Askov American., 1942-04-09
May Not Think
1t Smart

IL OlIldFl
Editor M. j. MCGOWAN of The
Appleton Press, from close OBJ
servation on service and promo
tions in the navy, writes an edi-
torial under the title, "The Sur
vivors of Pearl Harbor May Not
Think 1t Smart" His well writ
ten article follows:
Governor Harold E. Stassen has
enlisted as reserve officer in the
United States navy, has been given
the rank of lieutenant commander,
and announces that he will ''enter
active service with the armed forces
just after the close of the coming
legislative session" The coming leg
islative session" will convene jan
uary next and come to a close
about year from now. Previous to
that there will be state primary
campaign followed by general cleo
ton and the governors announced
personal program presupposes his
election to the governorship of the
state for the third time. 1t includes,
also, it will be observed, his giving
up his office after about three
months service in the third term to
the then lieutenant governor.
The political aspects of this situa-
ton are something that will have
extended discussion-and they may
well. 1t is not, however, the polit-
ical aspects that will be under dis
cussion here. It is something that
seems even more far reaching, more
important, and perhaps affecting the
attitudes and opinions of a greater
part of the great American public
than that which is concerned with
politics and elections.
This concerns the evident intention
of those who are building the army
and navy in this war to permit GER
tain individuals with personal or
political power to choose their own
stations in service and their own
sweet time and place of taking up
that service. Young men who find
themselves jerked out of their civil
ian occupations and sent off to train
ing camps without any choices of any
kind will have reason to resent this
evidence of the power of politics"
in the navy and the army. Men
beyond the present active service age,
anxious, honestly, to do their patri-
otic duty, no matter where or when,
whose offers, lacking extra influence,
are rejected without comment or con-
sideration, have reason for the same
feeling.
1t was originally planned not to
be that way. This was to be one
time when every man was to be
called when he was wanted and
placed where he was best qualified.
This very marked departure from
that procedure is dangerous thing.
It is bound to have far-reaching eff
feet. It is certain to delay the de-
velopment of the kind of fighting
forces that it becomes daily more
evident are going to be necessary for
this nation to have to win this war
Announcement that Governor Stas-
sen has enlisted in the navy" and
will join the armed forces a year
from now with the rank of lieutenant
commander, reminds me of some
thing. And this passes at this point
from the editorial 1--WE" to the more
personal "me." The change is not
to impress with thought of personal
importance, but to give what follows
the touch of certain authenticity.
In 1917, younger brother entered
the United States Naval Academy at
Annapolis. He spent four gruelling
years there studying steam engineer
ing, electrical engineering, interna-
tional law, and all of the ramifica-
tions of armed seamanship. After
four years he attained the rank of
Ensign.
On United States navy heavy and
light cruisers and battleships he was
taken over the worlds "seven SEAS
He visited Alaska, the Aleutian Is
lands, Japan, China, Australia, the
Philippines, Hawaii. He spent four
years in submarines. He spent an
equal amount of time in the study
and manufacture of the torpedo. He
superintended their manufacture in
an arsenal off the east coast. He
spent years on the study of gun fire
In between there was "shore duty
and additional study.
After 20 years from the time he
entered the naval academy, he
achieved the rank Of Lieutenant