Milford chronicle., 1950-12-29
VIA THE PEOPLE ARE THINKINC

everyone KNOWS WldJ our 1ulllCdIyS d4Au
political leaders think about the war crisis.
Or, at least, we know the endless statements,
ranging from the reassuring to the grimly
pessimitic, which they have issued for pub
lie consumption. But no one knows what the
voters-the people WhO sooner or later, de-
ternine the policies Of this cOuntry-are
thinking.
Holmes Alexander, the Washington col
umnist, recently decided to do something
about this lack of information. He made
shoe-leather survey" which consisted of in-
terviewing a number of senators and find
ing out what their constituents were writ
ing about. He learned that six Widely-held
ideas are now dominant in the voluminous
senatorial mail. Briefly summed up, here
they are:
/. Aeheson must be dislnissed-even if
that can be achieved by the impeachment OF
the President.
.. We must pull out of Korea completely
and stop useless sacrifice. Apparently the
opinion, expressed by some top military men,
to the effect that it is feasible to hold defense
lines in South Korea has met with little
public acceptance.
8. There is a strong lack of confidence
in the Truman Administration. Mr.. Alex
ander cites this as a typical message: Il am
proud Of my country, and OF my boy IN the
navy, but not proud of the men who repre-
ately in need of craftsmanship.
A. The United Nations must be either
strengthened or abandoned. Here Mr.. Alex
ander prints the following comment as typi-
cal: '"This UN stuff is so much foolishness as
long as we let any iron curtain country foul
it up. -. Are getting only token help from
UN members while Asiatic hOrdes massacre
our boys"
s. Russia, not China or North Korea, is
our real enemy, and if there must be war it
should be directed with full vigor against the
Soviet Union.
s. We should mobilize to the hilt at once.
And the A-bomb should be used ii it Will
help our troops in Korea.
Various other views of great significance
were found in the letters Mr.. Alexander read.
For one thing, not single letter expressed
actual terror at the thought OF another war
and the possibility of A-b0mbs being used
against us. War, the tenor of feeling ran, is
better than attempted appeasement OF ag-
Qressors. Then Mr.. Alexander wrote, What
we have here, all told, is situation OF total
confusion. The administration is in the
position of a government which has fallen
from popular esteem, but it must remain IN
Office for more than two years to come. The
letters quoted. COuld not go through the
mail except in a country that valued lts
freedom But the great Federal establish
ment which guarantees all our freedoms is
begged down with lame ducks in Congress,
in fhe White House and in the cabinet"
Mr.. AlexandeT's sampling is in accord
with q view expressed by many newspapers,
MANY commentators, and few leading pub
lie figures - namely, that the people are
ahead OF their government in their thinking
that the people are perfectly willing to face
the facts, and don't need to be fed vague
eouivocal and essentially meaningless ora.
tory by their leaders, and that the people viii
rise to this crisis, bitter as it may be, as
they have risen to all others.
&goNG
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