Detroit evening times., 1942-05-20
Liberals Quit
Pressing for
Free Speech
Eyeine Fe cists, They
Violate U. S. Right
By PAUL MALLON

out of this war.
The most aggressive agitation
for such civil liberties formerly
came from the liberal groups in
this country. and even the radi-
Gals. AS minorities, they clam
ored day in and out for free
speech.
Now such agitation by these
groups is no longer noticeable.
For instance. you rarely see the
American Civil Liberties Union
in print. although apparently it
is continuing business at the old
stand.
IL has acquired some new
members for its national COM
mittee. and says il is doing
something about American citi-
zens of Jap descent evacuated
from the West Coast. about de-
Tense of alien rights, and the
prosecution of allegedly seditious
publications, but both the union
itself and free speech agitation
in general are inconspicuous.
INSTEAD. the liberal and radi-
L cal pressure groups seem 10
be working toward suppression
OF free speech among those
Americans whom they deem to
be of Fascist tendencies.
If there is one group OF resi-
dents of this world less entitled
than any other group to free
speech. it is those who want
Germany to win this war.
II is hard for any one TO gen.
crate enthusiasm for free speech
in behalf of those who would de-
stroy it. Personally, ! can't.
Unfortunately. however, the
liberal and radical groups do not
confine their anti-freedom agita-
ton to the Fascists, but are in
clined to let it run freely on
Americans who want to win the
war. but who do not share their
domestic political beliefs.
These groups, under leadership
of their own press, are trying 10
quell opposition TO their causes
by free application of the accu-
sation Fascist"
They are leaving their own
hard-won ground for freedom of
speech TO sweep aside critics of
their political aims while,
strangely enough. this principal
Of free speech for all is one of
the four freedoms this country
is fighting for.
NOV freedom of speech does
~ not mean freedom of express
sion for your own views. 1t
means freedom for the other
fellow. In Maitland any one
who sides with the party in
power enjoys freedom of speech.
The only freedom denied him is
freedom of criticism or objec-
ton. Freedom of expression is
a minority right.
Can it be that the liberals and
radicals now consider themselves
coming into the ascendancy in
this country and are losing in
terest in free speech for the
other fellow?
Where such a tendency would
leave this country in the future
is not clear. Free speech is not
a theory. II must be condi-
ton, maintained day in and day
out, without breathing spells.
4 PPEARANCE of German subs
"A at the mouth of the Missis-
sippi and in the st. Lawrence
Gulf is being viewed apprehen-
sively-but really is good news.
Absence of much sinking news
from our main Atlantic coStal
front proves this Interpretation.
Navy, army and coast guard
patrols seem to have chased the
Nazis from the most important
to lesser fronts.
congressman who have in
quired have found the navy
feeling better now than formerly
about the sub menace.
MIR. ROOSEVELT cast blame
A'A upon the press for popular
confusion over gas rationing in
letter which he sent 10 an in
quirer in Vermont. He thought
the newSpapermen around OPA
got together and guessed that
rationing would hold the aver
age motorists 10 two and one
half to five gallons a week at
the outset and that this started
disputes.
The President must not have
been fully informed. Newsmen
at OPA say the two and one
half 10 five gallons estimate
came from an official in Mr..
Leigh Plummer'S publicity Sec
tion Of OPA.
They do not want TO name
the official because he gave
them the information off the
record. A mimeographed state
ment had been issued at the
time (about month ago. prom
! iSing rationing but mentioning
no figure
Although this unnamed Of
ficiafS private advance guess
was repudiated publicly by both
Leon Henderson and Co-ordina-
tor Ickes at once. he appears
not TO have been so far wrong.
The American Automobile AS
Sociation, IN an official state