Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-02-04


Is most unfortu- N ylsGl
nate but there Is S
very little any
body in Wash ssSsss>
ington can do to David Lawrence.
refute 1t when the President himself
allows the chairman of the Demo-
cratic National Committee to issue
a statement calling for the election
of . Democratic Congress on the
ground that the Republican party
could not be trusted to be patriotic
in support of the prosecution OF the
war.
There are plenty Of reasons why
those who believe in the Democratic
party as a proper instrument for
the execution of public policy should
support Democrats at the polls in
the coming congressional election,
but one of them is not the accusa-
ton that the Republicans would not
support the war program.
There are plenty of reasons why
those citizens who believe in the Re-
publican party as an enhcient in
strument for the execution Of pub
lie policy should urge the election of
Republicans to Congress- but one of
them Is not the accusation that the
Democratic administration has any
less desire than any other group
to win the war.
No Copyright on Loyalty.
The Republicans might well con-
tend that the parasites who clutter
up Government Offices in Washing
ton and the billions OF dollars Of
non-defense expenditures that still
remain ought to be removed from
the scene. They might contend also
that the palpable effort Of the So
called civilian defense administers
ton to wipe out State and local gov
ernments in the interest Of defense
is an interesting campaign topic.
They might even 60 further and ask
why the present administration al
lowed the inefflciency in the Army
and Navy higher-ups which played
such contributory part in the Pearl
Harbor disaster.
But neither party has a copyright
on loyalty or patriotism and both
parties are supposed to be interested
in offering criticism or alternative
policies only on the supposition that
the adoption Of such policies would
help America win the war sooner
than otherwise,
1t would be ideal, Of course, II poll
tics could be adjourned for the dura-
ton. But it never has been. It
was the same during the last World
War. But the public does expect
that the use Of public funds or public
Offices should not extend to political
purposes or the furtherance of po-
utical detectives.
Thus President Roosevelt's an
nounced intention to make q fireSide
chat on the progress of the war to
date" on the same evening that the
parasites who feed at the public
trough from coast to coast are as
sembled in dinners at 500 a plate
so as to pay off the 100000 of
Democratic party debt is mistake.
Mr.. Roosevelt may never, of course,
give his fireside chat on the same
night but it's good advance publicity
for the dinners, now being widely
ballyhooed.
Wilson's Mistake.
The progress Of the war is a sub
feet which interests the American
people irrespective Of party and any
attempt to tie it up to the Demo-
cratic party cannot but lead to wide
spread disappointment, if not dis
unity. The present administration
doesn't hesitate to ask everybody to
furnish sons for the battle front, ir-
respective of party. The war effort
cannot have the slightest faint OF
party connivance without producing
q break in national morale.
Mr.. Roosevelt wants Democratic
Congress elected. So did President
Wilson but the latter made the mis-
take Of questioning the loyalty Of the
Republicans and the Nation re-
sponded in the midst of war by elect
ing the Republican party to control
of both the House and the Senate on
November 4, 1918-at a time when
the end of the war was not generally
expected.
The President owes to the millions
OF voters who support Wendell
Willkie an apology for consenting to
the kind of appeal which Chairman
Flynn has made. Mr.. Willkie has
been loyal supporter Of the Presi-
dents foreign policy. If after the
primaries there are q number
of Willkie Republicans nominated,
would Mr.. Flynn still say Willkie
Republicans could not be trusted to
see that every effective and proper
aid is given the executive branch Of
the Government to prosecute the
war? It's a question on which
doubtless Mr.. Willkie and all the