| Show GENERAL HUGH S. S JOHNSON e Washington D. D C. C ROOSEVELT THE TilE LEADER No matter how much you may disagree disagree disagree dis dis- dis- dis agree with him or how sincerely you feel that the course he has followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed and is following is dangerous danger danger- ous pus to the very principles he is trying trying try try- ing to uphold you have to concede concede concede con con- cede that our third-term third President is a great credit to our country in a troubled world Nobody could help being proud of General Pershing among the Allied commanders of the World war No foreign general approached him in soldierly appearance and bearing None was his superior in n determination determination determination nation or professional attainment None contributed more to Allied vic vic- tory It made you glad that you too were an American to see him lim himin himin in any contrast with soldiers of other other other oth oth- er nations For every good quality of his is a characteristically American Ameri Ameri- can quality refined and brought to toa toa toa a peak of excellence He looked American talked American and acted American All this was especially apparent and must have been emphasized to the whole world throughout the day of his third inauguration This column column column col col- col- col isn't going to go softy in its debate of what it thinks are Mr Roosevelt's dangerous errors in these critical times but there is surely no aspect of that in acknowledging acknowledging acknowledging edging a thrill of pride in the thought that I am a citizen of the same country of which he is President and that in the face of a world so dangerous this country has a leader of such commendable stature No matter what fate may have in store for Mr lr Roosevelt Roosevelt and and for us usI I I think that for good or ill he will also tae his pl place ce in that com com- pany As President of the United States I dont don't agree with him but butas butas butas as a citizen of the United States I Iam Iam Iam am proud of him just lust the same YOUR OWN GALLUP POLL The lowering level of British dollar dollar dollar dol dol- dol- dol lar credits may be a reason for hastening some kind of provisions for granting credits or even gifts to England so that her placing of orders here may not be delayed thus delaying deliveries a year from now But that is no reason for rushing bums the lend lease monstrosity through congress without without without with with- out ample debate That bill is very much more than an to Britain bill bilI It is an abdication abdication ab nb- ab- ab of congressional war powers powers powers pow pow- ers to the President and authorizes in him to engage in economic and partial military and naval war for or in behalf of any nation anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where in the world That is not at atall atall atall all for to Britain necessary which could be given to the full of whatever has been asked by her in ina a much simpler bill and without surrendering surrendering sur sur- rendering our constitutional form of government in favor of a one-man one in commander-in-chief of all our desti desti- nies There is no popular demand for any such revolutionary action There is popular demand for aid- aid to Advantage has hns been taken taken taken tak tak- en of this to write a bill for a military military military mili mili- tary dictatorship and then say This is to Britain in the only way That simply is not true It is a cruel misleading of the public and anda a misuse of public opinion as are many other aspects of this bill bilI In this remark our tendency to government by Gallup polls is somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what responsible During a recent five days in bed with flu I had a chance to check up on my fan mail It is full of sentiment for to aid-to- Britain It is overwhelmingly against our rushing into this war As the points made in this column are beginning to be understood it itis itis itis is increasingly against the bill I believe if the bill is debated long enough to make clear what is going on here herc it can never pass without amendments restricting it to the thereal thereal real popular purpose purpose Brit Brit aid ain No Gallup polls have brought out these distinctions The questions especially recently have been increasingly increasingly increasingly in in- phrased in such a way as to lead lend to answers lookin looking to our greater and greater unnecessary involvement involvement involvement in in- in war Yet every poll posing the stark question of involvement involvement involvement involve- involve ment results in resounding nos unos in overwhelming majority Here is an nn experiment that every American bewildered by these sinister sinister sinister sin sin- ister developments can make for himself Conduct your own Gallup Poll When you hear henr from Washington Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington as you will because that is part of the war pro-war propaganda that the people overwhelmingly want this bill or something vastly more than to Britain set aside a part of every day to ask not only friends but strangers whether they want to go further than to Brit ain I cant can't guarantee the result but from my mail most of our people dont don't want wont to go a step further than the preparation of an impregnable American defense and such help to beleaguered Britain as can be given given given en without getting us into bloody war Try it yourself If you find the facts as my mail indicates make yourself heard in hi Washington Washing Washing- ton by exercising your constitutional right of informing your r representatives tives in congress what their constituents constituents constItuents think These are critical days in the Battle of America It is your battle for the future |
