Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-03-15

ANY time France feels like max
ing a payment on their debt to u.s."
said Cherry, 'I'm agreeable" There
was another sound of rustling pages,
and she burst out laughing again.
Listen, everybody. One Of our
greatest aims in this war is the re-
construction Of Europe on such a
basis that future holocausts like this
one will be impossible. Out of the
worlds anguish must be born new
Germany, a nation in which democ-
racy shall rule, where no tyrant and
no group Of bloodthirsty lunatics
shall ever again have the power to
plunge a whole continent The
rest Of her words were lost in a con-
fusion Of laughter.
"For the love of Pete" murmured
Fudge, incredulously.
"It's right here in print, only you
didn't let me finish and the last SEN
tence is the funniest of all. Ger
many will be defeated, but their de-
feat will bring the German people
one tremendous gain: it will mean
for them the complete and final over
throw Of autocratic government
How do you like that?"
II get it," said Fudge. "We were
just fighting the Germans for their
own good, were we? Gee, when
they look around they must be SO
grateful"
II see by this paper" said Julia,
"that the International Sunday
School convention planned for 1915
has just been called off because the
delegates are too busy shooting each
other to attend this year"
where were they going to hold
it," asked Cherry.
Don't look now, dear. In Japan"
They began to laugh again. Fudge
exclaimed, "Be quiet and let me
read you something funnier than
that. These editorials about the first
air raid on an open city. It seems
the Germans had things called Zep-
pelins-that's a kind of blimp-and
they sent some of these Zeppelins
over Antwerp and dropped a few
bombs, and here's what the Amer
lean papers were saying about it.
The attack upon Antwerp, made
without warning to its innocent popu-
lation, is completely contrary to all
rules of civilized warfare"
"Rules?" Dick interrupted mirth-
fully. You'd have thought it was
a football game"
:Zeppelins have dropped bombs
on an undefended city!'" Fudge
continued reading with mock horror
" This is not only contrary to the
laws of war, but can serve no legiti-
mate military purpose"
what is legitimate military pur-
pose" Dick inquired, "unless it is
to kill everybody you CAM"
"Shut up and let me read this. AS
those who were killed or injured by
the bombs were women and male
non-combatants, the airship attack
was nothing but plain act of saw
agery. This is not war, but muir
der!'"
Ibid you ever hear anything so
naive?" asked Cherry.
"Was that first attack bad one?"
asked Dick.
II was saving that for the last"
answered Fudge. IF you can be-
lieve it, that first air raid, that das-
tardly, bloodthirsty, savage raid that
made everybody sit back and yell
with horror-that raid killed ten
people and wounded eleven"
"Holy smoked" exclaimed Dick,
and the others joined in his derision.
They chuckled joyfully. Cherry
exclaimed, II wish you'd look at
these recipes for war-meals. Free
dom Meat Loaf made out of pea
nuts and cornmeal."
peanuts do have Vitamin B in
them" suggested Julia.
They'd never heard of Vitamin
B." Dick said scornfully. "They had
to eat peanuts and call 'em meat
because our brave allies were buy
ing up all the meat with the money
they borrowed and didn't pay back
and never did intend to pay back.
Do look at that headline-'Every
housewife who saves meat and flour
in her home is bringing nearer the
day of universal democracy!'
do you suppose they really be-
lieved all that?" Cherry asked in
wonder.
Outside, on the balcony, Elizabeth
lifted her hands from the arms of
the chair and saw that each of the
bright blue cushions was stained
with a round spot of dampness
where she had gripped them. On
the other side of the window the chill
dren made some fresh discovery
and went off into another peal of
laughter, gay, mocking, and terrible
because it was so utterly innocent.
Elizabeth stood up. her muscles
tense with impulse. Then she
stopped, standing motionless be-
cause she did not know what the
impulse was. To do something to
them-put what? She could not walk
in upon them white with anger and
cry out, Eyes, we believed it! You
inhuman young wretches, we be-