Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-24
This Is Still
Democracy
johnson
Declares President Can
Kick Us Into War
(The opinions appraised by
Hugh S. johnson are his own and
not necessarily those Of The
Detroit Times.)
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

CT. LOUIS, Mo-, May, "a
Those who are impatient to
get US into war, either through
a constitutional declaration by
Congress or an extra constitu-
tional Declaration of a War
Emergency" by the President,
complain that the President is
to blame for not leading the
people rather than letting the
people lead him.
That is not an accurate dag
nosis OF their true cause for
complaint.
The fact is that great ma
jority of our people are not
convinced of any sufficient rea-
son for our entry into shooting
war.
They are convinced that, how
ever it may turn out, it would
surely bring national disaster.
In such a state OF affairs. the
President wouldn't be leading"
them into war.
lie would be kicking them on.
in true Hitler-esque fashion and
against their will. There is a
further little matter that should
not be overlooked, unless such
matters as honesty and faith
have passed completely into the
limbo of forgotten virtues. He
has repeatedly promised them
that he would do no such thing.
0NE of the arguments used is
" that this war is one of indus
trial war production, that this is
proceeding too slowly and that
the only way to speed it up is
TO go TO outright war.
Considering its late, panicky
and Implanted start. and the
recalcitrance of a few selfish
labor leaders, there is nothing
SLOW about war production 50
far as industry is concerned. 1t
is miraculously rapid.
In this whole history of swift
and revolutionary change. II
there is one single. solitary case
of holding back of about effort
by any industry or any group or
unit of industry, l have yet 10
hear of ii.
For the labor situation. this
administration has only itself 10
blame. 1t has never demanded
the kind of sacrifice and coop
Grafton from labor that il has
asked of industry. 1t is COM
placent now TO strikes in de-
tense industries. The whole
situation has been timorously,
weakly and miserably handled.
nor every other indecision,
l. bungling, delay and bad
overhead planning and admin
istration. the government itself
is almost exclusively to blame.
Industry can't act in great CO.
operative scheme of nationwide
production until each unit is
told what TO do and how and
when to do it.
There is no reported case OF
any such unit having been given
any such instruction and failed
to comply with the usual verve
imagination and drive of Amer
lean business.
The delays have been In plac-
ing orders, in changing orders
aIt. specifications, in failing 10
support orders with priorities
and materials or in government
imposed uncertainties about
necessary capital investment tc
do the job.
How would this situation be
improved by going to war?
What il needs is less hysteria
no more. A war declared or
this urging might serve to make
industry scape-goat for the
errors and omissions of govern.
ment, but that is an evil, sinful
argument when the true facts
are as they are.
1t is exactly the argument
that tossed France, all unready
into a declaration OF war. turned
Hitler's face from east to west
and resulted in the crucifixior
1 of>sll the free governments in
Western Europe.
mo; THE reason why the
~ President is not kicking
this country into war against
the popular will is the reason
why Washington didn't kick il
into the Napoleonic wars. the
reason why Lincoln didn't kick
it, before il was convinced. into
the Civil War; the reason why
Wilson didn't kick it into the
World War until he had ne
other alternative.
The reason is that this is still
democracy.
1t can be marched Willingly
tc any sacrifice when the people
decide.
1t can't be slaughtered on the
butchers block at any mans
will or at the urging of any
alien-minded bloc.
A dictator can take servile
minded people into war againS'