SiebenbuÌˆrgisch-Amerikanisches Volksblatt. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1917-1971, 1942-06-25
THE CASE OF
MING
BY Wendell L. Willkie.

Pi>o WI ShS i"SiIso vi lIilllOl lllCS,
Wendell l.. Willkie, writing in
The Saturday Evening Post to-
day declares hat whenever we
take away the liberties of those
we hate, we r opening the way
to loss of liberty for those We
love-" ...
"Our way of living together in
America is. a strong but delicate
fabric" he says in the article,
"The Case for the Minorities",
adding that 1T serves a sa cloak
for the protection of poor and
rich, of black and white, of Je)
and Gentle, of foreign and native
born.
"For Gods sake, let us not
tear it's asunder. For no man
knows, once it is destroyed, where
or when man will find it's protec-
tive warmth again."
Willkie says that honest dis
cussion of the wartime menace
to racial, religious and political
minorities, by a forewarning of
the consequences, develops a $50
Der public judgment that will pre-
vent any tendency toward a re-
petition Of such national ignomi.
nies as the Ku Klux Khan and
such calamities as the series OF
race riots in our cities which
grew out of the emotionalism of
the first World War.
"The height of Our civiliza-
ton it seems to me, has been
reached not by our assembly
lines, our inventions or any of
our great Fictitious development,
but by the ability of peoples OF
''
varying beliefs and different ra-
lcial extractions to live side by
side her in the United States with
mutual understanding, respec,
and helpfulness," the article says
1T has always impressed me
that, quite apart from any rea-
sons of humanitarianism or jus.
tice or any sentiment regarding
the protection of the weak by the
strong, it is only common sense
to safeguard jealousy the rights
of minorities. For minorities are
lrich assets of a democracy, assets
which no totalitarian government
can afford. Dictatorship must, OF
necessity, fear and suppress them.
But within the tolerance Of a
democracy, minorities are the con-
slant source of new vigor.
ITO suppress minority think
ing and minority expression
would tend to freeze society and
prevent progress. For the MAORI
ty itself is stimulated by the exis-
tence of minority groups. The
human mind requires contrary
expressions against which to test
itself.
"As citizens we must fight in
their incipient stages all move
ments by government or party or
pressure groups that seek to IL
nit the legitimate liberties of any
of our fellow citizens"
Willkie adds that government
frequently, through excess zeal
in seeking to quickly accomplish
a purpose, is the oppressor and
that political parties, anxious for
vote catching, Become tolerant
to intolerant groups" He cites
the Excessive wartime activi-
ties" of investigation bureaus of
Congress and the Administration
employed with the excuse of
projecting the nation from sub
versive activities" He says he
has been appalled, at the cal
|lous indifference of high officers
of the Navy to the discrimina-
tion against Negroes and disturb
ed by similar discrimination often
in the ranks of labor and indus
try. He criticizes the Department
of Justice for revoking the citi-
zenship of naturalized citizens
suspected of foreign allegiance
instead of prosecution on charges
and says it is "sickening" to see
political parties flirting with rem
nants of anti-C Catholic Ku Klux
Khnism and hesitatine to de-