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Stars and Stripes Blocks Censorship Ol Gl 'Beef Column By EDWARD P. MORGAN, Foreign Correspondent ol The Star and Chicago Daily New*. LONDON, Dec. 21.—The Stars and Stripes has—temporarily at least— successfully resisted the efforts of certain Army authorities in the United Kingdom to censor its sol diers’ forum column, called “The B Bag,” it was learned today. The B Bag is the main feature of the paper’s editorial page where the ordinary GI with a beef is en couraged to “blow it out.” So far the soldier has been able to say more or less what he pleases in it, subject only to the good judg ment of the Stars and Stripes’ local staff and naturally to the consid erations of military censorship. The staff, therefore, is jealous of this column, which it is inclined to consider the soldier’s "last frontier” of free expression, restrictions of war being what they are, and the Stars and Stripes being much more rigid ly under official control in this war than it was in the last one. Once in a while in letting off steam some GI’s letter may be in clined to be refreshingly blunt about Anglo-American relations, the eagerness of the military police to do their" duty, or some other peeve precious to the heart of a noncom. This, apparently, has made some administrative officers of the United Kingdom base section nervous, and, fancying that their wisdom is bene ficial, they have attempted to establish the right to censor these letters for policy reasons. How ever, the higher authorities at su preme headquarters, Allied Expe ditionary Force, from which the authority of both the London and Paris editions of the Stars and Stripes stems, have thus far re fused to allow such censorship. Meanwhile, a memo, oral but unwritten, has been passed down the line to avoid as much as pos sible the use of such terms as non combatants, chair-bom and rear echelon, in distinguishing the serv ice forces from the front-line troops. (Copyright, 1944, by Chicago Dally News, Inc.) Customer Gets Jolt LAWTON, Okla. <JP). — “What kind?” queried the clerk, when the man asked for cigarettes. “What!" said the surprised customer, “you mean you got kinds?” 1 i Again this year the Yuletide Season is overshadowed with the regretable thoughts of the world conflict that is depriving so many of the world's finest—the privilege of a Merry Christ mas at home. Let us be mindful of those who are giving their all that peace on earth and good will toward men may again be significant in every home. Buy bonds. Pay only ceiling prices. Save fats. They all help to make bullets for Hitler ond Hirohito. FLOUR” 29‘ COFFEE fSSS, 29c SUN-RIPE f « » PRUNE JUICE bo. 24e CALIFORNIA LARGE _ _ u BUDDED WALNUTS_ “> 43c CVj FANCY GEORGIA — ^ 91 PAPER SHELL PECANS.. »> 49c HOLLY BRAND _ _ MIXED NUTS_ it 55c i wmm i / gf McCORMICK \ 8 POULTRY SEASONING - 9* ff McCORMICK RUBBED SAGE - 9c U. CHEEZIT CRACKERS £ 11« 91 NABISCO g RITZ CRACKERS p?9 23« r -- i ■# \--— | APPLES Staymant <2 2■ 1 ^ ^ I ' CABBAGE *• 6® A m \ ORANGES | X. -- 31c ^ | 91 I § i I i I I p i PORK & BEANS ^^2 6 “ 19* g t CUSTARD PUMPKIN 14* g TOMATO SOUP CAMPBELL'S 2 cil 19* g F FANCY APRICOTS NoJ,/! 33* £ ALL PORK SAUSAGE_,b- 37c . FRESH TASTY SCRAPPLE_lb 17c L BREAKFAST LINKS_,b 43c BANBY BREAD | ★ Enriched ★ Velvet Sliced It ★ Freeh Daily _ 1 f LINDSAY'S MAMMOTH RIPE OLIVES £ 31c BRANDYWINE BUTTON NUSHROONS - 45c BRANDYWINE SLICED NUSHROONS - 43c SNIDER'S COCKTAIL SAUCE - 21c MORTONHOUSE CHICKEN Ji C0NS0MME 2 23' l BLUE BOY RED (DRIED) li KIDNEY BEANS £ 24* g LIBBY'S FANCY CALIFORNIA fff. ORANGE JUICE24' S ISLE OF GOLD FRUIT COCKTAIL 31' | \CLOROX I • bleaches J • DEODORIZES ' • disinfects • GERMICIDE • ■ 17* l CAMAY V toilet soap F toilet soap . 3 23c i r , PERSONAL SIZE I | IVORY SOAP 1 cake 5C : | e ft 3 jgs, dj jar, *1 leg $ iror- fj ing . . . ready * to serve as is, or can be add* ed to. No fuss, no bother! IgjOTgJXTTTrll KtUXiSfll MONTGOMERY WARD’S REPLY TO THE WAR LABOR BOARD National War Labor Board, December 18,1944. Washington, D. C.: Your telegram of December 14, demanding that Wards comply with the War Labor Board’s order covering Ward’s four Detroit stores, was obviously intended to give to the public the false impression that wages are the major issue. The board knows very well that Wards has offered to adopt the minimum wage rates recommended by the board. The board knows very well that Wards policy is to pay wages as high as or higher than those paid by other employers in the com munity for similar employment. The board did not base its wage recommendations upon the survey of competitive rates made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Mr. Davis, chairman of the War Labor Board, deliberately attempted in his December 16 press release to mislead the public into believing otherwise. Ward’s only objec tion to any of the board’s wage recommendations has been in those instances where the board has arbitrarily demanded that Wards substantially increase its rates above those of its competitors in the highly competitive retail field. The board knows very well that the real issue arises from its attempt to im pose upon Wards a closed shop in the form of maintenance of membership, togeth er with the check-off of union dues from wages. Wards has refused to agree to any form of closed shop, or compulsory union membership, because the closed shop violates the American principles of liberty and freedom. The board is well in formed as to Ward’s position. Mr. Davis is quoted in the press as threatening the cancellation of Ward’s priori ties, the denial of scarce materials to Wards and the seizure of its business if Wards does not comply with the board’s demands. These are the tactics by which the board has coerced innumerable employers into granting special privileges to labor unions. The board knows very well that its orders cannot be legally enforced by such punishments. Congress, which is the sole law-making authority under our Consti tution, omitted from the War Labor Disputes Act all provisions which would have given board orders the force of law. Congress included in the original draft of the law a section which would have made board orders enforceable in the courts. Con gress later removed this provision upon the written request of Mr. Davis, who asked that board orders be left as “mere declarations” which no one could be compelled to accept. Mr. Davis expressed reason for his request was that that board would then not be “subject to court review of its decisions.” The board knows very well that its orders are consequently unenforceable. The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia has held, at the request of the Attorney General acting as counsel for the board, that orders of the War Labor Board are merely “advice,” which no one has any legal duty to obey. The court held that any one who refuses to comply with orders of the War Labor Board is not defying a command of the Government and that, since the orders are merely advisory, no Gov ernment official has the right to impose punishments on those who do not comply. The Supreme Court has refused to alter this decision. The board knows very well, since its orders are legally unenforceable, and since Congress has not authorized any punishment for those who reject the advice of the board, that the reprisals with which it threatens Wards are necessarily illegal. The President of the United States knew this when he recently explained to Mr. Petrillo of the American Federation of Musicians why that union could not be compelled to obey a board order. Wards has violated no law, nor denied to any union a privilege to which it is legally entitled. Wards has many times informed that board that its closed shop de mands would require Wards to violate the National Labor Relations Act Wards cannot in good citizenship accept the board’s advice, and give to the union special privileges which Wards believes to be not only unfair and uneconomic, but illegal. The time has come for the board to cease its threats of reprisal upon those who re ject its advice. The board’s policy of granting special privileges to unions has led to a breakdown of collective bargaining and has encouraged strikes in time of war. The board’s disregard of the facts and its pretense of an authority which it does not possess have destroyed the confidence of labor, industry, and the public. The usefulness of the War Labor Board in the settlement of wartime labor disputes has been destroyed. The best interests of employees and employers and the welfare of the American people, demand that Congress face the realities of the country’s need. The great prob lem of wages and the closed shop in time of war should be governed by law and must be solved by Congress. If the board desires a further hearing, Wards, as always, will be happy to attend. MONTGOMERY WARD AND COMPANY SB WELL AVERY, Chair mam.