The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-11-07

OF course the Stilwell incident Is
vital, not as II affects General
Stilwell nor even as II affects Chi.
ang Kai.shek. Its significance lies
I'm the fact that il discloses the be-
hind.the.scenes trickeries OF the
Roosevelt Administration. the de-
ceits. the falsehoods which saturat'
ed the American mind after years
and years OF repetition. China is
no more a democracy than Soviet
Russia. And ] don't see why 1t
should be.
A people has right TO whatever
form OF government 1t desires. II
a people permits itself be gov
erned by an autocratic despotism
as in Russia or by an oriental feud-
alism as in China, il is their right
and none OF our business. IL the
American people, by the represent
alive process, choose Roosevelt Tor
life, the consequences fall upon
them for better or for worse and 1t
is nobody elses business. What ]
object to are the lies that are being
told 10 the American people. The
President passes the Stilwell Incl
dent off as he passed off Pearl
Harbor. Stilwell couldn't get on
with Chang Kai-Shek-its person
al. Slap me on the wrist!
should not at all be surprised II
Harry Hopkins did tell DR.. II. II.
Kung that the sternness of Donald
Nelson and General Pat Hurley to-
ward Chang Kai.Shek was not TO
be taken seriously. Why not? May.
be F.D.R. forgot to ask II. II. II
he shouold send these two to tell
Chang precisely what this country
expects in return for Lend-Lease.
Maybe II. II. had an off day or
maybe he felt the pangs Of jealousy
over something or maybe he Just
talked TO appease Kung. But surely
he could not have imagined that
DR.. Kung would not forthwith send
the conversation on TO Chang.
And Chang has discovered who is
right, tor Stillwelps a-coming
home. And this is one Of the first
SOOu DIedhS the JdPohSSS 40 NS~
in long time.
And notice. that Clarence Gauss,
our Ambassador to China, is COM
ing home too. ! know Gauss. He
has been in China generally since
1907: | first came across him IN
1919: and I'll certify that nothing
has been put over on him. Well, ne
and Stilwell are out-and | suppose
they'll pull General Chennault out
in due course and send what they
regard as "unprejudiced" observers
out there-folks who know nothing
about the land, the people, the Ian.
guage the -intrigues, the personal
and political relationships which go
back decades. Such unprecedented
observers will have fresh" point
of view even II dumb one.
However, all this can wait until
after Election Day. Now we need
pause only long enough to know
that we are entitled TO vote. that
we can exercise our decisions and
that elections cannot be post
poned. winston Churchill can have
his election postponed by Parlia'
ment but ours is a rigid Constitu-
ton which sets an immovable date
Il Is that date that is the pause
that refreshes. =.
We sit back in the movies and
watch the candidates on the screen.
Some cheer Roosevelt and boo
Dewey. some boo Roosevelt and
cheer Dewey. 1t is a grand express
sion OF individual liberty. II Is won
derful to listen to free citizens boo
the President OF the United States.
Nobody can boo Stain or Chang
Kai-shek or Hitler (maybe they
can now, but it is possible to boo
Roosevelt or Churchill. That is the
wonder OF wonders in this age OF