Verhovayak Lapja, 1944 (27. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1944 / Verhovay Journal
Page 6 Verhovay Journal September 14, 1944 Tlie Ferret Se* . IIMIIIillllllllimilHllilllin!inillllHIWIillllt<UlllilHltli1lttilflUlltlllilllUil!HlliUlliUI!lilllWIHIIIlUntl!!l!llllllltl[!llllllttllI!ll “Who steals my purse steals trash, ’twas something— nothing; ’twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands. But he who filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, and leaves me poor indeed.’’ (sez Shakespeare) Old Man Shakespeare was right .—the things which are worth having, can not be bought with money—they have to be earned. * * * With summer officially ending on Labor Day, the human mind looks forward to the fun and work of the fall and winter months. School days are postponed for two weeks in Detroit and hereabouts due to the infantile paralysis epidemic. The kids are tickled, but there is that feeling of settling down to seriousness, which those two weeks of added freedom cannot dispell. Went shopping for school clothes, and the tastes of grammar school kids has me gasping. Not so long ago, whatever Mom bought was OK by the kids— now they want flashy socks and ties to match—Glen Plaid suits, with sport shirts—as the Skipper sez, “After all, Mom, I’m in the eight grade now and I can’t be seen in those cheezy things you’ve been getting away with all these years.” Even Larry, in the second half of kindergarten has his individual tastes, and what was good enuf for Pop, is not good enuf for the baby son. High school lassies are as serious about clothes as the college gal going away to the universities—and with prices the way they are now, WOW! Of eourse, if there is any money left after sating the teen-agers, Pop and Mom may have come away richer by a pair of hose, or maybe a new tie. Still, I suppose if we didn’t have our kids, life’d be awfully dull, wouldn’t it? * * * The first turning of the leaves is the signal for bowling teams to organize. Branch 429 this year Is the pround announcer of two teams—with Branch 36 having at least one team, the 429-ers can again take off their caps— two teams for the smallest branch in this neck of the woods. If it weren’t for the 36-ers and 429- ers, Detroit wouldn’t have VERHOVAY BOWLING TEAMS, so we pat ourselves on the back. The Women’s Team is again bowling at Springwells Recreation on Wednesday nites at 6:45 p.m. Captained * as always by The Ferret, with an average of 109, the team will be well supported by Mary Kuritar’s 128, Mary Fisher’s 123, Ann Major’s 12/3 (who, by the way, finally made the Verhovay F.I.A.) and Rose Horvath as anchor woman with an average of 131—team average 619, which isn’t bad at all for a starter. The Men’s Team has reservations at Palace-Dix Recreation for Wednesday nites at 9:00 p. m. Daniel Robb, George Kuritar (who came back to V.F.I.A.), Louis Lucas, Anthony Plasky <a new boy), and I believe the fifth man is Steve Horvath, or someone they have doped out. With the future looking brighter, as far as the war goes, maybe, now mind I said, maybe, we can have those inter-city meets and that National Tournament in Pittsburgh. We still haven’t fulfilled our promises to Branch 383 in Buffalo, New York, but as the men told me, “Hold it off, and we’ll take two teams to lick those Buffaloes.” Besides, we have to give Branch Manager Charles Young an opportunity to show off that Queen City of the Lakes, as he was disappointed with certain portions of Detroit. Shucks, Charles, I don’t like that section, either, so you’re not making us mad. So much for bowling—will give you bi-monthly dope on scores, as usual, and here’s hoping they look better than ever in print. * * * RE BRANCH MEETING— September is present, but your Branch Manager won’t be here the third Sunday for the regular meeting as I’ll be in Pittsburgh for the third quarterly audit. Won’t be back until September 24th’ so how about that September meeting on Sunday, October 1st, at 3:00 p. m. at the Verhovay Home, as always? We have loads of business to discuss—our Jubilee Celebration in January, 1945—then there are bowling entry fees to OK—books to audit—fall and winter activities to plan. Too bad about that Boat Cruise—but the Coast Guard “thumbed down” on the ride this summer. Next year, maybe, we’ll have them every other Sunday. Would like to set up 429 as a shining example for “NO MEMBERS IN ARREARS”. How about a little co-operation? Had only six members with two months in arrears for August, and a few with one month. The majority are all paid up to date. Let’s head the Honor Roll List, as first branch with no members in arrears, eh kids? More vacation notes will be in the next issue or the one after, as I haven’t contacted all members. For a war year, we certainly have gone places, but close to home. Michigan is the grandest state in the union for vacations—you can go for an in-B1 Mrs. Jolán Lucasp uiiiiiii'.iiiiiiiiii'iiiiiujiriiiiiiiiiiiii ifiiimiiiiiiiM uflr.. r.-sk. ....mk expensive, relaxing rest—you can have excitement fishing or swimming or riding or hunting—you can.visit famous historical places, and beautiful views, and boat cruises, and even stay-at-homers can have fun. * * * Some nice pictures in the last issue demand attention. Our Albert and Margaret make a handsome pair of Joziks. The best to you two swell people, and how about Margaret contributing to the Journal again? Helen Gyulay Kamenar is a lovely bride indeed. We do not know her nice looking husband, Edward, but best wishes to him, and Helen. The kid brother Tommy looks as sweet as he ever did, with those mischievous eyes, and it makes a fella feel kinda good to see a picture of Mrs. Gyulay. You see, the Gyulays were practically neighbors; well it seemed like that anyway. With the family in Pittsburgh and California, they seem very far away indeed, and we Detroiters miss them very much. Good luck to all you Gyulays and Kamenars. * * * „ *'■ Makes a big lump come into a fella’s throat, reading about “those who gave their lives.” The number keeps mounting—each issue brings new ones. We all hope, that soon there will be no more. The branch members of 429 extend their deepest sympathies to the parents and families of these heroic dead. * * * As usual, Deadline Day, has me wracking my brains to compose the regular bi-monthly stint, but this time it’s “no go.” Getting clothes ready for three men, and my own wardrobe to elevate from the “old clothes bag,” keeps me going these last few days. Pittsburgh, next stop! BRANCH 503 PVT. JOHN S. HUZIANY Serving with the Engineers somewhere in England until the recent invasion into France, Engineer Johnny now reports that he was in one of these invasions. The French people greet the American soldiers with flowers, wine, cider and cognac, as well as food— which the doughboys mix with the *'K” rations. TRANSYLVANIA . . . Rumanian surrender has unexpectedly raised the problem of Transylvania. Soviet-Russia is willing to accept the Rumanian demand for the possession of all of Transylvania, if Rumania actively participätes in driving the Nazi forces out of her territory. The acquisition of Transylvania by Rumania, against the cession of Bessarabia and Bukovina to Russia, constitutes for the rest of the world a flagrant case of territorial barter, condemned by the Atlantic Charter. It also is in direct contradiction to the interests of a future lasting peace. Momentary Rumanian military support, of a dubious value, and exacted under duress, should thus decide in a permanent way the future of that contested land, whereas it could only be satisfactorily settled by a careful consideration of all the major interests involved. These basic facts, pertinent to the Transylvania problem, are the following: 1. ) The character of Transylvania is determined by the outstanding fact, that she is inhabited by an ethnically “mixedpopulation.” No frontier-line can be drawn, that would separate Transylvania into ethnically homogenous parts. The way of living within Transylvania and most of her political and cultural traditions have been derived from the mixed character of her population. Neither of her two neighbors (Hungary or Rumania) can incorporate Transylvania into their “national-state” in a permanent or acceptable way. 2. ) Despite her ethnically mixed population, politically—up to recent years—Transylvania has always been a united territory. The Vienna award of 1940, dividing her up into two halves, did not aim at a satisfactory solution, but at the deepening of antagonism, existing between Hungarians and Rumanians, in order to divide them and then subject them Both to Nazi domination. Like the verdict of Solomon, this settltment was bitterly opposed by all interested in the welfare of Transylvania. Her prosperity and even her livelihood depend on the unity of her interdependent agricultural and industrial regions, the mountains, valleys and plains, which have to exchange their products freely. Towns, trade and industry in Transylvania were located and developed with the view to best perform these functions. Irrespective of ethnical differences, Transylvania is a single unit;. only united can she serve, as a “Hinterland”, her self-supporting economy and her colorful, highstandard civilization. Her past achievements furnish ample evidence to this statement. 3. ) Since the dawn of her history, Transylvania has always been part of the Western—the Roman .Catholic and Protestant —world. On the other hand, Rumania is a typically Byzantine (Pravoslaw) country, imbued with Oriental traditions. Discrepancy of ideals and of the way of living, constitutes a more .fundamental demarcation-line in Eastern and Central-Europe, than national boundaries. East and West can never be merged within the same political system. After the first world-war, while under Rumanian rule, Hungarians and Rumanians, in Transylvania, have never ceased to claim political autonomy for Transylvania. Having always lived in a Western system, they wished to liberate themselves from Oriental influences and corruption. The very same difference separates the Western Croats from the Eastern Serbs in Yugoslavia. Their mutual hatred inevitably arose from forced unification. 4. ) Independent Transylvania, the Eastern-most bastion of Western civilization, has a brilliant record: for many troubled centuries she was known as the cradle of religious and political liberty. In the middle of the XVIth century, she was the first among all the states of Europe to proclaim religious liberty. While independent, Transylvania was also successful in maintaining national liberty of the three historic races (Hungarians, Székelys and Saxons), by granting them political autonomy and equality of rights within Transylvanian unity. This liberal system brought about Transylvanian solidarity, which enabled independent Transylvania to resist successfully for three centuries the constant attacks of two great Powers (Germany and Turkey), aimed at her subjugation. 5. ) Transylvanian self-defense saved Central-Europe from Turkish destruction, but had decimated the Hungarians within Transylvania. They were replaced by refugees from the Balkans, mostly Rumanians, who were granted work and livelihood and were exempted from participation in national defense. They settled down, rapidly increasing in numbers. These prolific newcomers constitute now a slight majority (51%) of the Transylvanian population. This is the only fact on which the Rumanian claim for the possession of Transylvania is based. Rumanian contribution to Transylvanian culture and economic progress remained at all times very slight, towns, trade and industry in Transylvania have continued to remain Hungarian. Transylvania thus has remained an essential and valuable part of the Westernworld. 6. ) Geographically Transylvania is a perfect and almost closed unit, surrounded by high, densely forested mountains, with an access only from Hungary (in (Continued on Page 7)---------v--------ANOTHER 503 MEMBER FRANKIE V. HUZIANY S 2/C Seaman Frankie is serving somewhere in the Southwest Pacific, and in his last letter says that he has been to so many islands within the past six months that he is unable to remember all of their names. “Lucky” signed up as a machine gunner on a PT boat, and is also serving as captain of a gun crew.