Leftwingers Don’t Want
Americans to Hear D.A.R.
By JESSE HELMS
"Viewpoint," WRAI.-TV
It is more than passing strange that
those who arc loudest in their ridicule
of the ladies of the D.A.R. arc also
most determined to prevent the views
of the D.A.R. ladies from reaching
the public. If the Daughters of the
American Revolution arc so ridiculous,
if they arc so wrong in what they say
in defense of Americanism, why would
it not be reasonable to let the ladies
have their say. and thus indict them¬
selves?
Last week in Washington, thousands
of D.A.R. members held their annual
meeting. What coverage of the con¬
vention have you read — or. for that
matter, seen or heard on television or
radio? The only “coverage" we have
observed in North Carolina was con¬
fined to the society pages, which sim¬
ply reported that local ladies from
various Tar Heel cities attended the
meeting, plus a vicious editorial car¬
toon picturing the D.A.R. ladies as
silly, fat and overdressed.
Such treatment tends to bear out the
D.A.R. contention that freedom of the
press in America has degenerated into
freedom to distort. In so far as we know,
the ladies have never demanded that
any newspaper agree with them; they
have simply wondered why the press
is unwilling to let the public know
what is on the minds and in the hearts
of the D.A.R. members.
For our part, we admire the ladies
of the D.A.R. What's more, in case
someone should believe it important,
they are not silly, nor fat. nor over¬
dressed. In fact, it is to be imagined
that they would gladly invite a com¬
parison of their physical, mental and
patriotic qualities with any other group
of women.
Generally, the sentiments of the
D.A.R. arc as American as America
itself. For example, consider some
quotes from a speech by Mrs.
Wilson K. Barnes of Baltimore, which
she delivered in Washington last week.
Mrs. Barnes is chairman of the Na¬
tional Defense Committee of the
D.A.R.
In calling for what she called the
restoration of "the spiritual and moral
fibre of our people," Mrs. Barnes
said that "we have been too busy . . .
building skyscrapers, splitting the
atom, and conquering space — to
build men. We have ceased to build
Americans," she said.
In speaking of the power of gov¬
ernment, she said that "individual
citizens can wield this power for their
common good, or they can surrender
it to the state for their ultimate en¬
slavement." She added that the pages
of history "tell us that self-government
is the only safe repository of freedom
and whenever the people have relin¬
quished this power to the state, a na¬
tion has fallen."
Arc these the words of a silly old
woman? Yet, the press — and radio
and television — would have you be¬
lieve that the D.A.R. is merely to be
tolerated and ridiculed.
The D.A.R. was sounding warnings
against Communism when the leader¬
ship of this nation was embracing
Communists as friends. The D.A.R.
warned of infiltration of Communists
when this nation officially was saying
that no such danger existed. The
D.A.R. warned of excessive govern¬
ment spending and called for both a
limit on spending and taxation when
government economists were guaran¬
teeing that the national debt would
never get out of control. The D.A.R.
called for a more effective foreign
policy at the time this nation embarked
on the policy that has brought this
nation to ill repute all around the
globe.
Simply said, the D.A.R. has dared to
say things that needed saying. And
there was evidence last week that,
despite the ridicule and smears aimed
at them, the ladies will keep on say¬
ing them. As Mrs. Barnes from Balti¬
more put it: “Some people say that it
is controversial to be patriotic; if that
is so, then we need more controversy
in America. Some say that it is senti¬
mental to express love of country; then
we need more sentimentality. Some say
that it is old fashioned to respect the
American flag, and if that is true, we
have a great need for more old-
fashioned people in the United
States."
We think Mrs. Barnes of Baltimore
is on the right track, and we do not
conceal our admiration for the cour¬
age of her organiztion which is sub¬
jected to so much ridicule by critics
who arc unwilling for the views of
the D.A.R. to be given circulation.
These fine ladies, including Miss Ger¬
trude Carraway of New Bern, who
have given strong leadership to the
D.A.R. deserve the respect and grati¬
tude of America — whether they re¬
ceive it or not.
In ordering back copies of
THE STATE, please send 30c
per copy. No charge accounts
opened for single copy sales.
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THE STATE. AllQUIT S. 1961
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