Chapter 71

From Alden Cramp, "A Much-Needed Peace," New Bedford Chronicle, Oct. 1, 1938

… Prime Minister Chamberlain and Chancellor Hitler are to be congratulated on the swiftness with which they have dealt with the threat posed to the peace of Europe by the thorny problem of Czechoslovakia. Their solution is both decisive and wise. A few minor annexations will bring the Sudeten Germans under the protection of the Reich.

With Hitler's main grievance in this crisis answered, the Czech people no longer have anything to fear from him. It is unfortunate that they are called upon to suffer the indignity of ceding territory to another country. However, their small sacrifice will provide permanent security for themselves and their neighbors against the specter of war. Hitler may not be a democrat, but a stronger Reich is a guarantee of protection for the democracies against aggression by Soviet communism. With such a bulwark in place, fears of another great war may be laid aside forever.

No one who has seen, as I have, a battlefield strewn with the broken corpses of his friends can feel anything but horror at the thought of more such conflict. No one who has mourned the loss of a son or brother or husband in war can believe that any price can be too high if it purchases a lasting peace. There must never be another generation of splendid young men sent to the slaughter.

Hitler has many critics and their repugnance at some of his more ruthless actions is understandable. With many of his ambitions for Germany achieved, it is possible that Hitler will now ease some of the harsher and more distasteful policies adopted to meet the need for strong leadership in a time of economic and political instability. A new spirit of reasonableness and tolerance may, perhaps, be expected from his regime in the future. A better day, a day of peace and stability, is dawning for us all.

From the Journal of Honey Sutton Oct. 1, 1938

Thanks be to God for answering my prayers for peace. He has put wisdom in the hearts of Europe's statesmen. The agreement Chamberlain and Hitler have reached means that my boys will never have to go to war as their father and stepfather did. I will never have to live in fear of losing them to a bullet or poison gas. …

From the Memoirs of Grace Bailey -

… Reading Mr. Cramp's editorial, I thought of Mrs. Saarinen shaking with sobs at her son Oscar's memorial service. I thought of the heartbroken look on her husband's face as he held her and tried to comfort her with murmured words. I thought of Oscar and all the other fine young men who came to Spain to fight for the freedom of its people from fascism. So many remained there in anonymous graves.

The only chance left of achieving their goal had been for the full military might of the democracies to come to the aid of the Republic. The Munich agreement had snuffed out that last frail hope. I was filled with a cold rage at this shameful betrayal of a good cause and the brave men who had fought and suffered for it. Clutching the newspaper so tightly in my hand that my knuckles must have whitened, I stalked upstairs to my room, sat down at my desk, put a sheet of paper in my Underwood, and began to type furiously.

From the Journal of Maisie McGinty Oct. 4, 1938

… Grace blew into the pawnshop in a tearing hurry. She barely stopped to pet a yipping Newton. Dad tried to be friendly, but she answered him with only a handful of terse, distracted sentences before apologizing for not staying longer. Apparently, she had an errand to run before taking me home.

It was obviously urgent. I almost had to sprint to keep up with her as she dragged me out the door by the hand. She didn't stop until we were at the Chronicle office. When we arrived, she wasn't even breathing hard. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't stand a chance against her in a fifty-yard dash even if she is nearly twenty years older.

Once inside, I soon found out what all the fuss was about. Grace handed in her Grace's Corner column for the week. After Mr. Cramp finished scanning and approving it, she slapped another two sheets of paper onto his desk and told him in a tone that allowed no argument that he needed to publish whatever was typed on them. Before he gave her a doubtful look and took them up to read, I saw that the title was "Trail of Treachery."

For a moment, I wondered if Grace was offering to write an adventure serial for the paper. When Mr. Cramp finished, he looked up at Grace like my grandpop used to do at me when he was disappointed with something I'd done. "You know I can't publish this. Advertisements for humanitarian fund raising are one thing, but this is outright propaganda for your cause."

Grace reminded him that he owed her a favor. I couldn't believe my ears. When did that happen? Apparently, last spring from what Grace said before she finished speaking. Mr. Cramp talked down to her as though she were five years old. Apparently, he didn't owe her what she thought he did. "Not to the extent of printing a guest editorial that contradicts this paper's stated position on such an important issue."

Mr. Cramp found himself on the wrong end of the same icy glare that I sometimes get when Mrs. Bailey wants to let me know that she means business. Grace opened her handbag and drew out a pamphlet with the same title as her editorial over a photograph of Adolf Hitler that made him look like a rabid alley cat. Then she turned it over so that Mr. Cramp and I could see the back.

There were two more photographs on it, one above the other. The first was of Joseph Goebbels' smirking puss. It was captioned "Propaganda Minister of Germany." Below it was a photo of Mr. Cramp looking even more pompous and smug than usual. Its caption read "Propaganda Minister of New Bedford."

"Whwhwhat is this?" Mr. Cramp sputtered. He actually looked sick to see himself compared to Joseph Goebbels. Grace's expression as she answered him was regretful but determined. "I can mimeograph enough copies of this at the mine office so that every household in New Bedford will get one."

Mr. Cramp looked even more sick at hearing that. Grace continued without missing a beat. "This is just the front and back covers. The completed version will contain the full text of my editorial. It will also explain that it isn't appearing in the Chronicle because you don't trust your neighbors to have the wisdom and maturity to hear all sides of an important issue and make up their own minds. I wonder what they'll think of that."

As Grace finished, Mr. Cramp went whiter than fresh snow. She just smiled, knowing that she had him over a barrel. Mr. Cramp grudgingly admitted that he was beaten. Grace and I waited as he took her editorial over to Mr. Herring, the compositor, who admitted as he took the sheets of paper that he was amazed at what he had just seen. Mr. Cramp only shook his head. "You wouldn't think that someone that good-natured could drive such a hard bargain. I'm starting to realize that underneath the angel face and sweet manners she's more May Bailey's child than either of her brothers ever were."

I doubt Grace heard what Mr. Cramp said. By that time, she was already walking towards the door to the Chronicle office. I turned and followed her. Mr. Cramp saw us and grumbled a goodbye. Grace stopped at the door turned, turned, and smiled brightly at him. "Goodbye, Mr. Cramp. You still owe me a favor."

From Grace Mainwaring, "Trail of Treachery," New Bedford Chronicle, Oct. 5, 1938

Making agreements with Hitler is like giving a viper a nice pat on the head. Hitler can no more be trusted to keep the peace than a viper can be trusted not to turn and strike. Just look at his record of warmongering, persecution, broken promises, and dishonored treaties. Anyone who cares to do so can see that his fangs are bared and dripping with the twin poisons of militarism and bigotry. Nothing in his record or that of his fellow fascists indicates that anything short of armed force will stop their bullying and devouring of weaker nations.

… It is only a matter of time before the rest of Czechoslovakia is absorbed into the German Reich. More attempts to expand fascist power by threats of war will follow. Allow the fascists to succeed and they will become so powerful that it will not matter whether or not they are a bulwark against communism. We will be in a position where we will have to depend on Soviet Russia to be a bulwark against them. God help us if Stalin decides that his interests lie elsewhere.

Even now, we are in a struggle between democracy and dictatorship that will end with the destruction of one or the other. Sooner or later the democracies, including Canada, will have to realize this terrible truth and act in their own defense. Mr. Cramp is right about war. It is an unholy horror that leaves loss and destruction in its wake. No responsible person thinks differently. Unfortunately, war is inevitable. Chamberlain's dishonorable pact with Hitler has only delayed the reckoning, not prevented it.

Next Week: Beauty shop buzz. The last live remote. No good deed.