Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-15

~ CIlllClLeu lIR IItSlutfll LOT
calling a man of opposing opin-
ion any name his imagination
could invent, and based that
criticism on any legal nstric-
ton on such billingsgate, doesn't
know his law.
There is such a thing as the
law of libel and the President
has no more immunity from
that than any other citizen but,
while the President never took
any laurels as a lawyer. he is
lawyer enough not tn come right
out and accuse a respected citi-
g zen of treason.
He does such things by adroit
innuendo, as in the reference.
in respect of Lindbergh 10
Nallandingham, who was tried
without a jury and banished for
making violent pro-peaCe
speech while this country was
at war and fighting for its very
life.
There still remains also an
unwritten law of personal salts
faction for an unbearable insult
by any man TO another man.
delivered face TO face.
When you call me that.
smile may not be listed among
the legal rules in text books Of
criminal law. but it is so firmly
written in the hearts OF he
Americans who make m o $
juries that II might as well be.
The President has been
known to say that another man
who criticized his actions would
have been called by a third man
"A liar. coward and a cad.
But that also was an implica-
ton, and after all he is PreSi-
dent Of the United States.
NO. IT is no limitation on the
~ Presidents right Of free
speech under the Bill of Rights.
the law of libel. or the unwrit-
ten law of personal satisfaction
that aroused criticism when ne
answered an earnest and sincere
argument with an epithet-Whcn
he sought to use his high and
almost sacred office TO blast
with a lethal. unfair and UNI
truStful word the character and
standing of a heroic American.
l don't like TO use the words
because English is good enough
in 99-99/100 per cent of cases
and because they have other and
Inappropriate implications. but
there is such thing as "nobleSSe
oblige." which means something
like your position above your
fellowmen prohibits you from
using the weapons of the gut
ter"
SO far as I know Lindbergh
never used a disrespectful word
toward the President. This
country IS not at war. Lind
bergh used arguments against
our going TO war. He was ar
guing for no less and no more
than the President had repeat
eddy promised he would not do,
but that all the world believes
he is trying to do as fast and
as hard as he can induce public
opinion 10 follow him-however
reluctantly.
As THIS column repeatedly
"A has pointed out, II does not
agree with some of Lindbergh's
arguments but it does respect
his utter fearlessness in making
them.
1t will fight for his right To
utter them until we have taken
the last fateful maniacal step
into the bloody turmoil of
war we did not start, for
nation whose interests are not
at all points parallel with ours.
in a policy which UNDERWRITERS
those interests whether they are
ours or not. on a course we
cannot control, whose aims we
do not know. but the cost OF
which we shall have TO pay re-
CARELESS of its ruinous effect on
our country.
1t cannot possibly advance our
position, but it is very hard to
see that il will not bankrupt
ot1r economy destroy or HpmoC-
racy and naZify our form of
government - no matter who
WINS.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate.