makes an army shelter tent; metal in eight electric toasters makes a 76mm shell case; materials in an average home radio make radios for two paratroopers; jute in an average living room rug makes 46 sandbags; wool in 15 blankets equips a soldier for ayear; wool in a woman's sport suit makes 13 overseas caps; silk in 185 pairs of women's stockings makes one parachute; and, the rubber in 13,600 of milady's girdles will furnish four nice new tires for an army jeep? That's the why of civilian goods shortages in the peace-to- war shift. . . .** John C. Irwin of Devils Slide composed the following poem as he watched the young men of the ward leave for the service. From the farms and from the factories, from the offices and banks, They are quickly being mustered in the fighting U.S. ranks. They are mostly real young fellows, some just out of their teens, And they're gathering in the army, navy, Air Corps and Marines. There these units all will flourish, within this year perhaps; And our forces, Allied Nations, will strike terror to the Japs. And the legions of Heir Hitler, with his ally Mussolini, Will be rounded up and conquered by this Allied War Machine. This little, unobtrusive town, we know as Devils Slide, Has sent in five young fellows who are our joy and pride. I've known these boys since they were small, and now I do not joke. I've never seen a one of them indulging in a smoke. I've never seen one drinking hootch, or heard a yarn obscene, We thank the Lord, these boys of ours are wholesome, pure and clean. Take George, you always find him courteous and kind to one and all, And Robert, always smiling, never grouchy, not at all. We will look on these with honor, where they travel near and far, Knowing that their mothers' precepts made of them the men they are. Then there's Calvin, rather quiet, always clean and plenty strong, To the boys who live clean lives, old Cal does rightfully belong. He will make a good old record in the service of this land, And the officers will appreciate ole Cal in their command. Now, Cecil, he was whisked away without a bit of fuss, One morning bright and early, he went out to get the bus. His father went across with him, then came back home alone; His mother bravely suffered many days after he was gone. He helped his mother every day and always was polite, He took his parents out for rides and to the shows at night. The other one, he is my boy, I will not praise him loud. He's only just a common kid, but of him we are proud. Before this war is over and our boys to us return, There will be a lot of trouble and our boys for home will yearn. They will be where sin is prevalent and where pitfalls line the way. Let's not forget those boys of ours and for them let us pray. There'll be a lot of others leave our town ere this is o'r. And we must pray for all of them and love them more and more; And hope with all our faith and prayers, that on some future day, Our boys will all return as clean as when they went away. John C. Irwin9 149