The Nome Nugget

POOR U.S.A.
(The Catholic Sentinel)

IT SEEMS THAT POOR Uncle Sam, as he is familiarly called, just cannot do anything to suit others; he is always getting himself disliked.

During the recent war, he poured out his treasures by the billions in the way of lend-lease material, offered the lives of hundreds of thousands of his sons to help the Soviet Union conquer the Germans etc., now he is just the meanest thing alive, a Fascist, an imperialist and all else that is low and vile; at least so his former Soviet ally maintains.

Then there is our cousin, England, with whom we surely want to be on the best of terms; there may have been a time when some Americans did not over love the British but things have changed; Americans realize now that our British cousins should be among our best friends and that it is just absolutely necessary for us to take their part, as we have done in two recent World Wars.

Now comes the question of Palestine; maybe we (the U. S. A.) have bungled this up mournfully: but anyway it is stated, on the best authority, by correspondents, who apparently are unbiased and ought to know, that our relations with England have worsened very materially in recent weeks, so much so that some fear it may have a serious effect upon protection and restoration of the European continent. We earnestly hope that this may not be true.

Then there are the Chinese; surely we have tried to be friendly with them, within limitations that the war in Europe and other causes imposed upon us.

Now we are informed that many of the Chinese are beginning to hate America, because they feel that we are treating the Japanese too gently. In doing this, they fail, altogether to look at the other side of the picture.

For example, just now the Soviet is making a superhuman effort to win favor with the Japanese, while on the Japan front, the United States is losing to Russia the battle of radio propaganda. The Russians are still jamming the Voice of America broadcasts but are getting a steadily growing audience for their Japanese programs from Siberia. These if necessary to insist, paint up the U. S. A. in the usual false, distorted and hate producing manner.

When the Russian programs started they were very awkward and did not worry the U. S. occupation authorities. Recently they have been getting better and have been effective in planting all sorts of rumors among the Japanese, to our discredit.

So while the U. S. A. is endeavoring to save Japan from the clutches of the Soviet, on the other hand our Chinese friends are becoming more and more angry with us because, in their opinion, we are not treating the Japanese with sufficient harshness.

So it is a great old world isn't it; and poor U. S. A. always seems to get the worst of it.