Evening star., 1943-05-02
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Lady, you'd better anchor right
here. The sardine effect gets worse
instead of better, the farther along
you try to go on this train," Crate
fully needing this suggestion from a
young Navy seaman, who proved
to be about the age of my own Navy
son. sank gratefully into the empty
seat beside him as he adroitly
hoisted my bag into the crowded
rack above. This bit of thoughtful
ness undoubtedly saved me from hav-
ing to stand up the entire distance
from Boston to Washington over
the Easter week end, so crowded
and jammed were the through
trains.
There were only a few civilian
travellers aboard, fortunately. Each
OF us realized, as we hadn't before,
the wisdom of England's travel
ration schedule to prevent the need
less occupancy of space-accommo-
dations that should be utilized pri-
marily by those on urgent business,
or by those who can travel only in
the brief hours of leave allotted
them from their wartime service.
Even as we became a part of this
packed aSsemblage of soldiers, sailors
and merchant marine travellers,
there was the memory of one-half of
the terminal dining room in Boston's
South Street station entirely given
over to a group of aviation cadets.
They quietly filed in to sit down to
prearranged breakfast awaiting
them. while tardy commuters who
hadn't gulped their breakfasts before
they left home were left stranded
10 manage as best they could.
Grateful to Navy.
My seatmate proved to be Law
renee ODonnell, a Navy cook, first
class, who was one of those who
made the historic voyage to England
aboard one of the so destroyers we
sent over at the beginning of the
lease-lend program, before we were
actually in the war ourselves. He
is not only vitality interested in his
job but proud of the fact that the
Navy has trained him for it and
given him a good general education
oesldes. In fact, the Navy is about
the only home and family he has.
Orphaned at an early age and
entirely without family connections.
he had cruel experience in a child
care home, until he was old enough
70 run away and JOIN the Navy.
because he has no family he prac-
tically never receives letters and
rarely writes one. However, he has
one which he cherishes and of which
ne Is justly proud. 1t is from Presi-
dent Roosevelt, congratulating him
on the excellence of the crews meals
Whle he was the chief cook on a
Navy vessel on which the President
made trip
so significant was the extreme
youth of most of our service CO.
passengers. our eyes instinctivelv
mlsted as we looked at them and
thought of what might lie ahead.
Especially was this true as We gazed
at the delegation of merchant ma
rine cadets from their school, To-
Gated on what was once Walter
Chrysler's estate on Long Island
Inls would be their last weekend
liberty for a number of them be-
lore they went out on practice
cruises aboard the merchant marine
ships which constitute our lifeline
70 victory in the transportation of
precious supplies to the Allies,
' Ceriouc vo~4h-
Very few of these merchant ma
rine lads had finished as much as
two years of college. Most of them
were youngsters just out of hish
school, steady and serious, though.
as If they realized they had left
their boyhood and must henceforth
be fully adult for the job that was
ahead.
A young Texan, who helped share
a box of homemade candy-with
the tribute, Nom used to send me
this kind before she died last win
ter-was using his precious hours
OF leave to sight-see in Washington.
He would be able to stay here only
from the time his train arrived
until ii o'clock the next morning,
In order to surely reach his base on
time. But he was confident the
memory he would carry away of the
Capitol, the White House and the
Lincoln Memorial would more than
recompense him for the long trip
down and back.
Even the possible discomfort of
having to sit up all night in the