Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1943-07-22

gE0emenC as 10 WndL 10
propaganda and what is not
that usually we are unable to
separate the real from the
fancied in war news. But, if
we follow closely the facts as
given out we can draw our own
conclusions. Since Pearl Har-
Dor there has
To Cheer been an effort
Or Not on the part of
To Cheer high officials to
control all the
thinking of the American peo-
pie. 1t hasn't worked and it
won't work. Whether release
of either good news or bad news
serves to increase our war NOR
ale has not yet been determined.
And, what is more, it will not
be determined by those who
pose as our psychological "pre
digesters." If the American
people cannot take bad breaks
as they come then we are not
the sturdy nation we love to
picture ourselves. Inversely, if we
are unable to give vent to our
feeling of enthusiasm when good
breaks come and still maintain
(even increase) our efforts to-
ward final victory we lack the
intelligence necessary to the
workings of a democracy.
Because there has been much
spoken and written of the sue
cesses our air force, our Marines,
our army and our navy have
had in combat with the .Japs
in the Pacific we are warned
against showing a spirit of
optimism. 1t is as though a
group of boys were scolded be-
cause they wanted to cheer as
the home team made a few
runs. The point is that there
is a great difference between
optimism and complacency; be-
tween enthusiasm and over-con-
fidence; between confidence and
apathy; between determination
and indifference. We can be
optimistic, enthusiastic, conf
dent and determined and still
carry on the war effort.
Normal human reactions are
best when natural. If a bit of
bad news tends to increase in
terest in the war effort then the
bad news ought to be given
AS Is. And the same applies
to good news. If our reactions
are inclined toward over-confi-
dence it is because we have
been fed on a diet of subdued
and delayed bad news and have
had the bright side played up
too highly. Had all the wars
developments been released to
the public as
Give Us soon as mill
The News tarily safe to do
AS is! so there would
be no need to-
day of scolding a highly opti-
mistic and enthusiastic popu-
lace. 1t is unfortunate that
records indicate a letdown in
production when the trend of
war news is favorable. That
attitude can be scored without
general public Indictment.
It is folly to ask the American
people to control their enthusi-
asm over such victories as we
have had in Tunisia and Sicily.
Worse, it is asking the inn
possible to expect the American
people to regard the sinking of
five, ten, twelve or more Jap
ships or the destruction of
twenty-five, fifty or one hundred
Jap planes as anything but an
occasion for rejoicing.
It is true that we have only
begun to drive the enemy back.
1t is true in Europe and it is
true in the South Pacific. But
the enemy is being driven back
on all fronts. The conquest of
Sicily seems nearing completion
and the control of all the inn
portant airfields in and near
New Guinea seems within reach
at an early date. We have good
reason to look optimistically at
the wars developments. True,
we've only started but what
difference between now and
July, 1912? Then the question
Of the Axis driving the United
N~Hrns ~ II Africa was the