Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-05-03
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
Peeler

COtCi
OLD Charlie Michelson's quiet
~ little book about the Roose-
welt government, The Ghost
Talks" is the least angry
record of a bitter and strldent
time in our history that have
yet read. One could wish,
though necessarily without hope.
that all of us could be as calm.
with the rights and wrongs of
issues and the whittier of our
drift.
He depicts himself as a press
agent doing job for a client.
never, personally, as a world
saver. and seems to assume that
everything will turn out all
right; or, anyway, that what
will be Just had TO be.
Not many of us are so de-
tached. AS my recollection goes,
the initial blame lies with
Charlie Mikes client.
MOT content with their VIC
~ tory in 1882. instead of try
ing 10 heal wounds and unite
the country, the Democrats
were fiippant, arrogant and
threatening, and presently fell
10 fighting among themselves.
1t is over on the left today
that you find the most violent
expressions of hatred flying
between men who once were in
innate friends.
Brother John Lewis sneers al
Brother VIII Green and Brother
Phil Murray rged that
Brother Johns faction OF the
labor movement plotted TO Kill
him.
Nor have even these dis
patches ever attacked the Com
munists in the Go as savagely
as they have been raked by Phil
Pearl. the press-agent Of the
AFT., in Brother Will Green's
Official publication.
CHARLIE, however, is not
~ mad at any one. although
he does admit that the great
qualifications Of Harry Hopkins
70 serve as counsellor 10 the
President In time of war haze
eluded him all these years.
And strangely ne mentions
some mysterious letters "of at
least doubtful authenticity sup
posed 10 be from Henry Wal
lace" whose general purport
was silly rather than evil
InaSmuCh as these letters
have been a Stbfeet-ef gossip
in the newspaper business for
four years hut never have been
mentioned Y print before Mr..
MichelSon's Smention of them
now could seem to he An at
tempt 10 dispose Of the vice
president before the Democratic
convention
He certainly knows enough
about the tricks of publicity 10
realize that he has now pro-
Voked that very "unfavorable
curiosity" which. in 1910. he 50
adroitly suppressed 10 avoid the
storm that Hopkins feared.
TIVE calm. planned manage
i ment of political moves and
the development OF the Presr-
dents court fight are explained
in way that leaves the citl-
zen feeling that he was a VIC
tim then Of a private game,
played by experts and affecting
his rights and his government,
in which he was allowed 70 hear
the clamor but not 10 see the
moves. Reporters in Washing
ton could speculate guardedly
but they could not know what
Charlie knew and Charlie, as
an employe lust went on
serving his boss while poll
ticianS and less prominent citi-
zenS worked themselves into
emotional fathers over the fate
of the republic
II would he we'll FOR tho coun-
try if every one put anger, re-
sentiment and apprehension out
of the campaign and make his
decision calmly on tho issues.
But the debate has grown 10
fury. and those who have been
demanding unity in the name OF
the fighters overseas have no
more right 10 speak for the
fighters than those who refuse
10 get unified with them.
II is far less angry in the
daily press than in The left-wing
publications, many Of which to-
day are attacking not only Re-
publicans, but groups Of their
old political comrades.
THE standard press, with few
L exceptions, observes most OF
the normal restraints
Even in the Montgomery
Ward case, an important issue
in the presidential election if
Mr.. Roosevelt is the candidate,
the words employed are digni-
fled although the criticism of
tho Presidents action is AS Wig