The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-15
Fair Enough
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1916, BY King Features Syndicate)


Copyright, 1916, BY King Features Syndicate)
There seems to be some room for improve.
ment in our domestic affairs but to those de-
spondent souls who think matters could not be
worse I would address note Of cheer in the
form Of an inquiry.
How do they think we. would have gone
about untangling ourselves just now if Mrs
Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Hopkins and, latter
1y, the late Mr.. Roosevelt had had their
way?
Not long after Pearl Harbor Mrs Roosevelt
told us about one Of those interesting discus
sions which had taken place on one Of her
rare nights at home of Sunday evening in
the White House and said it was her conclu-
sion that the government should relieve us all
Of the problem of deciding what we should
do in the war effort and should tell us what to
do-men and women.
And Mr.. Hopkins, in a much more peremp-
tory tone, told us that we would do as we
were told and 60 where we were sent and
warned us that civilian workers would be bill
leted on civilians in their homes with no re-
gard for the character of either the boarders
or the homeowners and with equal disdain for
the spirit Of the Constitution which forbade
the billeting Of soldiers in private dwellings.
he seemed slightly exultant in the prospect
that a social leader would be compelled by
the government to become clearinghouse
keeper end peculiar fact which may have
occurred to him but may have escaped those
whom he threatened with a personal applica-
ton OF the Russian society in the U.SA, was
tnat NOBODY had ever elected him to any pub
Tic position or authorized him to push us
around and invade and disrupt our homes
he was just personal friend Of the Roose-
velts who had been living in our Presidential
Mansion at our expense for several years and
making more money one way and another, in.
Guiding Doodle from the sale Of such impudent
threats than he had ever made in his life
before. Nevertheless, Hopkins had the gall to
add: 1T isn't just talk and it won't blow over
and it does mean you.'
OF course, 1t didn't mean Hopkins, who was
a member of the ruling and privileged group
set up in preliminary imitation of the Russian
stratified society, nor Mrs Roosevelt, herself,
nor Henry Wallace. whose special quality was
demonstrated when he doodled around, out of
job, between inauguration 1945 and the day
when tae boss canned Jesse Jones and gave
him the post Of Secretary Of Commerce in
recognition Of his humble plodding and door,
bell ringing in the role of Johnny Appleseed
during the fourth term campaign. If Henry
had been common man and not a special
job, In those days of the ostensible but fake
shortage OF factory labor, he would have got
himself a pair Of dungarees and card in
the CIO and gone to work.
Later on, charging her thoughts, Mrs
Roosevelt put it to us that a young man should
not be allowed to become doctor just be-
cause he wanted to and that, having become
doctor, he shouldn't be allowed to hang out
his single wherever he pleased but should be
assigned, arbitrarily, to a place where au-
thority who would be called a commissar in
Russia, should decide that his services were
needed.
These are some Of the novelties that two
OF the most powerful personalities in the
Roosevelt government proposed for the Ameri-
can people, many Of whom nevertheless, still
revere the ruling set as God-sent selfless bene.
factors Of the common man, and Mr.. Roose-
welt himself. after long spell Of waiting,
finally endorsed the substance Of their propo-
sails about a year ago when he advocated
draft Of civilian labor
Only passing notice need be paid to the threat
inherent in the Hopkins article, that dangerous
characters might be billeted on decent Ameri-
can families whose male members were away
fighting the Germans and the Japs and that
innocent women might be sent by some poll
teal commissar, holding the title of billeting
officer, to live in evil surroundings That was
the natural expectable result OF the imposi.
ton Of total authority over the free American
civilian and the flat proposition that his home
should cease to be his castle Once that had
been achieved, anything could happen.
because she Is 50 eVdSlVe we never heard
from Mrs. Roosevelt whether she recognized
in her suggestion about the young doctors an
identity with one Of the features Of Hitlerism
which she and her following had protested
to abhor with special fervor Others noted the
resemblance only to be called Roosevelt
haters as though that were term of special
opprobriu1n, for pointing it out.
OF course, there never was any actual short
age Of labor, over ALL Woodwork and feather
bedding and showdown rules in war indus
tries were wasting much of our available
voluntary energy, and strikes at the rate Of
5000 year, though highly detrimental to ma
tional efficiency, still couldn't thwart the pro-
duction Of much more than enough under free
DOM
lima ination not only falters but swoons at
the thought of the problem of social, indus
trial and personal reconversion now, added to
the calamities of readjustn1ent Of the service
men and women, had Mrs. Roosevelt and
Hopkins had their way and scrambled the
people at home as they 50 heartily proposed.
And they weren't kidding us, either. They
meant it in the words of Hopkins that 'it
isn't just talk and it won't blow over and it
does mean you.'