The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 5

SECTION 1 THE COURIER-JOURNAL, LOUISVILLE, KY. TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 11, 1944. Convention to Get Free Hand In Choice for Vice President General Eddy, Sharing Dangers With Men, Inspires Confidence ROVING REPORT FROM FRANCE By Ernie Pyle DID you HEAR JIMMYS ANNOUNCEMENT ON HINDS BUND DATE" RADIO PROGRAM? read quick! THE MERRY-GO-ROUND By Dreiv Pearson fotv's rue rtMe rvatr .1 "iS. '0-ftJ'D-S H-A-N-O-S business while they eat they must have some privacy. Usually he stays at his desk during the morning and makes a tour of regimental and battalion command posts during the afternoon.

Usually he goes to the front in an unarmed jeep, with another jeep right behind him carrying a machine gunner and a rifleman on the alert for snipers. His drivers say when they start out: "Hold on, for the general doesn't spare the horses when he's traveling." He carries a portable telephone in his jeep, and if he suddenly wants to talk with any of his units he just stops along the road and plugs into one of the wires that are lying on the ground. General Eddy especially likes to show up in places where his soldiers wouldn't expect to see him. He knows that it helps the soldiers' spirits to see their commanding general right up at the front where it is hot. So he walks around the front with his long stride, never ducking or appearing to be concerned at all.

Shell Hits ISearby One day I rode around with him on one of his tours. At one command post we were sitting on the grass undera tree, looking at maps, with a group of officers around us. Our own artillery was banging nearby, but nothing was coming our way. Then, like a flash of lightning, here came a shell just over our heads, so low it went right through the treetops, it seemed. It didn't whine, it swished.

Everybody, including full colonels, flopped over and began grabbing grass. The shell exploded in the next orchard. General Eddy didn't move. He just said: "Why, that was one of our shells." And since I had known Gen In Normandy, July 10. One of the favorite generals among the war correspondents is Maj.

Gen. Manton S. Eddy, commander of the 9th Division. We like him because he is absolutely honest with us, because he is sort of old shoe and easy to talk with, and because we think he is a mighty good general. We have known him in Tunisia and Sicily, and now here in France.

Like his big chief, Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley, General Eddy looks more like a school teacher than a soldier. He is a big, tall, man but he wears glasses and his eyes have a sort of squint. He talks like a middle westerner, which he is.

He still claims Chi-caco as home, although he has been an Army officer for twenty-eight years. He was wounded in the last war. He is not glib, but he talks well and laughs easily. Orderly From Ecuador In spite of being a professional soldier he despises war, and like any ordinary soul is appalled by the waste and tragedy of it. He wants to win it and get home just as badly as anybody else.

When the general is in the field he lives in a truck that used to be a machine shop. They have fixed it up nicely for him with a bed, a desk, cabinets, and rugs. His orderly is an obliging, dark-skinned sergeant who is a native of Ecuador. Some of his officers sleep in foxholes, but the general sleeps in his truck. One night, however, while I was with his division, it got too hot even for him.

Fragments from shells bursting nearby started hitting the top of the truck, so he got out. The general has a small mess in a tent separate from the rest of the division staff. This is because he has a good many visiting generals, and since they talk eral Eddy for quite a while, I was bold enough to say: "General, if that was one of ours all I can say is that is is a hell of a way to run a war. We're fighting toward the north, and that shell was going due south." The general just laughed. A Tour In Rainstorm The general also likes to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning once in a while and go poking around into message centers and mess halls, giving the boys a start.

It was one of these night mean-derings that produced his favorite war story. It was in Africa. They were in a new bivouac. It was raining cats and dogs, and the ground was knee-deep in mud. The tent pegs wouldn't stay in and the pup tents kept coming down.

Everybody was wet and miserable. So, late at night the general started out on foot around the area, just because he felt so sorry for all the kids out there. As he walked he passed a soldier trying to redrive the stake that held down the front of his pup tent. The soldier was using his steel helmet as a hammer, and he was having a bad time of it. Every now and then he would miss the stake with the helmet and would squash mud all over himself.

He was cussing and fuming. Jl Gave Wrong IS'am The general was using his flashlight, and when the soldier saw the light he called out: "Hey, Bud, come and hold that light for me, will you?" So General Eddy obediently squatted down and held the light while the soldier pounded and spattered mud, and they finally got the peg driven. Then, as they got up, the general said: "Soldier, what's your name?" The startled soldier gasped, leaned forward and looked closely, then blurted out: "Goddelmighty!" Washington. THE boys who complained about the Republi-can convention being dull won't have to make the same complaint about the coming Democratic gathering of tjie clan. The President has now taken Henry Wallace at his word and is going to turn 1,000 rip-roaring, hitherto checkreined delegates loose to select their own Vice President.

Wallace told him before going to China that he didn't want his own political liability to stand in the way of the re-election of Roosevelt himself. Furthermore, the President isn't going to be any place around, probably not within telephoning distance. He may be so far away that he won't be able to dictate to the convention even if the boys relent at the last moment and beg him to. So it may take days to nominate a candidate for Vice President. Every favorite son from all over the United States will have his hat tossed in the ring by his State delegation.

There will be at least a dozen. IERE are some of those who will be on tap when the starting gun is fired: Speaker Sam Rayburn of Texas, so far in the lead, with the Southern bigwigs backing him hard; Ambassador John Winant, former G.O.P. Governor of New Hampshire; Supreme Court Justice Douglas, who is not an enthusiastic candidate but who stands strong with the President; Jesse Jones; Senator Barkley; Governor Broughton of North Carolina; Senator O'Mahoney of Wyoming; ex-Justice Jimmy Byrnes of South Carolina; Senator Scott Lucas of Illinois; Senator Jackson of Indiana, the convention's permanent chairman; and Gov. Prentice Cooper of Tennessee. A good hot time is going to be had by all.

It may be so hot that they'll wish they had Wallace at a compromise. ALTHOUGH Intelligence officers aren't saying much about it, Adolf Hitler's health has been attracting considerable attention in Washington lately. Fact is, the Allies have several ways of checking on Hitler's physical condition. Captured newsreels and still pictures are closely compared with previous films for clews. Likewise, recordings of Hitler's latest speeches are compared with earlier talks.

Recently, Hitler made two speeches in one week. Both were broadcast by the German radio. A group of Intelligence officers and diplomats who heard him were surprised at the tone his voice. "Hitler sounded listless," commented one ex- For tlhie IftyghtTime Call WAbosh Sfl Fop the Height Bread Call for H0DEY-KRUST Rayburn of Texas Reported leading pert. "He sounded weary, tired and solemn.

There was no power In his voice, no fire, only a dispirited tone of dejection. He seemed to be reading his speech. He stumbled and went over words and sentences several times before getting them straight." Another expert saw the latest newsreels of Hitler last week, was surprised at how paunchy and pale he looked. His face was described as "very puffy." "Hitler has taken on weight," this expert said, "and it's not flattering to him. He seems to be Jetting himself go and apparently isn't getting as much exercise as a lot of his men who are running backward.

His eyes also look hollow. The war isn't agreeing with Adolf Hitler." Copyright. MUNITIONS in the Raw! War Bonds and Stamps. Critics' Glasses Morose Colored By Earl Wilson Why your Life Insurance Companies urge you to his half-brother, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, appeared. "I had a brother," Beerbohm wrote.

"He used to be an actor." VirHEN Alan Dale was reviewing, he once singled out one actress and said, "When Miss went on the stage, some family lost a good cook." H. L. Mencken said of one great star, "The only thing about her that shines is her nose." F. P. A.

described one actress as "suffering from fallen archness" and Percy Hammond, struggling to pay a compliment to an aged ham, said, "Mr. So-and-so wore his tights competently." Robert Wilder of The Sun was in this mood recently when he said one gent "has a heart of gold and not a few pieces in his dental work." It was Harriet Hilliard who looked at the Critics Circle once and described it as a "First Knife Audience." Alexander Woollcott, reviewing Beatrice Lillie in a Guild play, aptly said, "It was a case not of gilding the lily but of Lillie-ing the Guild," and in describing the theatrical activities of Al Woods with his sexy shows, Woollcott said, "Nothing risque nothing gained." John Mason Brown accused John Barrymore in his later days of "sliding down the bannister of his reputation" and Louis Kronenberger, in Time, called one show "a riot of off-color." Still I think one of the best reviews of all was a verbal one by Groucho Marx, who hnd gone with Harpo to see a picture by Columbia Pictures and Harry Cohn, the president of Columbia, whom he disliked. As soon as the words "Columbia Pictures Presents" came on the screen, Groucho whirled around to Harpo and said, "Drags, doesn't it?" fight New York. THOSE wicked drama critics are still looking at the world through morose-colored glasses. I forget who said that originally.

Anyway, it's worth stealing. The critics latest victims are the Murtah Sisters, three rather startling singers from California whose name used to be Murtagh. I suspect they wish it could still be Murtagh. When they sing, they throw their faces out of shape, kick, mugg, yell and raise hell generally. They're popular in night clubs (anyway I like 'em) and vaudeville theaters, and personally are pleasant young women.

But when they appeared on the Broadway legitimate stage recently in Lou Walters show, "Take a Bow," the lone female critic, Wilella Waldorf, wrote "The Murtah Sisters murtahed several songs." And Irving Hoffman, hard-to-please critic of Hollywood Reporter, had the same inspiration in his review. "As to the Murtah Sisters," he wrote, "Murtah we say. TJOFFMAN'S REVIEWS are perhaps the most savage to appear anywhere. He said of one much-revered old-time act recently, "they skunk up the show with immaterial material." Most critics raved about Dave Wolper's show, "Follow the Girls," but Hoffman said, "Boston liked 'Follow the Boston also likes baked beans." Of the Billie Burke play, "Mrs. January and Mr.

Ex." which was supposed to be light, he said, We're sorry, but it's not our cup of teehee." He acknowledged that Michael Todd's "Mexican Hay-ride" was a hit in reserved fashion, saying "Although Todd will write off the nut with his opulent opus, we, however, can't go off ours." One night some years ago, while en route to a play starring the famous actress Minnie Maddern Fiske, Hoffman happened to pass a garage and noticed a sign that said, "Fisk Tires." So that was his review that night, "Fiske Tires." The capsule criticisms that are remembered are like that last one. They'll always remember that Dorothy Parker saw one called "The House Beautiful" and reported, "'The House Beautiful' is the play lousy." Robert Garland repeatedly this season referred to stinkers as "The Voice of the Turkey." Once years ago Tallulah Bank-head, as Cleopatra, was too much for the late Percy Hammond's stomach. "Last night Cleopatra came barging down the Nile and sank," he reported. In reviewing a play called "Dreadful Night," A. B.

Walkley, London critic, wrote, "Exactly." Max Beerbohm reviewed a play in which ainst nsin ag prices Our government has Its job to keep price ceilings and rationing working smoothly and fairly. Our own job the job for each and every one of us is to abide by these price controls and to save, not spend, every dollar that we possibly can, putting them into the productive channels that our government recommends. If we didn't put our wartime money into these safe places if we relaxed and began to spend this money, the cost of living would soar sky-high and standards of living would nose-dive. This is why we must keep on saving and not buy anything we can get along without. And this is why America's Life Insurance Companies will continue through- vons Den I AST year, America's Life Insurance Companies helped bring home to every American the importance of joining in the nation-wide campaign to check runaway prices.

Every two weeks we published messages in newspapers throughout the country explaining why prices go up and showing what each individual could do to help keep prices down. During this time, we as a nation have won many battles in our fight against runaway prices. In the past year price rises generally have been held in check. One of the big reasons if not the biggest has been the good common sense of American men and women. Instead of going hog-wild with our wartime money, we have put away and are putting away more money than ever before into the safe places our government recommends into War Bonds, savings accounts and life insurance.

Now is the time to Fight Harder The important thing now is to keep up this good work. For the danger of rising prices is still threatening us and it's going to take double action to continue to keep the lid clamped on living costs. out 1944 to point out that for the good of our country, for the good of each one of us individually, we all of us must throw every effort into America's fight against ising prices. Now is the time to Protect your Future Now is your golden opportunity to make big strides towards attaining real financial security. You may never again have as good an opportunity as you have right now.

Put your wartime money into War Bonds, a savings account and life insurance. Keep the War Bonds you buy. Set aside every War Bond you possibly can towards a permanent reserve fund that's not to be touched except in case of the most urgent emergency. In this way, your War Bonds, along with your life insurance and savings account, will become the permanent backlog of protection that anyone must have to get ahead and stay ahead in life. By taking advantage of this opportunity by saving instead of spending you will be helping yourself and your country in these three ways.

You will guarantee the safer, happier future you have always wanted. You will help to hold down your present cost of living. And you will be doing your patriotic duty towards helping to win the war. Greetings! From ALLAN 31. TROUT 'T'HE melodramatic lines that follow have reposed in a scrapbook at Yosemite for 20 years.

They tell a pitiable story; The old man went to meeting. For the day was bright and fair. Though his limbs were very tottering, And 'twas hard to travel there. But he hungered for the gospel, As he trudged the weary way, In the road so rough and dusty, 'Neath the summer's burning ray. Bye and bye he reached the building, To his soul a holy place, Then he paused and wiped the sweat drops' From his thin and wrinkled face; But he looked around bewildered, For the old bell did not toll.

And the doors were shut and bolted, And he did not see a soul. So he leaned upon hfs crutches. And he said what does this mean? And he looked this way and that Till it seemed almost a dream. He had walked the dusty highway. And he heaved a heavy sigh, Just to go once more to meeting, Ere the summons came to die.

But he saw a little notice Tacked upon the meeting door. So he limped along to read it. And he read it o'er and Then he wiped his dusty glasses, And he read it o'er again, Till his limbs began to tremble, And his eyes began to pain. As the old man read Ihe notice, How it made his spirit burn! "Pastor absent on vacation, Church is closed till his return." Then he staggered slowly backward, And he sat him down to think, For his soul was stirred within him, Till he thought his heart would sink. So he mused along and wondered, To himself soliloquized: "I've lived till almost 80, And never was so surprised, As I read that oddest notice Sticking on the meeting door; Pastor on vacation Never heard the like before.

When I first joined the meeting, Many, many years ago, Preachers traveled on the circuit, In the heat and through the snow; If they got their clothes and vittles, 'Twas but little cash they got: They said nothing about vacation, But were happy in their lot." There are six more verses of the old man's sad soliloquy, but I do not have the space to print them. I must leave them, therefore, to your imagination. The financial heal; i of America aa a whole depends upon the financial health of every Individual. This in turn dependc largely upon how well Informed each individual is concerning the part he must play in the general economic picture for his own best interests and in the best inter-ests of his country. Recognizing this, America's Life Insurance Companies are continuing this educational program as a public service to the 68,000,000 owners of life Insurance and to every American citizen.

Address inquiries to: 60 East 42nd AV York 17, N. Y. By Leonard Lyons New York. ADY OXFORD, the former Margot Asquith, attended a dinner party at the British Embassy in Rome shortly before the war. At this party, despite the warnings to her that some of the Italian servants were Fascist 6pies, she delivered an attack against Mussolini.

The next day she had an appointment with II Duce at the Palazzo Venezia. The secretaries kept her waiting. When her patience was ended and Lady Oxford started to leave, a secretary finally escorted her to Mussolini. "My dear Lady Oxford," II Duce told her, "why did you attack me at the embassy? Isn't it true that you said I was a horrible person, that if I were Prime Minister of your country I wouldn't last two months?" "That's a lie," said Lady Oxford. "I said two weeks." CTANTON GRIFFIS, who went to Sweden to obtain a cut in the SKF ball-bearing shipments to Germany, returned with the lament: "Those Swedish industrialists are not interested in ideologies but only in making money." Luba Malina is the newest draw at La Vie Pari-sienne its first since Celeste Holm left Fred Waring signed for the Owens-Illinois broadcasts, over the Blue Network, starting September 7.

T30BERT CAPA, the Life photographer, has seen more warfare than any other cameraman in the world. He has covered wars in China, Spain, England, Africa, Italy and now France. Capa was in a plane with some American paratroopers. En route to their target, the troops asked him about his experiences, and Capa told them all that he has seen. Then came the signal that they were approaching the target.

"Well, so long, pal. said one paratrooper, as he patted Capa before Jumping into the air over the Nazi-held position, "I wouldn't change places with you for the world." 'T'HE veteran reporters who covered the convention passed the time during the lulls by reviving all the convention stories. The line they thought most typical, and which can be made applicable at any convention, is this one: The candidates arrived with three hats. One to wear, cne to throw into the ring and one to talk through. Life Insurance Companies in America and their agents to cooperate with our government in preserving the financial health of the nation.