The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1946-12-12
Wife OfLt. Spieln1an
Leaves For Pacific
To Join Her Husband, A Navy
Officer Based On Island OF
Manicani.

Manicani.
In the month of December four
years ago the eyes of the nation
were turned on the Philippines in
horror and anguish. This year, with
the war in the Pacific a thing of
the past, many eyes are again turn
ed to those far-away islands. But
these are the eyes of Navy wives,
bright with hope and Lit with the
spirit of adventure. They are sailing
from the Coast to join their hus-
bands on the islands and among
them is a local girl, Mary Jane
MCGOWAN Spielman, daughter of Ed
ward c. MCGOWAN and the late Mrs.
MCGOWAN, who left for the Coast
yesterday on the first leg of her
journey to the island of Manicani,
where her husband, 1t. $50 James
Spielman, is based.
1--WE been so terribly steamed up
and excited about the whole thing"
said Mrs Spielman, chat I guess I
had the idea for a while that every
one that l came in contact with
would be as thrilled as l. The officials
in Washington were not impressed,
however - and they made me real
ize that my Great Adventure was
routine stuff to them"
With her ardor no whit dampened
by official Indifference, Mrs. Spiel
han has spent the past few weeks
in a furry Of activity. Since Mana
CAM lies some 700 miles south of
Manila, the climate is about the
same, so this Navy wife is taking
nothing but cottons and summer
weight clothing. Furnished in adj
vance by her husband with the floor
plan of their Quonset hut, she has
worked out a color scheme and ma
terials for curtains, and slip covers
are already en- route. Due to the
climate, however, Mrs. Spielman is
following the Navy's directive to
bring no table silver (which suffers
from the damp, nor any household
furniture except lamps, pictures and
similar items. The rest is furnished
| by the Navy
The usual years supply Of cos
metics was advised, for while the
directive states that toilet articles
are available at ships stores,
cosmetics are at a premium.
According to a letter received
from Lieutenant Spielman last week,
the rainy season has started and will
probably be going great guns when
Mrs. Spielman arrives = another
matter which fails to dampen her
sense of adventure.
She will sail from the Coast on
the Navy transport, U. S. S. Gen
eral Anderson, and the voyage will
take approximately Is days with
stops at Hawaii, Guam and Manila.
Lieutenant Spielman, who is vet
eran Of five years in the service, is
now in the regular Navy and is
commander of the USS-PCE 855, en-
gagged in weather patrol.
At a gathering last week Mrs.
Spielman had the good fortune to
meet former Naval officer who had
been based at Manacani and so could
give her some first-hand lowdown on
the amusenents, the two officers
clubs, and the general picture in that
area.
It is interesting to know that the
Red Cross is active on the little
island; that Catholic and Protestant
services are held regularly; tailor
and barber shops are available; as
are the regular commercial tele-
phone, telegraph and radio services.
Il don't know how I'll ever be
able to absorb everything I'll want
TO in the year that we'll be there"
Mrs. Spielnnan said, "but I do hope
that after the Philippines we draw
the China station. And I'm mad to
see Manila - in fact I want to see
everything while we have the OPP
portunity."
At the close of the interview this
reporter hesitated a moment about
saying Merry Christmas" - after
all, would it be merry one for
someone at sea, caught squarely, on
that festive day, between the old
world and the new? When the old
wish was offered efficiently the re-
Spouse was immediate and genuinel
Wont it be thrilling" Mrs Spiel
man almost sang, Il can't imagine
any thing more exciting than Christ
mas at seaw
Good Navy wife!
There are two ways for a man to
dicarTr7 One ic to GOT rid of hic x.,oov,