The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-10-08

speaking, there's something rotten 2DOul
this whole program of militarism being foist-
ed upon the people of this nation.
For months, yea for years, we've had il
dinned into our ears that we must spend bill
lions TO support and enlarge our military bu-
reaucracy We must deliver up our sons TO the
God of War and his profiteering assistants by
passively permitting them to be conscripted
by the-military. We must spend other billions
TO rearm Western Europe, TO bolster the tot
tering fascist government of Greece, the re-
dictionary government of Turkey, the corrupt
dictatorship of Nationalist China. Yes, and
once again, by no less authority than one Jim
Farley, we must extend ERP TO that great
democracy, Francois Spain.
All this and more too has been served up
to us by the press, the radio, the magazines,
the Tweedle-deweys, and Truman-dummers
We've even been sagely advised TO be sure
and look under our beds every night for fear
that one of those reds" who thus far has
missed the un-American Thomas committee
dragnet, might be lurking there in hiding.
Now that we're well on our way to being
scared out of our collective wits well nigh
given our collective shirts to support the mill
tary tax load, have become quite accustomed
to calling anyone with whom we're not in
agreement communist we find lot Of the
=
we had thought it was before we were given
a scientific treatment via the propaganda
route. We find that the mOtivating force be-
hind it all is profits for our 1907 patriots.
By way of review, Barron's leading jour
nal of big finance actually gave the tip-off
on this whole affair way back in 1915 when
it pointed out an ornaments boom Is
the only ultimate major alternative to de-
cline in business y. Translated, this
meant: we've got to sell the people on the
idea that Russia is menace to world peace
and that for our own protection we've got TO
have big military-or-we're going TO have
a bust . A bust will mean precious little
profit for any of us, and may even mean the
collapse of our entire profiteering system"
Typical of the "neanderthal thinking preva-
lent in big business circles, little exploration
was given to the possibilities that there might
be OTHER ernatives-constructive altern-
atives such as integrated development of our
major river basins, wide scale school, hospital
and library construction, large-scale low
cost housing for our eX-servicemen who sup
posedly fought to make the world safe for
democracy, etc.
That we are being sold "bill of goods
in line with the Barron's blueprint, was given
further substantiation last Saturday when at
least one Montana daily (Helena Independ-
7nt) gave lead story position to an article
out Of Washington This article, under an
AP credit line, gave the opinion Of two high
air force officers that " US. could win
another war in three months (. atomic bomb
)litz by small plane force envisioned :.
Emphasis ours). The article continued -.
n the opinion of these two officers sustained
mass bombing went out with the advent of
he atomic bomb. One Of them even went so
ar as to assert that a bombing force of 300
,lanes could bring any other power (Soviet
eussia) to it's knees in three months time.
While it is horrifying to consider the i'm
lications of a Hiroshima with over 100, 900
ead) multiplied 300 times over, this position
" Air Force upper crust brass certainly
oesn't square with the propaganda line be-
ng peddIed so vociferousy by our war mon
ering gentry.
If two responsible military men can pub
cly contend, with considerable evidence to
upport their contention, that any other coun-
rvs industrial potential Gas we'll as millions
f it's people) could be destroyed within go