The Pittsburgh Press (May 16, 1941)
‘Too old to work but not to fight’
Editor, The Pittsburgh Press:
I am told that I’m too old to work at 45 while younger men are obtainable (I have completed a three-month defense course as a machine operator).
Yes, I’m too old for work, but will be young enough to be accepted by Uncle Sam should war come, for I shall be physically fit and desirable and experience from the last war. I’m too old for the comforts, through work, in civilian life, but will be accepted for the rigors and hardships of war conditions.
The capitalists will tell me now when to work and control my livelihood. In my mood Communists are made, and more vicious is this system that makes criminals out of respectable citizens through want (in both cases, you forbid it should be so).
I’d like to hear from others who were told the same thing.
ARTHUR SEGALL
403 McKee Place
Supports Roosevelt stand on Lindbergh
Editor, The Pittsburgh Press:
It gave me great pleasure to hear what Roosevelt said about Charles Lindbergh. I feel that he expressed the sentiment of the American people. If Lindbergh has so much confidence in a victory for Hitler, why does he not go over to Germany and openly help Hitler instead of throwing water on the fires of American freedom and democracy? Lindbergh may fool many people with his expressions of loyalty to American ideals but thinking people can read between the lines.
We have too many pro-Hitlerites and Communists here in America. They all should either be deported or locked up in a concentration camp before America goes the way France and some other nations went. I hear many Americans say that anyone who advocates the overthrow of our form of government should be shot, but we should never imitate a ravening wolf or some other wild beast. Why does America permit termites to continue boring from within?
CLARENCE McCONNELL
New Wilmington, PA
He finds history does indeed repeat itself
Editor, The Pittsburgh Press:
History does indeed repeat itself – and Barnum was right. Once again we are going to save the world for democracy, or England – our imagined first line of defense. The same first line of defense that failed to protect Poland, Norway, France and the rest of the countries that depended on its security. How in the world did we ever allow our first line of defense to get 3,000 miles away from home in the first place?
One more step on the road to war is necessary – namely, convoying ships to England. Then, we’ll be in – lock, stock and barrel. Men, American men, will be necessary to change England’s sagging defensive line into a line of offense. An offense that may or may not be successful at this late date. What a slaughter that will be! Those little white crosses somewhere in France will be multiplied many times.
We are not taking any chances of the English calling us Uncle Shylock this time. No sir, we’re much smarter now – we are going to pay all the bills. Stalin and Russia, in the meantime, sit back and enjoy a show that is to their liking.
JOSEPH SIMOVICH
Wildwood, PA
Sees present situation like having a baby
Editor, The Pittsburgh Press:
There is so much wild thinking – especially on foreign affairs today by people who either do not have the time or inclination to read and listen to enough sources of information to get a clear picture of things.
My idea of the situation today is that it is like having a baby – you can’t change your mind in the middle and it gets much worse before it gets better. At the present time, we are being hampered by young intern Lindbergh who is on his first case and hollering for a Cesarean section. Grandpa Wheeler (a local vet with ambitions to be a full fledged M.D.) is blubbering over us and trying to get in the way.
The last time we went through this in 1918, we left the child on a doorstep somewhere in Europe, where it grew into the Frankenstein which is mencaing us today. We are going to have this baby and raise it into a healthy, tolerant and honest being. A credit to healthy parents, and not a horrible threat to the entire Universe.
GRACE EWART
2506 Kingwood St.