THE AMERICAN 20c • DECEMBER LEGIONMAGAZINE HowToMakelton Less Fuel This Winter A LOOK AT CHRISTMA WOULD SOME OTHER COUNTRY LIKE TO HOST THE U.N. ? MARK TWAIN AND HIS INVESTMENTS ! T^erth sends you its ^estfor the Holidays We do not have much snow in Perth. It is said that we gave it to America to make your Holi- days brighter. Along with the snow go our best wishes . and our good whisky. We don't miss the snow. And we always keep enough Dewar's "White Label" over here to toast a few friends of our own. The season would be mighty cold without that yluthentic. DEWARS "White Label' Dewar's never varies. ~—^-^.^^ BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY • 86.8 PROOF • ©SCHENLEY IMPORTS CO., N.Y., N.Y. : The American DECEMBER 1973 Volume 95, Number 6 National Commander LEGION Robert E. L. Eaton CHANGE OF ADDRESS Subscribers, please notify Circulation Dept., P. O. Box 1954, Indianapolis, Ind. 46206 using Form 3578 which is available at your Magazine local post office. Attach old address label and give old and new addresses with ZIP Code number and current membership card num- ber. Also, notify your Post Adjutant or other officer charged with such responsibilities. Contents for December 1973 The American Legion Maguzine Editorial & Advertising Offices 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10019 Publisher^ James F. O'Neil HOW TO MAKE IT ON LESS FUEL THIS WINTER 4 Editor Robert B. Pitkin BY R. P. DAILLE Assistant to Publisher A rundown of various ways to save every drop of fuel John Andreola we can this winter, hopefully without freezing to death. Art Editor Waiter H. Boll Assistant Editor James S. Swartz Associate Editor A LOOK AT CHRISTMAS CAROLS 8 Roy Miller Production Manager BY MALCOLM G. POMEROY Art Bretzfield A brief review of some of our familiar Christmas songs, Copy Editor Grail S. ilanford with some of the stories and history behind them. Circulation Manager Dean B. Nelson Indianapolis, Ind. Advertising Sales WOULD SOME OTHER COUNTRY LIKE TO HOST Robert Redden Associates, Inc. 121 Cedar Lane THE UNITED NATIONS? 10 Teaneck, N.J. 07666 201-836-5755 BY THOMAS A. HOGE An account of the running battle between the U.N., as an The American Legion unwilling guest, and N.Y. City, as a reluctant host. Magazine Commission: Benjamin B. Truskoski, Bristol, Conn. (Chairman) : Milford A. Forrester, Green- ville, S.C . ( J' ice Chairman ) ; James R. Kel- ( National MARK TWAIN AND HIS INVESTMENTS 16 ley . Radnor, Pa. Commander's Representative ); Lang Armstrong, Spokane, BY PEGGY ROBBINS Wash.; Norman Biebel, Belleville, III.; Charles E. Booth, Huntington, W. Va.; Bremer. Winona, Minn. The sad tale of Sam Clemens who made hundreds of thousands Adolph ; Raymond Fields. Oklahoma City, Okla.; Chris Hern- as Mark Twain only to squander most of them on get-rlch- andez, Savannah, Ga. ; James V, Kissner, quick inventions and investments. Palatine, III.; Mylio S. Kraja. Youngstown, Ohio ; Russell H. Laird, Des Moines, Iowa', Frank C. Love, Syracuse, N , Y ; Arthur Fla. Loyd Mc- MacCarthy, Tallahassee, ; Dermott, Benton, Ark.; Morris Meyer, SHOULD THE U.S. PULL OUT OF THE Starkville, Miss.; J. H. Morris, Baton Rouge, La. ; Frank W. Nay lor, Jr., Kansas City, UNITED NATIONS? 22 Kans.; Harry H. SchaiTer, Pittsburgh, Pa.; George Sinoi)oli, Fresno, Calif. ; Wayne L. Two Sides Of A National Question Talbert, Delphi, Ind.; Robert H. Wilder, Dadeville, Ala.; Edward McSweeney. New PRO: SEN. JESSE HELMS (R-N.C.) York, N.Y. (Consultant); George Zanos, CON: SEN. GALE W. McGEE (D-WYO.) Wellsburg, W. Va. (Consultant). The American Legion Magazine is owned and published monthly by The American Legion. Copyright 1973 by The American Legion. Second class postage paid at Indianapolis, CLARKE COVER DRAWING BY BOB Ind., 46204 and additional mailing offices. Price : single copy, 20 cents; yearly sub- scription, S2.00. Direct inquiries regarding circulation to: Circulation Department, P. 0. Departments Box 1954, Indianapolis, Ind. 46206. LEHERS 2 VETERANS NEWSLETTER 27 Send editorial and advertising material to The American Legion Magazine, 1315 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10019. PERSONAL 3 NEWS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION . .29 DATELINE WASHINGTON 21 LEGION SHOPPER 47 NON-MEMBER SUBSCRIPTIONS Send name and address, including ZIP LIFE IN THE OUTDOORS 26 PARTING SHOTS 48 number, with $2 check or money order to Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 1954, Indianapolis, Ind. 46206. Manuscripts, orlwork, cartoons submitted for consideration will not be returned unless a self-ad- dressed, stamped envelope is included. This magazine ossumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. POSTMASTER: If undeliverable, please send Form 3579 to P. O. Box 1954. Indianapolis, Ind. 46206. THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 1973 1 WW2 BATTLESHIPS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR sir: Congratulations on "U.S. Battle- ships in World War 2" (Sept.). I was on the Colorado for two years. Some discrepancies, however. We received Letters published do not necessarily ex- in the September issue, I want to press the policy of The American Legion. our 22 direct hits off Tinian, not Guam. short. and address must say it is one of the most complete Keep letters Name And the Maryland was torpedoed off be furnished. E.vpressions of opinion and articles I have read on the subject requests for personal service are appreci- Saipan, not Guam. cannot be acknowledged or of saving gas. ated, but they But what about the Wyoming? I answered, due to lack of maga-ine staff for I took a 6,000-mile trip in my car these purposes. Requests for personal serv- did not hear of any campaign with this summer and learned these hints ices which may be legitimately asked of her involved, even at Okinawa, where The American Legion should be made to from experience. I kept the idea in your Post Service Officer or your state almost all of our capital ships were in mind that I might not find a gas (Department) American Legion Hq. Send the vicinity. letters to the editor to: Letters, The station open at the next town. American Legion Magazine. 1345 Avenue Robert M. Thornton Thanks for the information. We all of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10019. St. Cloud, Minn. should try to conserve a little more energy's sake. PIE TOO THIN for Greg Smith sir: My Macadamia nut pie, follow- Jackson, Miss. The Wyoming served as an antiair- ing the Hawaiian Village recipe on craft training ship, 19Jfl-45. During your October "Letters" page, came this time, numerous AA crews were out too thin. I froze it and saved the sir: I would like to shake the hand trained on hoard; new AA gunnery day, because it was delicious. But of author Malcolm G. Pomeroy for control equipment was tested; and why didn't it come out right as an his article on how saving gas saves new defense methods developed, es- unfrozen pie filling? cars and lives too. He really tells pecially against the kamikaze attacks. Mrs. John Reynolds how the other guy feels about driv- Milwaukee, Wise. ing with speedsters and tailgaters around him. But what can we do sir: Three big cheers to H. Allen Because the recipe didn't specify about getting some kind of action Perry for his story about our bat- that the final mixture should he taken against them? They need to be tleships. It was most interesting and stirred over heat, which the chef taken off the road before they take brought back a few memories. With- took for granted. us off the road. out our battlewagons, our island- Thumbs up to smooth, gas-saving, hopping successes would have been life-saving driving and thumbs down next to impossible. Thanks again, Mr. SAVING GAS, CARS AND LIVES to tailgaters and speedsters. Perry, for a great story. SIR : Concerning your article, "Sav- SuziE Moore H. Buck ing Gas Saves Cars and Lives Too," Marshalltown, Iowa Niagara Falls, N.Y. THE STORY YOU NEVER THE SOLDIER THAT NEVER SAW ON TV. MADE THE PAPERS. THE NOVEL THAT WON THE PUTNAM AWARD. BODY COUNT BY WILLIAM TURNER HUGGETT This is the whole story. The novel of Viet Nam. Told the way it really was. The dope. The sex. The blood. If you were there, this IS yoLir story. 2 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 1973 — PERSONAL states are now in the happy position of cutting taxes back. Real estate and ECONOMICS & HOME INSURANCE. personal income levies usually are the first to be reduced. Incidentally, NEW PENSION LEGISLATION? the metropolitan areas with the low- est property taxes currently are New LOCAL GARAGE SALE LAWS. Orleans, San Antonio, Louisville and Looking ahead to 1974, most econo- • Prohibiting unduly long entrance Tampa-St. Petersburg. At the other mists see another year of growth in requirements. end of the line are San Francisco, Bos- the output of our goods and services • "Vesting" employees at an accel- ton and Los Angeles. although maybe not at the same high erated rate—i.e., giving employees the GROUP INSURANCE: If you want pace that characterized 1973. There right to some money at an early date, to transfer ownership of your group will be two trouble spots, however: or if they change jobs. life insurance policy to somebody else • Inflation will continue to be • Stopping risky investment of pen- to get the proceeds out of your estate, bothersome—a problem that's not sion money. it's now possible in the great majority unique to the United States; every • Allowing individuals to set up of states, after a rash of new legisla- major industrial nation has the same their own nest eggs—if their employ- tion. The only remaining holdouts are worry.