The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-03-12

HunfinQ Officsrs
Farms Suffering
From DRAFT
~ aAy TUCKER
WASHINGTON - Washing
ton has become the Esyest cap
ifal in the world since that grim
Sunday IN early December The
District Of Columbia has not
seen fit To follow the precedent
oct by the White House. when
the president and Mrs- Roose-
Welt banned formal entertaining
for the duration Foreign dipIe-
MATS and Officers rub their e,e~
wken they enter the main effice
~ the worlds "arsend Of DE-
HccrAcy.r
Lady ke-Popham, wife Of
the depoeed British air chieftsin
at Singapore. might have been
describing the local social scene
when she said the Maisyan cit
sdei only = few days before the
Japs swarmed IN WAS a eontin-
nous round Of teas. bridge,
drinking and dancing
One doubts that there was ever
4 moro carnivsl-like atmosphere
here than prevails at the present
moment. Formal society throws
more breakfasts. lunches. recep-
fiona dinners and dances than
81 did In peacetime. Tables for
midday meals At hotels or res
tsurants must be engaged far IN
advances.
with unlferms adding bril-
Nance, cocktail rooms and bars
steam up leag before the saa
ereeeea the yardarm. or what
ever n does ~ . signal that II
n taune to be joyful. A test black
cut h hailed - excuse for .
party"
A congressman from the Mid
die west--his novel scheme has
been forgotten in the swirl of
light and serious events-recent-
" proposed = curfew for govern
ment clerks 20 they would not
browse al their desks. He was .
piker. II he got around . bit
he would realize that official
and unofficial eayety has muir
dered sleep.
No official speech IN months
provoked such q response ~ As
sistant War Secretary John J.
NcCloy's explanation Of the
srmys need for officers. From
the demands for this best sell
Ter. it appears that everybody
yearns 10 wear q Sam Browne
belt or its equivalent.
McCloy wasn't talking through
his hat or INDUCING In come-on
stun. Chief a staff Marshall's
toughest problem In to lay his
hands on enough leaders to COM
mand his rapidly expanding es-
tahlishment. especially lieuten-
ants capable Of whipping = pla-
toon into scldierly spirit and be-
havior.
The barS are there for the taxi
Ing N . man demonstrates he
possesses the fatherly under
standing. intelligence and will 10
lsarn what h required Of . mill
tary executive.
He does not have TO be q Ma
poleon-at least not At the be-
ginning. He simply needs the
fundamental equipment and the
desire to be like the French
genius. With the armed forces
headed for TRIPPING or quadrupl-
ing their present size. almost
every buck private. COB or air
mechanic totes 4 baton in his
pack. sea bag or kit. provided
he can read. write and think
straight.
Able .1ouies." captains and
ma jors are peculiarly essential
at this training time. Whether
they battle in the Orient, Africa,
Russia or on the European con-
tinent, our soldiers viii face
toughened. seasoned and expe-
rienced fighters - the worlds
finest
Despite our understandable be-
lief in the invincibility OF Amer
lean arms, youngsters. eatspult-
cd from soft. civilian careers and
schools almost overnight require
exceptional leadership If they are
70 give the traditional account
n themselves.
Mrs. Roosevelt has made 4
few mistakes lately. a. she sd-
snits. but she hit the barn nail
On the head when she lambasted
draft boards for not paying SUI
icient attention 10 . mans place
In our economic. industrial o,
agricultural system.
The Selecfive Service board
hos been flooded with protest,
from rural sections concerning
~ alleged ruthless stripping 81
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