Like father like son!

Title

Creator

H. J. A.

Language

English

Source

Panorama Volume XIV (No.9) September 1962

Year

1962

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON! The intricacies of language took the fun out of the Jap anese conqueror’s life in Ma nila. The Jap soldier did not know English from Spanish, and much less, Tagalog, the native tongue. The Filipino, who spoke all three, could always pull a fast one on the Jap. He took Nippong-go in his stride. He learned to greet the Jap with a bow, and say, O hayo (good morning). This, he promptly changed to, O hayop! (Tagalog for beast). And the Jap was none the wiser. I remember well an amus ing incident in a street car in Manila just before the American landings on Leyte. In those days, the only ser viceable vehicles for public use were the Meralco trolley cars. The few autos that were, still in use were reserved for ranking Jap officers and the top Filipino puppets. The street cars were always packed, and people preferred to walk rather than fight their way in and sweat it out to their homes. I got into a street car bound for Sta. Ana, where the Japs had a big garrison. The motorman stopped at short intervals, even bet ween regular stops, to pick up Jap soldiers on their way to their barracks. It was te dious. There was hardly el bow space in the car. At one point, the car stopped to let some passen gers out. A Jap soldier, with a monkey pet on his shoulder, waited for the people to step out, then tried to' get in. But the ticket conductor would not let him. “No, no” the conductor said, “that not allowed,” pointing to the monkey, and to the “No Pets Allowed” sign above him. The soldier remained on the outside platform, but made no motion to step down. He obviously did not understand. The conductor kept motioning to him to get down, but soon gave up, and matters stood there for minutes. Then, an elderly man by the conductor’s side, spoke 20 Panorama up loudly in Spanish: Por Dios! Si puede embarcar el padre, porque no el hijo!” (By God, if the father can get in, why not the son!) This broke the tension. Everyone laughed, and the conductor, winking at the man who had just spoken, .motioned to the Jap with the monkey to come in. The soldier did so, bowing his thanks to the elderly man who had spoken for him — H.J.A. A GREAT UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT In the United States the president of a large university is a politician in partibus. His speeches are quoted in the newspapers. If he has ability and tact he becomes a moral authority. Wilson increased his by making himself the cham pion of democracy in the University of Princeton against the old aristocratic hierarchy of the clubs. He wanted the under graduates to live in common dormitories. The alumni and the trustees, loyal to Princeton traditions, rose in opposition. The liberal professors defended Wilson and the faculty was divided into two factions — pro-Wilson and anti-Wilson. The president’s character made any debate difficult. Among his students he was famous for his charm; his col leagues learned to know, as well, his anger and his pride. Very sure of himself, and justly proud of the clarity of his mind, he would not tolerate contradition. The violence of his character astounded those who had judged him on the basis of the austere and polished language of his speeches. Between him and the Board of Trustees there was soon open conflict, not only on the question of the clubs but on almost every other point as well. Meanwhile rumors of this battle for democracy waged by the president of the most aris tocratic of the universities reached the general public and won Wilson great popularity. From 1906 on, certain influential members of the De mocratic party had their eyes on him. In 1910 the bosses of New Jersey offered to make him their candidate lor gov ernor of the state ... He accepted. — From The Miracle of America of Andre Mauroi’s. September 1962 21

pages

20+

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