The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-11-13
THROUGH
Fl A z E [
Y

of the Jackson Daily News, chides
US thus in his editorial column Mon
day:
'Fie, fie, for you, Hazel Bran
non, h~azel-eyed editor Of the Du-
rant News, who has just earned for
herself the unenviable distinction of
being the only Mississippi editor to
praise Senator Bilbo for his declara-
ton against repeal of the neutrality
law. 1t is such unusual company for
Hazel to be keeping, even If she is
an isolationist.'
Dear Major: We are not keeping
company" with Senator Bilbo or any
other politician. Personally we feel
that what the country needs is few
er politicians and less politics from
the President on down.
But we want to always give the
devil mis- due. That goes for Sena-
tor Bilbo, too. When he speaks our
own sentiments we are for him just
as we would be any other man in
Congress, who thinks as we do.
We are neither "for" or against"
any office-holder that ever made
enough promises to get elected. But
W e subscribe intellectually to
Senator Rilbo's statement when he
said; personally, /, for one, am
ready at this time to say to hell
with these Americans who want to
sing johnny get your gun when
there aren't even enough guns to
go around"
Senator Bilbo knows, and you
know, Major, that this country is
woefully u%nprepared to wage war as
it is waged in the present conflict.
He knows that it is mass murder
for an American Congress to send
unframed sailors and soldiers across
the waters. He knows it would be
suicide to try to land an American
Expeditionary force on the continent
Of Europe.
You know that, too, Major. You
know, too, that if and when the
American Congress repeats the mea-
sure restricting American vessels
from delivering to the shores of
warning nations our supplies which
we are lending-leasing to them that
we will be Immediately plunged into
unrestricted naval and air warfare
that will ultimately lead to another
AEF and sooner than we have
a trained AEF to send.
Already American sailors have lost
their lives because they were sen to
sea in a destroyer that was so old
it could be shot through with a
rifle. Had they a more modern ship
they might have had a chance to get
back to port.
A congress who will plunge this
nation unprepared into the present
raging conflict is as guilty of mur
der as if it had taken a gun and
lined the youth of the country up
60 a wall to be shot.
We need clear thinking in Con-
gress now as never before. Clear
thinking calls for staying out of any
and all var until we are equipped
to win. Any congressman voting for
measures that will involve US sooner
than we are prepared is a traitor to
the country he is supposed to pro-
tect.
900
All Durant is delighted that the
Rev. +. S. Lewis has been returned to
his p~astorate here by the Methodist
conference.
We know there has never been a
finer christian gentleman that Bro
Their Lewis and he has the genuine
love and respect of all denomina-
tons in this city.
May his influence here continue
to grow and multiply in future years
as its has in the past
-oOo-
There are many Of boys who
will be away from home this Christ
mas in the armed forces of our coun-
try. Many are in the army. Some are
in the Navy and Air Corps and 9th
ers in the Marines.
Love of home and family is in
herent in every mans heart and the
poorest Christmas is a happy one if
spent with friends and loved ones. On
the other hand the most bountiful
presents do not make up for being
away from home.
There are many boys in the armed
forces of our country today who are
destined to die perhaps tomorrow
that we may continue to enjoy our
free and easy way of living. The
least we can do in return is every
thing possible to let them know we
appreciate the sacrifice that they a
lone, to date, have made in pre-
pairing this country for war.
So when you are planning your
Christmas gifts allow something for
those boys away from home in camp
if it is only a friendly Christ
mas letter or greeting or a package
of cigarettes. 1t is not so much the
gift as it is the spirit that matters.
The boys in service aren't sissies
who have to be pampered but