Evening star., 1942-04-24


Henry Mclsmere. Since I lost
my first agate playing marbles for
keeps. until few days ago when the
Normandie caught on fire on satur-
day when I had bet II wouldn't catch
on nre again until Sunday, haven't
won a wager.
30 feel peculiarly At to comment
on the advisability Of the United
States Government conducting ma
tional lottery for the purpose OF rails
ing money for It's war effort.
No one can ever accuse me OF
being motivated by thoughts OF per-
sonal gain. II the lottery were held.
I wouldn't stand a chance to win
even II every one else's ticket was
pasteboard card and mine was In the
form of a live rabbit. and my ia
vorite aunt were allowed to pull the
numbers. She would somehow man
age TO miss my ticket by . hair. IL
you'll forgive what many will agree
TO be the most horrffic pun OF the
1912 season.
No Gambling Involved.
The national lottery plan has o
lot to recommend IL. Before the
rahid anti-gamblers train their guns
on me and NOV me down under q
crossfire Of righteousness. let me ex-
plain that the lottery, under the
form proposed by Representative
SABBATH of Illinois, would not con-
stitute gambling.
Under Mr.. Sabath's plan. the Gov
eminent would take STA per cent Of
all the money paid In and give out
but 121a per cent In prizes. That's
not gambling.
When the house." represented
this time by Uncle Sam. grabs itself
a cool 87ta cents Of each dollar
played, the stigma of gambling can
not be present. Those who bought
the tickets would simply be handing
their money over to the Government
out of gratitude for the pleasure Of
standing in line at the post ONCE,
which Mr.. SABBATH has suggested as
the ideal handler of the lottery.
No gambler would consider try
! ing hts luck at dice table where
the houses take was STA per
cent. Nor would he patronize race
track, roulette wheel or any other
form of gambling where the pro-
prietor's bite" was such o juicy one.
So, no one would brand himself ss
a gambler by playing the lottery.
In fact. by playing it he would
mark himself as . very gallant
sportsman, one who would give .
lion the first bite In biting con-
test, or one who would 90 over Nj
agara In barrel. standing up, so
as not to take advantage Of any
recent erosion Of the Falls.
But, for the sake Of argument, let
US say that such lottery would
constitute gambling; that the sale
of billion dollars worth of tickets
q month by the Government would
fall into that evil classification. 90
what?
Easy Way 10 Keep Out.
Those who did not want TO iri-
dulge could shun the post ofiice and
leave the wickedness to those who
cared to take q chance with Uncle
Sam with the knowledge that even
If licked their money was going to
be used to make the Axis powers
uncomfortable.
There Is no use shutting our eyes
to the fact that there are millions
and millions of people in this coun-
try who like to gamble. They might
Just as well gamble on the United
States as on q horse with q fancy
name or a set OF cubes or q stock
on the Street.
OF course, there is another side
/ W hAtc kObocly 4dccbAC4ls IL dQiIilb
that 1t would divert the attention
Of the citizens from the war effort.
Once q man drew O number he
would have that number on his
mind, be he airplane worker, sailor,
Congress member, window dresser
or teacher OF dead languages ut the
barber college. Until the lottery
was drawn, that number would be
| uppermost In his mind
You know, OF course, that the lot
terry will never be held. That's a
cinch. It hasn't q chance. You
know the reason. too. This country
loves its hypocrisy.
The fact that the majority would
favor lottery doesn't make o bit
OF difference. This country doesn't
go in for doing what the majority
believes In. II you don't belong TO
o minority, you're cooked.
Or, am I going In over my head7
Distributed By MeNausht Syndicate. ine.D