Evening star., 1942-03-18
'Pruiries Afire'

| Wu6H Representative NdIJWTlSllC
of Oklahoma told his House COL
leagues that the "prairies are afire"
with indignation at the failure to
achieve maximum war production,
he had reference to a rising public
temper which may force significant
changes in the prevailing approach
to the problem of waging total war.
The simple fact of the matter is
that public sentiment in the country
is crystallizing behind demand that
neither profits, social gains nor any
other factor be permitted to stand in
the way of producing every possible
item of equipment for American SOL
diers and sailors who have been sent
across both oceans to fight for their
country. This is a state of mind
which is both highly desirable and
potentially dangerous. 1t Is desirable
in the sense that it promises to force
the taking of certain corrective steps
those involving the forty-hour
week, excessive profits. overtime pay
rates and the failure to make full use
Of existing production facilities
which have been too long delayed
The people of this country--and we
may be thankful for it-are not going
to accept calmly any condition which
sends American soldiers into combat
with fewer weapons than they might
have had if a maximum effort had
been eXerted on the production front
They are in no mood to repeat the
tragic blunderS which have been
made in this respect in other coun-
tries. and they have the word of Don
aid Nelson. chairman of the War
Production Board, that our output of
weapons could be boosted by Is per
cent now if a maximum production
effort were to be made.
The danger in a situation of this
kind lies in the fact that public de-
mands arising out of anger may lead
to actions more harmful to the war
Cl1OlO tlldll lllC CN4lo lIiCy dlC NC
signed to correct. This, plainly, is
what the President had reference to
when he indicated at his press con-
ference yesterday that he was op-
posed to any change in the forty
hour week at this time because things
are going pretty we'll now. The pub
lie, however, is not apt to be satisfied
with state of affairs in which things
are going only pretty we'll. Unless we
exert the best effort of which we are
capable, the demand for drastic legis-
lation may be expected to reach a
point where the dangers that the
President obviously has in mind will
be very close at hand
A prime necessity now, in the face
of the dread threat which confronts
the United States today, is de-
termination by all of us to stop
talking about rights" We have
but one right and that is the right of
duty-the duty to serve the country
to the very best of our ability in
whatever way will contribute most
to victory. Happily, there is growing
recognition of this truth. Our fight
ing men have gone to their battle
stations, and thousands of them al
ready have made the supreme sacri-
flee. In industry there is mounting
evidence of realization that nothing
counts now but the winning of the
war. The reca'citrants are few in
number and they will not be per-
mitted to obstruct the national effort.
Labor, on the whole, has put aside
most of the issues which led to so
many strikes prior to December 7,
and its contribution to the waging of
the war on the home front has been
a notable one.
All of these things are signs point
ing in the right direction, but it
would be foolish to deny that there is
much which remains to be done be-
fore we can say that those on the
home front are making maximum
war effort. Our task now is to work
out formula for taking these addi-
tional corrective steps which will
command the full support of all con-
cerned, and to avoid lapsing into an
internal fight which might wipe out
all of the heartening headway that
has been made.
To take proper corrective action
now would prevent the fire which is
sweeping across the prairies from
becoming an indiscriminately de-
structive force.