Evening star., 1944-01-21


bad start. Some of these subordi-
hates have already compromised his
position by an official guide" which
has been distributed to "informa-
honal officers" and those concerned
with "orientation courses" in the
Army.
For a moment, as the reader pc
ruses this guide" he wonders
whether he is reading Nazi or Com
munist booklet used to indoctrinate
troops or just an example of off,
cial ineptitude or of unconscious
Imitation. For the War Department
guide" tells the officers how to
color the minds of the troops on cur
rent events-and on the very things
that will make votes for or against
the Roosevelt administration this
year.
Il isn't the business Of the Sec
retary of War to appease the SOL
diers and help them get over their
own bitterness against the present
administration for capitulating to
John L. Lewis and for the Presi-
dents refusal to allow the Smith
Connally bill to contain penalties
against wartime strikes. Yet Mr.
Stimson's guide puts the stamp of
approval on one kind of news and
excludes other news that it feels
may be harmful. Thus the guide"
says:
Certainly the story that man
power is due to be drafted for war
factory service is information of a
type which is calculated to make
the avarage individual in military
service more contented with his
lot"
Who can assure that to be true
! If mothers and fathers back home
are to be drafted to help manu-
facturers make more profit? And
who will vouch for the accuracy of
the foregoing fiat statement that
"manpower is due to be drafted for
war factory service?" Hasn't all
the news of the past week indicated
that Congress does not intend to
pass such law? Why should the
War Department speak Of the man
power draft as an accomplished
thing in pamphlet to be distrib-
uted and used for many months to
come?
The guide" says, moreover, that
mo good purpose Is served by ply
ing the soldier with information
emphasizing the prevalence of high
wages or extraordinary profits"
Isn't there room for q consid-
cradle difference of opinion on that
point? If wages and profits are
high, shouldn't the soldier know
about 1t 50 that he may express
himself in his letters to his home
town newspaper or even to soldier
newspapers which reflect soldier
opinion? Has the American soldier
suddenly lost his right to the free
dom of information" which Presi-
dent Roosevelt acclaims as one Of
the four precious freedoms?
There is a simple cure for all this
business of trying to make up the
minds Of American citizens or the
soldiers overseas as to what they
should think. 1t is not to hand
them Government-ma propa-
ganda. 1t Is not to use Govern
ment funds, as is now being done,
to buy for Army camps specially
selected pieces Of printed matter
that deal with controversial sub
Jects such as news or news interpre-
tation. 1t is to let the soldiers do
their own thinking by merely max
ing accessible to them American
magazines, newspapers and radio
programs by transcription. It is
easy enough to make miniature
newspapers and magazines. Amer
ican publishers and radio companies
would be glad to make their wares
available to the soldiers for a few
cents just as cigarettes or any other
commercial articles sold at camp
stores are available. This method
has some limitations, such as Ship
ping space, but it is much better
than to let some one with mas
ter mind in" Washington dictate
what the soldier should read or
should think about what he has
read.
The soldiers can take it," The
100000 Americans overseas are
not children but, according to the
Army's own claims, the best edu-
Gated Army in the world. Already
the reactions of the soldiers are
reaching here in letters to parents
and to newspapers and are be-