The “Let your hair down” column

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: The “Let your hair down” column
Language: English
Year: 1949
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Fulltext: 132 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL March, 1949 • TRUCKS • PICKUPS • TRAILERS • HEAVY LIFTS Available Daily Telephone 2-79-35 The___ _________________________ _____ "LET YOUR HAIR DOWN” ~ • • ------- ==-. Column E had a number of letters from old friends during the past month all with a bearing on the Journal. One was from Luther Parker, a well known former division superintendent of schools here who lives in Santa Cruz, California (741 Bay Street). It was addressed to the editor, and Mr. Parker wrote in part: “I have just read that you are edit ing the Manila Chamber of Commerce Journal. May I congratulate you on having survived the Japanese occupa tion and having the strength and deter mination to continue working? You and McCullough Dick deserve all com mendation for so bravely carrying on after the severe experiences you went through. Lesser spirits would have given up..." MR. E. W. SCHEDLER LUZON BROKERAGE COMPANY Mr. W. F. Boericke wrote the editor from 25 Broad Street, New York City (Hayden, Stone & Company), in part as follows: “I enjoyed your ‘Three Christmasses in Santo Tomas’ [in the December Journal]. It is free from the exagge ration which has characterized so many of the accounts which have appeared. I note that you have a manuscript on the Camp which is ‘still awaiting a publisher.’ I have an idea it will con tinue to wait judging from my own ex perience. When I returned to this coun try, I sent a story to the Elks Magazine on the first days at the Camp. It was promptly accepted and the check I re ceived made me wonder if there wasn’t a fortune in preparing a book on the Camp. I wrote about 70,000 words, and left the manuscript with several good publishers. I had the right introduc tions, too, for I have written a great deal for New York papers and for the technical press, and my name is rather well known. The tip-off is what one of the partners of Doubleday said to me, when we shook hands after a per sonal introduction. ‘I’ll be glad to look at your story, but I have to tell you in advance that you have two strikes against you before I even read a page. The public isn’t interested anymore in war stories.’ That isn’t strictly true, for if the author makes a story grue some enough, it can get over. ‘Three Came Back’ is an illustration... Per haps the times have changed. Maybe the real story of Santo Tomas would be read with interest now. I haven’t tried to place my Ms. for the last year, — been too busy with other things. I should like to know whether you have made any efforts yourself... You stat ed that your manuscript runs to 2000 pages. My own runs to about 300... Maybe you can see how we might join forces in getting out a story of Santo Tomas..." In another Santo Tomas connec tion, the editor received an illus trated post card from Tokyo on which Mr. V. A. Brussolo, another ex-Santo Tomasite, had written under date of February 3: “Remembering you on the date of our liberation. Saw the 1st Cavalry parade here. It’s a wonderful outfit, the best in the world for us..." To which latter sentiment we all say “Amen”. But the date of the editor’s liberation, and that of some 600 others, was not Feb ruary 3, but February 5, as he was among the hostages held by the Japanese who barricaded themselves in the Education Building and who did not surren der until the Monday morning fol lowing the Saturday night of the main Santo Tomas liberation. The editor (all these are the editor’s letters, it seems) also had a letter from the secretary of an other famous ex-internee, Father John F. Hurley, S.J. E. E. ELSER, INC. GENERAL AGENTS for ATLAS ASSURANCE CO. LTD.—THE EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY ASSURANCE CORP. LTD. CONTINENTAL INSURANCE CO. OF NEW YORK—ORIENT INSURANCE CO. THE INSURANCE CO. OF NORTH AMERICA 404 Ayala Bldg., Manila Phone 2-77-58 Cable Address: “ELSINC” March, 1949 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 133 RADIOTYPE YOUR MESSAGES For GLOBE MESSENGER Tel. 2-95-17 — 2-97-91 GLOBE WIRELESS Ltd. Main Office Sixth Floor China Bank Bldg. Branch Office Lobby, Filipinas Bldg. Plaza Moraga 0iir«furo«> in tut tmiinmi SMITH.BELU(O.,LTD. TRADE AND COMMERCE BLOG., MANILA “Father Hurley has instructed me to thank you for the three issues of your Journal which you sent him last week. He appreciates your kindness in send ing them to him and congratulates you on the very edifying task you are do ing on behalf of all businessmen in the Philippines. Father Hurley left Wed nesday at 5 on a PAL DC-6, and ex pects to be in the United States for about three months for a much needed rest-cure.. .” And still another letter from a former aide to the late Governor J. Ralston Hayden when he was here on the staff of General MacArthur, Lieutenant, then, now Professor Dale Pontius (5519 S. Kenwood Avenue, Chicago 37, Il linois). The most pertinent para graph reads in part: “It has been a long time since I have written to you. I have felt, however, that I have had the benefit of some one-way contact. Last summer, at the Library of Congress, I saw a number of copies of the Journal, and in it I have been glad to see some of the old Hartendorp spirit resurge (if I may say so). I am a little worried, however, that the influence of being among so many businessmen will make a died-inthe-wool conservative out of you...” The editor took that last slam seriously, — he is such a conscien tious bird. “I know I am getting more conservative,” he admitted. “In the first place, I am getting older, and as everybody knows, growing conservatism is natural as one ages. I can’t and would n’t escape that. In some ways I like getting old, and I am not go ing vainly to struggle against it. There are compensations for what one is losing. There seems to be a lessening of stress and strife in one’s life; there is less of impos sible wishing; there is less de pendence, emotionally, on others; there is a growing calmness and serenity. And, of course, as every one knows, too, a growing wis dom. Heh-heh I” Then he turned quickly from what sounded like submission and acceptance, to attack: “Dammit!” he said, “there was a time when it was a virtue to be a radical. But now there are all too many radicals everywhere, — nuts and cranks, deluded boobs, doubters and hesitators, and out right subvertists and would-be destroyers of all that mankind has achieved so far. It’s coming to be a distinction to be a conser vative in this loony and crazy and mad post-war era. It is one thing to stand for and fight for prog ress, but that never means de struction ; it means building, block by block, on top of tried and firm The BEST IN PORTABLES Smith-Corona STERLING The best seller, but not our cheapest model. It has: Floatin? shUt Touch selector Variable linespacer Speed booster Two-color ribbon Automatic ribbon reverse Cushioned tabulator Quickset margin stops Paper table extension arms All around frame [SMITH-CORONA 8#^ neaH QmC^YPEWRITERS LATEST MODELS! STANDARD or SILENT! They have everything—Auto matic margin set, Interchange able platens, tabulator. Touch selector. Everything! HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO REPLACE OLD WAR-WORN MACHINES WITH THE FINEST! OF MODERN TYPEWRITERS! Exclusive Distributors: ERLANGER & GALINGER, Inc. 123 T. PINPIN CORNER SN. VICENTE 134 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL March, 1949 EVERETT STEAMSHIP CORPORATION GENERAL AGENTS AMERICAN MAIL LINE To and From Portland Seattle Vancouver Tacoma PACIFIC TRANSPORT LINES To and From California Philippines BARBER-FERN LINE Service to U. S. Atlantic Via Straits, Suez, Mediterranean FERN LINE To and From North Atlantic Ports Gulf Ports — Philippines EVERETT ORIENT LINE Serving the Orient . Philippines to China, Japan, Korea, Straits and India Ports PHILIPPINE STEAM NAVIGATION CO. Serving the Philippine Islands 223 Dasmarinas St., Manila Tel. 2-98-46 (Priv. Exch. All Lines) foundations. Everything is not wrong. Everything after ages of social evolution, couldn’t be wrong. Let us not, as in the delirium and frenzy of a fatal fever, break everything within reach. If I have to choose between being a conser vative and a criminal maniac or a traitor, how do my friends ex pect me to choose? Hell!” the old man ended. “Tut, tut! What language!” said the editor, looking over our shoulder. “I was just blowing off steam a little. Since you put all that down, be sure to say that I said that I did not mean to im ply that my good and dear friend Dale (who is an able political scientist and who, when I was in Washington, took me on a patrio tic pilgrimage to Mount Vernon) expected me to choose to be a ma niac or a ruffian and a traitor when he mildly said I might be come a little too conservative.” The next day; the editor, who must have been thinking over the subject at home, asked: “How did this talk about businessmen being so conservative ever get started, anyway? Are they so conserva tive really? It would seem that there has been a great deal more of change and advancement in our economic, than in our political institutions and procedures. In fact, that is at the bottom of a lot of the world’s troubles. Let Dale chew on that a while.” The initiation fee for an active membership in the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines has recently been reduced to P250. Attorney Arturo L. Rodriguez, Arabejo Building, 706 Quezon Boulevard, generously sent us dur ing the month a surprise gift con sisting of 45 pre-war issues of the American Chamber of Com merce Journal covering the years from November, 1936, to Decem ber, 1940, inclusive, but with some numbers missing. As we have been trying to build up a set of back issues of the Journal, this donation was most acceptable. The missing numbers are those for February and May, 1937; October, 1938; June, 1939; and September, 1940. We should like very much to fill out these volumes and we would be very grateful to any one who could help us to do so. Subscribe to the Journal to get it regularly C. F. SHARP & COMPANY, INC. 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