The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-07-16
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| TODAY
and
TOMOR row
By DON ROBINSON
Bv DON ROBINSON
predictions

of the world and our production
is way below what it should be.
If that sentence is a little con-
fusing, please pardon tim just
repeating the inside dope" l got
from talking to officials in Wash
ington.
1 also learned that the rubber
shortage is lot of poppycock and
that we may be entirely out of
rubber in a year; that sugar ra-
tioning is necessary because our
imports are cut off and that there
is no sense in sugar rationing
since the nations sugar bins are
bullying with sugar; that the rub
Der shortage and the sugar nui-
ance are entirely the fault of the
oil interests, of the alcohol in
terests, of Mr.. Ickes, of congress,
of the department of agriculture.
FACTS fiction
AS for the war-if I am permit
ted by censorship to reveal such
vital information-the British are
definitely going to open a second
front this summer; there is no
chance that the British will at
tempt second front this year;
the japanese have been greatly
weakened by our sea victories and
other attacks; the Japanese are
now stronger than they were at
the beginning of the war; the
Russians can't hold out against
the Germans and the Germans
never will be able to defeat the
Russians; the French are about to
revolt against German rule and
the French are ready to 60 to war
on the side of the Axis.
Having learned all of these vi
tai facts, l talked with a fairly
prominent official about what I
should say to newspaper readers
to inspire them to play a more
helpful part in our country's war
effort.
His advice was for me to do
everything possible to urge the
people to stop criticizing our gov
eminent. Everyone down here"
he said, sis doing his level best.
Mistakes are made, but in general
it should be made clear that every
department is doing an excellent
job. Look at what Donald Mel
son is doing, for instance"
NELSON exhibit
Donald Nelson, I found, has be-
come Exhibit A of Washington
efficiency and accomplishment.
When other officials pull boners
which invite barrage of criti-
cism, no matter how unrelated to
war production a boner may be,
critics are met with a scornful
reminder that Donald Nelson is
part of the government they are
criticizing and he is dong a mas
terful job of getting war materi-
ais produced.
There is no doubt that Mr.. Mel
son is doing a remarkable job
but the things we criticize, such
as the sugar and gasoline ration
ing confusion, have nothing what
ever to do with Mr.. Nelson. He
is simply being marched out when
an example of Washington eff
cheney is needed in the hope that
inefficiency of others will be o.
vershadowed by the glowing &C
complishments of the head of the
War Production board.
In war time, it is true, we
should probably all try to work
together as one big family; we
should follow the advice of our
leaders and make a real effort
to cooperate with every phase
OF the war program. But the
heads Of the family need to get
together more than they have so
far. In any family, when the pa
rents fight among themselves, it
is impossible for the children to
| be obedient.
SECRETS lips
Anyone visiting Washington is
Immediately impressed by the
know-it-allness of the third and
fourth assistants to the assistant
head of practically any depart
ment. These men, feeling the
Importance of their official con-
tnection with the government, rea-
lie that they must impart tasty
morsels of secret information if
they hope to make any impress
sion whatsoever on their visitors.
So, with warnings not to repeat
what they tell you, they reveal
that Roosevelt has told his inner
circle the war will last ten years
but doesn't think the time ripe to
pass this information on to the
people, that Ma Perkins and Ma
Roosevelt are on the outs, that
prominent member of the govern
ment is tied up with the Nazis,
that the FBI is expecting trouble
in certain factories - or any 9TH