Evening star., 1942-03-16

Menfy MeLemore. from Lne o
holes. For every voice attuned to
the polite hum Of the bars, the
hostelries and the soft-carpeted
homes Of social Washington, let lis
have q voice that rises above the
mean whine Of bullets and the sharp
clang Of bayonet steel in the bam-
boo battle-ground Of the Philippines.
When q new bit of legislation that
is tltal to our plans for matching
the Axis strength comes up. let's
to the Representatives and Senators
and let's submit the other to the
boys who are out there dying, trying
to keep from dying and doing their
best to eliminate few OF the slant
eyed murderers from Toxic.
&Take the legislation aimed at
labor working q few more hours,
producing few more tanks, guns
and planes and more ammunition.
1t was killed. 1t was given the old
brush-off. Maybe 1t should have
been. But, wouldn't all Of us Ameri-
cans feel better about it II Mac
Arthur and his boys had been given
o chance to cast their votes7
II the word had come from Bataan
that the men in the open-air hospi-
tails, the men In the fox holes, the
boys braving snipers, the mechanics
who haven't had q nights sleep
since December 7, the doctors, the
nurses, the-well-the fghters-had
voted for no more than 40 hours
for the men at home-that would
have been final.
II they had decided that more
than 40 hours would work q hard
ship on labor, that more than 20
hours would jeopardi5e the hard-won
rights Of labor, there could be no
question but that the bill died q
proper death.
The same goes for all the other
problems confronting this country.
Let's ask the men who have death
for companion how they feel about
farm prices, rationing, pensions for
legislators, the slaShing Of non.
defense expenditures, strikes, bottle
necks and the like.
II they send word back that those
OF us at home should not deprive
ourselves OF luxuries, that it Is UP
to US TO maintain q standard Of nv-
ing, q way Of living that has been
ours for so many years. then we can
go about the job with a free con-
science.
But. II they send word back that
we are living in q dream world, that
we have yet to look the truth In the
face, and that 1t is up to all of us at
home to give every damn thing we
have, with no thought OF trying to
Live in 1942 as we did In 1910. 1889.
or any other year. then let's do it.
I'd rather be guided by the judg-
ment OF q man who has looked q
Jap in the eye than q civilian who
still frets II his cab gets tied up in
traffic or his coffee doesn't get to
him piping hot.
I'd rather get my dope on what
the war Is about from a boy who
has told his country, Here it is
my nfe-al I have"-than from q
lobbyist who frets because he can't
get q corner room with hot and cold
running water with shower and tub
combination.
The minute you get to Washing
ton, you start getting the angle
business. Every body has an angle.
This one wants this. This one
wants that. This one has this side
Of the story. This one has that side.
You help me get this, III help you
get that. This department is mad
because the other department Ii
getting more milk from the appar-
emily inexhaustible defense COW.
Maybe that's the penalty OF de-
mocracy..
All right, the day Washington.
this Government, these United
States. start figuring the cost OF red
tape, bungling, disunity, selfishness.
In the terms Of blood and not In the
terms Of man-hours, machines and
tools, that's the day well start win
ming the war.
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