Page 155 - Mastheads Jan-June 1945
P. 155

THE  MASTHEAD,  SATURDAY,  MAY  12,  1945          PAGE  5

      V-E DAY, M<Uf  8, 1945                                      INDUSTRIAL  TEAMWORK  IS  KEYNOTE  OF  "THE  FORGOTTEN  FACTOR"

      Continued from Page I-
      us  and  I will  not let the petty annoyances  and  inconveniences-
      the wishful  thinki~g of  those who can not realize  tl~e  difficulties
      that  lie  between  us  and  ~ictory-deter  me ,from  our  objective
      of an  early and decisive victory."
           It is sometimes wise, when you have an important job to  do,
      to walk back a few  steps where you can view this job in its proper
      perspective. \V/ e should do that at this particular time. We should
      analyse  our  present  position  and  ask  ourselves  "What  do  we
      haYe  to  do  to  defeat Japan?"
           In analysing the situation first  we must realize  that th_e Japs
      are still a powerful and well equipped adversary. That production
       of  aircraft  and  other material  of  war has  not  slackened  at  this
       date.  They have large reserves of all kinds of military personnel.
      They are determined to  fight us  fanatically  ro  the bitter end.
           I sometimes feel  that it is  too  bad that our system of releas-
       ing  war news  frequently_ gives  a  distorted  notion  of the  overall
      picture.  For  instance;  a  series  of  unusually  favorable  news  re-
       le:ises  dealing with  small isolated  actions  brings  up a feeling of
      false  optimism.  Now I realize that those words "false optimism"
       have  been  used  so  much  we  are  beginning  to  ignore  their  true
       meaning-to  take  them  for  granted.  But  the  plain  truth  is-
      We  are  only  now  beginning  to  test  Japan's  defensive  strength.
       The war in the Pacific is now becoming warfare of the same char-
       acter we  have  seen in the  European-African theatre since our in-
       vasion of Africa in Ocrober, 1942. The closer we get to Tokio, the
       more  the  enemy  will  be  able  to  constrict  his  'air  defense,  his
       ground defense,  and his  sea  defense.  It can  be  expected that we
       will  meet  enemy  planes  in  larger numbers  than  ever  before.  In
       the  Philippine Campaign  we  have  found  that the  Japanese  net-
       work  of  air  fields  constructed  in  recent  years  enable  them  to
       assemble  large  combat  forces  very  quickly.  Recently  an  official
       spokesman of the Navy Deparrinent in Washington warned that
       the Japanese may soon put into use robots  similar to those used   ROUSING  APPLAUSE  greeted  the  final  curtain  of   Treasure  Island  is  grateful  to  the  gro'up  responsible
                                                                  "The  Forgotten  Factor,"  the  impressive  drama  that   for  producing  this  entertaining  play,  shown  to  the
       by the Germans. In a recent broadcast from Tokio it was claimed   was  shown  at  Theatre  No.  3  Wednesday.  Pictured   Naval  personnel  of this station.
                                                                  above  are  scenes  from  this  three-act  production.
       that such  a bomb would-and I quote: "Give Japan domination
       of  the  skies  of  the  Pacific Ocean."  Well,  that statement may  be                  should .see  us on our horses!"   which  have  blossomed  out  in  the
                                                                                                Women's  Softball  League     past week  have  excited  comments
       a sample of Japanese false  optimism. We can  expect the enemy                             The  Women's  Softball  League  from  c i v i 1 i an s  and  servicemen
       ro lash out with every possible weapon at his command, including                         will start Tuesday, May 18, at 1800.  alike.  The  concensus  of  opinion
                                                                                                There  are  seven  teams  entered  in  seems  to  be  that  they  look  pretty
       new  rocket  and  jet  propelled  planes  as  the  threat  to  his  home
                                                                                                this  competition,  and,  from  the  sharp, but in most cases it was not
       land  mounts.                                                                            looks  of  recent  practices,  this  how they look but what they stand
           In the days  to come we will be fighting against many handi-                         should  prove  to  be  an  exciting  for  that  caused  the  excitment.
                                                                   By  the  Sea                 league.  All  games  are  scheduled  From questions asked it seems that
       caps. The Japanese can no longer wage an offensive war but they   We  understand  that  the  Waves  for  1800.  Following  is  the  game  no  one  except  Waves  knew  there
       will exploit their defensive advantage. As we have learned in the   who went  on  the  picnic  at Sanson  schedule  for  next  week:   was  such  a  thing  as  a  Wave  em-
                                                                  Beach  last  Sunday  had  a  grand   May 15, R. M. S. vs. Nurses, Dia- blem  until  these  metal  ones  were
       past,  they  will,  when  cornered,  fight  with  that  fanatical  zeal
                                                                  time.  Some  of  the  girls  played  mond  No.  2.  Personnel  vs.  Receiv- worn.
       which  is  a part of their religion.                       catch  and  some  even  went  swim- ing  Ship,  Diamond  No.  4.   As  Homer  said  in  The  Human
           You and I  know this enemy's zeal will not be  enough. The   ming, while others were less active   May  16,  Doc-ettes  vs.  MAA,  Comedy,  "people all over the world
                                                                  and  snoozed  in  the  sun  that  came  Diamond  No.  2.    have  noses."  We  are  in  complete
       Navy will continue to land our armed forces wherever it pleases.  out  at  noon.  They  all  cooperated   May  17,  Disbursing  vs.  Nurses,  agreement with his statement only
       Our work on  the  home front  must keep step with the increased   in helping to eat the lunches which  Diamond No.  1.   because  he  was  referring  to  the
                                                                  were provided and in agreeing that   Come  out  and  lend  support  to  facial  feature  and  not  to  the  nose
       tempo of the fighting in the Pacific.  The inevitable losses in ma-
                                                                  they  were  tired  but  happy  at  the  your favorite  team.   for  news  which  is  a  basic  require-
       terial  that  may  be  expecred  must  be  replaced  and  the  replace- end of the day.   Ten-nis  T,ournament         ment  for  a  newspaper  reporter.
       ments must be  immediate4' available that the tempo  of the war  Who  Said  That?          All entries for th.e Women's Nov- Whe.ther  this  type  of  nose  can  be
                                                                    Maybe you heard the story as· we  ice  Tennis  Tournament  on  T.  I.  developed  or whether  one  must  be
       may not slow  down.  When  the movement of thousands of men
                                                                  did  of  the  Waves  who  saw  two  must  be  made  in  the  Waves  Ath- born with it is a  question  this  col-
       from the European theatre to our Asiatic battlefields starts, many  Arabs  fllowing  down  the  stairway  letic Office.  Entries for the  doubles  urnn  cannot  answer.  We  will  only
                                                                  at  a  hotel  in  San  Francisco.  Not  have  until  Monday,  May  14.  The  go so  far as  to  state that Carolyn
       of our soldiers,  sailors,  and marines will be in the San Francisco
                                                                  dreaming  they  spoke  English  one  competition  will  be  held  May  12  Brown  must  have  it  and  that  we
       Bay Area awaiting transp~rtation.  It is  important that these m·en  of  the  girls  gasped,  "Oh,  aren't  and  13  for  singles,  May  19  and  20  have  not.  Hurry  back  Brownie.
       understand-and I can classify some of you listening to me today  they handsome."  The  other agreed  for  doubles.
                                                                  and  both  turned  scarlet  when  one  Now  They  Know        Someone  once  said  that  a  good
       as  being in  that group-that the  home  front  is  still  behind  our
                                                                  of  the  men  smiled  and  said,  "You   Those  shiny  new  hat  devices  way to  test the  quality of whiskey
       over-seas fighting forces  to a man.                                                                                   is  to  pass  an  electric  current
           The  activities  of  the  commands  represented  at  this  Naval   it.  To let down  now would  not  only  let down  those who  have  through a  quart of the stuff.  If the
                                                                                                                              current  causes  a  precipitation  of
       Training  and  Distribution  Center  are  highly  important  for  the   given their all but it is actually  to let down our children and our   lye, tin, arsenic, iron slag and alum,
       successful prosecution of the war. Men in training at Pre-Commis-  children's  children - for  if  we  do  not  completely  crush  the  the whiskey is fair. If, however, the
       sioning,  Radio Materiel, Armed Guard,  and other commands of   aggressors  these  latter  may  have  to  giv,e  their  lives  in  another   liquor  chases  the  current  back  to
                                                                                                                              the  generator,  you've  got  good
       this  Center will  soon  be  testing  the  theory  they  learned here in   war at some future day.                     whiskey.
       the proving grounds of war where the stakes are life or death.   May  our  glorious  victory  in  Europe  then  inspire  us  to  re-
           There is hardly a neighborhood in this whole United States   newed  unity  of  purpose  in  the  final  phase  of  this  struggle  for   Imagination  is  something  that
                                                                                                                              iiits  up  with  the  wife  when  her
       that does not feel the toll of this war through loss of some of its  freedom . and honorable peace for  all men. Let us  at this  statio11,  husband  is  out late.
       neighbors. I venture to say that there is not a person standing be- on this day of rejoicing resolutely turn our thoughts and energ1es .
       fore me today who has not lost a member, of his or her family,  a  Westward, and dedicate ourselves to staying in the fight- all out  Experiment  Perilous
                                                                                                                                Little  Jasper  trembled  with  ex-
       friend,  a neighbor, or a shipmate. To those of us who  have wit- to  the  finish  whether  we  are  manning  the  home  front  or  the   citement. Such a  project had never
       nessed  the  loss  of  our  fine  shipmates,  to  those  of  us  who  have  battle front.                              been  attempted  before.
                                                                                                                                "I'll  go  alone.  "I'm  not  afraid,
       been eye witnesses to the making of the supreme sacrifice by our   In keeping with this spirit-at the conclusion of the V-E Day
                                                                                                                              Mother.  You've  nursed  me through
       shipmates who  went down  fighting  to the last d1tch  that liberty  observances all personnel will resume the regular routine at their  childhood. I'll never forget. But I'm
       and freedom might survive, the feeling of loss is perhaps intensi- duty  stations  and  I  am  confident  that  you  all  share with  me  a   something  of  a  man  now.  And
                                                                                                                              what's  more  I'm  game.  I  don't
       fied  over that of anyone else.  The closeness of death as  it exists  renewed  determination  to  carry  on  with  even  more  vigor  than  need  your help  as  I  once  did- gee,
       under these circumstances intensifies the realization of what war  we have in the past.                                Mom,  don't  cry!  We  men  gotta'
                                                                                                                              stick  together.  I  won't  be  long-
       really means and it can not help but intensify our sense of obliga-  In conclusion, I wish each and every one of you the Best of  wait!"
       tion  to  the  departed.  Let  those  of  us  whom. Providence  has  Luck in your individual efforts  to bring us  final victory and may   Little Jasper's face  beamed with
                                                                                                                              angelic  nonchalance  as  he  pushed
       spared-carry on as those who gave their all would have wished  God Bless You.
                                                                                                                              open the door to the men's room.
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