Panama

DARTMOUTH-IN-PANAMA WAS born in October, 1942, at a small party composed of Ernesto de la Guardia '25, Harold E. Montamat '29, Lieutenant Joseph M. MacDaniel Jr., USNR (and of the Eccy Dept.), and Ensign J. J. Jova '38 USNR. After comparing notes we found that there were at least eighteen Dartmouth men known to one or the other of us on the Isthmus, and we immediately decided to have a real Dartmouth party. This party materialized on December 17th, and twelve men were able to get away from ships, jungle outposts, and various night watches and gather at the Club Union de Panama for dinner. There was a great deal of (censored) and a good meal. Present were Charles Shaw '35, John C. Ward '35, H. E. Montam at '29, E. de la Guardia '25, Ralph Adams '23, Lieutenant Fred Becker '38, Richard Bee '35, Captain John Jewett '35, Charles Gow '35, Lieutenant Larry Cate '40, J. M. McDonald Jr. and J. J. Jova '38.

Ernesto de la Guardia was elected president and J. J. Jova, secretary. Plans for a subsequent party were made. Thanks to the company, and the air-cooling in the Union Club's bar, we managed, for a while at least, to forget the Tropics and the War and to feel ourselves back in Hanover for the evening.

We started a flood of reunions, Harvard and Yale combining to out-shine us with a joint cocktail party. Not to be outdone, we invited the Princetonians to join with us for a mammoth cocktail party, which we held in February, on the Terrace of the Union Club. There was a moon and the Pacific looked as it does in the flickers. We had to take up two extra collections to meet the expenses, but even the Yale-Harvard ringers that were present were forced to admit that it was the.best Isthmian reunion yet. Many more Dartmouth men turned up—Lt. (j.g.) Oscar Cahoon '35, Lt. (j.g.) C. R. Bensinger '40, Lt. (j.g.) Bob Jones '38 .... and others.

Our next party may be a picnic. Yes, now that Ernesto de la Guardia has been made General Manager of the Panama Na- tional Brewery, I am pretty sure it should be held.

Our Dartmouth population is pretty largely a floating one, but those of us who are here hope to have a meeting from time to time. I hope that any transient Dartmouth men will try to get in touch with Dartmouth-in-Panama through me. I can be reached at Fifteenth Naval District Headquarters, Balboa, Canal Zone, telephone 2-516. We will try to make it a little pleasanter for any stray brethren who may think themselves strangers in a strange land.