The Omaha guide., 1945-06-02
Everybody Must
Play the Game

There are some phases of this
shift of our main war effort from
one side Of the world to the other
which many do not realize but for
which they must be prepared. In
the first place, it will be no easy
task for those who have fought the
good fight in Europe to be trans
ferred to the Pacific without a
chance Of furlough in between. Some
will have that privilege but not all.
And even for the lucky ones the Sec
ond parting will be hard unless the
families play the game.
There is another group who will
see Americas shore but will not be
allowed eve to touch American soil.
They are the ones who will pass
through the Panama canal IN a non
stop trip to points in the East. That
will be a tough experience to see
Old Glory waving from f1agstaffs in
the Canal Zone and to watch it's
colors fade in the distance. 1t sim
ply cannot be helped.
But perhaps. temporarily at least,
the hardest test of patience and self
discipline will fall upon those
who know that they are to be dis
charged, but who, because war
takes the priority and the fighters
must 60 first, can only sit and wait
in Europe.
Aside from the personal anguish
which this delay will mean, it is
bound to raise a clamor from mo-
tives natural enough but nonethe-
less selfish, of those whose economic
situation is suffering from the neces-
sary delay in reinforcing u civil
ian manpower with the soldiers
whose services are no longer needed
but who cannot be moved back
home Immediately.
Before General Gregory, in charge
of the great housekeeping depart
ment Of the army, the quartermas-
ter corps, left for France in antici-
patton Of We Day. l had a long talk
with this gray-haired, fatherly man
who is loved by his comrades with
a warmth Of affection that outglows
the well-earned stars on his shout
der-straps.
When | talked to him about re-
deployment, although he is respon-
sible for the physical rather than
the moral welfare of the soldier, it
was of the latter of which he spoke
first.
How are the folks at home going
to take it? That was the question
on his tongue, just as it had been in
the minds of the high officers and
officials with whom l had talked be-
fore.
| learned a lot from General Greg
DRY and his aides about the tremen-
dous industrial effort which it takes
to produce what the army wears
and eats and with which it is shaved
and laved and sheltered. AS long as
there is a mar in uniform he must
be fed and clothed and furnished
supplies from helmets and raincoats
to socks and shorts to say nothing Of
a thousand odds and ends including
writing paper, soap (they have a
kind that will serve to wash clothes
as well as bodies, and shave with
too, and lather in salt water), tobac-
co, bug-powder, cigarettes, band
ages, shoelaces, razor blades.
matches ad infinitum.
Thousands of men clad in woolens
required by European weather will
have to be supplied with cotton for
the tropics. Thousands moving from
the tropics toward the more north
erly ATTITUDES of the japanese is
lands and China must have woolens
TO replace their cottons.
Meanwhile. they will have to con-
tinue to wear and to wear out what
they now have on.
Another factor is the length of the
Pacific ''pipe-lines'-the great dis
b0ASCS AOAA bdSS W lIOHl. Inc
''turn-around' time of the voyage
Of ships is longer than the voyage
to Europe and there must be enough
supplies at hand for the troops to
cover the period between each de-
livery.
An this will require continued
manufacture by private industry for
military use for a long time which
means that much longer to wait for
final conversion to civilian produc-
ton.
This is why this new word ere
deployment" is not a happy one and
why it holds within it SO many head
aches and so many heartaches
which will try the coolest heads and
strain the stoutest hearts.