The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-12-03
By "UNCENsoRED"

1t would perhaps be too much to
say that the administration is worried
about Britain itself. Nevertheless,
Britafn's internal situation seems far
from satisfactory. The reports Of U.
S. observers Just returned boil down
to the following: the British still have
not gone "all out" in their prosecution
OF the war; industry has not been
frightened up; inefficiency in the HER
archy of Industrial mobilization re-
mains; the best men have not been
given the right jobs; the old school
tie still hampers progress; all the
dead timber among army and navy
higherups has not been cleared away.
In short, Britain has not "buttoned
up for about war. What is more,
these observers insist that British
morale is not good. Britons are not
defeatist, but they are suspicious of
the government and querulous be-
cause of lack of aid to Russia; they
are uncertain, worried and lack buoy
ancy. AS one observer put it, British
morale is brittle.
BY some this is believed to be the
real reason for Britain's failure to do
something on the continent In mill
tary way to divert German attention
from Russia. The White House has
been quite justly vexed with Britain
for not undertaking some operations.
Critics readily grant that Britain
could not afford the military sacri-
fices which would be the inevitable |
result of a real firstclass landing of
many thousands of troops and much |
material on the continent. Neverthe-
less it Is felt that the British could
afford to stage some spectacular raids
of a few thousand men at time in
Norway and France. But the brittle
ness of British morale, not the in
decision of British statesmen, may be
the bar to such action. The high COM
mand In Moscow, London and Wash
ington might well understand the in
evitable local defeats the raiding par ,
ties would meet and consider them
assets in the wider strategic picture.
The British public might not under
stand at ALL {
Civil Liberty
Examination of some of the bills on
civil liberties lying around in con-
gressional hoppers reveals frame of
mind among some congressman that
bodies i'll for the four freedoms at
home. One of the worst of them-the
Hobbs concentration camp bill-was
killed in the house last week. 1t was !.
offered not as a defense measure, but !
as a permanent law regulating the
treatment of aliens who have been q
ordered deported but who cannot be
to their native countries be-
cause these countries have ceased to L
exist or will not have them or for ,
other reasons. 1t would have given :
.hree-man board power to imprfson :,
such non-citizens without Indictment =
md without trial by jury. In some :,
cases, Imprisonment could have lasted ;.
or life In the house vote, party lines =,
we're crossed and differences on for :. !.
,ign policy were forgotten. Both the :
)ro-war and anti-war camps include =
congressman who cannot smell die
atorship when it lies on their own
Iesks. g.
Death Verdict ell
An even more dangerous bill has h
een reported out by the house jul fl
iciary committee. Among reporters it m
) known as the electric chair for h;
abor leaders" bill. 1t would amend c6
he so-called anti-sabotage law SO
hat juries could render mandatory A
ecision of death if the "offense re- M
ulted in death or serious injury to m
ny other person or placed any other W
erson in grave danger Of death or Iii