The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-03-14
Observations
Spring Comes TO
Capital; Natives
Lost on Roads
BY Helen Essary

ray no dAltNtlOu ~ mat u4uSbtA
in the March wind. Spring Is here
in Washington.
Get into a car Your \ sticker
will take you down TO whore the
Speedway used to be. And look the
budding cherry trees over. They
have forgotten there's war and
are as eager to bloom as II they had
never been called Japanese.
Youll probably need guide TO
lead you along the new roads. and
help you defy the big signs that
shout. just S you are about TO turn
in. DO. Not Enter Here.
used up a months allotment OF
gas the other day trying TO get near
10 Temporary l.. Temporary l. is
one Of those strange Navy depart
ment buildings. squatting behind
the Lincoln Memorial tipped
around the memorial thinking as !
have so many times before what an
exquisite thing America had built
in honor Of the Great Emancipator,
when suddenly | realized was go,
ing away from my destination
that elusive Temporary l..
Around and around the Memorial
| went. And got no closer to where
wanted TO go. Then attacked the
problem from another aHgie-Lrode
far down into Southwestern is it
Southeast? and erept UP on Tenn
porary l. from another direction.
No luck, The roads around about
had no exit. No outlet They were
as full OF circuplocutions as Wash
ington is full OF red tape. SO gave
the idea up rode back to the Re.
fleeing Pool and sat there enjoy
ing the view until a policeman
drove me and my car away.
Washington. or rather Potomac
Park is like that now. Il gets yoE
nowhere. That once friendly area
below the White House where PEG
pie used 10 take fried chicken and
hs-d-boiled eggs and-the height Dor
children out FOR picnics on Satur-
day afternoons in summer. is now
maze OF roads ard byways leading
10 places you haven't the slightest
interest in finding
The road most want 10 tome
upon some day is that one that spun
out from the other side OF the Ar
lington bridge 1t was labeled Mt.
Vernon Highway. It took you past
the dogwood and redwood and the
river down to where George Wash
ington used 70 live. As far as know
they've got Mt. Vernon tucked away
in the Pentagou building. can.
find the place in this newer and
duration-minded Washington.
\ GU don't really want loved one
far away 10 be suffering too desper-
ately. Butt is disconcerting 10
learn. just when YOU have been
grieving your pretty heart away
that the loved one is having about
ten hundred times more fun in a
place with an unpronounceable
name than you are in the capital on
the Potomac where you are at the
moment waiting complete with new
baby in a two-room apartment -
with a candle in the window. as II
uere-waiting for the return OF the
wsnderer.
There for example. Is the case
81 the young wife whose husband
recently went to remote Turkey.
The young wife had an excited re-
quest from the nusband-the mes
sage came very swiftly by cloud re-
iays proba bly-"Piease send al once
by diplomatic pouch in the clipper
my best tuxedo suit"
Everybody in Ankars he ex-
planned. was Wearing tuxedos- out
to dinner. And he had been so EN-.
barrassed because he had had to
borrow a suit from stranger. II
was EN- barrassing There were
many parties being given. All the
time really.
All the formalit.es OF social lie
were being observed in AnkaLa. the
missing husband wrote. tThis
pleased the little wife enormously
Her cook had Just left and the baby
had simultaneously come down Will
the measles.)
As soon as one reached Ankara.
one sent out cards and waited
around a bit FOR invitations which
came most promptly.
OF course. the husband added.
there was a good deal % tripe 20
eat. Il you weren't accustomed 10
tripe and YOU had suddenly to get
accustomed TO II at least SIX days a
week you sort % got sick OF the
dsrned stuff.
But there was plenty OF good
wine and pretty women 10 dance
with always. Ard contract bridge
and poker. "Humph'" thought tho
little wife as she shook the moth
balls out OF the tuxedo. is that so
We'll. ! suppose | ought TO he glad
he is stu IN one piece maybe Gen
eral sherman was talking about
wives when he spoke that way
about war
Another girl who was left behind
having worried for slcepless hours
about her poor Jimmy way of on
that terrible Tarawa. had a cheerful
letter from Jimmy yesterday. say
ing, Everything is swell here. We
are just about to open an officers
club. Then the fun viii start -