By Richard Becker
I
Why does the United States government buy bombs from Germany for two
dollars apiece which they sold two years ago for only $1.70? Since we
bought more than five thousand bombs in this transaction, we have wasted
better than a hundred thousand dollars. Why did v;e sell the borriJos in
the first place? I think the Defense Department should have known at
the time that the bombs would be necessary in the war in Viet-Nara. For
what purpose were the Germans hoarding all those bombs? I suppose they
were preparing to launch another World VJar. They certainly weren't
extracting nitrate from them to make fertilizer, as they claim.
I will have to agree with Congressman Ford, who spoke here recently,
that this transaction is evidence of gross mismanagement. I certainly
believe that we must fight the war in Viet-Nam properly and win it. We
can't do this by continuing to throw money down the rathole. If we
paid $2.50 apiece for the bombs, I would have seen nothing irregular.
The Germans, in this case, would have made a sizeable profit, and the
United States would have saved considerably by not having to manufac
ture more bombs.
I understand that the bomb transaction is only one example of mismanage
ment on the part of the Defense Department. Clearly, it is time for an
investigation of Mr. MacNamara and his department. All this concerns
me because I am subject to the draft, pay taxes, and vote.
r - \ r.v ^ ^ I /
■ -/ By VJilliam "Buddy" Williams \
(Editor's notes the publication of student poetry is usually done by
the Colonnades. but we li,ave made an exception in this case to present
to you this sincere and original poem.)
Dearest,
It took a v;hile, but patience is a virtue.
And virtues are always rewarded.
After finding it, I didn't dare destroy it;
But, rather, examined it closely.
First thing I noticed was that although
There are others like it, they are rare;
This, according to the law of supply and demand,
Makes it valuable.
This, though, is different;
It being not of instrumental value.
But, rather, of definite intrinsic value.
Although slightly different from its other
Memloers of the same species surrounding it,
Time was required to weed it out.