The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-08-03
Priority Control

is increased the government may have
to curtail supplies for publishers and
commercial printers and impose COM
plete priority control over paper, the
War Production Board reported"
There arc two things l don't like
about that statement. One is Com
plete priority control That is what
Roosevelt wants over everything, and
that is what he points to in every
thing he does.
Every piece of publicity we get
from the hundreds of government
agencies carries hint of the direct
ion which the present leaders in
Washington hope we will go.
From one: mention was also made
that stern measures would be eXer-
cised against employers who failed
to include the name and social secur-
ity account number of each employee
in the quarterly social security tax
return" Now, wouldn't that be Grim
inal?
The same agency. in another story,
boasts that there arc $4,000 employ
ees in their group, including those in
$50 field offices through the nation,
45 million persons now contributing
to the fund. and with enactment of
proposed legislation another 90 mil
lion "are anticipated"
We still remember back in April,
in direct violation of the Bill of
Rights, President Roosevelt ordered
the armed seizure of the Montgomery
Ward plant,a private concern not en-
gagged in war production. Backed by
the attorney general, Francis Bid
die, it left the way open for the Pres
ident to do anything he pleascs, using
the flimsy preteXt that "war powers
give him the right.
Propaganda is already coming to
this office which continues to mention
Roosevelt as the commander in
chief" There is regulation that for
bids anyone in the armed forces from
taking part in political activities. But
he uses the title for political reasons.
He used a special train to go from
Washington to the west coast so he
could give his acceptance speech from
naval base, making it appear he
vital to the war. He stopped in Chi
cago long enough to direct some of
the political activities here. Civilians
of course are urged not to use the
trains except upon necessity, yet he
can disrupt an entire railroad system
by an unnecessary special train on an
unnecessary mission for political
reasons.
We are already to the point where
those in power feel "the king can do
no wrong Citizens are prevented
from sending congratulatory mes
ssges by telegraph. yet he used the
wires to congratulate Senator Tru-
man.
complete priority control" 1t sure
looks like it's on the way unless VIC
check it in November.
#4*&4#*
The second thing | don't like about
the original statement was the alb
sense of any mention of cutting down
on use of paper by the federal gov
eminent itself among those bureaus
which are not connected with war
work.
While the paper shortage is acute,
the propaganda agents Of the null
tiple New Deal agencies know nothing
of it. Reams Of paper with material
that goes straight to the wastebasket,
continue to pour into this office, with
requests that it be published. If they
would only be more careful and keep
the ink marks off the backs of the
pages we might use it for copy paper
but it's not even disable for that pur-
pose.
Recently the spoilers were inact-
waited. Each one was given certifi-
cate, printed in two colors, on paper
that no commercial printing company
is able to buy With the certificate
three letters were given, one from a
major, one from the secretary Of war.
and one from a colonel. all saying
about the same thing in words of
praise. Four sheets of paper to every
spotter. not only here but in thou
sands of communities all over this
land. Multiply such unnecessary use
of paper by the thousands and you
get a paper shortage. Maybe that's
what Roosevelt wants. What would
he more to his advantage than no
paper available for the only independ
ent agency that remains III the
country, the free press. so criticism
of his acts as sovereign ruler can't
be distributed to the people who hear
his voice over the radio and believe
his promises that each time will be
the last time he will run.
Now if he doesn't use his position
as commander in chief" to order our
boys to slow up little, those driving
Ysnks might have the European war
over before the election and the Pac-