Evening star., 1942-03-23

come right out for mastoid tapping,
trussing and stufing for critics, but
he made it plain that he has a definite
mad on against critics and considers
them q menace to this country's war
effort. His words indicated that he
would be glad to lend his Speakers
gavel If any one wanted to take such
action against outspoken dissenters.
All of which leads me to wonder
just what is the status of the Ameri-
can citizen in time of war. 1t never
has been made clear.
Do the rules and regulations call
for him automatically to become a
dope the moment the first shot is
fired? Is it necessarily a part of
patriotism for him to hop up on the
mantelpiece and initiate those three
little simian statuettes that neither
speak, hear nor see?
Right to Speak Claimed.
If it is, why doesn't some one say
so? 1t isn't much fun to sit on
a mantelpiece like three stupid
monkeys, but we Americans are fairly
abiding citizens, and we'll get up
there if the rules call for that, and
it is made clear to us that violation
of the rules will jeopardize our coun-
try's chances of winning.
But, until that is done We Ameri-
cans are likely to continue operating
on the theory that we make up the
country and have a right to put in
an occasional oar when we feel like
it. That is fairly reasonable
theory.
1t would seem only right that q
mother who has two sons in the
Army should be given the privilege
of expressing her mind. The same
goes for the news dealer who has
put his savings into Defense bonds,
the manufacturer who has turned
over his plant to war work, the
stenographer who is giving her
leisure hours to learning how TO
drive an ambulance, the entertainers
who are giving their spare time to
benefits as we'll as for the millions
and millions of us other Americans
who are gladly paying the taxes to
finance the whole thing.
Many in the Government seem to
labor under the belief that when
they lash at critics they are lashing-
ing only at the men and women
who have typewriters or radio time
or money enough to hire q hall and
speak their minds. Such folk con-
stitute a minute majority. In the
shaping of public opinion they play
q small, small part. America makes
up its mind from the tens of thou
sands, the hundreds of thousands
of bits of small talk by its people.
People Have Stake, Too.
When governmental authorities
talk of putting the quietus on dis
cussion and debate on how things
are going and how things are being
run, they are hitting at the right OF
men and women to talk over the
dinner table, to stop on the street
and swap ideas on what is happen
ing, to gossip generally about sit
uation that is close to them and
getting closer every day.
Too, some authorities seem to feel
that unless a man has a political
ONCE, a definite job of management.
he hasn't any stake in this country;
that only those who are pulling the
strings of war, production and
finance are tremendously interested
in the ultimate outcome.
Let them get that out Of their
heads. We all have our homes, saw
ings and futures tied up. We love
America, too, even If we don't have
an office, q reception room and q
title.
When we criticize, it isn't because
we are traitors, fifth columnists or
pacifists. We criticize for one rea-
son and for one reason only-in the
hope that one of these days there
won't be man, woman or child in
this country who doesn't know that
our war Government isn't Repub-
lican or Democratic, Farmer or La
borite or anything else, but that it
is an organization of men who care
about nothing but America.
The day the people know that.
Mr.. Speaker, you won't hear a word
from America. It'll be too busy
thanking God.
distributed BY McNauEht Syndicate. Inc)