Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-12
BY HUGH =. JOHNSON

BY HUGH =. JOHNSON
GAN FRANCISCO, April IL
- My first visit 10 this city Of
san Francisco was Just few
days more than IS years ago and
II was heap of smoking ruins.
no description OF Coventry, Lon
don OF Warsaw that has some
from overseas. hints more than
pale shadow of the devaSta-
ton here at that time
was very lately out Of West
Point and in that old army there
little lower than 4 newly
Joined shaVe-tail. Yet by a series
of for me) lucky accidents. l
was placed in charge of the
& supply of food and shelter for
what were then called by Con-
gr1sS refugees from earthquake
and conflagration on the Pacific
Coast and there were 1900
of them homeless, helpless pco-
Pile. who, without warning, had
IuSt seen everything that they
had and relied upon destroyed
by an act of God and had no
place else to turn than to their
government
NCLE SAM contributed
u 100000. From private
sources all over the world came
81 600. 600. 1t was a drop IN the
bucket compared with what the
federal government DOES today
in much less serious cases of dis
tresS. But II was enough.
II was enough because. except
for sprlnkhHg. of professional
buns which trickled in on the
rods from all over the country
and presented themselves as
refugees" to enjoy a California
Spring free. these 1900 people
had no other idea but TO get
back on I h cir own feet as
promptly as possible.
The valiant British sufferers
show no greater courage in fac
ing both present disaster and I'M
certain future and in proceeding
to reconstruct destruction. Lead
erS in San Francisco almost
hailed the holocaust as an oppor-
tunity TO replan and rebuild the
city on blueprint of greater
beauty and convenience.
VOU can't revisit the city with
Il such. memories now without
wondering what is the matter
with US. what has become of
that kind Of American spirit in
the face of disaster, and why so
many peoDle seem 10 take il for
Granted that Il trouble over
takes them that they can't too
readily escape. there is an easy
way out by relying on Uncle
Sam to do for them the things
which, un d er the philosophy
which built this country, they
are supposed to do for them
selves.
Thirty-five years is not a long
span in the life of a nation. but
there is no doubt of tremendous
change The San Francisco peo-
pie7uf 1906 were much closer 10
our pioneer ancestry that, all
unaided. tanned bowling will
derneSS the breed Of the '49'er
who met grizzly on ledge
from which there was no re-
treat.
He drew his knife and prayed,
"Oh. Lord, | don't ask you to
help me. All / ask is, Lord.
please don't help the bar and so.
dear Lore. lust stand aside and
you're going to. see the gosh
dingedest bar fight that ever
happened in California
II DISCUSSING this with a
L San Franciscan, was
handed a paraphraSe of Louis
Adamic:
Within two generations, over
half the population will be non
AngiorSaNon. The background
of these people is not the Amer
lean revolution but the industrial
revolution.
Pills Island i becoming as
important Gas Plymouth Rock.
The best way to prepare for this
situation, &C. break down the
lines of cleavage and 10 keep the
melting pot bubbling is To dis
seminatc more inf ormat on
about all OF the groups and their
contributions To American life"