Page Two.
THE SALEMITE
Friday, December 11, 1942.
^alemite
Published Weekly By The Student Body
of Salem College
Member Southern Inter-Collegiate Press Association
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE - $2. A YEAR - 10c A COPY
Editor-In-Chief Ceil Nuchols
Associate Editor Bobbie Whittier
Make up Editor Mary Best
EDITORIAL AND FEATURE STAFF
Music Editor Margaret Leinbach
Sports Editor Sara Bowen
Mildred Avera Mary Louise Rhodes
Frances Jones Doris C. Schaum
Katherine Manning Nancy Stone
Sarah Merritt Katherine Traynham
Lucille Newman Kathryn Wolff
Peggy Nimocks Frances Yeh^erton
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Business Manager Mary Margaret Struven
Ass’t Business Manager Mary Elizabeth Bray
Advertising Manager Betty Moore
Circulation Sara Bowen, Ellen Stucky
WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I SPAKE
AS A CHILD (AND I STILL DO)
When Billy Bob, a small tot of nine, want
ed a “grown-up” bicycle his daddy dogmati
cally rpfnsed him one. Undaunted, the child
quizzed, “Why?” Pop then led the boy to
the ba-ck yard where both gazed upon a wreck
ed, rusty, weather-beaten side-walk bike. Said
daddy, gravely, “Son, you haven’t proved you
could care for a small one. Do you think it
fair for me to buy another?”
A fine tale . . . But, Salem ladies, are we
not comparable to a nine year old son? When
we look at the black spots in chairs, the tid'
bit like holes in the rug; when we come face
to face (yes, usually after breakfast) with the
smouldering butt-filled cups sprinkled lavishly
over the campus living room, aren’t we re
minded of a student body of infants?
Surely if we aren’t capable of a neat,
well-kept smokehouse, we aren’t brazen enough
to request more smoking privileges? Is this
room not adequate until we of Salem cease
to behave in it like the squalor of the streets?
... I believe, Salem; ladies, it is.
—K. M.
THERE’S MONEY—THERE’S FUN
Wouldn’t you honestly like to have books
of your own? More than that, wouldn’t you
like to win some of them? You can if you
want to bad enough. Now that Christmas is
just around the corner, how about that list
that goes home with suggestions! Include some
books on it; and who knows, come next May
you may be the proud possessor of the best
self-library at Salem—and that’s something to
be proud of.
You see it all started two years ago when
the Salem College Library began trying to in
terest girls in books. The best way they knew
to do it was to sponsor a •contest for the girls
with the best libraries of their own. It proved
so successful that they have continued the tra
dition. The lucky ones of last year were: first
prize—Lelia Johnston; second prize—Doris
Shore—this was, open for Juniors and Seniors.
The first prize for the Freshmen and Sopho
mores went to Lucille Newman, and the second
prize to Katie Wolff.
Now if you are a Junior- or a Senior all
you have to do is make out a list of books that
you own which you think would make a win
ning library. If^s as simple as that. Later you
will be called upon to bring your books to
the library to compete for that $15 or $25
prize.
If, however, you are a Freshman or Soph
omore and your mind is not quite clear as to
the type library that you would like to own,
begin thinking and making out a list of
“would haves.” It doesn’t take long before
you have a list that, with an occasional bit of
shifting—may be capable of winning $5 or $10
prize.
Perhaps you think that I’m being too opti
mistic—I’m: really not—for some one must win
—why not you?
—L. N.
9 9t 'UJa4j>...
Well, here we are on this last lap of 1942 . . .it’s been pretty
hectic since last Christmas vacation, hasn’t it? We’ve seen girls mature
into women . . . we’ve seen Salem slowly transcend tradition and get
in the swing of trying to do her part toward the war effort ... we ’ve
seen boys w'e used to party w'ith go off to England and Australia and
Africa . . . we’ve seen, ourselves gradually come to the realization of
ivhat a big job is expected of us. But despite it all, we’ve been able
to hang fairly closely to our “old ^vay of life.”
Part of the old order was the I. B. S. dance Saturday night
and all wo can say( about it is that it was positivelyi filthy out; and that
we present the orchids of the week to Peggy McLelland. In her usual
eager generosity, she played Santa Claus . . . wearing white beards,
calling out no-breaks, and adding general joy to the whole occasion.
But do you know how she happened to fall heir to the task? She had
asked Mrs. Beal to let her go down and watch the decorating , . . she
had watched the; I. E. S. big dogs start to stufE the Santa ... she had
begged to try the suit on before stuffing took place . . . she had fitted
into said costume . . . and she had volunteered for the job. Thank you
for just the right touch, Peggy.
It’s a rare day when we venture as far away as the theatres, but
we resorted to “Tales of Manhattan” last week . . . and mighty glad
we did. Wo find ourselves bound and possessed to state that we enjoyed
it more than any movie since ' ‘ Citizen Kane ”... except for Bette Davis ’
latest. It was artistic and beautifully done . . . but we can’t for the
life of us understand how any of you college women could have been
among those who laughed with thel screen audience at Charles Laughton!
Please say you were crying, too.
Then there was “Remember Pearl Harbor” day. Promptly at noon,
the bell gonged out for all of us to drop our work and observe some
thing or another in silence. Promptly at the ringing of the bell, we
packed up our books and used that as an excuse to depart from class.
And promptly at noon, we spied in the halls one Casserole . . . looking
rigid as an Egyptian mummy . . . eyes closed, head lifted,, and expression
ultra-solemn . . . remembering Pearl Harbor, she said! So we regret
that we’re facetious . . . but, honestly, can anyone explain what silent
observances do for a thing?
J^e Qohi-
En juin 1942, deux ans apres la cai>itulation de Bordeaux, la situa
tion de la France etait claire. Grace au general de Gaulle, la France
honorait toujours la parole donnee £l la Grande-Bretagne. Grace aux
Francis Combattants, la France, dont ils reprfisentaient la personne morale
et 1’esprit de sacrifice, etait restee dans la guerre aux cotes des Al
lies. Gace a, de Gaulle, d’importantes parties de I’empirc colonial fran-
gais—Afrique equatoriele, Etamlissements du Pacifique et de I’Inde,—
restaient dans la guerre et offraient aux Allies des communications a6r-
iennes rapides et suiires. Les 8/ et 0 decembre 1941, des le lendemain de
Pearl Harbor, la France Combattante sc declarait I’alli^e des Etats-Unis
et en etat de guerre avec le Japon. Grace a de Gaulle, dont la vie ne
comporte aucune enigme, le drapeau tricolore n’a cesse de flotter fi9re-
ment et glorieusement sur terre et sur mer, partout ofi I’on se bat. Grace
3. I’example et aux exploits des volontaires a la croix de Lorraine, la
resistance de peuple franqais ^ 1 ’oppression nazi-vichyssoise s’est trouvee
galvanisee, unifriee, orientfee. Les trois principaux groupes clandestins
de resistance “Combat,” “Pranc-Tireur,” “Liberation” reconnaissent
le general de Gaulle commee lour chef et le Comite National de la
France ‘Combattante qu’il a 6tabli a Londres, comme le seul gounernement
fran^ais dont ils acceptent le programme, la direction et 1’autorite. Des
^missaires de ees groupes, echappes de France et venus a Londres con-
fferer avec le Comit6 National, ont appres au monde que les distinct
ions politiques d’avant-guerre n’ont plus aucune valeur: on est, en
France, pour la victoire des Allies, done “pour de Gualle,” ou contre
les Allies, done “contre de Gaulle,” C’est tr6s net. Or les Am^ricains
savent bien qu’au moins 90% des Frangais sont pour les Allies. En
fcons^quence de ce fait indlniable, la plupart des Nations-Unies recon
naissent pout unique gouvernement fran^ais le Comite National de la
France Combattante que preside le general de Gaulle, et ce dernier comme
I’unique chef du gounernement fran^ais. Pour toutes I’Europe, d6s juin
1942, la situation gtait dons nette. II est d6s lors facile de concevoir
la surprise et I’amertume des Franjais Combattants, le dSsarroi moral
des proupes de rgsisance fran§ais, et ausse les inquietudes des groupes
de resistance des autres nations europlennes, devant les consequences de
“1’expedient” accepte en Afrique de Nord par les Allies.
La declaration de President Roosevelt, du 17 novembre, en expli-
qunt et en soulignant ce qu’il y a de tempoiraire et de local dans
1’accord conclu avec Darlan, a contribue S. calmer les inquietudes du
premier moment. II est certain aussee que I’occupation totale, avec ses
exactions et ses repressions sauvages, que la mislre et la famine organ-
isSes par les Nazis partout oi ils passent, que les futures grandes ba-
tailles dont la France est encore une fois appeiee i- fournir le theatre,
que la revolte, les hecatombes; que tout ces couffranees cSreront un
drame d’une horreur telle que toutes les personnalites en seront dominees,
et que finalement la parole restera au menu peuple de France, au
peuple des villes et des campagnes, aux travailleurs pour que de Gaulle
est dSs maintenant le chef. H' se trouve enfin que les groupes de resist
ance qui preparent I’action des populations, sont unanimes k condamner
la reaetionnaire “Revolution nationale” de Petain et £l vouloir une
Quatrifeme Republique dans un idSal de vraie democratie, de lib-
erte individuelle et de justice sociale, en quoi ils se proclament en plein
accord avec le Comite National que preside le general de Gaulle. Le
President Roosevelt a fort justement predit: “Le Gounernement futur
de la France sera constitue non point par une personnalite dans la
France metropolitaine ou dans la France d’outer-mer, mais par les Fran-
5ais eux-mlmes, une fois qu’ils auront ete liberfes par la victoire des
Nations-Unies.” Or les Fran^ais, y compris les socialistes, font con-
flianoe au general de, Gaulle.
ALL WE ASK IS YOUR OPINION
Hmmmmm — so we’re “polling” again!
Yes, sister, and we ’re doing it for your interest.
We tear our hair, lose our voice, and practi
cally get run over while you are trying to
make up your mind. We ask you your opinion
and give you your choice on Tuesday — then
come next Friday night you begin complaining
about everything in general until we get to
you the following Thursday and then—swish,
your mind’s a perfect blank. Oh, it’s a do'^’s
life!
“Whether it is better to be liberal or not
to be liberal” — that is the question. Or as
we repeatedly asked, “Had you rather have
the old or new policy of the “Salemite”? The
question seems simple enough, but had we
asked for the laws of gravity we couldn’t have
been greeted by blanker faces. Honestly,
aren’t you conscious of our paper? It comes
out usually every Friday night. It has all
sorts of interesting things in it—among which
there is an editorial page. This year, more
than in the preceding years, the editorial j5age
has been completely liberal in its ideas and in
its expressions of what we thought to be the
opinion of the majority. It seems that we have
been wrong, for according to conversations of
yours, the editorial page is not the opinion of
the majority. Really, how do you expect us
to express anything but personal opinions, if
you don’t co-operate? We have pleaded,
begged, and just plain asked you to express
your ideas about the paper. After all the “Sa
lemite” is being published only for the stud
ents of Salem College. If you aren’t interested
in it—no one is.
Come! Come! We didn’t mean to scold,
but our hotter side got the better of us. Now
that that little uproar is off the chest, we can
get down to actual facts. It seems that quite
a few of you still maintain the “old regime.”
Now that’s a fine business, if you are willing
to do something about it! Let your feelings be
known! To be exact there were 37 of you
who prefer a less liberal and startling paper.
Also among this same group are those who
actually object to scoops.
Then comes that innocent and rather small
gathering that are strictly neutral. In this
group we also classify the three girls whose
only statement was, “We don’t read the paper,
but if we did, we would prefer the happy med
ium.” That’s what they said! There are 26
others who could never make up their minds,
because they could see no difference in this
paper and papers of the past.
The ,last and largest group consists of
those who are strictly for the new policy. The
reasons are mainly the scoops and the new
editorials that have not been “warmed over”
for a hundred times in the past. There are
113 of you who joined this class.
Well, there you are! Again to those of
you that we missed, leave your ideas in the
Salemite” office. And now, until the next
“polling,” God bless you and give you an
opinion!
—THE SALEMITE STAFF.
live more, four more, three more, two
more—no more days ’til Christmas! With a
feverish song and dance we count the days,
hardly daring to breathe lest we break the
spell and find that we were only dreaming. W’'e
sit staling vapidly, hiding our visions of laden
trees and plump brown turkeys. We remem
ber with a sigh that Christmas won’t be the
same with John and Fred and Terry gone.
Then with a leap our hearts begin to sing again
• • • Christmas, a pagan holiday done in bril
liant reds and greens: a bustle, a hurry, a
flash, and it’s gone.
Somehow today we should know because
by remembermg and by thinking we should
make it not a pipe dream, but a living, every
day reality. Once very ^ong ago in a land
very far away there was a ba,by born; his
mother wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and
laid him in a manger ... and the angels sang!
Today so very far away in a world so very
new may we, too lift up our voices and sing.