| Show The Presidents War Tour P PRESIDENT RESIDENT ROOSEVELT has completed an mile swing around the nation visiting war plants and getting impressions of the peoples people's s war spirit and effort The trip was a big secret secret except except for some hundreds of thousands of war workers and others who saw him and for millions more who heard about it from them The newspapers newspapers newspapers news news- papers knew about the trip but didn't say anything because they were asked to keep the tour secret as a safeguard to the president Now that the president has returned and the news of his tour has been published many newspapers are waxing eloquent editorially about this withholding of news from the pub pub- lie lic Frankly we cant can't get very excited about it w We do think such absolute secrecy about the trip was a little silly in view of the fact that millions of people knew he was making it Enemy agents undoubtedly therefore therefore therefore there there- fore knew all aU about it it- it or it-or Or r at least they knew a R. great deal more about it than the American people eople as a whole did However if the president president dent wants to make a war tour of the nation without publicity we cant can't see that it matters t much or harms the public not to know of it I or threatens freedom of the press one iota As for the argument there was was something political in his trip so close to election time that falls pretty flat because of the very lack of publicity If the president had wanted to give his Democratic candidates a political shot in the arm hes he's far too old and experienced experienced experienced a campaigner to do it behind a veil of secrecy In fact w we have a suspicion that it was the presidents president's desire to fend off any charges that he was making the trip for political purposes purposes pur pur- pos poses poses s that caused him to ask the newspapers not to say anything about it It is rather appropriate that this secret presidential war tour should be completed during Newspaper week It is timely evidence to the nation that the press accepts its responsibility responsibility re re- re- re to cooperate with the government in the war emergency and is willing to forego the publication of a big news story in what was deemed to be the nations nation's war waX welfare Were We're glad the president made mado this trip We think he has needed a little such direct contact with the home front and we are particularly particularly particularly par par- pleased to note that he found more war spirit out in the countryside than in Wash Wash- ington That's what a lot of people have been telling him Now maybe Mr Roosevelt will find means to inject a little of that home front war spirit that spirit that willingness to sacrifice that concern over the progress of the war that readiness to abandon life Ufe as usual usual usual-in in the ranks of our administration and bureaucratic and congressional leadership in Washington |
