Thru the Editor’s Bifocals

By W.F. Cramb First Published May 10, 1945 The celebration of victory has its comic aspects. The people of this country have been waiting for six months to be surprised. We have been all set expecting to hear some day the wonderful news that the enemy in Europe had surrendered.Every time the Russians won a battle orders would be given to shoot off a lot of cannon, making a big racket and wasting a lot of valuable explosives while at the same time the Russian situation is such that we have to gather up old cloths, old shoes and whatever we can spare in the way of garments, to send to the Russians to keep them decently clothed.If the Russians would take the effort they have been wasting making a racket, a Fourth of July celebration out of every victory, and spend that effort mending and making overalls and patching and making shoes, we people here in the United States wouldn't have to spend our time gathering up old shoes and old clothes to ship to the Russians to keep them covered.But of course we are a little more civilized, a little farther along in the evolution of than the Russians. It used to be in this country we celebrated Fourth of July with loud noises and cannon explosions at sunrise and all that. We have got over that, not only because we have become more civilized but because there has been more of a realization of the fact that we were celebrating a victory over our good friend and ally the British Empire.The celebration of the victory in this country has taken a slightly different form this time than any previous similar celebration. Instead of making so much noise it has been decided that we will kneel down and pray.This doesn't take any cannons or explosives, anyway. But who has not been praying for the past four or five years for peace instead of war, for kindness instead of cruelty, for brotherhood instead of enmity?When I say praying, I do not mean you have to get down on your knees. “The wish is father to the thought.” The best prayers are those said without language. The most sincere praying is done by those who try to bring about what they are praying for. So this celebration of V-E day under the modern style is probably the most quiet and most civilized celebration of any similar event the world has ever seen.

Ruth Clara Hummel (née Stevenson)

Corned Beef and Ennui

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