Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-18
u. S. Blamed
For Apathy
Of Public
SHOULD Tell Bond Buyer
Where Funds Go
BY PAUL MALLON

u 49, - 49, 49, = ' ~ 40 aAll
w SwcrS Of the average citizen
10 government officials who
have called him apathetiC con-
tlnue coming 10 this desk in
unprecedented volume suggest
ing all is not Strengthened out
yet
Promised Clcanout Of civilian
defense and repeal of congress
Sional pensions will do much
toward re-cstabiishing that
mutual confidence between citi-
zen and government which is
essential 10 success in our war
effort but according 10 my mail
II leaves the chief popular plant
untouched
The main demand is that the
taxpayers and bond buyers,
stralnlng 10 give every possible
cent 10 the war effort, receive
some convincing assurances their
money is being wisely and eco
nomlcally spent
A SECOND step toward in
"a spring the men in the
street, factory and barnyard
might well be the search here
after by Mr.-ReeSeveft for app
pointccS not identified with his
old New Deal soCializing groups.
IL is surprising that only one
OF my growing list of complain
ants is dissatisfied with produc-
ton. Public dissatisfaction on
this score seems relaxed since
the reorganization of OPM and
the designation of Donald Mel
son TO do the job, although this
was the SorcSt spot until the
change was made.
But number Of people APP
parently still believe the greater
half of the war effort is in the
hands of familiar reform faces
like those of Henderson, Lands,
MacLeish, Hopkins.
COLUMNING is a two-way re-
~ porting duty. Having re-
ported what the government Of
ficialS fear concerning public
apathy, / believe it is my duty
to continue reporting the re-
Spouse of the people who con-
tinue writing me in greater
earnestncss and volume than
upon any subject in my previous
y years of Columnnig.
In furtheranCe of that duty,
here are excerpts from the last
tabulated patches of mail (sup-
plementing those reported in
this column published February
49,:
"Cut out hundreds Of New
Deal bureaus and put the bu-
reaucrats to work in industry
or i'm the armed forces" -. "Out-
law labor politics" =. Our boys
have been taken away but weld
ers and men essential TO the war
effort are allowed to strike ut
will and slow up production.
They should be put under the
same discipline as soldiers"
Every newspaper is TO blame
for the attitude each and every
one of us has toward the war.
Let's hear the bad news. Don't
stress just the good" There
isn't anything about the peoples
morale that calls for their be-
ing treated like nation of SUBJ
normal juveniles. -.
1T is possible that the Ameri-
can people have been under the
impression that part OF this tax
that we pay was being used for
our protection" Imagine
the sale of war material to a
potential enemy six months be-
fore they declare war on us"
Not enough letters In the
alphabet now for naturalization
of boards In Washington"
Let the politicians show their
willingness 10 sacrifice"
" hl1 NbIhN
and careful are not 10 be found
I'm the lexicon Of. our navy"
THE man next door gets relief,
why should not 10" apparently
serious Labor has been
petted and pampcrcd. Why"
-. "A housekeeping In the army
and navy departments"
The japanese have not been
removed from areas on the Pa
cific Coast where they they en-
danger the safety of the COun-
try" Farmers are worried
about where they are going 10
get help To keep their farms go
ing" eff soldiers can he
sent to Ireland. why cannot Mac
Arthur get endorsements ,"
could we. via the AleutianS,
slam into one of the islands just
north of Japan proper, and use
them aS bombing bases for "A
week 10 destroy Japan and then
get out ."