Askov American., 1942-03-26
Fact And Opinion
Americas Awakening,
BY E. C. Stengelsen.

Americas Awakening.
Like Mr.. Roosevelt, many of us
were worried about our peoples ap-
parent apathy concerning the war.
We realized that there could not be
whole-hearted war effort if our en-
thusiasm for war was only half
hearted. It seemed to us to be
matter of such vast Importance to the
U. S. A. that it called insistently for
an attitude of militant belligerency
rather than one of phlegmatic indif-
ference
But the difficulty in bringing about
a different frame of mind in the pub
lie was equally apparent. We were
under one particular handicap, of
which little mention has ever been
made 1t was that those to whose
tongue and pen we must look to
awaken us from our lethargy were
precisely those who had been violent
ly pro-British long before it appeared
that the United States had any stake
in the conflict whatsoever. These
were, chiefly, the Walter Lippmans,
the Senator Peppers, the Dorothy
Thompsons and others of their kind.
A large section of the population had
come to look with doubt upon their
motives. This was indicated by the
trend of the straw polls which con-
tinued consistently to show that a
vast majority of the people were
against American participation in the
war.
We were to be influenced by writ
ers and speakers whose influence
had been proved at best to be doubt
full. Since America entered the war,
we have continued to hear these same
voices, saying much the same thing.
1t moved us but little yesterday. Is
there good reason for expecting that
we should be moved by them today?
At best, it was to be expected that
public response should be slow
But the change is nonetheless COM
ing about. America is awakening.
We read that leading musician has
urged that German music be barred
from America. If we hear Wagner
ian music, we are to stick our fingers
in our ears and shudder in patriotic
horror.
It may be that Wagner, had he
lived, would have been a refugee and
would have refused to have anything
to do with Herr Schickelgruber.
That is quite beside the point. The
idea is that we are getting into the
right frame of mind.
A japanese girl was saleslady in
a Woolworth five-and-ten somewhere
down in Iowa. Patriotic citizens, who
saw the slant-eyed damsel behind the
counter, suspected that she was there
for no good purpose. Anyway, she
was Jap, which was enough. They
made complaint to the management.
The manager told the girl he was
sorry, but he'd have to take her off
the floor. He would, however, give
her job in the stockroom. But the
girl had spunk. She said, "No, that
would be hiding" She put on her
hat and went home.
1t developed that she had several
brothers in the armed forces of the
United States. When this became
known, she was called back to the
job. The story got publicity. Kindly
Americans crowded to her counter
to buy. 1t is probably doubtful
whether those who had caused her
dismissal were among them. 1t would
have called for good sportsmanship.
And there is rarely much of the good
sport in the super-patriot.
Again, it is beside the point. The
that war enthusiasm is taking hold.
| Another reason Americans were
apathetic was that there had been no
atrocities to speak of. Now we are
getting them. Anthony Eden rises
to tell of cruelties practiced on Eng
lish soldiers and civilians after the
fall of Hongkong. Captive English
soldiers were tied together in files
and bayonetted. White women were
raped and murdered. We hear there
has been official American investiga-
ton and we are solemnly assured that
the charges are true.
Presumably, the barbaric behavior
of the japanese came of hatred of the
white race. It teaches the Caucasian
world what it may expect if the yell
low race wins the war.
Another healthy sign is that we
are becoming less stupidity tolerant
of the subversive activities of the
Fascist-minded section of our press.
The writings of these spokesmen of
Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito & Co. are
to be scrutinized more closely here
after.
It is conceded that it is a deli
cate problem. It involves the ques-
| ton of freedom of the press How.