The Lexington advertiser., 1940-08-22
Jottings
BY MARTHA RHYME

iii BY MARTHA RHYME II
Between the good ship American Le-
gion's sailing through dangerous waters,
the war games, the Wilkie acceptance
speech, the draft bill, the senatorial
race, and the Colt Show, we've certainly
had plenty Of food for thought this
week.
Before the beginning of the Second
World War in the late summer OF last
wear, President Roosevelt warned all
Americans in Europe to get out or else
forfeit the protection of their native
land. A deadline was set for the last
ships sailing and time after time the
deadline was extended and more ships
travelled the turbulent European waters.
And now with all Americans who wished
to leave Europe safely transported home,
we continue to send ships to the area to
get refuge children, doing little more
than sticking out our necks" for Sc
rious trouble.
"Suffer the little children to come
unto me" is well enough to remember as
one of the teachings of Christ. Inc
United States has again and again car
ried out this blessed deed. But if the
countries wish the United States to at
ford protection for their children surely
to goodness they can provide their pas
sage over here. Why must we endanger
the already tense relations with hostile
nations when we are so unprepared for
the warfare that we feel is slated to be
sometime in the future?
We have openly eclared our
selves against Nazi and Fascist prin-
ciples in every way except the declara-
tion of actual warfare. We have warned
Germany constantly to have no designs
on the Western Hemisphere. Then why
give her an opportunity to strike back at
US by sending a ship loaded with chill
dren right into her path. We know Ger
many we'll enough to know that regard
less of the fact that the ship is loaded
with children, it is American, American
ships are the ships of democracy, and
Nazist and Fascist nations hate democ-
racy. 1t is noble indeed and great
credit to our nation to take in these re-
fugee children. What more could one
offer than life in nation where lib
erty is law but why risk the lives and
futures of seven billion Americans to
travel waters that are filled with mines,
watched by enemy aircraft. and infested
with totalitarian sharks?
It is the prayer of every American
that the American Legion will reach
home safely. 1t is also their prayer that
the United States will not continue to
hxy linn chr rnc
abroad and asking for trouble.
The rush to the marriage license bu-
reaus is on in this, the usual off sea-
son for matrimony. Marriages have in
creased two and three fold in almost
every secion of the country. Word from
Washington, however, assures the young
men that unless they can prove that
they married for real love rather than
to escape conscription, they will not es-
cape conscription. And now the ques-
tion arises to the experts in Washington, |
who seem to be able to detect most ev-
erything nowadays: "Just how does one |
go about discerning whether person |
marries for love-or otherwise?" l GER
tainly don't envy them their job!
The National Guards and the regular
Army, who have been in Louisiana, New
York, Washington, Wisconsin on war
maneuvers since the first of August are
homeward bound-uncertain as we are of
what the future holds. The details of
the years encampment bill have not
been worked out but its passage is as
sured Authorities believe the first
group of Guards will be called out Sep
tember Is and then, after that, every fif-
teen days until the entire body has been
enlisted. Peace-time conscription seems
hard but we find it necessary. More
push from the public to do something
about the draft bill in Washington might
help to shove Congress up. There is no
sense in that eternal wrangling and
pickering where time is precious. And
to listen to him one would think that
he was the only senator in Washington
L I L - Ill I,