Evening star., 1943-02-13

ports are just gross exaggerations
that the people as a whole in the
United States are in this war to see
it through with heart and body and
soul and that our population is
willing and glad to give up some
| of their shoes and sugar and coffee
and automobile riding-and privi-
leges and profits-for the sake of
the common cause.
could not deny to our troops that
few chiselers. few politicians and
few publicists-fortunately very
few-have placed their personal am
bition or greed above the Nation s
interests
Our troops know that the Nazis
and Fascists and Japanese are try
ing hard to sell the untruths of prop
aganda to certain types of Ameri-
cans. But our troops also know
that even if you pile a lot of mole
hills of deception one on top of the
other you still cannot make a noun
tain big enough or solid enough
to fool many people or to block the
road to victory and to an effective
peace.
A fundamental of an effective
peace is the assurance to those men
who are fighting our battles that
when they come home they will
find country with an economy firm
enough and fair enough to provide
jobs for. all those who are willing
to work.
r~ Sees Jobs Assured.
I am certain that private enter
prise will be able to provide the
vast majority of those jobs-and in
those cases where this cannot be
accomplished that the Congress will
pass the legislation which will make
good the assurance of jobs.
There are still few who say we
cannot achieve this and other hon
orable, reasonable aims for the post
war world. In speaking of these pro-
fessional skeptics-these men of lit
tie faith-there comes to my mind
an old word in our language-the
word "pettifoggers."
The formal, dictionary definition
and derivation of the word are
neither here nor there. To most
of us 1t brings to mind a man who
is small and mean and tricky and
picayune and-in word-petty. 1t
is the type Of man who is always
seeking to create smoke screen
or fog for the purpose of obscuring
the plain truth.
Today the pettifoggers are at
tempting to obscure the essential
truths of this war. They are seek
ing to befog the present and the
future and the clear purposes and
high principles for which the free
world now maintains the promise
Of undimmed victory.
In North Africa we are now mass
ing armies-British, French and
American-for one of the major
battles of this war.
The enemy's purpose in the battle
OF Tunisia is to hold at all costs
their last bridgehead in Africa to
prevent us from gaining access to
the straits that lead to Nazi-dom-
mated Europe.
Our prime purpose in this battle
Of Tunisia is to drive our enemies
into the sea.
A Score to Settle.
The British lst Army in this bat
tie, commanded by Gen. Anderson
contains many veterans of Flanders
and Dunkerque. These men have a
score to settle with the Nazis.
+ The British 9th Army, COM
manded by Gen. Montgomery, has
! to its eternal credit the smashing
defeat Of Marshal Rommels army
and now historic l,500-mile pursuit
of those once triumphant Nazi-
Fascist forces.
The enemy in Tunisia will be at
tackled from the south by this great
9th Army and by the French
forces who have made a remarkable
march all the way across the Sahara
Desert under Gen. LIE Clerc, one OF
! Gen. De Gaulle's officers. From the
west the enemy will be attacked by
F the combined force Of British and
( Americans, together with French
troops under the command of Gen
! Giraud.
All these forces are commanded
! by Gen. Eisenhower. I spent many
hours in CaSablanca with this young
/ general-a descendant of Kansas
/ pioneers. I know what a fine, tough
/ job he has done and how carefully
and skillfully he is directing the SOL
dierS under him. I want to say tc
you tonlght-and to him-that We
have every confidence in his lead
erShip. High tribute was paid tc
his qualities as a soldier when the
British government, through Mr.
Churchill, took the lead at Casa
blanca in proposing him for the su-
preme command of the great Allied
operations which are imminent.
The deputy to Gen. Eisenhower /.
Gen. Alexander, one of Britain,
greatest fighting men. Gen. Alex.
ander commanded all British force.
in the Middle East. inclding the 8tf
Army, which won the decisive battle
at Ell Alamein. He and Gen. Mont.
gomery planned that engagement
and the tremendous advance which
/ followed 1t. At this moment-as