Evening star., 1942-12-20
Rickenbacker Scorns
Gas Cries in Light
OF Troop Sacrifices
Here After Pacific Rescue.
Ace Flyer Appeals for
Home-Front Cooperation
BY NELSON SHEPARD

ny NELSON SHEPARD,
10 Capt Eddie Rickenbacker,
BACK home from narrowing expert
ences in the Pacific, the "cries and
objections" to rubber and gasoline
ratloning he has heard since his
return to the home front seem so
insignificant and ridiculous" COM
pared with what our boys are willing
10 DO without in the "hell-holes" of
Guadalcanal and New Guinea.
He said so yesterday in no un-
certain rebuke as he pleaded for
greater cooperation by the people
at home in the light of sacrifices
ne had recently seen on fighting
lines in the South Pacific.
nope what hardships We had to
accept or endure" he said in re-
1erring to his rescue after q days
adrlft on the sea in an open boat.
might prove to be lesson to the
people back here in the stimulus to
drlVe them on to greater peak
because without their effort and the
material they are producing, our
boys can't do the job they are so
willing an anxious to do in the four
corners of the world"
Fills In Links Of Epic.
In Secretary of War Stimson's
conference room, the wind -bronzed.
slightly nervous World War ace filled
in for the first time the missing links
in the epic story of how he and six
companions were rescued after their
plane was forced down, out of gas.
in the Pacific.
Frankly and humblv we PRAYED
for deliverance," he said.
He disclosed for the first time
that his inspection trip to the south
Pacific had taken him to Guadal-
canal and New Guinea. where he
had seen American boys fighting
and dying in hell holes of mud
and corruption" Encouragingly, he
said 1t was his conviction that while
the quality and experience level"
Of American flyers was going up.
that Of the japanese pilots is going
doWnhill very rapidly"
1T is quite evident that the great
majority of japanese pilots is in
experienced and green" he said in
confirming similar statements of 1t.
Gen. Henry H. Arnold. commander
OF the Army Air Forces, and others
recently returned from the south
Pacific.
Appeals to Home Front.
But it was to the people on the
home front, 5000 to 5000 miles from
the scenes of fighting and priva-
tions, that Capt. Rickenbacker end
Cd his story with a dramatic appeal
Tor greater understanding and CO.
operation.
Telling of Guadalcanal in the
Solomons. where soldiers and
marines have been battling the
japanese since August, he pleaded:
IF only we could get the American
people to realize that by even a
small amount of additional effort /.
to bring increased production of
planes, equipment and ships, to get
them their supple ammunifion.
guns. gasoline, We will have served
Sit3l purpose.
At this point Capt. Rickenbacker .
looked more solemn and serious
than usual during his narrative,
and said:
Il have come to the conclusion that
II you brought the combat men back
TO America and if you could put ,
them overnight in the factories and
transfer our present war workers
out into their positions. you would /
have your production doubled in 30 .
DAYS time.
l mean that" he declared.
Before he finished his epic story
Of eight men in a raft. Capt. Rick
enbacker gave a skilled airman's
glimpse OF what he had seen and
experienced in the fighting zones
he visited
Hard hitting Airman.
At Gen. Douglas MacArth-r's
headquarters, he said. he found
one OF the greatest enthusiasts I
nave ever met''-Lt Gen. George
kenney, commander of the Air
Forces in the South Pacific. The
veteran flyer described Gen. Ken
ney as one of the hardest hitting
airmen we have anywhere in the
world"
Capt. Rickenbacker declared that
II 1t wasn't for the tremendous
successes in combat" that our men
have experienced they couldn't
possibly last, physically or mentally.
very long"
But, due to the great stimulus
OF winning, the success they have
had. they are all happy and anxious
to keep going" he added
The conference was impressive.
Secretary Stimson opened it by say
ing, You may remember that I
promised to produce Capt. Ricken-