Detroit evening times., 1946-01-14

on the way home from the Paclhc-land
made forever sacred in our annals by the
price paid for them in American blood.
After Okinawa and Guam we swept over
Saipan, where you can see the sharp-toothed
reefs that stopped our invasion boats and
forced our boys TO swim and wade ashore
through murderous fire.
A hundred ships lie in Saipan's harbor,
some Of them jammed with unloaded supplies
we no longer need.
There is no market for such supplies in
that part of the world. II we shipped them
all the way home, we could never realize
enough from their sale in the u. S. to
warrant the cost of transportation.
We touched at bloody Kwa jalein, too, the
tiny ato we have transformed into vital
air-passenger base. We landed at night-our
navigator leading us unerringly to this dot
In the mighty ocean-and were impressed
by the islands modern air terminal, it's
progressive hustle and hustle.
A MOTHER long hop over the blue Pacific
~ brought Us to speck named Johnston
Island which American enterprise has turned
into another vital cog in our Pacific air
travel.
Then, as If on smooth. invisible rails,
Capt. Larson took us to Hawaii where the
whole bloody and bankrupting business Of
our war began.
Gen. Robert Richardson's aide, Mai Duff
Sudduth, met us at madeover Hickman Field
and led US 10 what seemed like feast, for it
included fresh milk and butter. The American
who travels around the world today grievousy
misses these products.
Gen. Richardson, commanding general
mid-Pacifc area, himself soon displayed 10
our party the qualities which prompted Gen.
Macarthur TO place him in charge of huge
portion of the Pacific.
I In his quiet modest but feFeefui way
Richardson outlined his postwar problems
and his answers TO many Of them.
The general added his voice to the world
wide concern over the way rehabilitation is
stripping the army and navy of men needed
to maintain and protect billions of dollars of
the taxpayers material in foreign lands
FOUND Richardson snarled not only with
Il huge postwar job in beautiful (and now
impregnablel Hawaii but also enmeshed in
yards Of additional red tape supplied by the
department of the interior, which is the
administrator Of the Hawaiian islands.
We inspected miles of navy and army
supplies and surpluses. There again We found
the same clean, orderly condition which
characterized all of the depots we have
visited
The general, who works closely with the
navy. is doing job that makes one proud TO
see. The manner in which he handles his
Gls and his officers is high credit to the
service. Richardson is a prime exponent of
the constructive school of thought which
wants TO make service overseas attractive and
instructive TO American boys who may be
called for such duty.
He has set up a splendid school where
high point men, ready TO return home, may
take refresher course OF several weeks
before they return TO their schools and coll
leges. The school is filled TO capacity with
several hundred constantly on the waiting
list. He has provided outstanding religious
and recreational facilities. Finding that only
a small percentage of our soldiers could SWIM
he early built huge pool where over 10000
boys have been taught to swim. A highly
necessary requisite for service in the Pacific
DEST Of all, from a businessman's stand
- point, Richardson has highly developed
regard for American property. A story typi-
fes that regard:
One day Richardson saw CT misusing
an army truck.
You should treat that truck better,
son." he counselled You and and your
buddes bought it,"
The kid looked at him quizzicaly
THE army bought il, sir" he said
True enough. But the money had to
come out of the pockets of Americans like
yourself"
The Pacific air traveller, and there will be
countless thousands of them in the coming
years is comforted by an inspection of the
precautions taken for his safety.
Before we took off for California, Gen.
Richardson showed us his control air oper-
ations room where the most modern devices
keep tab on the fights Of all planes leaving
or arriving at Honolulu. The room is domi-
mated by huge map on which tiny planes,
your own among them, move majestically
across the blue expanse of water-constantly
checked by radar and the latest radio safety
signals. Rescue planes stand by day and
night. In case of trouble they are on their
AI-s-