Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-16

ussslIllII''' and such hap
Henry MeLemsre. pened to me the
other day, and do you think It's
right?"
I'd like to go on record and say
that soldiers shouldn't have grew
ances. Certainly they shouldn't
have grievances caused by civilians.
That there ever was time when
the fighting man, the man in the
khaki of Uncle Sam, should be
looked up to, given the very best.
and generally handled with loving
care by the civilian, 1t is right now.
But there still are some people.
and some organizations, who shove
that uniform around just a bit.
That is, If the boys are telling mo
the truth in their letters, and you
can bet they are.
X X ~
A recent letter from sailor
asked me what sort of people were
handling the priority cards on the
air lines. He went on to explain
what had happened to him when he
tried to fly from the East to the
West Coast to see his family.
He had a four-day furlough. Not
only were days precious to him. but
hours and minutes, SO what hap
pened? Nothing, except that he was
obliged to yield his seat, halfway
on his journey, to man with q
priority card.
II didn't mind doing that" the
sailor said, but what burned me up
was that was grounded. the plane
went on with 10 assorted men and
women who had no priority rights
at all. I know because I checked
up on the matter.
ut seems to me that a man in
the service, with only four days
of leave, should have as much right
to seat as the average citizen.
But of I went, and lost a full day
of my leave"
The sailor has a point. A good
one.
X +
So has the soldier who thinks
that some one in Washington should
put ceiling on the prices of mer-
chandise sold by train butchers.
He told Of a train trip with hum
dreds Of other soldiers, and the
unmitigated proflteering Of the
fellow in charge of peddling the
candy bars, the apples, and the soft
drinks.
1--WE were charged Is cents for q
ham sandwich that you could read
a magazine through" the soldier
wrote. "One bite and 1t was gone.
There was just an linking Of butter
on the bread, which was sliced so
thin it could barely support the
ham, which couldn't possibly have
weighed one one-thousandth Of an
ounce. And the soft drinks were
Is cents. There was plenty Of
gripping by the soldiers on this
trip, and why not?"
I know just the sort Of ham
sandwich the soldier described.
They are so minute, the slices Of
ham, that one could cut 50 Of them
off live pig before he would start
bleeding. And the bread Is always
Of a texture and age that a man
would be safe in making a bet that
1t was present when Casey Jones
made his celebrated run.
For Is cents a man should get
dozen of the sandwiches and
riparian rights on the butchers
basket If he wanted it. As for
charging q soldier IS cents for q
few draughts Of sarsaparilla and
other assorted roots dissolved in
water-well, that Is highway rob.
berry with all the trimmings.
Right here, for no particular rea.
| oOlA dO all WdIlV W Ccll you Oh
Sailor Bill, and a remark he made
to me In the mems powder room
of a train plying between New
Orleans and Shreveport.
Bill, on a 30-day leave, looked
as If he had been doing a little
fighting.
His hands had that unmistakable
put1iness Of hands that have been
punching, and he had q lump I'M
der one eye that wasn't q beauty
spot.
"I'll tell you, Jack" Bill said to
me, Il told the cop just one thing.
told him If was going to die for
democracy, aimed to live 80 days
Of 1t. He was about my size, Jack,
and We had great time. I think
1t ended in q tie, Jack, but I caught
the train. Yes-sir, OIL Bill caught
the train, Jack"
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Waste kitchen fats make exnIo.