Milford chronicle., 1945-10-19
FRIDAY. OCTOBER ~. l@l5


FRIDAY. OCTOBER IT, 1915
THE PATTERN of American psychology
during the war years (tnd perhaps in prey
iOus year) was to oSclllate between bllthe
optimism and angry dismay. We seem to be
unable to strike I; happy medium by remain
ing aware Of the continuous realities Of the
situation in which we had to live and work
and fight Two or three weeks of favorable
reports and we were riding high; then some
thing CRIME was brought to our attention.
and we We're bitterly amazed.
Why the blind optimism? Why the blind
pessimsm? Indeed. why the blindness
We were dismayed because our war AIMS
We're vague, our foreign policy muddIed and
uncertain. Well, the predominant W;tr alm of
the American people WAS to keep out OF 1t.
Rather than going into the War, the var
came to us. We were rs pSNcholo9lcdlN un-
prepared to prosecute it as we were mill
talily unprepared Why should amy one eN-
pect that all of a sudden we should be able
to come forth with Il clear. unanimous and
adequate set of war aims? And the same
goes for foreign policy We had no positive,
well rounded, mature foreign policy during
the 192Os and '3OS. This is Il most unfortu-
nate fact, but it happens to be 4 fact, and
there is no possible way whereby we can
avoid paying the penalty for it. If an adoles
cent is thrust into an adult situation. we
cannot expect him to act like 4 sage. 1t takes
time, experience. trials and errors, bruises
to make Il sage. 1t takes the same to make
4 mature foreign policy.
We are distressed by the lack Of unity
among the United Nations. Well, it was Z
phraSe-maker who put the unity into the
United Nations to begin with, and that WAS
only a short time ago. A certain number Of
assorted nations happened to find themselves
at war with Germany and Italy These na-
tons became de facto allies by accident.
Why assume that over night they should un-
derStand each other as brothers?
We are plunged into despair over the APP
pearance Of power politics" But the game
Of power politics has been appearing all along
for centuries. 1t is distressing game. to
be sure: but why assume that it should mira
culoUsly disappear in the midst Of a crisis
created by power politics?
History is a stubborn and perseverne
thing: the present inhelits from the past
the future from the present. What we have
to deal with today represents 4 long process
of deterioration, decentralization. bre;tk-u|
and break down. Nobody but the nhilistS ar,
happy about it, but every one ought to real
iZe that it will necessarily take Years an(
wears under the best OF luck, to retrieve tn
lost, repair the broken, redeem the evil. ye
out of the slough and move forward into
new era.
TIE NEW AND BETTER LIFE we az
all promised in our postwar world may b
costly entertainment. The plan to pay 81
maximum unemployment benefits for :
weeks might better be called the Nation;
Vacation Measure. What would happen /;
the end of 26 weeks when the vacation Wa
over? Would there be Il new bill for tn
next year, on the theory that unless it w
passed there would then be unemployment
Naturally, the higher the benefits and tn
longer the period each year for which the
are paid. the more difficult it will be to II
cruit help Retail stores. garages, and man
other trades find workers unwilling to accel
work, even when thousands are being la
off from war industries. Farm help IS almo
impossible to get at any price the taIm'
can pay to raise food to sell at inquire Ct
manded by the government.
Sooner or later are all gong to hay
to oct down to earth and work and save,
we will stalve All the hot air to the co
trary. government can't take money aW;
from the people in taxes to furnish the han
outs now proposed l-egallzed loa1lng
the government payroll will break any n
tion ultimately.
IN SPITE OF PAPER SHORTAGES Al
bioh taxes. government publications. h;l
h0uriShed during wartime. ndeI conSt;l
fire by Congress, where repeatedly the =
formation" services have been charged WI
''glorifying" and 'justifyng' bureaus a
agencies, the stream nevertheless continue
A survey showed for one week:
36 federal agencies issued 376 releases
100000 persons engaged in governmt
propaganda work, exclusive OF those III
armed forces.
And remember-th eXtravagmt use
nanpr came at Il time when newspapers q
other users of paper were compelled to c
tail use of paper. The paper shortage )
continues, but the Federal Government 5
continues to waste tons after tons ct
nrecious material Surely it is time to t;
Stock and see that this Wilful waste is st
ned