Evening star., 1941-12-29


standing when ladies enter the
room, tipping your hat, removing
gloves or displaying any Of the other
social graces.
Mars is tough host. The nations
he smiles upon are the brulser
nations, the uncouth nations, the
routh, ill-bred nations who were
too busy building cannon to bother
about the amenities.
The idea for this column came
to me through picture that was
published on the front page Of the
Jacksonville Journal 1t must have
been published in hundreds Of other
newspapers.
1t was released by the Navy to
Nationwide picture services. Il was
taken in Pearl Harbor and II shows
a group Of American soldiers. stand
ing at attention. during the burial
of a japanese lieutenant OF aviation
who was shot down during an attack
on Americas Pacific fortress.
Uncle Sam, there is a fine and
ridiculous example Of the New World
trying to hold on to Old World tradi-
tions that exist no more.
Bomb Is Hitler's Calling Card.
Hasn't Hitler been in operation
long enough for us to have learned
that when ne dropped his first call
ing card IN the form Of a bomb,
Adolf ended al national courtesy?
How much longer are the decent
nations on earth going to be decent
to degenerates they have set out
to exterminate?
1t made my hackles rise to see
American soldiers, comrades Of the
men who were stabbed in the back
by the japanese on Sunday morn
ing. paying military tribute to a
blood brother of the sneaking cow
ards who came over Diamond Head
while their representa- tives were
secure under the white flag Of truce
in Washington.
No one close or dear TO me died
in the attack on Pearl Harbor If
they had I do not believe I could
have stomached that picture show
ing our armed forces standing at
attention at the grave Of COM
mander OF japanese who had MADE
the dcSpiCable attack
That sort OF thing belongs 20
yesteryear. when soldiers fought
like gentlemen. That belongs 10
the days before Hitler pulled the
lanyards. Those days are dead as
King Tut's nephews. It'd be all
right to remember them, all right TO
wish they still existed, but they
don't make any sense when men
come to grips with life or death
as first prize. There is no use COM
ing second when you're playing for
keeps.
History May Not Matter.
The anti-Axis nations have wor-
ried long enough about what his
tory will say about them They
have fretted long enough as TO
their record in posterity. Sure,
history will record that Hitler was
a madman. Sure. history will say
Mussolini was knifer in the dark.
Sure, history will say Hirohito and
TOTO were cold-blooded murderers.
But what history says won't mat
ter If only descendants of Axis
governed people are on earth to
read 1t. If the decent nations don't
win, 1t won't matter what history
says. The tough guys will have
teachers there to skip over the
unpleasant parts. They will proba-
bly, have historians there to write
the stuff so that centuries from now
the United States, Great Britain,
Russia, Holland and all the others
will get an awful rough break
That picture from Pearl Harbor
really got me. The next thing you
know we'll be giving any enemy
soldiers we capture corner bed
rooms, hot and cold running water.
menu with a wide choice Of
viands and the free run of the
library and playroom.
Uncle Sam, let's get tough.
Let's start throwing a few low
punches for change. and meeting
an elbow with an elbow. In short.
let's throw the rule book away and
play catch-as-catch can.