The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-01-22
Straight From
Washington
BY STEPHEN Nj. YOUNG
Congressman at Large, Ohio

! ashngton-Australia apprOXimateS
the size of the United States, yet it's
population is only seven million. The
! Philippines are about one tWenty-tifth
| the size of Australia. The population
of the Philippines Is about fifteen mil
! lion. The Netherlands East Indies,
| Borneo, and other islands, with a pop
| ulation of eighty million, lie between
Australia and the Philippines. Every
race is represented in the cosmopolitan
population of these various islands.
Australia is more nearly a continent
than an island. From the northern tip
of the Philippines to the southern tip
of Australia is Approximately four
| thousand miles. The Dutch East Indies
are spread over IA distance Of twenty
! five hundred miles. On the British bat-
| tleship Prince of Wales, and battle
| cruiser Repulse, destroyed by japanese
aerial tOrpedOeS, were airplaneS which
| the British commander never used. Al
| though the British observed a Jap
plane hours before these vessels were
| destroyed, the commanding officer
| failed to radio for RAF planes, which
could have reached the scene of the
battle an hour or so before the British
ships were destroyed. The English died
bravely, but naval StrategiStS wonder
why. 1t is rumored that the British
air command was at fault, that the
British general in command of the air
| forces had agreed to send planes to
meet the two powerful warShips. He
failed that rendezvous and the British
| admiral did not fail his rendezvous
with death.
Punishment for NaziS
Close to the Capitol and House office
| few, if any, of which deserve en-
| comiun. One drawback to Congress
Sional service is the varying hours
that the House stays in session and the
fact that public health laws are feebly
enforced in the District of Columbia
Six members were hosptaliZed recently
for food poisoning following Il meal at
il nearby cafeteria. Congressman Bob
Secrest, paying his check after pretty
terrible meal, said to the proprietor,
"lf German parachute troops invade
| Washington, | hope they come here for
dinner. 1t will serve the Germans right
| Goodbye"
| Secret BOmbsight
| There may be more bad news from
| the Pacific, but if 50, our people are en-
| I,I Ia, h.,, I'm 4
| lean people should be told the truth, 50
| that by united action and universal
sacrifice the great task we have set
our hands to will be achieved If it is
| true, as rlmOred in Congressional
cloakIounS. that the JapS have our
| secret Dombsight, we ought To know
about it. Prime Minister ChurchillS
| speech was admired because of his
frankncSS. II some Jap Supcr-Spy out
wiltcd our FHl investigators, and pro-
| cured the closely guarded secret
! bombSight, and any Of our officials
know how this was done, Il fun dis
closure would end rumors.
Out of the Dark
Pearl ilarbor, and the capture of
Manila, are the worst disasters to this
nation in our entire history. Americans
need not he discouraged. We must be
patient and hopeful. We may reel from
blows, but our armed forces are i'm
there punching. One hundred SiXty-tiye
years ago we had bad news. General
Washington had fewer than three
thousand effective fighting men to hold
back superior forces of British and
lieSSianS. Many ragged ContinentalS
wrapped cloth around their feet be-
cause they had no shoes. General
Washington wrote, Your imagination
can scarce extend to Il situation more
distressing than mine our only de-
pcndcncc now is on the speedy enlist
meni OF Il new army. If this fails, |
think the game will be pretty we'll up"
Thomas Paine, seeing the diShcarlened
men, poorly clothed, hungry, with few
muskcts, and only II couple cannon,
wrote, These are thc times that try
mems souls. The summer soldier and
the sunshine patriot Will in this crisis
shrink from the service of his coun-
try. Yet, George WaShington with
two thousand plain, ordinary Ameri-
cans, who blew their breath upon their
cold fingers 50 they could pull their
triggers won the battle of Trenton. and
went on to win war. Let the Board
of Inquiry thoroughly investigate Pearl
Ilarbor. Punishment for those re-
Sponsibc can come laler-years later If
necessary. The job at hand is to go
forward to win today's Trenton, and
next years Yorktown.