Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1944)
Britisher Surprised When Offered US Trip By FLORA FURROW Holding his pipe and looking as though he should be loung ing in a big armchair with slippers, a glass, a book and a dog before some roaring fireplace. Major (“it’s Peter, not Frank”) Ashton, in between sips of coke and puffs on the pipe, answered questions about himself Thursday. “One day my colonel rang me up and asked if I'd like to go to the United States. I said you’re kidding, old boy. He said, no, he wasn’t. So here I am,” the major ended in his British accent, smiling his British smile and crinkling the corners around his deep-set British eyes. “Of course everyone was very "jfealous of me,” the Commando offi cer added, casually easing his feet onto the desk top. “And where did you spend your childhood?” we asked eagerly, making mental notations of his soft plaid linen shirt and tweed suit — for he had discarded the military uniform in favor of civil ian dress. It seems the major grew up in the rural districts “a great deal like the country around here” in southern England near Sussex and his boyh&od was filled with riding horses to hounds, chasing foxes, at -fcending a small private school that “you couldn’t possibly have heard of.” The major’s father was killed in the last war, his younger brother is a lieutenant in southern France —(this with a far-away look in the battle-accustomed eyes of the soldier) and his sister is “working like hell” as a Wren in Britain. During the conversation we found that he landed in New York about a month ago, “saw all the clubs and hotels,” he confided, add ing, “as far as I know” but fin ished with “It got much more colorful, however, when I reached Not Time to Retire . . . Time to Repair DAN WYNN'S Associated Service llth and Hilyard Don't Let Static Interfere with your favorite program EUGENE RADIO SHOP 128 E. 11th Ave. Phone 4954 California." This was accompanied by a blush spreading over the tanned features of the young offi cer, probably in memory of the luncheon date with Joan Fontaine in Hollywood. Besides having luncheon and swimming in Joan's private pool, he had dinner with a fellow-Britisher, Nigel Bruce, and “went to the most incredible party I've ever seen. There were hundreds and hundreds of guests, (this with a wave of the hand and an incredulous voice) it lasted ALL night and everyone was dressed in cowboy clothes. San Francisco is quite the NICEST city I’ve been in.” Major Ashton made several radio broadcasts and spoke to workers in the four Richmond Kaiser yards while in the Bay area under the auspices of the British information service. In commenting on the interna tional postwar situation, the major stated he believed the future peace of the world depends upon America and Britain staying strong and “working very closely together.” He went on to say “I’m a soldier, not a politician” and “say exactly what I think. My opinions are not necessarily those of Britain.” When asked about his own per sonal postwar plans he surprised us by stating “I would like to set tle down on the west coast of the United States.” Well, er, ah, or, why the west coast? “I was just struck with it, that’s all . . . just struck with it.” We were interrupted in the 20 minute interview by a knock on the door. The British major took his feet off the desk, said goodbye and was escorted to dinner by five (we counted ’em) five girls. Letters to the Editor (Continued from page two) wishful thinking <on our part. Our country has done a thorough job of poisoning minds against our enemy, Japan. Hatred destroys the mental and physical balance of a nation and makes a poor founda tion for the erection of a world without hatred. It has been said that “Hatred is a time-bomb that explodes without warning, wreak ing havoc upon the hated and the haters alike.’’ But, if this reconversion is an actual possibility anti becomes a realization in the near future, then I have doubts about the justifica tion of our hatred in the first place. If we can suddenly drop our hatred from us like a mask, isn’t that a pretty clear sign that we were purposefully blinding our selves in the first place? The writer of the editorial said that “University of Oregon stu dents and faculty who knew the Yasui family, Mary Furoshi, Ise Inezuka, and countless other Jap anese-Americans once enrolled here will tell you that they were capable of desires and love and ambition as any other human beings.” If we believed this before the war, or if w-e suddenly decide to believe it after the war, then why shouldn't W'e believe it during the war itself? Why should the principles of democracy and Christianity take a holiday during the time of war? The answer is, of course, just as the author of the editorial stated, FOUNTAIN SERVICE Toys - Candy - Notions Back Number Magazines MAGAZINE EXCHANGE AMERICAN HEROES BY LEFF Wounded in the back by a shell fragment from heavy enemy submarine fire, Charles Richardson, Able Seaman, Merchant Marine, went to the rescue of two severely wounded Navy members when the abandon ship order was given. During the rescue he defended himself and his helpless companions from sharks. He was able to save one of the crew and himself. Decrease the dangers of these men; buy War Bonds and hold ’em. U. S. Treasury Department that in. war time, hate is a neces sity. In order to fight a war we must represent our enemies as murder ers and menacing aggressors, as suming that we are blameless. Then, in order to carry the war to a successful climax, we adopt the same principles as the people we are fighting. We must call them animals, and we must become ani mals ourselves. To me, this assumption that hatred can be donned or doffed at will is quite illogical. Or, if hatred can be thrown off like a cloak, then I wonder if we hadn’t better examine our war psychosis move thoroughly. If, after a war, we de cide that our enemies are human beings after all, isn’t there reason to believe that they may have been human before and during the war as well? And, if they are human, why not treat them as such and elevate our own status as well ? HELEN LUVAAS Globally Speaking (Continued from page tiec) In general, the new charter avoids definitions and notably omits any effort to define aggres sion, or any insistence on the main tenance of the status quo. It leaves the security council free to decide all cases in the light of circum stances prevailing at the moment. The new League would admin ister the resettlement of the peo ples driven from their homes by the war. The world bank, under its control, would loan the occupied and devastated countries the money necessary to get their economies functioning. We hope that the senate this time will not sabotage our adher ence to a world state that is out only hope of prosperity and free- ! dom from future wars. DANCING Every Saturday Night 9 ’til 12 at the EUGENE HOTEL with ART HOLMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA in the Persian Room Join Your Friends Here Quick cafeteria-style service at THE BIG APPLE Sinnott, Buell to Discuss Economic Topic Sunday Bill Buell and Bill Sinnott, sen iors in liberal arts, will debate ti o problem “Free Enterprise vs. Planned Economy’’ at the West minster forum, Sunday, October 2.', at 6 p.m. at Westminster house. All students and faculty are in vited. It is not true that most great men rose from the ranks. Most mil standing men in the past and pres ent have come from well-to-do or wealthy homes. STOP IN AND SEE US FOR 1 THAT f AFTER-CLASS SNACKI * Sandwiches * Cokes j * Sundaes * Milk Shakes * Ice Cream * Hamburgers Lemon-0 Cor. 13th and Alder "DOC’’ IRELAND, Prop. Phone 2717 fTIfflM "One Mysterious Night" with Chester Morris Beneath Western. Skies" with Bob Livingston McDonald STARTING "DRAGON SEED" with KATHARINE HEPBURN STARRING JOAN DAVIS in "KANSAS CITY KITTY"