Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-24
Wave Flag!
It's a Virtue
TO Be Patriot
Don't Let the scoffers
Shame You Silent
By BENJAMIN DE CASSERES

I STUCK my chest out very
L heroically when babe young
Ensign Edgar Ross good-by just
before he left for San Francisco
Ton orders) and said:
"Well, Edgar, goOd-by - you
know we arc ali I'm tho same
boat"
"But not on the same ship,"
replied Edgar, his eyes sparkling
with ironic merriment.
My chest suddenly became
concave.
And, now, when I am disposed
to pat myself on the back on
something I'm doing to aid our
war efforts / repeat to myself
with shame-faced humility the
words of Edgar Ross:
"But not on the same ship
Curious - isn't 1t? that so
many Americans are shame
faced bout being militantly,
defiantly patriotic? They are
the weak brothers and sisters
who are afraid of ridicule (gen-
orally from verbal saboteurs and
morale breakers).
"Waving the nag. chs"
"Spread-eagle stun" Jaw. can
the Fourth Of July wheexe!"
That is supposed to shut us up
like a jackknife. And it often
does, unfortunately. Personally.
I'm such a defiant, unashamed
American. I have such a pro-
found belief in and love for the
foundation principles of the re-
public that invite such thrusts
as above. I go right after the
challenges with:
"Yes, I'm q flag-waver. .
spread-eagle, Fourth Of July
American-and what are you
going to do about it,"
Generally. the other fellow
does nothing. He retreats. He
knows I've got his number.
Do thou likewise. Put over
your Americanism today on peo-
ple--expound it. explain II, cheer
for il, sing il till il makes peo-
pie sick" Ut only makes the
secret pro-German or pro-Jap
"sick.") Be a hammer, not
custard-brain,
TALKING of patriotism, I've
l. just read the best pamphlet
on the subject that has fallen
under my eye for many years.
1t is rs Patriotism Bunk?" by
Harry Desmond Farren. pub
lished by the National Foreman's
Institute of Deep River. Conn.
/ can put my column TO no
better use than to give you ex-
cerpts from il and to urge you
10 send for the pamphlet:
Patriotism isn't bunk-it's a
matter Of self-preservation! It's
the desire of q man TO fight for
and hold what he believes in
himself, his family. his home.
Patriotism isn't soldiers
marching. bands playing, planes
laundering, cannon roaring or
speechmaking.
Patriotism Is the desire of q
man to defend his family, his
home, his liberties"
The farmers at Lexington, In
1775, ranged against trained
British soldiers, weren't think
ing about patriotism. They
were thinking about their homes
-. their families their
liberties. The individ
thoughts. the individual desires,
the individual hopes Of these un-
trained farmers cemented them
into determined force that
could not be whipped.
Think! III We should lose
this war because of those who
think patriotism Is bunk. who
will do the SUFFERING? You!
"Whose liberties will be
snatched away? Yours.
"Whose wives will be ravished
and dishonored? Yours.
Whose children will be
driven into slavery: Yours!
Whose home will be seized:
Yours.
Whose dreams will be
ruined: Yours"
THAT is getting down to cases.
l. Patriotism is self-preserva-
ton. But / admit that there
are also fiag-wavers and spread
eagles who use their waving and
wing-spreading to cover up their
fascist and other revolutionary
designs. Don't be fooled by
these takers either. Let moth
ing deter you who are sincere
in your proclamations of Ameri-
canism. Howl ii from the
housetops-and work, fight and
give.
Your America Is at stake.
And that means your life and
the lives of those you love are
at stake.
Buy bonds, stamps and fight