The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-04-10
First Impressions
BY WILLIAM H. STRINGER


pondent, what strikes you particularly when
you reach American" I've often been asked.
Well, first of ALL few of our little physical
luxuries That big pitcher of cold fresh milk,
at the Air Transport Commands airport mess,
was handsome sight. You simply cannot get
milk to drink in Europe. chocolate milk
shake is going to be one Of the high priority
detectives of most every returning soldier, I'll
guarantee.
Then, for instance, our telephone service.
You say it's slow? 1 waited half a day in
England to put through a call for the south
coast to London One doesn't attempt long
distance calls in France today. Or consider
our hot-water faucets. Why, quite often hot
water flows out of them Our cinemas have
new movies, our newspapers are fat-where
London papers usually have four thin pages,
and Paris journals two. Our houses have
roofs, our store shelves still carry lot OF
merchandise No buzzbombs come roaring ov-
er at night, no afraid alarms howl, there are
no tanks clanking in the public square.
Many of us realize how comparatively well
off we are. I've found an almost self-conscious
questioning among many people, who ask,
''Are we playing our part on the home front;
are we doing the job?" This sef-questioning
is good. 1t stacks up well against the roars
from occasional Congressman and the rants
in some journals about the meat shortage and
the horse-racing ban; and against the exag-
to feed Europe?'
The more we can remedy the inequality OF
sacrifice between our soldiers on the front
and those back home, the more these soldiers
will admire us when they get home. And
that's important.
But to indulge the critical faculties bit
further, another point still stands out in the
midst of war; and that is: the irresponsibility
of utterance in public speech and print, which
stems doubtless from an responsibility in
thinking. I mean the kind of Congressman
who gets up and states that the Administra
ton is planning to keep the boys overseas in
definitely after the war. I mean the news
paper which dins that, before long, we shall
be fighting Russia instead OF Germany
| What nonsense! Ais fair in politics, one
supposes, but hardly in the midst of des
perate war. The boys at the front learn tc
slough off lot of prejudices and wishfu
thinking and concentrate on essentials; II
saves lives. They have a right to support
from home front which is likewise thorough
| ly responsible.
| A number Of American newspapers reach
the correspondents reading table at Allied
Supreme Headquarters. One day midwest
ern isolationish journal arrived with glaring
front-page cartoon picturing Roosevelt as a
circus ringmaster trying to dissuade the Rus
sian bear from devouring the small nations
| of Europe and to coax him instead into bat
ting Germany. The caption said something
| to the effect that the bear wouldn't perform
until he'd eaten.
| Due to transport delay, this newspaper ar
rived at a particularly inopportune moment
The gigantic awaited Russian offensive hao
opened, the Soviet armies were smashing
through to the Oder, and-blessed relief-the
soaring pressure had as q result lifted from
the Allied lines on the Western Front. Within
couple of days, several caustic comments
had been penci1led across that cartoon, among
them a swastika.
Eschewing responsibility doesn't m n
that we fail to question governmental acts,
that we disregard the rights of small nations
or even that we sacrifice ideals in elation al
Russia's denuncation of its n-aggressior
treaty with Japan. 1t does mean that we
avoid going beyond the facts, or making dan
gerously false accusations for the sake Of
politics or to satisfy long-nursed grudges, thai
we see other nations realistically and not
through a red fog of prejudice.
| Many of the officers and men I've talked
with overseas have come to the conclusion
that we happen to be, right now, one OF the
two strongest nations on earth. what we DO,
or don't do, about future peace, Will AFFECT
whether we like it or not, the lives and hap
piness of tens of thousands of human beings
around the globe. These soldiers have learn
ed, in the crucible of war; to behave honestly
realistically and thoughtfully in tight spots
and citical moments. They will expect us to
do the Standardization Science Monitor.
-V