Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

THE SUN, NEWBERkY, S. C„ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1941 Washington, D. C. 1941’s ‘GREATEST TRAGEDY’ You don’t have to wait for his torians to record the fact that the greatest tragedy of the year 1941 as far as this war is concerned is the way the British have twiddled their thumbs, watched the Russians, and done almost nothing except cheer. Over three months have passed since Hitler sent his mechanized masses hurtling across the Russian border, and in that time the British sent only a trickle of help. Yet the British knew that pro longed Russian resistance was the biggest chance they had of defeat ing Hitler. They also knew that Hitler’s tactic always has been to pick his victims one by one. Yet realizing this, the British have done virtually the same thing Poland did when Czechoslovakia was in vaded, what Jugoslavia did when Bulgaria was invaded, and what Turkey did when Jugoslavia was invaded. They have merely sat on the sidelines, sent 200 airplanes, plus a mission to Moscow, taken a good long rest—and cheered. Second Front? Meanwhile, the general staff ad visers of both the British and Amer ican armies have bluntly warned that the Russians were sure to be defeated unless a second front was created against Hitler. This second front against Hitler meant, of course, a British expedi tionary force landing in France, Holland or Spain. This question has been discussed carefully behind the scenes, but the British have wanted two things: one was tanks, most of theirs having been de molished at Dunkirk; the second has been an American Expedi tionary force to help them. The British did not really push this idea of an A.E.F., for they knew politically it was impossible for Roosevelt. But nevertheless they did want company in attempting to land troops on the Continent. They had plenty of troops in England—in fact so many that there has been restlessness and bad morale be cause of inactivity. It is true that these troops are not completely equipped and are sadly lacking in tanks. But there is considerable belief that they were equipped sufficiently to make a land ing in Spain from Gibraltar; and that in France the local people would have risen up to welcome them. However, all summer long the British have maintained an “after you, Alphonse” attitude. Meanwhile the situation in Russia has become darker and darker—as every mili tary expert knew was inevitable. All of which brings up the vital question of exactly who is the dom inating factor in the now virtual Anglo-American alliance. We have thrown a very large pile of chips into the gamble on a Br'*ish vic tory; yet no one seems to know whether the British are taking ad vice from us or whether we are tak ing orders from the British. Presi dent Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins may know, but if so they have not in formed those closest to them. * * * HITLER’S OIL PROBLEM Most of the reports from Russia look black; and to U. S. army ob servers they have been that way for some time. However, one en couraging factor stands out. This is the question of oil. Without oil no army or navy can move. And despite the tremendous areas taken by Hitler in all Europe, he still faces, two years after start ing the war, almost the same oil shortage as before. Rumania, seized chiefly for her oil fields, has a capacity of 8,000,000 tons annually. However, the Rus- sians bombed the Rumanian oil fields so badly that production is now down to about 4,000,000 tons or less. Germany itself has a synthetic gasoline production of about 3,000,- 000 tons, making a total annual pro duction today of about 7,000,000 tons. On the other hand, Germany is us ing oil and gas to operate its army at the rate of about 25,000,000 tons a year, most of which has come from reserves. It is estimated that Germany still has reserves on hand of 10 or perhaps 15 million tons. All of which means that the real f>inch will come next spring. In other words, Hitler has enough oil and gas to last through the win ter, but by the end of the winter he absolutely must take the Russian oil fields of the Caucasus. In fact, he is sure to stage a terrific drive to take them even earlier. The tre mendous Nazi sacrifices to take Kiev and Odessa all were because those two cities are the path of the Nazi march to the Caucasus. Russian Chances. During the coming winter, howev er, the Russians should be able to hold out. The Caucasian mountains are high and rugged. The Russians have a huge force in this area. The British also have rushed troops through Iran to the border of the Caucasus. However, if Hitler’s gasoline situ ation is even more desperate than indicated above—which may be, quite possible—then he is almost sure to put the pincers on Turkey harder than ever before in order to drive on the Caucasus. ELMER TWITCHELL ON THE GAS CRISIS “I’m all set for this gasoline ra tioning,” declared Elmer Twitchell today. “Ain’t a bit worried. Got myself all adjusted. Won’t notice it at all.” “How so?” we asked. “Preparedness,” snapped Elmer. “Been salting it away or got a pull with a gasoline bootlegger?” “Neither,” explained Mr. Twitch ell. “I’ve done nothing beyond the reach of any other American. Any auto owner can take the same steps I have so that the gas shortage won’t bother him in the least.” “Speak. What have you done?” “Well, I’ll tell you,” said Elmer. “It’s very simple. First of all, I’ve painted every light in the house a bright red.” “What’s the big idea?” “I want the full atmosphere of the open road,” he continued. “Then I’ve put obstacles all over every room so there’ll be trouble getting anywhere. I’m hanging a dead-end sign at the front door and I put a detour marker on the back door to complicate matters.” “Yes, but ..." “Don’t interrupt,” he snapped. “I’m putting windshield wipers on every window in the house, break ing them first. I mean breaking the windshield wipers, not the win dows. I want to be sure none of ’em work. Then I’m setting the furnace on full tilt and removing the thermostatic adjustments. I want to be sure I’m hot.” • • • We were beginning to get the drift. “I’m putting in a big stock of norsemeat, frankfurters and stale rolls, a lot of wet peanuts and plenty of bananas and soda pop. Enough to last all fall and winter,” he con tinued. “And I’ve ordered a four months’ supply of pickles, hard- boiled eggs and all the other junk people eat on their Sunday after noon pleasure trips. Gas or no gas, I don’t want to take any chance on being cut off from all my ac customed pleasures.” * * * “You mean you’re not even count ing on using an auto?” we ex claimed. “Exactly,” said Elmer. “I’ll have my house all fixed up with every thing I can get through motoring. I’m even arranging to have grease put all over the chairs and walls and I’m putting in a small stove to burn nothing but rubber. And see this?” Elmer held up a phonograph rec ord. “Put it on the machine and all it does is just snarl in different keys. Every little while a voice yells, ‘Get over, ya big bum!’ ” • * • Mr. Twitchell was well pleased with himself. “It’s a pretty good idea,” we agreed. “Good my eye. It’s perfect,” con cluded Elmer. “Without a pint of gasoline to my name I’m all set to enjoy everything at home that I would enjoy if I went out in the auto.” • • * INEXPLICABLE It seems to me somewhat ironic. That tender care, massage, and tonic Should be required of men who cherish A scalp that’s adequately hairish. Whereas unwanted hair that’s strewn Across the chin and cheeks, though hewn And leveled to the skin and thwarted When it is barely getting started, Despite mistreatment, curse, and scorning Returns augmented every morning. —Richard Armour. • • • “New automobiles will lose their decorative touch and frills.”—Head-; line. We may even have to get along for two years in succession with the same radiator ornament. • • • Autumn: When you feel so strange going around with no broken-bottle wounds in your feet, no mustard on your shirt, no sand in your ears and no plaster across the bridge of your nose. * * * VAGABONDIA Books and beer upon a table, A pinch of snuff for those who’re able; A pipe of 'baccy for a fritr.d Whom fortune may see fit to send: So shall mine house well ordered be For a friend who finds his friend in me. —Gordon R. Higham. • • * Elmer Twitchell insists that he drove up to a fashionable pumping station Sunday and found a sign “Reserved” on it. A ‘Liberty Ship’ Hits the Water The “liberty ship,” the S. S. Louise Lykes, is pictured going down the ways at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock company, at Kearny, N. J., after her christening. She was one of the 14 new ships which slid down the ways of shipyards throughout the country in the largest mass launching since World War I. Paris a Changed City Nowadays Groups of high Nazi officials and their retinues are quite common in Paris these days. Lone Nazi functionaries run the risk of assassi nation. Lieut. Gen. Von Schaumburg, second from right, commander of greater Paris, is shown as he inspected the markets. He is ac companied by Admiral Bard (third from right), prefect of police in Paris. . ■ V* ^ ' As It Goes in Beleagured Russia Bodies are taut as the German soldiers advance toward the Russian tank (top picture) after it was stopped by the first salvo. Soldier in center holds a hand grenade which he is about to hurl. Below: Three German infantrymen look cautiously into windows and behind fences as they search for snipers in a newly captured city somewhere in Russia. Spitzbergen Coal the Nazis Won't Get Clouds of smoke are shown rising from the stocks of coal burned by the British raiding party (under Canadian command) that dropped in on the island of Spitzbergen to toss another monkey wrench into Oe German war machine. The raiders blew up mines and destroyed every thing that might be useful to the Nazis. On Vacation On a six-weeks’ vacation to the United States and Canada, the duke and duchess of Windsor are pictured on their arrival at the nation’s capi tal. They were given a warm greet ing by the citizenry, and received briefly at the White House by the President. The duke, who is gover nor of the Bahamas, was on his way with his wife to his ranch near Cal gary, Canada. Canal Defense Chief Mrs. F. M. Andrews pins the third star on Lieut. Gen. F. M. Andrews. His appointment as commander of the Caribbean defense area (em bracing the Canal zone) marks the first time an air corps general has commanded the field forces of com bined arms. New Governor Soundphoto of Puerto Rico’s new governor, Rexford G. Tugwell, leav ing the inaugural stand after his in duction as the island’s sixty-sixth chief executive. The inaugural cer emony took place on the steps of the insular capital. Young College Dean Mrs. George Stewart, 22, who is dean of women at Mary Hardin-Bay- lor college, Belton, Texas. Mrs. Stewart is one of the youngest deans of women in the United States. ■by, Eleanor Roosevelt AN ENTERTAINING EVENING We had an interesting evening as we watched some short documenta ry films, and then two gentlemen, Mr. Charles L. Todd and Mr. Son- kin, who have been making record ings of interesting folk songs and dance music in the migratory camps on the West coast, for the Library of Congress, played some of their records. One, a song by a boy of 14, was a gem, though he was covered with confusion and ran away when he heard it played! Many of the rec ords, like the song written by a woman about her trip from Texas to the West, were heart-rending, in spite of the fact that one could not help laughing at certain little twists of language and expression. These recordings are going to be historically interesting, but the in spiring thing to me is that people can live through such hardships and still have music in their souls and the ability to express themselves hopefully. Mr. Todd told me that when they have a dance, or are happy, over the prospect of work or some small event in their daily lives, these people apparently seem to be able to enjoy themselves with complete forgetfulness of the past and the future. They have learned what so many of us do not learn— that the present is the only thing we really possess. • • • CHINESE PHILOSOPHY That night I read a little volume, arranged for publication by Stan- wood Cobb. It is called, “The Wis dom of Wu Ming Fu,” and is a col lection of his translated poems and sayings. The Chinese philosophy over the centuries has come to the same conclusion as our migrants, and they would agree with Mr. Fu that “it should be our concern to make each present moment per fect.” • • • ‘WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS’ The next day was most beautiful and four of us went by car to Sugar Loaf mountain and basked in the sun, with a beautiful view spread out below us. After lunch, in the shade of some trees, with the rocks as our seats, we read aloud the preface to a short anthology called “We Hold These Truths,” compiled by Stuart Gerry Brown of Grinnell, Iowa. This address impressed me, for I know two pretty good representa tives of what American citizenship means, who are now in Washing ton and who have had close associa tion with this same place in the past. This anthology is a collection of documents, written by our great men over the period of our whole history. Documents which all of us frequently want and should turn to, to clarify our own beliefs. One afternoon I received Dr. Juan Carlos Blanco, the ambassador of Uruguay and Madame Blanco, and Mr. Fernand Dennis, the minister of Haiti, and Madame Dennis. They were my first diplomatic visitors for the fall, and they certainly were charming ones. Secretary and Mrs. Morgenthau dined with us that night, and the next day Mrs. Morgenthau was catching up on some of the civilian defense work on which we are go ing to work together in the coming months. I find a wealth of volun teers who are anxious to do some thing useful, but I shall not be satis fied until I begin to see people ac tually at work in communities all over the country. That is where the real civilian defense must have its roots. By proxy, that day, I learned a good deal about my new job, be- ; cause Mrs. Henry Morgenthau Jr. met the staff in the morning, and sat in on Director LaGuardia’s meeting. In the afternoon, she met with another group, which discussed the complexities of the jurisdiction of work. All existing organizations will finally be drawn into a pattern where everybody will do his best with the least possible friction. Anybody with experience knows what this can mean in the way of difficulty during the period of or ganization. A hundred times a day I shall wish what I have so often wished in the past, that human "be ings could be reconstructed over night. If we would think only of the objectives to be achieved and never of the instruments to be used, least of all ourselves, how much more we could accomplish. Great teachers through the ages have tried to teach us that this is the only efficient way of work ing and, perhaps, in the end, the only way through which any civili zation can be saved. However, we do not always believe these teacb- ‘DIGGING FOR MRS. MILLEF,’ I read through a little book called “Digging for Mrs. Miller,” by John Strachey. It is an account of the experiences of an air raid warden in England. It is certainly different from anything I have ever read by him before. He is dealing with facts, whereas in the past he has dealt almost always with theories. It is a valuable little book and will en able people to visualize daily life for the ordinary man and woman where total defense is required. LJ ERE is a matter of morbid -*■ mathematics for the country to think about. Four out of ten—four hundred out of a thousand—four hundred thousand out of a million— this is the propor tion or the percent age the U. S. army, navy and air force have found physi cally unfit to enter national service—a nation 40 per cent physically deficient Eyes, ears, teeth, feet, hearts, legs Grantland Rice and bodies were all included in the physical decadence of modern youth —a terrific indictment of the nation wide methods of developing fitnesg and health among the younger ages, supposed to be the healthiest of alL Just why is this so—and what can be done about it? In looking for the right answer we have gone directly to the leading football coaches and football trainers from California to Harvard, from Michigan to Tulane, from Yale and Princeton to the great Southwest with Texas in the lead, to Army and Navy. These trainers and coaches not only know their jobs of health build ing thoroughly, but th(v give the problem more time and care than any other group in r >. -Roland Bevin and Red Blaik of ..my, Jim Cox and Dick Harlow of Harvard, Frank Kavanagh and Carl Snavely of Cornell, Stub Allison and Bert Jones of California, Swede Larson of Navy, Red Dawson of Tulane, Red Sanders of Vanderbilt, Matty Bell of S. M. U., Dutch Meyer of T. C. U., Dana B>ble of Texas, George Munger of Penn, Jess Neely of Rice, Tad Wieman of Princeton, Spike Nelson of Yale—these are only a few who have been more than helpful in giving complete details for athletic training for squads that altogether total more than 20,000 candidates between the ages of 18 and 22. These coaches and train ers are doing a tremendous job of physical building up. Why It Is Why is it that so many young fel lows are in such poor physical shape? One of the best answers comes from Roland Bevin, Army’s able football trainer who was with Earl Blaik through his regime at Dartmouth. “The ordinary student at college practically- chooses his own mode of living,” Bevin writes. “It is rare ly regular. Where a boy has mea ger financial resources, a couple of hot dogs may constitute his daily rations. He may sleep in a poorly ventilated room or in one poorly heated. Some are underfed—others overfeed themselves. Both can lead to sickness and sluggishness. “In modem times students with cars race around to all points of amusement in all hours of the night, then rush back trying to get their studies prepared for an early class. In this way they lose sleep and rest they will never regain. With this goe-s stimulants to ward off sleepi ness, another health wrecker. Then when hours for recreation come the boy is too tired mentally and physi- cally to want any exercise. Fielding Yost once told me, “They say we should turn sport back to the boys. Well, at Michigan out of 12,000 students, I don’t believe 500, left alone, would ever keep them selves in shape. There would be lit tle sport among the majority—and worse health.” The Dope About Diet One big national trouble is the quality and quantity of food that is eaten. Here is a suggestion from Frank Kavanagh, Cornell’s football trainer who has always turned in a fine job. “At Cornell we use a well-bal anced diet,” says Doc Kavanagh. “We avoid all highly seasoned and all fried foods. The diet is kept high in proteins. We try to feed our boys the best meats possible, such as steaks and roast beef, all green vegetables, whole wheat breads, light desserts and milk. “An important point,” Doc Kava nagh continues, “is the time of eat ing before and after a contest. This should be watched before all com petitions at all ages. We feed the team about four hours before a con test. This permits time for proper digestion. I believe teams should wait from an hour and a half to two hours before eating again after a game. There must 1* time after a game to let the nervous system re gain its normal place.” “Our players eat the noon and evening meals at the training ta ble,” says Jim Cox, Harvard trainer. “They drink punch made from fresh citrus fruits at noor and milk at the evening meal. No pastries or coffee are served. Ice cream is the regular dessert at night. No second helpings are served at noon. No highly seasoned foods, no condi ments or spice and no fried foods. Three hours before each game an eight-ounce broiled steak, mashed potatoes, new peas, weak tea with lemon, dry toast and orange sher bet are served.”