The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-07-13

Clare Booth Luce is on the loose
again, with loose thinking.
In .her major political speech, the
lady from the Nutmeg State practical
ly dumped the blame for the war on
the President.
Her statement was so broad that she
came near nudging Britains Lyttelton
for a place in the same beclouded sun.
The lady from Connecticut is good
speaker. That is, she has a pleasant
way of speaking. Her delivery, tech
nically, is good. But what she delivers
is too often tripe.
In her Chicago speech the tripe was
ripe.
Now a lady engaged in partisan poll
tics has right to get a bit off the
pathway of accuracy. She even has a
right to do a bit of technical lying. But
if she does, she must expect to be
called for ii.
Partisan politics calls for good bit
of smearing and this campaign will
produce its share. But to accuse the
President of being the cause of the war
seems carrying things a bit too far
Mrs. Luce said it wasn't Republi-
can President who dealt with Hitler
and with MussOlini and with Hirohito.
Hideous thing, it was Democratic
President.
That, Lady, comes pretty doggoned
near to hitting somewhere below the
belt.
And this isn't a Democratic column.
1t seeks to be Il column of fairness.
That's ALL
1t just happens that Mr.. Hoover had
been invited out of the presidency be-
fore the advent of Hitler and the
horrible muss, but Republican presi-
dents certainly did deal with the Jap
anese emperor and with other auto
Gratis, INCLUDING THE CZAR OF
RUSSIA.
In an earlier speech Mrs. Luce coin
ed the sO-called word "globalOney'' and
some of her best advisers had to sug
gest to her that she cut out that type
of wise crack The reaction was too
swift and hurtful.
Since then the lady has been care
ful-until her Chicago blast.
She talked about G.I. jim, the boy
who won't come back-and how i'm
portant it is that CT. Joe who does
come back shall find a nation worthy
of his buddies' sacrifice
Every politician in both parties will
sing that song before the battle ends
and that's fair enough.
But to lay at the feet of the Presi-
dent the inferential charge that HE is
responsible for the war is surely pretty
far on the road of dirty pool.
Hitler made his intentions perfectly
clear in Mein Kampf. Hirohito made
his intentions clear at Pearl HarbOr.
Some good canny partisan politician
ought to come forth with a statement
to show how we could have kept out
of war after we were darned near shot
into staggering defeat at Pearl Har-
Dor by Japs who came sailing through
the sky while their top leaders were
in Washington prattling of peace to
blind our eyes to reality. If we hadn't
wanted peace we would have better
seen the war that was coming with the
precision of a charted destiny.
Perhaps that is a job for the Chi
cagO Tribune, or for those who hold
Hitler s-particularly those who
haven't sent those medals back.
1t is interesting to recall that the
National Press Club, surely no lover
of autocracy and dictatorship, once
made Mussolini life member, not see
ing, of course, the filthy purpose be-
hind the Mussolini facade of assumed
friendship. Lady - and bretheren it
doesn't pay to hit low, even in politics.
-CMW.