Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 8

INTERPRETATION DECATUR HERALD Monday, October 25, 1948. 8 Editorials. Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Mr. Christopher Billopp He Was Born Middle-Aged, With a Family, and Living a Life of Adventuresome Normalcy Kaiser-Frazer is showing new models, the second set since the end of the war. And some auto manufacturers are doing a big business still selling prewar models.

By JAMES K. McMANUS In The Baltimore Sunday Sun CHRISTOPHER BILLOPP. columnist was born on July 8, 1931, at the approximate age of 40 years. At his birth, middle-aged Mr. Billopp found himself com dren "ol papa na mama" have no father no mother.

I "Many people in New Guinea had their houses smashed up in the war here and they can remember when children had no food or clothes or medicine. It will be a good thing to do, to help children in other countries and to have the people of other countries thinking about "Yumi Ologeta I Halivim Ol Dispela Pik-inini" You and altogether, must help all these children. The office boy dropped a big sheaf of papers ticklers, memoes, letters, and so on. Fortunately, there was nothing break- able in the pile except, perhaps, a few promises. Looking Ahead Wallace Insists Hell Do All Right (By the World Staff of the Associated Press) Washington ALTHOUGH Henry Wallace makes no forecast of the vote he'll get for President, he did siy in a little-publicized talk during his recent tour that "if I get only 1,000 votes I'll keep on going" (with his fight for a new party).

Then he hastened to add he expects to get a lot more than 1,000. He has been telling audiences his vote will be "larger than the polls indicate." 11 I plete with a patient wife and The young woman in the next office wishes she had an alarm clock that would ring twice, once to wake her up and the second time 15 minutes later to force her to get out of bed. two growing children. Although himself a typical i i American suburbanite, he pos sessed some rather illustrious ancestors. Among them were such men as T.

Billopp Grundy, of the Richmond Howitzers, and the ong inal Christopher Billopp, a swash I I I buckling British naval captain of Eggs are getting bigger and, as a result, are breaking in their crates more often. Government experts are trying to design better crates, to give the sumers a break. early Colonial days. ONE REASON President Truman can stand up to his 5:30 a.m. -11 p.m.' working day is that he takes a nap after lunch.

Since the date, of his belated birth, neither the columnist nor his family has changed in age. appearance, or manners. The family has lived in a per-! petual state of adventuresome (albeit irritating) normalcy and has seen its affairs reported in the column signed by Mr. Billopp in The Baltimore Evening Sun, and some 40 other papers. It has been known from the first that the column is not actually written by Christopher Billopp.

Billopp's creator is Francis Foulke Beirne, editorial writer for the, Baltimore Sun. In Frank Beirne is to be found the secret of Billopp's birth, life, and ancestors because Beirne is Billopp, and by this time Billopp has become Beirne. He is a comfortable 58 years old, wears tweedy clothes, smokes a FRANCIS F. BEIRNE the unusual things that happened to me happened to thousands of other Army Life If a man stands up for his team, that's as it should be. And if a general stands up for the army, that's understandable, too.

So it was not surprising to read that Gen. Jacob Devers, chief of the army field forces, painted an attractive picture for a convention of American War Mothers of the life ahead for jpung men drafted into the peacetime army. But, just the- same, we took with a grain of salt the general's declarations of what the young draftee will find, because the army always has had good intentions. And so have the navy, the air corps, the marine corps. We smiled as we read that the young draftee would be sent io a post as near home "as possible," that he would be told "the reason for everything he does which is new to him," that his uniforms will be "individually fitted," that neither he nor his instructors will use profanity.

We 'smiled, but we had our doubts. Perhaps it will be so in the intentions of General Devers. Perhaps it will be so in official directives and regulations. But, speaking from experience, we doubt that it will be so in practise. And, speaking for ourselves, we have only one comment to make on the general's summing up of the "young draftee's atttitude toward the new army life in general, "He will like it." We doubt it.

Eisenhower To Try Voting General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower last February retired as U. S. army chief of staff, shed his military uniform, and took a vacation before reporting for. duty as new president of Columbia university.

For almost half a year President Eisenhower has been living as a civilian, occupying the president's residence on the Columbia campus. But last week the university president wrote to the secretary of state at Topeka, and asked for an armed services ballot for the Nov. 2 election. He gave Abilene, as his home and his length of residence there as 50 years. When the commander-in-chief of the Allied armies in Western Europe, director of the invasion of the Continent and of the final assault against Nazi Germany, was made General of the Army, the rank was bestowed for life.

He may wear his army uniform at' any time, or all the time. Officially, he is at Columbia on leave from the office of the army chief of staff. It is taken for granted that in the event of a national emergency the popular "Ike" would be recalled to active service. It is not surprising, then, that he will vote as a soldier in the Nov. 2 election, marking a ballot printed for use of members of the armed services.

The president's house at Columbia university is an official residence; Abilene, Kansas, is home as much of a home as a professional soldier is permitted to enjoy. But there is significance in the simple fact that President-General Eisenhower is going to vote in the general election only 10 days away. So far as is known for certain, Eisenhower the soldier did not bother to vote in previous" elections, even though he was on duty, in peacetime, in the United States. The popular Ike, who might have been a presidential candidate certain of election on Nov. 2, is getting in line, politically.

By the time the 1950 congressional elections roll around, he may be ready to vote a regular absentee ballot, forwarded from his Abilene home. For Abilene probably will continue to be the Eisenhower home, even though he Is in official residence at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue, Washington, D. C. SECRETARY of Labor Tobin has authorized, John W. Gibson, an assistant secretary representing the CIO, to act as Labor department undersecretary pending an appointment to that job.

A routine investigation of the background of Ralph Wright, a New York official of the printers' union, is holding up announcement of his appointment as an assistant secretary representing the AFL. AN IDEA borrowed from Hollywood may lead to settlement of the serious West Coast dock strike, now almost two months old. The movies have an arbiter to pass on film moral standards. The idea being talked in the Pacific longshore dispute is this: Agreement on a leader with absolute power to settle any dispute arising during the life of a contract. YOU'LL HEAR it both ways, but insiders say that President Truman's Oct.

16 statement ordering Defense Secretary Forrest-al to give reserve forces a shot in the Army was not a political move. Influential reserve people had been working hard to get just such a statement from the President They feel the army and air force reserve corps have been getting a run-around from the regular establishments. ALTHOUGH the Peruvian government has ordered the arrest of Raul Haya de la Torre, leader of the Aprista party, chances are it will let him stay in hiding. The government put out the order and an editorial writer. It was eight years, one month pipe, and speaks softly.

He lives in Ruxton, Md. His somewhat neStlyjand seventeen days later that the sparse white hair is combed. signature "Christopher Billopp first appeared quietly in column three of the editorial page. During the same period, the column contracted in size and subject matter until it reached its present form. It is now simply entitled ''Mr.

Billopp" and consists of one short essay each day. Every day Frank Beirne wonders how long it can go on. He sits at his office typewriter each morning "completely devoid of inspiration" and feels that he has reached the end of the line. "I heard that someone had written my obituary "just in case while I was sick," he recalls, "so I went down to the library and dug it out." As can be imagined, his own obituary proved very interesting reading. What did it say? "Well." says Frank Beirne, "I remember two things.

The first is that they spelled my name, right, which people seldom do. "The second was the most gratifying thing I have ever read. Frank Beirne, like the creature of his typewriter, has a patient wife, a son anl a His family is not ageless like the Billopps: His two children sources of hundreds of Billopp columns have Where did he get the idea for the essays on family life? "When I realized a very disillusioning thing," he says. realized quite suddenly one day that the unusual things that to me happened to lieutenant in the regular army andkfPPene1 thousands of other people. After more than 6.000 columns on the same general subject such "Actually, Billopp is every- his daughter is a married woman with two children of her own.

Unfortunately; daughter and grandchildren live in Vermont, so the columnist cannot draw on the next generation for his essays. A look at Frank Beirne' family tree further interlocks "his person body but no more so than anv of clings are understandable. The obituary stated unequivocally us We aU have pretty much "the' But somehow he doesn't know that I was one of the best tennis same experiences, irritations, andlexactlv how-he always manages players in the. entire city of Balti-pleasures t0 think of something. Seldom, if more.

The original name of the column are the columns forced or "When I read that I was almost was "The Rolline Road" Strained. His readers are con- sorry they hadn't had a chance to i i Hats must twinkle at night, says a hat designer, presenting one of champagne lace lightly spangled. Now you, young lady, can be fashionably Billopp's first Ilem on that first u.v use a. ality wnn inai oi air. ciuopp.

in iilwith which he relates the same heading mpe. tt tha have in their own the aforementioned T. Andyfreeze Grundy (his maternal grandfather) A professor of education says extremely bright children are usually superior physically, as well. You have to have muscles to be on your toes. -vtciik line una.

"Sometimes, as the result of con-! Incidentally, all of his columns stant naeeini? or misbehavior on are in addition to his regular duties and Capt. Christopher Billopp. Beirne named the present Mr. an editorial writer. sap- muopp ior me aavemur.ng cap- I Aside from his Editorials and rfcwcw nnmnn I.

child. This is very unfortunate i columns, he finishing upaserf. To get over their irk about Roosevelt dimes, the Republicans next January can start minting Coolidge quarters. mucV: rV uorVh Ufe ttan-d ought not to occur, as toe," his namesake. Life on the high podem child is no accus omed to XS seas was exciting enough in those s.

ast "I nta, th. 25 Years Ago in The Herald Theron and Frank Powers, representing the Powers estate, stand ready to widen the streets in their addition at the end of Powers lane to 60 feet in accordance with the city plan regulations. They also are willing to give an 80-foot right-of-way through their property south of the platted area from Sei-gel street east as far as their land extends. anu as a resuu oi mis oruiai ireai- ir Dannea we party alter the abortive uprising at the Callao naval base. Haya de la Torre has the same sort of fanatical following among Peru's poor and illiterate as Jorge Eliecer Gaitan had in Colombia.

Both sides in Peru remember all too well how the assassination of Gaitan last April 9 touched off in Bogota one of South America's worst orgies of burning and looting. HIDEKI Tojo, wartime Japanese premier, may hear his war crimes sentence (probably death) within two weeks. This is indicated by plans of Joseph B. Keenan, Tojo's chief prosecutor, to fly to Tokyo this coming week. Keenan has been expected to time a long-planned trip to Japan to fit the date of Tojo's sentencing.

THE NAVY is considering a series of experiments with odd-shaped small boats to see whether present designs are the most efficient or merely traditional. The experiments are made possible through development of a new plastic suitable for boat-building. The wife whose husband wonders what she does at home all day long herself wonders ditto about him at the office. ment mav even be driven to tears. sa-vs- Dut everytime you get up I a good set of doubles with people "Under the circumstances what early Colonial days, but Captain Billopp's career received an added twist when' h' anchored his ship in New York harbor one day.

At the time, a feud was on between the colonies of New York and New is to be done? The parent should ae somebody pulls a charley horse or a strained back and the lose no time in making an abject game is ruined." apology. Beg the child to stop crying. Give the child a nickel with which to buy a bottle of pop. Tell the child it will not have to take a bath if it does not want to. "If these remedies fail, there is nothing to do but raise your bid to a pony.

Perhaps by this Jersey. The thing at issue was Staten Island, which each claimed. In the spirit of those more sporting days, it was suddenly decided to settle the dispute by means of a trial of skill. If Capt Christopher Billopp could sail his Mrs. Nancy Wait was given a handkerchief shower yesterday afternoon by members of the Hospital Aid society, in token of their appreciation of her long years of work.

Mrs. Wait is the only remaining charter member of the organization, which was formed to raise money to build a hospital. As for the past. Frank Beirne-Billopp has enjoyed it alL Two incidents stand out in his mind above all the rest Both are rather humorous. yet.

oddly enough, both occurred at a time in 1934 when he very nearly died. That was the only time his column disappeared from its usual corner. He was stricken with appendicitis and required 13 weeks to recover. ship around the island in 24 hours me the child will be able to for-it would belong to New York. If jEive, even though it cannot forget.

iic xdiicu, iv wuuiu uciyiis iu After all Jersey. L.k,v,i one such scene not have a perma- lasting effect upon the in I il 5 -Kilrl and V. I mm yaiiriit will lldvc learned a salutary lesson. There island for -New York. IT.

I 9 While in the hospital and still on the critical list, the night superintendent of nurses came in to cheer him up. "Mr. Beirne," she 'said. "I thought you would like to know that you have a most faithful uc was icwaiucu vwm a i 'w .1. ihl yaicu, will miuw LJturi of land on the island home there that still way to temper and lie uuii.

a stands, and Expelled, Soviet Style When Drew Middleton. chief Moscow correspondent of the New York Times, left the Soviet capital in May, 1947, for a visit home, he was assured that he would be granted a visa for his return to Russia. But when Middleton was beyond the border of the U.S.S.R., the promise of a return visa was withdrawn. From time -to time the New York Times made formal requests for a visa for Middle-ton, or for a correspondent to succeed him In the Times bureau at Moscow. All those requests have been ignored.

So the Times has announced that it will close its Moscow offices on Nov. 6. The bureau staff of clerks, typists, and translators, all of them Russians, will be dismissed and the office space in the Hotel Metropole will be relinquished. There's another example of the manner in which the Iron Curtain operates. Correspondent Middletown was not expelled 'from Russia.

He left of his own accord, at his own request. He has not been forbidden to return. But he can't enter Russia without the proper visa. The New York Times is proud of its thorough-as-possible world news coverage. It has prestige as a newspaper and has influence in Washington.

But the Times has abandoned the effort to gather its own news in the Russian capital. any newspaper or press association correspondent in Russia who has been looking forward to a vacation in the United States may be asked by the home office to postpone the pleasure. "Thermo is to autos what red flannels is to firemen keeps 'em from freezin' Don't wait for the big freeze get Thermo now. Thermo Anti-Freeze is safer foe you safer for your car No poisonous fumes. Stops rust.

Protects in piercing cold And now at a new low price THERMO ANTI-FREEZE SAFI, SURE PROTECTION TOR TOUR CAI PutdlcW Industries Inc. Philodelphio, Pa, took a job asx royal subcollector of New York. The role of bureaucrat was not fitted to hie temperament, however, and he was shortly removed from office for "injudicious political speeches." He immediately sailed for England on the Bentley. inena at trie bun. A young man calls every evening about midnight and asks about you.

He seems concerned about your illness." This news wasn't as cheering to the sick man as the nurse expected. The young man's identity was obvious to Frank Beirne. He was the reporter assigned to call each night to see if the columnist had died yet! The other incident occurred will confine corrections to suggestions or mild exhortation." Columns of this particular type have caused his children "much mortification" through the years, Beirne says. "I'm sure," he adds, "that they have always wished rather strongly that their father made his living in a nice normal way as other fathers do." The writings of Christopher Billopp have not always been confined to these short essays on family life. In its early years "The Rolling Road" covered- a variety of subjects.

Always, how when he returned to work. ever, the essays occupied a prom inent position in the column. On one occasion, the entire column was a capsule review of the year's world news events. In October of 1932, the col-lumnist was occupied with "Bil CASH FOR Mr. Billopp.

"ON THE DOT" There are occasions when a member of the family will announce that he or she must have a meal "on the dot." It will be pointed out forcibly that, unless the meal is served "on the dot," there will be grave consequences such as the missing of a vital train or the loss of a job. Serving a meal "on the dot" is possible. But it is a severe strain on the server. No doubt the oven-will seize on the occasion to take long time to warm up. -Water will refuse to boil Essential pots and pans will be missing from their accustomed places and have to be searched for.

As a result, the server will have to rush to get the meal on the table. Hot grease will be spilled and ruin the front of a new dress. Fingers will be burned by picking up hot pans. A nasty gash will be made with a bread knife in the course of slicing bread. There is the grave possibility of one of the best china plates being dropped and broken, or a slip on a rug resulting in a sprained ankle.

Salt may be confused with sugar or the top of the pepper cruet may come oft deluging the main dish with pepper and necessitating scraping the pepper off. In spite of these tragedies the server will somehow get everything prepared exactly at the hour demanded. The member of the family who made the demand then will be called to come and get it. But there will be no response to the summons. From fifteen to twenty minutes later the member of the family who insisted upon the meal being "on the dot" may be expected to amble in, behaving as though he or she had all the time in the world.

CHRISTOPHER BILLOPP The Complacent View World Series games in Boston have been rather remote and we have heard people express sympathy with the remark of the Shah of Persia when he refused an invitation to the Derby on the ground that he knew one horse could run faster than another, so why bother? Kansas City Star. The life of Frank Beirne has been at least as notable, if not as exciting as that of his gallant ancestor. Born the son of Richard F. Beirne, owner and editor of the old Richmond State, he spent his unexciting childhood in Ashland, Va. He first came to Baltimore in 1903.

as a student. It was in those days, at the Country School for Boys at Carroll Mansion, that Beirne became acquainted with. Maryland. Beirne returned to Virginia for two periods after he came to school here. In 1908 he entered the University of Virginia, and for a year and a half after World War I he engaged in the tobacco business in Richmond.

This last period was his only excursion into any field but. journalism. He sums it up by saying: "It took me a year and a half to discover that I didn't know a thing mm EMERGENCIES. OTHER PURPOSES lopp's Shorter History of the People who print calendars must get awfully tired of making dates for other Atheism on the Air Davenport (Iowa) Times To what extent may an atheist express his views on the radio? That's a question which will continue to puzzle radio stations despite the action of a House committee advising the Federal Communications commission to cancel a controversial ruling, made in a California case, as unfortunate. The issue was raised when the F.

C. refused a request to revoke the licenses of three California stations because they would not grant radio time to argue against the existence of God. In dismissing the petition the F. C. C.

stated that it did so -because the problem presented "is far broader in scope than the complaint against the particular stations involved." In support of that action Commissioner Hyde emphasized that the F. C. C. had always recognized that the broadcasting of religious programs "is an important element of service in the public but that "preservation of freedom of speech in the public domain of the radio precluded a licensee from absolutely barring subjects of discussion over the radio, including atheism, on the ground that any presentation, whatever its nature, would be contrary to public' interest" In assailing the decision's basic principles, the vice president of Georgetown university, declared that if these were followed the inscription "In God We Trust" on our coins should be deleted or balanced on the reverse side with the Marxian "religion is the opiate of the people." Spokesmen for the atheists insisted, however, that they had the same rights "no more, no less, than a bishop." The issue, of course, is that of free speech on the but it has not been resolved in a manner to free broadcasters from what their general counsel termed the role of "thought police." An aggressive, outspoken atheist is just about the hardest thing to shut off that exists. In an earlier day.

when folks weren't quite so busy, he was given encouragement by the town loafers as one of their few diversions. If there is any danger of the country going atheistic it won't come from those who boast of their nor is it likely that they will undermine our right of free speech. They could be given the whole day after Christmas on the radio to offer their rebuttal to the Yuletide programs without shaking the foundations of Christianity or the nation, "for the simple reason that few people would care to listen to them The real danger to American liberty lies in the efforts of those who would deny access to mediums of communication to those with whom they disagree. This is the road to the fascism which really threatens us. On Signature, Car or Furniture NO ENDORSERS REQUIRED United States." This subject was not attacked in the accepted manner: Billopp on the Spanish-American war "The Americans gallantly stormed San Juan hill but found themselves in a serious predicament, since after capturing it they were unable to pronounce it." Billopp on Barbara Fritchie Businessmen trying to get things done in Washington say it's not so much a case of know-how there as a case of know-who.

variety of repayment schedules for your convenience. 'wartime belle of Frederick. Md. about cigarettes. He is an inveterate pipe smok- Her to vamp Gen.

Thomas er; never touches cigarettes. )J- Jackson earned him the name The columnist has been overseas lof Stonewall." twice. The first time was after Billopp on foreign relations- This led to the DODular savine graduation from the University of ClIlh MONTHLY PAYMENT PLANS fuuOt 20 It 12 6 paymtz paymts pmymti pmymtt 50 $5.03 $9.24 100 $6.75 $8.40 10.07 18.48 200 13.38 16.69 20.03 36.85 300 19.67 24.66 29.68 54.90 500 31.47 39.81 48.18 9Q14 Virginia. He won a Rhodes 'God gave us our foreign relations. Thank God we can choose our domestic As the years passed by.

Billonn Do you need cash to take care of any of the many extras that come up at this time of the year? You can borrow $20 to S500 at HFC and take 6, 12, 15 or more months to repay, depending on the purpose of your loan. Borrow For Any Good Reason Thousands of customers find money help at HFC every week! They get cash to pay overdue bills, medical ot dental bills, seasonal or emergency expenses. Repay The Convenient Way Table shows sample loan plans. Household offers a gained more and more readers as a syndicate picked up his work and distributed it to the twenty news papers in which it now appears 'Singauf-Sorri' "Yumi Ologeta I Halivim Ol Dispela Pik-inini." That's the word that's going about the islands of the South Seas, the islands with the names famous since the last war from the Solomons to the Bismarck archipelago, to New Guinea and Papua. Out there the Islanders have organized what they call a "singaut-sorri" pidgin English for "sing out sorry" which they do whenever neighbors are killed in accidents or disaster strikes a village.

During the years of the Japanese occupation, when the islands were being subjected to bombings and aerial attacks, many a "singaut-sorri" was organized. But this latest one is not being organized by the islanders for themselves. It is for the benefit of the United Nations Appeal for Chil-. dren, a worldwide drive for funds. In pidgin English, a news-letter published in RabauL New Guinea, tells of the "singaut-sorri" xin thia way: "We are being asked to keep the children of countries that have been smashed up in the war.

The peoples of these countries cannot plant food for themselves." It explains that "palanti pikinini" plenty chil- Houuhotift charge is tkt monthly tatt of 3 on that part of a balance not excerd-int tliO, 2 on that part of a balanrt in excess of SI SO but not exceeding SJ0O. and 2 on any remainder. Remember, HFC for money when you need it. You are always assured of prompt, friendly, courteous attention in our offices. scholarship there, and for three years studied at Merton eoUege.

Oxford university, before returning to Baltimore to take his first job as a reporter and copyreader on The Sun. His second ocean crossing was made a few years later when he sailed for France as a second lieutenant with the 80th Infantry division. Upon his arrival in France, he was transferred (because of his knowledge of French) to what he describes as an "inglorious" liaison job with the renting, requisition and claims service. At the end. of the war he had his adventure In tobaccoland.

and during that time married Rosamond Randall, of Baltimore. He returned to Baltimore with the 1878 Our 70tb Anniversary 1948 Up to 40 Off Your Fuel Bill This Winter DIAL 4383 For Information HOUSEHOLD FINANCE Adolescent She's a roman candle, she's a sky rocket, She's a round face in a heart locket, She's a March wind, she's a mountain pool. She's the day's fever and the night's cool. She's a hand-spring, she's a swandive. She's the whuie thing just to being alive.

She's a sleepy child, but a moment after She's a cyclone, and a burst of laughter. ENID KTERNAN In Burlington, Vt, Free Press 469 Citizens 4th Floor, 250 N. Water Street Phone: 5277. DECATUR Baltimore News, then on May 21, i 1923, went to The Evening Sun as.