Evening star., 1942-10-07
Pleads for the Truth
About the War.

To the Editor of The Star:
"Ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make We free" Are we, the
people, not entitled to know the truth?
Not necessarily the whole truth, but
nothing but the truth? We can take it,
and we do not like the reactions of
soothing sirup and other such opiates
and nostrums. However unpleasant the
truth may be, we desire faith in our
leaders.
We do not wish the boast to 20 forth
In our name that we are "the arsenal
of democracy" and then lamentably fail
In our undertakings. The broadcasters
and the press reported an incredible
amount of equipment and battalions of
troops being transported to our Allies
and, believing that it was Tin his haste"
and not after due deliberation that the
psalmist charged that "all men are liars, :"
it is little wonder that we felt encour-
aged. Then we are informed that we
are far behind in production and farther
behind In our transportation.
"A OAANd6O NJ OduCdSOC1 O1I ullC AlIlCdH
front, who boasts that he shares the
danger of the soldiers in that area, in
vites in his coarse gangster voice, Come
on over, America, and we'll bake you
cake" And we hear from another
that Americans are in that zone and
bombing Rommers forces and equipment
with their Flying Fortresses We have
not confined ourselves to sending the
tools, but have been sending our men to
help to do the work.
They told us we had sunk and damaged
60 Japanese ships in the battle of Ma
CAESAR Strait, and now we are informed
that only four ships were damaged. Our
hearts bled over the conquest Of the
Philippines, and now an Army officer
(retireO tells us that we could have put
up better fight If our soldiers had
been properly trained and toughened
and our supplies and equipment had
been more strategically placed Well, the
privates and subordinate officers had
nothing to say about that, and we have
burned incense before the commanders
to such an extent that they are con-
cealed behind cloud. of holy smoke. Z"
AS for Pearl Harbor, we leave it to
the chiefs of the Army and Navy to
explain; our bowed heads are lifted by
the remembrance that the lower ranks
and privates did what they could-and
the highest praise which the great Re-
deemer ever bestowed upon any mortal
was when He said of the woman. "She
hath done what she could"
We are told that our Allies find our
soldiers unframed and our tanks and
planes too impractical, and we expect to
be called Uncle Shylock" and be told
how much we hindered the winning Of
the war when it is over; but we are broad
gauge enough to do our utmost. We ex-
pect no reimbursement, no recompense
and no thanks. Let me say 1t, we are
the most generous people in the world.
FAw complaints have been made of the
costs OF this war, though several years
ago there was some grumbling about
paying farmers not to produce.
But the unkindest cuts Of all are from
our American broadcasters overseas who
come home for vacations and return to
their posts to fagellats US for not know
Ing that a war Is on" and for having
taken their reports at face value. We
do know war is on, by the bonds We
buy, the taxes We pay, but, most Of all,
b our boys who have bssn taksn fEum