The Wilmington morning star., 1943-08-21
By WEsTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
NEW YORK.-President Roosevelt, in his
recent report on the war, gave certain as
surances to the men ana women OF the armed
forces and the men of the merchant marine
as to the preferences and benefits which they
will receive when they come home. This was
Just white chip 10 open the pot, SO to speak,
and as the boys b1gin to raise around the
tahie, the betting will get brisker and rougher.
Ey this time next year, the candidates will
be tossing IOU's into the middle, couched in
figures like the score by innings, all drawn
against the future, including the future of
the very people who are on the receiving end
of the promises.
This is all pretty thin, however, because
everybody knows that when this is over and
the lads and ladies come home, they will not
be in a mood to ask or receive. They will
just take over and take it because this time
there are SO many of them that no candidate
or party will be able to stand them Off A
discharge bounty or bonus of $1,000 for all
hands will be easy promising because, after
ALL that would run to only 10 billion dollars,
which used to be reckoned as fairly sizable
pile but isn't much now by comparison with
the bill for the war and the war on want
which preceded it. If we are going TO send
groceries and food and machinery to the hum
dreds of millions of eX-enemies and ex-sub-
jects of the ex-enenlies (as we probably aren't
on any such scale we are now leading
these people to expecD 10 billions or even
so billions more added onto the bill, to provide
bounty or bonus of $1,000 each, will not
intimidate people who will then be asking
what about me?"
But the really honest candidate, if we have
one next year, will be the man who speaks
up to the veterans in somewhat the same
mood and vein in which Winston Churchill laid
it down to the people .of Britain when ne took
over and the Nazi across the channel was
drowning from the effects of his big meal
on the continent instead of plunging into the
water in pursuit of the British. The honest
candidate would say that from war the vet
erans must expect to turn to hard, steady
work and a standard of living considerably
below our old one, because when it is over
this country will be just about as clean strip
ped of things that people need as the leanest
store in town today. He would say that, yes,
fellow would rate little lay-off and some
parades and ceremonies but that the recovery
and rebuilding will call for hard work, start
ing almost Immediately and continuing Wlth-
out prospect of any let-up for years and years.
And he would promise them years OF extreme
ly heavy taxes, too, and point out that because
there will be so very many veterans this Tune
the rest of the people, most OF whom Will be
either definitely old or within few birthdays
of the downhill slope, will be unable to tote
the load and won't be here to tote 1t more
than few years, anyway.
That would be hell OF way Tor candl-
date to speak to block of votes which will
run this country after the war, so probably
no candidate will take this line and the prom
ising about the brave new world of the future
will be unconfined. And l have no confidence
that the veterans will want to reclaim en-
tirely the old freedoms at home Whlch many
of them (the younger ones) never knew any
way except by heresay, and break ranks ana
have done with RECOMMENDATION IN their cl-
william life. True, they will not be very pa
tient about missionaries and forms but II
it is put to them that by filling out the blanks
and giving cerain information and comply
ing with certain restrictive regulations saved
over from the war, they stand, TO get pene1ltS
in money of tax-exemptlon, or preferential
status in government jobs, they WILL pc strohg-
ly tempted to go along and to root Tor more
and more government jobs man may thlnk
| he is tired of RECOMMENDATION when he is only
tired of discipline and routine but unconscious
| ly dependent on the government as result
of wears in the service That life does develop
| a feeling that ''they,'' meaning the govern
ment will be sending along the food and
clothing in time if not on time, and there VIII
be many persuasive takers to promise Sc
curty'' provided by the state is obedience to
the state in phases of civilian life IN which
Americans always before were free.
| To be sure the veterans will want work be-
cause work is the human way OF lie and
the idleness was a curse equal to the poverty
in the long depression. But what chance has
a candidate who says Il promise you only
work and taxes to pay for the shells you shot
away against one who promises cash awards,
tax exemption and security?
| -V-