The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-05-18
Observations
Let Europe Raise
Food Too Young
Mother Writes
BY HELEN EssARY

the world today ! asked Anne
mother OF two small children. in
addition TO annihilating the Jap
anese we are preparing TO finance,
feed and clothe and safeguard
whatever peoples ask us for help
Military men, economists and I'M
portant theorists are shouting their
opinions OF the worldwide duty OF
the United States How does an
Intelligent, honest young woman
feel about this duty
TN tell you how feel! said
Anne. whose last name | shall not
reveal. Indeed Id love TO tell
YOU how feel. feel more intense
ly American than | ever thought |
could. ! feel so intensely Ameri-
can. I-I-I-let me have your
typewrlte. I'd like 10 try to put
down some Of the thoughts that
keep me so stirred up can't think
OF anything else
This is what Anne wrote. u
may be the voice OF Young "Ameri-
CA voice to which some elder
Americans seldom bother 10 listen !;
fits time to think FIRST of
America. This war we undertook
10 save civilization is half over.
Already we have fed, clothed, nm
anced millions OF unfortunate Euro
peans and Asiatics. We are go.
ing to be asked TO take care OF
many more people in liberated
countries. No matter how sympa'
theticallv we may feel towards all
the wretched souls OF the world.
we must consider our own needs
here at home now before the needs
OF others.
The United States is the most
powerful, the richest and the most
splendid country the world has
ever seen. How proud we should
be to be Americans And how
hard we must strive TO keep our
country strong, rich and democra'
tic.
We have sent four millions Of our
young men to fight in countries
in which they had no personal int
crest. Many died there. More
were manned for life. We nave
given our Allies large percentage
OF the arms. food and money they
-7~SsA, TO defeat Germany and now
Japan
Now that the fighting has stop
ped in Europe, le. all the able
bodied men and women there
and there are still many in Europe
pillow their fields and raise every
possible potato. bean and chicken
10 feed themselves. We have been
the fairy godmother of England,
France, China and Russia long
enough. No one in Europe or ASIA
will be helped IL the United States
collapses from the strain OF feed
ing and financing the world.
attended school in London and
Paris in the late twenties. Eng
land and the continent were crowd
ed with American tourists. Many
boosted in loud, not overly cultur'
ed voices, that everything AT
home" was bigger and better than
in Europe. Some self-effacing
Americans such as the hero OF
Booth Tarkington's "Plutocrat
apologized for the bad manners oil
his countrymen.
Never again need an American
apologize 20 a European for any
thing. He has proven during TINS
war. IL never before, that he is
entitled to boast until he is hoarse
OF American bravery, American In
dustry and American generosity.
Many European cathedrals are
gone. Perhaps there is little
French champagne. But in Ameri'
ca. we still have our farms and our
factories. When II is no longer
necessary to spend all OF our ener.
gies and money,killing enemies and
destroying cities, let's turn as
quickly as possible to making pre-
war conyeniences such as washing
machines. automobiles, automatic
contriyances OF all sorts.
The peace plans OF the delegates
al San Francisco are very vague to
me. / realize that the good gentle
men there will do their best 70
provide a decent life and full
tummy for every man, woman and
child. The methods OF achieving
this Utopia are as cast and IN
comprehensive to my feeble brain
as computing the number OF stars
in the heavens.
/ do find the grocer's bare meat
counter very real. So are the
children's expensive shoes which
grow shabby in two years. l can
easily see the cracking in the in
ferior paint so laboriously applied
10 my kitchen walls and the hole
in the new dining room rug. Two
lamps in the parlor refuse TO light
because ! have never found an
electrician who could repair them
These inconvenience are terrib-
" unimportsnt compared to the
agonies suffered by our soldiers.
But when all fighting has ceased
they must be merely inconvenience
of the past. and not a lowering OF
our standards OF living. Let's re-
turn quickly. then. 10 bring Ameri
can. To thinking first Of our own
country. We fought this war 10
preserve our good way Of life.
Let US not lose the rewards Of vic
tory bv slowly bleeding ourselves
TO death