The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1949-06-02
MEMBER AUDIT BUREAU
OF CALCULATIONS
THURSDAY, JUNE ,, 1919.
Along the Potomac
to Washington
Pv !. Glenn RoalI


The tragic death of James V. For
restal, who served as Secretary of
National Defense so competently and
so earnestly. caused sincere mourning
throughout official Washington last
week.
Although certain persons in the
executive departments could not es-
cape fully from sharing some of the
blame for Forestal's breakdown,
either by allowing him to work too
hard. by contributing to the ISLANDERS
perpetrated against him, OF by ruth
lessIy giving him his walking papers
in the wake of a political campaign.
the regret at his death was real
among all parties and factions. 1t was
felt that Mr. Forrestal had been d
casualty of the war just as truly as #
the deceased had been killed on the
field of battle.
One lesson the death taught to Of
fetal Washington was that Of toler-
ance for the other fellows feelings
and views and new determination on
the part of officials not to feel too
keenIy the jibes Of the opposition. 1t
has been said that a person IN po-
litical life must have the hide of
pachydelm. This is true, but even a
person with thick skin can feel deep
" cutting personal remarks about
him and his mistakes Of the past.
1t would be well for all Of us--in or
out of official life to remember
again with Swinburne that "the
world is a tragedy to those who feel,
a comedy to those who think" We
can temper thoughtfulness with feel
ing. We must not allow our feelings,
however, to rule our lives and actions
to such an extent that we cannot re-
lax and look on national problems
with a certain philosophic detachment.
Disclosures by committees of the
House and the Senate in recent days,
If pondered deeply, would be enough
to drive any thoughtful American al
most into despair.
Here we have a great country,
great system of business and govern
ment, assuring freedom for all, fleXl-
bility of movement to all honest men,
the right to habeus corpus, the right
to vote. the right to an education, and
MANY other rights, either expressed
or implied in our constitution.
Yet. as the House Committee on
ZIMMERMAN Activities has proved
clearly. there are hundreds and
hundreds perhaps even tens Of
tnousands-of native born Americans
who are either SO misguided or so in
sane that they work assidously to
overthrow this precious system which
our forefathers left to us. These mis-
guided persons may OF may not give
their loyalties to Moscow, but it IS
evident that they are playing the
game of the Muscovitcs, although
many of them claim to be American
Communists"
A young college student offers to
take loyalty oath to retain his gov
ernment-paid scholarship, but insists
on his right to belong to the Commun-
list Party, which states in its bylaws
that it is working to overthrow our
legal government. A scientist who has
actually worked in atom projects is
proved to be a dues-paying Com
munist, but insists that he is loyal
to America. How can this be true?
How can he be loyal to America if he
is not loyal to anything that America
stands for? America is not just a
certain body Of land. 1t is system of
government, system of freedom, a
system of rights under law. No per
son can be disloyal to his family, dis
loyal to his teachers, disloyal to the
traditions of his land, disloyal to the
ideas of freedom Of his people and
still claim to be loyal to particular
country 1t is contradictory and OBJ