The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-12-09

In the midst of a small dinner gath
ering not many days ago certain re-
tired Army general said of certain
writer and radio commentator, me
ought to be stood up against wall
and shot,
To which another person present
said to him, General, one of the things
that go to make this country worth
fighting for is the fact that you can't
order him stood against wall to be
shot"
OF course in Germany either the
writer or the general would have been
shot long ago-and perhaps it might
have happened to both of them.
l shall not name the general in this
case, because some Congressman might
try to start an investigation largely
for the sake of the publicity value it
might have for the Congressman.
But in this one small opinion it's a
toss-up as to whether this serious wish
that man might be shot isn't as bad
as Gen. Patton's breach of conduct
What weighs against this retired
general is the fact that he wasn't
fresh out of battle he hadn't the re-
sponsibility for the outcome of any
terrible struggle-but he did and does
have a responsible post on the home
front
Now a word or two about Patton
He's been a tiend for publicity and he
has had fair for getting it. Some
men are that way.
Drew Pearson performed service
when he exposed the Patton episode.
The Army didn't do itself proud
when it issued a cover-up statement
from North Africa. That was sloppy
and Juvenile work.
Finally, Walter Winchell performed
a service in his Nov. 2S broadcast
when he said that we have had all the
benefit to be had from the Patton cpl
sode and the thing to do now is TO
shut up about it so that our enemies
won't be able to capitalize on it, as
they surely will try to do.
Winchell was right. The thing to do
now is to drop the matter and leave
it to the Army to close the incident.
But whether the Patton incident can
be laid away is another question.
Because we have free speech we
have to take what goes with it. That's
as it should be, even if at times it does
hurt
SO, Congressman on the make are
likely to keep on blabbing about Pat
ton as long as they think there is an
other vote to be swung.
Not for years have we had such a
deplorable exhibition in Congress as
we have been having for these past
couple or so of months and there is
no reason to expect the dawn of
reason right now.
1t isn't all compassion for the Slog-
ging foot soldier that makes Congress
men paw the air over Patton'S lousy
conduct. 1t is the same kind of vote
hunting mental Slumgullion that sent
that huge avalanche of Il ma jOrity
against the subsidy plan and the hell
with the cost of living six months
hence.
A certain number of Congressman
always will believe that the best way
to get votes is to start an inveStiga-
ton, to lambaSte somebody or some
group, to smear Il policy or Il man
generally to be against some official or
some policy.
OF course there is Il certain amount
of drama in being against things. If
you are against something you have
the initiative. You start calling names.
Where you finish isn't so important,
as long as the votes are counted first.
But aren't there some congressman
who actually think the voters have
some sense? Aren't there some who
think the voters prefer to Side-track
everything else until the wars are
won?
Aren't there some Congressman who
believe the voters can see through
snide plays and shoddy politics and
who are willing to use what brains
they have to act as nearly like states
men as possible?
Yes, there are some, but at this writ
ing they seem to be few and far be-
tween. Counting them is mental eXer-
else for tive-year oldS. But doing some
thing about it is for the rest of us
when election day rolls 'round.CAIW.