The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1941-02-28
:.
Between,
1ML-in
SAYS u. S. PRANkINc
WITH DISASTER BY DIS
ELIMINATION IN DEFENSE
heao Gordon Is. Harlc och..


dollar is all mighty! In spite Of
the fact that Britain's back is to
the wall in its desperate attempt
10 stem The tide Of the German
legions battering daily at her
shores, this country il taking
things easy" The game Of poll
tics is being played as shrewdly
as in times Of peace; labor is bent
on bottering its advantage even
if the safety Of the nation is in
voived in its policies; capital is
bent as never before on main
tanning fat dividends. Thought
ftl and serious students of inter-
national questions are unanimous
III the assertion that the future
Of this nation is bound up with
the fate Of Great Britain. Yet
this country is trying 10 evade
the ugly facts and catastrophe
implications by crying business
as usual
The serene air of our people
is rooted in the belief that he
who has the dollar need not wor-
ry. This is only partly true for
we are fast entering phase of
1 human evolution where even the
power Of the dollar is limited. We
are decidedly over-confdent in
international matter but in this
over-confidence may be the fac
tors of our nations undoing. Ath-
| ietic coaches Of today go to ex-
treme pains to keep over-confi-
/ dence from invading their respec-
tive squads. The over-confident
team is always inviting defeat.
1t has come about that many a
/. great over-confGent team is van
quisilcd by mediocre team play
ing the under dog role in the
/ game. 1t is even 50 with nations
this nation-oyer-co like
4 cancer is gnawing at tie vitals
4 IF the nation.
One Of the best proofs Of this
over-contidence is shown in the
rather desultory way Negroes are
being handled in defense matters
and programs. The Negro has in
abundance the one thing that a
crucial situation demands, and
that is loyalty. There can be no
| victory without loyalty and the
| greater the loyalty, the greater
the assurance of victory. But
from the way this country is hes
itating about admitting the Ne
groes to full equality in the de-
fense program, it doubtless feels
certain that it .can win without
them. This may be right and
then it may not be.
This is way and not All eiec-
ton. A candidate does not have
to have the entire vote pf the
electorate to win the election; but
a nation must have the entire
support of the citizens to win
wars.
Within year, according To
the Newport News Daily Press
there have been more than 90
explosions and fires in the de.
fense industries with considerable
loss of life and millions in pro,
perty losses. In spite Of the Dies
committee and the FBI and the
vigilance of conscientious citizens
these accidents" and "explo
sions' are laying a heavy toll or
this nation. Strangely enough
the most of these industrial FAC
cidents' have happened where
the population is deeply tingee
with foreign affiliations.
If Uncle Sam wants the wheel
to turn and these explosions ant
accidents to cease, let him cal
on the hundreds of thousands O.
loyal Negroes who are standin,
ready. When the manufacturers
and the higher ups in govern
mental matters, condone sabo
tage and industrial fifth colum
nlsts by trying to play down tn,
pro-hitlerism in our industry
they are frankly pranking will
disaster. We all have our pc
prejudices and the white man il
entitled to his; but when thi
stands in the way of a country
safety, it is about time that W,
check on our notions and th,
costliness thereof. Prejudice be
comes a luxury under such cir
cumstances and in war time
luxuries must be subordinated t,
necessities.
When we consider that the in
creasing frequency Of these in
dustrial accidents roughly co
incides with the probabilities o
this nations help to Great Bri
tain, we have an explanation
that should raise some seriou
questions, chief among them are
can our country give the aid b
Britain tbs emergency demands