The Charlotte News

Thursday, July 27, 1939

FOUR EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: We set forth the entire April 7, 1775 entry--occurring twelve days before, across the sea, a battle would occur on Lexington Green involving many anti-patriots--on the conversation with Johnson as chronicled by Boswell containing the oft-quoted--and always timely--aphorismic caveat to which Cash makes reference in "Poison Bait".

Those Red, White And Blue Circulars Are False

Yesterday there appeared in Charlotte a flood of circulars all done up in red, white and blue--obviously for the purpose of persuading the credulous that the thing they advocated was necessary to the patriotic defense of the republic.

"Patriotism," growled the old Dr. Johnson, "is the last refuge of scoundrels." He seems to have been slightly in error. In these days, it is the standard stock in trade of such gentry.

What the circulars, issued by a propaganda outfit masquerading under a misleading name, were up to was the peddling of falsehood and hate under the guise of answering a recent statement of Eddy Cantor to the effect that the Hon. Robert Rice Reynolds, Coughlin, Van Horne Moseley, and others of the chief peddlers of poison were the "enemies of all of America"--and the wrangling of money out of the pockets of poor laboring men who fear for their jobs.

The principal argument was that to agree with Cantor would be to flood this country with foreigners to take the jobs of men at work.

That happens to be demonstrably a falsehood.

According to official figures of the U. S. Bureau of Immigration, in the six-year period 1932-38 only one-forth as many immigrants as were eligible to come here under the present quotas actually entered this country. More than that, 4,000 more aliens left this country in that period than entered it.

The people of Charlotte will be well-advised to keep their money in their pockets. The true purpose behind all this is utterly vicious, and has nothing to do with protecting jobs. It is the pumping up of a crusade of hate for the aggrandizing of a few ambitious and unscrupulous men who haven't the intelligence and dignity to achieve power otherwise.

The Little Brown Man Grabs For His Mile

That the British Government has made a bad mistake in yielding to Japan's demands in the case of Tientsin, already begins to seem highly probable. The little brown man, having been given an inch, which translates to interstellar distances in terms of his peculiar psychology of "face," seems to be out now to take miles in actuality. Beginning by slapping Uncle Sam around somewhat tentatively, he has now boldly announced that he means to close up the Pearl River at Canton for two weeks, as against all shipping, including both British and American. That is by far the most daring step he has yet taken, and one which he clearly knows the Western powers are likely to regard as very grave. Hence his out--that two weeks limit. Apparently he wants to close the river as a test. If the powers submit, then he will hereafter assume to open it only on his own terms. Should they refuse, if he can hold out two weeks, he can still save his "face."

For Washington this is a serious problem, for acceptance of the blockade means de facto acceptance of Japan's power in China, and brings Japan closer to the Philippines. But for the British, it is many times more serious. For the closing of the Pearl River amounts to a blockade of Hong Kong, the British island possession which stands off its mouth. The Pearl River is navigable for 380 miles into the interior of the rich Kwantung Province, and, of course, controls the commerce of the great city of Canton, with its population of nearly one million. And it is for and by the commerce of this river that Hong Kong exists. If the Japanese make good in their effort here, Hong Kong will have become valueless and Britain will have lost her single greatest stake in China.

Nevertheless, she may submit. Hong Kong is fortified, but it is doubtful that it could be used as a base for extensive naval operations. And the next nearest British naval base is Singapore, a steaming distance of 1,520 miles away. The French have nearer bases in the Gulf of Canton, but these also are too small for extensive operations. And even if Uncle Sam co-operated, Manila is 900 miles away, and, as Admiral Cervera once sadly found out, is anything else than a good naval base.

There's Gene, Lamar, Ode, Mrs. Jim, Charles, Etc., Etc.

There was a time when, if you called a politician a nepotist, you'd better smile. Back there in 1931 and 1932, it was an unfamiliar and ugly word.

Literally the bestowal of patronage upon nephews, it had been stretched by usage to include the whole danged family. So had the patronage. The Congressional Directory was full of clerks and office-holders of the same surname as many a Senator and Representative.

John Nance Garner himself, at that time Speaker of the House, was a practitioner. In fact, the Congressional Directory still lists three Garners beside the Vice-President.

People got pretty indignant about it then, because times were hard and jobs scarce and it didn't seem right that entire family connections should pull at the public teat. But with the advent of Roosevelt and free rides on the Federal gravy train, nepotism was placed in a different, less unbecoming perspective. By New Deal standards of patronage, embracing whole strategic states, nepotism became small potatoes.

And so when Washington Merry-Go-Round disclosed a day or so ago that the heroic Hon. E. E. Cox of Georgia was No. 1 Dipper-Into-the-Public-Trough, who drew together with his relatives more salary from the Government than any single officer except the President, it created not even a ripple. Indeed, about the only memorable result at all was the inspired caption over this article.

Budget Climbs Up A Step And Slips Back Seven

"Economy," proclaims Senator Bailey, "is abroad in the land." He hails as a sign of its advent the Senate Commerce Committee's action in sidetracking the omnibus bill authorizing 400-millions for rivers and harbors and other public works dear to the heart of Congressmen.

The Senator's inability to see eye to eye with the Administration about "all that money" is well enough known to suggest that he may have been indulging in satire. For at the very time his Senate Commerce Committee was putting off the expenditure of 400 millions, the Senate as a whole was taking up the expenditure of six or seven times as much.

Worse still, Majority Leader Barkley was arguing that there was no cause for alarm, that the Government was only spending these vast sums because private capital was timid about going to work, and that it all came to the same thing in the end.

Ouch! He forgets something. That whereas private capital is in the hands of a bunch of total strangers, this money the Government spends so freely is OUR money. At least we're going to have to pay it back.