Evening star., 1943-04-07


criss crossed
Henry P. McLemore. from London to
Belfast to Edinburgh and obscure
way-points that a crow wouldn't
think OF flying to without packing
his iron rations. I am on sort Of
combination work and pleasure tour.
During the day I scout around for
material for this column. At night
I talk to and with the soldiers and
sailors In the clubs.
Being as I am no Martha Raye,
AL Jolson, Carole Lands or Kay
Francis you may wonder why the
fighting forces would care to have
me as a guest entertainer. I'm not
sure that they do, so always take
along some talent and confine my
activities to doing a master of cere-
monies job.
Clubs Are Astounding.
The Red Cross clubs have as.
founded me. To be strictly honest.
I had always felt that the best a
soldier could get from a Red Cross
club was the privilege OF standing
around piano singing "1t's Long
Way to Piccadilly" or Shine on
Harvest Moon" or eating dough-
nut and drinking coffee, all tho
while gently chaperoned by group
OF men who felt that "shucks" and
darn" were cusswords. Or, by some
girls who looked as If they had taken
up spinsterhood as a profession at
an early age and wore horn-rimmed
glasses on the outside chance it
would improve their looks.
Well I was wrong. The Red
Cross Of today, the one that is
serving our troops in this war, Is
doing q magnificent job. The clubs
are home to our kids, not Just
places to go when there is nothing
else left to do They are manned
by swell men and by women and
girls who bear no resemblance to
models for fright wigs.
The food in the clubs is perhaps
the best you can get over here.
The Red Gross doesn't get any
special rations, but the rations it
has are prepared by hostesses and
chefs who know how to make a lit
tie go long way and appreciate the
Importance of cooking something
right even though it be a slab Of
SPAN.
Girls Must Be Approved.
The best dances are in Red Cross
clubs. Real swing bands are pro-
vided and soldier can't just bring
any one he happens to meet. A
soldiers date must be a nice girl.
She must have a pass to attend
the dances and to get a pass She
must be passed by club officials.
Some OF the soldiers didn't Like
this restriction at first, but now
they appreciate it.
A large portion Of the overseas
sports program is handled by the
clubs. Most of them have facilities
for basket ball, ping-pong, badnin-
ton, boxing, wrestling. soft ball.
baseball and the other sports. No
where else but in the clubs will you
find fairly recent editions of Ameri-
can magazines and newspapers.
There is food to be had all night
long and there are no better Sleep
Ing accommodations than those pro
vided by the clubs beds, warm
rooms and attendants to rouse the
customers no matter at what hour
of the morning they have to get up
to 60 on duty or to get back to
their bases.
Contributions Urged.
The Red Cross never has and
never will advocate what Persians
call hell raising" but the men
and women who are running the
clubs over here know how to handle
1t when they see it. Let a sailor
who has been long at sea come in
to club with more of a rolling
gait than usual or let marine ar
rive with black eye and a cut or
two and they are taken care Of.
They aren't thrown out or the M. Ps
summoned.
This understanding has solidifed
the Red Gross with our fighting
men. They know they are dealing
with an organization run by hui
mans like themselves, not a bunch
Of narrow-minded sissies. The Red
Cross workers have no easy time.
The hours are long. the pay is poor
and there is about as much glory
in the work as there Is in setting
up pins In a bowling alley.
The drive for funds is on at home
now, I believe. Take it from me,
you couldn't spend dollar for a
better cause. I've seen where that
dollar goes and what it does.
Distributed by McNaurht Syndicate, Incl