Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-18
RooseveIt's
Foes Don't
All Hate Him
Sincere Critics Respec
President. PegIer Says
BY wEsTBROOK PEGLER

my WlSuOm IL SuSntiy ldliipie, 81
I will take a chance today and
notice persistent insinuations
out of Washington and New
York, and in some of the little
papers published by the profess
SIGNAL unioneers, that all citizens
OF our country who criticize any
domestic action or policy Of our
government are Roosevelt hat
ers."
can speak with authority be-
cause l have expressed some
opposition, but still think Presi-
dent Roosevelt is the strongest
man among us, the fittest and,
on all counts, the most logical
man in the United States to
carry on the task OF war presi-
dent and a great doer and
achiever on his war record upI
TO now.
Our preparations were insult
ficient. hut they were far more
advanced, thanks 10 the Presi-
dents powerful persistence
against the indifference and OPP
position of our people. than they
would have been under the rule
OF a less energetic and deter
mined man.
He made us get ready far be-
yond our active willingness TO I
do so.
EOR another thing. no loyal
l. American citizen can hate|
the President OF the United
States. because he personifieS6l
even 10 those who disappro'
certain policies and actions OF
the administration. the govern
ment OF our country.
!, Ouf>people elected him know
s5Ajng all the facts of the situation
and having heard all the srgu-
z ments about the third term
which !. personally, thought was
a weak issue.
And / recognize, Of course.
that the party in power used the
public funds and its extensive
bureaucracy in the interests of
Mr.. Roosevelt's third candidacy,
but even a standpat Republican
must admit that 1t were ever
thus in our country.
II amt nice. but il Is one of
the plain facts of our political
life. and to the extent Of their
ingenuity and their political ne
ceSsity. the Republicans before
Mr.. Roosevelt used the same
methods.
The difference was not one Of
principle or basic methods, but
of degree.
l was one who believed gloom
lily as early as 1885. and against
the opinion Of many informed
American journalists in Europe.
that Hitler was determined 10
have war.
Tl1E- contrary opinion. en-
l. pressed patiently and some
times condescendingly by men
who knew European statesmen
as a county-seat reporter knows
his local politicians. held that all
this sword rafting was Just
power politics and that blood
shed would never come Of IL. =.
Sometimes they made me feel
naive, but knew they were alb
solutely sincere and l realize
that the President in those days
must have been subject 10 much
Of the same reassuring and di
arming argument by honest meN
whose counsel. had he followed
il. would have cost us much
Of the military and industrial
fitness for war which he has
wrought so far.
And. at the risk of a charge
OF complacency. / insist that the
progress which the President has
made in converting a militarily
habby nation from the ways and
mind Of an unarmed. f1ippant.
/ luxury loving people, whose
amusement industry was one OF
the most important in the land,
has been a much greater achieve
ment than most of us know.
The great military cities, the
air fields and their craft and
buildings and many Of the very
factories did not exist and most
of the men in uniform today did
not know corporal from
brigadier.
IF A. PRESIDENT is TO be
Il criticized for his policies and
errors of execution he must also
receive credit for his good works.
and / belieYe President Roose-
welt has brought us or dragged
us far ahead OF the military and
industrial war stage which the
enemy had set for us as Of this
time.
The indiscriminate Use Of the
term Roosevelt hater" cannot
now arouse actual hatred of the
head of our nation in men and
women TO whom ii is wrongfully
applied with dark purpose. but
neither is it likely to- intimidate
those who. nevertheless, opposed
the Presidents passive encour-
agement of predatory and law
less political unionism and his
liberation Of men in government
who have committed themselves