Evening star., 1941-07-31

from the post Office empty handed.
can picture a scene at a camp
post office after Wheelers most
recent post card splurge.
Pvts Smith, Jones and Upshaw
walk TO the delivery window.
Smiths face lights up as he IS
handed a letter, addressed in his
sweetheart's familiar Handwriting:
happily he retreats 10 a quiet corner
to read the words of endearment.
Jones says, "Oh boy, oh boy"
when he opens a letter from home
with a check in 1t.
But what Of Upshaw?
His face falls as the clerk thumbs
through a batch Of mail and finds
nothing for him But his sadness
turns to JOY as the clerk calls him
back and hands him a post card.
Pvt. Upshaw has not been forgotten.
There is some one thinking of him.
II is Senator Wheeler.
lIt EOtIld wi ldIItllldlltN IL
warming up to Upsnaw He wants
UpshaW to do him favor He wants
UpShaW to 90 to the Government
recreation hall, and with Govern
ment ink, write on Government pa
per, to the President in Washing
ton, that he, Pvt. UpshaW, would
like to have hand IN shaping the
countrys foreign policy.
There is no getting around it, Sem
ator Wheeler's 100000 postal cards
were a thoughtful gesture, One
million American citizens were in
vited by the Senator to stop what
ever they we're dong and take an
active, meddlesome interest in the
affairs of the Government.
1t was most gracious of Senator
Wheeler to use his franking priyi-
lege in sending out the postal cards.
What if he had gone down to the
post Office to buy 100000 1-cent
stamps. There might not have been
that many on hand, and even If
there were, the regular customers
would have been terribly inconven-
fenced while a clerk counted out the
Senator's order.
The fact that he saved $4,000 by
letting the Government handle the
postage free Of charge is only incl
dental, because we all know that
Senators talk only in millions and
billions these days, and that 10 grand
couldn't possibly mean anything to
them. That has become such an
insignificant sum that a Senator
would probably be ashamed to send
1t to a college boy for weekend
spending money. Senator Wheeler
undoubtedly considers the sum he
saved by franking as nothing more
than pen" money.
The dignity with which Senate
Wheeler accepted criticism of his
postal card shower was splendid and
in the best traditions of statesman
ship.
When Secretary of War Stimson
accused him Of near treason, did
Wheeler lose his temper? Not
whit He stood upon his dignity
and answered the charge with the
cool poise Of true gentleman. He
simply called Stimson old. incom-
petent, unit, ga-ga and urged his
resignation. He spoke in the calm.
measured tones of ZOO lion at
feeding time.
Because of the Senator's postal
cards to the soldiers we may get a
new type of military technique in
this country. 1t may become the
custom of our generals to poll the
Army by postal card before taking
any steps. In case of invasion our
Chief of Staff will have to wait for
the postman to bring the results Of
how his soldiers feel toward re-
pelling invasion before taking de-
fense measures. If this ever hap
pens 1 hope the boys will be con-
siderate enough to use special de-
livery stamps on their replies We
may well see the day when. under
the Wheeler influence. a writing
desk is inst as i'm D0rtant niece of
military equipment as an anti-air-
craft gun, and soldiers sidearms
will include a blotter and q pen
wiper.
If you don't agree with me about
Senator Wheeler you know what to
do-write me postal card.
distributed by McNaught Syndicate, IncJ