The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1941-05-30
FEAT u RES
The Safety OF the Nation
(Bv Emmett J. Scott


was threatened by the Civil War Of
l861-'65
Despite this fact, for it is fact there
continues considerable division and dis
unity and doubt between persons Of out
standing official. public and private i'm
portance. each it may be said, conscien-
tiously and honestly expressing his or
her views with respect to the problems
involved IN the program Of emergency
preparedness now underway.
The people of the country are con-
fused and timorous, and, in large meas
ure beweidered by the perplexities Of
passin" events
Aside from problems Of national pol
icy, the situation is also being disturbed
BY crippling blows and suspicious sabo-
tage, thereby interfering with maximum
production Of the essentials for its own
defense and for aid to Britain.
Perilous Times Ahead.
The Congress of the United States,
the President and the American Public
are committed 10 the policy OF providing
arms and food for use by Britain, now
hardpressed on all its fronts and also
to providing the implements and advices
needed by the nearly 100000 men now
being trained. and to be trained, in Amer
lean camps and cantonements to consti-
tute our own active military defense
group.
These tremendous industrial efforts
Indicate that perilous times are ahead.
They definitely call for an affirmative
sense Of public responsibility. duty. and
sacrifice on the part Of all Of us.
That this affirmative sense Of respon-
sbilitv is not being Loyalty accepted N
many quarters is indicated by "a contin-
aing strikes They constitute 4 major
handicap to defense production.
The public press has emphasized a
fact as patent as daylight itself: that
goods intended for England and for our
own defense are being sunk not only by
Germans. but also by Americans-by
reckless strikes and sabatoge during this
national emergency.
Tragic Losses in Production.
The Labor Consutant of the War De-
altment has pointed out, after referring
To the man-days lost this year through
stoppages in plants producing for de-
Tense. that: in precisely the proper spot,
these man-days could have produced
armed light tanks 200 Curtis-Wright
5000, 50-caliber machine guns; 500, rs
milhmeter gun carriages, and 10000 anti
aircraft shells. The April coal strike,
he declares, reduced steel PREDICTION by
an estimated $4,000 tons Of ingots- IS
enough to build II battleships, Of 5000
medium tanks.
A time For Sober Reflection.
Such facts as these call for sober re-
t16 hn ait ~
squarely. But what is being done about
it, Not much Meanwhile the safety of
the nation is at stake, The prestige of
Government itself is involved.
The Baltimore Sun, Influential Dem
ocratic newspaper, calls on President
Roosevelt ITO assume publicly the full
responsibility for the moral leadership
of all the elements not Loyalty cooperat-
ing, and declares that such action
would make a very large contribution
to the safety of this nation.
The brightest spot in all this confu-
sion is probably a Detroit frm-The Cur
rier Lumber Company. The employees
Of this concern individually paid for q
page advertisement in Detroit news
paper to declare, among other things
that: the American workman is blessed
above all workers of the world that, il
needing the request of the President t
meet housing shortages as a part of tn
defense program they are performing
patriotic duty: that, they are trying will
every ounce of their energies and as
patriotic duty. to carry on a big and i'm
portant task; and that they wish to b
left free TO work in peace with their en-
ployers without the intervention of agi
tatars and trouble akers
Dehes Color Prejudice
Following the page advertisement 0
the Currier Lumber Company employee
: the Company also paid for a page advel
tisement The most important state
ment contained therein is the following
"No determination has ever bee
:, made against workman in this plant o
: account of race, creed, color. OF afF'is
tion with any legal group. No such di
elimination will ever be made
) II only this spirit Of cooperate
: could be multiplied throughout the il
/ dustries engaged in the production {
1 implements for defense, a better spir
] Of unity and goodwill would prevail
and the situation now rapidly mountin
7 "A nr,1c;nl and n,.fico1 =, ri, q -.