Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-10
Roosevelt
Was Right
All Along
Proof of His Courage
Shown by Jap Raid =
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

pected most OF the INTERNAL OPP
erations of the New Deal, but
no American more admires now
the tenacious bravery of Presi-
dent Roosevelt In his war policy
than this author of many criti-
cisms of the Roosevelt admins
tration.
Long before the war began
with the sneak-punch invasion
of Catholic Poland, the Presi-
dent had made his own decision
that Adolf Hitler was deter
mined to set the German nation
loose. armed beyond the poor.
dumb power of Britain's military
men or the best of ours TO
imagine. in campaign to en-
slave Europe and conquer the
United States.
Having made up his mind on
the basis of plain evidence, Mr..
Roosevelt determined that this
country must fight for its life
against Hitler and Japan and
set about creating a war psy-
choiogy in the American people
so that we would not be caught
entirely unprepared spiritually
or entirely unarmed.
IN THE earlier phases Of his
l. preparations he fought al
most alone and il may be re-
membered that his dramatic
Chicago speech about quaran-
tine for aggressors was savagely
denounced as a deliberate at
tempt TO divert attention from
the pressing embarrassment OF
a domestic error and even 10
put us into war for some pur-
pose of his own. -
Because Hitler had identl
Jewishness with communism ~
had devised program of hide
GUS persecution OF this tiny mi
nority of the German people.
many Americans accused the
President of scheming TO sac
rifice American boys and our
whole American way of life 10
rescue and ayenge the European
Jews.
MORE lately his unfortunate
I'A suggestion [ n I religious
freedom was enjoyed in Russia.
intended undoubtedly to allay old
hatreds of the Communists in
our own midst and suspicion of
Joseph Stain for practical mill
tary results, was pounced upon
and torn 10 tatters.
But all the way from the hour
when he first realized that war
with Hitler was inevitable down
10 the moment when Hitler's
ally in the Pacific suddenly
bombed a sleeping American
city. Mr.. Roosevelt stood by his
conviction.
I~TIIE American people didn't
Il want TO believe that Hitler
was their enemy and many
prominent people with a talent
for ridicule and propaganda
played up the proposition that
we could stay out of il and trust
Hitler and the japanese.
A hundred reminders that the
choice could not be ours but
must be Hitler's. that If war
came the German nation again
would be the cause OF all Ameri-
can suffering and sacrifice, were
instantly scoffed down with
Sneers at the British and dark
insinuations about the interna-
tional Jew.
ONE newspaper of enorn
" circulation and presuff,a-
bly,, of great influence. which
had gone along with him in
every socialistic or totalitarian
proposal on the home front. std
denly turned on him on the issue
of war.
Bert Wheeler and Ham Fish
fought him down 10 the very
hour of the attack on Honolulu,
although Wheeler had been con-
tent to ignore the rise of the
unioneers and the depredations
of the brown shirts on the do
nestle scene.
All his opponents, including
the tragic Charles Lindbergh
and, of course, the evil Nazis of
the anti-American Bund, who
themselves ployed every
wicked scheme which they at
tributed 10 the Jew, insisted that
with 5000 miles of water TO the
east and a wider ocean to the
west, no enemy could reach
American soil, even granting as
they wouldn't, that any enemy
would be rash enough TO try.
THROUGH ii all Mr.. Roose-
L welt fought on toward a
vindication which came in the
dawn of Sunday in the Pacific
and il must be said that he was
embarrassed as much by some
of his supporters as he was OBJ
structed and reviled by his OPP
ponents, for he had among the
noisiest of his following some Of
the most disgusting professional
clamorists that ever used the
flag for purposes Of apparel.
But he was right all along and
doggedly brave in times when
he fought almost alone TO make
the people recognize their enemy
and prepare TO fight and the
final proof of his wise courA