Evening star., 1941-11-30
Capital SideIights
By Wall P. Kennedy.

The House is proud OF its page boy,
Jinln7.e Wright Of Birmingham, Ala,
end the United States Marine Corps is
proud of its youngest non-commisloned
officer among all the military forces Of
the Nation-the same Sergt Jimmie
Wright. He was a House page for more
than year Last June he enlisted in the
Marine Corps and while only II years OF
age was made sergeant after less than
five months training at San Diego,
Calf. Last week Representative Luther
Patrick called his achievement TO the
attention of the House saying. We
should give such boys due credit and
recognize the fact on the floor when they
step right out into life and do something
worthy in the big round world Jimmie
now is on recruiting duty in his old home
town. During his few months of inten-
sive training he also was awarded
badge as an expert rifleman. expert
pistol shot, expert with bayonet, expert
small-bore rifleman and expert in chem
ical warfare. He is especially interested
in the new crocodile boats which have
proved the final factor in solving the
landing force problem which the Ma
rines have been studying for l66 years
how to land the greatest force possible.
with the greatest possible speed, with the
least possible loss on shore held by an
armed enemy. The "LeatherneckS"
started studying that in l775. getting
ready for the first expedition against
the island of New Providence in the
Bahamas. They brought back invaluable
supplies and munitions for the American
Revolution before the Declaration of
independence was signed. Sergt Wright
emphasizes that the crocodile boats"
now enable the Marines to land tanks,
field artillery. scout cars and recon-
nalSsance trucks on hostile shore with
smashing power. speed and safety never
before known. the final touch in making
the Marines the fastest moving. hardest
and deadliest shore attack force in the
world.
Representative Jack Cochran of Mis-
souri, calls attention to the story that
while "Lincolns Gettysburg Address" de-
Hvered rs years ago Is craven on the
wall of the Lincoln Memorial and read
by hundreds of thousands of people
every year. it was Mary Shaw Leader,
an apprentice reporter, who walked Is
miles to Gettysburg to hear him speak,
who first recognized the greatness of
those immortal words and brought them
tho attention pf tho urnr1I he NIB
was responsible for publication of the
full text in the Weekly Hanover Spec
tator, Hanover, Pa. has Just been paid
belated recognition in the erection of q
monument on which is engraved: She
helped the world to long remember"
Representative Cochran also quoted
other papers of the day which belittled
Lincoln'S utterance. Some papers called
it political stump speech. The Harris
burg CPal Patriot and Union said: We
pass over the silly remarks of the Presi-
dent; for the credit of the Nation. We are
willing that the veil of oblivion shall be
dropped over them and that they shall
no more be repeated or thought Of"
''Euripides had better appreciation
of the true service and significance of
free speech than many lesser men Of
today despite the benefit of the 1000
years of human experience to which
these later leaders have access" says
Representative Karl E. Mundt of South
Dakota. He quotes Euripides some 500
years before the birth of Christ: This
is true liberty when freeborn men, hav-
ing to advise the public, may speak free. "
Representative Mundt wrote an editorial
on this theme for the Rostrum. official
publication of the National Forensic
! League, a high school honor society
with 500 chapters devoted to expansion
and improvement of speech activities
training future citizens the better to
take their place In free and self-gov-
erning society.
Representative Gordon Garfield OF
New Jersey, former congressional sec
| retary. has emphasized rule from the
schoolboy copybook of George Washing
ton and precept from the lips Of Abra-
ham Lincoln The Father of his Coun-
| try as boy wrote: Labor to keep alive
| in your breast that little spark Of celestial
| fire-conscience" And Lincoln said: Il
| do the very best know how-the very
best can; and mean to keep SO doing
until the end. II the end brings me cut
all right. what is said against me won't
| amount 10 anything"