Montgomery County sentinel., 1944-12-21
/ Might Be
Wrong But
By
r. G. STROMBERG
"a SEEMS that nothing short

~ - AC1A N~Aohbhey Whi phhitS
our people to a realization of
dangers to our national we'll
being. It took the catastrophe
of Pearl Harbor to make large
part Of our population acknowl-
edge that we are actually an
essential factor in world affairs.
Now it is taking
Need More series Of ter
Ammunition rible and costly
and Guns reverses to con-
vince the Amer
ican public that our armies in
Europe need ammunition and
guns and still more ammunition
and guns. When the history of
this last half of 1914 is written
and future generations visualize
the lack of home front co-opera-
tion and coordination it will be
difficult for them to understand
present day reasoning.
Never in the history Of this
country has there been such Law
ish spending as is reported this
Christmas season. How so many
people can revel in pleasure and
luxuries while millions Of Amer
lean boys Ito say nothing Of the
men serving in other armies)
are giving their blood, time and
lives for the future, is a hard
pin for any Of us to swallow.
And yet the guilty on this score
can be pointed TO on any street
in any town in the United States.
TINS sort Of apathy results from
a too optimistic view Of the prog
ress Of the war. ! have contended
that it is wrong for officials to
deny the public such ecstasy as
follows publication Of favorable
war news. It has been my con-
tention that our people can take
good news in stride. II seems
that / have been m error. Our
people react betteryto dishearten-
ing news. 1t seems that with a
30 succession of
Don't ,ga victories they
Abandon The feel that the end
Fighting Men Of the war is at
hand. Many of
them are leaving war manufac-
turing centers to return to their
homes in other states to find
employment for peace times.
1t is a sad picture. 1t is one
in which we cannot take real
pride. Our reluctance to accept
war seriously might still be the
greatest weapon in the enemy's
favor. Our men at the fronts
cannot fight without the essen
tials of battle. 1t has been said
that ammunition has been ra-
toned. If this be true (and we
have official word to that effect)
it is enough to make any patriot
blush with shame. Sad and dis
astrous as was the Pearl Harbor
incident it was, after all, sud-
den and shocking loss, the re-
sponsibility for which could be
fastened on a few high officials.
But the gradual loss Of interest
on the part Of the general public
can be blamed only on the gen.
eral public.
For us to abandon the fight
ing men to their fates while we
sail merrily along sacrificing lit
tie and grumbling much is an
indictment which will be con-
demned by generations 20 follow.
To the thoughtful person this
Christmas cannot be "A Merry"
one and yet, judged by the stor-
les we hear and the evidence we
all see, this Christmas will be
"The Merriest" ever.
There is only one general
thought which comes TO my mind.
1t is that should
Nation Under there be another
Military war land we all
Rule? pray there will
not be) the en-
tire population should be placed
under military control and each
man and woman set to the task
for which he or she is best fitted.
Every business should be stopped
(frozen) and operated entirely
for the benefit of the country.
Impossible? / claim not because
if we are properly empowered to
draft the young men to sacrifice
their lives it is proper to en-
power the government to con-
script everything. Let business
stand at the point where 1t was