The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-05
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VANDERBILT. JR.
Still in the South

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most up-to-the-minute city in this
part of the country. Its slate-roofed
docks and warehouses stretch for
miles; its residential district, high
up on a bluff on the southern end of
town, is dotted with palatial homes
and humble cottages as new as they
are spic-and-span. They look like a
combination of Coral Gables, Fla,
and Beverly Hills, Calf. Green
grass, flowers and citrus fruit are
everywhere.
Farther south lies the huge new
Naval Air base which l visited as
the guest of Capt. Alva Douglas
Bernhard, the commanding officer.
He was formerly in command Of the
Aircraft Carrier Lexington and is
in line for an admirably. A rud-
der, nor rugged gentleman-of-the-
air I have seldom had the pleasure
of meeting. The Corpus Christi Air
base is the largest in the United
States today. 1t has already cost
$50, 900, 900 and $13, 900, 900 has been
appropriated in addition to this. 1t
will turn out 300 flying ensigns a
month for seven months as a start.
They will spend their next four years
after leaving here at sea with the
U. S. feet. From 5000 to $4,000 en-
listed men and ground mechanics.
and from 500 to 800 officers will soon
be here.
This base covers thousands Of
acres and has "a separate airports
connected with it. The main base
is equipped with six Of the largest
airplane hangers in the world. A
landing field in front of one of these
has over 81 miles of concrete on it!
The runways are IA miles long,
one-ffth of a mile wide.
Gasoline is stored underground.
1t is planned to use 100, 900 gallons
of highest a day!
The recreation center consists of
one of the largest movie houses in
Misunderstanding nearly 5000 and
there are two shows nightly. A 400
bed hospital completes the post.
Took the Texas Express from
Corpus Christi to San Antonio
through a bowling tropical rain
storm. There lectured to a Dinner
club, then on to the Fort Worth Ex-
press to reach that city at dawn
and transfer to the Santa FEES we'll
operated Ranger for a nice fast spin
across the Panhandle.
Reached Oklahoma City next moor
and that evening addressed the
Sequoyah club and caught the Ante
lope express for Kansas City.
Breakfasted in the Harvey House
with young Bryan Horner and then
transferred to the Grand Canyon
Limited for Chicago.
In Galveston-Texas Rabbis were
holding their conventional most or
derby affair. In Fort Worth-5, 900
Baptist Ministers were in conven
tion-a bit loud and more raucous
than the Rabbis. R. G. Letourneau
of Peoria, ILL.,. a former bankrupt
garage mechanic told how he had
built an $18, 900, 900 business through
conversion to Christianity: Now l
am one of Christ's business men,"
said he, proudly. II put 80 per
cent of my proceeds back into the
Church." John W. Mccall, presi-
dent of the Southwide Brotherhood
said that surveys reveal that more
than 80 per cent of the population Of
this country belong to some faith or
other, but that only 4 per cent 60 to
church!
Drove into St. Louis to spend two
nights at the comfortable old Jeffer-
son hotel in the heart of the business
district. Have been nursing a bad
cold for weeks, and now a tooth
ache! My old school pal, Leicester
Faust, Anheuser Busch's grandson,
phoned from his palatial dump in
the suburbs. His brewery delivers
SO carloads daily. employs 5000
men. Last time l was here he was
laid up with lumbago; this time an
earache. Guess we're both aging.
Forgot to lock my room one night.
Next morning couldn't get out of
it. Found neatly scrawled note un-
derneath: You neglected to lock
your door last night; our manager.
rather than awaken you, took the
liberty of doing this for you. We
hope you enjoyed a good nights
rest" Thought how lucky I was
the hotel didn't catch fire!
SEEING THINGS: Driving
through Iowa en- route to lecture in
Keokuk passed through noted shoat
and baby lamb country. It's spring
in the Middle West, but at present
you'd W know it. A colder,
bleaker spring they've never had.
Lack Of rain has put bans on over
use of water hereabouts. In most
of these cities cars cannot legally
be washed. School children are
tickled pink, as water is being strict