The White Falcon - 23.01.1943, Blaðsíða 4

4
THE WHITE FALCON
OUR FORCES - ALWAYS ALERT
Published by and for the American Forces, under the super-
vision of G-2 Section. Managing Editor, T/3G. Gene Graff; Asso-
ciate Editor, T/5G. Joseph T. Koren; News Editor, T/5G. George
Bartholomaeus; Art Editor, T/4G. Harrison Standley; Wire Edi-
tor, Pvt. Orlando Aguero; Circulation Manager, Pfc. Anthony J.
Schulte. All photographs are by the U.S. Army Signal Corps un-
less otherwise credited.
This paper has been passed by Censor and may be mailed
home for one cent._
Crusading Can Wait!
The Fighting Men of America, excluding the few
hundreds of thousands who decided long ago to make
soldiering a career, are “on furlough” from civilian
life to whip the Axis. They are the clerks, factory work-
ers, farmers, industrialists and professional men of the
post-war era, and upon their shoulders lies the duty
of guiding the world through its painful rehabilitation
period. To most of them, the regimentation of mili-
tary life is a necessary routine to win the war. They
are fully aware of discipline as a means of unifying
the fighting power.
But not for a moment are they forgetting their lov-
ed ones at home and the standard of living they en-
joyed during peace-time. If they hadn’t believed the
American way of life to be far superior to tyrannical
rule, there never would have been such remarkable
recovery from the Japs’ treacherous knifing; industry
wouldn’t have stepped into the breach so splendidly,
and military morale would have crumbled in rapid
fashion. To them, America is a symbol of honor and
respect. They liked it the way it was — and they want
to find it the same when they return.
Recently, an accelerated prohibition movement was
launched on the home front. This paper will not ende-
avor to debate the issue, other than as a means of point-
ing out that any radical social change through legisla-
tion — while more than §,000,000 potential voters are
absent — should be suppressed before it gets under-
way. The war-torn days of strife and sacrifice certain-
ly are not conductive to ‘Tailroaded legislation.”
The AEF, at least at this outpost, is unanimously
opposed to any crusading that will tarnish the luster
of return to normal civilian life. Let’s fight the war
first. Then there’ll be plenty of time for politicians
and crusaders to worry about America’s “deplorable
social pattern.”
"JAe. Jnquihing,
Qe.poxte)i
(That old adage, “Absence
makes the heart grow fonder
....” intrigued The Inquiring Re-
porter this week, so he decided
to probe into the thoughts of four
local members of the AEF. Here
are the answers:)
“I trust my guy, so I certainly
w o n’t worry
about him while
I’m away,” is the
candid opinion
of 2nd Lt. Wil-
loweene Behl,
20, of the Army
Nursing Corps.
Miss Behl, a na-
tive of Decatur,
Ill., was a nurse in her home
town until signing with Uncle
Sam.
Third Class Machinists Mate
D. L. Bronson of
the Naval Air
Corps is a sadly
disillusioned feF
low these days.
“I HAD a girl,
but that’s all
changed now, so
I don’t even
have to worry
about the question.” Bronson’s
home is at Twin Falls, Idaho.
Harold L. Teal, Red Cross field
director, answer-
ed so emphatic-
ally: “Not in the
least; I’m mar-
ried,” that he
left no doubt
about his rom-
antic situation,
Teal was a
t phys-ed instruc-
tor at Long Beach, Calif., before
leaving the States.
i .•
With ir.dreamy look in his eyes,
Pfc. Arthur F.
Thompson, 24-
year-old Engin-
eer, declared:
“Phyllis is a
wonderful girl
with high prin-
cibles—she wo-
n’t let me
down!” The
portly soldier from Beverly,
Mass., was a building contractor
before Pearl Harbor.
CHAPLAIN’S CHALLENGE
The earth is well scattered
vith men who convert a
hobby into an obsession. Sel-
dom are they aware of 'this
transitibn; rarely are they
conscious that their interest
has wandered from admira-
tion to passion. This is ex-
plainable. We are constantly
fascinated by an object, but
an obsession has to grow
somewhat before it is recog-
nized not so much by our-
selves, but by our friends. In-
deed, there is no weapon on
earth so potent in preventing
despondency as an obsession.
They Say....
DOROTHY THOMPSON —
Within the last few days, the
North African political question,
which heretofore was surround-
ed with the most astonishing sec-
recy, has at least partly been un-
rolled and is seen to have the
dimensions of a major interna-
tional issue. Articles cabled from
London and North Africa reveal
serious political confusion in
North Africa and a sharp diverg-
ence of opinion. All governments
in exile are interested as they
consider our handling of the
North Africa affair in the light
of a precedent of what we may
do elsewhere.
It is now clear that the military
preparations and military col-
laboration were lamentable.
What a vacuum they left is only
npw demonstrated when we see
what attempted to move into the
vacuum. It was nothing less than
the ghost of the deadest monarch-
ist movement in Europe.
•
RAYMOND CLAPPER — In
regard to the mess in North Af-
rica, the attitude of officials in
Washington has been, “the less
said the better.” However, it is
all coming out in London. The
British want to set up De Gaulle
and a French national committee
as a kind of puppet trustee French
government which would assume
title to French Empire assets
which have been impounded and
would get set for a move into
France whe.re it would eventual-
ly take over.
The ' American government is
opposed to setting up any French
national government now. It is
believed this decision should wait
until the end of the war when
French people can choose their
own government. In the mean-
time, we prefer to see Lt. Gen.
Eisenhower devote himself ex-
clusively to the North African
military campaign while depend-
ing on local French authorities
to continue normal government
functions. We do not want to
recognize a French national gov-
ernment headed by De Gaulle or
anyone else at present.
•
. ANNE O’HARE McCORMICK
— American military leaders in
North Africa are gaining experi-
ence in the complexities not only
of French political, but also the
intricacies of French colonial
rule. Europe in normal times tak-
es a lot of understanding. To
chart a wise course through the
present wreckage and confusion
calls for a rare knowledge of
background as well as self deny-
ing resolve to keep in step with
whatever happens and see things
in their present proportions. A
statement like Brendan Bracken’s
was overdue in regard to North
Africa, but it was also an alarm
signal, warning of dangers ahead
unless the United Nations agree
in advance to agree on questions
of political as well as military
strategy.
Twistin’ The Dial
(Every top-notch radio comed-
ian can be expected to air one
gag each week that hangs in the
memory after the dial has been
twisted to another station. Here
are a few that were “pilfered”
from recent big-name shows:)
•
Bob Hope tells about' a wait-
ress in a Hollywood restaurant
who got fired the other day be-
cause the boss smelled coffee on
her breath.
•
And with all the talk of a
10,000,000-man Army, Bing Cros-
by relates a conversation be-
tween two draft board doctors
discussing a draftee. “You know
the fellow I mean,” said the first
sawbones. “The skinny little
guy?” The other doc looked
blank. “Oh, come now,” said the
doc. “You must know him. The I
fellow -with no teeth.” Still no
sign of recognition. “Remember?
One leg shorter than the other?”
The second doctor looked up. “Oh
that one. Yes, indeed. He’ll make
a fine soldier.”
opened my wallet and there she
was.”
•
Red “I Do It” Skelton says he’s
not superstitious, but that he be-
lieves being without money is
hard luck.
O
Walter O’Keefe,- emcee of
“Battle of the Sexes,” is telling
about his recent visit to Wash-
ington. AVally claims he saw a
group of soldiers trailing a fi-
gure in a long black gown, un-
til they discovered it was a Su-
preme Court Justice.
•
The irrepressible Archie of
“Duffy’s” recently greeted guest
Clifton Fadiman of “Informa-
tion Please” with: “Hello, Mr.
Fadiman. What do you know—
besides everything?”
•
Fibber McGee says that Pierre
Laval was due to get a medal
for his Axis-stooging, but he’s
so ugly they couldn’t find a
French general to kiss him!
Jack Benny defines Christinas
as the time when a girl wants
her past forgotten and her pres-
ent remembered.
%
•
Jcte Laurie Jr. erf "'Can You Top
This?” likes to tease his wife,
a former chorus girl, about the
way he met her. Says he: “I just
★ ★ ★
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