OCR Text |
Show MsAmfm Washington, D. C. U. S. GENERAL IN ACTION Maj. Gen. Charles L. Scott, U. S. tank expert just back from Libya, is not talking about it in his lectures to American armored forces, but he did more than almost anyone to stem the onrush of Von Rommel's tanks when they broke through the British lines and started their mad dash to Alexandria. General Scott was in Egypt helping help-ing out with the American tanks which had been sent to the British. And he happened to be in the thick of it during that part of Rommel's attack when the British seemed most disorganized. So Scott, though, an American, jumped into the battle, actually took over temporary command, and organized or-ganized a counter-attack. All the details can't be told yet, but when they are it will be a great story. WHY GIRLS LEAVE WASHINGTON Many young girls who left homfa to come to Washington are now leaving leav-ing Washington to go home. They thought it would be thrilling to work in the capital in wartime, but they are sadly disillusioned. Clerks and junior stenographers simply don't make enough money to live on.' A labor department survey sur-vey indicates that a single person must earn $1,470 a year to live in Washington, at present rent and food costs. Yet there are two Civil Service ratings below that figure $1,260 and $1,440, for clerical arid , stenographic jobs. I Young girls like Washington at first. It's something to write home about living right in sight of the great Capitol dome, passing in front of the White House every day. But the thrill wears off when the boss works them 12 hours a day in a war office, when their feet get tired standing in crowded buses, and when they can't sleep comfortably four in a room. Norah Booth personnel expert in OPA, knows these cases by the score. A girl from Nashville, Tenn., came to Washington last June, thrilled to the eyebrow. Now she is leaving. "I don't know what's the matter with me," she told Miss Booth. "I'm all jumpy. I guess you calj it nerves. It was fun being here at first, but you have to work so hard and pay so much for a room! I'm tired of worrying whether I'll have enough money next week for a new pair of stockings. I'm going home!" ' HOW TO WRITE TO SOLDIERS The army is far from satisfied with the way its V-mail (photo letter) let-ter) service to troops overseas is going. Despite the big advantages of V-mail in the speed and transmission trans-mission as well as guarantee against loss, the general public hasn't taken to it. This is partly due to a misunderstanding misunder-standing of the technique of the service serv-ice and partly to the fact that V-mail blanks have been available only at larger post offices. However, the army Is planning to extend the service serv-ice soon to every post office and rural route in the country. At the same time, an educational program will be launched. Actually, it is much simpler to send a letter by V-mail than the regular way, since you don't have to bother with envelope or stamps. All you do is write your message, with your address and that of the receiver, receiv-er, on a blank form, and fold and seal it. The sealed form goes to a port of embarkation, where it is put through a machine and photographed photo-graphed on a small micro-film roll. Later the roll is printed and developed de-veloped in a reproducing station at its overseas destination. The photo-letter photo-letter is then placed in an envelope and delivered. Since the filming and developing are performed mechanically mechan-ically in the dark, senders of V-mail are assured absolute privacy. Also, they get faster delivery. The army gives priority to V-mail because be-cause of a one-third saving in cargo space. The army postal service es-timates es-timates that 22 sacks of V-mail are equal to 37 sacks of regular mail. However, the chief consideration considera-tion to senders is that V-mail is guaranteed against loss. The original origi-nal V-form is preserved for refilm-ing, refilm-ing, in case a mail cargo is lost at sea. MERRY-GO-ROUND C. Tennessee mountaineer Cordell Hull never forgets. Recently he refused re-fused a job to a prominent New York publisher because some years ago he had signed a petition demanding de-manding that the state department stop sending scrap iron to Japan. C Good sport Evie Robert, after losing los-ing a $1,000 bet that Senator Jim Mead would get the Democratic nomination for governor of New York, telegraphed triumphant Jim Farley: "You sure were right and how! " C U. S. army officials suggest that headlines on American participation in the Dieppe Commando raid were misleading. Our part was insignificant. insignif-icant. C. Various American citizens of Jap. anese descent are urging a second front now and volunteering for froitf line duty. |