The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-06-25

pics 0I4SC1 IOSS " IllC 111Sl1SoU
point since the beginning Of the
war when the story came out a.
bout the Nazi's having cold-blood-
erly blotted out the whole popu-
Iation of a Czechoslovak town.
Ever since the war started gov
eminent officials have been a.
harmed over the lack of patriotic
fervor in certain parts of our
country and many a morale
building campaign has been
Launched from this city to make
us more keenly aware of the need
for bringing the Axis nations to
thei rknees in the quickest posi-
Bile time.
But that one story, widely
circulated i'm newspapers and
over the radio, about the mass
murder in the little town
of Lidice, CzehOslOvakia, did
more to make our nations
blood boil than any prOpagan-
da from this city could do.
Probably the most brutal, ter
rifying, horror-story that ever
came out of this or any other war,
the Germans released it them
selves to boast about the revenge
they melted out to town which,
they alleged, had given shelter to
the murderers of Reinhard Hey
drick, the Number 2 man in the
German gestapo.
In their release the Germans
own official message was:
'tAfter these facts had been as
,certained all male groWn-ups OF
the town were shot, while the wo-
men were placed in concentra-
ton camp, and the children were
entrusted to appropriate educa-
ton institutions. The township
was leveled to the ground and the
name of the community extin-
guiShed. The inhabitants of Lid
ice near Kladno numbered 483."
GAccOrding to the British, the
population was 1,20O). This total
blotting out of a community and
the massacre of all of the people
In it has made Americans in SIM
liar small towns in this country
5F,udder at the heinous depths to
which the Germans will descend
and it has sent wave OF hate
against Hitler, much stronger
than anything which has been
fell before, surging throughout
this country.
Our government, based on
figures gathered by them as
well as by other governments
of the United Nations, estl-
mates that over 100000 CT
villains in conquered cOun-
tries have been executed by
the Nazis, by far the greatest
number being in Poland ana
JugOslavia.
Our domestic worries over gas
so1ine, .rationing, etc., seem OF such
5uconseuuential Importance COM
pared with the life-and-death
struggle facing the millions OF
people in Europe that 1t may
seem Door taste to even discuss
them in the same breath. But
we must remember that the final
defeat of Hitler depends to a
large extent on keeping things
hurnming in this country. If our
transportation is stalled, our
health foods limited or our do
mestic economy too greatly dis
rupted. we couldn't do the war
lob that is necessary to assure
victory.
That's why it is considered es-
sential here to keep automobiles
In the peoples hands rather than
confiscate them, ration only
where it is ESSENTIAL and control
the peoples cost of living. 10
many fasteners the decision to
build a pipeline to carry oil to the
East, and proposed plans to sup
Div rubber for tires, are perhaps
welcomed as a possible continu-
alton of normal living, but the
whole purpose of devoting so
much energy to this problem Is
in no sense aimed at continuing
pleasure driving but to continue
absolutely necessary transporta-
ton. The government realizes
that our whole economic system
is hitched to the automobile and
that without automobiles there
there would be serious dlsrup-
tons in our system.
Consequently, the pipeline will
be rushed through in an effort to
provide necessary gasoline as well
as fuel oil for next winter. AS
for rubber, there is still little
prospect of getting new tires for
automobiles this year or next, but
all possibilities are being explor-
ed. The President is urging ev-
eryone to turn in every available