South Bend. Netre Dame has one ef the tep teams ef the country in basket-
ball. I mean by that that they are always up there with a cracking good teame
They rate with the best in the Big Ten. You ask about Kansas and her posi-
tien in basketball. We finished second. Jcewe State and Kansas were in the
play-off with Iewe State licking us. Befere the seasen started I would have
sold eut fer fourth place and would have been happy. I was expecially proud
of the boys because I believe they gave everything they had. Ilewa State

was just a better bail olub that night. |

I just received a letter from Leuie Menze this morning, in which he says:
"We had the best night ef the season against youe It wasn't that Kensas was
playing peerly, we simply were hitting fer once in the season. We made 35%
of our attempts, against a season's play of 24%. We would have been tough
fer anybody that night." Yeu will remember that Leuie Menze was one of my stars
in early days, and if we couldn't win I was tickled pink that Louie could de
the job.

I am happy te receive a communication from Capt. Mel Griffin written
from the Mayflower Hotel in Washingten, D. C. Captain Griffin, Mel to me,
has ween on a teur of duty at Edenton, N. C., for feurteen months. The high-
light ef his course was a letter ef commendation from the Commandant ef the
Marine Cerps Aviation on the Recreation department, which was Mel's department.
Cengratulations, Meili You have always been a winner, whether playing, coaching,
teaching er fighting.

Mel states that he is he hoping his next erders read west, and he hopes
it is further west than California. Much te the contrary of what we hear
about Washington, I quete what Mel says: "Washington, D. C. is a very nice
citye Even with all the big business and pélitics represented here it has a
very calm, friendly and unhurried attitude that is felt as ene goes about
this business of war. The trees are at the height ef their beauty and the
well-kept lgwns and parkways have an inviting look." When a man lives in
Washington and can give such a beautiful description, my verdict is that he
is at peace with the world - with everyene except the Japanazis.

I had the éxtreme pleasure ef speaking in Burlingten, Kansas, the old
home town of Mel Griffin and Clarence Deuglas, at their footbail and basketball
banquete Ray Pierson, an outstanding barrister ef the law (but in Burlington
he calls himself a lawyer) calied me up and said that I was dated up for this
banquete Ray and the men ceoked the meal and they did a swell jobe The
banquet was held at the Methodist Church and a group ef 150 men turned eut
to honer these beys who had done themselves proud in a feotball and basketball
way. It was a pleasure fer me te recall the wonderful record that Mel Griffin
made upen the fields ef friendiy strife and in the class reem, as well as out
among the affairs of mene

When I have experiences with some pampered athlete I like te go back te
the days when Mel came up here without any money and a let of ambition, and
finished with a great athletic record as well as a fine scholastic recorde
He made a great reputation here at Lawrence High School where he had champion-
ship teams in several sports, and since he has been at Long Beach, California,
with Bert Smith, another Kansas stellar athlete of other days, he has done a
wonderful jeb in the Junior College out there on the coast. Mel's name is
acceciated with winning teams and fine merale among his beys. I am always
proud ef such men.

Ense Michael Gubar, APA 163, San Francisco, writing from semewhere in the
East China Sea, gives a newsy account of the UAA Eastland in the Okinawa in-
vasione Mike reports something ef the suicide tactics used by the fanatical

183.