Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-29
Cen. johnson
Uph old
'Copperhead'
Sees Move TO Have
Indy Labeled traitor
(Ths opinions expressed by
General Johnson are his oWn
and not necessarily those of The
Detroit Times.)
BY HUGH =. JOHNSON


BY HUGH =. JOHNSON
WASHINGTON, April 29.-As
" has been frequently pointed
out here and elsewhere, this
column does not agree with
many of the extreme views of
Colonel Lindbergh but ii re-
spects his courage, his cincerity
and his right TO express his
opinion.
To compare him With ex-Con-
ssman Vallandigham of
Ohio, who. during the Civil War.
was tried not by a jury but by
a military commission and sem
fenced to imprisonmcnt-later
committed TO Punishment, can
have only one purpose TO invoke
upon him the epithet Copper
head or war traitor"
Vallandigham was thus as
sailed while this country was
openly at war. a very promi-
nent man, he continued TO eX-
press views against civil war and
for states rights that he had in
sisted upon in his newspaper
from 18i7 and in Congress from
1858 to 1863.
GAYS the Encyclopedia Britain
~ MICA: In 1863 he made vio-
lent speeches in Ohio against
the administration. and for these
he was arrested by the military
authorities and tried by a mill
tary commission he was
fanatically devoted 10 the Con-
stitution as he understood that
document. and has course during
The H-ais- was not rs ms puCU1IcS
asserted. TRYING To aid the Con-
icderateS-hut merely Dc SirouS of
restoring the union as il was. -
Once We are engaged in war
there are few who viii argue for
eny rights 10 engage IN or
gained efforts TO obStruct its
conduct. Before we are so en-
gagged. il man must be
damned by implication with the
name "Copperhead' by so high
an authority As the President
for merely arguing against all
out war. free speech Is gone
and democracy Is already in the
discard.
Our people Overwhelmingly
don't want TO 90 10 bloody war.
Our President has assured them
that they shall not go 70 bloody
war unless attacked Why then
should A man who argues against
going TO bloody war be labeled.
by indirection. "Copperhead' by
the President for arguing
against bloody war?
Mr.. ROO WELT S i'm
vi patience Is clearly. in this
case. against any opposition 10 his
views. It must nc 50 since t1rTe
has been little Of an" opposition
TO his actual course of action
But If views and opinions cant
be criticized and opposed wc are
already in a heck of a fix.
Colonel Lindbergh. a nation
ally acclaimed hero first lrkcd
tho ire Of this administration
when as a specialist. he opposed
the use OF unframed army avia-
tors in flying the mails. He
was so clearly right and his
opposition so clearly wrong that
after several unnecessary deaths
the futile and CHASTITY expert
ment was abandoned.
He was again smeared and
Sneered at when he reported
the growing strength of German
air power and the inadequacy
of Russian. British and Ameri-
can power No argument is
needed to prove how right he
was.
In the broader phases of mill
tary strategy. loglStlcS and eco
Monies many OF US arc not so
apt TO be swayed by his argu-
mentS as We are in the field OF
aeronauticS. but that doesn't
mean that an answer TO him in
the broader field is TO question
his patriotism and LOYALTY by
calling him damaging names.
THE trouble with the America
First Committee Is that, be-
cause our hinCinC all that We
have and are with too little
consideration. into bloody war
happens TO be diStaStoful also 10
Nazis. FaScistS and Communists.
its speakers and meetings are
too enthusiastically claqued by
some of our worst and most
dangerous elements.
That is not the fault OF
earnest Americans like Wood
or Lindbergh who are not pro-
NaZi. pro Fascist. pro Com
muniSt or pro-anything except
pro-American.
A great man and leader like
the President stoops too low
from the great station awarded
him by all the people when,
through petulant Impotence of
any contrary expression, he