Evening star., 1941-09-15

takes made by ''''''
some of the David Lawrence.
Presidents own appointeeS. 1t was
James l.. Fly, chairman OF the Fed
eral Communications Commission,
who assumed that Congress had
delegated power to intimidate and
coerce the radio networks, and II
Congress really has such power over
what Is broadcast over the radio
n IA natural for the man who Is
chairman of the all-important COM
mittee in the Senate to want to ex-
ercise that power first hand.
As matters stand today, an actual
count OF the time given to the isola-
ZIONIST viewpoint on the air far out
numbers the hours given to the other
side. If any of the isolationist group
wants time on the air. they get it
1t once-so apprehensive are the
radio systems of governmental au-
thority to ruin their businesses. But
Il 1t hadn't been for Mr.. Fly's in
terpretation of his powers, which
Mr.. Roosevelt certainly did nothing
10 challenge. radio today would not
Be giving the isolationists a dis
proportionate amount Of time but
would be judging all viewpoints on
their merits and giving them equal
space.
Power 10 Intimidate.
The same thing Is about TO hap
pen to certain newspapers owning
hroadcasting stations. Unless they
toe the mark in the use Of their
radio stations, the licenses may be
taken from them. The F. c. c.
under Mr.. Fly has already done
what Mr.. Wheeler Is doing to the
movies, namely to find out what
the attitude of the newspapers Is
toward radio news and other mat
ters that heretofore have been con-
sidered immune from interference
under the Bill of Rights Of the Con-
stitution. Presumably unless some
Of these newspapers which own
broadcasttng stations curry favor
with Mr.. Fly or Mr.. Wheeler they
win ind themselves losing their
franchises.
A for tl1s movies, they, TOO. have
eoms under the control OF the
isoia<tonAsts IN Congress. For here
sftes ta1s producers VIII b afraid
10 exercise their independent judg-
nsnt a. 10 what the public wants
and Win instead seek TO satisfy what
members Of Congress think ought
TO be dramatized or presented in
the movies. The Senate Of the
United States can, under It's rules,
put a stop to any inquiry that
amounts to intimidation, but as
long as a majority OF the Senate
do not lift finger 10 prevent the
abuse OF the congressional investi-
eating committee device, the isola-
tionists cannot be blamed for doing
what the administration itself has
done before.
What America Is witnessing A
sxactiy the thing President Roose-
veit once predicted. namely that
such controls and devices are being
set up under the New Deal which
axs all right under a peoples gov
srnment, as he phrased it, but in
the hands Of the intolerant or the
arbitrary groups would put shackles
On a free people. That time has
arrived. The administration must
now see how power to intimidate
seized by an isolationist group can
work and how in the hands some
day OF still more intolerant groups,
II may wreck havoc with the whole
Bin Of Rights.
Stirring Up Hatred.
The spectacle of a senatorial COM
n,ittee stirring up religious and
racial hatreds and a committee Of
citizens In the Middle West sane
ttoning speeches by Col. Lindbergh
that libel races of foreign or Amer
lean born citizens is one that Is not
calculated to bring unity. If any
class OF Americans, whether they be
Poles or Czechs or Russians or Brit
ons or French or Jews or Catholics
or Protestants, are to be accused of
trying to drag this country into war
because of what Is happening to some
OF their former countrymen abroad
or If Germans, Italians and Irish
IN the United States are to be ac-
cused broadly of trying to help
Hitler win, then America is in for
the very discord which the Nazis
have been trying to implant in all
neutral countries. Col. Lindbergh,
Senator Wheeler and the isolation
lists have been bitterly attacked and
often wrongfully. but two wrongs DO
not make a right. Intolerance
merely begets intolerance and hate
breeds more hate A voice of con-
ciliation and good will needs to be
raised in Congress as between Amer
leans for only by devotion to the
basic teachings of Christ can the
legislators of a country which is 50
preponderantly Christian exercise
wisely the privileges of democracy.