Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-21
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON

By HUH -. JOHNSON
TULSA, Okla. May 21.-Down
Il here in Oklahoma l am as
sured and convinced that the
people of this state are at least
so per cent against our entry
into shooting war.
Well informed local observers
tell me this, and it is confirmed
elsewhere; for example, in the
Gallup poll, for whatever il is
worth-which / don't think is
much. If, as is the case. il
shows Is per cent on this issue,
a good bet would be 80 per cent.
1t is strange result that, in
this condition. the fancier and
funnier of Oklahoma'S two
funny representatives in the
Senate, Josh Lee. the great eX-
pert in elocution and Delsarte,
should be in Washington urging
what amounts 10 about entry
into about war.
1t amounts to a lot more than
that. II amounts 10 urging a
side door, blind pig entrance
into war by a presidential dec
laration OF war in defiance of
Congress. the Constitution and
the popular will.
TT HAS three prongs:
THE President Is immedi-
l. ately to declare war
emergency" and put all indus
tries on a war basis.
C-The government should i'm
mediately set mp giant
propaganda organization.
o-The United States Navy
- and air force chow about
the armys1 should be used for
hemisphere defense. the strategy
how that should be done 20 be
left To naval and military au-
thorities"-which means the
President. who is commander-in-
chief of beth services.
THERE is much more here
than strikes the casual eye.
Tho Constitution says that Con-
gross alone can declare war"
What IS a war emergency
that the President alone can
declare? II is not mentioned in
tho Constitution. -
II is some kind Of situation"
where all industries can be put
on a war baSlS-in effect seized
where the navy and air force
can be used wherever and how
ever the President wants 10 use
them, from the Red Sea 10 the
Straits of Malacca. If he de
termines that il Is good STRAIT
egy' TO defend the Americas by
fighting Japan on the other side
of the world.
This giant propaganda or
anti-propaganda machine also
needs some explanation.
Few we'll informed Washing
ton observers doubt that IL
means censorship of press and
speech. including radio. 10 the
end that our unwilling people
can be pushed into war without
the aud on protection OF critical
comment
II is another clever little
scheme like calling convoy A
patrol 10 fool the country by
Juggling with words.
If SENATOR LEE can put all
Il these things together and tell
his peace-minded Oklahoma con-
stituents wherein they differ
-. -. -. ~. ,Se,'le ~otio'> 81
war by the President. side
stepping the Congress and the
Constitution and betraying their
wishes. he will deserve a suit
able reward - perhaps. like a
prize calf, a blue ribbon in his
chosen profession of elocutlon,
which is the art of saying moth
lflE, OF ltSS. al II az
This is no joking matter,
either for the people OF Okla
homa or of the United States.
For Senator Josh Lee is TO a
far greater extent representa-
tive of a war-minded executive
administration than he is Of the
people of his state.
He and his equally gaseous
colleague. Senator Pepper OF
Florida, are the semiofficial trial
balloons Of that administration.
They make these apparently
irresponsible ascenSlonS into the
war StratoSphcre 10 test out
public opinion. If they are pune
tured and shot down by popular
resentment, they can't be
charged TO the administration.
THE descent can't much hurt
Il these momentarily debated
human gasbags, because they
will fall gently TO earth. buoyed
up by additional patronage.
If. like I'VE apples" of which
they are very reminiscent, they
continue TO float without too
much anti-aircraft fire from the
groundlingS. they will have
served their purpose and we
shall be that much closer to the
total destruction of total war.
The people of this country
have only one defense against
this kind of attempted clever
by-passing of our system of con-
rtiiIfinnnI aud i've