The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-04-29

HAZEL
EYES
By Hazel Brannoa

upon a free press:
"No experiment can be more in
teresting than that We are now try
ing, and which we trust will end in
establishing the fact, that many may
be governed by reason and truth.
Our first object should therefore
BE-, to leave open to him all the
to truth. The most effect
ual hitherto found IL the freedom Of
the press. II 10. therefore. the first
shut up by those who fear the in
vestigation Of their actions.
sour citizens may be deceived for
while. and have been deceived; but
~ long ~ the presses can be pro-
tsctsd, W may trust to them for
light"
A great deal has been said and written
about the exclusion Of the press from
the International Food Conference to BE-
held in Nay At Hot Springs. Va. Assist
ant Secretary Of State Dean Acheson
said In . statement to the press that
"tAs object Of tbs conference was to
analyse The postwar food needs Of each
participating country from the stand
point Of production. distribution and
consumer demand" Plans would be
formulated to meet these needs. he said,
ct this and Forthcoming conferences.
Secretary Achsson also said the Hot
Springs meeting would be devoted ex-
clusively to civilian food needs "after
Ii war;" but that the President is con-
sidering another international confer
sncs in which tho United States would
participate in . discussion Of the food
which United Nations would need "be-
fore the war ends"
II seems that In this, rs SO many
other things, the administration is get
ting the cart before the horse. It might
veil concentrate on making provisions
for the food we are going to need before
the war ends than on any scheme to
provide food when the war Is over. That
date Is too indefinite and conditions at
that time in this and other countries
cannot be forstold now. II better pro-
vision isn't made now 1t IL likely that
the hungry people Of Europe and the
occupied countries will die Of starvation
and malnutrition long before the wal
10 over.
Americas President is the father Of
the "Four Freedoms" proclaimed to the
world in the Atlantic Charter. With the
exclusion Of the American press at an
International conference that admittedly
will not discuss war secrets, brings to
A&aAsAhat ne should practice at home
what We preach, regarding the four free
doms, particularly the one about a free
press.
There are many American citizens who
suspect the administration Of holding
srudges against the American press and
begrude it the freedom It has always
known. It's action in allowing the press
20 be banned from such gatherings As
the food conference gives some basis
for their suspicious.
Every man, woman and child in Amer
lea, regardless Of race, creed or color,
has = vital stake in maintaining = free
press . . because = free press is an
absolute necessity for a free people.
Individual rights cannot be swept away
~ long as there il = free press to fight
for them. The conquered people Of
Europe know this.
Just what could be going on at a mere
food conference that the American peo-
pie are not entitled to know about!
Could It be that the action taken at such
. meeting would not bear the ~investi-
cation Of the American people?
The time has come for the question
Of John L. Lewis to be settled once and
Tor all. America Is not big enough for
Lewis and the American people. 1t is
not big enough for Mr.. Roosevelt and
Lewis. The American people, particularly
the ones under the domination of Lewis
In his unions, should decide what they
want -. rule by Lewis now until Hitler
takes over -. or whether they will cast
off the yoke on their shoulders and
stand on their own feet and tell him
where to 60. Just as surely as strikes
are permitted to continue and production
Of steel stopped from lack Of coal, or
any other cause. just that surely Amer
lea will be defeated in the war we are
now trying to win.
American boys are dying on the far
flung battlefields Of the world. Some
OF them have been tortured to death.
Are the American people so spineless
that they will continue to permit q man
like John L. Lewis to run the country
and stop production Of armaments to fill
the hands Of those boys fighting for
their very lives and our freedom!
II We are such . weak people that We
let Lewis have his way in this dispute
then we might ~ we'll let our country
Be taken over BY Hitler -. for We aren't
any good anyway and he wouldn't BE-
getting very much.