Go To It! I.IJI—IIIUIU. ~w wuwwnrowwMPOB w wu mmmjiiiuuuui By Ruth Taylor (by Ruth Taylor) Peace is here at last—but if we expect peace to solve our problems, we are in for a sad awakening. The problems of peace are no less urgent than the problems of war, and we will not have the high ten sion of national necessity to weld us together. There is no doubt that in the days ahead we will be faced with critical situations. We will have to reshape our lives, to readjust our plans, to develop, in many cases, new work. Now is the time to find out what we have learned. Now is the time to capitalize upon our experiences in the war years. In the cold light of peace, our successes and our failures are made plain to us. If in the past years we have done our job well, if we have made our work an occasion for learning new things and developing new skills, it will serve us in good stead. Sure, the immediate future undoubtedly will be hard. But what we must do is to tackle our im mediate problem with the same intelligence with which we tackled our war job, to stand on our own feet and to rely upon ourselves and our ability and willingness to work hard at a constructive task. Browning wrote: The common problem, yours, mine, every one’s, Is—not to fancy what were fair in life. Provided it couid be—but finding first. What may be, then find how to make it fair. Up to our means. We cannot spend our time wishing for things that are not. But we can find out what we can do best, what we can make of our lives, and then work A Hurricane of Destruction Sweeping Across The Nation a as Tired World is Waiting-W atching and Listening, America. at it. We must face the days ahead with courage, not with repining. Is there one of us who is not grate ful the war is over? Is there one who would not have the struggle of peace-time living, with its building for the future, rather than the quick money and long hours of war-time work ? Decide what you want out of life, decide what you are best able to do. But remember that in working for yourself, you have to consider your part in the whole. No man can work for himself a lone—and keep anything for himself. Shooting stars always come down. Peace is here—with its problems and its oppor tunities. What we make of it is up to us and to us alone. So lets go to it! THE WORLD ABROAD (Issued by Cross Country Reports) New York, N. Y.—With the spectacular surren der ceremonies on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, and with President Truman’s proclamation of V-J I)av, World War II came to its official end. It was exactly six years after the German Army had pured across the frontiers of Poland, more than eight years after the “incident”’ at the Marco Polo Bridge had inaugurated the Japanese attempt to conquer China, and fourteen years since the Japan ese seizure of Mancuria had sent the world spinn ing toward the disaster of another major conflict. Two days after the surrender ceremonies, Emper or Hirohito opened the session of the Japanese Diet. He appeared in person. He spoke of the “cessation of hostilities”, but did not mention de feat or surrender. A day later the Japanese Prem ier addressed the Diet. He did not hesitate to refer to the Japanese defeat. He analyzdd its causes at some length. But he failed to indicate in any way a recognition that Japan had committed a wrong in starting the war, or even that it had acted unwisely. The Japanese Government has now called an elec tion in January. It acts in all respects as a con tinuing sovereign government. These conditions provide a strange contrast to those prevailing in Germany, where no German Government exists and no German sovereignty of any sort is recognized. - Geenralissimo Chiang Kai-shek addressed an in teresting Y-J Day message to the Chinese people. In it he promised “to introduce democracy and con stutionalism” and to “restore the power of govern ment to the Chinese people.” Unless these are empty words—and we have no reason to suppose tha* 1nhiang’s promis es foreshadow the end of personal dictatorship and i one party (Kuomintang) rule. Chiang also promised the “unification” of China which means reaching a satisfactory understanding with the Chinese Communists of Yenan. If the Generalissimo proceeds promptly in the direction of “democracy and constitutionalism”, there is a good chance that he will be able to come to terms j with Yenan. Hao-Tze-Tung, the Chinese Comm unist leader, is now in Chungking conferring with the Generalissimo. The toughest obstacle confronting the two lead ers is the question of what to do with the powerful Chinese Communist Annies, which have for years successfully defended large parts of China against the Japanese invaders. Chiang insists that “priv ate annies” cannot be toelrated in the new demo cratic China. Mao will undoubtedly want to be as sured that the new China will actually be democrat OVERTONES _(BY Ah HENINGBURG)_ CHAIRMAN GEORGE OBJECTS: Chairman George and the Senate Finance Com mittee have completely rejected the Kilgore Bill, with its provisions for paying up to twenty-five ic and that the Chinese Communists will be treated fairly, before he agrees to disarm and disband the Eighth and New Fourth Route Armies. Chiang’s treaty of alliance with Moscow gives him the high trumps in these negotiations. If he plays them wisely, Chinese unification may at last become a reality. _ Had President Roosevelt lived to proclaim the victory for which he gave his life and toward which he contributed so greatly, the world might have been the richer for an inspirational message that would rank forever alongside of the great words of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address — “With malice toward none, with charity for all. let us bind up the nation’s wounds.” President Truman may lack great eloquence. He does not lack courage or common sense. In announcing that a large part of our Lend Lease contributions to our Allies would have to be written off as part of this nation’s share in the cost of the war, the President bravely grasped a politic al nettle. He was at once attacked1, not only by Republican leaders, but by members of his own party. He was accused of throwing away the bar gaining position of the United States. It may turn out, however, that President Tru man's forthright facing of reality may give the United States greater prestige and a better bargain mg position than would a more technical insistence upon legal rights. Actually, the Lend Lease Agree inents with our Allies clearly state that they shall repay only to the extent and only in such manner as shall not “burden commerce between the two countries" but shall ‘“promote mutually advantag eous economic relations" and the “betterment of world wide economic relations.” The President is therefore not proposing to give away any legal rights. He . is merely reminding Congress of the meaning of its own action in carrv ing out Roosevelt’s policy of “taking the dollar sign out of our contribution to victory.” He is re minding Cngress that much water has flown over the dam since the days when an American Presi dent expressed the sentiment of the times by say ing: “They hired the money, didn’t they?” BY Sl'SAN THAYER MUCH TO DO A talented young relative of mine is wearing a discharge but ton now. and was grabbed up in stantly by a frm of industrial de signers. What’s he doing is work ing out for manufacturers new and improved designs' for about every thing from fountain pens to air planes. He mentioned one household gad -get in particular—I can’t say what, for it’s a secret—that we all own and have used for years. It’s in for revolutionary improvement, and when it’s announced we’ll 8ay, ‘‘That will make life e3sierj’’ As I look about my house, al most everything I see seems su8 sceptible to improvement. But Ks safe to say 8ome manufacturer has taken a good look too, and is doing something about it. I feel mighty hopeful when I see so many things to be improved on. It means there’s a real job of work to be done that will keep u8 all busy. When everything’s perfect—well, by that time we’ll have t fixed so nobody has to work! Business is lke a wheelbarrow— if you don’t push it< it won’t go. —Kreolite News. Subscribe Today! THE OMAHA GUIDE I dollars per week to unemployed workers during the reconversion period. George’s plan provides for paying benefits to such workers up to twenty six weeks, but at the prevailing state rates Hither hail at the twenty-five dollar maximum. This means in practice that southern workers will re ceive much less than those in the North, and also means that states with the largest Negro popula tion will have the lowest guaranteed benefits. Thus it will happen as it has already happened with federal aid to education. Those who most need it will have least chance of getting it. And yet many southern politicians profess inability to understand why Negroes and whites are still leav ing the South in a steady stream. BALANCE DUE: Andy Jump fans are laughing this week over a rery human occurrence, and one with which many readers of these lines have been caught short. Andy, in his customary generous manner, gives Min a mink coat costing four thousand dollars, on which he has made a down payment—of fifteen dollars. Friend Andy smiles with the same childish optim ism that marks people all over the country who think they’ve bought something when they have managed the first down payment. Pretty soon oily-voiced salesmen of old cars and what-have-you will be calling at your door, and if you don’t watch out bills will mle up out of all proportion to your ability to meet them. And then you’ll have exactly what Min now fears most—balance due. —*•— TOKYO ROSE: When you read about Tokyo Rose, born and edu cated in America, who stoops to the low level of playing traitor to her country; or when you read a bout any other known, traitors, you alwaysy notice that they happen NOT to be Negroes. These trait ors just happen to belong to that race which up to date has had everything its own way in these Unit edi States. —★— TOO MUCH MEANY: George Meany, AFL delegate to the British Trade Union Congress, probably had the shock of his life the other night when Englishmen resented his attack on the CIO and the Russian trade move ment. A good guess is that Meany was talking on his own rather than from a prepared manuscript, for it is hardly conceivable that the AFL Council would permit him to put his foot in his mouth in that fashion. Whether George Meany knows it or not CIO, has been the msot liberalizing influence in the ntire labor movement in this country. And Englishmen labor leaders don’t need any American to come over to tell them what is going on in Rus sia. Meany was hitting below the belt, and1 the boos and cat-calls uj: ^iis audience must have made him feel very mean indeed. DON’T WAIT TOO LONG: Not nearly enough Negro veterans are taking ad vantage of the education benefits available to them. Perhaps they don’t understand this business any too well, or perhaps they want to rest up a bit be fore tackling the serious business of returning to school. There are probably a number of good rea sons, but just the same there is danger in waiting too long. Most of the men will never again get a § chance like this, and everyone who is interested in the welfare of the men should be quick to see this and point it out to those concerned. —★— THERE ARE SUCH PEOPLE: l I had looked long and hungrily at several choice cuts of meat as the butcher skillfully prepared them for sale, but no soap—there was absolutely nothing to be bought without points. And a wom an of another race, whom I had never seen before and never expect to see again said: “Well here are some red points. Maybe they’ll help you out.” —★— NO MORE SHILLINGS: There’ll be no more shillings and pence in Eng land if a plan now being discussed/ materializes, for a move is on foot to use metric standards in all measurements. If England soon makes the change we shall shortly see an end of feet and inches in this eountrv. WASHINGTON R. F. D. WASHINGTON, DC.—Heal significance of the j full employment bill now before Congress lies in its recognition that full employment is a public res ponsibiity and that a procedure for assuming it has been written down. Full employment, until recently, has been an un written article of faith subscribed by progressives. The Wagner-Murray-Patman bill makes a written creed of this faith. It erects a frame work program corresponding to a church where the faithful may repair—if they wish—to translate the creed into good1 works. The bill does not abolish unemployment any more than the church abolishes sin. It represents another forward step in building a more prosper ous society, in that it gives an opportunity to do something more than just talk about he evils of un employment. Ilf the bill passes—and this is generally conced ed—every legislative program of every branch of the government will be tested in advance for its bearing on full employment. It will represent a notable change in official outlook, for full employ ment will be a criterion for.every major official act. 4 -- The unemployment compensation bill by Senator Kilgore (D. W. Va.,) is having heavy going and its passage is in doubt. This is the case advanced a gainst it: (1) The matter should be left to the states. k (2) It would tend to raise wage standards. Said Rep. Knutson (R. Minn.): “If we pay a man $25 a week for not working, how much do we pay him to work?.It is a rash assumption that people want to work.” (3) “It puts a premium on loafing”. .Rep. Dougliton, (D. X. C.) The case for the bill is stated by Reconversion i Director John Snyder: i (1) The return to peace is part and parcel of I the war. The human as well as the material costs of transition are costs of war. (2) Those who stuck oyallv to their war jobs until the defeat of Japan will be hardest hit by un employment. (3) The country as a whole has a stake in ade quate unemployment benefits. Prosperity de mands maintenance of purchasing: power. (4) )The government has provided reconversion aid to business (tax refunds, loans, removal of con trols^ to fanners (two year postwar farm price I supports); to veterans (GI Bill of Rights). Whir workers have no protection. (5) State unemployment compensation is too varied and too often inadequate to cover the recon version period to be satisfactoiy. Senator Barkley, majority leader in the Senate, put it another way: “We passed a Reconversion Act last year providing financial assistance to owners of corporations and no state came in here and claimed it was their job. The states didn’t object to federal crop insurance or highway aid from the federal government, or offer to take over. But when it comes to human beings, the states claim it is their sacred ground.” Senator O’Mahoney (D. Wyo.) has prepared charts to show the cost of unemployment and de pression. They indicate that during the period from 1929 to -1941 depression cost business $355 billion in sales. It cost workers $175 billion in wag es; corporations $69 billion in profits; farmers $24 billion in earnings. The Senator also has a chart on the “mass mark et for American business! It shows that the broad profit base for business is supplied neither by the very rich nor even by the comfortably well to do, but by persons who make less than $4,000 a year. Last year’s income tax returns show that 47,000, 000 persons received less than $4,000,’ while 3,800 000 received more than that. Concludes Senator O’Mahoney: “There is more profit for the shoemaker in selling one pair of sho es to each of the 47,0000,000 than in selling three pairs to each of the 3,800,000. The best way to make business good for every business man is to make certain that involuntary unemployment shall not be tolerated in America.” -r* Until jobs are assured for all who want them, the employment problem will be confused by the feder al court ruling that veterans have super-seniority over all others. More than a two-way controversy between veterans’ and' labor organizations looms up Many employers privately admit their 'skilled la bor force would be shot to pieces if the rule were fully applied. Labor union leaders assert the rule won’t help veterans a year hence when they will need it most. They are sure the U. S. Supreme Court will reverse the lower court, but not in time to avert bad feeling.