The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-06-02


What aroused
this chaps ire was published re-
mark of mine to the effect that we
wouldn't be attacking the Ger
mans by sending armed escorts to
protect shipments Of our stuff Brit
ainward. NY reasoning was that
our escort craft wouldn't initiate
any trouble All they'd do would be
to resist II THEY were attacked,
and 1t pretty generally is agreed
that we're entitled to defend our
selves. Even our most ardent iso-
iationists take that position Es-
corting our shipments might GET
us attacked. but II doesn't seem TO
me that we'd be doing the attack
Ing.
know what my angry corre-
spondent means. though. His thesis
is that a lot OF decrepit old coots
in congress. in parliament or in
some other legislative body start
wars. which they're too venerable
to take an active part in. and then
put it up to the younger generation
to do the actual scrapping, bleed.
ing and dying on the battlefield,
afioat or in the atmosphere.
It's a charge I've heard made be-
fore. Perhaps it's been true some OF
the time.
But take a look at our most
strenuous anti-war alignment on
Capitol Hill at present. Or. rather,
take a look at 'em in the senate.
The Representatives are a bit too
numerous to analyze.
Clear Of Draft Age
Those senatorial isolationists
could perfectly well afford to be in
terventionists, so far as they them
selves are concerned. There isn't
one Of 'em Of draft age. or ever
likely to be, no matter how high
the maximum age limit may be
lifted No. they're isolationistic. not
on their own account, but on ac-
count Of their children and grand
children and few great-grand.
children,
l.senator Robert NJ. .LaFollette is
the baby Of the group He's 46.
Next to the youngest is Senator
Gerald P. Nye, author OF the neu-
trality act. at 40. Senator Burton
X. Wheeler is leader Of the isola-
ton element. He's 59-no spring
chicken. Senator Robert A. Taft Is
comparatively juvenile-52. Sena-
tor Bennett Champ Clark's a year
younger. Senators Robert r. Rey-
nolds and Arthur H. Vandenberg
1.-THE formers the new chairman OF
the military affairs committee) are
81 each. Senator David I. Walsh,
naval affairs committee chairman,
is SO. Senator Henrik Shipstead, at
so. is relatively infantile. Senator
Arthur Cappers an outright Quak-
err. He's rs. Senator Hiram w.
Johnson, as isolauonistic as they
make 'en1, is rs. Senator William J.
Bulow's u.
Senator George W. Norris Is the
only surviving solon who voted
against our entrance into the last
World war This time he did vote
for lease-lending, but hes anti-con-
voys. The old Nebraskan is so.
So my correspondent doesn't Of
fer a very strong argument in sup
port OF his contention that "the
blankety-blank-b blank old guys" are
the ones who involve us in wars,
because they know "blankety-blank
well" that they won't have to do the
hghting-that that part Of 1t viii
be put up to HIS generation.
It's highly improbable that the
maximum draft age ever will be
boosted above 40. but, II 1t should
reach that figure. it wouldn't miss
Senator Claude Pepper by much.
He's only Al. At least he's young
enough not to have outgrown a fell
low feeling for the lads who ARE
caught by consumption. But
Claudes as bellicose an individual
as there Is In his house of congress.
Senator Josh Lee, another strong
interventionist, is only eight years
Claude's senior.
Youngsters Are scrappy
In short. II the United States
senate's any criterion, all indica.
tons are that the younglings are
the scrappy bunch; that the old
sters have had enough experience
to keep out Of hostilities II they
possibly can manage II.
Furthermore. it's traditional that