Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-26
LESSONS IN
SEIFLESSNESS

We haven't really begun to fight, here
at home. Maybe we aren't even ready to
begin.
We're still thinking too much about
ourselves.
The latest income tax news worries
most of us about as much as the newest
dispatch from Libya. A lot of us in labor
unions are taking selfish advantage OF
the war to consolidate the position of our
unions A lot of us in executive capac-
tiles are watching the profits as closely
as we are watching the possibility of
second front. A lot of us, at home and
on our jobs, are paying more attention to
the little things around us than we are
to the men on the fighting fronts.
And what of the men on the fighting
fronts?
Well, have you received letter from
one of them-one who has been IN action!
If you have, chances are you were dis
appointed If he's like most of the young
fellows who've gone overseas, he didn't
tell you much that you really wanted to
know How he's feeling, for instance, and
whether he's comfortable, and about the
the other fellows he's met. Of course,
;.,body expects him to tell the things that
would be censored-but there are a hum
dred and one other things he COULD tell;
and doesn't Little things. Personal
things. Somehow or other, he doesn't
get around to them.
Mostly, we steer clear of personalities
in this column, but this is different. The
subject, as it were, excuses the treat
ment.
A Post-Press staff member got let
ter the other day from Honolulu, from
friend of his who is a correspondent out
there. The war correspondent had run
into Lieut.. Leonard Moore of Ell Centre,
and devoted a couple of highly compli-
mentary paragraphs to the valley youth.
Thoughtfully, he added that Moore was
feeling fine, and getting along we'll. The
Post-Press staffer called Moore's father,
read part of the letter to him. P. l..
Moore was glad of the news.
"You know he said, 1--WE got letter
from him few days ago, but he didn't
tell US doggoned thing about himself"
BOND OF SYMPATHY
The Post-Press employe understood.
He'd got a letter the day before from a
close relative of his own, across the water,
and about the only news it contained was
q brief mention of some new assignment,
without any elaboration. No personal
items at all.
They've lost their selfishness, these
young men whove gone across to fight
for their country They've lost it to
degree that is almost unbelievable to us,
here at home. In their actions, no less
than in their letters, their thoughts are
as selfless as it is humanity possible to be.
They've got job to do. The job Of
defending America. 1t takes all their
thoughts.
We think we've gone all out on the home
front. But imagine what our production
would be, imagine the results We would
get, if all of sudden every one of us did
as these young men are doing-gave every
thought to the effort of winning the war.
All out? We're not half extended yet
Next time you feel like grumbling be-
cause there's not enough sugar for your
coffee, or complaining because your tires
are wearing thin, it might do you-and
everybody elsa lot of good if you'd
stop and think of those letters that are
coming back home from the fighting
fronts
Let's remember. like those bows do. that
there's one thing bigger than all of us.
It's winning the war.