Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-08-27

90 tne y Clayton w.
warn US Fountain
against the danger of COM
placency, and exhort us to in
tensify our individual contribu-
tions to the prosecution of the
war.
But those in high places do
not go far enough in roofing
out the causes of the compla-
cency, They make the mistake
of viewing the war effort in
purely military perspectives. In
stead of taking into considera-
tion all the social and political
complications which gave rise
to the war, and which bear
strongly on the day to day pro-
gress of the military operations,
they base base their appeals for
increased civilian exertion on
narrow concepts of martial
maneuvers.
Lose Sight of Social Goals
We should have learned by
now that the power and pomp
of military prowess is not
cough, in itself, to inspire peo-
greater efforts. The de-
strength of the Fascist
Gates the lack of pop
zeal in military grand
eu..
When the military strategists
fail to tie up their tactical
operations with the social goals
at stake in the war effort, it is
extremely difficult to maintain
stability of morale.
You cannot step up the prod
uction of tanks by Grating about
the urgency of taking Hill X on
Salient BAT. Nor can you min
imize the obstinacy of plant
manager who violates a senior
ity agreement, by stressing the
need for fifty more tanks with
which to invade Valley Z37-L9.
These things just do not tie
up in civilian mind like they
do in a military mind.
The Weakness of Hatred
Appeals to hatred do not
work, either. Even the soldier
at the front, who is constantly
exposed to the greatest dangers,
soon learns that. Human beings
cannot thrive on steady diet
of hatred; it sickens them, like
green apples, or spoiled ham
burger, when they get too much
of it.
People can be popped up for
short time by mass hysteria,
or mob psychology. But such
feelings are not natural to man.
kind. The strain imposed on hu-
man beings by violent emotional
upheavals is terrific; it tires
them, and soon wears off.
In the long run, neither en-
joyment of physical conquest
nor artificial hatred make good
ammunition for inspiring people
to give their best to the waging
of war.
But, once people are convinced
that life, liberty and happiness
depend on the outcome of the
war, all hell cannot hold them
back.
Vision of Good Life
The best cure for complacency
is a vision of a good life to
follow the war. President Roose-
velt had something like this in
mind when he announced his
postwar program for reward
ing service men with social
security.
A recent Gallup Poll revealed
that the bulk of the American
people want to have social
security measures expanded and
broadened. 1t is pertinent to
wonder, therefore, if Congress
contributed to our complacency
by pigeon-holing the social Sc
curity program advanced by the
National Resources aiming
Board?
1t is also to be wondered if
complacency can be overcome by
wrecking price control heaping
taxes on the poor, and tying the
workers up with oppressive
laws?
Who knows hut what a heal
thy hunk of the Four Freedoms,
sampled today, might be a bet
ter cure for complacency than
propaganda against the possi-
bility of fourth term? ?"
price, so that after certain
rasnskE A.