Evening star., 1945-05-28
Letters to The Star
Army Wives Reply to Article
On Commissary at Cameron

After reading the article in The Star
of May %, entitled Reporter Dazed as
Army Wives Buy Rarities in Big Lots"
I feel that I should set Helen Rau
straight on few points regarding
lucky Army wives" who have permis-
sion to buy at the commissary.
Perhaps her choice of words was just
unfortunate, but If the reporter con-
siders 1t lucky break to have ones
husband overseas fighting, to have to
struggle to keep a home and family
together on a serviceman's pay while
civilians are drawing high salaries, and
to face years of separation and hard
ship, her conception of luck is very diff
ferent from mine. Perhaps If she ever
had to raise young baby without
fathers help, perhaps if she had fol-
lowed her husband from post to post
until he left for overseas, perhaps If she
shivered everytime she saw a telegraph
message, she would find pound of
meat, after two-hour wait in line at
the commissary. very poor compensa-
ton.
cannot speak for the commissary at
Cameron, Va. but from my experience
across the country I feel that / can
offer few points that may interest
the reporter.
Perhaps she would be interested to
know that the rarities she speaks of,
when on the shelves, are rationed one to
customer, that the large orders may
be due to the fact that the women can
only shop once week because of hav-
ing babies they cannot leave alone, and
ration point values are the same, and
the lines just as long at the commits
saries as in the ordinary grocery stores.
Also, from my experience in commits
saries, travelling across the country,
must say I cannot understand how the
reporters eyes were dazzled by the meat
case-they are very often empty-and
many a time my flve-mile round trip
standing on a jolting bus has been
futile. AS for the financial advantages,
it would be to the reporters advantage
to check commissary prices with prices
in the other stores.
The reporter was particularly con-
cerned with the Army wife who had
such large bill, and the people who
were sitting outside the turnstile direct
ing those who were illegally buying
for them. The first point can easily be
explained by the fact that due to gas
shortages and many other causes, Army
wives often take turns shopping for
other Army wives. AS for the people
outside the turnstile, evidently not Army
personnel. I should be interested in
knowing how they were admitted to the
post
No, the Army wife is not lucky In one
sense Of the word, but still know that
like myself many Army wives feel that
they are luckier than some of their
civilian sisters for they. at least. have
given something to their country.
MRS. c. w. D.
To the Editor of The Star:
When The Star starts out to crusade
against something or other, it would be
an awfully good idea to get a true over
all picture of the situation. Your snoop-
ing reporter no doubt thought she was
going to knock the customers out in
the aisles with her terrific revelation
Of the fact that poor Army families are
able to buy at their commissaries a few
things that are hard to get in civilian
stores, such as sweet crackers cigarettes
and meat that is drastically limited by
the few ration points allowed each per-
son. But this is small compensation for
the discomforts and hardships and extra
expense that Army families are put to,
to carry on their work. They are forced
to live for years on small salaries some-
times in the roughest conditions, in
abominable climates and places, being
dragged from pillar to post, deprived of
the ordinary comforts OF decent homes
of their own among friends and rela-
tives in peacetime; and in war their
men are called upon to undergo severe
suffering and death which causes the
loss of loved ones and their support to
Army families-all to protect the COM
fort and security of those safely at
home, often enjoying good salaries.
And preferred treatment is not con-
fined to Army people by any means
Civilians who have had the comfort of
living in one place for years and have
become best customers at the local
butchers, have Jared pretty we'll at the
expense of the Army people. When the
civilian butcher has meat, the best Gus
toners get it and the transient Army
people are told there isn't any!
MRS. l. M.
To the Editor of The Star:
This letter is prompted by the dazed
condition of Helen Rau resulting from
her visit to the Cameron Commissary
CMay %, Page BID.
The charming guest of the Army
would be performing a civic service if
she would expose the conditions under
which military people are required to
live in this city. Most of them are VIC
Tins of the patriotic practices of being
charged exhorbitant rents, shopping
determinations favoring the so-called
civilian customers and other delicate
manipulations to which we are accus-
toned. -.
In order that Mrs. Rau may enjoy
the limited privileges Of Army person.
mel may suggest that she serve her
country by enlisting in the Women's
Army Corps? Through that patriotic
organization, she will receive the two
most outstanding privileges of the Army
"a commissary card and the honor of
military funeral MRS. F. G. B.
To the Editor of The Star: