The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1946-12-05
ONCE OVER LIGHTLY
By MILDRED SCHOEN
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Bobby's objections to White and
Jacoby struck me as being based,
not on personalities, but on the sort
of strange principle that we are al
most driven to uphold in this night
mare situation.
white and Jacoby," said Bobby
played along with the Communists
all the time. / couldn't see that.
After all, we've poured blood and
money into the Nationalist cause
and it's our business to back it I'D.
Between the two there isn't any
choice. They're all a pack of
thieves but we've cast our lot with
Chang"
| Which reminded me of the words
of wise old friend of mind,
stanch Republican, who used to say:
"Myldred, both parties are crooked.
But, BY Cad, don't you ever forget
that the Republicans are construc-
tive crooks"
Apparently what China could use
at the moment is few constructive
crooks.
The press hostel in Chunking,
about which much has been written,
doesn't sound as romantic as paint
ed by the bemused members of the
Fourth Estate, when seen through
the eyes of Naval Intelligence. Ac-
cording to Bobby the majority of the
moulders of public opinion station
ed there spent most of their time in
state of stupor induced by some
thing called Jango Juice, put up in
handsome, huge, blue earthen jars,
which sold for fifty cents. The jars,
Bobby said, were worth about five
dollars empty and the contents
possible $125. The White Russian
who distilled this nectar called it
either vodka or gin-depending on
what his customers wanted. By any
name it was one and the same pro-
duct and the effects equally devas-
Eating.
eff you could have seen what
went on there every day and every
night you'd really wonder, unused
Bobby. "And these were the people
who were interpreting the Chinese
picture for the rest of the world"
! may add that Bobby gave White
and Jacoby clean bill of health on
these riotous revels. Whatever
their viewpoint they could at least
see what they were looking at. A
unique distinction in those parts.
one gathered.
Another intriguing bit I learned
from Bobby was that Uncle Joe
Stilwell and his men wouldn't have
had such a brutal time in the retreat
from Burma, had not our own o.
S. S. boys been ahead of them blow
ing up every bridge for miles
around, in a lather of efficiency.
"Those boys did good job in
some ways" said Bobby, However,
they not only blew the bridges in
front of Stilwe1l, causing him more
trouble than the Japs, but they're
the jokers who upset the whole
economy in the OBI. The o. S. S.
really brought on initiation"
Operating with sort of blanket
letter of credit, the o. S. S., Bobby
related, did well for themselves
when time permitted. When Bob
by's outfit hit the island of For
mosa the o. S. S. was ahead af them.
Two officers had gone to the Bank
/ of Formosa and asked for an incred-
ible amount of money-something
like million yen. The bewildered
bank forked over. "They expected
to be shot, anyway" Bobby added.
They bought two impressive
Packards and set themselves up in
style. What style became evident
when, couple of days after the
Navy arrived, the Governor of For
mosa came out from wherever he
had been secluding himself and
asked for an audience.
| ''He explained said Bobby, that
something would have to be done.
The O.S.S. were paying their cook
10000 yen a month. The Governor
allowed that his own salary was
only 5000 yen, it was obvious, he
said, that this wouldn't do. Your
people are running our economy.
Their cooks salary must be brought
down within a reasonable facsimile
of my own, as governor"
THAT'S the way it was all over"
Bobby went on. Nov the Chinese
have started an OPA in an effort
to curb things-though how you can
ration things to 40O,0O0,00O Chinese,
with nothing to ration, I don't
know.