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MLADINSKI LIST
A Magazine for SNPJ Juveniles
JUNE
1942
Mladinski List
JUVENILE
IVAN MOLEK -PHILIP GODINA
- Editor
Business Manager
CONTENTS FOR JUNE, 1942
Vsebina junijske številke
STORIES, POEMS, PLAYS, ETC.	Page
Bele breze v Beli Krajini (pesem)........................................10
Čebelice (pesem) ........................................................ 5
Lastovo (pesem) ..............................................-..........25
Ovce na brvi............................................................  5
Samotni škorec (pesem) ................................................   1
Savinjska himna (pesem)........................ -......................  25
Včeraj (pesem) ..........................-..............-.....-.......... 5
FEATURES
Birthdays of the Great Men............................................... 2
Games and Contests....................................................    9
Introducing Book Friends ..............................................  32
Just For Fun............................................................. 8
Origin of the World,	The............................................. 3
Our Own Juvenile Circles of the SNPJ.....................................22
Our Pen Pals Write.......................................................26
Stamp Collecting ........................................................11
Zakladi sveta .......................................................-... 6
Published monthly by the Slovene National Benefit Society for the members of its Juvenile Department. Annual subscription, $1.20; half year, 60c; foreign subscription, $1.50. Address: 2657 S. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, 111. Entered as second-class matter August 2, 1922, at the post office at Chicago, 111., under Act of August 24,1912.
MLADINSKI LIST
JUVENILE
LETO XXI—Št. 6	CHICAGO,	ILL.,	JUNE,	1942	VOL.	XXI—NO. 6
Samotni škorec
0
Katka Zupančič
“Joj se meni, joj se meni!— zame nihče se ne zmeni . . .
Vsi so že se poženili, gnezdece so si zgradili— jaz pa revež sam sem, sam; nič ne vem, ne kod, ne kam.
Kar očesca bom zaprl, pa od žalosti umrl . .
Tiho maček se priplazi, a ga škorec le opazi.
Naglo više se umakne, z jezo žalost si poplakne:
“Ej, tatinski potepuh!
Gladen si in strašno suh; kost in koža—kakor smrt . . . Vate nočem, si pregrd!”
Perjece nato si gladi— saj še konec ni pomladi—.
Morda parček si le najde, preden kresno solnce zajde.
Če pa ne, pa nič zato!
Vse brez njega škorčkov bo!
Če ne bo nič pestoval— bo pa pridno stričeval . . .
Birthdays of the Great Men
~J4arriet d3ecchei' Si owe
Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of the celebrated anti-slavery book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” was born on June 14, 1811, at Litchfield, Connecticut. Her father was a protestant minister and her mother, who died when Harriet was only four years old, came from an old New England family. Young Harriet was fortunate in that the community in which she spent her chilhood was one of the most intellectual in New England.
Harriet was left in the care of her father and her sister Catherine, eleven years her senior, a woman of keen intellect, who a few years later set up a school at Hartford to which Harriet went, first as a pupil and afterwards as teacher. When she was twenty-one, the family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where her father continued his work as pastor, and where the two sisters established a pioneer college for women.
In Cincinnati, Harriet took active part in the literary and school life, contributing stories and sketches to local journals and compiling a school geography. In the midst of privation and anxiety due largely to family circumstances, she wrote continually, and in 1843 published her first book, “The Mayflower,” a collection of short stories and sketches.
Harriet spent eighteen years in Cincinnati under conditions which constantly thrust the problem of human slavery upon her attention. Only a river, the Ohio, separated Cincinnati from a slave-holding community, Covington, Kentucky. Slaves were continually escaping from their masters, and were harbored, on their way to Canada, by the circle in which Harriet lived.
In 1850, when the family moved back to New England, to Brunswick, Maine, Harriet prepared to carry out her mission. In the quiet of a country town she wrote for serial publication in “The National Era,” an antislavery paper in Washington, D. C., the story of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly.”
The publication in book form of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in 1852 was a factor which must be considered in summing up the mov-
ing events which led to the great struggle between the North and the South. The book sprang into unexpected popularity, and was translated into at least twenty-four languages, among them the Slovene. Harriet reinforced her story with “A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” in which she accumulated a large number of documents and testimonies against the great evil. In 1856 she published “A Tale of the Dismal Swamp,” in which she threw the weight of her argument on the deterioration of a society resting on a slave basis.
It is to be noted that nine years after the publication of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” the war to preserve the Union broke out, in 1861. Two years later, on January 1st, 1863, President Lincoln issued the historic Emancipation Proclamation, setting the slaves free. It is also to be noted that a preliminary proclamation had been issued on September 22, 1862, giving warning of the intended measure.
During this time, Harriet Beecher Stowe led the life of a woman of letters, writing novels, of which “The Minister’s Wooing” is best known, and many studies of social life in the form of both fiction and essay. She also published a volume of poems, and towards the end of her career gave some public readings from her writings.
After the close of the Civil War, the family lived at Andover, Massachusetts, and in Hartford, Connecticut. She passed the rest of her life in the seclusion of her Hartford home, where she died on July 1st, 1896, at the age of 85 years, and was buried at Andover.
While “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is not considered a great literary work, it will live as a monument to the cause of human rights. For many years after the Civil War, until very recently, it dominated the stage in a dramatized form.
Incidentally, an excellent biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe, “Crusader in Crinoline” by Forrest Wilson is a 1942 Pulitzer Prize winner. Other biographical works include “Life of Harriet Beecher Stowe” by her son, Charles Stowe, and “Life and Letters of Harriet Beecher Stowe” by Anne Fields.
THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD
You will see how the earth has to turn round at the rate of a thousand miles an hour to bring dinner-time each day; to bring day and night, and weekdays and Sundays. But it would never bring Christmas Day if it only turned round like that; so it has another motion. It goes round the sun as well. It revolves on its axis to bring day and night, but it also revolves round the sun to bring Christmas Day and the changes of the year. Suppose you take the ball of worsted that you have been holding on the knitting-needle, and walk round the lamp with it, still keeping it revolving! There you have the motion which brings Christmas Day.
The sun is, as I told you, about 93,000,000 miles from the earth, and this solid, quiet, motionless, beautiful world has to travel right round the sun to bring New Year’s Day and Christmas Day, and the seasons in their turn.
Now here is a sum for you to do. If the sun is 93,000,000 miles from the earth, how far has the earth got to travel to make a circuit? If you work it out, you will remember it; but if I tell you, it is safe to say that you will forget it. The sun is, say, a million miles across, and the earth is 93,000,000 miles distant, and the earth has to travel all round a circle to get back to where it was a year ago. How far has it to go, and how fast must it travel to get there in time? I told you that it revolved at the rate of more than a thousand miles an hour to bring noon-time to the earth! In order to bring seed-time and harvest on its journey round the sun it has to travel more than—now listen—more than a thousand miles a minute! There are sixty minutes in an hour, and this solid, steady old world has to travel at the rate of 68,000 miles an hour!!!
Can you realize that? I cannot. It is too great, too awful, too wonderful. The weight of the earth is six thousand million billion tons, and it is flying through space at the rate of 100,000 feet a second. It travels at the rate of nineteen miles a second.
An express train that travels at the rate of seventy miles an hour goes only about one hundred feet in a second; but our solid
old earth goes at the rate of one hundred thousand feet a second, or more than a thousand miles in a minute.
It is too awful to think about, is it not? And yet that girl in the bush tells me that she wants to travel, for the dull grey monotony of life is killing her. And all the while she is travelling at the rate of 1,500 feet a second in one direction, and 100,000 feet a second in another direction; and yet she is not satisfied! Is not this a miracle of a world? The longer I live the more wonderful it seems. If I live much longer, I shall not want to die at all; but I hope I shall not object to going when my time is fulfilled, for death comes in time to men and beasts, to suns and worlds, and to everything in the universe. Nothing endures; all is fleeting.
How wonderful to watch the sky on a starry night and sing—if you can—with Essex Evans:—
I marked Orion’s armor glitter cold,
Where o’er white bars the milk-white river runs;
I marked great Sirius flood the heavens with gold,
The sovran of the suns.
CHAPTER IV The Earth's Motion
Before we can really discuss the origin of the earth, we must get a clear idea of what the world is, where it is, and what it is doing. I told you that the earth revolves on its axis, to bring day and night; and the rate of revolution is, say, a little more than a thousand miles an hour. That is wonderful beyond all comprehension. Then, when you have wrestled with that problem till your head is muddled, you have got to remember that the earth is flying round the sun, to bring Christmas and New Year’s Day, at the rate of one thousand miles a minute! The fastest cannon-ball is a slow creeper compared with that, and yet before you can understand what the world is, and how it came to be, you must understand something of what it is doing.
Thus I have told you of two motions that the world has. When you have always been thinking that the world was firm on its foundations, and solidly fixed, the center of
all the heavenly movements, it is a bit surprising to find that it has two very rapid motions. But now I want to tell you about a third motion, which is even more surprising, more amazing, more incomprehensible, than the other two. You will see from this third motion that the question of the origin of the world is by no means a simple one. If you once come to understand what the world is, what the people on it are, and what is our true place in nature, it will not only make you wiser, but it will make you better and sweeter and more patient and lovable. The old Greeks, hundreds of years before Christ, affirmed that knowledge was virtue. And they were not far wrong. One of their poets named Euripides, who lived almost four hundred years before Christ, said:—
Happy the man whose lot it is to know the secrets of the earth. He hastens not to work his fellows hurt by unjust deeds, but with rapt admiration contemplates immortal Nature’s ageless harmony, and how and when her order came to be. Such spirits have no place for thoughts of shame.
You want to know “the secrets of the earth,” and I am glad that an Australian girl, in this twentieth century, has that ambition and desire, and dares to ask about the world, “how and when her order came to be.” I would like to explain it to you in one chapter, but that is impossible. Besides, what you learn easily you forget promptly. Everything in the world that is worth having has to be worked for, and the things you get easily or for nothing are rarely worth having.
What I want to make clear to you now is this: Our world circles round the sun at a distance of, say, 93,000,000 miles. But ours is not the only world that belongs to the sun. There are other worlds than ours, circling round our sun. Some are larger, some are smaller than ours. Some travel more swiftly, most travel more slowly. You can see some of them in the sky sometimes, and they look just like stars, except for this: none of them twinkles!
There are four brother worlds which are visible to the naked eye from this world. One is Venus, a bright planet which is nearer to the sun than we are. Sometimes it is an evening star, sometimes it is a morning star, and sometimes it is out of sight entirely. It
is not a star really, for the stars are suns, burning, flaming gaseous suns, just like ours. The planets (“planet” means “wanderer”) are solid worlds like ours, and are quite black; and you would never see them except for the light of our sun being reflected from them, just as it is from the moon. These four planets are visible to us because the sun shines on them; and in the night-time, when our sun is hidden from us, we can see the planets in the darkness. They are the sun’s children, just as the moon is our child, our planet.
The moon is 240,000 miles from us, and it is a dead world, a slag, a cinder circling round this world. Oliver Wendell Holmes, the American poet, says, it is drifting dead and still, “without its crew of fools.” That is, there are no people on it. We would never see the moon with the naked eye if it were not for the sun shining on it. When the moon is “full,” it rises in the east, just as the sun sets in the west; and we see the whole circumference of the moon, and we say, “The moon is full tonight.” But it is not. It seems so only because it is opposite to the sun. When the moon is on the same side of the earth as the sun, we say there is no moon, but there is: only we are not able to see it. There are really no “quarter” moons or “new” moons or “full” moons at all. The moon is going round and round the earth all the time, at nearly the same distance; but the ancient people thought it disappeared. We cherish their traditions in our language. We have wrong ideas about nearly everything, and that is why we have war and crime and poverty and misery and woe untold on the earth.
(Continued.)
OUR TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY Next month, in July. 1942, our Mladinski List will be twenty years old. There will be no special jubilee issue, but articles and drawings commemorating this event by our contributors will be appreciated if received early enough for the July issue.
DVAJSETLETNICA MLADINSKEGA LISTA Prihodnji mesec bo naš Mladinski list star dvaj ■ set let. Prva številka je izšla v juliju 1922. Posebne slavnostne številke ne bo, vendar bodo uredništvu dobrodošli spisi in risbe, tikajoče se te obletnice, ako pridejo pravočasno.
Včeraj ...	Ovce	na	brvi
Katka Zupančič
Zdi se mi, da bilo je to včeraj— a ta včeraj davno je potekel, ko smo šolarčki v klopeh sed&li in nam je učitelj rekel:
“Bodi kakor morje poln vode—oblak: solnca ugasiti ne more!
Bodi kakor črno brezno—noč: traja le do zore!
Toda ugasnilo za nas bi solnce— če nas pogoltne voda.
Noč se v zoro ne prelije zanj, kogar v temi strla je zabloda.
Zato ne stojte križem rok, ko povodenj vam preti; in čuvajte korak si v temi— naš lepi svet ni brez čeri . . .”
Zdi se mi, da bilo je to včeraj— a ta včeraj zdavna je potekel . . .
Drži pa še in bo držalo, kar nam je učitelj rekel.
Čebelice
Kraj ceste diha lipovka košata, na bero vabi njen obilni med.
Od zore do teme sem šumna jata prileta zdoma pa se vrača spet.
“Čebela, sladka muha, daj mu kruha!” na čelnicah zapisano stoji.
In ves ulnjak, posebno pa Stremuha, le časek zamuditi se boji.
Ze tone za obzorje sonce sveto.
Noči se. Zadnjič odneso še strd.
A glej, po cvetju pne se muha vneto, ne plaši pač je s paše sama smrt!
Sladkobe polna zdrkne onemogla Stremuha pod omotični bezeg.
Ko v nebu sine mednožolta krogla, stre muho to peketajoč mezeg.
“V starini so dejali: Ne lenari!
(mezeg zariga si glasno).
Sedanji svet pa često poudari:
Prevelik trud ti škodi kaj lahko.”
A. Francevič.
Pravljic se nismo mogli otroci nikoli naposlu-šati. Pripovedoval nam jih je kdo od starejših, ki je imel za to potrebno potrpljenje. Včasih že ni vedel več, kaj bi še povedal, a mi se nismo dali ugnati. Silili smo vanj, naj nam pripoveduje še tisto in ono. Ker se nas zlepa ni mogel odkrižati, se je zatekel k zvijači.
“Čakajte,” je dejal, “eno še znam. Lepa je in zelo dolga. Ali naj jo povem?”
“Le.”
“Nekoč je gnal pastir ovce čez travnik. Naenkrat pride čreda do brvi in ovce morajo ena po ena čez. To bo trajalo zelo dolgo, kajti čreda je velika in ovce so počasne. Počakati moramo.”
Govoril je resno, toda na očeh se mu je poznalo, da tu ne bo nekaj v redu. Zaman smo ga nagovarjali, naj nadaljuje. Izgovarjal se je, da pač ne gre, pustiti morda polovico ali še več ovac na tej strani in iti z onimi kar naprej. Pastir mora čakati na vse, mi z njim.
“Ali bo treba čakati zelo dolgo?” je vprašal nekdo, ki še ni razumel, da ne bo nič iz vsega tega.
Tedaj smo ga začeli nagovarjati, naj bi nam medtem povedal kakšno drugo pravljico. Tudi tega ni hotel, češ, da ne more pripovedovati dveh hkratu. Nekaj časa smo se še prepirali, potem smo popustili in se razkropili. Če se je čez čas nekdo spomnil, da sedaj pač že morajo biti vse ovce čez, je pripovedovalec oporekal. Izgovarjal se je na veliko čredo. Če se to ni več dalo, je zaobrnil zgodbo in priznal, da so ovce res že prišle vse na ono stran, toda tedaj se je ena vrnila nazaj čez brv in — ovce so ovce — silijo vse za njo. Zopet stopa druga za drugo preko potoka. Pastir si ne ve pomagati. Čakati mora in mi moramo čakati z njim.
Tako se je nadaljevalo brez konca in kraja. Ovce so hodile sem in tja po brvi, zgodba se ni pomaknila nikamor. Končno je naša radovednost splahnela in pripovedovalca nismo več nadlegovali. — A. Š.
Bik ne loči barv
Tako je ugotovila znanost in morali se bomo sprijazniti s tem, čeprav smo doslej vedno mislili, da gre zlasti rdeča barva tej koristni živali zelo “na živce”. Če smo torej bili doslej prepričani, da so bikoborci španske dežele spravili pri bikoborbah svoje žrtve iz ravnovesja, da so podivjale in se podile za svojimi mučilci, le s pomočjo svojih rdečih plaščev, moramo to prepričanje pač opustiti in poiskati sčasoma drugo utemeljitev. Mogoče učinkuje hrup v areni, mogoče neprestano skakanje bikoborcev pred živaljo, da se spozabi in se zapiše smrti.
ZAKLADI SVETA
Kitajski fižol — soja
Trpljenje in posebno lakota napravijo človeka iznajdljivega. Med najiznadljivejŠimi narodi pa so gotovo Kitajci. Ko so našo domovino pred tisoči leti pred Kristusovim rojstvom še pokrivali pragozdovi in o slovanskih narodih še ni bilo ne duha, ne sluha, so imeli Kitajci že lepo urejeno državo; poznali so številne kulturne rastline in so imeli že krasno tiskane knjige, polne učenosti in modrosti.
Toda v teku tisočletij sta kitajska dežela in njen narod premnogo prestala. Domače vojne, tuji napadi, strašne poplave in druge nesreče so ga mučile in izmodrile. Zelo težko pa je postalo življenje na mnogih krajih vzhodne Kitajske, kjer se je število prebivalcev tako pomnožilo, da so se začeli težko preživljati. Mogoče je bilo to vzrok, da so se s tako vnemo lotili raziskavanja raznih užitnih rastlin in da so že tako kmalu uvedli v deželo riž in druga žita. In tako so odkrili tudi neke vrste fižola, ki ga imenujemo soja.
Soja je mnogo manjše oblike kakor naš fižol; je komaj grahove velikosti, okrogel in različnih barv ter more biti belkastorumen kakor naša fi-žolica, pa tudi zelenkastorumen ali celo črn. Toda prvo, kar je sojo dvignilo v veljavi pri Kitajcih in pozneje pri enako gosto naseljenih Japoncih, je mnogo večja hranilna vrednost, kot jo ima naš fižol. Trdijo, da je treba pojesti trikrat manj soje kakor fižola in že te nasiti. To pa je za tako gosto naseljen narod, kakor so ravno Kitajci, neizmerno važno!
In vendar, kako malo vemo o soji! Ni čudno, kajti Kitajci so delaven in tih narod in so bili vedno srečni, če so jih drugi narodi pustili v miru. V teku stoletij, odkar smo belci v stiku z žoltimi Kitajci, smo se od njih že marsikaj naučili, a v zadnjem času smo spoznali tudi sojo, ki jo uporabljamo na razne načine.
Da smo šele v zadnjem času spoznali vrednost soje, je dvoje vzrokov. Oba sta zanimiva. Prvi tiči v Evropi, kjer smo v zadnjih desetletjih tako silovito pomnožili razne stroje, bodisi avtomobile, parne stroje, razne stroje za izdelavo vsemogočih potrebščin in predmetov, pa tudi letala. Toda stroje je treba mazati, in zato je treba olja in zopet olja! Saj veste, da nenamazan stroj ne teče rad in se povrhu še pokvari. Vidite, in da naši nešteti stroji laže teko, k temu poleg drugih rastlin pripomore tudi soja! Ko so evropski učenjaki spoznali in izvedeli, da daje soja toliko olja, so jo začeli bolje upoštevati in kupovati. Toda dasi so jo Kitajci in Japonci pridelali neizmerne množine, so jo raje sami pojedli — za naše potrebe je ne bi bilo dovolj. Da pa je imamo danes dovolj, temu je pripomogel drug vzrok.
Ta drugi vzrok pa je silno žalosten. Na Kitajskem že okoli trideset let ni nobenega miru. Neverjetne nesreče bičajo deželo in dobro, mirno kitajsko ljudstvo. Najprej je prišla strašna revolucija, ki je vso deželo razklala na razne sovražne si tabore. Vojaški oddelki teh nasprotnih si strank so povzročili neizmerno gorja po deželi. Nešteto
kmetskih domov je propadlo in velikanske ploščine polj so se zanemarile tam, kjer je gospodovala vojna. Toda ta revolucija še vedno ni končana in so jo začasno le prekinili drugi, mnogo hujši dogodki. V oslabljeno deželo je vpadel tujec — Japonec — ki je zanesel vojno vihro po vseh najbolj obljudenih krajih Kitajske. Ogromna država je izgubila velike pokrajine in še vedno ni videti konca te vojne s tujcem.
Najlepši del Kitajske pa je v zadnjih desetletjih utrpel še neko drugo, nam komaj pojmljivo nesrečo, ali bolje: nesrečo za nesrečo — številne velikanske poplave. Iz sredine Azije tečejo preko Kitajske do Tihega oceana velikanske reke, mnogo večje od naše Donave. Spomladi prične pihati od Tihega oceana topel in zelo vlažen veter, ki prinaša s seboj velike množine vode. Ta voda pade v obliki dežja na visoke gore v notranjosti Kitajske in topli veter taja velike množine snega v osrčju Azije.
V	gotovih letih te reke strašno narasejo in zaradi škode, ki jih povzroči najsevernejša od teh, Hoangho imenovana, so jo Kitajci imenovali “Skrb Kitajske”. Ta silna reka namreč teče čez velikansko Vzhodno kitajsko nižino. Prinaša pa s seboj toliko blata, da sama sebi zasipa strugo in morajo njene bregove varovati z visokimi nasipi. Vse to pa ob posebno visoki vodi tudi ne pomaga in reka udari čez bregove. To pa pomeni za tiste kraje, kjer na sami nižini biva okoli sto milijonov Kitajcev, strahovito nesrečo. Ta reka je tako muhasta, da je pred šestdesetimi leti menjala strugo, kar pomeni toliko, kakor da bi Donava, ki teče sedaj v Črno morje, začela teči mimo Ljubljane v Jadransko morje. Takrat je utonilo dva milijona Kitajcev, torej več ljudi, kakor je nas Slovencev. Toda tudi v zadnjih desetletjih je “Skrb Kitajske” večkrat prestopila bregove in potopila mnogo stotisoč ljudi, uničila ogromne ploščine polja in milijone ljudi upropastila.
Vse te nesreče so tako velikega obsega, da mi v naši mali in lepi domovini niti razumeti ne moremo, koliko so v sedanji dobi pretrpeli Kitajci na vzhodni strani svoje države. Pretresljivi opisi misijonarjev in požrtvovalnih zdravnikov nam le deloma pričajo o tamkajšnjih strahotah. Zato je mnogo Kitajcev — trdijo, da mnogo milijonov — zapustilo svoje domove in odpotovalo posebno na sever, kjer leži dežela Mandžurija ali Mandžukuo. Ta dežela še ni bila tako gosto naseljena in moglo bi v njej najti še osemdeset milijonov ljudi svoj dom in zemljo. Ti kitajski begunci so vzeli s seboj le male povezke posteljnine in obleke, in tisti, ki so imeli kaj denarja, so potovali po železnici in po ladjah, vsi drugi, in sicer večina, je šla pa peš. Lačni, bolni in trudni so tavali proti severu in stotisoči so na potu pomrli, posebno ubogi, slabotni otroci. Toda tisti, ki so prispeli v Mandžukuo, so našli tam zemljo in s pravo kitajsko potrpežljivostjo in pridnostjo, ki so jo podedovali od svojih pradavnih kmetskih pradedov, so se prikopali tam v novi domovini do znosnega, nekateri pa kar do prav zadovoljivega položaja.
V	njihovi novi domovini so našli mnogo bolj ostro podnebje kakor v stari Kitajski. Razprostira se dalje proti severu in zima je mnogo bolj ostra. Prične se že v novembru in iz notranje Azije brijejo neverjetno mrzli vetrovi. Reke in jezera zamrznejo za dolgo časa in težka snežena odeja pokrije zemljo. Toda nebo je večinoma čisto in jasno, in če ne bi bilo ostrega vetra, bi bilo mraz še dokaj lahko prenašati; veter pa je vzrok, da ti zmrznejo udje, še preden se zaveš in če nisi previden. Z mrazom se priklatijo v bližino človeških bivališč trume volkov, ki nič ne izbirajo, kaj bi dobili v svoj lačni gobec — domačo žival ali človeka. Kdor pride pozimi v Mandžukuo, ne bi verjel, da je mogoče tam prav dobro živeti.
Pa pride pomlad. Sibirski vetrovi prenehajo in od Tihega oceana zavejejo topli vetrovi, ki prinesejo s seboj dolgotrajno deževje. Tedaj se pokaže izpod snega zemlja, in sicer kakšna zemlja! Rodovitna je in se kar ponuja pridnemu Kitajcu. Le v toliko mu je podnebje izpremenjeno, da riž ne uspeva več tako dobro in tudi za čaj ni prostora. Zato pa tem bolje rode pšenica, koruza in proso, a najbolje — kitajski fižol, soja. Hvaležni Kitajec je sojo prinesel s seboj na sever, da bi laže prehranil družino, in izplačalo se mu je!
Tu na novi zemlji, ki mu ni več tako skopo odmerjena, pridela Kitajec mnogo več soje, kakor jo potrebuje, in v Evropejcu in Amerikancu, ki sta spoznala njeno vrednost posebno za svoje stroje, je našel hvaležne odjemalce. Začel je — ker je dober trgovec ■— sojo še bolj gojiti, in danes je posejanih v Mandžukuu na tisoče kvadratnih kilometrov samo s sojo.
Revni in štedljivi Kitajec se pa še ni povzpel tako daleč, kakor ameriški farmar, da bi obdeloval svoje polje s stroji. Trudi se še, kakor njegovi pradedi pred tisoči leti. Njegov plug ima samo eno rezilo in po polju ga vlečejo počasi voli, mule, poniji ali pa osli. Težko delo, toda glede pridnosti ni kmeta nad Kitajca, ki vztraja pri najskromnejši hrani potrpežljivo in tiho, dokler ni preoral včasih prav ogromnih polj.
Soja je prav hvaležna rastlina in na polju ni mnogo dela z njo. V štirih mesecih, ko soja raste in zori, se kmet lahko popolnoma posveti drugim delom na polju ali doma, nato pa vsa družina vneto pobira sojo, ki jo je na pretek. Sedaj je družina preskrbljena za zimo, če bi tudi man-džurska zemlja ne natresla še dovolj drugih darov. Sojo uživajo Kitajci in Japonci, torej skoraj pol milijarde ljudi na razne načine. Lahko jo skuhajo in jedo kot najtečnejšo hrano. Pretisnje-no in skuhano pijejo tudi kot sojino mleko! Posebno izvrstna in okusna pa je omaka iz soje, ki jo dodajajo drugim jedem. Iz zmlete soje delajo moko, iz te pa razno pecivo. Kakor vidite, že tu soja daleč prekaša naš fižol.
Toda glavno še pride: Velikanski del soje, ki jo pridelajo Kitajci v Mandžukuo gre v Evropo, ki se ne more več preživljati s tem, kar ji daje njena izčrpana zemlja. Pa tudi drugi deli sveta jo jemljejo, in sicer v obliki olja. Olje pridelajo že kitajski kmetje sami. Zato imajo zelo preproste priprave, ki jih sami narede. Najprej namočijo sojo v vodi, da se omehča. Nato jo stresejo med
neke vrste mlinske kamne in tako strto sojo segrevajo in izžemajo v lesenih stiskalnicah. To pa nikakor ne bi zadostovalo za potrebe evropske industrije in zato gre mnogo soje tudi kar surove v evropske dežele, kjer jo veliki stroji temeljito stisnejo in ji odvzamejo olje.
To olje rabijo v prvi vrsti za mazanje gotovih strojev. Toda to nikakor ni vse, kajti to olje je redilno in tudi dobro ter delajo iz njega nekatera važna hranila. Tudi namesto olivnega olja ga rabijo lahko na solati. Iz njega delajo mast, ki nadomešča našo prašičevo mast in celo maslo! Pomislite, celo pravi gumi morejo spretni kemiki narediti iz tega olja; mnogo pa se ga porabi za izdelavo mila, sveč in različnih barv.
Celo kolačev soje, ki ostanejo trdi in izžeti v stiskalnici, ne zavržejo! Nasprotno! Ti kolači, ki jih pač ostane na stotisoče in milijone bodisi v stiskalnicah Kitajcev ali v naših evropskih tovarnah, imajo v sebi še toliko hranilnih snovi, da z njimi hranijo v nekaterih deželah, kjer imajo posebno mnogo živine, a ne zadosti paše in krme, govedo in druge domače živali, ki izvrstno uspevajo po taki hrani, ter imajo nato prav dobro meso in mnogo tolšče. Kjer pa ne rabijo teh kolačev za krmo, pa gnoje z njimi zemljo, kar se tudi zelo izplača. Kakor vidimo, je soja tako koristna, kakor malokatera rastlina na zemlji.
Moderni Amerikanec si je znal hitro pomagati in kar pridela na svojih ogromnih poljih, vse spravi z najrazličnejšimi motornimi vozili po suhem in po vodi na svetovni trg. Kitajec je bolj počasen in težko mu je še danes pripeljati sojo do redkih železnic svoje domovine. Posebno pozimi je težko, ko za toliko časa zamrznejo vse reke. Tedaj vpreže svoje živali, s katerimi ravno razpolaga, v težke, nerodne vozove in pelje na njih sojo, olje in one kolače do prometnih središč. Po silno slabih cestah ropotajo tisoči takih voz, najrazličnejših velikosti, čez zasnežene ravnine. Tudi sani vprežejo v nekaterih krajih v ta namen. Sele ko nastopi pomlad, nalagajo sojo in njene izdelke na čolne in manjše ladje, po katerih peljejo svoje blago do veletrgovcev v večjih mestih.
Odkar so Japonci zaščitniki države Mandžukuo, so se razmere nekoliko izboljšale, v kolikor se namreč prometa tiče. Naredili so mnogo novih, boljših cest in razširili so železniško omrežje, na reke pa so pripeljali več motornih čolnov in ladij. Toda Kitajci ne marajo Japoncev in jim tudi za izboljšanja niso prav nič hvaležni. Kitajci se le težko privadijo novostim in to svojo deloma slabo lastnost so prenesli tudi v svojo novo domovino, kjer žive po veliki večini še po svojih prastarih običajih. Le obleko so morali nekoliko izpopolniti, kajti v Mandžukuu je hujši mraz pozimi kakor na Kitajskem. Poleti na je Kitajec oblečen, kakor nekdaj doma: ljubi moder bombaževinast suknjič in široke hlače. Pozimi pa obleče čez vse to še par hlač in suknjičev! Nekateri imajo sukjiče in daljše plašče iz bombažastega blaga, ki ga pa podšijejo z bombažem, kakor imamo pri nas prešite odeje. To jih varuje hudega mraza. Tudi se v hudem mrazu ogrinjajo s kožuhi iz ovčjih ko-žuhovin. Iz tega si delajo tudi težke kučme, a (Dalje na 10. strani)
JUST FOR FUN
A QUIZZER
Can you locate two points on the Eearth which are exactly 1000 miles apart, but if you travel 1000 miles through the shortest distance, you will be going 500 miles due South and 500 miles due North. Do you know where these points are?
* * *
STATE MOTTOES Can you identify States by their mottoes? This is a real toughie, but you will probably get your own state if you try real hard.
1.-----------------------
Ora y plata
2.-----------------------
Freedom and Unity
3 .--------------------------------------
Virtue, Liberty and Independence
4 .----------------------------
Forward
5 .-------------------------
State Sovereignty-National Union
6 . — -----------------
Ad Astra per Aspera
Imperium in Imperio
*	* *
JUNIOR FIRST-AIDERS
First Aid is helpful for us all to know, even if we are very young, and especially so in this emergency. There are some simple rules that are easy to remember but will aid greatly those who are injured.
The best thing is to call in someone who knows how to handle sick persons, and you should do this quickly. Do not try to treat a person yourself as more harm can be done this way sometimes than if you would leave the person alone.
The first thing you should remember is to remain cool and calm. Don’t get excited.
The next thing that is best is to keep the patient lying down. If the person faints, keep him lying down and allow plenty of fresh air. Sprinkle water in his face to help revive him.
Sunstroke—Loosen clothing. Put patient in the shade and apply ice cold water to his head.
Burns—Apply slightly warm baking soda solution and bandage lightly. In severe burns call doctor.
Always make sure you make the patient as comfortable as possible and that all bandages or other equipment is absolutely sterile before applying to wound or burn.
*	* *
INCOMPLETE
Here’re some simple sentences. Can you finish them?
1. Playful as a------------------.
2. Smart as a--------------.
3. Cross as a--------------.
4. Tough as  --------------.
5. Pretty as a  --------------  —.
By Ernestine Jugg
WAR ECONOMY
How can you do your part to help America win this war? Here are some ideas, but you also have to complete the phrase in order to get the idea. See if you can get them all correct, and how many more ideas you can add to help America towards Victory.
1. Buy War — — — — — and — — —----------------------.
2. Plant a-----------------------garden.
3. Save all------------------material.
4. Walk to conserve  ----------------.
5. Use as little — — — — — as possible for
sweetening your food.
* sje *
TOUGHIES
1. Mr. Novak was hurrying to a friend’s home. His friend lived two miles away. He intended to average 60 miles per hour, but when he got halfway there he discovered his speed was 30 miles per hour. What must his speed be for the rest of the trip to average 60 miles per hour?
2. If Jimmie and Joe start from the same place and travel the same road, Jimmie walking at 8 miles per hour and Joe at 10 miles per hour, in what time will Joe overtake Jimmie if Jimmie starts out 5 hours before him?
# * *
ALL OUT FOR VICTORY
Our house is not the same any more Since Uncle Sam has joined the war;
The reason is quite plain to see We're 100% out for Victory.
Big brother Bill is a Private now;
He looks swell in his uniform, and how!
And sister Ann, a nurse is she
And keeps her knowledge on the q. t.
With Civilian Defense is dear old dad.
He attends the meetings and works like mad;
And mom she bakes goodies for the U.S.O.,
Then helps the Red Cross knit and sew.
And I am left with lot to do To save all scrap and materials, too;
To buy a War Stamp with my dime.
And make the best use of my time.
For to win this war we all must give
So that freedom and liberty can endure and live.
(Answers on back inside cover page)
Justice is the only worship. Love is the only priest. Ignorance is the only slavery. Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make other people happy.
—R. G. INGERSOLL.
MLADINSKI LIST
GAMES AND CONTESTS
MARBLES
Almost every boy and many girls, too, like to play the game of marbles. Simple though the game might seem to the average onlooker, yet it can prove very fascinating to the players and, certainly, it is a game that requires a great deal of accuracy, sharp eye and steady hand, before one earns the title of ‘“sharpshooter”. To be able to hit a marble with any degree of consistency from a distance of five or six feet takes hours and hours of practice; yet, that is an ambition cherished by every boy who plays the game.
There are dozens of different ways of playing marbles and almost as many sets of rules, but here are a couple of styles used commonly, when I was about the age of some of you boys and girls.
In this game, the marbles, contributed in equal numbers by each player, are placed in a small ring, one to two feet in diameter. The first shot must be made from a shooting line eight feet or more away. Each player takes his proper turn and shoots until he misses. The game continues until all the marbles are knocked out of the ring. During the course of the game, each player is allowed to shoot at any other player’s shooter and every time a hit is made, the player, whose shooter was hit, owes a marble. When the ring is empty, another game is started with the players moving up one in the order of turns. Shooting is done with a special larger marble called agates, stoneys, shooters, etc.
Another game calls for a ring four feet or more in diameter, and the marbles are clustered in the center. Each player in rotation shoots until he can knock out no more marbles, or until his shooter goes outside of the ring, in which case the next player shoots.
Here’s how you can have lots of fun playing marbles and you don’t have to look any farther than your own Juvenile Circle to find it. Have you ever thought of staging an SNPJ Marble Tournament within your own Circle? If you feel that you don’t have enough members, who play marbles, to make the tournament interesting and successful, invite your friends who are not members to participate. Perhaps, after they’ve enjoyed one of your tournaments, some of them might agree to join the SNPJ, which is another way of boosting the VICTORY CAMPAIGN. The winner of your tournament, particularly of the open division if your players are grouped by ages or experience, shall be declared the official Circle Champion and by all the rules of good etiquette deserves to be rewarded and honored in true victory style.
You can go even farther with this idea. Arrangements might be made to have several Circles stage similar tournaments and have the winners and runners-up meet for the district or state championship, for example, at an SNPJ Day state celebration. Something else you should keep in mind, and that is that your Circle Marble Champ should be entered in any nearby public tournament. Who
knows, your fellow member might surprise everyone by winning the public, district, state and even national marble shooting title. And why not? Aren’t our boys and girls just as good as the boys and girls in any other organization? You bet you are!
However, even if coveted trophies and championships are not won, here’s a wonderful opportunity of having fun and competition at little or no expense, and loads of good publicity for the SNPJ. Which reminds me to remind you to be sure to wear the SNPJ sports emblem on all such occasions. If you have a softball, volleyball, basketball or baseball team, WEAR THE EMBLEM ON YOUR SHIRT! WE WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE SNPJ MEMBERS AND THAT WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!
KITE-FLYING
Here’s another contest that might be used to advantage, although it’s almost too late in the season to think seriously about it; that’s flying HOMEMADE kites. You might have some doubts on how kite-flying can be made an interesting contest, but it can and here’s how. On a certain set day, invite every member of the Circle to bring his (her) kite, home-made mind you, to a chosen field or park. A committee of judges should be on hand to witness the event and to decide the winners. First of all, the judges shall inspect the kites for construction and neantness of work. A certain number of credit points of excellence shall be awarded for this phase of the contest. They shall, also, judge the kites fof appearance, such as artistic coloring, drawings, slogans, etc., that may be found thereon. Certainly, the letters SNPJ should be on every entry!
Then comes the flying of kites and there’s a trick to this, just as there is in the doing of everything else. The judges, after inspecting the spools of cord (all must be approximately of the same length), stand back and watch every move the contestants make and finally, when everyone has had a fair chance to get his kite high up in the sky (a time limit can be set), they get their heads together and compare points of excellence before naming the winners. Remember that construction, neatness, originality in coloring and drawings, height reached by the kite and good sportsmanship, all will be reflected in the final decision. Here, as in the marble tournament, the winners should be appropriately honored at the next regular meeting of the Circle or at a party, or other special occasion.
There is another feature about kite-flying. After you have let out all the twine you have on the soool, have the spectators write messages of GOOD WILL and GOOD CHEER and send them up to the kite by slitting the notes part way and letting the wind carry them sliding over the twine and up to the kite.
Other games in season, out of which contests can easily be developed among the Juvenile Cir-
cle members, are JACKSTONES and JACKS— also, HOP-SCOTCH. These and other games and contests will be brought to you by the Juvenile Director from month to month. If you have knowledge of any game or contest which you think can be used successfully by our Juvenile Circle members, be sure to send them to him. M.V.T.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE By Thomas Zupan, 14, 546 Forest Ave., Johnstown, Pa., Lodge 82
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ACROSS
1—purchase. 5—freedom. 10—joined. 13—seaport. 14—York Institution (abb.). 15—civil power. 19—form of to be. 20—transport and supply (abb.).	22—protection.	25—sum total.	26—securities. 28—diminutive of father.	30—in	accordance
with.	32—Tellurium	(abb.).	33—young deers.
35—expeditionary force (abb.). 36-—simple presence. 37—a prefix representing in. 38—island possession of Netherlands. 40—pertaining to the fact. 43—and (Lat.). 45—recording by symbols. 47—railway (abb.).	48—-winter flakes. 49—indefinite article. 50—air corps (abb.).	52—tested.
54—nothing. 56—skill. 57-—affirmative reply. 58— statesman’s (abb.). 59—cents (abb.).
DOWN
1—purchase. 2—joined. 3—York Institution (abb.).	4—sum total.	6—-and	(Lat.).	7—railway
(abb.). 8—tested. 9—affirmative reply. 11—transport and supply (abb.). 12—-diminutive of father. 16—Tellurium (abb.).	17—expeditionary force
(abb.). 18—island possession of Netherlands. 21— civil power. 23—recording by symbols. 24—winter flakes. 27—statesman’s (abb.). 29—protection. 31— freedom. 33—pertaining to the face. 34—nothing.
39—securities. 40—young deers. 41—simple presence. 42—indefinite article. 44—seaport. 46—in accordance with. 50—skill. 51—cents (abb.). 53-form of to be. 55—a prefix representing in. 56— air corps (abb.).
(Answers on inside back cover page.)
Bele breze v Beli Krajini
E. L. Gangl
Bele breze, v steljnikih šumeče, kakšno pesem ve popevate?
Vse drhtite od neznane sreče, kadar v sončnem zlatu se ogrevate.
Mečete po tleh hladeče sence, a pod nebesom se toči beli dan, praprot spleta razčešljane vence, mah v počitek mehko je nabran.
A pod večer, ko se zarja niža, v sanje vas zagrinja topla noč — polnočna se tajna vura bliža, praproti donaša čudnovato moč.
Ki si od nje v nedro seme vzame, ni nobene zanj skrivnosti več, saj vse glase njegov sluh dojame: vsaka stvar je modrec govoreč!
Cuješ vse, kaj je in kaj je bilo, kaj se tihotapi v hlev in dom, samo tega seme iše ni odkrilo, kaj da jutro tebi: nado, dvom.
E, moj bratec, steljniki šumijo, dramijo te v dan in v trud in v znoj, bele breze v zori že gorijo — v dalje gre junaški korak tvoj!
ZAKLADI SVETA
(Nadaljevanje s 7. strani)
poleti nosijo stožčaste slamnike, da se varujejo vročega sonca.
Prav žalostno pa je še vedno bivališče teh Kitaj cev-beguncev. V tem pogledu so pač preveč malomarni. Le malo jih je še postavilo vsaj take koče, kakršne so imeli nekoč doma. Običajno imajo danes še koče, ki so jih sestavili iz palic in količev, ometanih z blatom in glino ali pa obdanih z opekami iz gline, posušene kar na soncu. Tla so kar navadna steptana zemlja, ki je v deževnem času zelo vlažna, pozimi pa mrzla. Le papir na oknu in slama na strehi jih branita mrzle zime. Ležišča so kar skupna, in sicer so iz opeke zgrajena velika polica, pod katero pozimi nekoliko zakurijo! — Lahko si mislite, da življenje v takih kočah ni niti prijetno, niti zdravo in le utrjeni Kitajec more vztrajati v njih. Pa tudi njemu se zgodi večkrat nesreča. V dolgotrajnem dežju se premočijo stene — in vsa koča se zruši.
Upajmo, da bodo ti ubogi ljudje, ki oskrbujejo toliko kulturnih dežel z dragocenimi izdelki soje, vendarle počasi toliko napredovali, da si bodo svoje življenje uredili nekoliko bolje in prijetneje.
STAMP COLLECTING
Ahoui India's Stamps
India is a land of inexhaustible riches. With her population of 390,000,000, she has about one-fifth of all of the peoples of the world in an area which is about three-fifths the size of the United States. Seventy-one per cent (270,000,000) are Hindus; 25 per cent (87,500,000) are Mohammedans, and the balance are Buddhists, Christians and those of other religious faiths, and each apparently hates the other.
The Sundras comprise nearly 75 per cent of the Hindus and are of the fourth caste in rank. They are agricultural and industrial workers, and under the caste system no matter what a man’s talent, wish, or opportunity, he is forbidden to change his trade, but must follow the trade of his father.'
The Untouchables are the social lepers of Hinduism. They are known as the 30-foot, 40-foot and 100-foot Untouchables and therefore must keep their required distance from a caste man.
In the United States 94 per cent of the people can read and write, but in India only 12 per cent of them can. While there are fabulously wealthy Indians who wear $100,000 rubles on their toes, there are others so poor that a $1 would be a fortune to them. From $60 to $72 a year is what the average industrial worker earns. Aga Khan is rated the richest man in the world and is credited with having given his weight in gold to the poor.
Brahmans Rated First
The Brahmans are the first in caste and number but 2 per cent of the population. The Kshat-tryias, or fighting castes, are second in rank and are also about 2 per cent of the population. The Banias, traders and money lenders, rank third, and although they are less than 1 per cent, they own about 80 per cent of the wealth of British India.
Mohandus K. Gandhi, leader of India’s National Congress Party, was born a Bania, and although he publicly deplores the caste system, he has never greatly opposed it.
There are three distinct classifications under the postal set-up of India. 1—British India proper.
2—Provinces under British control. 3—the Native Feudatory States. The use of the stamps of “India” is unrestricted throughout the country. In the provinces under British control the stamps of India are used but are surcharged with the name of the province. In the Native States the British government exercises less control. They issue their own stamps, which have franking power solely within the states in which they are issued.
The first general issues of the stamps of India were produced under the East India Company. This was originally known as the London East India Company, which on Dec. 31, 1600, obtained a charter from the British government for the exclusive privilege of trading to all parts of Asia,
Africa, and America beyond the Cape of Good Hope.
These first stamps were issued in 1854, and there were 17 in number between that date and 1860, when the British government took over.
All of these were Queen’s Head designs, as were all of the following stamps until King Edward VII stamps appeared in 1902 shortly after his ascendency to the throne. In fact, all of the regular government issues showed illustrations of the rulers until 1931, when the first commemorative series of six bi-colored stamps appeared.
The Silver Jubilee issue of seven more bi-colored commemorative stamps of 1935 gave additional impetus to the collecting of this country’s stamps, and with the further issue of the 1937-
40	series, with eight of the 18 stamps in commemorative size depicting methods of transporting mail, stamp collectors have given much more heed to India.
There are only six provinces under British control which have used the regular Indian stamps on which their respective state names have been overprinted, and about 30 which have issued their own Feudatory State stamps. Some of these, however, have discontinued their own stamps and now use only the regular Indian issues.
—Clark Collard.
t II i•
ML
PLAYING BALL Drawn by Bill Ballezar, age 17, Butte, Mont. Lodge 249.
OUR SCHOOL
OUR SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT CONTEST
To strive for worthwhile goals not for material reward, but for the enjoyment and self-satisfaction one derives from the doing, is an outstanding achievement.
RULES FOR 1942
1. A sum of $400 has been appropriated for awards for Juvenile members who will contribute to the OUR SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT CONTEST during 1942.
2. All contributions shall be grouped into two classes, LITERARY and DRAWINGS. The literary class shall consist of Letters to ihe Editor, stories, news articles, essays and poems, while Drawings shall include cartoons, games, cross-word puzzles, etc., done up in India ink. Contributions in either Class may be rejected if deemed unacceptable by the Editor.
3. Every contributor must be a member of the Juvenile Department of ihe SNPJ and may submit as many original contributions as is his desire. Each contribution must be signed by the member, who, also, must state his age and number of the Lodge or Circle.
4. All achievement awards shall be distributed after the conclusion of the contest. Two attractive trophies, each emblematic of the highest individual literary achievement, shall be awarded to the two members, preferably a boy and girl, chosen as the outstanding writers of the year. Similar awards shall be made to the two members who shall contrib ute the best and most original drawings. All
WHO'S BABY? Drawn by Benjamin
Volk, age 17, North Tonawanda, N. Y. Lodge 405.
other prize winners will receive other valuable achievement awards designated by the Juvenile Director and approved by the Supreme Executive Committee.
5. A special feature of the OUR SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT CONTEST shall be the "Our Page" section for Juvenile Circles. The purpose of this feature is to encourage boys and girls, who are members of active Juvenile Circles, to work togeiher and combine their written ideas, plans, drawings, etc., under a common heading for the benefit of the whole Circle. The same rules shall apply here as to individual contributions; whether submitted individually or collectively they shall lose none of their value when winners are selected and awards distributed.
6. Any Circle can have its own "Our Page" by enclosing a request to the Editor along with the contributions, and provided that two or more members share in its composition.
7. A trophy, emblematic of the highest OUR SCHOOL group achievement, shall be awarded to the Circle, whose members have contributed the best and most original literary contributions and drawings. Trophies shall also be awarded to Circles winning second and third place honors.
8. To qualify for one of the final achievement awards, members are required to contribute to not less than six issues of the Mladinski List during the year. Three contributions in as many different issues in the same period shall entitle one to an attractive SNPJ Junior pin.
9. The publication of contributions in OUR SCHOOL is not an indication that they will be awarded prizes; contributions appearing elsewhere, either in the Mladinski List or the Prosveta, although intended for OUR SCHOOL, will be awarded under the same rules if qualifying.
10. All contributions shall be judged for originality, choice and treatment of subject, and composition. The judges of ihe contest are ihe Juvenile Director, Editor and Supreme President.
11. Every contribution must be in the hands of the Editor by the first of ihe month if intended for the issue of the Mladinski List of ihe following month.
OUR GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
We are America’s Youth, the golden opportunity of education. In fact, we have the best educational system in the whole world. Here, every child has a chance to go to school and receive an education.
We are preparing ourselves for a better tomorrow. For we all know that nothing is perfect and with each generation come new problems which must be met in order to make the world a better place in which to live.
We have a free country of the people, jor the people, and by the people. To keep it this way we should carry out “The American Creed.”
“I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by the people, and for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a perfect union, one and inseperable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.
“I, therefore, believe it is my duty to my country to love it, support its Constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies.”
This we must do at all times. But particularly now when our country is fighting the ruthless aggressors who would destroy our democracy and freedom. We must all help to defeat our enemies and to preserve our cherished liberties.
MARY STRIMLAN, 16, lodge 386 Box 24, Library, Pa.
*
GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR
General Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander of Allied Forces in the Pacific area, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1880. In 1903, at the age of 23, he graduated from West Point at the head of his class with the highest scholastic record in 25 years.
After West Point the young officer served as aide to his father, who was an observer in Japan during the Russo-Japanese war, and as an aide to President Theodor Roosevelt in Washington. He served with Funston at Vera Cruz in 1914, where he successfully reconoitered behind enemy lines.
In 1918, at the age of 38, he was the youngest division commander in the army of the A. E. F. in France. At 40 he was made commander of West Point. His job was to streamline the Academy to the technique of modern war. He became Chief of Staff at 50, the youngest full general in American history.
In the fall of 1935, Philippine President Quezon approached MacArthur with the idea of coming to the Islands as military adviser, and he accepted. His fondness for the Filipinos was lifelong and genuine. This year, his heroic defense of the Philippines made MacArthur one of the ten world famous generals.
MacArthur is more than a great general. What has captured and held the world’s rapt attention is something more than his military genius and
efficiency. It is his ability to see beyond the moment and grasp and state what arouses men to heroic action.
General Douglas MacArthur is now 62 years old. He is known as the hero of Bataan in the Philippines. At present he is in Australia from where he directs the Allied Forces against the treacherous Japs. It is the duty of every American to help win the war in whatever capacity he can.
VERA BOZANIC, 13, lodge 393 R. D. 3, Worcester, N. Y.
*
OUR WAY OF WAR
We all know that the fact is We are going to smash the Axis.
To this we all as one agree For it will make the world free.
We will fight and keep on Fighting, as we did on Bataan.
Gen. MacArthur is a national hero,
We all know what he’s doing to the foe.
We will defend our rights with taxes,
Our boys will do the rest to the Axis.
After the war we will be mighty happy Still to live in the land of liberty.
LOUIS NOVAK, 13, lodge 490 9118 Burley Ave., Chicago, 111.
*
V	FOR VICTORY
A stamp a day will keep defeat away.
Lick the Japs by licking the stamps.
Lick the Japs by buying U. S. War Stamps and Bonds today and every day.
Let’s do all we can to help our country in its fight against the Axis.
HELEN MANCE, 14, lodge (?)
Box 341, Cokeburg, Pa.
*
WORLD EVENTS
Here are some world events that took place in the month of May in different years. (Since I mailed my letter on April 9, I know it was too late for the May issue, because the deadline is on the 1st of each month.)
1898—Dewey’s victory at Manila.
1901—Civil government established in Philippine Islands.
1847—American Medical Society founded in Philadelphia.
1607—Jamestown, Va., founded.
Drawn by Jimmie Spendal, age 14, Clinton, Ind. Lodge 50.
1848—Wisconsin admitted to the Union.
1788—So. Carolina admitted to the Union.
1858—Minnesota admitted to the Union.
1889—Johnstown flood—2259 lives lost.
RUTH BROCKMAN, 12, lodge 89 Box 37, Midway, Pa.
»
MORE JOKES
Boarder: “It’s disgraceful, Mr. Skinner. I’m sure two rats were fighting in my bedroom last night.”
Mr. Skinner: “So! What do you want for $3 a week, Mexican bull fight!”
Customer: “There’s a fly in my nut sundae.”
Waiter: “Let him freeze! That will teach him a lesson! The little rascal was swimming around in a man’s soup last night.”
An old man in the movies was looking for something he had dropped and was making a terrible commotion about it. A lady sitting next to him asked: “What are you looking for?”
“A carmel,” he answered. The lady said, “Are you making all that fuss over a carmel?”
“Yes, madam,” he replied, “my teeth are in it.”
HELEN MANCE, 14, lodge (?)
Box 341, Coceburg, Pa.
DANCING
Drawn by Bill Ballezar, age 17, Butte, Mont. Lodge 249.
MERRY TUNE IN JUNE
The best month in the year is June,
Then we all sing a merry tune.
School lets out; it’s vacation time,
We all go fishing with a pole and line.
The hills and dales all ring with song,
The boys and girls all rush along.
Swimming days will soon be here And everyone is full of cheer.
We all go barefooted and have some fun, Wading is enjoyed by everyone.
So now I say as I end this rhyme,
Hurrah, Hurrah for the summer time!
VIRGINIA BARTON, 13, lodge 89 R. D. No. 4, McDonald, Pa.
*
OUR COUNTRY
In the U. S. A. every patriot Should love his country a lot,
And also love his flag so true,
Made of the Red, White and Blue.
The flag, the symbol of our land,
The symbol of freedom to every man.
It is the flag I truly love,
Fluttering in the breeze above.
VIRGINIA BARTON, 13, lodge 89 R. D. No. 4, McDonald, Pa.
*
HOW THE CONTINENTS AND COUNTRIES GOT THEIR NAMES
Africa—The name of Africa, “The Dark Continent,” comes from a Phoenician word, “afri,” meaning a black man or else a wanderer.
America—When Columbus discovered America, the continent had no name. He thought that he had reached a western part of India, so he called the islands in the Caribbean Sea the West Indies. The people he called Indians, and to this day the natives of America are called Indians. The name America came from Amerigo Vespucci, a traveler from Florence, who visited the country after Columbus and wrote a description of it.
Asia.—The oldest continent known to man is Asia. It is supposed that man first made his appearance on the earth in Asia, and spread from there into other parts of the world. “Asia” comes from the Sanskrit word “Ushas” which means “land of the dawn,” a very good name for what was probably the birthplace of the human race.
Australasia—In this name we include Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Fiji, and other islands. Australia was called New Holland by the Dutch, who discovered it in 1606. Australia means “south,” so Australasia really means Southern Asia.
Europe—The name of this continent is derived from Greek words which mean “the broad face of the earth” or also from a Hebrew word meaning “the land of the setting sun.” The ancient people of the East knew that the sun set in the West and so might have called it the land where the sun set.
England—The name really means “land of the Angles,” the people who came over from the continent and conquered the country in the fifth
century. England is still called “Angleterre,” which means “Angleland,” by the French.
India—means the country through which the .River Indus runs.
Holland—is a modern spelling of “Ollant,” the Danish name, meaning “marshy ground.”
Russia—takes its name from the Russ, a tribe by which the land was seized long ago.
Czechoslovakia—means the land of the Czechs and Slovaks, the former also known as Bohemians and their country Bohemia.
Jugoslavia—means the land of the Southern Slavs, “Jugo” meaning “South.”
Japan—The Japanese name for their country is Niphon or Nippon which means “land of the rising sun.” Our word, Japan, is the result of a mistake of early travelers to the East.
France—was formerly called Gaul, but the Franks conquered the land and called it France or “Frankreich.”
VERA BOZANIC, 13, lodge 393
R. D. 3, Worcester, N. Y.
*
AN HONEST EFFORT
I think I shall write a poem,
But hmm, what about its omen?
To write about birds or trees,
Or about the bugs and bees?
You know, they say it’s easy,
Provided you are not too busy.
If I want to write a good line,
I must get the words that rhyme.
To write about the people I see,
Or just about plain you and me?
They say: “Use any word at all,
It can be either big or small.”
Why look! I’ve got a poem done,
’Twas easy and I had much fun.
And all the words rhyme; they do,
If I can do it—so can you!
SYLVIA ZUPANČIČ, age 16, lodge 118 4525 Friendship Ave.., Pittsburgh, Pa.
*
HOME DEFENSE
In all the big cities and small towns, Home Defense precautions have been taken to protect them. Defense meetings have taken place and first aid lessons have been given. The following are some of the services under Civilian Defense: Medical Corps composed of doctors and nurses. Road Repair Crew who repair all damages made by bombs in the roads. Auxiliary Firemen who assist the regular firemen in fighting fires. Air Raid Warden who sees that the people in his district keep off the streets and keep their lights off and see that their cars are parked during blackout. Eetc., etc.
All these services are voluntary and thousands of men and women have been volunteering since the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
VIRGINIA BARTON, 13, lodge 89 R. D. 4, McDonald, Pa.
THE LURAY CAVERNS
The beautiful Luray Caverns, Luray, Virginia, were formed under a great hill in the Shenandoah Valley. This hill has an elevation of about 1,200 feet above sea level; and rises about 200 feet above the surrounding valley. It has been known as “Cave Hill” from an early day, because of a smaller cave variously called “Ruffner’s Cave” or “The Old Cave,” which has been known since pioneer times.
Andrew Campbell and Benton Stebbins, of Luray, became convinced from the structure of Cave Hill and certain geological evidences that a larger cave might exist under Cave Hill. Accordingly, in 1878, inviting William Campbell, also of Luray, to join them, they began a careful exploration of the surface of the hill. After much search in an old sinkhole, among briars and fragments of stone, they found a place where cool air came through the crevices in the rocks, escaping into the warmer outside atmosphere. They correctly judged this to be an indication of a cavity underneath containing a body of air cooled to earth temperature.
At this point they dug until they opened into a fissure large enough to permit entrance. Andrew Campbell was lowered by a rope into the dark and mysterious Chambers of Silence. When finally he found a foothold and looked about him, his dim candle revealed unexpected splendors,
A SKETCH
Drawn by Eleanore Krasovic, age 16, San Francisco, Cal. Lodge 304.
BEAUTY
Drawn by Bill Ballezar, age 17, Butte, Mont, Lodge 249.
and he knew that their dreams had come true. This was August 13, 1878. Then followed patient and long-continued explorations, until nearly three miles of underground passage was discovered. This cave is more than three times as large as any other cave in this country east of Kentucky.
The Caverns consist of many large rooms connected by natural corridors, or passage ways. These do not lie in a straight-away course, but radiate from a central course. A small map of the Cave would look like a spider web. Yet the tour requires no retracing of steps. The route is continuous through circuitous leaving Entrance Hall by an avenue to the right and returning by another avenue to the left.
FRANCES R. M. ZITKO, 14, lodge 223 P. O. Box 562, Greensburg, Pa.
*
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRPLANE
The airplane is the only form of heavier-than-air craft that has advanced beyond the experimental stage. It is supported in the air by rigid wings, whereas two other forms of heavier-than-air craft, still experimental, are supported by moving wings.
In the second case of arnithopter, the wings flap like those of the bird. The wings of the helicopter rotate like the paddles of a side-wheel
steamer. The autogyro, which has become a familiar object to students and patrons of aviation, is an adaptation of the helicopter and holds promise of startling developments.
Two names lead all the rest when the whole, thrilling story of flight by man is told. Two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, are the men who finally achieved success in securing actual flight of a man-carrying airplane.
ERNESTINE MOČIVNIK, 14, lodge 24 P. O. Box 86, Jenny Lindj Ark.
*
AGRICULTURE
Although agriculture—the art or science of the production of crops and livestock—has been practiced since the late Stone Age, more progress has been made in the last two centuries than in all thousands of years preceeding.
A stick was the first hand tool used to scratch the surface of the ground by the plowman while the oxen dragged it ahead, that was the first plow.
Planting and reaping machinery were developed slowly. For reaping, the early American settlers used the hand scythe. Later came the cradle, which was simply a scythe equipped with a holder to hold the cut grain. Crude horse rakes were used as early as 1812, and treshing machines driven by hand power had been introduced by 1802. The cultivator began to replace hoes about 1820.
Agriculture is the oldest of our industries.
Submitted by ERNESTINE MOČIVNIK, 14, lodge 24 P. O. Box 86, Jenny Lind, Ark.
*
BRAZIL, OUR SOUTH AMERICAN NEIGHBOR
Brazil is a large beautiful country lying in the eastcentral part of South America. Its population, which consists of over forty-four million people, boats of many different languages. The main tongues spoken however are Portuguese, Spanish and Italian. Many of the original Indians having become intermarried with the whites, add to the mixed population. The negroes, emancipated in 1871, pure bred and mixed, are found in large numbers.
Unlike our four different seasons a year, Brazil has two distinctly marked seasons, the wet and the dry. During the wet season it rains almost incessantly causing the air to become steamy and warm, while during the dry season the sun with its intense drying heat makes the people feel lazy and shiftless.
The climate has not led the people, however, to cease the progressing of their industries. Agriculture is the leading industry and coffee is the greatest product, three-fourths of the world’s supply coming from Rio de Janeiro and other states around it. Sugar and tobacco, two other products, are also widely cultivated. Cotton is raised extensively in the region bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Mate or Paraguay tea, used as a beverage by over one fourth of the people in South America, is also an important product. Other products raised are cacao, sugar, wheat, etc., which constitute part of its agricultural output.
The forests of Brazil are of great value, although but little developed. Rubber is a large item of export and is chiefly produced in the Amazon Valley. Nuts, vegetable wax, palm fiber, rosewood, dyewoods, medicinal leaves and resins are among other products obtained.
Although the country is rich in gold and other precious metals, minerals are developed only to a fair extent. Diamonds, coal and manganese are worked and the major quantities of the world’s supply of monozite comes from Brazil. Iron and copper ores, platinum, and mica are also found. VIDA MARTINČIČ, 14, lodge 138 Box 684, Highland Ave., Canonsburg, Pa.
APPLES—IMPORTANT FRUIT
The apple is the king of fruits, and it has been cultivated since earliest times of which we have any knowledge. It may surprise you to learn that the apple tree belongs to the great rose family, as do also the peach, cherry, plum and many other fruit trees.
No other fruit can be cultivated over so wide an area of the globe, and none is grown so far north. In Europe there are apple orchards in Scandinavia, and as far south as the mountain regions of Spain. In North America apples are cultivated from New Brunswick to the mountains of Georgia, and from British Columbia to the mountains of Mexico.
Apple trees were brought to this country about 1629 by one of the governors of the Massachusetts Bay colony, although native species of wild crabapples have been found in America. As the colonists worked their way westward they planted apple orchards, and Johnny Appleseed earned name and fame by planting apple seeds wherever he found a fertile well-watered spot.
GEORGIE MARIE MOČIVNIK, 10, lodge 24 P. O. Box 86, Jenny Lind, Ark.
*
PICTURESQUE SPEECH AND PATTER
The following lines were taken from Reader’s Digest:
Time had crumpled the old man’s face.
Toast to the Japanese navy: “Bottoms up.”
The moon is a gardenia in the night’s buttonhole.
Courage is fear that has said its wish.
It is said that woman’s mind is cleaner than a man’s, because she changes it more often.
And here is a short story in verse form:
Warm winds are blowing through the trees, tiny buds of flowers are swaying in the breeze. Spring is in the air, it is visible everywhere.
FRANCES STAMBAL, 16. lodge 262 1084 Sherman Ave., Sharon, Pa.
*
THE BIOGRAPHY OF A HERO
This is the story of General MacArthur. In reality it is not a story but a bigraphical sketch.
General Douglas MacArthur was born on an army post in Arkansas, on January 20, 1880. His father, Lieutenant-General Arthur MacArthur, a Civil War and Spanish-American War hero, was military governor of the Philippines forty years
SO ENDS THE SCHOOL . . .
Drawn by Benjamin Volk, age 17, North Tona-wanda, N. Y. Lodge 405.
ago. Douglas MacArthur, his son, naturally attended West Point Military Academy. He graduated in 1903 with the highest scholastic honors any man had received in 25 years. His later career was one of the most outstanding ever known.
For two years MacArthur served as the youngest superintendent in the history of West Point. When the war broke out in 1914, he was a colonel and later commander of the 84th brigade of the famous Rainbow Division. He led his men with amazing courage and skill. At the end of the war he was the youngest and most decorated Brigadier General in the U. S. Army. He had nineteen medals for heroic achievements.
In 1927, MacArthur, then a Major General, was assigned the position of commander of the Philippine Department. In 1930 he was appointed full General and Chief of Staff (the youngest known in American history). When he retired in 1936, he returned to the Philippines where he was made a field marshal. The danger of war made it necessary for the President to appoint MacArthur in command of all U. S. armed forces in the Far East. While he was still strenghtening the Philippine Islands’ defenses, Japan struck. In spite of not being thoroughly prepared for an invasion, the islands were defended by its citizens.
We all know that as commander of a little band of Filipino and American soldiers, MacArthur completely outsmarted the Japanese troops. He may suitably be called “Hero of Heroes.”
Gen. MacArthur is now in Australia where he is displaying more of his outstanding heroism com-
manding troops in Australia. This international hero’s courage is not unusual, since he has come from a courageous family. For his splendid service to his country, he is greatly honored and respected by every citizen of every Allied nation.
Let us hope that with his ability and with the ever-increasing war production, General Mac-Arthur will soon be in position to chase the enemy from the South Pacific.
EVELYN TERSELIC, 12, lodge 39 2714 S. Homan Ave., Chicago, 111.
*
BIRTH OF OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM
No anthem ever written has a more historic, inspiring, and patriotic setting than “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which was composed in 1814 when the United States and England were at war. After the British redcoats had burned Washington, the enemy moved on Baltimore, where the soldiers were to attack by land while a powerful British fleet formed for action off Fort Henry, at the water gates of the city. All during the night of September 13-14 the entire fleet concentrated its fire on the Fort, from whose flagpole flew the Star-Spangled Banner.
Francis Scott Key, from the District of Columbia, was held as captive on one of the British warships. As the battle raged throughout the night, in silence and darkness he paced the deck of the ship, wondering whether the Flag he had seen when the fight began was still flying over the Fort. It was for him a harrowing night.
At last came the break of day. With strained, eager eyes, through the early morning mist, he saw the Flag was still there. In patriotic exultation Francis Scott Key, writing on an envelope he had found in his pocket, poured out of his soul the inspiring words of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which later were set to music.
Thus the song went forth to sing itself into the hearts of the living generation and of generations to come.
“O say, can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watch’d, were so gallantly streaming?”
ZITA BOZANIC, 15, lodge 393,
R. D. 3, Worcester, N. Y.
*
FLAG DAY
Flag Day is observed annually on June 14. This date is the anniversary of the adoption of the Flag of the United States in 1777. It is now quite generally observed as Flag Day.
There are many persons who, in all sincerity, claim the credit of having originated Flag Day. Some of these claimants did do commendable and serious initiative work locally, and were honest in their belief that they had originated Flag Day. But they were in ignorance of the fact that patriotic individuals and organizations in other parts
of the United States had started similar work years earlier.
June 14 was definitely established as Flag Day by a Proclamation of President Wilson, issued May 30, 1916, in which he. said, in part:
“It has, therefore, seemed to me fitting that I should call your attention to the approach of the anniversary of the day upon which the Flag of the United States was adopted by the Congress as the emblem of the Union, and to suggest to you that it should this year and in the years to come be given special significance. . . .
‘ I therefore suggest and request that throughout the nation, and, if posible, in every community, the fourteenth day of June be observed as Flag Day with special patriotic exercises, at which means shall be taken to give significant expression to our thoughtful love of America .... our
determination to make it greater and purer ”
The above Proclamation of President Wilson was the culmination of a quarter of a century of separate and connected efforts by individuals and organizations in different parts of the country in the interest of the observance of June 14 as Flag Day.	HELEN	BOZANIC,	16,	lodge	393,
R. D. 3, Worcester, N. Y.
*
PONY EXPRESS
The pony express was a system of carrying overland mail in which American fleet horses were used. This service began in 1860, between St. Joseph, Missouri and San Francisco, California, a distance of about 2000 miles.
The celebrated Pony Express was started just before the Civil War, the time schedule being
SPRING ENSEMBLE Drawn by Norma Sca-vina, age 13, Trinidad, Colo. Circle No. 20.
eight days. The service was carried on by relays of horses, with stations 25 miles apart. The charge made for service was $2.50 per V2 ounce. The completion of the Pacific Telegraph Company line in 1861 was followed by the discontinuance of the regular service.
The Pony Epress stations were established by Wells, Fargo & Co. Each rider was supposed to cover 75 miles every day. Eight days were allowed for the conveyance of a letter between extreme points of the route. There were 80 riders, about 400 horses, and over 300 station keepers and assistants.
Indians frequently attacked the stations and poney express riders, making it risky for the sta-tionkeepers and riders, also delaying the mail service. Many interesting tales were handed down by these brave pioneers.
This service, as stated above, was discontinued because the telegraph line was completed in 1861 and because of the stagecoach coming into existence.
The fastest trip ever made by pony express was when Lincoln’s first inaugural address was carried overland. It took approximately 7 days and 17 hours.
This service, which was in existence but one year, is very contrasting to the modern postal system of today.
AGNES SALOUM, 14, lodge 89,
R. D. No. 1, Bulger, Pa.
*
A LITTLE ABOUT INDIA
India, a “heart-shaped” country, belongs to Britain and has a population of approximately 387,000,000. East, off the coast of India, is the Bay of Bengal, and west is the Arabian Sea.
India is a very divided country. The two main religious groups are the Hindus and the Moslems or Mohammedans. The former are divided in classes or castes with lower and higher castes.
The two India leaders are Nehru and Gandhi.
NIAGARA FALLS Drawn by Eugene Skoff, age 17, Cicero, 111. Lodge 559.
Some of the more important cities of India are Delhi, the capital, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Ko-rachi and Lahore. They are all fortified. The two most important rivers of India are the Ganges and the Indus. Some of the products are tea, silks, rice, cotton, wheat, spices, jute and rubber.
Early in April of this year, Stafford Cripps, a member of the Birtish War Cabinet, went to India to win her cooperation. India wants its independence now, but Britain wants to give it after the war. Nevertheless, it is hoped that India will fully cooperate with the British against our common enemy—Japan.
FLORENCE ALICH, 15, lodge 111, Box 607, Aurora, Minnesota.
*
SUMMER'S SCENERY
Summer brings beautiful scenery,
Green grass and colored flowers,
Budding trees with a clear, blue sky,
Blue lakes with little islands,
Mountains with snow-capped peaks,
And orchards in blooming colors,
All these pictures come with summer,
And bring happiness to everyone.
FLORENCE ALICH, 15, lodge 111, Box 607, Aurora, Minnesota.
*
HISTORIC EVENTS IN JUNE
June 1, 1792—Kentucky became a state.
June 3, 1808—Jefferson Davis born.
June 7, 1776—Resolution of Independence.
June 8, 1845—Andrew Jackson died.
June 14, 1811—Harriett Beecher Stowe born.
June 16, 1845—Texas annexed to U. S.
June 19, 1619—First Virginia Assembly.
June 20, 1542—De Soto, explorer, died.
June 21,  Summer begins at 7:17 p. m.—
Father’s Day.
June 26, 1873—Typewriter invented.
June 6, 1755—Nathan Hale, patriot, born.
June 8, 1772-—Robert Stevenson, inventor, born.
ANNIE ČRETNIK, 15, lodge 24,
R. 2, Box 425, Ft. Smith, Ark.
*
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
1—Which is farther south—Florida, Texas or California? 2—What two American Presidents died on the same days? 3—How long is a lion? 4—What important battle in American history was fought after peace was signed? 5—What color are sugar beets? 6—What American president was son of another president? 7—What American president was grandson of another president? 8— Who was the first American President born a citizen of the United States? 9—What animal is the greatest jumper, and how far can it jump? 10—What two states of the Union are bounded by the largest number of states? 11—How does a cricket sing? 12—What animal has one horn? 13 —Name the six wars in which the U. S. has been engaged?
14—What weapon comes back? 15—How much water is there in a watermelon? 16—What country occupies one-sixth of the land of the world?
17—Who wrote “The Raven”? 18—What is the capital of Australia? 19—What grass is as tall as a fifteen-story building? 20—What is the capital of Switzerland? 21—What is the largest city in Canada? 22—Where is the American Unknown Soldier buried? 23—What President bought Louisiana? 24—What is the capital of North Dakota? 25—What is the highest dam in the world?
Answers: 1—Florida. 2—John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. 3—Ten feet from nose to tail tip. 4—New Orleans Jan. 8, 1815.	5—White or pink.
6—John Quincy Adams. 7—Benjamin Harrison.
8—Martin Van Buren. 9—The jumping hare can leap as much as twenty feet. 10—Missouri and Tennessee are both bordered by eight states. 11 ■—By scraping his wings together. 12—The Indian rhinoceros. 13—The Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War.
14—The boomerang. 15—92.4%.	16—The U. S.
S. R. (Russia). 17—Edgar Allan Poe. 18—Canberra. 19—Bamboo. 20—Bern. 21—Montreal.
22—Arlington Cemetery, Va. 23—Thomas Jefferson. 24—Bismarck. 25-—Boulder Dam.
LOUIS NOVAK JR., 13, lodge 490,
9118 Burley Ave., Chicago, 111.
*
THE HUMAN BODY AND A LOCOMOTIVE
It is interesting to note that the human body somewhat resembles a steam locomotive. For example:	both	are	composed of many parts and
both must be fed fuel.
The sources of these fuels are the same (carbon dioxide and water which were originally combined in the coal for the engine or in the bread for the body). Both carry on oxidation within their structures. Both produce carbon dioxide and water as wastes.
Finally, both release heat and energy, both do work, both wear out, and both need to be repaired.
ANNIE ČRETNIK, 15, lodge 24,
R. 2. Box 425, Ft. Smith, Ark.
*
UNITED STATES FLAG
There are many traditions regarding the display and use of the United States flag. These traditions, all of them intended as marks of respect for the flag, are widely observed. But they are traditions only, and not prescribed by law.
The Army and Navy have their own regulations as to the display of the flag. But they have no authority to enforce such regulations in civilian use. Therefore, in order to have a uniform usage of the flag, it was necessary to draw up a code.
A flag code was drawn up at a National Flag Conference held in Washington June 14-15, 1923, by delegates from various pariotic and educational organizations. This is how our Flag Day was started as regards its observance. But it was on June 14, 1916, that Flag Day was first established. On May 30, 1916, President Wilson issued a proclamation that June 14 shall be observed as Flag Day annually.
ANNIE ČRETNIK, 15, lodge 24,
R. 2, Box 425, Ft. Smith, Ark.
GET ACQUAINTED WITH BOOKS
In what books or stories do the following characters appear?
1—Becky Thatcher. 2—Man Friday. 3—Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy. 4—Merlin. 5—Long John Silver. 6—Sydney Caton. 7—David Balfour. 8—Wendy.
9—Heathcliffe. 10—Rebecca and Rowena.
Answers: 1—Tom Sawyer. 2—Robinson Crusoe. 3—Little Women. 4—King Arthur. 5—Treasure Island. 6—A Tale of Two Cities. 7—Kidnapped. 8—Peter Pan. 9—Wuthering Heights. 10—Ivan-hoe.
Submitted by
VIOLET MAE MASLEK, 17, lodge 122, 341 Park Street, Aliquippa, Pa.
*
THE AGE OF PLASTICS
Not long ago a young woman stepped upon a stage wearing clothing and accessories made of plastics. No less than fifteen of the articles she wore were made of plastics. Her shoe ornaments, buttons, bracelet, ring, necklace and hat were made of plastics.
What are plastics?
One chemist answers this question thus:
“Plastics are materials that while being processed, can be pulled into almost any desired shape and can retain that shape.”
The three earliest articles that may be regarded as plastics were rubber, glass, and pottery since they were formed easily into any desired shape and then retained that shape after cooling.
From morning to night we use articles made of plastics though we don’t realize it—combs, buttons, toothbrushes, pens, pencils, shoelace tips, eyeglass frames, playing cards, ash trays and countless others.
Plastic production in the United States is estimated at more than 160,000,000 pounds per year.
Plastics have become important in creating the beauty appeal of automobiles. The automobile industry before the war was probably the largest user of plastics with women coming in second.
VIOLET MAE MASLEK, 17, lodge 122, 341 Park Street, Aliquippa, Pa.
*
FATHER'S DAY
Father’s Day comes once a year,
It’s a day, to me, that’s dear.
He takes a lot of responsibility,
When he takes care of his family.
He works hard day after day,
For it he receives little pay.
But he is brave, never discouraged,
He performs his work with courage. MARGARET POLONČIČ, 15, lodge 124,
R. F. D. No. 2, Union Dale, Pa.
*
WE WILL WIN!
Before we go to sleep at night We think of darkened light,
We think of the deaths there are,
And how it gives this world a scar.
Beauty has gone from us today,
The change is as December and May.
But with our people’s hopeful say,
“America will soon again be gay!” MARGARET POLONČIČ, 15, lodge 124,
R. F. D. No. 2, Union Dale, Pa.
*
WHAT WE CAN DO
Good Americans, old and young,
Help the country that’s helping you.
Save your tires, save your clothes,
Buy war savings stamps by the loads.
Back the President of the U. S. A.
He’s going to lead us to Victory.
So go right now and buy a bond,
That will help insure our victory.
JENNIE YAMNIK, age (?), Circle 38, Cleveland, Ohio.
*
BUY WAR BONDS
Japan has declared a war Against the U. S. A.
Soon we’ll be at their door If they don’t keep away.
Be sure to buy a stamp today,
In big or small amounts.
It’ll help the U. S. A.
That’s what really counts.
Also, get new members,
Help the Victory Campaign.
At the same time you help Our country with war bonds.
MARION KAUCIC, age (?), Circle 38, Cleveland, Ohio.
*
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL
Alexander Graham Bell, American inventor and physicist, was born in Edinburg, Scotland, on March 3, 1847. He was educated in Edinburg and at the London university. He had several honorary degrees from noted universities.
In 1871 he became professor of vocal physiology in Boston University. His greatest success came when he invented the telephone in 1876. Other inventions included the photophone induction for balance and telephone probe for painless detection of foreign matter in the human body. For this he was given the honorary degree of M. D. With Sumner Taviter, he perfected the graphophone in
Drawn by Rosie Matko,
age 15, Hoquiam, Wash. Lodge 560.
1883. He also made many improvements in tetrahedral kites and in aerial locomotion for the Aerial Experiment Association. He founded and endowed the Volta Bureau for the increase of knowledge relating to the deaf. He founded and was ex-president of the American Association to Promote Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. Also, he was a member of many of the scientific societies of America, Great Britain, and Europe.
When Bell invented the telephone many medals were showered upon him. He died at the age of 75, in 1922.
EMIL KMETEC, 14, lodge 559,
2414 S. Central Pk., Chicago, 111.
*
WE WILL REMEMBER
We will remember our soldiers,
We will remember their valient fight.
We can’t forget their brave stand At Bataan, Corregidor and Burma.
They are our heroes, our brave Defenders of Liberty and Democracy.
We will remember their brave deeds And help them on to our Victory.
MARY HORWATH, age 15, lodge 594, 571 S. N St., Livermore, Calif.
*
ROBIN IN THE RAIN
Hear the Robin in the rain,
Not one note does he complain;
But he fills the storm’s refrain With music of his own.
He has not much work to gain,
So he stays out in the rain;
And he brings to us in vain Sweet music of his own.
Drenched is his finest feather,
Still he sings in stormy weather;
If everyone would only look,
They’d see his feathers glisten.
They can hear him sing in vain,
And fill the storm’s refrain;
Your heart is filled with sadness,
But you really long for gladness.
Then look at the robin in the rain,
And listen to him sing in vain;
Drenched is his finest feather,
Still he sings in stormy weather! Submitted by
ZORA GOSTOVICH, 14, lodge 297, Box 531, Raton, New Mexico.
OUR FRONTISPIECE The front page cover illustration of this issue of the Mladinski List is by Zora Gostovich, age 13, Raton, New Mexico. Lodge 297.
What’s the Difference?
Teacher: “Johnny, if I subtract 25 from 40, what’s the difference?”
Johnny: “Yes! That’s what I say—who cares?”
Our Own Juvenile Circles of the S. N. P. J.
nBJ
Gai
CM
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Send all your questions and requests for your Juvenile Circles to Bro. Michael Vrhovnik, Director of the SNPJ Juvenile Dept., 2657 S. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, III. He has been elected the Director of Juvenile Circles, and your Advisers should keep in touch with him.
CIRCLE 11 IN MAY DAY CELEBRATION
GIRARD, KANS.—The Juvenile Circle No. 11 held its March monthly meeting at Franklin Hall. A fairly large attendance was present. Because of the absence of our Secretary, the minutes were not read.
Plans were discussed about the May Day celebration of the SNPJ lodges. Further discussion on the subject was postponed for the next meeting in April.
The April meeting was held at Breezy Hill on Easter Sunday. A fine attendance was present. Plans were discussed about the May Day celebration. The affair was scheduled to take place at Blue Moon Hall in Arma on Saturday, May 2. The program was set to begin at six o’clock in the evening. Movies about Jugoslavia were to be shown, and members of Circle 11 decided to sing and make the program more enjoyable. Members that did not care to sing or came late for the program were asked to pay ten cents admission. And those members that didn’t have to pay any admission were asked to have their SNPJ emblems on.
Plans were also discussed about having a pie supper later on but no decision was reached. This was postponed for the next meeting.
Prizes were given away—a rabbit, chicken, a set of eggs. Chas. Ales won the first prize, Vera Podobnik second, and Carl Ulepich third. Additional prizes were won by Frances Ales, Betty Ales and Lucy Kramer. Refreshments were served and the meeting was adjourned.
Circle 11 meets on the first Sunday of each month. We meet in various towns in our vicinity—in Arma, Yale, Girard, Franklin. Our meet-
ings are always interesting. All members are urged to attend the next meeting.
JENNIE LAMPE, Circle No. 11,
R. R. 3, Box 863, Girard, Kans.
*
OUR TRIP TO SYGAN
SHARON, PA.—This is Circle 21 speaking, again. Remember when I promised to tell you more about the trip to Sygan? Well, here goes.
On Feb. 1st, a cold snowy-icy day, about 20 of us from the Sharon Juvenile Circle No. 21 loaded into three cars. (And I mean loaded.) It was about 11 a. m. when we left town. None of the drivers knew exactly where Sygan was except that it was near Pittsburgh. The roads were very icy, but we sang, laughed and talked to keep our minds off the icy roads.
After we got into the Pittsburgh area, we rode around for an hour or so trying to find Sygan. We only got lost three times. At last we found our destination! Yip-pee! We all got out and stretched our stiff and weary bones, then entered the Slovene Hall. It was a very nice place and we were certainly glad to get into a warm place, and oh boy! the good aromas drifting up from the kitchen certainly pepped us up. Soon after our arrival we sat down to a wonderful chicken dinner. (I can still taste it.)
The program came on right after the meal and there were several speeches before we got on the stage. We were rather nervous, being among so many strange people, but not for long. Everyone seemed to enjoy our program and we certainly enjoyed giving it.
After the program we went downstairs and bowled for a while, and then the dance began.
We went back upstairs and enjoyed aft evening of dancing to a swell orchestra—Martin Kukovich and his Royal Commanders from North Irwin. About 11 p. m. we started towards home. Wr stopped at an inn and had hamburgers and co:' fee. It really pepped everybody up. It wasn’t too icy driving home but it was bad enough for me.
We arrived home about 3 o’clock in the morning, tired but happy. We certainly were treated cordially at Sygan and I hope we go there again sometime. This will be all for now but I will write again soon and tell more of the interesting experiences of the Sharon Juvenile Circle.
FRANCES STAMBAL, 16, Circle 21,
1084 Sheridan Ave., Sharon, Pa.
*
CIRCLE NO. 1 MEETS EACH THIRD SUNDAY
WALSENBURG, COLO.—Our meetings are still progressing as usual, and I wish we will continue the same way in the future. Our recent meetings were very interesting. We play games and have quiz programs. The winners get a prize.
On Sunday, April 19, we had a quiz program and the two winners were Elizabeth Duzenack and William Tomsic.
During this Victory Campaign we secured five new members. I hope that we can bring in more new members during the coming months. The Victory Campaign will be in progress throughout the year and will close in March next year.
Our next meeting was scheduled for May 17. We meet the third Sunday of each month. Therefore, our June meeting will be on the 21st. Everyone is urged to attend this meeting.
VERNA MAE DUZENACK, Vice Pres.,
709 W. 6th St., Walsenburg, Colo.
*
WALSENBURG CIRCLE NO. 1
WALSENBURG, COLO.—On Sunday, April 19, our Circle No. 1 held its regular monthly meeting at Kapucin’s Hall. After the meeting we had a quiz program. The winners were William Tomsic and Elizabeth Duzenack. For our next meeting on May 17 we decided to play games. As usual everyone enjoyed the games.
Our Circle now has five new members. I hope they will enjoy belonging to our organization. I also hope that during the present Victory Campaign we will be able to secure many more new members.
The next meeting will be held on June 21 at the usual place and time. All members are urged to attend.
ELIZABETH DUZENACK, Circle No. 1, 709 W. 6th St., Walsenburg, Colo.
*
JUVENILE CIRCLE NO. 40
GOWANDA, N. Y.—This is Juvenile Circle No. 40 broadcasting its latest news. We meet once a month, on the second Sunday of the month, at 2 p. m. at the Slovene Hall. Our meetings are interesting as well as educational.
We have a new Secretary, Ann Sladich, who is
taking Frances Smrke’s place who was tran-ferred to the Adult Department. We also have a new Vice President, Billy Dekleva. He is taking the place of Henry Skrabec, who was also transferred.
On May 9, our members went on a hike up to Valentine’s Flat. It is about seven miles from here. It is really a nice place, high cliffs and pretty scenery. And on May 10, we had a party. We had some money left over from buying bonds. The boys collected paper, rubber, iron, etc., and with the proceeds they bought a bond. And the girls sold patriotic pictures and got enough money to buy a bond.
Our administratrix or manager is Rose Mate-kovich who has helped us a great deal. We have refreshments after every meeting, which everyone likes. I wish to remind our members that our next meeting will be held June 14. All members are asked to attend.
LOTTIE LIGIECKI, Circle No. 40,
23	Beech St., Gowanda, N. Y.
*
JOLLY KANSANS CIRCLE
FRANKLIN, KANS.—Following is a brief summary of the Kansan Juvenile Circle meeting. The meeting was held on April 5 at Breezy Hill, and a large number of members was present.
The meeting was called to order by President Carl Ulepich. We discussed various business which was disposed of in the regular manner. A swell program was arranged for the guests present. Many lovely timely gift awards were won by the lucky members in attendance. After the meeting was over, refreshments were served all persons present. The older folks seemed to have enjoyed themselves immensely.
As reported in the Prosveta and ML, the Kansas federation of SNPJ lodges again held a May Day celebration. This is an annual event staged by the federation each year on or about May 1st. This year’s May Day affair was held at the Blue Moon Casino at Arma. Of course, the Jolly Kansans Circle presented our portion of the program on this occasion. The celebration was a big success.
Our next meeting will be held on June 7, Sunday, being the first Sunday of the month. All members are requested to attend. (At this writing, we do not know as yet where the meeting will take place. Watch the Prosveta for definite place.) FRANCES SLANSEK, Circle No. 11,
Box 88, Franklin, Kansas.
*
JUVENILE CIRCLE NO. 1
WALSENBURG, COLO.—This is my first letter to this interesting magazine. I enjoy reading it each month. I am a member of Circle No. 1.
On March 22, after the Circle meeting, we played lotto and prizes were awarded to the winners. On April 19, our meeting was very interesting. We secured five new members for our Circle. After the meeting was adjourned we had a quiz contest and prizes were given to the winners.
At the April meeting we discussed some of our summer activities. I am glad to be a member of this fine Circle. I will write more the next time.
ALBERT DUZENACK, Circle No. 1, 709 W. 6th St., Walsenburg, Colo.
*
NEW CIRCLE IN POWER POINT, OHIO
POWER POINT, O.—On Sunday, April 19, the local SNPJ lodge 358 suceeded in forming a Juvenile Circle for its juvenile members. The organization meeting was very successful, and all the juevniles were very happy in having their own Juvenile Circle. Each one of the members has done his or her part in helping to organize it.
Our records show that there were seventeen members present at the initial meeting. These were as follows: Virginia Chuck, Herbert Chuck Jr., Mary Mercina, Thomas Mercina, Frances Tau-cher, Stephie Taucher, Dorothy Taucher, Donald Taucher, Victor Taucher, Mildred Tishman, Mary Ellen Tishman, George Tishman, Richard Tishman, Joan Pushnik, Frank Tuseck, and Sam Ron-shack. (The list includes sixteen.—Ed.) We all hope to see just as many or more members present at the next meeting. (Our next meeting was scheduled for May 17.)
At our first meeting on April 19, we elected the following officers: Frank Tuseck, president; Sam Ronshack, vice-president; Thomas Mercina, secretary; Frances Taucher, treasurer; Stephie Taucher, recording secretary. The auditors are Joan Pushnik, Mildred Tishman, Mary Mercina. The manager is Frances Mercina, and the assistant manager is Mrs. Bogatay. With these two active managers at the helm, we know our Circle will get a good start towards progress.
Thus far I have written to the Mladinski List twice, and I stil intend to write more. However, this doesn’t mean that the rest of you members should lag behind. On the contrary, you are al urged to write to this fine magazine often. Remember, I’ll be looking for your articles in future issues of the M. L.
STEPHIE TAUCHER, Rec. Sec’y, Box 3, Power Point, Ohio.
*
CIRCLE NO. 28 GOES ON A TRIP
ROUNDUP, MONT.—The April meeting of our Circle was called to order in regular form. Absent members were recorded, and minutes were read and approved.
It was decided that we go on a trip. Bro. Frank Oset was selected as the driver to take us to the chosen place. A motion was carried that we go on Sunday, April 26, between 9:30 and 10 a. m. In case of bad weather, we would cancel it and go the following Sunday, May 3, providing the weather would be good. Louise Lekse, Josephine Oset, and Carl Kerzan were appointed as a lunch committee. Lucas Balock, Bob Zupan, Donald Zupan, and Tony Lekse were appointed as a game committee. Charles Meznarich and Joan Finco were chosen as police. The following members were to bring refreshments: Carl Kerzan, Lucas Balock. Bob Zupan, Josephine Oset, Louise Lekse, Frank
Bedy, James Ross, and Charles Meznarich. The Circle furnished the rest of the refreshments.
Rose Marie Lucas was introduced and accepted at the meeting.
The girl members of the Circle were to invite their mothers to a tea party for Mother’s Day, May 8.
Meeting was adjourned in regular form.
CARL KERZAN, Circle No. 28, Box 14, Roundup, Montana.
*
MAY DAY CELEBRATION IS A SUCCESS
GIRARD, KANS.'—The May Day celebration staged by the SNPJ federation at Anna on May
2,	was a success. Our Circle participated in this annual affair and everyone enjoyed the program immensely.
The SNPJ film, showing the scenes of Jugoslavia and other interesting events, was one of the main attractions in the program. The film was especially enjoyed by our senior members. However, we enjoyed the pictures just as much. A very interesting speech was given by Bro. Michael Vrhovnik, Juvenile Director, who also showed the pictures. Another interesting speech was given by Bro. Anton Shular, Supreme Board member. We wish to thank both speakers for their inspiring words.
Our Circle also sang in the program. We wish to thank Dorothy Godina and Della Lloyd for the nice singing and playing to make the program more enjoyable. Music was furnished by the Frontenac Band for the dance. Thanking one and all for the fraternal cooperation given to make the May Day celebration a success.
JENNIE LAMPE, Circle No. 11,
R. R. Z. Box 863, Frontenac, Kans.
•
LET'S PLAY GAMES	By	Marge	Jeric
Ball of String
Each team, standing in a circle, is provided with a ball of string. The captain holds one end, wraps the string around his body, passes the ball to the next player, and so on to the end of the line. The last player unwraps the string from his body, winds the ball, and passes it to the next player. When the captain receives the ball completely wound, that team wins.
Siamese Twins Race
Each pair stands back to back, holding a cane or stick between their legs. At the signal, they race from the starting point to the turning point, one running forward, the other backward. They return, the backward runner running forward this time.
Pass the Peanuts
Each team stands in a row, hands clasped to form a line. Place ten peanuts on a chair before each captain, and place an empty chair before each last player. The captain starts one peanut down his line. It must be passed by the clasped hands. If it falls, it must be picked up with the clasped hands. As soon as the first peanut is on its way, the captain starts the second, until all the
peanuts have been passed and placed on the chair at the end of the line.
Newsprint Race
Provide each contestant with two sheets of newspaper. Each must race to the turning point and back, stepping only on his papers. He steps on one, lays the other in front of him, steps on it, moves the first forward, steps on it, and so on.
Poison Penny
The players stand in a circle, while music is played. The leader starts a penny around the circle. It must be passed as rapidly as possible. When the music stops, the holder of the penny drops out, until there is one player left. If there is no music, a whistle may be blown, or the hands may be clapped. If the team is large, several pennies may be passed.
Paralyzed Knee
This is an amusing stunt that must be tried to be believed. Stand against a wall so that your right foot touches the wall, your right side is in contact with the wall, and your right shoulder is against the wall. As long as your entire right side is in contact with the wall, your left leg can not be lifted. Try it and see, and then have some fun with your friends.
(Submitted by Manager of Concordian Circle 38)
*
CIRCLE 38 MARKED 3rd ANNIVERSARY
CLEVELAND, OHIO.—Members of the Con-cordians Juvenile Circle No. 38 celebrated their third anniversary on Friday, April 17. It was a success.
We held a brief meeting. Then we began our party. The first game was to put a string once around your body and pass it down the line. When it got to the end of the line, we had to unwind the string until it got back to the first person again. The team that finished first got a prize. The team that won took part in the next game. We had several other games. They were all interesting and lots of fun. After the games, refreshments were served. We then tidied up the room and went home.
Our Circle meets each fourth Friday of the month at the Slovene National Home. The June meeting will be on the 26th of June.
MARION KAUCIC, Circle No. 38, Cleveland. Ohio.
BUY
DEFENSE
STAMPS
BONDS
KEEP ‘EM FLYING
Lastovo
“Gori!” zavpijejo ljudje.
Že s polja zakadi se tropa, gasit hitijo ženske in možje.
No v tem je pogorela lopa.
“Lahko bilo bi hujše, res da, pa selo je zadosti vstran.
Poglej razdrta lastovičja gnezda, po tleh je zarod razmetan.”
Pribili spet so hrastovke, na nje postavijo goliče . . .
A kaj storijo muhohlastavke, vzajemnosti sijajne priče?
Takoj je na poseben klic do sto jih skupaj priletelo.
Do sto marljivih pomočnic prijelo za samaritansko delo.
Drobljance lačne pitajo,
kar ni jih prej osmodil plamen.
Vsa gnezda v prejšnji stan pozidajo. Zvečer so že čebljale: “Amen.”
Ta zgled o bratstvu doživeli nedavno sma na Lastovem.
V	potrebi vi ga ponovite, jeli, otroci moji, jaz to vem!
A. Francevič.
Savinjska himna
Savinjska dolina lep je kraj, bi človek mislil, da je raj.
Dolina lepo zeleni, po sred’ Savinja se peni.
Obrobljajo jo pa planine, visoke, nizke, vse višine.
Gozdovi tam so zeleneči, potoki bistri v njih bobneči.
Ravnina v soncu vsa žari, po njivah žito že zori.
Savinjski kmetič je vesel, ob žetvi vriskal bo in pel.
Zelena roža tu domuje, savinjski hmelj se imenuje.
Tega že bajtar vsak ima, na jesen dobro ga proda.
Med njivami se cesta vije, po njej promet že živo klije.
Po njej vozovi navsezgodaj, v Žalec voz’j o hmelj naprodaj. Hmeljarstva Žalec je središče, tu vsak si človek sreče išče.
Agenta službo koj dobi, denar mu od vseh strani leti.
Je Žalec naša metropola, meščanska v njem se dviga šola.
Se dviga strmo v nebo, saj trg naš, to ni kar tako.
Pletrov.
Our Pen Pals Write
(Naši čilaleljčki pišejo)
SPRING CAME WITH A BANG!
Dear Editor:—I was glad to see my article in the March issue of the M. L. in the Our School section. I am sending in another article, which I hope will be published.
Spring came with a bang, and brought along with it some nice weather. Early in February we had a blizzard and we couldn’t go to school for two days, so we had to make those days up later.
At South Park, which is one mile from here, there is a N. Y. A. camp, with 408 boys learning trades of all kinds. There was quite a large number of soldiers taking up a trade, but they have left.
On April 6, there was a big army parade in the city of Pittsburgh. That was on Army Day. There were loads of bands, soldiers, sailors, and marines. It is said that it was one of the largest parades of its kind ever held here. Best regards to one and all.—Mary Strimlan, Box 24, Library, Penna.
*
OUR BOYS' CHORUS
Dear Editor:-—This is my second letter to the M. L. I meant to write before but I never got “around to it.”
Our school has been very lucky. For the second time our boys’ chorus was chosen to sing in the opera “Carmen.” Two of the boys'in my class were in it. In appreciation, eight stars from the Metropolitan Opera Co. visited our school. Being a Jewish holiday, more than half of the school was absent. The other half squeezed into the auditorium to hear our orchestra and see the stars. Some of them were Leonard Warren and Mrs. Warren and Anna Mary Dickey. Miss Dickey sang an aria from “La Boheme” and for an encore she sang a short song, and then she made us sing it.
I am now saving picture post cards. My father collected quite a few and I took over his collection. Before I close I’d like to say “Hello” to my 13 pen pals. Best regards to all.—Sylvia Mocnik, 495 Cleveland Rd., Cleveland, Ohio.
*
ANNE'S FAREWELL LETTER
Dear Editor:—This letter should have been written sooner, but everything being upset since my mother’s death, it’s been difficult to find time.
On March 14 I was 18 years old, which meant my transfer to the Adult Department. I have enjoyed writing to this grand magazine and hate to think of not being able to write to it again. I really don’t know how to write a farewell letter as all I can say is—I’ve enjoyed reading the ML and above all writing to pen pals. I hope that I will still receive letters from them. I would like to hear from several pen pals who at one time or another forgot to write.
At the moment, I am thrilled concerning my new job. No doubt, some of you have heard of
the famous Auriesville Shrine near Schenectady, N. Y. On May 3, when it opened, I played the organ. This organ is a large electric one. For miles around there are amplifiers and when the organ is played, the music can be heard through them. I hope that all my friends and ML readers wish that I make this work successful, as I have always wanted to do something like this but have been unable to get a break.
I did work at a large Sears store near here. On February 7, my mother died, a very much unexpected happening which compelled me to leave my job and stay home to take care of my little sisters and new brother. Most of you have read of our sorrow in the ML for April as my sister wrote it up very nicely. Again I wish to thank the kind Slovenes for their help and kindness in our bereavement.
Since I have nothing more to say, I shall close, wishing the Mladinski List the best of luck. I am hoping to hear from Mildred Novak and Jack Glavan of Sharon, Pa. Enclosed is a picture of my sister Vera (the shorter one) and myself. It is not very good but it’ll do. So long, Pals!— Anne Bozanic, Worcester, N. Y.
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PEN PALS WANTED
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the M. L. But I have been reading this fine magazine for a long time. I think it is very interesting.
I am 13 years old and in the eighth grade. I go to Cook School in Bridgeville, Pa. I like school very much. My favorite sports are roller skating, tap dancing, and bicycle riding. I hope some of the pen pals would write to me, as I haven’t anything to do after school. Best regards to all.— Pauline D. Pawlick, Box 103, Bridgeville, Pa.
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WILL WRITE EVERY MONTH
Dear Editor:—I am 12 years of age and attend the Old High School of Ely, Minn. I am 68 V2 inches tall, I have blue green eyes and brown hair.
This is my	first	letter to	the Mladinski List.
I	have found	this	magazine	very interesting. I
would like to	have	pen pals,	both girls and boys.
After this letter	I will try	to write to the ML
every month. So—best wishes to all.-—Margaret Zorman, 747 E. Sheridan St., Ely, Minn. (Lodge 129.)
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READING GOOD BOOKS
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the M. L. I enjoy reading this interesting magazine. I am thirteen years of age and I am completing the eighth grade at the William Penn School. My favorite subjects are Home Economics and Mathematics.
I am a member of the SNPJ lodge 105. I also have a smaller sister and brother who are members, too. Almost all children have hobbies. Mine is collecting stamps from many different countries in the world. Some of my leisure time goes to reading good books and listening to radio programs.
I hope to write many more letters to this fine
magazine and to hear from some of the other girls and boys. Best regards to all readers nnd writers.—Alice Dafoff, 1430 Nordyke Ave., Indianapolis, Ind.
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WANTED: PEN PALS
Dear Editor:—I am 14 years old and in the eighth grade at the Alexander School. I have five teachers. Miss Podboy is my homeroom teacher.
This is my first letter to the Mladinski List. I have blond hair, blue eyes, I weigh 115 pounds and am 5 feet and 6 inches tall. I would like to have some pen pals from all over the country. Best regards to all.—Catherine Moze, Box 255, Strabane, Pa. (Lodge 138.)
>1«
FROM MULLAN, IDAHO
Dear Editor:—This is my second letter to the M. L. I would like to see some more pen-pals’ letters in our magazine. I would especially like to hear from Dorothy Sterbetz and Caroline Tavzelj. My spring vacation started on April 8. Best regards to all.—Virginia Orazem, Box 785, Mullan, Idaho.
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MARION IS A BOY
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to this nice magazine. My sister, 13 years old, is helping with my spelling because I don’t know how to spell very well.
I am sending in a picture that I drew of a poppy. Its natural color is red with a yellow inside. It isn’t very good, but I hope it is published.
I am 9 years old and I am in the fourth grade. I am blond and I have blue eyes. My name sounds liek a girl’s, but it isn’t. My mother and father named me Marion because I was born on St. Mary’s birthday. They coudn’t name me Mary so they named me Marion. I would like very much to have about 2 pen pals. I promise to answer them all.—Marion Scavina (age 9), 408 State St., Trinidad, Colo. (Circle 20.)
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FASHION IDEA
Dear Editor:—This is my third letter and also my third picture I am sending to the M. L. My first picture was not published but my second one was. This time my picture is a spring fashion. I got my idea for it in a comic strip that appeared in a newspaper.
Since my first letter I have received many penpal letters. I want to give my best regards to the following: Florence Ruponcich in Minnesota, Sylvia Mocknic in Ohio, Irene Magayna, Olga Babic and Mary Gipalo, all in Pennsylvania. If Irene Zasus should see this, I should like to hear from her; since my last letter to her about eight weeks ago she hasn’t answered.
Also, I would like to have a few boy pen pals about my age. I promise to answer all pen pals, both girls and boys, promptly. My best regards to one and all.-—Norma Scavina, 408 State St., Trinidad, Colo. (Circle 20.)
HEADING FOR SUMMER
Dear Editor:-—I saw my letter in the ML and decided to write again. I have three pen pals— Agnes Vancina of N. Y., Pearl Stefanos of Universal, Pa., and Wilma Glozar of Cleveland, Ohio.
The weather here is wonderful. We attended Mr. and Mrs. Rom’s golden wedding anniversary Feb. 22, and we all had a grand time.
We have a nice garden which gave us a lot of work because our place is pretty big. The trees are blooming (April 9), and birds are singing so you know that means we’ve got spring and that’s heading for summer.
I want to thank the Editor for publishing my letter and also my pen pals for writing. Best regards to each and all.—Julia Hudomal (age 15), R. R. 2, Clinton, Indiana. (Lodge 213.)
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"MORE ALWAYS WELCOME"
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the M. L. I really haven’t any excuse for not writing sooner, except that I have had much homework. I guess I had better describe myself by way of introduction.
I am sixteen years of age, have light brown hair and brown eyes. I attend the eleventh grade at Commerce High School. Although I have several pen-pals already, more will always be welcome. So please, both girls and boys, write and I will answer your letters promptly.
I wish to say that I have written several letters to Mitzi Kosernick, of Aguilar, Colorado, but haven’t received any reply as yet. Best regards. —Eleanore Krasovic, 370 Paris St., San Francisco, California.
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ANDREW DECIDES TO WRITE
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the Mladinski List and not the last. I have been reading this fine magazine for years but never thought of writing for it.
I am 14 years old and I attend the ninth grade of Hopewell High School. I have two brothers who are 18 and 9 years old. All members of our family belong to the SNPJ. My favorite sports are baseball and football, and building model airplanes and drawing pictures are my hobbies.
Since my hobby is drawing pictures, I will try my best to draw some pictures for this magazine. I gues that’s all I have to write in this letter but I’ll try to make my next one longer. (Enclosed are two pictures which I have drawn.) Best regards to everybody.—Andrew Rupnick, 104 Maple Ave., Aliquippa, Pa. (Lodge 122.)
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STUDIES PLANT LIFE
Dear Editor:—I am writing again, this time for the June issue of the M. L. I had a very nice time for Easter. We had one week off from school. That really was the nicest part of it all.
I wish to thank Dorothy Martinčič for writing to me. We’ve been having nice weather this spring. We go to Garden Center and study about gardening. We go on a bus, and it’s lots of fun. We study about plants, flowers, and trees. It’s nice to learn about all these things.
My favorite radio programs are “Blondie” and Eddie Cantor. Well, I must close. Best regards. —Ruth Chagenovich (age 10), 984 Santa Cruz St., San Pedro, California. (Lodge 416.)
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WILL ANSWER ALL LETTERS
Dear Editor:—Again I find myself writing to this wonderful magazine. I want to thank yoi for publishing my letter. I have received many letters from pen pals, but I haven’t had time to answer them as yet. However, I shall do so as I promised faithfully to answer each letter.
I had a nice spring vacation and also a happy Easter. I remember celebrating this holiday in Ludlow, Colorado. It was lots of fun. And the picnic that was given by the SNPJ federation! We had a nice time.
My favorite sport is baseball. I also like tc skate. I will close for this time. My best wishes to all.—Rose Chagenovich (age 14), 984 Santa Cruz St., San Pedro, California. (Lodge 416.)
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HER FIRST ATTEMPT
Dear Editor:—I have been getting the ML for over a year now and this is the first time that I have ever written to it. Thank goodness, some girls and boys aren’t as lazy as I am about writing letters to this magazine.
At the end of February, our Circle went to the Waukegan Roller Rink and we had a swell time. For many of the girls and boys it was their first time on skates at a roller rink. But everyone had a swell time and we may go on a skating party again in the rink. My regards to all.—Ella Jane Buckingham (age 16), 901 Lenox Ave., Waukegan, Illnois.
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HELEN WAS SURPRISED
Dear Editor:—This is my second letter to the M. L. I was so surprised to see my first letter in this fine magazine.
I like school and get along well in my studies. I have made the honor roll this year all but one time.
I have two pen pals from Indiana but still would like to have more. I’ll answer every letter. I promise to write to the ML more often. Best regards to one and all.—Helen Mance, Box 341, Cokeburg, Pa.
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JOY LIKES THE ML
Dear Editor:—First of all, I want to say that I hope that all the girls and boys are well. I wrote a letter to the Mladinski List last month. I like the ML very much. I had a very nice time for Easter. Best regards to all.—Joy Daudet (age 8), Box 96, Midway, Pa.
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ML IS A GOOD MAGAZINE
Dear Editor:—This is my second letter to the Mladinski List. My first letter was published in last month’s issue of tl^; M. L. I am enclosing two drawings and a letter which I hope will appear in the M. L. I think the ML is a good magazine for young and old.
I am 14 years of age and a freshman at the
Gowanda High school. I have already some pen pals but would like to have more from all over the country. I promise to answer each letter promptly.—Loilie Ligiecki, 23 Beech St., Gowanda, New York.
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SELL WAR STAMPS
Dear Editor:—First of all, I wish to say “Hello” to one and all. This is my first letter to the Mladinski List. I read it every month and I find it very interesting. I promise to write to this fine magazine more often in the future. By the time this letter is published, school will be out and we’ll have plenty of time to write.
I am twelve years old and in the seventh grade. I go to Bulger School. At our school we sell war savings stamps. I think it is very wise for every American boy and girl to get his share and to help win this war!
My favorite radio programs are Truth or Consequence and I Love a Mystery. My best regards to one and all.—Donna Skinner, Box 27, Bulger, Pa. (Lodge 231.)
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STEUBENVILLE, OHIO
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to this wonderful magazine, which I have been reading for well over a year. I am sorry I haven’t written to this magazine long ago. Here’s hoping my first letter will be published.
I am thirteen years old and attend eighth grade in Grant Junior High school. Most of my teachers are very nice and not too strict. The 8-B’s and 8-A’s have just taken their state test, which is then sent to Columbus, Ohio, and graded. The one who has the highest grade gets a scholarship.
I enjoy reading the ML very much. I especially enjoy the drawings and jokes. I read all of it except the Slovene which I can’t read yet. And now we have warm days and nice weather. We can go bike riding when we want to. Steubenville has a few points of interest, also. The city was named after Fort Steuben, which was named after a man, Steuben. The fort was abandoned long ago, but we still have the landmarks. A land office is also being built where the old one stood. Steubenville is located in a valley, with a population of 35,418, which was taken in 1930.
I would love to have a letter or card from a girl of my age. I promise to answer each letter as soon as I can.—Bess Pankovich, 503 Wells St., Steubenville, Ohio. (Lodge 543.)
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CHICAGO AIR RAID SYSTEM
Dear Editor:—Seeing that my first letter was published, I decided to write to the ML again.
First of all I want to express my opinion on the Our School Achievement contest. I think it will help to make the ML a huge success. The wonderful prizes will no doubt tempt more juvenile members to contribute letters, stories, poems, drawings and articles.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Eleanor Matekovich, Ronald Nelson, Daisy Gledick, and Catherine Yelich for writing to me. Their letters
are very interesting and they give me a great deal of enjoyment.
I also wish to state that Chicago has had her air raid system tested. The sirens were tested April 15, at 7 p. m. Places where the sirens could not be heard were to be reported and immediate investigation would be made. We all hope that there will be no need of using air raid warning systems anywhere in the United States.
Defense work is going on everywhere. Citizens are all eager to do their part in winning the war. Children of the public schools are all buying U. S. War Stamps weekly. It has been made possible that stamps can be bought and distributed in schools.
I’ve run out of words, so I gues I’ll have to close my letter. I wish more pen pals would write to me. Best regards.—Evelyn Terselic (age 12), 2714 S. Homan Avenue, Chicago, 111. (Lodge 39.)
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OUR BOYS IN THE ARMY
Dear Editor:—Here I am again writing to this magazine. I have been quite busy with my six weeks exams at school, so I didn’t get time to write more often.
On Sunday, April 12, my nephew David Kalis-ter who is in the Army, came to visit us. He is a member of our SNPJ lodge 299. He is First Sergeant in the Army and is stationed at Camp Livingston, Louisiana. When asked how he likes the Army, he said he likes it very much. He is in service for three years, or for the duration. And two of my other relatives are in the Navy. They are also members of the SNPJ lodge of Den • ver. They are Frank Tomsic, who is in for six years and is stationed at California, and Albert Tomsic, who is in for three years and is stationed at Chicago, attending a naval school. They all seem to enjoy it very well. One of my brothers who was drafted will leave to join Uncle Sam’s forces in June.
We should be proud of all of our friends and relatives who are in service. We should be proud of them because we know that they are defending our country, its democracy and our cherished liberties.
In conclusion, I wish to say that I would like to receive pen-pal letters. I’m asking why Julia and Stephie don’t answer my letters. Best regards to all.—Rose Sirovas, Box 153, Rugby, Colo. (Lodge 299, Circle 1.)
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HATES TO GET UP—
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the Mladinski List. But I promise I wil write more letters to this fine magazine in the future.
I am fifteen years of age. I have brown hair, brown eyes, my weight is 97 pounds, my height is 4 feet 8 inches. I am a freshman at the Cornwall High school. I like school very much, but I don’t like the part of getting up in the morning. I have five subjects in school:	English, mathematics,
civics, reading and science. My sports are baseball, bicycle riding, swimming and roller skating.
I want to say hello to my Pen Pals Mary Alice
Paling and Olga Vidmar. I hope I will get more letters from pen pals and I promise I will answer them. Best regards.—Mary Simenec, Box O, Cornwall, Pa. (Lodge 528.)
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WILLIAM IS A TALL BOY
Dear Editor:— Although this is my first letter to the Pen Pal Section of the M. L., I have written to the other departments of this magazine before.
I have written articles and different	topics, and
I also sent	in a few
puzzles and	drawings.
These were	published
in the ML of which I am very proud.
I am 17 years of age, I am 5 feet 11 inches tall, and I weigh 165 pounds. I am a junior at the	Sewickley	Twp.	High school. I	am a commercial	student.	The	subjects I take	interest in
are, typewriting and shorthand. There are quite a few clubs in progress in our school in which I am a member. However, the Commercial Club is my favorite. I will close now, and I am sure that I will write again. My best regards to all. (I wish I would have more pen pals.) Regards to all.— William Smolich, 31 Church St., Herminie, Pa.
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JOHNNY PICKS UP PEN
Dear Editor:—I decided to pick up my pen again and write to this wonderful magazine of ours.
At the present I am in the seventh grade at Jenny Lind. Our school closed on May 13. My favorite sports are bicycle riding, fishing, softball and hunting. -I will close, hoping to write to this fine magazine again. But before I close, here are some brain teasers:
If you were told to go in a dark room and light a stove, lamp, and a candle—which would you light first? A.: The match, of course. If a rooster was to go in your neighbor’s yard and lay an egg, whom would it belong to? It wouldn’t belong to anyone because roosters don’t lay eggs. Regards to all.—Johnnie Močivnik (age 13), P. O. Box 86, Jenny Lind, Ark. (Lodge 24.)
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WEATHER: NICE AND WARM
Dear Editor:—I guess it’s about time I write to the M. L. School was let out May 13. Since I haven’t written for quite a long time, I decided I would write to the ML every month.
The ninth grade presented one of the best plays I have ever seen. It was directed by Miss Webb, our teacher. My sister was in it. They are going to take the play to Camp Chaffee. I am 10 years old and will be 11 in June. I am in the sixth grade. We are having warm weather now and children are going barefooted. My favorite hobby is collecting movie stars.
In 4-H Club we received pins for victory gar-
dens. The Bunny Rabbit was good to me and I am sure he was good to you all. In Jenny Lind we haven’t a circle but we would like to have one. I will write more next time. Regards.—Georgie Marie Močivnik, P. O. Box 86, Jenny Lind, Ark. (Lodge 24.)
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WANTED: ELSIE'S ADDRESS
Dear Editor:—It’s been quite a while since I’ve written to the M. L. So I decided I’d begin onca more.
At the present I am in the ninth grade at Jenny Lin^ Junior High school. I am fourteen years old and my favorite sports are basketball and softball. The ninth grade class presented a play April 17, at 8 p. m. at the High School Auditorium. The title of the play is “No Bride for the Groom. ’ The ninth grade took a tour at the end of school to Little Rock, Ark. School was out May 13.
Does any one know Elsie Mae Mihelich’s address? If anyone does, will you kindly drop me a card with her address on it? It will be greatly appreciated. I’ve written to her several times but never received an answer. Here’s wishing everyone the best of luck and lots of fun during vacations.—Ernestine Močivnik, P. O. Box 86, Jenny Lind, Ark. (Lodge 24.)
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FLOWERS OF AMAZING COLORS
Dear Editor:—Well, here I am again, writing to this fine Magazine of ours. I have just been looking at my bed of flowers which have bloomed and are arranged in different assorted colors.
In this group I have floxes (Spanish) of amazing colors, petunias, moss in bright flickering colors, xenias, and the delicate and gayly colored tulips which I love most of all.
Boy! Right now at the present (April 22) everything looks so flowering and beautiful. If you get a glimpse of the trees and flowers and other plants of nature, your eyes would glimmer with gleesome look. And right now I shall tell you what has been going on around down here.
My class, the ninth grade, gave a play, “No Bride for the Groom,” which consisted of twelve characters. We made a total of $137 from it. It was really a comical play, highly entertaining.
To top it all, we had the privilege of taking our play to Camp Chafee. We presented the play there for the benefit of the soldiers. They enjoyed it immensely. We were, taken around by a guide who showed us many interesting things about army life. We found out many things about the army, and we even had supper with the soldiers. This we considered a great honor.—With lots of joy and happiness to one and all, I remain —Annie Crelnik (age 15), R. 2, Box 425, Ft. Smith, Arkansas.
•
OUR HEALTH PROGRAM
Dear Editor:—Spring came rather early this year. It has been beautiful in Aurora for quite a long time now. I’ve been planting flowers and fixing up our flower garden.
The Aurora High School, in cooperation with our Health Program of the U. S., is giving all the pu-
pils in the school milk for one cent a pint. This also includes the lower grades. By the way, I must tell you that my mother and I spent Easter in Bessemer, Michigan, at my sister’s home. We had a nice time there. Also, in my last letter I said my brother was at Ft. Leonard. The camp is called Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
In school our swimming class is learning all about resuscitation. I think the artificial respiration will be useful in case of an emergency. In our gym classes we have been going outdoors and playing baseball. I’ve been playing it outside of school, too. Here’s hoping everyone has a pleasant summer vacation. A proud member—Florence Alich (age 15), Box 607, Aurora, Minn. (Lodge 111.)
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SO MANY LETTERS!
Dear Editor:—The appearance of my letters in this fine magazine has inspired me to continue to write more often to the Mladinski List. I noticed that more pen pals write to this department. There were forty-three letters in it in the February number. Each month, there are a few more letters than the month before. This proves only one thing, namely, that the ML is constantly improving. This is due to the many contributions sent in by the girls and boys that really want to make this magazine more enjoyable to read and more popular.
I want to say hello to the following: Lillian Heddles, Rose Pierrynowski, Eleanor Braidic, Erna Marie Biston, Mildred Gipalo, Margaret Sos-tarich, Eleanor Snidarsich, Dorothy Plodinec, Mary Lee Zdunich, Violet Mae Maslek, Helen Sterbentz, Jennie Mayich, Diane Hahnic, Mildred Hotko, Esther Abramson, Ruth Hill, Marsh Lau-men, Mary Sporcich, Mary Kosovich, Mildred Berčič, Rose Manley, Josephine Baich, Helen Urbas, and Rosie Matko.
I have many letters to answer. I should like to answer them but it is impossible for me to answer so many letters. It would be hard to keep up with all of you. You have all been swell pen pals and I am sorry I can’t answer so many letters. Those of you who have many letters to write will understand my situation. If anyone wants to correspond with any of my pen pals, write to me and I’ll send you their address (with their permission, of course). I have lost track of the letters that I didn’t answer yet. To those of you whose letters I didn’t answer yet, please drop me a card and let me know if I didn’t answer your letter. I will then try my best to answer it.
I must not forget to say hello to Rose Lipar from Hyndsville, N. Y. I want to thank her for the card she sent me. I will drop you a card as soon as possible. I want to say hello to Dorothy Pivac and Doris Munari. Both girls are from Superior, Wyoming.
I want to wish a happy birthday to the following pen pals whose birthday is in June: Diane Mahnic, Jenny Mayich, and Helen Repnick. I would very much like to hear from Anne Ales.
I have pen pals from 15 different states. I would very much like to have pen pals from West
Virginia and Florida. So to the W. Va. and Fla. boys and girls, please drop me a few lines. I will answer promptly. Also, I would like to receive and exchange picture-post cards. I have about 30 pen pals.
I will close now, hoping to receive many post cards from you pen pals. My best regards to all ML readers and writers.-—Frances Jean Kropsr (age 17), P. O. Box 384, Yukon, Pennsylvania.
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ELSIE'S FIRST LETTER
Dear Editor:-—As this is my very first letter to the ML, I will introduce myself. I am sorry I haven’t written before but I will write often in the future.
I am 14 years old and in the eighth grade. I have brown hair, brown eyes, and I am 5 ft. 3 in. tall. In school I take five subjects: English, civics, arithmetic, hygiene and spelling. I usually get all B’s, and I can say that I don’t like school at all.
There are four in our family. I have one sister who is older than myself. We all belong to the SNPJ lodge 476, and I also belong to Circle 10. I have been a member of the SNPJ all my life. We have a Juvenile Circle in Salem. The officers are Mary Kordan, president; Dorothy Dolence, vice-president; Elsie Omaits, secretary; Jenny Mozina, rec. sec’y; James Koran, treasurer; Mrs. Mary Omaits, manager. Our Circle usually has a picnic once a year. At last year’s we made about $60. I don’t think we are going to have one this year. However, the Senior Lodge is going to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.
My favorite sports are horseback riding and swimming, and my favorite hobby is collecting antique dishes. I like cowboy music, and all kinds of shows. My sister Martha, Helen Wukotich and I often sing together. Regards to all.-—Elsie Omaiis, Salem, Ohio. (Lodge 476.)
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THERE'S A FIRST TIME
Dear Editor:—This is the first letter I’ve ever written to the M. L. I guess I haven’t a good reason explaining why I never thought of writing before. Well, there is always a first time for everything.
I am 17 years of age, have blond hair and blue eyes, and am in 4A at Harrison High. I will be getting out of school this month, and then I don’t know what. I have two brothers and a sister, all of us belong to the SNPJ lodge 39, including my mother and father.
I would like to have some pen pals, for I would like to write letters and will answer all letters I receive promptly. You all know that Chicago has plenty of wind. That’s the reason it is called the Windy City. Regards to all.—Emma Cetin, 1933 S. Racine Ave., Chicago, 111. (Lodge 39)
What’s the Use Mother: “Mary, did you wash this fish before you baked it?”
Mary: “What’s the use of washing a fish that has been in the water all his life?”
Kakšen je človek
Temno sive megle, iz katerih bi se imel vsak čas uliti dež, so prisilile ptičko, da se je začela ogledovati, kam bi se skrila, da ji dež ne bi prišel do živega. Sedeč na veji jablane je zagledala na odprtem oknu, nedaleč od sebe človeka, ki jo je že nekaj časa opazoval. “Pridi k meni, ptička, da ne boš mokra. Tukaj je toplo in varna boš pred hladnim dežjem in prosto boš lahko letala . . .” jo je ljubeznivo vabil človek. In ptička mu je odgovorila: “Pridem, toda samo če mi obljubiš, da se me ne boš dotaknil.”
“Samo pobožal te bom, odletela pa boš, kadar boš hotela.”
Živalca je res zletela med štiri stene in je vsedla človeku na ramo ter tako suha ušla deže-vim kapljam. Toda ko je sedla na človeka, je začutila, da se je ta nalahno stresel, kakor se strese svet o potresu in iz prej tako mirne zemlje se naenkrat napravi pekel . . .
Človek je iztegnil roko in prsti so se dotaknili žametnih perutničk, toda še preden so zdrknili preko košatega repka, so se nenadoma skrčili in ujeli ubogo ptičko.
“Kaj delaš človek? A ... a ... aj!” je še komaj zastokala. Odgovorile so ji samo njegove oči, iz katerih je sijala sedaj brezsrčnost in ki so stekleno buljile v svoj plen. Tako jo je gledal nekaj časa, držeč jo v roki in jo potem položil v kletko.
Čepeč na tleh male ječe je ptička žalostno pogledala človeka in vzdihnila: “O človek, nisi vreden tega imena!”
Kmalu nato je sonce pretrgalo oblake in posijalo v kletko, kjer je čepel krilati jetnik.
—Drago H.
Zaplankarji
Na velikem travniku so kosili. Posušeno travo so naložili na voz, katerega je odpeljal konj “Lisko”. Sredi vasi se je Lisko ustavil. Mislil si je, zakaj ne bi smel malo počivati. Hlapec Jaka ga je tepel, a Lisko se za to ni dosti zmenil. Nazadnje so poklicali gospoda župana. Okoli množice ljudi jim je povedal nekaj novega, rekel jim je: “Nanosite kup drv pod konja, da ga bomo sežgali.”
Kmalu so znosili poln kup drv, katerega so gospod župan slovesno zažgali. Konja je speklo in je skočil toliko naprej, da je prišel voz na goreči kup in potem obstal.
V	trenutku je bil voz v ognju. Bali so se sedaj, da konj zbeži z gorečim vozom. Jaka ga je spregel. Voz je v nekaj minutah do tal pogorel. Zaplankarji pa vendarle niso mogli konja pognati. Obrisali so se pod nosom.
Very Considerate Father: “Did I hear the clock strike two when you came home last night?”
Son: “Yes, dad. It was going to strike ten, but I stopped it so it wouldn’t wake you up.”
Introducing Book Friends
By Betty Jariz
0
"STARS TO STEER BY"
Stars to Steer by, edited by Louis Untermeyer.
This book of poetry for young people has such an enticing title that I thought I would borrow it to head today’s page, too.
The poet, Louis Untermeyer, explains that all poems are not liked by all individuals, for like anything else in life each person may differ with another’s taste. There are people who say that they dislike poetry, but Louis Untermeyer maintains that this can hardly be true since there are poems written especially for these people. With the variety of likes and dislikes in mind_. the poet arranged the book accordingly.
Don’t make mockery of poetry. It is no sissy’s play-toy. Anyone who tries to see and hear and get more out of life will have either tried to express himself through the medium of poetry, or will have steeped himself in the beauty of his chosen favorite poems. Remember this, poetry is more than just nicely rhymed words. Poetry is almost anything that tells in beautiful language the most common-place things which are enhanced when touched off by a spark of exalted imagination. Poetry is—well, we may as well stop right now trying to hold down poetry to any standard definition. It can’t be done. Furthermore, it would take more space than the “Mladinski List” can spare to explain what some poets consider poetry.
Now to get back to the book itself. I like very much some selections Louis Untermeyer has made. I wonder if you don’t get a feeling of, “Come what may I’m going to have some mighty good fun a little way from here.” Yes, I’m taking “The Open Road” by Walt Whitman, the American poet whom Louis Adamic so admires:
“Afoot light-hearted I take the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune;
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing;
Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,
Strong and content I travel the open road.”
And when Whitman offers us all that you and I pursue in life when he ends this beautiful piece:
“Be not discouraged. Keep on; there are divine things well enveloped.
I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.”
I think there is so much that is beautiful about the early tranditions of our poets and patriots that sometimes I can hardly believe this is the same land which used to be so careless about the conditions of its people before our present great President began to serve us. Democracy used to be something of a joke to some of us. Many people were led to exclaim, “Democracy, phooey! Me and my kids can’t eat it!” But Democracy is something bigger and better than many misconceptions of it. Listen to Whitman sing about “Democracy”:
“Come I will make the continent indissoluble, I will make the most splendid race the sun ever shone upon.
I will make divine magnetic lands,
With the love of comrades,
With the life-long love of comrades.
I will plant companionship thick as trees along all the rivers of America, and along the shores of the great lakes, and all over the prairies,
I will make inseparable cities with their arms about each other’s necks,
By the love of comrades,
By the manly love of comrades.
For you these from me, O Democracy, to serve you,
For you, for you I am thrilling these songs.”
Before closing today’s page I would like to leave with you a happy thought of a much lighter vein. The happy thought that I have in mind comes from one of Longfellow’s poems included in this book. Of course the whole poem is well done, but the last stanza just creeps into some crevice of your mind, and at some of the oddest moments you’ll begin to say to yourself:
“And the night shall be filled with music, And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.”
DIZZIE DOT DRAWING PUZZLES
By HARVEY FULLER
“Meow! Meow!” What can this be that seems to be alarming the little kitten? Draw a line from dot to dot and see that he really isn’t so bad.
ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD PUZZLE By Thomas Zupan
ACROSS
1—buy. 5—liberty. 10—united. 13—Tyre. 14— Y. I. 15—states. 19—is. 20—T. S. 22-—defense. 25— net. 26—bonds. 28—dad. 30—to. 32—Te. 33—fawns. 35—E. F. 36—at. 27—im. 38—Seb. 40—facial. 43— et. 45—notation. 47—Ry. 48—snow. 49—an. 50— A. C. 52—tested. 54—nil. 56—art. 57—yes. 58— Stsms. 59—cts.
DOWN
1—buy. 2—united. 3—Y. I. 4—net. 6—et. 7—Ry. 8—tried. 9—yes. 11—T. S. 12—dad. 16—Te. 17— E. F. 18—Seb. 21—states. 23—notation. 24—snow. 27—Stsms. 29—defense. 31—liberty. 33—facial. 34—nil. 39—bonds. 40—fawns. 41—at. 42—an. 44 —Tyre. 46—to. 50—art. 51—cts. 53—is. 55-—im. 56—A. C.
Mother: “Why were you kept in school this morning, Tommy?”
Tommy: “Because I laughed when the teacher said: ‘Never use a preposition to end a sentence with’!”
BUY
UNITED
STATES
SAVINGS
I AND STAMPS
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON JUST FOR FUN PAGE:
A Quizzer—At either of the poles. If the center is the Pole, at a distance of 1000 miles you would travel 500 miles north and 500 miles south.
Stale Mottoes—1, Montana; 2, Vermont; 3, Pennsylvania; 4, Wisconsin; 5, Illinois; 6, Kansas; 7, Ohio.
Incomplete—1, kitten; 2, whip; 3, bear; 4, nails; 5, picture.
War Economy—1, bonds and stamps; 2, victory;
3,	scrap; 4, tires; 5, sugar.
EDITOR'S NOTE
J. Y., Ambridge, Pa.—All crossword puzzles must be accompanied by answers in order to be considered.
What Did She Wear?
Select some girl to dress up in all the extra clothing, jewelry, etc., that she can wear. She should then enter the room, walking slowly back and forth twice. The others are asked to observe everything that she is wearing. Make this as difficult as possible by including hat, coat, handbag, scarf, earrings, bracelets, etc.
After the girl leaves the room, each player is to write on paper a list outlining the girl’s complete wardrobe. Nobody’s list will be accurate— and some of the items included will prove quite astonishing!
Help in the Victory Campaign!
Trouble for Axis
Pis
SIXTEEN AUTOMOBILES represent the weight—24 tons—of the bombs being carried by the three R.A F. Stirling bombers shown in this remarkable picture. These giant four-motor airplanes are on their way to blast German war plants in the mounting British round-the-clock air offensive that has already smashed at the big Krupp, Skoda, and Thyssen works, and at Kiel, Luebeck. Rostock, and other supply bases important to the enemy.