Show A Working Holiday HolidayS S SUNDAY CUNDAY was Washington's birthday long celebrated throughout the United States as a major holiday Today we enjoy the customary Monday observance of a holiday which falls falls' on a Sunday This year although it is still observed as Washington's birthday and although we still pay homage to the Father of Our Country the holiday isn't being celebrated as as- s- s widely as usual as a day of idleness Today in our great need for more and more production of the vital weapons weapons weapons wea wea- pons and materials of war many a factory is continuing operations without interruption interruption tion at the request of the leaders of our war production effort It is a fitting tribute to the man who once warned warped the nation that to be prepared forwar forwar for forwar war is on one of the most effectual l means of preserving preserving preserving pre pre- serving peace If we had followed that advice advice advice ad ad- vice years ago we might not today be fighting desperately to make up for past lack of preparation preparation preparation prep prep- so that we can preserve not peace but the nation itself There is only one thing wr wrong ng with this observance of Washington's birthday by extra war production rather than holiday idleness idleness- and that is that this appropriate observance is far too limited Instead of the whole nation giving up its holiday pleasure to help win the war only a comparatively small part of the I nation is participating in this war work observance observance observance ob ob- ob- ob servance of Washington's birthday Somehow it doesn't seem right that a few should be doing all the sacrificing and all the thereal thereal thereal real observance If America needs every ounce of our effort every bit of our productive productive productive tive capacity day in and day out holidays or orno orno orno no holidays then it needs it from us all It ought to be possible for all of us to forego forego forego fore fore- go the luxury of holidays in this crisis If we cant can't do it by official action to abandon legal holidays for the duration perhaps we could do it by some voluntary action Some plan might be worked out so that those employed employed employed em em- in vital war production could go on with their jobs on a holiday while others whose normal employment was not vitally required required required re re- re- re in the war effort could devote the day somehow to their country's service service giving giving their labor in civilian defense defens projects or on some other essential war work Patriotism and willingness to sacrifice normal normal normal nor nor- mal pleasures and comforts is not by any means means limited to workers in war industries The rest of us who sit in idleness on Washington's Washington's Washington's Wash Wash- ington's birthday while others work cant can't help but feel like parasites and slackers The great majority well we'll wager would welcome the opportunity to prove their patriotism by work holiday too |