Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-01
Our Greatest Handicap

OuT greatest T1dnOICdp
THE American people have had more than mild Curl
osy since enactment Of the epd-lease bill giving ALI
cut AID e Great Britain about the probable reaction in
Germany . this decision.
The German people know their own recent history
weH enough to remember how American industrial pro-
ducton contributed to their defeat the first World War
While the German people told only what their
government wants them know it has probably trcked
through to them by that they up against this
same factorin The present
What do they think about il?
How does the German government expect to keep
them IN optimistic frame of mind about the the
plain lessons of history being what they are?
cIGRID SCHULTZ recently returned from her station
y dean Of the American press corps in Berlin, has
given may be the partial these questions
10 the newspaper trade journal Editor and Publisher"
Miss Schultz said that at the time she left Berlin,
German nr7vsaT1rrf1H wurg preparing propaganda to
explain the American policy to the German people.
The She asserted viii probably console
the Germans by asserting that Americas defense pro-
gram will not be sufficiently productive to meet the
immediate needs of England and that defense eff
forts being made under the handicap of fabulous
wages TO employees and huge profits to the manufac
turers."
IT Is be suspected there will be little consolation for
l the German people in this propaganda.
1t is true that American wage standards higher
conducting private industry at profit still observed
here.
But such things do not handicap the American people,
the Germans we'll know but the substantial ngre
dents of free productive and eseureefu way of life,
and thus strength
No, high wages and reasonable profits do not stand
the way of American production scale sufficient to
make country strong and also to enable us to
assist Great Britain in whatever degree we desire.
-
WYE DO, however have a real handicap to defense
w production which the German propagandists
doubtless well aware of and from which the German
people are unquestonaby deriving considerable consoa
ton and satisfaction.
We are permitting strikes and threats of strikes to
disrupt industry most aarmngy and to tie UP the essen
tia materials of a defense establishment.
In recent days, there has been not only widespread
soppage of American production the most vital fields
of materials and enterprise but actual violence has
Cured
Do we imagine that foreign observers of this stua-
ton do not regard itaih both bewilderment and
tempt?
Do we wonder that they are skeptica of and
inclined to bete capacity build total defense
against hostile world when have such disabling dis
sensions and armed violence among our own people?
WHY do we not Americans-ALL Amcrieans-sub-
w merge minor differences of interest and aspira
ton the very least for the duration of this emergency
Why do we give our possible and potential enemies
the satisfaction and consolation that greatest indus
tries can be shut down and proficient workmen
made idle and armed forces be left hampered and
unequpped while we dispute and even hight among our
selves?
We certainly could not expect to conduct war sue
cessfuly under this grave handicap. How we hope
to prepare ourselves for even defensive war much less
make contributions to Great Britain which will overWhelm
her powerful enemies while handicap ourselves?
The American people are pretty well aroused to their
very great dangers in the present conditions of world
Why do they not recognize and put end to, their
f xehc kpc
the same conditions.
BAERlNG DOWN ON THE NEWS: