The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-10-09
9 NATIONAL
SPOTLIGHT
Sweet Music
Sour TemperS
So What Have You?
During Peter Edson's absence
on vacation this cOleunin q being
written by another member Of
MEAS Washington staff
BY JAMES THRAsHER
NEA STAIR Correspondent


cratic temperament broke out here
the other night between Q noted
European opera and orchestra con-
ductor, who comes to Washing
ton weekly to rehearse q govern
ment workers symphony orchestra,
and his brother, the orchestra's
founder and manager and govern
ment employe himself.
An awed and innocent bystander
was o young woman who had vol
unteered her services as assistant
manager. She stood about uncofll-
fortably as the argumenth which
began after rehearsal continued on
into the night.
Finally the verbal barrage APP
preached its climax with the con-
ductor declaring, "Very well, I shall
have nothing more to do with this
organization"
"YOU will have nothing more TO
do with this organization" his
brother repeated, with towering
scorn. ut is I who will have moth
ing more to do with It'll"
BY this time the assistant man
ager had caught the spirit Of the
thing, and turned on a little tenn
permanent herself.
"All right she said, IF that's
the way it's going to be, I certainly
shall have nothing more to do with
it. Here is the key to your rehear-
sal room"
And with a grand gesture she
J flung the key on the table and
hounced out.
The young woman was pretty well
satisfied with her dramatic exist
until she discovered, on reaching
home, that she had thrown the
warning brothers the key to her
apartment.
At 2:30 a. m. she lneekly pecked
at the bedroom window of a girl
friend and asked shelter for the
night.
CORNY CURE
Homesickness manifests itself in
queer ways, but probably none
queerer than the nostalgia for radio
commercials which, few weeks
ago, broke out in epidemic proper
tions among American soldiers in
the North African area.
An officer just returned from that
theater reports that soldier fan
mail to the Red, White and Blue
network (stations in Casablanca,
Oran, Algiers, Constantine, Tunis
and Palermo) complained that,
while the request record programs
were all right listeners did miss the
Saccharine persuasion Of announcers
selling the sponsors product.
Capt. Andre Baruch, who was a
top radio man before entering the
service, was glad to oblige. Now the
boys are treated to parodies on
authenic commercials, like the one
selling SPAN.
Does your mess sergeant give you
enough Spam?" the announcer be-
gins. (That may not seem funny to
you, but 1t Is to the soldier over
seas, where SPAN Is as prevalent
as corn-willy was In the last war;
IT he Is unable to supply you" the
commercial continues, drop in at
our store, 100 Fifth avenue, New
York, and we will be happy to
provide you with can Of SPAN,
absolutely free Of charge"
And then there Is the "Ataburp
Hour" a hlightly twisted plug for
atabrine, the synthetic quinine sub
, stitute which APPARENTLY Is no more
palatable than the original.
"This Is the Ataburp Hour" a
meliuous voice begins. "Atamurp,
spelled A-t-a-burp!-(with anthem
tic sound effects.) Do your feet swell
after 20-nile hike? Do you see
spots before your eyes? Does your
first sergeant irritate you? What
you need is ataburp.
Take one Of the yellow tablets,
grasp 1t between your thumb and
foref1nger, open your mouth wide
and toss the tablet far back In your
throat so that 1t strikes your palate.
GA gong rings) And then-and then
and then you :" (There Is a
blood scream, followed by
a recording Of the London air raid
sirens).
Corny?-Sure. But the soldiers
like 1t. And 1t isn't much CORNER
than the serious domestic variety,
at that.
PRODUCTION RECORD
The Congressional Directory's
biography of the venerable Sen.
Hiram Warren johnson includes
this rather startling phrase: "Was
married in the city Of Sacramento
to Minnie McNeal, daughter of
Archibald McNeal, and of this mar
riage there were two sons, both
adults