The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-05-01
Lindbergh - Roosevelt

The weapons of fear and SANDER are
now being used against those who have
courage enough to voice views that do not
coincide with those of President Roosevelt.
Persons who still steadfastly believe
this country should at all costs stay out of
England's fight to preserve her Empire are
becoming afraid to say so.
IT is now a matter of public record that
President Roosevelt has singled out several
individuals, with courage enough to oppose
him, for biting, sarcastic remarks, question
ing their character and patriotism.
Lindbergh is one OF those men.
Regardless of our personal opinion of
any man or woman we would consider it
hitting below the belt to cast reflections on
either their character or their patriotism.
That is a very serious charge for any private
citizen to make. 1t is completely beneath the
dignity of the office of the President OF the
United States to single out private citizens of
this country for his personal vindicativeness.
1t was bad enough for him to journey over
the country in a political purge of senators
he didn't like. But now when this country
is day by day battling to arm itself against
all hazards, when we need the service and
cooperation and sincerity of every citizen in
the country, it is no time to single out private
citizens for such attacks.
If there is any person or any organiza-
ton in the country whom the President has
- w NSpNS ShSA WY nhOuiu. NC ~
over to the FBI or proper investigating
authorities.
Can it be possible that we have in so
short a time reached the stage where America
is no longer free? Have we already so COM
plete a dictatorship that no citizen dares to
express his views for fear of being misunder-
stood and questioned?
It would appear that we have.
Colonel Lindbergh, honored with a COM
mission by the u. S. government for valiant
service, now stands discredited, his charac-
ter and motives questioned because he has
given the American people his views ON what
is best for our country because he has
dared differ with the administration.
Several years ago ~Lindbergh had a COM
mission to visit all the countries of Europe
and inspect their progress in aviation and
give a fair, impartial report on air strength
in each country. AT the conclusion of the
trip he made known to all nations as well as
his own government what Germany, Italy.
Russia, France and England were doing. At
that time he was criticized in the American
press for saying Germany had an air force
superior to any nation in the world.
Today we cannot help but know he was
telling the truth then.
He is being criticized now by some sec
tions of the press for accepting a medal by
the German government while visiting in
their country. We wonder how much more
criticism he would have been subjected to
if he had refused to be decorated by this
foreign government. People in the u. S. and
people in the foreign nation would have been
insuted. Certainly the German people
would have felt snubbed, not by Lindbergh
alone, but by the United States. Imagine a
visiting notable refusing to be decorated by
tie u. S. government. We'd probably tar
and feather him.
The greatest possession we have in
America today is our freedom. 1t cannot
long endure if our citizens are going to lose
their heads and question everyone who dcSs
not agree with them. America was founded
on tolerance. Lack of tolerance brings about
dictatorship in its worst form.