The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-06-30


connection might not be made until
midnight. / privately wondered If
1t would go through at all. Java was
collapsing fast all around us.
"But / said I'd take 1t whenever
1t came, knowing I'd get no sleep
that night-maybe little sleep for
many nights. So at midnight start
ed for the telephone office. Just as
was leaving the hotel / ran into
Commander Peterson of the Navy's
Patrol Wing 10. BY now he was al
most the sole survivor. He seemed
surprised to see me, told me he was
just leaving for his plane-the last
Of the Navy was leaving Java. He
asked how expected to get out. I
said ! didn't know. Come with me
now he said, and I'll take you out
to Australia couldn't. There was
that telephone call. And also I
mustn't leave those American fight
ers to be swallowed up in the col
lapse tomorrow. So thanked him;
we said goodby.
Walking to the telephone build
ing / could hear a dull rumble in
the hot midnight air coming from
far over the water. The few people
in the blacked-out streets assumed it
was distant thunder. I knew it was
the little Dutch Navy in it's final
agony out there in the dark.
"Then I waited in that dirn-lit
mosquito-flled telephone building
for that call. Sitting on a bench,
with the help of fiashlight I made
my notes for the call. Then I paced
the floor. Each time the window
opened, letting out a little light, I
was sure the half-caste girl was
telling me the call had been COM
pleted. I had other pressing bust
ness, but none more pressing than
this. I thought of the eager face Of
the boy just before he went out into
what looked like almost certain
DEATH"
"From Florida" said Mango, 81
could hear the telephone operators
working, setting UP that line all
around the world, from here where
it was noon to midnight in the trop-
les. And finally Franks own voice.
Have you got paper and pencil?' he
asked. Now take down this name:
Mrs. w. H. Warrenfeltz, of Hagers-
town, Maryland. Her son Bud is
going on a mission and he wants
her to know there probably will be
some money deposited to her &C.
count in the Hagerstown bank from
New York. Tell her Bud sends his
love to Billy, Jane, and all, and of
course to her. He wants her to use
half the money to buy her home,
and the rest is for her to live on, and
he wants her to be happy, however
it comes out
"Then I told Mango the boy was
going on a most dangerous mission.
We didn't know how dangerous until
after he left, for his course took
him right across the path of the
main Japanese fleet. And now,"
Frank said bitterly, "this little story
has a happy ending, so far as the
War Departments auditors are con-
cerned. Because the five thousand
dollars which Bud Warrenfeltz
thought his mother was going to get,
when he went out to face the Japa-
nese fleet, was never paid. 1t never
cleared through the New York banks
before Java fell. suppose those
New York bankers were more pru-
dent than Bud, and took no chances
on Java paper. So Buds mother
didn't get any money, and even Bud
himself never got through to Manila.
Let's hope he's a Jap prisoner.
"After I'd written down the mes
sage to Mrs. Warrenfeltz, it seemed
that Frank just wanted to visit"
said Mango. "Of course it was won
derful to talk to him, because for
some reason there didn't seem to
be any censors clicking in on the
line"
"The censors had all caught the
boat" explained Frank. SIN a few
hours the Japs would have Java, so
it didn't much matter what they
knew"
DuL d1LCl VIC Id4AC0 dOOQt lAICSII
minutes / began to worry" said
Mango. Living on an Air Corps
salary, you have to think of money.
AS we talked ! couldn't help think
ing it was six dollars and a half for
every minute, and said we'd bet
ter hang up. Then he explained
we could talk all we liked, because
it was a government call"
'T didn't tell her what govern
ment it was on" said Frank. "She
didn't know that the Japanese were
taking over tomorrow, and they
would get the bill"
"After that it was wonderful"
said Mango. Frank was coming
through as clearly as if he were in a
pay station downtown. He told me
there would be no more calls for a
while, and from that I guessed that
maybe in a week or so the Air Corps
would be retiring to Australia. I
didn't dream that the Japanese
were already just off the beach, that
L. L. L