Evening star., 1942-07-04

because lIle dFSl det HiDtliIdll obAii
feels a sense of security and be-
lieves that America is really not in
danger. Maybe it is because of an
ingrained optimism which assumes
that America cannot lose the war
or her liberties. Maybe it is be-
cause the war is still young and
the sacrifices have as yet not been
widely distributed over the populace.
But the fact is that if Washington
can be taken as a reflection of the
mood of the Nation, the precious
character of the liberties that can
be lost is not fully appreciated.
Full of Politics.
For Washington is essentially
political. 1t has Woodworking
Government officers who are not
political and who are conscien-
tiously trying to do their appointed
jobs. 1t has men and women who
are making sacrifices away from
home and loved ones to become
part of a grind and routine which is
unpleasant but nevertheless vital
to the war effort. But Washington
also has pressure groups and lobbies
and elected officials personally
ambitious to gain or retain power
and authority and influence.
The war might have been ex-
pected to bring a different mood,
changed atmosphere. 1t has
served in some respects rather to
intensity the group interests which
form the backbone Of our political
system. Political influence still
seems to be in mortal conflict with
the needs of the war.
Every war imposes on the civilian
population certain handicaps and
hardships. This war has thus far
imposed few losses of life and few
losses in the category of wounded
or missing in action. But the re-
action to discipline and to such
things as rationing or the restraints
that go with complete stoppage Of
various kinds of production has not
been uniformly good. Thus the
war has revealed the pressure
groups Of labor and agriculture still
active in retaining their advantage,
while the politicians. fearful of the
loss of votes of these groups, hesi-
tate to apply restrictive measures.
Business Self Seeking.
In the business world there is still
the drive for higher and higher in
comes to offset the drain of taxes.
The system of private enterprise
and the system of private acqui-
sition still dominates the mood Of
the civilian leaders, notwithstand-
ing many fine exhibitions of patri-
otic zeal and many instances of
self denial.
The fact remains that with Ma
ton which has adopted the policy
of paying billions on billions of
dollars for war supplies, the
financial angle dominates the think
ing of many groups. The manu-
facturer, faced with turnover Of per-
sonnel and competition with other
industries or businesses for his best
men, is struggling to keep his or
ganization intact or else he is wor-
ried by the uncertainties Of Gov
ernmental contract procedure. He
seeks to protect himself on one
contract against losses on aonther
Labor union chiefs, fearful OF
having wages frozen or stabilized
insists on advantages such as union
security" or maintenance Of mem
bership' AS one means Of keeping
the rank and file sold on the value
of unionism. Social philosophers
inside the Government see postwar
difficulties and begin to urge plan
ming for this or that contingency
Congress ssees bureaucrats eXercis'
ing arbitrary power and strives tc
stay their hand by cutting then
purse strings.
Strange Atmosphere.
All in all, it is a strange atmoS'
phere of friction and mutual dis
trust of groups and factions ane
parties. Maybe this is inevitable
in a democracy. Maybe in spite O.
such conflicts and chickering's, de-
mocracy has an inexplicable mo
mentum and force that wins in thu
end no matter what the cost. May
be these shortcomings when EN-
phasized tend to bring salutar,
change and revision.
But it is still important to recort
that the spirit of sacrifice which
animated the whole Nation 0
struggling colonists on July 4. l77t
is not yet apparent, though it ma.
be latent and may come to the sur
face in a resurgence of nationa
spirit as the war gradually bring
closer and closer to us the fac
that unless Hitlerism is crushed. tn
republic cannot breathe the air Q
freedom in world of tyranny.