Evening star., 1942-09-19
The Home Front

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Almost without exception. Ameri-
cans returning to their homeland
from the battle fronts and the enc
my countries express surprise at the
seeming failure of the American
people to realize that they are fight
ing war for their very existence.
These returning nationals, men like
Ambassador Crew. for example, say
that we are doing good job On
the home front, but not good enough.
Something is lacking, and that
something, apparently, is the grim
determination to subordinate every
personal consideration to the win
ming of the war. The Russians, the
Germans and the japanese seem to
have achieved this national state of
mind. If we have not, what is the
explanation?
Undoubtedly there are a number
OF reasons. But one of the most
conspicuous at this time is the fail
ure of the Government to adapt
its own attitude to the demands of
total war. To put it another way,
the quality of our national leader
ship has been good, but not good
enough.
The official reaction to the high
handed tactics of Joseph C. Petrillo,
president of the American Fedora
ton Of Musicians, is case in point.
This labor boss has decreed that
his musicians may not make musical
records and transcriptions. Elmer
Davis, director of the Office Of War
Information, says this is injurious
to the national system of communi-
cations and a serious threat to the
work of his Office. James L. Fly,
chairman of the Federal Communi-
cations Commission, says that Mr..
Petrillo's action threatens to "dry
up" more than 40 per cent of the
Nations radio programs. If this
were being done by politically
impotent businessman he would be
brought to heel in short order. But
no official in Washington has seen
fit to call a spade spade in dealing
with Mr.. Petrillo.
In Alabama, thousands of shipyard
workers have gone on strike because
they object to paying five cents for
a ferry ride. to the shipbuilding
plant. The ferry service was in
augurated by the city of Mobile at
the request of the Maritime Com
mission, and spokesman for the
commission has said that the fare
is a reasonable one. But the workers
have refused to pay it, and they have
barricaded bridge leading to the
plant to prevent other employees
from using that means of reaching
the yards. But no official in Wash
ington has undertaken to denounce
this sabotage of the war effort.
The CIO and the AFL are engaged
in row in Detroit over the organi-
zation of workers in a string Of
candy shops. To "retaliate" against
the CIO, officials of the AFL team
sters union have forced the city's
hotels and restaurants to place their
milk orders exclusively with AFL-
organized creameries. This was &C
complished by threat to stop de-
liveries of all kinds to the hotels and
restaurants, although they have
nothing to do with the candy shop
row. No one in Washington so much
as comments on the employment
of these disruptive tactics in city
which is vital to the war effort.
It may be true that the effect of
these strikes on war production,
when measured against the total
output, is negligible. And it also
may be, as the apologists for labor
say, that the percentage of time
lost to strikes is small when
compared to the total of time
worked. But the damage done to
national morale by the constant re-
currence of these strikes and the
administrators complacent atti-
tude toward them is quite another
matter.
1t is easy to tell the people OF
the country that they are fighting
for their national existence, and
that they must put everything they
have into the fight. But it is hard
to drive this fact home to them
when their Government, time after
time, chooses to look the other way
in the face of unmitigated sabotage