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,
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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.
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INTERSTATE UNITED NEWSPAPERS, I„c\
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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.
