The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-05-22

having serious trouble on InelT
Russian front, or they wouldn't
have been tied up there so long.
The results of specific engagements
are a mere matter of guessworl1,
though, to folk as far away as we
are.
We never even heard Of the
towns around which a lot Of the
fghting's raging. Their names don't
figure in any gazetteer, No modern
map indicates EN-.
Suppose we were pulling off
war in this country and We were TO
broadcast information concerning
the outcome of a fierce encounter
in the outskirts Of some little Po-
dunk, consisting of one general
store. half block Of houses in each
direction from the main crossroads,
a lone church and PA population.
How much significance would that
victory or defeat have to listeners
In in remote parts OF Europe or
Asia or Madagascar-people with
out the slightest notion Of the
burg's geography; unable even cor
rectly TO pronounce its name, "Po-
dunk?
Many Are Hamlets
That's the kind Of wee hamlets
we see and hear mentioned in con-
nection with the scrapping in the
Caucasus, Burma and similar far
off areas.
Many years ago, in the course Of
one of South Americas wars, an
internationally decisive rookus oc-
CURED in the vicinity of a teeny-
weeny settlement, on the edge of
which ! lived q couple OF genera
tons later. Consequently learned
of the affair, FIVE or six decades be-
latedlv It was known as the Battle
Of Empalme Villa Constitution
meaning Constitution City juno
ton. It was important, too, locally.
But I'll bet that, in its day. we
Yankees understood its conse-
quence fully as little as we under
stand the Nazi-Russian and jap
Chinese particulars in our 1905.
But getting up to date
1t happens that I'm familiar with
approximately half dozen words
in Chinese.
One Of 'em Is shan
o. X. You've read about Jap
Chinese activities in the shan
states"
Seeking enlightenment, I've
asked a number Of our publicity
dispensers, What, please. do you
mean by the shan states ?"
To this query, the publicityites
have answered, pityingly, because
OF my ignorance, I'VE mean the
states; or provinces, that the Shan
mountains criss-cross."
Well, shan is Chinese for noun
tains.
To refer to the Shan mountains
is equivalent to saying, the noun
tains mountains"
It's like falling to draw a distinc-
ton between the Alleghenies and
the Rockies.
Wide Room for Error
In eastern China is the Khingan
Shan. Twelve or fifteen hundred
miles to the westward is the Kun
lun Shan. There's quite a bit OF
room for inaccuracies Of reckonings
II both these shans are regarded as
one and the same range.
The Chinese recognize the Diff
ference.
They have two proYinces-Shan-
tung and Shansi.
You see 'em differentiated.
"Tung" means east. Shan
east Of the mountains. Isl" means
west-west Of the mountains. This
refers to the Khingan Shan. The
Kunluns are on the western bor-
der; therefore don't divide in two.
Time is all shot full Of holes like
wise.
Things have happened tomorrow,
over on our other north-and-south
hemisphere, that aren't OF record
until OUR today.
The fact is that we ordinary folk
don't know what's going on or
when.
We talked about last war as a
world war.
This ones the real thing.
It's round-and-round the globe
and up-and-down 1t. and it includes
places we never heard from before
and neNerlll hnar from annin