Evening star., 1946-09-17

IL was similar to other prisoner
of war camps in Germany. No. l
Compound North of Stalag Luft l
was a group of small huts inclosed
by barbwire. 1t was on the bleak
Mecklenburg plain near the shores
of the Baltic. The guardhouses on
stills, square affairs with diversified
fat roofs, made ominous silhouettes
against gray skies.
But in March, 1914. the 1000
American airmen herded there were
joined by an unusual man. He was
29-year-old 1t. Col. Charles R.
Greening. the man who invented
the 20-cent bomb sight used on the
Doolittle Tokyo raid to keep the
Norden sight from the enemy. Col
Greening had flown with Gen. Doo-
little on that raid and 18 months
later had been shot down over
Mount Vesuvius. Gen. Doolittle
was waiting in Africa for his return
from that mission with the eagles
Of a full colonel for him. Col.
Greening has them now.
He had studied art at Washington
State College He Immediately
started to buck up morale by pro-
noting work in art and handicraft.
His own contributions were cheer
Unconventional nudes of student
life classes.
Utilitarian Exhibits.
In July, 1914, the prisoners held
an arts and handicraft show in
the mess hall. Every one was amazed
at what came out of the huts for
Is men. Many of the exhibits were
made from milk cans, some of them
pathetically utilitarian-egg beaters
for eggs they never had. a clock
that kept good time for men who
had no place to go.
"All this they said, 'is so good
that we will save 1t and show it in
America when we are free"
When the Russians overran the
camp Cthe men of Stalag Luft /
were not marched along the wintry
roads as prisoners of war further
east and the Bits arrived to take
the Americans out, they insisted
that several large packing cases
had to go.
The contents of those cases rare
on display this week at Lansburgh
& Bros store. Did you enjoy read
ing Swiss Family Robinson? Then
60 to see this show. 1t Is thrill
ing demonstration of how the Amer
ican genius can improvise and in
vent when deprived of the familiar
products of mass production.
Intricate Carvings.
There is a camera made with a
tin can and the pictures taken
with it, a statuette ash tray of a
cigarette girl carved from melted
pieces of broken records with a
familiar trademark where the CEN
ter of a record forms the container
she holds, another figurette-good
enough to adorn radiator cap-of a
GODDESS made from melted tinfoil.
There are intricately carved chess
men and schooners and full-rigged
ships and military airplanes galore.
Last night Col. Greening was the
speaker at a dinner in the Pentagon
with Secretary of War Patterson on
the dais beside him. At the tables
were 200 Washington young men
who had been prisoners of war
Some Of them were well-known
f1gures-Marine Col. James Patrick
Sinnot Devereux, the hero of Wake
Island and Col. Johnny Waters, SON.
in-law of Gen. George S. Patton,
jr., who was taken at Faid in Tunisia
and spent more than two years in
German prison camps mostly at
Offag g. The others were the
young men who only two and three
years ago were carried on page 2
of The Star, first as missing in
action then as reported in prison
camps.
Mrs. Doyle Is Chairman.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, chair
man of the War Hospitality Com
mittee was chairman Joseph c.
McGarraghy, president of the Board
Of Trade. introduced the speakers.
Jan Tomason, concert meister of the
National Symphony Orchestra,
played selections on beautiful
violin made from bed Stats by Capt.
Clare Cline of Minneapolis, MINI.
1t sounded like a Stradivarius to
this untutored ear. Maj Gen. Fred
erick L. Anderson, jr.. assistant chief
of the air staff, told them he hoped
they belonged to last mans club"
Secretary Patterson said that never
again would Americans live behind
| barbWire-there would be no
more war or if there should be
r. Will RonIn~o