Evening star., 1942-08-20

Henry MeLsmors. pened last
month. last week, yesterday, and Is
happening right now. 1t will happen
tomorrow. and many more times in
the days to come.
1t is happening to John Doe, ma
rine; John Doe, engineer; John Doe.
pilot; John Doe, artilleryman; John
Doe, tanker seaman; John Doe,
bombardier; John Doe, tank driver,
and all the other John Does In the
service.
In the death of John Doe is the
answer to why those of us who
have not as yet been asked to give
our lives for our country should be
willing to give everything else we
have
John Doe didn't want to die. He
liked life, too. Not many months
ago he probably was an insurance
salesman in California, or bank
clerk in Georgia, or college stud
ent in New York, a voice teacher in
Illinois, farmer in Iowa. He loved
his family. He had girl. He
wanted to marry and have a home
and raise family. He was like
millions of the rest of us. He
wanted to follow the Yanks and
Dodgers, and sing songs in the
kitcf IN, root for his football team,
90 fishing, save his dough TO buy q
house.
But now he's dead.
Gave An He Had.
He didn't owe any more to this
country than any OF the other mill
lions Of Americans.
But he gave 1t all he had.
The reading Of casually lists
would be tough going. but they
should be required reading in this
country today.
The industrialist who worries
about his profits should be made to
read them. Death makes percent
ages seem pretty small.
The labor leader should be made
to read them. He won't be able to
think so much In terms Of hours
when eternity stares him In the
face.
The politician should be made to
read them. There are no party
lines In the battleline. When a
man faces death for his country he
doesn't face 1t as a Democrat. or a.
Republican. or as New Dealer, or
as party man. He faces 1t as an
American.
The citizen who complains about
rationing .ould be made to read
OF the casualties. How would he de.
eide II he were given the choice be-
tween no luxurious living standard
and-no tomorrow You can bet
that he would choose to walk. to
take his coffee black, his house
chilly, cold, his days meatless.
Conquer Dictators First.
Those who sit around tables and
talk big talk on what the world Of
tomorrow will be like should be
made to study the casualty lists. For
on them they would find the names
OF the men who are dying to make
possible world of today. Let
beauty and truth and sweetness
and light come-but only after those
who are sworn to destroy such yir-
tues are conquered.
Harsh as it may sound. we can
picture no greater. force of inspira-
ton that could be unloosed on the
people OF this country than to have
read to them over the radio and
printed on the front pages Of the
newspapers, the names of ths
Americans who died that day for
America.
VINO could but rise and respond
With his best after roll call of the
gallant men who loved this conn
try and what it stands for, and
of1ered up their lives?
The spoken words of men. no mat
ter how beautifully said, or the
written words Of men, no matter
now beautifully chosen, can never
summarize patriotism, loyalty, and
sacrifice, as well as the simple lines
In a casualty list that reads:
Died IN action: John Doe.
distributed BY MeNaught syndioet.. rn.,