The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-03-02
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

obedience to censorship:
President Rocsevelts army of occupation
at Montgomery Wards in Chicago announced
that portion Of the property had been turn
ed back to it's rightful owners but when
colonel on that front was asked why he re-
piled: eve feel it is not necessary to COM
ment on that
In that case the situation calls for initiative
reporting because this reticence might be a
self-serving cover for incompetence worse
in the administration of this job by officers
who were sent in to turn trick for political
auxiliary OF the Roosevelt party namely the
CLIO. No military information Of any possible
interest, much less of value, to the enemy
can be involved here and foregoing events
show that If these belted and buckled floor
walkers had any excuse to boast OF work
we'll done, their press-agent would have crank
ed up his Monograph and told the world
about it. They weren't bashful when they took
over so this sudden shyness naturally arouses
suspicion, the more so now that the U. S.
District court has placed them in the posi-
ton of trespassers.
BY stealth, the Army has developed a do
nestle politica propaganda service for use
in such cases, employing for the ballyhoo
ex-reporters who have been given fat COM
missions but haven't necessarily changed or
abandoned their politics. To assign to such
a Job major or ieutenant-colonel who be-
longs to the Newspaper Guild, also union
Of the CLIO and heavily sprinkled with Com
munists and Communism, at that, would be
a piece Of deceit that the newspapers should
expose.
To the public and, indeed, to reporters on
the lob, the press-agent in such case would
be lust another Army officer in whose press
releases they would not suspect political SYM
pathy or motivation. Actually however, his
first duty would be to give his commanding
officer in the seized property a magnificent
reputation as an organizer and admlnlstra-
tor, failing which he would get bad report,
himself, and might have to wait six months
extra for the right to wear chickens on his
shoulders, and, this new and peculiar service
being strictly political and pro-union, the law
full owners and management OF the property
obviously cannot hope for fair treatment, So
not only is their property seized if only some
loafer provokes mere threat Of strike but
the owners, through their taxes, pay the sal
airy OF some unioneer In majors uniform
to disseminate propaganda injurious to their
reputation.
The regular Army kept communists out of
the commissioned ranks and there were only
a few theological politicians in the upper
brackets who had found the way to promotion
and pay in the Roosevelt social experiments
before the war. Now, however, the bars are
down and as always the inveterate ideologist
will gravitate toward jobs in which he can
WELD influence, the most inviting OF which
is publicity.
The incident Of Elliott Roosevelts dog was
similar piece of lofty arrogance. The Army,
from Secretary Stimson down, conspired to
smother a legitimate piece of news to which
the whole people were entitled, through their
press. Their purpose was not to confuse the
enemy but to shield individuals who had de-
Eberately violated the law and rated an ami
NAL above the enlisted American soldier and
sailor. 1t is absurd to pretend that the facts
OF this story could not have been whipped out
of the files within few hours but, instead,
Congress had to drag it out OF number Of
guilty individuals, word by word. Any reporter
who had been able to get at the facts OF
that imposition would have been justified in
writing them regardless of the censorship and
moreover this secrecy invited cold examina-
ton of the purpose for which censorship was
imposed on one hand and accepted on the 9TH
er.
The Army was in politics last summer when
group Of Roosevelt union politicians were
sent to France to lie to the soldiers about
the record Of strikes and other wastes Of
on the production front at home.
These people had no legitimate business
aboard public transportation nor any excuse
to clutter up the scene and impose on the
time of officers abroad who should have had
more important work to do Theirs a
political campaign trip on behalf of the fourth
term and the favoritism showed in the fact
that no other group was invited to 60 along
to refute their propaganda.
Now who issues the orders in such a case
and what is the Army up to, anyway?
In the absence of any dispatches from
France exposing this political fraud intend
ed to swing the soldier vote to Roosevelt it
is fair to assume either that the censorship
precluded such writing or that these polite
clans were kept out Of the way of the press.
In another case, the Democratic nominee
addressing the aristocracy of the Transfers
union last fall, dragged in rumor that his
dog, Fala, had been left behind in the Aleu-
tians during his summer cruise and that
naval vessel had been sent back, at great
expense to the public, to fetch him. No such
story had had general circulation and there
is no reason to grant that it wasn't planted
deny it. However, inasmuch as he had raised
the question of expense, it would nave zone
no harm, except to his political interests 10
say how much it had cost the taxpayers TO
refit an important ship, before and a1ter MS
voyage, for his special accommodate. but'
any naval officer who had revealed THAT m
formation then or who should DO SO no" "ouio
simply wind up his career.
The Army is in dirty business oolns tne
work of the Go in privately owned properly
and should have better use for its generals
and colonies if they have aolll1y suI.aoie 70