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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1945)
EDITORIAL- COMMENT S’ Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, April 28, 1945 Interesting: But Not Important (by Ruth Taylor) The most aggravating man I know has the discon certing habit, just when I think I am telling an ef fective story, of saying, in a politely bored tone, • Interesting- -hut not important”.’ The result is that I feel completely deflated, and determined not to he caught that way again. | 1'Ut sometimes when I listen to the long harangu es and speeches, both professional and amateur, a bout the crisis that today is for all of us to face, I wish some superior sort of being would drawl out “Interesting but not important”, and deflate once and tor all 1 lie multitude of well rounded, highly imaginative stories. W <* Americans do love a good story—so much so that we can t help adding all the little extraneous details that would make it complete, whether or not we actually saw or heard them take place. Our minds work quickly, so we jump to conclusions not always tin* right ones. |\Ve supply the “miss ing" motives for other people’s actions, not from knowledge of their lives, but as though we were add ing letters to a cross word puzzle. We know it all —and we tell it all. The enemy knows this habit of ours, and he feeds in interesting details of fiction, clad as fact. Be cause these details are interesting, we pick them up and pass them on as illustrative of the breadth of our own knowledge. (Listen to yourself some time and see how much or how little you really know of what you say, of how far you are from telling the actual, provable truth. But misstatements are not the only danger in our telling of tales. It" we would spend half the time working than we do talking of working, just thnki what we could accomplish! We have seen w hat unified action can do in this war. We have seen miracles performed in production. We have seen old barriers swept away as communities all over the nation, welded into brotherhoods, rallied behind the War Bond drives, Scrap drives and Civ ilian Defense. If we applied the same concerted energy to the problems of peace time, we could solve the age-old problems of unemployment and poverty, of ignor ance and sickness, and even eradicate for all time the fungus of hate and suspicion that is the breeding place of wars. All this we could do, if we WOULD put the important things first in our lives, realizing that they are the truly interesting lungs; if we stick to fact in our speech, and if we would act and not merely talk. ROAD TO PEACE MEN WORKING. Some peo ple think that only an export in finance dares have an opinion about Bretton \\ oods. But, any intelli gent citizen should be able to know and understand the following facts: The Bretton Woods Agreement were drafted bv some 300 ot' the world's most expert economists, representing all the l nited Nations and their neutral friends. They were drafted by men wlios purpose was to eliminate many of the causes of economic warfare which, in turn, so often lead to political warfare. Bretton Woods would provide the world with a Bank to guarantee loans made to anv member nation for constructive and peaceful purposes. It provides, also, a bund which could be used bv anv member nation for the purpose of keep ing its*currency stable and maintaining a reasonable favorable trade balance. America s participation i:i the Fund would amount to approximately what Americans loaned Germany after the first world war. International economc cooperation is funda mental to international political cooperation. If Congress accepts Bretton Woods, the world will know that, at long last, America is prepared to par ticipate in international security. BRETTON WOODS represents compromises arnv e 1 at by the delegates of many nations seeking a reasonable basis tor common action. Bietton Woods is not perfect. Neither was the Constitu tion of the United States when it was adopted. -lust as the Constitution provided the machinery for sub sequent amendment and improvement, so does Bret ton Woods. The important thing now is to accept Bretton Woods in principle and—as it becomes nee essary—make it a more perfect economic union later That is why you should use your influence now to w rite and wire your Congressmen and Senators, de inanding passage of the Agreements. -• FLIGHT FATIGUE AD LIB: The Chairman of the Writers’ War Board, just returned from overseas, : I I I I I I I SI PEKSKMOI11TV will concern employers for the next five years Get acquainted with the subject now Here is the story—told for the first time Article 8 of the Selective Service Act provides that you as an employ er must reemploy a veteran (a) if he left your employ for the armed services, (b) if he applies for his job [=; 31^- ][=- ,c I within 90 days after discharge from [ armed services, (c) if the job was not temporary, (d) if he still qualif ied to perform former duties, and (e) if your circumstances have not so changed as to make reemploy ment impossibe or unreasonable If reemployer, veteran "shall not be discharged from such position without cause within one year after such restoration " LABOR I \IO\S maintain that a veteran returns to his job subject to the seniority of others, without sen iority credit for his time in the arm ed services. SELECTIVE SERVICE, on the other hand, holds that a veteran gets his job back if it still exists— or a comparable job—even though it means displacement of another ■■ ir=—. =ii offers four suggestions: 1. To realize the impossibility of another world war, take a walk in Rouen or Aachen. 2. To realize the difficulties of the problem of postwar Germany, look at the eyes of a thousand German prisoners of war. < d. To realize the enormous power of the U. S. at war, stand at a crossroads at the edge of Germany and watch day and night—millions of tons and mil lions of horse-power go by. 4. To see a woman anywhere in Europe weep tears of joy, give her a cake of soap. -•-i AN AMERICAN IS AN AMERICAN: American solders of .Japanese racial extraction have a splen did military record with our fighting forces in Eur ope. The Hood River Oregon American Legion Rost should therefore be congratulated for chang ing its unfortunate original attitude. It has restor ed to the local roll of honor the names of a number of Nisei now serving their country, the United Stat es. In this war we have not maltreated Americans of German ancestry, but unhappily there are evi dences all over the country, West, East, North and South, that Americans of Japanese descent are vic tims of injustice and the arbitrary denial of rights as citizens. . YOUR JOB AND THE G. I. BILL OF RIGHTS:— The cream of this country’s manpower—13 million men—have been enduring hardships and sustaining mental and physical damages such as the rest of us can only dimly appreciate. If America is to main tain leadership and even more important, if millions of wives, mothers and children are going to get back some semblance of the man they sent to war, our Government will have to take long—and quick strides in its plan to rehabilitate veterans. The GI. Bill of Rights is fine as far as it goes but it is only the beginning. Pensions and bank loans do not cure wounds. It is important for all writers to treat this subject, too. The Writers’ Board Is spon soring a program which picksk up where the GI. Bill of Rights leaves off. We will be glad to send you a synopsis upon request. * * ***-★ DYNAMITE 1 by H. George Davenport-— ' THE CURFEW By this time everyone knows that we have a cur few. jThere are various reasons given for the new law: the saving of coal—saving of manpower, by forcing men and women working in war plants to get their proper rest. No matter what the reasons are, Sam will benefit if he can see it from certain angles. In closing up early, people in all walks of life should go to bed, with the exception of the night shift war worker and the restaurants that stay open to accommodate them. There is always a profit and loss in all games of business and life. Where it works Davenport hardships on night lifers, it helps the ones who toil by day. \\ e think, by comjiarison, the percentage of night help is far less than tiie day help —and in a pinch, the night lifer can, if he or she wants to, get a job in some essential war work. Now getting down to real facts and figures, a large number of people are making more money than ever before—More hours are used up working—Rest is being sadly neglected. Get your rest—when you are asleep you save energy and money. We are too prone to be extreme. If we drink licpior, we try to drink a tavern dry—if we use obscene language, and we do, we yell out loud so as to disturb people liv ing in the next block We could go on and on try ing to enumerate the things that harm us, but space will not permit. Soon, and sooner than we expect, the curfew on war with Germany will ring out. The great white fathers will decide to call it quits. It is up to Sam to save a little of the money, so gener ously given him on certain war jobs—caused by the insane desire of some white people to control the world. Thousands of Negro soldiers such as Lieut enants, Captains, and etc., are making more money than they were able to demand in civilian life. What a jolt it will be when they return to their former jobs This writer has a nephew in the air corps, a 2nd Lieut., who prior to the war, had to share a room at the YMCA. and worked for his board in some in stances. There are thousands of similar cases— Discrimination is still on. The jobs you now hold will be taken from you and gven to white men and women. Lots of people are putting a lot of faith in the Trumans and Wallaces. It would be far better to find out how we can beat down the prejudices of Rankin and1 Bilbo. Personally, men like Bilbo and Rankin have been an inspiration to me. Each day I try to improve, each day I try to convey to some Negro his importance in the general run of life, each day I want to have more confidence in myself, in spite of the deceit, or the frankness of the Bilboes. Friend or foe, whatever happens, curfew or not, be ready when the curfew on money rings out. employe with greater seniority Thus veteran get SUPERSENIOR ITY RATHER THajv SENIORITY fO\(;HKs8 three months ago might have favored the union in terpretation. But now the Amer ean Region, Vr W (Veterans of For eign Wars), and DAV (Disabled A merican Veterans) have endorsed su perseniority. To which will Con gress listen—the unions or the vet erans? Obviously, no Congressman will today vote against the boys in uniform. EMPI.OYKHS are in the middle They can adapt themselves to either seniority or superseniority—to any thing except colliding claims to jobs [ which bring law suits, back pay claims dissension strikes COl'IlTS: Failing with Congress unions—acting through injured in dividuals—will (ake superseniority to court. There the unions may have a chance; courts have repeat edly held that a person's right to a "position" includes his seniority rights. V ETERA N ’S PREFERENCE I !\ GETTING NEW JOBS: But the iasu» i« not confined to the veteran’s for mer job. It may no onger exist or he may not want it The veteran organization insistthat the veteran shall also have a preference in get ting new jobs. They propose that each day in service shall create a day’s seniority credit for the return ed veteran which he can apply a gainst any new job with any em ployer . The veterans’ organizations go still further; they demand that IF ANY WORKER IS LAID OFF FOR 90 DAYS OR MORE, HIS JOB SHALL BE OEN TO A JOB-SEEK ING VETERAN WHO CAN SHOW THAT HIS PERIOD IN SERVICE IS GREATER THAN THE WORKER’S SENIORITY. Veterans must exercise these rights within 90 days following dis chargefrom armed forces except ii case of hospitalization and educat ion when right may be continued for a.s long as one year after dis charge These rights can be created only by Congressional legislation. At tacking the proposal unions have prepared a brief arguing—believe it or not—that employers must be able to use discretion in choosing personnel if the productivity of in dustry is not to suffer If Veterans’ Proposal# Become'*» Law, then until these rights expire— until approxiamtely one year after the last soldiers return from Europe itud Asia—your principal consider ■ition in hiring new workers must lie these Special veterans’ seniority rights—based on lentgli of service in the armed forces True, you can Superior qualifications of another offset veteran’s services record with applicant with lesser seniority. But in practlc e,unless superior qualific ations are crystal-clear, you risk hack pay claim* Comparative ex perience and education can he prov ed in court' but how will you sup port your appraisal of qualifications which may lie much more important —enthusiasm congeniality, willing ness iiiduKtriou*nCss, adaptability, anil the like. i I \ IO\ COCXTER-PROPOSAL:— AFU and CIO. in agreement, propose that after a veteran successfully completes probationary period dur ing which his aptitudes for the job can be teremined, he then—but not until then—gets seniority credit for time spent in the armed forces after Sept. 1. 1940. Example: Veteran served five years in armed services. On the second day after he completes a 30 day probationary period, layoff is announced. Veteran comes up with five years and 32 days of seniority. All workers with less seniority must be laid off before he is. This coun -ter proposal is now being incorpor ted in UAW contracts. Union is publicizing the following example of its benefit to veterans; Recently 5,000 were laid off at Packard. 500 veterans were new employes But under CIO-UAW contact with Pack ard, they got seniority credit for their periods in service. Having completed their probation, they were not laid off ASK YOl K SOLDIEIi TO WRITE I S; We would like to get letters from members of the armed forces oncurrent and postwar problems Will you ask your son or brother to write his views on topics like: sol dier attitude toward free enterprise versus a managed economy; anti Semitism; Negro's place in future A meriea: regulation of unions; con duct of the war: Bretton Woods; Dumbarton Oaks; Yalta; or any oth er subject that nterests him Ad dress WASHINGTON LETTER, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Munsey Bldg , Washington, DC. DRAFT: Despite public statements to the contrary by draft officials, very few men will be drafted after VE day except 17’s-becoming-18. Almost none above 18 who are phys ically fit for combat now remain in civilian life except those holding positions vital to the war effort Workers over IS must be held in es sential war jobs Those leaving will be drafted promptly. TAX OX PAYROLLS to be! paid by employers to union treas- I ury for welfare purposes has been demanded by Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers (CIO). Would create $150 million fund, says union. Also seeks $8000 guaranteed annual wage for skilled workers proportional annual wage for other job-classifications. VE OAYPROCI.AM A TIO V : Declar ing there is no German authority likely tosurrender, Eisenhower says the end of organized resistance in Germany will be signalled by Pres idential proclamation If no rec ognizable VE day occurs, Truman will be able touse discretion in timing announcement Principal concern: effect on American pro duction But a time may come when further delay may seem rid iculous HITLER'S LAST STAND: Pay no attention to fantasies about Hitler with 50,000 fanatical Nazis fight ing for an indefinite period from Alpine caves “where a couple years supply of food and ammunition are stored,” No fortress or caves in the Alps can be so difficult to storm as Iwo ima where 25000 Japs fought I _ ^ Invest In Your Country—Buy A War Bond ^ Page J The Omaha Guide ^ A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Jl. 1 Published Every Saturday at 2^20 Grant Street OMAHA, NEBRASKA—PHONE HA. 0800 Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927 at the Post Office at 'Omaha, Nebraska, under Act of Congress of Marik 3, 1879. C- C• Galloway,.... Publisher and Acting Editor All News Copy of Churches and all organiz ations must be >n our office not later than 1:00 p- m. Monday for current issue. All Advertising Copy on Paid Articles, not later than Wednesday noon, preceeding date of issue, to insure public ation. SUBSCRIPTION RATE IN OMAIIA \ ONE YEAR $3.00 SIX MONTHS . $1.75' THREE MONTHS . . $125, SUBSCRIPTION RATE OUT OP TOWN \ ONE YEAR . $3.50 SIX MONTHS. $2 00 ^ National Advertising Representatives— ^ INTERSTATE UNITED NEWSPAPERS, I„c\ 545 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Phone:— J MUrray Hill 2-5452, Ray Peck, Manager \ EVEN SOME AMERICANS HAVEN'T DISCOVERED AMERICA YET With pentiisien ol K. A. Lewis end Milwaukee Journal Courtesy Appreciate America. Jna *K1elp yourself and the WAR EFFORT BY HAVING YOUR TIRES RECAPPED PROMPTLY. TIRE QUOTAS ARE SHARPLY REDUCED.' NEWS ITEM HAVE YOUR TIRES RECAPPED PROMPTLY!' to their death Where hand gren adep, bombs ajnd flame throwers failed, the Marines shot a stream of oil into the caves then burned the j •Policies with Respect to Seniority Rights and Credits for Reemploy ment and Kmployment for Veterans ol World War 11 :is Agreed l poll Ity the \merican l.egion, l>iKaliled \ merican Veterans, ;ind Veterans of Foreign Wars In addition to the rights guaran teed under Section S of the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 as amended, we advocate and urge that all persons entering the armed forces on or after May 1, 1940, and prior to the official termination of the present war and who are re leased from active duty under con ditions other than dishonoi y >le. shall be credited with seniority rights for employment purposes at a ratio of not less than one day- sen iority credit for each day of serv ice in the armed forces, and that such seniority credits shall apply in obtaining employment, as well a^ for continuity and rentention in employment. Seniority credits in the same ratio shal lalso be credit ed for periods of hospitalization and medical treatment, education or vo cational training, following release or discharge from active service Provided, that with the exception of periods of hospitalization and edu cation following discharge, the use ! of such seniority credits for initial employment purposes must be init iated within 90 days following re lease or discharge and thereafter shall remain valid until employment is obtained, but in no event one year from discharge. Provided fur ther, that such veteran seniority credits shall not be used to displace (Continued on page DOS AND DON’TS Do try and live within your means and not try your friends!. Thrift leads to social, economiuc and pol itical seururity and independence.