The VALLEY SETTLER Palmer Alaska.
Carl Rasmussen,
Editor.
.'Published every Fri
armers Cooperating
Associations' work,
general interest:::
'.*ay at Palmer Alaska., by the Matanuska Valley
Association for the.purpose of giving news of the
problems,accomplishments anr1 news of local i.nd
:: Subscription Mail,$1.75, in Box £>1.00.
Eighteen months ago the United States was forced into the prrseht
World War, although war clouds hovered over the country for months
before the actual blow fell, and the President of the United States
warned the people of the danger, there was a large and influenti? 1
number of our citizens who were violently opposed to preparoe^nrss and
who prevented any real preparation for the holooust to come.
One of the main reasons for this opposition was because the warning
had cpme from their political opponent and it was not good politics to
agree with anything that was said or done, because politics require an
issue to condem or defend^ and when the opposition party espouses a
policy or cause then the ether side must take the oppiside side.
As soon as war was declared these dissenters immediatly jumped on
the other side of the f nccs, ns required by custom when questions of
Patroitism are involved, and probably they are sincere, but as soon as
the hysteria at the begaining of the war subsided, then the ol' habit
of criticsr, mostly destructive, crept back over them and new we find
most of them, publicly supporting the war effort, but privately trying
to enrich themselves at the exncnco of the public and also trying to
'gain political control by discrediting thv, actions of the men who have
been selected tr administer the war effort for the Nation.
when a war like the present one hits a country, it is impossirble to
carry on "business as usual" now policies must be worker1 out and a lot
f the rules andregulations arc going to pinch some ones toes. Lots of
snee loving beys who arc only interested in m; king r living for them
selves an-' enjoying life, liberty end happiness do not like to leavothe
field and the factory and become the type that useful soldiers must be
to be effective,in defence of their country. 3ut gcncraly speaking the
Selective Service has been carried on without much criticsm, however
there will always be some of the men selected to go who will try to
evade the call and. on the other hand there will always be some rf the
Service Boar'1 members who will try to use their office to get r venge
on their enemies an^ their friends, wh'cn this occurs it nlwtys becomes
known an*' it hurts that agency just as much as it does the man or his
family who is subjected to harsh or unfair treatment.
Then when a great effort is made to regulate or control the fncalii* ?
ties that enable the Government to bull’ the war weapons an-5 produce
those products that are necessary in the carrying on of the war,someone
must be called to head that agency, this was what the President ^onc and
there is no other way to get the job done effectivly, and while the
men like Knudson, Nelson,Henderson,Set-tlnus and McNutt were highly
praised at the begai.ning there now seems to" be- well orginized- movement
to discredit them in every way that can be used in wartime, and in spite
of the fact that our war supply has e-veiv exceeded expectations. Mnbe
you wonder why this is true, well wc think that it is just a mass move
ment promoted by politicians large and small to get better jobs for them
selves and their henchmen, thr ro is no though'of what might be best for
the country-as a whole but"just for the few"
This movement is not c partiza.n measure, the cheap politicians of
both political parties are in it,, and they are playing in with the men
who are selfish and greedy enough to graft on thir country in this
trying time. The rich and influential newspapers and magazines are in it
oo,every blast at Labor and the Parmer that they can print is useful in
•awing peoples attention from the main issue at hand, and when the men
who ore bound by political prcdjuce listen and aro convinced that they
are right, then it will be a bad day for the people of the United States.
We the citizens of the United States should carefully consider
every bit of information that we can secure about the*manner in which
our country is being run, but when the- criticsm become purely destruct
ive and wholly partizan then we shoul-’ use great discreation'in farming
opinions and in useing our rights as a citizen in the voteing booth or
in the exerciseing of our rights as a citizen.