Next on the List

Vol. 25, No. 4-A [Carolyn O’Connor] 

Columbus, Ohio 
Jan. 29 - 1947 

Dear Family:— 

Shan usually brings the chain letter home with him so was quite surprised to find it in the mail box this morning. Don read it first and informed me I was to contribute my letter to this round. Was all afternoon so immediately after dinner I read the most enjoyable letters. I notice it was Sadie who mentioned I was next on the list. I was under the impression Dan informed us whose turn it was. However am quite please to write to all of you. 

Being in the family so long I truly feel like one of you so won’t wait on regulations. It’s so difficult to be cheery these days as the whole world is in confusion. First you listen to the radio and sometimes you feel like shutting it off but no, you cannot close your mind to the events of the day. Then you look out the window and see a dog or cat or a squirrel and they are going their own peaceful ways. Wouldn’t it be nice to crawl into a shell for a few years to get away from it all? You are told to think, think, think but it isn’t much consolation if you are not able to do anything about it. Yes, you have the right to vote but sometimes that’s futile as too many are playing politics. There are a few who have brains and are trying to put us on the right track but, oh so few. Then the atom bomb scares one and sometimes you wish it had never been discovered even for science’s sake. I remember the first article I read about it in Life made me shudder. I think the U.S. should by all means control it. Of course Russia no doubt is working on it and will probably have it solved within the next ten or twenty years. That will at least give us a breathing spell and hope by that time it will be outlawed for war purposes as poison gasses were. 

Today Congressmen were concerned about a book or articles published in Russia which contains all the engineering feats in the U.S. They have hundreds of engineers roaming America at their will and only about five Americans are in Russia and no doubt they are told where to go and where not to go. It reminds me of the books published after War I by which Hitler profited. We try so hard to understand Russia but communists are infiltrating into all the countries and there is very little we can do about it. Take Poland for instance. My heart goes out to them and we know they did not have free elections as were emphasized at Yalta. They have such a stronghold in south America and even here. We try to keep them submerged but there are just enough of them here to keep things in a turmoil. I seem to be talking about World War III which most pessimists are predicting so to be a little optimistic it will be years hence but it is bound to come. 

We all hated to see Jimmy Byrnes leave his post for he did a mighty fine job of it but think Marshall will be equally as good or perhaps better. Only pray he can stand the strain. Wouldn’t it be terrific to sit in one of their conferences for hours and hours and days arguing and in the end getting no place? Enough of world topics. It’s a lot more fun to listen to Fred Allen and Bob Hope. 

At least we have that and faith and our own dear families. And what a wonderful family it is and am proud to be one of the in-laws. It seems to be growing with all the newlyweds and weddings to be and all the darling babies. Last weekend Nan asked me how I would like to see a performance of Grand Opera for my birthday. What could be a nicer gift? We are planning to leave here Friday afternoon and spend the night with Shan in Youngstown and then to Cleveland for the matinee on Saturday. Back to Youngstown that evening and then leave Sunday evening for Columbus. Am looking forward to it and it will also save Shan from one of his weekly journeys. Also a trip to Dayton is coming up which I am also looking forward to. And later on to Capon Springs or has it been definitely decided upon for the next reunion? 

My love to all of you Carolyn.

Comments

[kilax]

It seems like sentence two of the second paragraph is something that could have been written today!

[Robin]

One thing I have learned from these letters...the more things change, the more things stay the same. They basically discuss the same political issues we do today.