The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-09-17
Observations
Scatter Drained
Remarks Dropped
in Washington
By HELEN EssARY

he Town - SNasNcA- aiucu luthe
Mys You hear the silliest Do.
ytieal sartorisl and militaristic re.
marks. For example:
Alta Grade A ladies' lunch: I'm
@ thrilled over that wonderful
romic bomb. They say there's
absolutely nothing it can't do. Isn't
jsst 40. too perfect2"
Alta smart milliner's: Should !
Be wearing glasses7 Could l pos.
tbly have read that price tag
right"
Indeed you did, my dearl $s4.5O
d right. But don't be disturbed.
All the good hats are that this year
No one really minds"
In a hotel dining room: II never
vas a poet. But by the shreds OF
ny ration book, I'm going to write
an ode to Cottage Cheese. Let
me see now. Farewell TO thee.
thou pale and tasteless mess. Too
Oft have l seen thy pallid face. sit
ting at my left hand in q paper cup.
Come, sweet butter! Bring thy
rich. warm sun-kissed face. =. Bring
back, bring back, bring back my
butter to mere Bring back"
Voice across the table: Poor
woman! Poor woman! Poor, poor
woman! She's more to be pitied
than censured. She's got that new
postwar disease-dementia prae-
cox rationis'."
MANY A NAVY WIFE is in a
mood today. Because Of that right.
about, double-back-in-a-hurry order
from on high: ION with the uni.
forms-back to civilian clothes"
And then, minutes later, you got
Us wrong. No civilian clothes for
you. Back to uniforms until We
change our minds again"
Imeant Navy wife'just as l wrote
Il at the beginning OF this para
graph. Not naval officer. Because
the wives were first affected by
the order to change to civilian
clothes. Trained to instant obedi-
snes and everlasting devotion.
many wives rushed to the storage
houses and ransacked them, pray
ing that the moths had not got
there first. They got out their
mems tweeds and serges. Rushed
said tweeds and serges to cleaning
plants and tailor shops. Made
quick tours OF mems retail clothing
stores. Then sat down with pencil
and paper. Added up this and that.
And wished, among other things,
that the service pay would be up
ped, as have congressional salaries.
Otherwise how in the world could
the expenditures that had to be
made ever be met?
Then along came the second ord
or: Uniforms again." Back to
storage rooms rushed the wives.
plus the husbands who were not at
sea, and jammed the freshened
civilian numbers into dusty old
trunks. And left them there until
who knows when.
Several young veterans have told
me how disappointed they will be
II they aren't permitted to wear
their uniforms q while.
At least long enough to go home
and show the folk how they look as
soldiers. Thousands of the draftees
left home, when the order to make
war came. feeling slightly weak In
the knees. Now these same draf-
tees are brown and erect. Heroes
really.
A little wistful, too, as most
heroes are. And anxious to have
the home folk stop them on Main
Street and say: my! You do look
wonderful! What great fellow
you are!"
UNDOUBTEDLY there are able
persons in the Republican party.
But sometimes l am compelled to
think the COP Is slow on the up
take.
See what happened to the con.
gressional investigation of Pearl
Harbor. It was the Republicans
who made the first big commotion
on the theme: Let us have the
facts of Pearl Harbor" The pos
sibility Of investigating Pearl Har-
Dor pleased the public. Some smart
Democrats realized this immediate
ly. I'VE can't let the opposition
get away with this" said the Demo
Gratis. Get Alben Barley on the
job"
Alben Barley, senator from
Kentucky and majority leader, was
got on the Job. Was got on so
quickly and adroitly that before
Senator Homer Ferguson OF Michi-
gan. selected to present the Repub-
lican request for congressional in
vestigation, could get on his worthy
feet, up sprang Alben and demand
ed Joint Senate-House commit
tee OF 10 members (six Democrats
and four Republicans) to conduct
a thorough Pearl Harbor probe"
In other words. now that the foot
ball season Is about to begin, the
Republicans had the kickoff. But
Democrats stole the ball. And ran
on with Il.