Detroit evening times., 1945-12-18
BEHIND
The News
BY Paul
MaIIon

WASHINGTON, Dec, II -
W Well. We decide Grand
father Pomerene should have
the money, or rather he decided
II, and got IL. He worried
us very much. He said he had
his honor 10 think of, and while
he did not have dime or
prospect OF repaying us, ne
wanted TO call whatever he
could get out of us "a nonlnter-
est bearing loan"
He has peculiar notions OF
honor. To default on his debt
is not dishonorahle, but to con-
fcSs he is destitute, is He
already owes us more than he
could repay If he were rich.
For us to wipe out that old
debt does not impringe upon
his honor He wants US 10 do
it and lend him in ore. But un-
less we pretend the money ne
wants us 10 give him now is
loan - that will affect his
honor.
FRANKLY, l can see the
honor of our family IS what
ever grandpa happens to want
at the moment. Established
convictions OF honor-those es-
tabliShed nearly 1000 years and
more back. and confirmed by
majority adherence since then
no longer prevail for our family,
although I will say, most OF
us have tried TO live up TO them,
including my brother in the
army and the one in the navy.
l think what got us 10 give
him The money, however, vas
not his idea of making whatever
! he wanted TO do seem honor
able but the fact that he really
did worry us.
Unless We gave in, he said
he would 60 10 our Cousin
NaCon ChiS name really should
be hyphenaledl YOU know, the
rowing one. whose life Is Oh
SeSScd by politics 10 the eXclu-
son Of All the ether fine points
of good living.
Cousin Nagon. for instance.
never wanted 10 own a home Of
his own which would ho his
citadel against the world, his
and his only.
Consequently he never had an
interest IN planting IN cutting
the lawn TO make ~ look the
best IN the nciChborhood as
proud exhibit OF his own inItla-
tive.
Re never wanted. conse-
Ouontly. 10 improve the place
whore he lived, 10 heautlfy n
with flowers and plants He
never wanted nice, quiet
nolghborhood
We G r r AB !. T.. s he would
' plant he said. because those
make food People could cat
those he SAID They could not
eat q Clcancu' lawn or beauty
in any form
Consequently The most de-
loctablc phases of human exist
Cnce escaped hum entirely. And
as for his own eating l noticed
he always gulpcd down his food
and never enjoyed n.
lie thought our motheF-WaS a
fool for toIllng in the kitchen
70 make those strawberry pre-
serves which tasted like the
nectar from ElySian fields, or
the home made yeast bread she
set overnight 10 rise. or the
mSalted butter she churned-
All the good edible things .cf
life she produced 10 her own
delight and ours by her own
energy.
When father earned enough
70 hire a maid 10 do those
things, Nagon said she was a
fool 10 do n also. He always
thought there something
unworthy about the really good
things of life.
WHEN he got control he said,
w IT would all be different
every one would eat caviar
gosh, how / hate the stuff,
drink champagne Git Is always
bitter or sour and gives me
acidity). and smoked sturgeon
(which | have never tasted. but
I think l might like il, If itqis
anything like herring or white
fish.
But as I say. Grandpa Pom
creme threatened 10 get Nagon
started against us. and Nagon