The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-02-11
Observations
Report of Battle
on Tarawa Proves
Vivid, Inspiring
3 Helen Esssry

or mover ABOUT the american ho+
in this Second World War, I'd take
for my inspiration part Of the re
port Lieut.. Jim Lucas, combat cor
re pondent OF the L. 5. Marine
Corps, gave Of the landing at Tara
wa.
After the fighting was over Do
Lieutenant Lucas told the Won.
ems National Press Club. I'VE
walked alor.- the beach and look
ed at the bodies lying there. We
did not find any dead man whose
face was not turned forward, bent
on his objective the defeat Of
the enemy. There was no man
who was running away from dang
err. Every one OF them had been
plunging headon into the fight for
his country.
superb ism it? And doesn't il
make your throat ache with pride
and pain?
Lieutenant Lucas had seen the
landing from distance. AS the
boys rushed cnt from the ships
they met storm Of shots. Many
fell dead. Others crumpled 70
their knees In the shallow water
and, struggling NJ, were hit and
fell again Others dragged them
selves along. wounded, and came
upon barbed wire entaHslements.
Caught by their clothing they were
easy targets. Sc found them
when the firing stopped
Here was the American boy IN
action. The real American hoy.
Not a hoy out Of a story. But
live boys. Average boys who did
not know what the war was about
Most Of them had volunteered TO 20
into this engagement because they
thought once il was over they
could 20 home, And what they
wanted more than anything else IN
life was to go home. Yet they had
the will to die II die they must.
And as you know many OF them
did die
The wisdom OF the telling Of such
stories as that of Lieutenant
Lucas is being discussed around
the country. Especially does Wash
ington. which goes in for discus
sions in an endless way wonder
il II Is wise to reveal the horror
OF such engagements.
II is the. opinion OF the Admins
tration that both stories and photo
graphs of horror should not ne
given the public.
myself wonder II such sensa-
tional reports make the country
properly aware of the progress OF
the war in the way that Is most
useful What the country needs 70
know is an honest record OF our
victories and defeats plus a state
ment OF the ohjectiYes yet TO be
won.
Il will not be necessary TO re-
veal any war secrets In such a rec
ord. But it is vital to the sucness
OF the war that the people be told
how many months OF weary fighting
are still ahead. how little we have
accomplished in the Pacific and
what the real score Is.
1--WE haven't yet begun TO fight
the military men say. Walt. until
VIC do. Wait"
EVIDENTLY THE MILITARY
EXPERTS whose job it IL TO train
young fighters believe that part of
their Job is finished. The War De
partment has told 20 small colleges
that they will no longer be need
ed for the training OF pilots. Other
colleges are finding themselves de-
serted as American boys are with
drawn for service abroad or flrth-
er training at new government
fields.
Many colleges are terribly wor-
ried as the War Department pro-
gram to move the young fighters
away unfolds slowly but definitely.
The training OF fighters. though
certainly pro ram unrelated TO
the old liberal arts education most
colleges gave before the war, at
least kept the colleges alive.
Now the prospect for many OF
the smaller and weaker colleges IS
sudden death. THE big colleges,
financed by heavy endowments and
influential alumni. will manage 10
struggle along. But the little col
leges that were scraping the bot
tom OF the money barrel in good
times probably will fade out com
pletely as the war drags on.
HEARD A FLiPPANT DISCUS
SION at dinner last night The
subject OF the discussion was this.
why are there so few scandals
in Washington. this great, big
roaring world capital?"'
you almost never hear OF a
grand or petite romance here"
said a French woman. II do not un.
derstand how II can be so. In
Paris, London. Rome. before the
war and no doubt since. there were
so many amusing intrigues. One
kept oneself gay Just by hearing
about them. Cabinet ministers
had little affairs that we're not ~