SOME OLD WORRIES AND CARES.
If you think today's international problems are too complicated , come with me back to March 26, 1941 - a date picked at random. Here is a transcript of my TOPIC entry for that date sixty-two years ago.
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“COMMENT – March 26, 1941
Today Yugoslavia is a member of the Axis. Somewhat of a Junior partner, but neither the less a member of a sort. She has not exactly given the go-ahead signal to Hitler, but she has indicated that certain lengths he might wish to go are all right and admits through such concessions that she is sufficiently pliable enough to be taken over as soon a troops and “citizens” are lodged within the gates and in control of key positions.
Norway was won from within and it should not be too difficult to take over Yugoslav in a like manner. He may face some opposition in the ethnic diversity of the area. Native, unified Norwegians, failed to see the Nazi “writings on the wall” . The Serb portion will, perhaps, but Croats, and others, may prove to be troublesome.
Prince Paul was, no doubt, asked by President Roosevelt and other leaders of the Democratic countries to support the cause of Greece in refusing to allow the Germans to cross his land. He holds fast at the moment .Two days or so from now, it may be more difficult to stop German troops from exercising what they are calling their right of passage as they occupy Yugoslavia 'to preserve peace and restore order.'
I do not doubt that much of the internal disturbances within the area are instigated by Nazi-paid factions, or by people speaking out in a warped sort of new-found “wisdom” (not unlike our own Col. Charles Lindberg) who speak Hitler's language in the unwitting guise of ”peace” rather than “destruction” rot.
The term “strike” used to relate to baseball games. Now, it is the final word in relations between business and the worker. Right now, over much of our nation workers are striking in the defense industries and demanding more pay and rights. The Ford Motor Company's lawyers called the CIO the “Communist Labor Organization” because of their heavy communist-oriented membership. Won't all of that fit nicely in the history books of the future? Brother Earl Browder is in jail - as of yesterday - but at the same time he must be laughing up his crooked sleeve.
Another leading topic of the day ls news has been the signing of the aid to Britain - a “Lease-Lend” bill by President Roosevelt. He is finding out, as many other president have before him, that they way to get action from the legislative body is to go fishing. The bill had to be flown down to FDR for his seal of approval because he was fishing off the Florida coast. One wonders how we will supply Great Britain with munitions if our industrial plants stay on strike.. It is not bottle-necks holding us up right now - it's horses-necks.”
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We had plenty to worry about even in those pre-Pearl Harbor days, August 26, 1941. We made a way through them and we will survive our present troubles, as well. Some of them willl ,in time, seem to have been rather trivial.
A.L.M. October 5,, 2003 [c595wds]
