The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-11-20
ON THE
CAPITALS CUFF
By VIRGINIA GARDNER

1t strikes me we might be less yer
bal than we are about some matters
am not about to say that we should
leave them to the military experts
The air is thick hereabouts with
cries that the electrifying news from
North Africa proves that we never
should have peeped but there is plen
ty of evidence to the contrary. For
instance = Roosevelt's statement that
the drive in Africa did not limit in
any way other prospective offensives
We have a bunch that the team OF
Roosevelt & Willkie are depending on
a continuation of just such resolutions
as the CLIO passed, acclaiming the
African offensive and pledging aid in
carrying through the effort Ito smash
forward into Europe"
I mean quite something else when
I talk about verbosity. 1t is the silly
furry over a few inconvenience. 1t
does not stem from the public as near
as we can gather. A lot of it stems
from the war agencies themselves,
WPB, OPA, etc.
As a sample of this trivia designed
to prepare the public of what lies
ahead, they warn that before long we
must do with less goose feathers for
pillows and use more feathers of a
coarser texture. The cigar smoker is
told he will be able to get his favorite
s,,Il hut fn
prepare for a change in packaging.
Organized labor has been urging for
months well planned rationing of all
essentials. Instead, sissy schemes for
some rationing are offered with apollo
gies, gingerly It's insulting to
country that's been ahead of Washing
ton for six months in this war.
To say, "Gird your loins, folks. Steel
yourselves. Try to get along on 21a
pounds of meat a week-outside of
fish, chicken, tongue, brains, liver,
kidneys heart, sweetbreads, which you
phoney to all but the fatter-income
group.
My first week of keeping strict ac-
count of what we ate in the meats
which we are voluntarily rationing
showed that without cutting down at
all my 3-year-old son and l ate 1 "a
pounds in 7 days, plus one hamburger
sandwich which was largely bun Our
combined quota is 81.
In some families the 21a -pounds-a-
person means added work, added in
genuity, another of the many unsung
daily win-the-war tasks done by wom
en-. They can get some swell ideas
form Farmers Bulletin No. 1908,
Meat in Thrifty Ways" on request
from U. S. Department of Agriculture.
The Associated Press had a cham
pion the other day.
Rep John E. Rankin 3D., Miss.), on
Armistice day called for an armistice
on Tabor racketeering," on "unneces-
sary RECOMMENDATION" and on "harass-
ing" of "the white people of the south
ern states" (alluding to the petition
to bring the Geyer anti-lynch bill out
of committee).
Then, apparently having the govern |
ment's antitrust suit against AP in
mind, he said
Much as admire the distinguished |
Asst Atty Gen. Thurman Arnold,
submit that we should have an arm
istice on this harassing of an indie
pendent press, in order that free
press and freedom of speech may sur
vive."
We saw story on Rankin's speech
but no mention in it of Rankins spon-
soring of it's cause. Could it be that
it embarrassed APP?
l have a letter from Swedesboro,
N. j., written by the wife of a mem
Der of the Intl Union of Marine G.
Workers (CIO), inspired
by what she alludes to as your write
up of that dried up old prune, Mrs.