Evening star., 1942-08-17

e<s''RSs''' = many respects,
Henry McLemore. he is the Man
of the Year. Time Magazine could
put him right on its cover without
being ashamed.
His statement on enlisting as a
private in the Army is the most re-
freshing, and at the same time, the
most astounding utterance made by
any American over IS years of age
since We got into the war
What do I want to be a major
for? I don't know beans about the
Army. I want to start right at the
bottom" he said.
We had to read that twice before
we could believe our own deep blue,
1920 eyes. 1t isn't possible, We
thought to ourselves, that a man
of MIR. Gables age (4D, Mr.. Gables
standing In the community, and
Mr.. Cables wealth is going to start
out in the Army with suit that
doesn't even have some sort of deco
ration on the shoulder. For while,
the lowest rank that came out of
Hollywood was colonel. Lots of
the kleig light youngsters began at
taw-Jimmy Stewart, to mention
one-but the men in the 40's located
spots where their technical knowl-
edge was invaluable, and where
they could fight the Nazis and Japs
by producing and supervising pic
lures.
All the Angles.
To appreciate Mr.. Gables move,
one must realize just what he might
have done had he worked all the
angles. After all, he is one of the
five best-known men in the United
States. There aren't many doors
that he couldn't have opened. The
girl receptionist, even If she were
working for some one with more
stars on his shoulders than you get
in a winter sky In Arizona, would
see to it that Mr.. Gables name was
announced, providing. of course,
that she didn't swoon when he
walked in.
The chances are that Mr.. Gable
could have started out as a major at
the least. Had he wanted, he could
have argued land honestly, too) that
given an officers uniform and
turned loose on this country, he
could sell more bonds, more stamps,
more any thing, than any other man
alive.
But apparently Mr.. Gable had the
queer idea that this war isn't going
to be won by bond sellers. good
willers, public relations officers and
morale jackeruppers.
There seems to have crept into
his noggin conviction that this war
Is going to be won by the men with
guns. He seems to feel that victory
will come through the killing of the
enemy.
This is not to belittle the efforts of
the 10000 agencies the Government
has set up for work on the home
front. Not one bit, because we have
it on the authority of the men who
are arming these agencies that
without their help everything would
60 to hell. So, let's have all sorts of
pamphlets and peace plans and
typewriter tonics.
Shooting Wins Wars.
At the same time we would like
to point out that all wars have been
won by men with shooting arms in
their hands. When the time came
for an attack on the Solomon
Islands, the attack was made by
marines, and not by landing force
of good-neighbor- policy mimeo-
graph workers, peace planners, pub
lie relations commandos and bond
and stamp statesmen. We believe
that check Of the forces that are
attacking in the Solomon Islands
area and Kiska would fail to reveal
a single morale builder, single
officer who got his bars because he
had a college degree and could hold
his cocktails with the best in the
Mayfower bar.
Mr.. Gable wants to be a gunner
in bomber. That's his aim. I'm
doubtedly 10000 folk have told him
that he could do more good on the
home front-that his smile. his
ears, his charm, his personality are
not given to every one, and that any
one can tote gun and shoot.
Apparently he ignored all of this
advice.
Somewhere, somewhere deep In
side of him, Mr.. Gable must have
felt that he didn't have any more
right avoiding being shot at than
the next fellow.
II he doesn't get an Oscar, then
may all these Hollywood colonies
die OF retakes, close-ups and rusfes!
Distributed by McNsught Syndicate. Inc)