Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-16
BY HUGH :. JOHNSON


IT WAS sad to learn of the
sudden snuffing out of the
life of J. w. T. Mason. He was
one Of the few press military
experts who never permitted his
wishing TO run away with his
thinking.
Without any apparent purpose
either to get this country into
war or keep it out, he wrote
effectively from a rich expert
ence on the earthquaking events
through which we are going. He
called EN- as he saw en-,
and didn't insist, like Umpire
OLaughlin, that he called EN-
as they were and they were
such because he said so.
This war is too unpredictable
to make prophecies about it,
and the men who are doing that
need a mental going over. l am
sorry that Mr.. Mason is gone.
THIS column was intended TO
L be about very different
matter. When leaders in the
government, especially in the
Senate. felt that Mr.. Roosevelt's
leadership was being threatened
by a curious combination OF
Huey Long and Father Cough
lin. was urged to-and did
90 on the air with speech en-
titled The Pied Pipers. 1t
drew $4,000 letters-two-thirds
favorable.
After Father Coughlin had re-
piled l got 10000 - two-thlrds
unfavorable. l think people are
getting tired of writing letters,
but the action of the President.
against the recommendation OF
the war department. in refusing
to renew my commission as re-
serve brigadier general is draw
ing so much fan mail that, even
with three competent and eXpe-
rienced Washington secretaries.
| can't hope to answer all oil
them for weeks.
| usually never devote my COL
umn to discuss a personal mat
ter but in this case it is neces-
sarv to assure the authors OF
those thousands of letters. tele-
grams and telephone calls that
they will be answered indiVidu-
ally as soon as possible.
T,HE correspondence is enough
l. to bring tears to the eyes
of a bronze Buddha. 1t falls
in four general classes. The
first. and most pleasing, is from
ex-soldiers, privates. corporals,
sergeants and officers with
whom. over many years. I have
served. Many of them are now
prominent citizens of their COM
munities.
These usually begin with a
salutation only used in the old
regular army behind my back:
Dear Toughie." l knew about 1t
and loved it then and / love 1t
now. All those roughnecks must
know-or they wouldn't have
written-that the affection be-
hind the old formal officer-en-
listed man relationship was
earnestly reciprocated.
Another segment is from poor
people whose wages were lifted
or whose hours were shortened
by NRA. l get this response
wherever 1 60. 1t is very touch
ing but completely undeserved.
A third group of letter-writ-
erS is from a few of the 220,-
600 breadwinners, for almost a
million people who were assisted
by the administration of WPA in
New York City, and a fourth
and smaller one, strange to say,
are those who were helped IN
one way or anothF<sby the drives
against infantil. pRalysis'
WHAT I have inefectively
w tried to say TO all these
people is that the Presidents
action was we'll -within=hi
rights and thoroughly justified.
1t doesn't amount TO a damn.
A reserve commission IS just
an expression of willingness 10
serve and. if il be that of a
brigadier general. a willingness
10 serve only as a big-shot
brass hat. The President knows
that | am willing to serve IN
any capacity. any time.
Lots of these letters assume
this action was due to resent
ment of one of the Presidents
secretaries. Steve Early or Pa
Watson for some. razzing | gave
them-especially the latter.
These men have been my friends
for years and Watson since boy
hood. Neither would do me
dirty trick if this job depended
on il.
In an almost universally IA
vorsble press. the only dirty dig
l got was an editorial in the
! Seattle Times. The editorial said
+ that, as a reserve officer. | have
no right 10 criticize presidential
! policy. The writer would do
we'll 10 look up his law. 1t is
a fact and has been especially
+ recited IN a war department bull
letin that. until called to active
duty reserve officer has the
same right Of criticism and free
+ cyaaorb DC anu ptbor. fttfyc,,