1936*
It is always discouraging to look for sports news in Richards Vidmers' column only to find the usual "Last night at the Stork Club I ran across. . . opening. So to be perverse I'll open this brief with the remark that a few weeks ago at North Conway I not only ran across, but beered, bowled, and bulled with Larry Jump. I asked him to write me something for the column. He's had experiences which should be particularly interesting to us arm-chair citizens. I hoped that he'd write about those experiences. He didn't. Instead he writes, ".. . . You wanted some padding for the magazine and I think I can obligeespecially since I am so hot under the collar over testimony like our Mr. Lindbergh's. Perhaps a few stories of inside Germany will disclose my reasons for opposing what I consider the very ultimate in blindness and stupidity as exemplified by pur choice little bloc of isolationists." This is opinion, and it may not seem right to devote a large portion of our space to the opinion of one classmate, especially when each other member of the class has strong opinions on the same subject. But Jump's opinion is a reflection of his experiences—experiences which are foreign to the rest of us. It is strong, pungent, and sincere. It'll make lots of you mad—lots of others enthusiastic. No need to mention Mr. Voltaire.
"This nation with every reason to be wide-awake and forewarned is consciously ignoring the danger signs and threats inherent in Nazi Germany. To me, the threat to any nation clinging to a democratic ideal, to the concept if not the practice of world justice, is manifest. Too many Germans and their satellites are being educated to ridicule the notions of 'equality' and liberty' to leave any doubt in the minds of those spectators in Germany today as to the basic aims of the National Socialist Party. Already Germany's contempt for America is tremendous. It would only take a small push on a button in Goebbel's office to immediately switch this contempt to active hate against the U. S. A. Everything is prepared—in some cases the people are already making this shift themselves unaffected by any official effort. I overheard some Germans talking among themselves in a streetcar in Stuttgart. The gist of the conversation was that they'd welcome a chance to repay America for the defeat she occasioned in the last war. Gratitude is an emotion non-existent in the German national heart while revenge and hate, of tener than not arising from a sense of inferiority, are predominant attributes. Another time, while in prison I heard a German soldier shout, watching the arrival of a small detachment of French prisoners—'Die erste schreckliche Teil—damn die Englander und Amerikaner kommen werden!'
"So I see an underlying enmity existing as there has always existed between the Poles and the Germans or between the Italians and the Germans. In Nazi Germany a hatred exists for only one reason- to justify in the Germanized mind a potential struggle between the two races which will inevitably prove (the Nazis believe) the moral and physical fibre of the Germans over and against all others. That basically is why I feel that we should wake up. The U. S. A. is the strongest nation in the world potentially, if not actually. Germany wants to be that herself—hence the clash
"The Wheelers and Lindberghs and Tinkhams would never dare approach their constitutents and say, 'The cost of watching England fall from the sidelines will be a restricted national economy of self-sufficiency which means we draw into a little shell and hope that we can avoid offending anyone outside.' And all this with no guaranty that by so doing we can forever banish the possibility of attack.
This isn't a very idealistic reason for wanting England to win, I know, but because it is true it doesn't necessarily follow that this war isn't being fought for ideals as well.
There are always two kinds of peoplethose who fight for ideas and those who fight or work for food and lodging. This war, even more than the last, is a war for economic strength and ideals both inextricably mixed. That is why I see these men advocating under the guise of 'keeping this country out of war' slow economic strangulation and, eventually, a form of fascism which would permit us to cooperate with Germany, elsewhere omnipotent, as a junior partner.
"This thought is abhorrent to me. There are too many things I don't like about Germany—from the lousy tobacco to the cards and papers you carry about with you, from the dumpy uninteresting women to the overbearing attitude of males toward females. (Do you know that no German husband would be seen washing dishes or carrying packages home?) When I used to cross the frontier out of Germany I would spit, blow my nose (Ed. Note: hold yourhats boys) and etc. just to clear out of my system everything German. The same sort of hills seen from the Bale side of the Rhine looked infinitely prettier. As for the Nazis themselves—they are without doubt the dumbest sort of animal in existence. One cannot argue with a young German; first, because he already knows the only answer —second, because all your arguments are prima facie false since they don't coincide with him. But don't get me wrong. I don't imply that skiing, climbing and beering the Germans can't be pleasant and amusing. This aspect of Germany will always win American supporters for their system.
"Well I'm saying too much, I can see. Just let me pose this question. Why do we spend 18 billions or 28 billions if we don't fear something? Then since we obviously do fear something or someone and it is not hard to see that Japan and Germany are the only possible threats, why do we weaken our investment or, in other words, increase the risk of using all this defense junk, by hedging when it comes to supporting an ally?"
And Jump has more to say, but that's the drift of it and that's about all we can get in now. Larry's address is 99 Warren St., Brookline, Mass.
FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLL
As the reunion committee sat in the Dartmouth Club of New York reminiscing and looking ahead and wondering how many of the gang are married they noticed that five of the seven present were. What's the percentage in the whole class? We should know by June 20-22d when we all traipse back to Hanover. Meanwhile the bells continue ringing. Ken Langler was married in West Hartford to Shirley Fayette of that town Anne Schieferdecker of Pelham, N. Y., is engaged to a member of the Army Air Corps assigned to Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Ala.—a Brooklyn College lawyer by the name of El Doyle
Ted Dearborn will marry Sheila Burgher of Wellesley Hills Doc Vic Kiarsis was married to Barbara McFee of Haverhill, Mass., out in Chicago Bill May has announced his intentions toward Eleanor Sichel of New York Don Andrus was married in Wenonah, N. J., to Olyve Waters of Syracuse with Jim Conkling as best man. Don got a doctor's degree at Cornell Wendell Harding took his bride, Miss Dorothy Brown, in Feeding Hills, Mass., and Hugh Morris Jones "stood up for him." .... And Lawyer Art Greene reports that he dropped down from the North Conway Hills to Brockton, Mass., to stand up for and with Bryce "Mac" McLellan on the occasion of his marriage to Eva Webster.
Report has it that it's all this and Prentice too—but we await confirmation.
Frank Curtis writes from Randolph Field, Texas and corrects one of my many mistakes. Last month I said that he was a flying cadet. On Dec. 20th he graduated from the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, receiving a commission as second lieutenant in the Air Corps Reserve which means at least three years of active duty. Frank is now serving as a flying instructor at Randolph Field and writes enthusiastically about the progress of our air training.
More lucky classmates include Dan Poor, cost accountant for Miralume, Mass., who's engaged to Elizabeth Van Blarcom—same town; Dick Dorrance who has returned from a wedding trip to the West Indies with his bride, the former Marjorie Wooster—N. Y. C. Forgot to mention above that Frank Curtis plans to marry Marge Mansur back in Spencer, Mass., some time this spring. One more marriage—Arnold Hatch to Gloria Moos of Lynbrook, L. I. I might as well be writing the society page for the Times.
Joe Millimet got hot up in Concord, N. H., when some young U. of N. H. graduate expressed the opinion in public that the draft is not justified at this time. Joe took issue and challenged to debate which took place before a large audience in one of Concord's schools. As might be expected Millimet acquitted himself well.
Bill and Doris Crangle boast a small daughter Mary Ellen.
Norb Hofman would like a little help here with his publicity concerning Hanover activities on the above dates. We've got a group of drum-beaters and bell wethers scattered round the country who will sound you out before long. Some of them are Andy Schmidt, Dick Morton, Paul Guibord (ace of the high scoring Boston Olympics), Brint Schorer, Bob Morris, Chuck Delbridge, Ren Ostrom, Steve Stiles, Dave Putnam, Dick Spencer, Bax Fullerton and Charlie Lehman. They'll want to know if you're going to be able to make it for two days of reuning, Softball, picnics, class movies and etc. or if you are going to be really lucky and get back to Hanover for the entire week of Hanover Holiday- the week immediately preceding reunion. Ed Brooks, Dick Taylor, Spike Daniels and Bax Fullerton and fraus are taking over a house in Hanover for that entire week.
Here are some salient features to keep in mind about this reunion.
The committee is really shooting at a low tariff—it'll be even lower if you pay in advance.
There are going to be ample and comfortable facilities for all. We want all wives present and so far everyone we've spoken to is planning to bring his wife if he's got one. Jack Smith would have a hard time leaving the little lady home after giving her a look at Carnival.
If you have any particular friends in '35 or '37 tell them to come on up. They'll be welcome.
You'll hear lots more about this. My main contribution is the news that all those who have written me plan to be on hand. How about some more writing?
Secretary, 143 Sunset Ave., Ridgewood, N. J
* 100% subscribers to the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, on class group plan.
