The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1945-01-11
! COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS

| AMERICAN LABOR only a lew
weeks ago was being condemned be-
cause our fighting forces seem to
need more than is being produced.
Newspapers seized an opportunity to
castigate workers for a supposed
shortage when there was no shortage.
Labor, villifed unjustly, responded
by volunteering to supply manpower
whenever it is needed. Complacency
of manufacturers was ignored, and
labor was ready to go back to work.
In spite of the fact that more Of
everything had been produced than
anyone ever expected, our military
experts found themselves facing a
shortage. Not right now, but in the
future. Present reserves will take
care of the present situation. Army
officials admit that American workers
have produced beyond the limit ex-
pected.
But newspapers S a m m e d and
slamed. They printed opinions that
our boys on the fighting fronts re-
sented labor's laxness and would at
tend to it when they come back.
GEN. EISENHOWER is authority
for the fact that our boys have plenty
of arms and ammunitions. They have
everything that can be transported to
the front. They have never lacked
everything they need. And the "Stars
and Stripes" naively asks, "Who do
they think produced all that mate
rial? Pixies?"
And so, another newspaper lie is
nailed, and another attempt to smear
labor remains in the files of our great
metropolitan dailies-and also in the
minds of many of our citizens. The
truth can never catch up entirely with
such lie.
Of course, since all the rotten pub
licity everyone has learned that ap-
prehension of army officials was
caused by the rapid advance of our
men in France and the difficulty of
keeping supplies forward as fast as
the men advanced. There was no
shortage of material; it was and is
an inability to follow our fast-ad-
vancing troops. 1t was, in reality, a
case of overreaching ourselves; push
ing our men too far ahead of their
support. Perhaps, even, it was mill
tary error. But there we are.
AND THEN, my god, and then; we
read an AP dispatch in our favorite
morning paper which tells us our own
men and our own officers have been
hijacking our own gasoline and post
exchange supplies and feeding it into
the French black market.
Thousands of gallons of gasoline
and carloads of supplies; hundreds
have been arrested; several convicted;
officers implicated, etc., etc.
Now, we have no desire to criticize
American soldiers or American army
officers for being less than patriotic.
Nor have we any desire to imply that
soldiers on the fighting fronts are less
patriotic than the folks here at home.
But these folks here at home have
been accused of being too complacent;
of not being realistic about the war;
of not giving out everything possible
to win the war.
And we do feel that we should point
out that the folks here at home, en-
ployed in factories and mills have
produced to the limit and have loaded
the boats for the men at the front;
and have sent it along to the men who
know how to use it.
If all these supplies, and especially
the gasoline for our planes and tanks,
has been intercepted by the enemy
that is just hard luck. But if it has
been diverted by our own people, by
our officials who ought to know how
important it is, then that is horse
of another color. In fact, it is another
kind of horse; it is a quisling breed.
And we hope we can rely upon mill
tary authorities to take steps.