| Show j McLemore Henry 1 DALLAS Texas One of the major faults in this country It right now flOW is something that is usually conI conr considered con con- a major maor ma ma- a r U jor or virtue I It is e's s 's dence e t From Portland Port Port- r land sand Into in Maine to Portland i in Oregon f from r 0 S San SanI a n I Diego to Savannah Savannah Savannah Sa Sa- vannah there theren 1 s n t a blessed soul who doesn't believe belie that I no matt matter e r wha what t happens happens happens hap hap- pens Uncle McLemore Sam will be at the head of the table when the peace terms of World war II II- are dictated Im I'm not knocking confidence or preaching defeatism mind you ou but the alarming aspect of this country's confidence is that apparently it Is based on tradition tradition tion and past performances and does not spring from the knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge that every individual citizen citizen citizen citi citi- zen is doing his Tiis utmost Too many of us are counting on oil on the other fellows fellow's carr carrying ing the load We overlook the fact that too many of the other fellows fel fel- fel- fel lows are counting on us to bear the burden That's the vicious circle from which sprang the let George do it phrase To my mind the president could not have done a better thing than when in a press conference he warned that an enemy attack on New York or Detroit was entirely possible We need to be aroused to the fact that ever since we joined this bloody business we have enjoyed nothing but a sound kicking around We have never lost a war but so what Neither has Japan We are not going to win this one by thumbing through the pages of history that tell of 1776 1812 1898 and arid 1917 The glorious deeds of our ancestors are not going to be enough to see us through unless they serve as an inspiration to make each and every everyone one of us worthy of those deeds This country's reaction so far farto farto farto to the setbacks we have suffered is remindful of the batter who returns to the bench after having hayIng having hav hay ing struck out and says He aint got nothing on the ball but the cover or the fighter who has been carried back to his corner and who when he comes to says Dat bum cant can't hit hard enough to bust an egg Its It's the attitude of the old champ who knows he used to be good but is and out of condition condition condition con con- who still till has contempt for the youngster who is hard as nails nalls mean as hell and just aching to knock somebody's head off Lets Let's quit being smug folks Lets Let's admit that we are up against the toughest meanest orneriest conditioned best-conditioned fighters fight fight- ers we have ever faced With With- 4 out losing any of our confidence confidenceS lets let's realize that the best way to justify that confidence is to look the danger in the face double up our fists and start swinging at it When I say this country is too confident nt for its own good I know what Im I'm talking about Since I started off on this transcontinental transcontinental transcontinental trans trans- continental hop Ive I've seen seen and nd heard things that would astound you People turning off late war news to tune tunc in on a dance band People e hoarding golf balls in fear they wouldn't have any to play with two or thre years from now People saying we could already have bombed and burned Tokyo if we weren't too kindly and considerate I haven't heard any actual complaining by people of having to do without sugar and rubber and other vital commodities but Im I'm telling you I haven't heard any who expressed a gladness in having to do without Not until the danger we are in is fully realized by the citizens and they start wanting to sacrifice is this country really going on the march Someone in high authority one whose words carry weight should start a campaign in this country country country-a a campaign devoted to making us Americans stop Underrating underrating underrating un un- the enemy and overrating overrating overrating over over- rating ourselves The next step after confidence is overconfidence and that is deadly Distributed by Syndicate Syndicate Syndicate Syn Syn- Inc |
