of our most
important defense. regardless OF
the well-knoWn fact that such
mass importation would be sure
10 include a lot OF Communists
and, probably, the regular pro-
portion of Nazl spies and Sabo-
tours
The only fault I found with
Cudahy'S story was that II was
a punk Job of journalism.
It's propaganda content imme-
diately called up the memory
of similar declarations by Hitler
in other cases and defeated it.
self, but Ickes seems TO think
the American people can't he
trusted 10 discriminate between
propaganda and news.
Well. as one who has been
making propaganda for years.
he is entitled TO an opinion on
that
Copy rieh,ed by United Features synd., Ina
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