Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-07-30


had the misfortune to be born of
of enemy ancestry.
Yet no thinking person will say
that this betokens Indifference or
apathy, or that a frenzied state of
mind is necessary to maximum effort.
Uncle Sam has grown up. He is
no longer the hysterical school girl
he was in 1917-1918. Today, he is
going about the business grim and
tight-lipped and saying little. And
he is probably all the more danger
Gus for it.
But despite the gigantic strides
we are making toward ultimate vic
tory, our political leaders continue
their ranting and exhortation that
we must awaken and realize the
gravity of our position. They charge
that we are too SNUG and complacent.
This plant is echoed by news
paper and radio commentators, COL
lege professors, club women, business
leaders and similar folk who are
prone to follow a line of thought
others have laid out
They do not realize that the per-
turbation our leaders evince does
not come wholly from an anxious
concern for the public welfare. 1t
comes in no small measure of worry
over their own political future.
Had the administration been able
to whip up war frenzy to equal
that of 1917-1918, there would prob
ably be little danger of lessening
of Administration strength in the
coming new Congress. It is not un-
likely that those of our legislators
who opposed Mr.. Roosevelt prior to
Pearl Harbor would have been swept
out of office.
But little indication comes from
the bailiwicks of the former nom
interventionists that there is any
widespread rebellion against them.
Even in New York, where the
Roosevelt influence is presumed to be
strong, Hamilton Fish, the non-inter-
ventionist, is conceded a better than
even chance of reelection. All the
name-calling and abuse to which he
has been subjected by the inter-
ventionists has apparently hurt him
very little His constituents seem to
be giving Indifferent ear to the out
bursts against him.
And despite the vigorous effort
everywhere to stir up resentment
against former administration op-
ponents, the story in New York is re-
peated elsewhere. It is significant
that such interventionist newspapers
as the Minneapolis Tribune and Star
Journal say little concerning the non
interventionist angle when they re-
port the results of primaries about
the country. In no place does there
seem to be much indication that the
electorate has taken seriously the
charges which have been hurled
against the former Neutrality-suspicious.
lists.
Mr.. Roosevelt spoke recently in a
manner to create the impression that
he might lend his political influ-
ence to those who went along with
him on his foreign policy, regard
less of party affiliations, and to try
to bring about the defeat of those
who opposed him.
If so, he may think better of it
and adopt, instead, a course of nom
interference. If the results in scat
tering primaries indicated that in
PREVENTION VS.. non-intervention is not
an issue in the public mind, and cam
not be made an issue, he has suf-
ficient political acumen to see the
wisdom in laying off.
And if he does lay off, it will not
be because he has any scruples
against meddling in local elections,
but because the danger of rebuff,
with all its implications, is too great.
Here in Minnesota, it may be pre-
sumed that the Ball-Stassen clique
is equally uncertain about the course
it should follow.
Whether they have Roosevelt's
political wisdom is probably doubt
full. They may try to drag in the
issue of interventionism. If so, they
may find that they have thrown a
boomerang.
It is by no means certain that the
interventionists would not welcome a
re-opening of the argument. They
might like an opportunity to give the
telling answer they have in readiness
I'VE opposed the things Stassen
and Ball urged, because we believed
it would involve us in war. They
insisted it would not. Those things
were done. And we are at war;"
And they will make capital of
Stassen's opposition to the "Votes for
Soldiers" proposal. Whether with or
without reason, it will be claimed
that he opposed because he feared