The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-12-18
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Just StroIIing
Round the Town

BY THE OBSERVER

beauties of wonderland here in
| this marvelously beautiful land of
ours. During the week light fleecy
snow clothed every tree, every
bush and shrub. Jack Frost coated
the forests on the mountainsides
with heavy silver-an OF the out
j of doors was an enchanted land.
i The earth was clean and pure in
/ its winter wraps of sparkling white.
/ A fairy land if ever there, was one.
In conversation this week with
R. w. Smithberger of the First
/ State Bank, / asked if the bank.
was making many sales of Defense
Stamps and Bonds. The reply was
that about $185 100000 worth had
been sold. To this should be added
about $33, 26900 worth sold by the
Libby postoffice, reports Postmas-
ter De Rosia. A goodly sum to go
out Of community the size of Lib
by-a striking evidence OF the
patriotism of our people.
There will be tears and blood
shed and aching hearts. anxious
moments and long hours filled with
worry, said Prime Minister Church
/ i'll in speaking to his people at the
beginning of this war. President
Roosevelt has said much the same
thing. That is part of the dread
full crop war always produces. Al
ready tears are being shed in Libby.
Fortunately death has not yet
visited any of the fine young men
who have gone out from this COM
munitv to fight their country's bat
ties. But anxious hearts are pray
ing for them at home; tears have
been shed when news came of the
danger into which they were going;
tears are now being shed during the
anxious moments that the awful
danger still hangs over them.
/ Hats off to group of Indians in
Washington state
The war is bringing out mani
festations of patriotic feeJing-and
in some places where most people
would not expect to see it.
Perhaps you saw this item in the
daily press. An organization of
Indians in Washington had brought
suit against the Government involv-
ing claim for over eight million
dollars The Indians alleged that
sum was rightly due them because
of an early-day treaty and the TAX
ing of land by the whites.
And now that war has broken
out .\What did the Indians do? They
voluntarily dropped the suit until
after the war has been fought out
said the Government would
!. need all its money and resources
with which to fight the war. There
fore, their claim could wait.
Even the red man is patriotic
these days. Parents of the men
who took this fine action fought
against the United States. A few
of the members of that tribe who
fought against the whites under the
, great Chief Joseph are still living.
Hats off to their sons, sons who
now forget the bitterness and hat
!. reds and wrongs of former years
to show allegiance to the govern
, ment under which they now live.
Will benefit to this nation
emerge eventually from the defeat
at Pearl HArbor?
That would seem an impossioility
q. yet that is what Libby man
suggested to us this week.
That treacherous attack by the
Japs has united the nation as
scarcely anything else would have
done, this man said. 1t has also
closed the rantings of the isolation
lists, he further argues, and has
convinced the people of this land
that they have real job cut out
for them in the bitter fight ahead.
With that grim realization there
goes cold determination to avenge
the disaster at Pearl Harbor and
make the Japs pay dearly for their
moment of victory.
| Already slogan is firing the
fighting men of the army and navy