The Mercury from Pottstown, Pennsylvania • Page 4

Pottstown Mercury tod THE POTTSTOWN NEWS PuftiiatMM morning SuoOfc-y oy Pettrtown Publishing Co Hanover King Paone WILLIAM HTESTER President FHANDY HILL General Manager 4 ERNKS1 SPAJRK. Editor Entered at Pottstown Ffwtofftce second matter Associated Preu tc the for publication of ail dispatches to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and aiao tht local news published herein right? of herein are alao MONDAY, AUGUST 25. 1941 HEADERS SAY; Humanity on Top; Averting Epidemic letters must not oe more than words ions, of current topics and must not involve person.il!tie*. Name and address oi writer must be submitted as evidence of good faith but will be withheld from publication on request. Poetry Is not acceptable By MERCt RY READERS INTERPRETING THE WAR NEWS PLEASE TO EXCUSE AGAIN, YES? Churchill Gives Answer To U.

S. War Queries JOHN M. HIGHTOWkK Mt UhCLI- We must truly serve those whom we appear to command we must hear with their imperfections, correct them with gentleness and patience and lead them in the way to heaven Fenelon, SAVE Now, Smile Later TTSTOWN can do much to forestall actual gasoline rationing if they with officials during the next few Ration cards may be issued next montlvaecording to gossip from Washington, savings voluntarily if they really wish so to do and individually and collectively are ready to adopt measures that will bring such Such savings can be effected almost without a doubt by two very simple measures: 1. Reduction in the use of pleasure cars to absolute necessity, 2. Reduction of speed in driving.

Savings from the first are axiomatic. Savings by the second procedure are demonstrable. When Sir Malcolm Campbell achieved the world's record for speed in motoring his mileage and the gasoline consumption of his car were carefully measured by the U. S. Bureau of Standards.

Sir Malcolm made 272 miles per hour with his car, but it required two gallons of gasoline per mile or 544 gallons per hour. The U. 8. Bureau of Standards has gone farther into this relationship between speed and fuel consumption. Its tests with a standard car at seven speeds, each sustained for full hour, show these surprising figures: America Second To the Editor: This letter is in answer to the various America-first letters that have been sent in to this column.

Does it not seem realistic to you that humanity should be first and America should be second in our minds? After all, humanity began when America was yet unknown. How can any true American and Christian believe that we should think only of ourselves, while our fellow-men, neighbors and friends suffer? There is a menace in the world today that seeks to destroy freedom, personal rights and Christian (American) ideals. Therefore it is evident that the United States, the leader of the great democracies, should struggle for freedom and against oppression and give them their utmost in aid and materials. Why shouldn't we help our fellowmen? They are human beings! If we were in their position, we would want all possible aid from the democracies. all co-operate as true Americans.

Humanity must be first and America second. This will in no way lessen our esteem for America and its ideals. Nothing will happen to America while she is helping humanity to endure. Pottstown HUMANITY FIRST BEST LETTERS WIN PRIZES Five prizes one dollar each are awarded by the Editor each week the best fire letters appearing in Read Say Decision of the Editor is final 20 used 30 used 40 nscd 50 used m.p.h, speed m.p.h. speed m.p.h, speed m.p.ft.

speed m.p.h. speed 18.9 miles miles 16.4 osed 80 m.p.h. speed used Just a little study of these figures will tell any motorist how he can save money for his pocketbook and gasoline for Uncle Sam and Mr. Ickes. To be easy on the accelerator is to be easy on the pocketbook and that is going to be no small consideration in a period oi rising and increased Income taxes.

Pool Closing Suggested To the Editor; Why not close the swimming pools and also the splash pool located along Manatawny street? The dreadful plague infantile paralysis is not far away. So let's keep it away from our town before it is too late. Philadelphia closed its pools, so why we close ours? I do not want to keep the kiddies from having a good time. But I do want to take all precautions against that disease. Why lock the door after the Horse Is stolen? I would like to see some more letters about this.

Pottstown FEARFUL. Idea for Saving Gasoline To the Editor: If we can save gas without severe rationing, we may not have to contend with that. Why not start a campaign to save gas by each person submitting ideas such as? Let us patronize local business places Winter such as local theaters and save the gas it Spring American arms output and Army would take to transport the out-of-town organization will be at a far higher level patrons back and forth. You see the of accomplishment than today. DRIME MINISTER CHURCHILL SUg- gested some interesting answers to the question "under what, circumstances would the United States and in one respect, at least, his thoughts ran strikingly parallel to those of an American spokesman.

Churchill, in his broadcast address. made it clear that in his opinion the United States would fight thus probably be drawn into the general worid conflict through the bark the Japanese pressed their Southeastern military expansion in the Orient and threatened the Philippines. And he warned the Japanese that Britain would range herself alongside the United Slates. Another circumstance under which the United States probably would fight apparent opinion tainly be in event of a mortal threat to Britain. The Prime Minister said that heretofore Hitler had picked off his foes one by one through a policy of divide and conquer and that for final victory his policy needed but one last successful application.

In brief, if the United States would not fight even though Britain was falling. then indeed, Churchill implied, would Hitler be virtually assured of eventual world mastery. A few days after Churchill and Roosevelt met two weeks ago, Secretary of War Henry Stimson broadcast to the Army on dangers besetting the States. He said the country would fight if any of far-flung bastions of defense from Iceland to the Philippines were attacked. But a far greater danger than attack on an outpost, he said, would he created by a successful invasion of Britain, or that defeat by other means.

Stim-son did not say the United States would take up arms to keep Britain from falling. but in many Washington quarters there is a strong feeling that if Hitler ever tries to invade the British he had best get the job done he does not want his task infinitely complicated by American intervention. How could American troops be sent quickly England? ous answer Is, from Iceland. Those who might at the strategic possibilities of this rocky outpost in furnishing military aid to the British should not consider today's small force there as the ultimate strength planned. Nor should they forget that resistance to the Nazis makes any attempt at Invasion of Britain this Fall or virtually Impossible.

And by In Retrospect gy Years Ago August 1891 NEW SYNAGOQ-The Hebrew congregation of Ohavis Achim, of this borough, has awarded a contract for the erection of a new svnagog on Washington hill to John A. Selinger for $1750, SHOCKING SPORT boys were having of fun last night getting shocks from superfluous electricity which ran down an electric light pole near the depot, The News reported. WEDDING W'arren F. Christman, Sanatoga, and Miss Ella Myers, Allentown, were united in marriage Saturday night in the parsonage of the Lutheran Church of the Transfiguration by the Rev. O.

P. Smith. 25 Yea rs Ago August 25, 1916 POSTPONEMENT--The State Department Of Health of the. Pennsylvania has decided that all schools, public, private and parochial, in the State remain closed until Monday, Sept. 18.

because of Infantile paralysis epidemics. FINE MESS Norman G. Steltz and family, Stowe, spent yesterday fishing along the Schuylkill canal, at lock. Considerable luck was encountered by the fishermen and a fine mess of fish was carried home, according to The News. 2000 GUESTS -Bonnie Brae park, near Spring City, handled its largest picnic crowd, 2000 strong, of any season yesterday at the first big annual community picnic tendered Twin-Borough residents by the association, 10 Years Ago August 25, 1931 DELEGATES LEAVE S.

Paul Instead, she and Phil called some friends, reserved a large ringside Seeders, Harry Holloway and Detective ALL AROUND THE TOWN Goodbye, Gabble, Bv BILLY ACHATZ (See Editorial Japs Go VOICE OF BROADWAY Manhattan Nights Bv DOROTHY KILGALLEN ROADWAYTTES have a tendency to lightly a couse Hollywood people around the clubs and stir cream into their coffee and point to a hundred es of flagrant ingratitude and short-lived loyalties. That is why, when you hear a story of a Hollywood star's loyalty, it is a pleasure to correct the viewpoint. Last week Alice Faye flew 3000 miles lo be with her husband. Phil Harris. The very day she arrived, she saw by the local dailies that Frances Faye, the Za-Zu-Zaz singer, was to be guest of honor that night at Leon and Eddie's Celebrity Party.

It would seem logical that after her long trip and in view of her delayed honeymoon, Alice might want to be alone with her bridegroom for a quiet evening. Any more ideas? Parkerford.MOVIEGOER, 1 he Japs Go Haywire (See Editorial Cartoon) JUST what kind of a squeeze play Japan thinks she is playing by pulling strings on same pictures anyway only at a later time, the departure of United States citizens for and who can't wait a few days? This their homeland is a tough one to figure out. would save the car owner money too. The Japs have mumbled something about keeping these persons as hostages, apparently fearful of some United States action against Japs in this country. The United States, however, has shown by wholesale dispatch of German and Italian consuls to their homelands that it recognizes without quiver the right of foreign people to return to their native heaths if they so desire.

Japan by this action is accomplishing no totally unprepared as they were? England good and much ill will in this country. could have surrendered after Dunkerque and have been thought none the worse of. No More Big Liners What does he think carried them on? ITHOUT notice, the increased Was it lack of courage? reliance on the airplane for transatlantic In the last the world wit" travel since the beginning of this war has nessed the most amazing display of cour- members tllat the prtme Minister made probably spelled the doom of the luxury ocean and fortitude against the most vicious addre8S primarily as a report on his liner. brutal assault the worid has ever conJerence with Roosevelt. It is a reasonable conjecture that there won't be any more giant vessels built like the calls Britain an international rapist.

"SS'SISISS Normandie, the Queen Mary, the Bremen and what the record of all the great powers, PROBLEMS others which vied in the twenties and thirties including our own, in that respect? He like their long-nosed Ox Where Your Choice Must Lie To the. Editor: Your correspondent on Help Readers Say, Aug. wonders why Britain open up new fronts from Suez to Dakar. How many fronts does he expect them to defend at once, As Stimson pointed out, invasion Is not the only way by which Britain could be put In mortal danger. Already the United States is so far committed to victory in the battle of the Atlantic that it would take but a little spark to set off a shooting war, a fact which Churchill clearly recognized In saying Germany had had plenty of opportunity to draw this country into the conflict had It not been to her supreme interest to avoid doing this.

The similarity between Churchill's assertions and those of Stimson as to the value of Britain In the defense of though the British leader approached the idea very circumspectly added interest when one re for the cream of the transatlantic travelers and mail and fast freight. They never paid. All of them, and our own Leviathan, had to be heavily subsidized by governments to be kept afloat, and the cost was charged off to prestige. They were costly to build, out of all proportion to the value of their carrying space, and costly to maintain. Certainly after this war, people to whom time is money will go by plane between America and Europe: mail will go largely by air, and so will cargoes in the movement of which speed is important.

It is a fair guess that most of the liners of the future will be vessels of 10,000 to 20,000 even slow freight, low cost ocean travel, and cruises. By that time, probably, nations will be to see which can build the most super- duper air liner as a traveling advertisement. The United States ought to shine at more than we ever shined at the unprofitable business of building sea-going palaces. Crampaw Oakley PUNK IN CORNERS, Editor, The Mercury, August 23. Sir fn' Brother: Wal, this is the time of the year when the pretty June bride begins to get over the shock at the discovery that bread baked already sliced.

A dispatch from Europe reports that Rome is undergoing a scarcity of toilet soap. That ought to make a blackout easier to at Neve. And did you notice that there a war correspondent, who, upon lm return to his homeland, hasn't sat down and written a book! heard the name of tli.it plastic automobile made of corn, soy- and ether edibles, but I'd like to suggest Succotash Six! you air the GRAIUPAW NED OAKLEY, ford accent. How does it compare with the accent of some of our down-Easterners, who have a supercilious contempt for anything not down-East? Does he know how we Americans are regarded in most foreign countries? That we are considered arrogant, loud-mouthed braggarts? he see that we must be on the side of the only country in the world which has somewhat the same ideals as ours, which speaks our language, which allows men to worship as they see fit, and which associates with its dominions as partners and not as master and slave? Pottstown. L.

H. O. Keep Our Gates Open To the Editor: There has been in this country recently u. move to prevent our many foreign citizens from exercising their rightful privileges and to further prevent the descendants of those who vainly died for lands they could not save from reaching this country. Is this justified in the face of present world conditions? Surely we cannot deny this refuge to those who wish to start life again in our land of freedom.

Pottstown. L. A Housing Question To the Editor: Well, since the banks are ready, what are the contractors waiting for? Pottstown R. T. FLOWERS FOR THE LIVING For MR.

AND MRS. G. LUTHER SUPPLEE Kenilworth BECAUSE they were married Saturday night. Public Kindergarten Aid to Children By GARRY C. MYERS, Ph THE public kindergarten is a boon to underprivileged children and their parents.

It gives these children an opportunity to play with other children of their age. It helps guarantee their moral and physical safety during the time when they are most likely to face danger, since so many of their mothers must work and be away from them part or all the day. Besides, the kindergarten gives the underprivileged children experiences very useful for tneir success in the first grade, some of which many privileged children get at home. For another reason, children from well-to-do homes need the kindergarten for the opportunities it affords for them to associate with other children. As you know, there are many one-child families in the higher economic levels.

In some school districts which have no kindergartens of any sort, there is no adequate provision for children whose parents would like to have them school earlier than the age limit set by the local board of education. In some school districts, the child must, in order to enter the first grade in September, be six years of age by the following November, or January. Careful check on these matters has caused school leaders to agree pretty generally that where there is no kindergarten, the child should not be allowed to enter school until he is actually six years of age. Though the child under six might profit from the play contacts the school affords, he is nearly always handicapped because of his immaturity. Besides, the usual eye-strain and general nervous strain demanded of the child entering the first grade is severe.

For his physical and mental health and his future success at school, he will be far better off. as a rule, if he does not enter school until actually six years old. TA TA! Paul Nicholas, dapper, mustached High street gasoline dispenser. hops a rattler this ayem and departs for Detroit, thus ending a long sojourn in Ptown. He was well known not only to the motoring public, but in the athletic world, having been a basketball impresario during the Winter months, In Detroit manage a grocery store.

Which may be a good move, what with gasoline getting scarcer and scarcer. For folks may be able to do without motoring, but they still gotta eat! TONGUE WAGGING The rumors went 'round and 'round over the week-end when Bethlehem Steel called off its annual picnic, scheduled for llershcv Park. One report had it that of the transportation of Defense work, the railroad furnish cars to take 4000 ptrniekers Jo the park. Another one said llershcv had been closed. Both were untrue, the only reason for cancellation being precaution against the spread of poliomyelitis (plain Infantile paralysis to you and me), Hello gal at the Bethlehem Steel switchboard Friday was driven almost to abstraction by silly requests of persons who called to inquire about the outing.

Silliest was that of an anxious mother who wanted llethsteel to guarantee that her child would not contract infantile paralysis if she went to Ilcrshey! IYOTS AND Norman ing, former localad, writes that he sees many words about Army boys sprinkled down this column, few about the gobs. So he indites from Lakehurst, N. that he's radioman in charge of communication office at the naval air station there. Says he sees parachute troops training daily, with as many as 16 marines jumping from a transport plane at one time. Must be quite a sight.

your fair damsel what is the abbreviation of Youth and when she repeats the initials, say: "I JEST NO. 2 that feather we ate is just tickling too much. But seriously, sidle up close to that stranger at your favorite soda bar and offer to tell him his first name and the name of the woman he first he'll for a drink. cadge quite a few quaffers, but you must know the answers; Baby and Mother, 4 IMPRESSIONS Qualities you never forget; The nasal intones of Count Moyer. Tiie ebullience of Coach Corbett when he greets a friend.

The love light that lies in the eyes of Bobby Diener 'make it this time, Mr. Printer) when he speaks of his children. The warmth in the handshake of Hermann Maack. The poesy of Burgess Jes.se R. Evans.

The frog in the voice of Frank Kurtz. GIVE AWAY Fox terrier, four months old. See Mrs. Charles Brynan. 524 North Franklin street.

TEMPORE. MORES newest song hit is a tune called "Who Hit Nellie in the Belly With a SIV THE Ptown youth who spent his vacation hitchhiking figured out a neat and effective means of grabbing the passing motorists. He used a two-gallon gasoline can as an eye- catcher. Motorists figured he had A year ago Selby, who as arts editor run out of gas and were ten times more of the Associated Press criticizes some 500 willing to give him a lift. Of course books a year, turned the tables and wrote he He had rigged up the gas the Roxy fcui weeks ago.

was held over, and has just been signed one the story of a mid- can as his suitcase simply by putting the for six more an unprecedented holdover for a comedian in the western newspaper publisher. It won the bottom on small hinges history of that theater. American section of the all-nations prize Edward Duryea Dowling wants him for the Ziegfeld Follies, novel contest. Hale wants him for his forthcoming musical, and show people who have His second novel, in the seen Archie have been heard referring to him as Bob written in between more book reviews, That is part of his success Archie care about. He is jUSt published, is the story of the an admirer of Bob Hope and he would certainly be interested in movie economic decline of a Middle Western and radio money and other attendant pleasures of being a flight family in the era just before 1900.

Selby hit on the subject in a funny way. Yielding to the temptation of all neophyte authors to wax lie successfully avoided in his first he decided to write about his own family. When he went to lay the groundwork by describing members of his mother table for the event, and sat there all smiles and enthusiasm from eleven in the evening until four in the morning. Now, Alice Faye and Frances Faye have never been terribly close friends. They like each other well enough, but only met five or six times in ali the years they both have been in show business.

It was Estelle Taylor, who was in Alice's party that night, w'ho told me why Alice insisted on being on hand to pay tribute to Frances Faye. About 10 years ago, it seems, Frances Faye was making her first bia hit at the old Club Rich man. One night a friend of hers came in with a shy, wide-eyed young girl who was then enjoying her first Taste of Broadway as a debutante in the chorus ranks. Intrigued by the coincidence of sharing the same surname with the little chorus novice (for it was Alice Faye) Frances asked the youngster what her great ambition was. Alice confided that more than anything else, she wanted to be a singer.

The Club Richman was jammed with celebrities and agents and newspaper columnists that night. Frances took Alice into the manager office, had tioo busboys roll a small piano into the room, and for 40 minutes rehearsed Alice in two popular songs. Then she brought her out on the dance floor, gave her a glowing introduction, ard played the piano for her and Alice Faye sang before an audience for the first time in her career. fULIE HAYDON and Edward Trevor, who more properly belong to the environs of Shubert Alley, are in Newport, at the Casino theater, in "The and where they have been enjoying all kinds of minor adventures. They felt mystically inclined a few afternoons ago and set out to find a much-talked-about fortune teller by the name of Rose.

They got into car, and crawled through the heavy traffic of narrow streets into the slum section. It was tough going. Eddie drove the wrong way on a one-way street, got shouted at by a policeman, and made a left turn where none was permitted. Further on, a big, nasty truck crowded them onto the sidewalk, and they got euught in a meiee caused by two drunks fighting with broken-off milk bottles. Worn out and jittery, they finally arrived on the steps of Rose's drab domicile.

Rose came to the door and with a shock, they recognized her. She was the Casino theater cleaning woman, available for predictions and forecasts at the theater any time when her vacuum cleaner is shut off! James V. Gleason, delegates of Potls- town's lodge to th Elks State convention left here for Harrisburg yesterday morning. CLAN AT SUNNYBROOK -The fourth anniversary of the Yerk clan was held at Sunnybrook Saturday. Newly-elected officers included Albert Yerk, president, Roversford.

and Clyde Kirk, vice president, Phoenixville. BAND CONCERT oi inclement weather, the Pottstown band. William F. Lamb, director, played only one-third of its scheduled program in Morgantown Saturday night. It has been re-engaged for September 12.

SELBY FINDS SECOND HARDER THAN FIRST HAT wheeze "After the first one, the rest come may be true of getting olives out of a bottle, but it ain't, necessarily so, says John Selby, when it comes to writing books. Selby found that producing his second book was a lot harder than his first. His explanation is supposed to have a book in him, if he's reasonably good at expressing himself. But everybody necessarily have a second book in him. Finding out if one of the people who do, is a struggle.

he at anybody. He had hLs comedian, but he does not want to be fill of that a few years ago. It was in 1936, and Archie was not a comedian then he was a rising young actor on the Broadway stage. That was the year, if you recall, that Warner Brothers and James Cagney had a battle royal; Cagney walked out on a picture he like and the studio suspended him from its payroll. Frantically, the Warner Freres started searching for someone to supplant Cagney.

They discovered Archie in a Broadwrav show, bought ioster family he had known, lie suddenly their that NICKNAMES Everybody knows the Brensinger boys. But do you know their childhood Well, Charles is Eugene Ls a pot of bean Joe tthe Harrisburg Brensingen is "The and Baby George, the grocer, is H. his contract from his producer, and rechristened him publicity department got busy. Before he had made his first screen appearance, James Robbins was sold to the public as James Then something happened. Cagney cooled off, the studio cooled off, and before you could snap your fingers they had kissed and made up.

What could Warner Brothers do with "another James when the original Cagney wTas back in their good graces again to the tune of thousand, of dollars a w-eek? So they young Robbins by paying him a good salary to do what amounted to extra w'ork in pictures. why Archie Robbins shivers when he hears "another Bob even though he wishes he wrere. Pottstown Sketches By WILL DANCH realized that he knew nothing of pasts. So he invented histories seemed to fit them. When he got them up to the place where he came in, he realized that he had a full-grown novel right there, he wisely stopped, leaving himself out entirely.

Now he fears he never can go on with his original design, because, having contrived fictional pasts for his foster relatives, they wound up entirely different people. Selby's father was a law 7 er in Gallatin, and he starts out his book with the intriguing foreword: had five grandmothers leaving the readers to try and dope that out for themselves. The answer is that two were his regular grandmothers, one was his stepmother, one his foster mother, we had a cousin whose grandmother was always around and we always called her makes Selby made the interesting discovery in inquiring into the Victorian era that apparently its ornate, other-worldly modes and manners existed only on paper. HEALTH COLL MM Sick Persons Often Pampered By DR. LOGAN CLENDENINQ MY PTtlEND, the surgeon, was philosophizing the other evening about some of his troubles.

Many of them have to do with the eternal question of human nature. This gives him more trouble than the details of his surgical operations themselves. For instance, there is the scene of the mother of the seven-year-old child who has been to the doctor that day and home and tells father that Dr. So-and-So says the tonsils should come out. The father, w-ho is a service man in a garage, and is thinking about expenses, says; "Who is Dr.

Mother replies that he is the doctor who took out the tonsils of the little girl across the street, and everything turned out all right. Well, there is a long argument, and the father decides to take the boy to another doctor, and this one bums the think dazzling? You should see how Mr. and Earl Jaces light up when they talk about their tonsils out, not always with necessarily Everything written in that period is results, so that the future is the familiar, stilted humble sacriiiced to immediate necessity, kind of stuff, but I find any evi- Then there is the husband and wife denee that people actually acted that way who were sitting at home, and the wife in real life. Apparently it was just an says; hear that Gertrude Smith had elaborate set of conventions they mam- an operation day before tained only in Also she says: say she Selby credits the book, w'hieh occupied see anybody, but Clara got in to see her him for 17 months, partly to his yesterday, and Gertrude is an old friend good nature and partly to the fact that of mine, much older than she is of the maid in the Selby menage in West- and going to get in to see port, "sleeps leaving a vacant her tomorrow'. Mrs.

Jones is going to go room into which he could commune with with me, and we are going to have a the muse regardless of bridge parties, nice barn-raisings or lynchings any other And they smother the poor patient part of the house. with kindness and she has a setback..