Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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COMMENTS ON MEN AND THINQ8 (By Spectator) Shall the nation break faith with the men called to service? Every controversy has a( least two aides, or there would be no dlapute. I fall back on the advice of an old philosopher, who always said: "Prepare au accurate statement of the problem, and ,ho solution will suggest Itself". What is the problem? The nation called about a million men to serve for a year. The Government might Just aa legally have called them for three years. but It gave solemn assurances that the duration of the service would be one year. The men who were called were no more obligated to Bervo than were millions of others. Here, then, we have the question, whether the Government should now disregard its pledge. Suppose an enemy were about to strike us. would the Immediacy of the national peril, not rise above all other considerations? Clearly it would. Hut is there such an Impending danger? Many citizens do not think so. The President and his military advisers are clearly right In saying that the discharge of the drafted men within the year of service would leave us with a new army, a raw army, instead of one which is Just beginning to become seasoned men. War today Is so largely mechanical and technical that longer periods of training are necessary than in the days of simple weapons. Today we have war by tanks, airplanes, gliders, parachutes?and the many other implements of destruction, which science has made possible. A trained soldier today is not the "RlglU-shoulder arms" and "Squads right" lad of the Civil War. Today he must be a mechanic, a parachutist, as well as trained in many other fields of modern soldiery. Let's brush away the generalities look the situation in the face. Are our men today prepared to face the German army? No, neither in numbers. equipment or technical proficiency could they meet the Germans on equal terms. What does that condition of unpreparedness imply ? That American soldiers, would go .nto battle unequally matched, and conn polled to rely on personal dash and bravery against machines. \o one can regard our army ot recruits as a body of trained men To substitute raw recruits, would be tan ,amount to having no army in Modern sense. But what of the covenant between the nation and the drafted men? I think the nation should keep its pledge: but 1 think the leaders of the nation should tell the men something like this: "We were in error; we miscalculated; hut the need for you is so great that we call on you to volunteer; to continue in service, and help train the next million men. our men are called upon I do not _ doubt that the cream of the service would immediately volunteer for the emergency. We cannot afford to play fast and loose with our boys. Treat them like men; call on them for the nations defense, and we shall have an army like Gideon's?select men, all fired with zeal for a great purpose. 9 % ?t<~ - * ' % I walked through the watermelon "patch" at El Recuerdo and "busted" several Bishop's melons. That la ; worth a sttry. About six years ago I promised my friend, Bishop Kirkman G. Finley, a watermelon. I told i my farm partner about It and he told his little boys (one now a marine ] and the other a sailor) not tt> pick, < bother or touch certain melons on the vine because they were the Blah- ^ 1 op g melons. These little boys being (i baptists, knew nothing about bishops. ] They understood that melons of a cer- ] tain size were Bishop's melons and so they called all the large melons. 1 The small boy and little girl now on i the farm tell me about "Bishop's Mel- i ons". My friend, the Bishop, has left i us for the reward which comes for i consecrated service, but probably as long as El Recuerdo stands there will he a tradition of "Bishop's Melons". j ( As I said last week, peaches are \ brimming over with vitamins A. B. C. \ G. (b2). That means that I'm abound- \ ing in or with those vitamins, for at j this moment I can't possibly eat ] another peach. _ 1 i N'o one has ascribed a list of vita- \ mins to watermelons, but I opine that j they would be P. D. and Q. The figs i are probably X. Y. and Z. and perhaps \ the apples are I. O. U. Taken togeth- j t, I now bubble over with vitamins L like a generator overcharging until It < hums out the armature. , J The land of watermelons, cucum- i hers end asparagus?also cotton and i <orn?is Barnwell County. 9 It Is the 1 recognized political center of .the < State, it haa er?tgtMttJladJk*t_ *- J cept the State Hons# and It haa a 1 ( Patrolling equity ta It, for Lieutenant i Governor Harley has 41^ Office at one fnd; Speaker Blatt has one at^ tha J-Jijt&'f b * - ?'-'-ir "T 1 1 1 at the Entrance; and Senator Edgar Brown roams all about the CAPITOL. After thinking It over I believe Barnwell has actual possession, and we outsiders have the equity. Not that I'm an outsider, for as a member of the staff of Brother Ben Davies, Spectator claims special citizenship In Barnwell, Williston, Allendale, Hampton and Ridgeland, Just as he rejoices as a staff writer of all the other brethren of the papers which carry Spectator. I told a citizen of Sumter that I was one of the editors of The Sumter Item, but he dldn t believe pie. Spectator claims a special affiliation with Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Berkeley, Beaufort, Charleston, Cheater, Chesterfield, Calhoun, (now Colleton doesn't want us) Clarendon, Dillon, Dorchester, Darlington, Edgefeld, Fairfield, Florence, (Georgetown, like Colleton, doesn't yearn for us) Greenville, Greenwood, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, LanrenB, Lee, Lexington, (Brother Palmer Johnson in Marlon slights us, too) Marlboro, Newberry, Orangeburg, Oconee, (Pickens won't accept us) Richland, Union, Williamsburg, and York. Quite a family we are, bo you think? I m very proud of working with those gentlemen. And don't forget those I. mentioned in the beginning. But I got off the track. What I had [ in mind was this: Barnwell stands to gain by whatever may happen. If Senator Brown should go to Washington Barnwell would have a United States Senator; but if Governor Maybank should go to the Senate, Barnwell's fine . citizen, Emile Harleyr would be Governor. So why should Barnwell worry? Every home should have a vine and fig tree, recommends our esteemed Dr. Dreher of The Calhoun Times. The Doctor is eminently right, of course. It would be easy for most homes, on farms, to have a few peach trees, plum trees, figs, grapes and pears. And fruit trees, shade trees and flowers?with a bit of lawn, add so much to the genuine homey atmosphere. In going about the State I find that four topics appeal most to our people. "Had any rain?" "Well, what's the prospect for cotton and tobacco?" Of course tobacco is of interest only where it is planted. '"What do you think about the war?" And after those subjects have been dealt with, for a few minutes, the matter of most Interest forces Jts way to the surface. "What do you think of the race for the Senate?" Five citizens are in the"* race. Four are in public office now and one has been a legislator rod Governor. A11 have had varied rod extensive political experience. We take our politics very seriously. Southerners are very politically mindsd. Perhaps it developed in the time when our people were too poor to have any other kind of sport. It takes money /to have race horses; and ;ame chickdns are expensive, too. ( Besides, a horse race is soon over. But a- political race lasts for weeks, rod affords every man an opportunity to talk about something, which everybody can discuss fluently, without my study or reflection. And this free entertainment,feature of a polit-. oal campaign, takes the mind from flooded fields or drought, or whatever else may betide us wayfarers. Men who write can produce thousands of words without effort, all readible stuff, even if mostly speculative; rod men who talk can let the words fall in an endless stream, most of it entertaining, beyond any ?J^er 8U^" |ect brought to the public. 9^ Carolinians like our polities. Wp don t jetas hectic as dome otherk do,? , few WMU ir?t "?* lobby boroo *nd rid? elm *11 PEACH CROP IN 80UTH CAROLINA Washington, Aug, 1?The critical situation in the peach crop in the fifth congressional district of South Carolina has been brought to my attention. It seems that the rapid ripening of peaches has caused the market to be flooded with fruit, with little market for same. Knowing the value of thfB crop in my district, I at once arranged a conference with Philip F.' Maguire, assistance administrator, Surplus Marketing Administration, Department of Agriculture. Maguire assured me that a representative of the Surplus Marketing Administratis is in South Carolina now and is in touch with Dr. D. W. Watkins, director of the extension service at Clemson college. In recent yearB the fifth district of South Carolina, along with other sections of the country, has devoted much time to the planting and cultivation of prcUtti'dp. especially peaches. There many flue orcharde la our Stat?'hml It has developed into a very good business; therefore, 1 am most anxious to help these peach growers in every possible way. The department of agriculture has found that large savings in valuable cargo space on lirltish-ald shipments can frequently be effected through the scientific design of. boxes, crates, and other shipping containers. Scoretary of agriculture Wickard pointed out that forest products laboratory of the United States forest service haB had many years' experience in the scientific deslgu of dw>th wood and fiber containers and is now helping in many ways in the design of containers for war commodities. He cited an example of a wooden container for the shipment of 200-pound airplane bombs, which was recently re designed by the laboratory. The re-designed container employs a lower priced wood, requires less cargo space and less lumber, weighs less, yet has greater strength than the orlglual container. During the last war, the forest products laboratory had a large unit working on container design, with representatives attached to the office of the general staff and also some Inspectors at the New York shipping docks. Repeatedly containers for shells, rifles, and other articles were re-designed with savings in space. Figures recently released by the department of agriculture, agricultur! al marketing service, show in 200 public refrigerated warehouses reporting on July 1, vacant space totaling 50,000,000 cubic feet, of which 37,000,-, 000 cubic feet is cooler and 13.000,000 cubic feet is freezer space. This shows an occupancy of 57 per cent in cooler and 70 per cent in freezer and 61 per cent in combined refrigerated space. 1 The unusual phenomenon of-a decrease in the price of a finished product following an upward revision in a wholesale price celling was observed by OP ACS textile officials last' week. Although a price reduction in finished fabrics was not general, following the order of OPACS Administrator i|$nderson for an increase in the cotton grey goods and combed cot-1 ton yarn ceilings, the instance of a reduction of 1-2 cent in a percale quotation of one company was considered. The revised ceilings fix prices at the level prevailing during the last week In May. OPACS price Aecutlves point out that the new level, while higher than the old, is still considerably lower than the level that prevailed during June, prior to the establishment of the first grey goods ceiling on June 28. They therefore, see no reason for price advances in consumer goods as a result of the order itself. There may be some increases in finished fabrics that have not yet reflected the advance in wholesale prices during May, but, in general, OPACS officials expect no sizeable price increases in the summer and fall lines of consumer goods. Local power shortages arising from heavy demands on electricity in some defense areas are now expected by OPM officials. In view of the important part that they may be expected to play in voluntary power conservation programs, retailers may be interested in the operation of a recent campaign in the Southeastern States. Joined in the program were the Tennesse Valley Authority, major private utility systems of the south, municipalities, local business groups, and householders. Although in effect only a short time, the conservation ] program met with widespread popular response. Merchants were requested to cut their use of advertising signs, window display lights, air-conditioning systems, and purely decorative lighting in nlckle phonographs and similar devices. Where shortages do occur, retailers will probably find many of the methods developed in the voluntary conservation program of the Bouth applicable to their own areas, and more desirable than the alternative of compulsory rationing. In the "Park of the Red Crocks," near Denver, Colo., seats are carved out of rock formation sloping naturally down to a stage. New York City has 12,000 traffic signals. Yon should know spicy, herbal 1 k I \ I w W UbM pr A TOP-SELLING LAXATIVE ALL OVER TIE SOOTI * -~y. ;* ^ ss;ir?::* I Have I YOU I I Done Anything I IFor Defense! On Sale at Your Post Office or Banks What About Those Old Discarded Pieces A-L-UMI-NU-M? > Bring It In-Uncle Sam NEEDS ALL HE CAN GET I ^ % * ' .. j This Ad contributed to the cause of National Defense . .... > -. L? ^ py THE CAMDEN CHRONICLE %*Wi " - * > y * "* > ' *?v ? - r~t * * -