Evening star., 1945-01-14
By NIxsoN DENTON,

NoEth american newspaper Aillance.
LEYTE, the Philippines CBy Air
MaiD The common soldier tires
quickly of the scenes where, fate
places him and looks forward keenly
to new operations and movements.
He realizes that each step forward
is a step farther toward home, but
more than that he appreciates the
fact that the turmoil and hurly-
burly incident to advances provide
him with splendid opportunity to
replenish his equipment and aug
ment mis- supplies at no expense 10
himself.
When a rookie is initiated into
the mysteries Of a. military career
he is usually upset on being told
that he is responsible for everything
he has, from his overcoat to his
toothbrush.
More than that, he is informed
that Uncle Sam, prior to his dis
charge from the service, will collect
through the nose for anything that's
missing from his accoutrements.
GUARDS HIS POSSESSIONS.
Until he gets into the swing of
things old Joe guards his possessiors
meticulously, but sooner or later
items begin to disappear, accom-
panied by Joe's sense of response
bility.
He soon learns that the Lord, with
a little assistance, will provide that
shoes and trousers gone today will
be there tomorrow.
From this philosophy has emerged
the moonlight requisition, which in
a cruder age was known as scroung-
ing or finding things.
The moonlight requisition ramif1-
cations stretch elastically enough to
cover any situation.
The moonlight requisitioner must
serve a strict novitiate.
At the beginning. happy sence
OF work we'll done is induced by as
simple an exploit as replacing mis-
placed cvbine with somebody else's.
But as progress is made, bigger and
more massive objects become the
objectives.
Power Plant RequisitiOned.
So far as can be ascetained no
one has reuuisitioned a battleship
or a squadron of airplanes in the
Southwest Pacific, yet it is general
knowledge that portable electric
power plants, weighing up to six and
eight tons, have been moved about
by more or less supernatural forces,
and ponderous trucks, needed on the
spur of the moment to transport an
outfits tents and luggage. have
turned up as if some Aladdin had
uncorked tuba bottle and released
a iinnee who knew the answers.
Ofacers. OF course, know nothing
when such prodigies occur. They
are not a curious lot, especially
when they notice long, dark recrea-
ton buildings suddenly brilliant
with illumination, and somehow it
never occurs to them that their COM
pany's equipment doesn't include
generator.
There is the story of such an in
cident in New Guinea. Men wanted
to read at night, of course, with a
view to improving their minds, and
others wanted to write letters home,
telling, with high regard for the
truth, how each was killing Is or 20
Japs single-handed day.
Explains Wants.
So this particular group went up
to its skipper and explained it's
modest wants.
Il realize how you feel" the cap
tain sympathized. II wish we had
light system, but you know the
Signal Corps"
Well, you may not believe it, but
the very next evening, right after
dusk, there were lights all over the
camp, and only the captain failed
to notice the change or hear the
gasoline motor putt-putting behind
the first sergeant's quarters. This
was not strange, though, for the
captains own quarters were all of
Is feet away.
For weeks there was light to
spare, with fixtures festooned with
tropical flowers and wiring draped
everywhere.
Then one day the captain showed
up where group of noncoms were
standing, unquestionably planning