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Official Organ of the Michigan Amateur Journalists Chapter
Friendship Lives Forever
by Clifford E. Roth
It was September, 1939, in Berlin. Among the several thousand students at the Berlin Polytechnical Institute, two young men stand out particularly in my mind. I can see them yet, with tears in their eyes, bidding each other goodby after five years of college life, through which they had struggled only by one’s helping the other. I had followed closely the college life of these two boys. When they first entered my classroom they struck me as being lifelong friends. When I gave my class in speech its first assignment, I did so with the direct intention of finding out who these two boys were. By their own introductions to their classmates, I learned that the two boys were Hans Faulkner of Stuttgart, Germany, and Ross Harland, Evonshire-on-the-Thames, England. By their own speeches I also found that since a decade before, when they were only twelve years old, these two boys had been fast friends. A mutual love for model airplanes and a model contest had united them, ever since which time they had written to each other, studied the same things and shared each others troubles as much as possible.
It made no difference to Hans and Ross that they were from different countries, countries that only a few years before they met had been at war. I learned from the boys that down through the years of their acquaintance, especially since they had come to school in Berlin, they had sought by their close friendship and love for each other to break the bands of strife between their two countries. They both loved aviation and were the two best test pilots in their college’s flying club.
Now, mindful of the fun and trouble they had so long endured together, the two boys had to part. Why? Their countries were practically at war. When each asked the other what he was going to do, the mutual answer was, “Join the Air Corps.”
After weeks of intensive military flight training, Ross found himself on his first mission, a scouting flight with four others of his flight group. There was little danger of enemy planes attacking, he thought. The sky was clear and the sun was at their backs as the five Armstrongs sped toward German territory. Suddenly the Flight Leader wiggled his wings and pointed to the ground. Ross saw five ships close to the ground, racing toward Britain. As his group dived toward the enemy planes, Ross thought, what if Hans were there? He wanted to cry out to his buddies to let him go after the German ships first to see if Hans were there, so strong was his feeling for Han’s safety. Yet this was war and his country came first.
As Ross with uncertainty singled out one of the enemies, he thought of all the fun he and Hans had had. All their mutual experiences through the years passed before Ross’s eyes as he maneuvered to get above and behind his enemy. Not sure of himself in his new, fast plane, Ross soon found himself in trouble. Out of nowhere his foe was suddenly coming directly at him. In a frenzy Ross tripped his guns as he felt his own ship shudder with the impact of enemy bullets striking it. He felt a sharp pain over his heart, yet was surprised to find himself still conscious. However, his bullets had found their mark, for he saw the enemy ship fall into its final spin.
As he followed the unfortunate ship down to its crash, Ross noticed that it did not burn upon crashing. Seeing that he was over Allied territory, Ross decided to land near the fallen ship to get proof of his first victory. As he walked to the crash, Ross put his hand into his lapel pocket and drew out his cigaret case to get a smoke. It was crushed in the center and bits of lead still clung to its ragged edges. He turned the body of his fallen enemy over and it was Hans! Through tear-filled eyes Ross read the inscription on the back of the cigaret case, “Freundschaft Lebt Ewiglich – Friendship Lives Forever – Hans Faulkner.”
Officers and Membership List of “THE MAJORS”
President – Erich H. Werner, Marquette, Mich.
Secretary-Treasurer – Clifford Roth, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Official Editor – Robert E. Kunde, Stevensville, Michigan, R. F. D.
Mendel J. Chron, Bay City, Michigan.
James H. Reid, Bay City, Michigan.
Burton Jay Smith, Wyandotte, Michigan.
Our 1940 Platform
1. To make the “MAJORS” the most active chapter in the AAPA!
2. To recruit at least twenty-five new AAPA members in Michigan!
3. To sponsor the 1940 AAPA convention at Detroit!
4. To encourage a higher standard of literary offerings in the AAPA!
5. To continue with our active publishing schedules! Every member of the “MAJORS” publishes an amateur journal.
6. To publish a quarterly official organ on time!
Around The State
The Editor’s Column
It is a great honor and pleasure to serve as Official Editor of this most active press group! I hope to live up to the trust and confidence that you members have placed in me and will edit this journal to the best of my ability…. One of our greatest aims this year will be to recruit many more Michigan members in the AAPA…. Jim Reid has rejoined the association after he had received reports of our little group. We hope to see another issue of his Wolverine in a future AAPA bundle. Burton Jay Smith who publishes Eisegesis is also new to the American. He is a teacher of English in the Roosevelt Senior High School at Wyandotte. A stamp will bring you a copy of his very interesting journal which is considered “the news magazine of amateur journalism”….
We hereby issue an activity challenge to all clubs and chapters affiliated with the AAPA. We guarantee to issue this 6×9 journal quarterly and also continue to maintain our proud publishing record: – “Every Michigan member an active publisher.” Werner is co-editor of The American Dawn, Mendel Chron and Clifford Roth co-publish the Press Clarion, Burton Smith issues Eisegesis regularly, Jim Reid will emerge with another Wolverine and yours truly promises to unfurl more Banners in the breeze than ever before. That record alone merits your support for Detroit as the 1940 AAPA convention site…. We bear no ill-will to our rivals, the Wisconsin Chapter, but where is their activity slate? An active interest on the part of every member means – a successful convention!
The “MAJORS” wish to entertain you in
1940 at a
DETROIT CONVENTION
Will you be there?
The President’s Message: Onward in 1940!
by Erich H. Werner
The Michigan Amateur Journalist Chapter has seen fit to place me at their head to lead them through the chapter’s first year. With such fine cooperation that has already been shown, I believe that I shall close 1939 with a successful record for the Majors, and with the promise of a great year in 1940. All my efforts will be directed to the growth of our chapter in the parent association – to make our chapter and the AAPA a greater organization in the future.
My college work does not allow all the freedom or time I would like to spend on amateur journalism, but my spare moments and all my sentiments are centered in the fascinating work of amateur journalism.
If, along the line, I should fail in my aspirations to place our chapter ahead, I quote a famous passage from Cicero and I feel that, although my hopes were of the highest calibre, a second rating is honorable to attain: “When you are aspiring to the highest place, it is honorable to reach the second or even the third rank.”
Fellow members of the AAPA – are you with me to make 1940 the greatest year in our organization?
What a State!
By Bob Kunde
A circle drawn with the southeastern corner of Michigan as its center and a radius long enough to include the northwest corner would pass outside New York City, Nashville, Tenn., and St. Louis, Mo. It would include all or part of 18 states and much of Canada, as well as three-fifths of the U. S. population and three-fourths of U. S. industries. What a state! Come to Detroit in 1940 and we will show you part of it!
Wolverine Wisps
A Fleck of Sea-Foam
by Burton Jay Smith
The sky is dull with lead oe’rcast.
The wind howls ‘round the ship’s tall mast.
A stormy petrel rides high
And screams defiance to the sky.
Foamy hands of the cold North Sea
Clutch the vessel, port and lea.
With great white wings all carefully furled
Onward the wondrous bark is hurled.
Missing Someone
by Clifford Roth
Feeling queerish just a bit;
Missing someone, guess that’s it.
Restless-like, dissatisfied;
Shake it off? Why yes, I’ve tried.
But it lingers, makes me blue,
Missing someone, must be you.
Night
by Erich Werner
Night, O Night!
Sometimes you fill me with remorse;
At times – delight.
Night, O Night!
Your darkened shadows of the deep
Fill me with fright.
I know thee not, O Night;
Your mysteries are always closed,
But still I try to penetrate
Your sly disguise.
It’s the Printer
by Bob Kunde
You must have enjoyed the last number of the Press Clarion as much as I did! A letter from Mendel Chron gives the following information: “I obtain the impressions in the Clarion with the following: My little 10×15 C&P press, 18, 14, 12, 10 and 8 point type, Kelsey Standard white 50 lb. E. F. book paper, half tone black ink, and Kelsey heavy Craft cover, plus many hours of fumbling around dusty type cases.” All of which proves the statement – It’s the printer, not the press, which is responsible for a well issued and neatly printed journal.
America’s Fourth City Welcomes You
by Erich H. Werner
Because I have lived some part of my life in Detroit, and because of my recent trip there in September, I have been asked to write this article of Detroit with the view of holding a 1940 AAPA Convention here.
Although the purpose of a convention is not to spend all available time in sight-seeing, Detroit, nevertheless, contains a large assortment of point of interest. The outstanding features of Greenfield Village alone would make your trip to Detroit a worthwhile one. Then, too, there is WWJ, the Detroit News (with its supervised daily trips), beautiful Belle Isle, the Ford Plant, the Ambassador Bridge, the ferry and International Tunnel leading to Canada. This list is but a few of the many outstanding features that can be sought for in Detroit.
In addition to the sight-seeing, Anne Campbell, famous Detroit News poet, and a personal friend of mine, has consented to address the AAPA if the convention is to be held in Detroit. She also promises publicity for the convention if we so desire it. If Anne Campbell will not be available, there will be some well-known Detroit News writer or printer who will be only too glad to speak to the group.
A cordial invitation has been extended to the AAPA by Richard W. Reading, Mayor of Detroit, who, in a letter to me, states: “I can personally vouch for the unexcelled hospitality of the citizens and official family of America’s Fourth City in population. Detroit will be honored to be your host in 1940.”
To this sentiment, I, as president of the Michigan Chapter, add my invitation (in speaking for the chapter as a whole) to consider Detroit as your choice for 1940 Convention City.
The Majors Wish To
Entertain You in
1940
At A
DETROIT CONVENTION
Will YOU Be There?
Printed by Kay
The Michigan Journalist
Official Organ of the Michigan Amateur Journalists Chapter. Affiliated with the American Amateur Press Association. All communications should be addressed to the Official Editor, Robert E. Kunde, Stevensville, Michigan, R. F. D.