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Show Wake Up, America It's LaU " The Nation n:eds to awaken to the full gravity of the peri filiat confronts ius. It needs to 'appreciate how badly we have bezn defeated in Hires- Imonths of war. It needs to .understand teat il is possible for One United Na-tiorisand Na-tiorisand tih.e United States t'c lose tlhis war and suffer the (fate of France and that this possibility possi-bility may became a probability if tine present tide does not change. It needs to realize that ther; is grave chance of fee Japanese pushing through India 'and the Germans driving through fee Near East, .0 join their armies and r sources in an almost 'Unbeatable 'Un-beatable combination. It needs to ge. a ay, one; and tor all. from the comforting eeling (hat ..uie r.ve may lose at the s art we are bound to a in in Ihe nd. On'y ""he- "y a.vare of x-! x-! tT'g' p rl i ' 1 i"-e Un'- 13": ' d ,rno r.. Pray Go" the-'. 'j.r . " ill 'ot co .be too late, as t d d in Francs! Produc i n Director Donald Nelson appeals 'Tor vastly in-cr in-cr ased industria" oulpu. on a 41 our, ven-day basis 16S 'i-erjrs a we.k. Maxirijm pro-'ucKon, pro-'ucKon, i' "-ort. Can we get it? Wo', on the pre eer. basis' not nd.r b'.-.e ;siy"hology cf recent re-cent years. Not until nnit t'hinkim? in terms of lass work for more money. Nb;t i,lhile there is greater concern about over.ime pay tlh.ain overtime production. Not while farmer politicians are more interest d in high prices pri-ces than raising ,more essentials. (Not iwhil-e Governimiemt bureaus bu-reaus created to meet a depression' depres-sion' emergency that is ended continue trying to grab for themselves money needed for armaments. Net while an army of federal pre s age't' clamors to promo' e ni perp tuate ac ivities that hava no preseo .nesd or value. I Not wlhile congressimen try to I put over use'eas canals and river sclheknes and take up the time Of delfens'e officials clamoring- for factories 'a'nd contracts as if war were a great gravy train. (Not labile WPA, despite a -ort3'Se of labor, seeks to carry on projects which it doesn't have fee men to perform "or the "eed for performing. Not while strikes hamper war production, despite a sole,mn pro raise feat !hey lA-c-uld stop. Not while the life-and-deatlh need for uninterrupted production produc-tion is used as a 'Weapon t'o put over fee closed shop. ?,T'i: -lV! doable ti.rae is de-'.a de-'.a 'I ' or Svnday work which ! on'iy part ft a 40-hour week. 'Not hile a man can't be employed em-ployed on an Army project or in a iA'ar plant until he pays $20 to $50 or more to a labor '-""VteeiV iNot ''A lh.il e; criminal gangs control con-trol employment and allocation of men to work on the Nohman-die Nohman-die and the other slhdps along New York's vast waterfront. Not while Fifth-Coluiminists are .pampered and enemy aliens move ifreely in defense areas. INot lA'hile gossips spread lies and the timorous are aifraid to tpeaik out .for their country. Not ivie.'ile the grim job of preparing pre-paring our home communities againet air raids and sabotage is .gui.T.im d up i with a lot of nigh.alutin'g, boondoggling, social so-cial 'service activity. Not whil: pressure 'bloc:, clamor clam-or for bigger benefits, bounties and pensions. We will 'not get maximum pro- eduction, in short, unless, first, .ve fully realize tur awful peril; ' nd1, s.cond, get over the .mm s oi." recent years. Gimme shorter hour.j giimi.nie .-glner i a ages, gi.r.ime bigger '. re.t'i s, gimme more overtime, . 0imime less i.ork, gimme more ensions, igim.Tiie greater crop benefits, gimme more appropriations appropri-ations and patronage, gimme j.sntj lor my congressional district, dis-trict, gim,me lees and dues to .vork far Uncle Sam', gimme iham'n eggs, gimme share-t'he-wcalth, gimme $30 every Tihjurs-day. Tihjurs-day. France had the gimmes, too had them till the Germans were close to Paris. Then everybody went frantically to work too late. France has 'no gimmes today except gimme food ifor my baby, ba-by, gimme a place to lay my head, 'gimme death. Will tine United S'.at.s lA'ake 'Up too late? (Above is a reprint ot El Paso H.rald-Po.t Editorial Mardhi 5, 1942.) |