The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-12-12
: Clapper

49, S1 ffoPd99nd8
For Oversees Fighters
Can't Have Everything
We Want 81 Home
NJ RAYMOND cLArrER
WAsHENGToN-A few months
ago. when President Roosevelt
xas fumhlinF. we were hearing
complaints that ne was too soft.
and that If Washington would
only tell the country what was
needed, people would respond
gladly.
But Mr.. Roosevelt finally got 4
grip On himself. and now that
Washington IL saying what 10
needed. some people are respond
Ing with anything except willing
ness.
Railroad employees respond 70
the policy Of holding down wage
increases by asking 30 per cent
increase-and they don't offer In
return to give up any Of the
feathsrbed practices that spread
the work.
The farm bloc stooEes in con-
Gress respond to the policy Of
checking inflationary prices by
new threats. They are trying
TO hook price jacks on essential
appropriation bills 90 that the
president could not veto them.
CTo steel workers have respond
ed TO the wage sterilization poll
Icy by walking out Of Bethlehem
plate mills. causing n shutdown
In production of plates for war
ehips.
Montgomery Ward. the mall
order house. IL buying page news
paper advertising to carry on re-
sistance to the War Labor board
and . presidential order. with a
line that recalls the old Liberty
league fight against collective
bargaining.
That n the way some are re-
sponding to the efforts to carry
on the hardest war we have ever
fought That ID the news that Ia
reported at the same time 1t
Gen. Henry II. Arnold Il saying
that the battle for air superior
ity IN Africa In nip and tuck.
with Hitler throwing In his very
bost planes In . struggle which
may lead into the About cir bat
ties that must come to clear the
Germans from the sky.
This Ii the time picked by self
I'M groups. such m those just
named. 10 buck their government
and sock II In the rear. It IL TO
b hoped that the censor In not
allowing this kind of news to
reach our fighting forces. Those
tank forces Of ours. trying TO hold
the Germans until we get enough
air power In Tunisia. would hardly
~ encouraged In their grim work
20 know that At home labor
groups are demanding 20 per
cent increases. and walking out.
that farm lobbyists are contin-
uing their fight with the threat
Il blocking war appropriations
until they put their shakedcwn
across.
At the war department this
week some Of us talked with sur
vivcrs At the 18th Bombardment
group. hack from across the Pa
cific- They were 1t Clark field.
Manila. the morning the laps
came over . year ago. For
months they fought = retreating
action. taking up their planes
without proper servicing. some
times going up with only three
engines working. They couldn't
refuse to 30 up just because we
didn't have spare parts and
ground crews on hand TO put
their planes into proper condi-
fion- They had TO 60 up any
way. They not only went up.
but they shot down. over weeks
a most dangerous fighting. over
800 jap planes.
They were present here when
General Arnold said that while
~ are getting planes in impress
eve quantities. we are not get
ting them In satisfactory guam
tities- They have been in total
var and they know that it takes
everything Ne have 1T home to
11ve them
Some people seem TO think
nat - can 70 on with this war
md stiIl give everybody every
thing he wants President Roose-
velt. McNutt. Wickard. Ickes.
Henderson. wPB. the War Labor
hoard and others who have the
1ob q backing up the armed
1orcss can't make It their first
5ob 70 keep everybody happy at
home. They have duties which
ars extremely difficult and un-
pleasant
Pilots Of the 18th Bombard-
ment group had 10 work with
Whist they had They would have
preferred better service than they
rot But they knew II couldn't
- helped. % they made the best
- A. They knew you can't have