The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-01-16
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hdtchet Out
The Truth
. WEEKS PASS AS
. WAR CLOUDS THICKEN
. NEAR THIN ICE
. SKATES WHEELER


Weeks pass, Congress changes, war
clouds thicken.
The United States, for months, ac-
tually at war with Nazi Germany and
Fascist Italy, may at any moment be
engaged in formal war-if that offers
distinction from the kind Of war IN
which we have been engaged.
Meanwhile, we have our Wheelers
and our Lindberghs-and others of the
same kind, engaged in the same kind
of effort.
1t is time to write off any progress
sive character that may have been
wrapped around Senator Burton X.
Wheeler by himself and his friends.
1t is time to get rid of ideas that
don't fit these times.
1t is time to make a map and put
marks on it to designate events and
men shaped to stall and muddle Amer
ica's straight drive ahead.
1t is time above all to NOT allow
public men to parade in garments of
other days when those garments hide
| the true character of today.
x
When Burton K Wheeler first came
| to the Senate he did so with fanfare
of pronouncement of his progressive
| character. He was FOR labor, by gosh
and by golly-and he did do lot Of
| things that merited labor's thanks, too.
But those things were the right
things and since when has any public
servant been entitled to any special
thanks for doing the right things?
That's what they're supposed to do.
So wash away any page of special
credit to Wheeler for doing some
things that We're right. They don't
cancel out line of the specious twad-
die he is peddling today.
Some day some one will rip away
great curtain from some of the rela-
tions and goings-on in Washington,
with page, line and date, and that will
be a great day, which will witness a
lot of running for cover.
But meanwhile, every man can
watch the public utterances and ac-
tions of those in Washington who are
supposed to follow the will Of the
people.
That includes Senator Burton K.
Wheeler.
X X X
There will be some who will say it
isn't nice or proper to say unkind
things about Senator Wheeler because
ever that is.
But there is something more i'm
portant today and that is to be true
representative of the United States
and defender of its peoples future
and their liberties.
The business of playing politics with
national defense and with the ques-
ton of being nice to Hitler is pretty
sorry business today. But it is being
done.
Wheeler is skating darned near the
thin ice, on the basis of his public ut
terances.
Rush Holt, too, is a sorry spectacle
as he goes home. But he will rampage
around, we may expect, using "ex-
Senator" for all it's worth.
Keep your eyes peeled for those who
monkey with "all-out" defense. Don't
let them kid anyone.
X X X
Nobody can be "friend of labor"
today unless he's first Of all friend
Of national defense, which includes all
aid to Britain.
TO try anything else is like having
some one look you kindly in the eye
while he cuts your throat.
We have had too many Estates
men" who have played verbal
''friend Of labor" while they were
doing bigger chores for other pur-
. poses. Labor has taken small
tokens in assurance of friendship.
. 1t has been gullible.
It's time now to measure men by
ALL that they do, not just by a few
votes for few measures.
Many Congressman has undone in
cloakrooms more than he has done on
the floor. It's tricky business, re-
quiring a sharply peeled eye for full
appraisal.
But the issue of defense and aid to
Britain is clear and visible and sharp.
1t affords chance for measuring.
No medals belong on the chests of
those who fail or who sabotage this
. greatest Of all issues.-CMW.