The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1944-07-14
THE
CHERRY TREE
Where with our Little Hatehet We tell
the truth about many things, sometimes
profoundly. sometimes Aippantly. some
times recklessly.

Clare Booth Luce is on the loose
again, with loose thinking.
In her major political speech, the
lady from the Nutmeg State practi-
cally dumped the blame for the war
on the President.
Her statement was so broad that
she came near nudging Britain's Lyt-
telton for place in the same beclouded
sun.
The lady from Connecticut is good
speaker. That is, she has pleasant
way of speaking Her delivery, techni-
cally, is good. But what she delivers
is too often tripe.
In her Chicago speech the tripe was
ripe.
Now lady engaged in partisan
politics has right to get a bit off the
pathway of accuracy. She even has a
right to do bit of technical lying.
But if she does, she must expect to be
called for it.
X
Partisan politics calls for a good bit
of smearing and this campaign will
produce it's share. But to accuse the
President of being the cause of the
war seems carrying things bit too
far.
Mrs. Luce said it wasn't a Repub-
lican 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 Democratic column.
1t seeks to be column of fairness.
That's all.
1t just happens that Mr.. Hoover has
been invited out of the presidency be-
fore the advent of Hitler and the hor-
rible muss, but Republican presidents
certainly did deal with the japanese
emperor and with autocrats, INCLUD-
ING THE CZAR OF RUSSIA.
In an earlier speech Mrs. Luce
coined the so-called word "globaloney"
and some of her best advisers had to
suggest to her that she cut out that
type of wise crack. The reaction was
too swift and hurtful.
Since then the lady has been careful
until her Chicago blast.
She talked about g. l. jim, the boy
who won't come back-and how i'm
portant it is that g. I. 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 going
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 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
seeing, of course, the filthy purpose
behind the Mussolini facade of as
sumed friendship. Lady-and brethren
it doesn't pay to hit low, even in
politics.-CMW.