Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1947-04-11

the matter-of-fact, undramatic, I'M
oratorical, cracker-barrel diction Of
a matter-of-fact, undramatic, unor-
atorical, cracker-barrel man. When
I heard the President read them,
standing there, calm and confident,
at the lectern of the reading clerk
on the house rostrum, looking up
from the text only occasionally with
that bird-like tilt Of his head, as the
television cameras purred gently
from the opposite gallery, I felt a
little worried. The cabinet members
seated in the well, the senators in
the first rows Of seats, the house
members crowded into rows behind
them-all seemed almost glum. I
didn't realize the solemnity Of the
message which held them in a re-
strained silence. Only thrice was
there applause after he began to
speak. Before and after there was
plenty and 1t was evenly balanced,
1t was bipartisan, not weighted
heavily on the side of the admins
tration party as it usually is when a
President speaks.
When the speech was over 1t was
the same. The senators left in 81
lence; there was little or no COM
ment. AS Senator Lodge said when
radio man plucked at his sleeve
and asked if he would submit to an
interview: II can't think THAT
fast" Even the fast and sound
thinkers wanted time to think lei
surely and deeply.
Since that day thousands of words
have been spoken and printed in
thousands of cities all over the
world, about that message which
covers little more than four and a
half pages, typewriter Con both
sides of the sheet since wartime
economy still is practiced at the
White House,. In many odd corners
of the bazaars and market places
those words cracked like tiny cleo
trio sparks.
And everywhere thoughtful, intel
ligent people in foreign countries
those who had always looked upon
America as nation whose political
and cultural outlook was most SYM
pathetic to their political and cul-
tural outlook, but whose economic
theories pointed further to the right
than their own socialistic leanings-
pondered. These were people to
whom Soviet Russia was primitive,
harsh, cruel in it's methods. Never
theless Russia's economic theories
differed less from their own than
did the economic theories of the
United States, whose civilized,
friendly and humane characters
tics attracted them. They found that
they must choose. They must say to
Russia or America: "Whither thou
goest, I will go; and where thou
lodgest, I will lodge; thy people
shall be my people; and thy ways
shall be mine" So.
Perhaps never before in history
had a great nation SO certainly
divided the sheep from the goats,
, the friends from the enemies. The
Presidents plan. is more than
moral question. 1t involves more
than abstract principles of political
economy or social philosophy 1t
sets forth with shuddering simple
ity to the wavering nations of the
world the warning that they must
run with the hare or ride with the
hounds; they must have no other
political god before Demos-the
spirit of the people. Either majority
rules in your house or your house is
ruled out of bounds.
In other words, cabinets and cabi-
net makers, premiers. and pro-con-
suls will no longer dance to the
Kremlin's tune if they expect Uncle
Sam to pay the piper-or the
butcher or the baker.