2627 Kaaipy Avenue, Honolulu 15, Hawaii, Decenber, 1944 Dear Friends: ‘The beginning of the fourth year of the war finds us once again agiteted about the fighting in the Philippines, but with greater confidence regarding the outcome than wo had in December 1941 and the early nonths of 1942. That mach hoped~for-end-of-the-war seems to be receading, though the generel situation 15 somewhat more favorable than last year. Recently when I sas annoyed about a number of small itens relot- ing to the present energency, I tried to de a cheerful Job-ana and think of all the things I had to be thankful for. That struck ne as a possible thene for 2 Caristmas letter. If this scans a very parsonal thankful moscoge, Please reneuber that in turn it 1s about each of you personally thet T Should like to hear, We can all read in books and magazines of thrilling exploits in the war, of the tangled international situation, of tho problons that mst be solved, etc, but a little personal visit helps to get our minds off some of thoso woighty problens and to nake folks friends. I en thankful that I have a good job and sufficient health and energy to carry cn. (Soveral friends and collegues have recently suffered an accident or serious illness). When I heer that they need wonon ous at Pearl Harbor to fill cartridge belts, I sometimes wonder if I should resign and do sone real war work. Hovever, thoy toll ne there are more people who can do that type of work than what I am doings and sinca food and nutrition are Closely allied te the war effort, I grind on at vhat sonotines seems vary renote. (We have. about finishod rovision of oar bulletin on local fruits and a new manuscript for a bulletin on vegetables). ily ressarch staff io finally up to prevar strength, with everyone new but myself. ‘There have been two new additions to the toaching staff but it will continue to be reduced until efter the war when the student body iacreasos. I an thankful that we have « confortable hone of cur om. The housing situation is so acute in Honolulu that we feel clmost guilty to have & spare room, sven though it is frequently used by newcomers and visitors. I an thankful that we have spaco to raise most of our om fruits, and vegetables which give us a better diet and neans just that much less food to be shipped in, Ada does most of the hard work gardening partly be- cause I have had a "rhounaticky" chouldor and partly because she enjoys it greatly and seems to have more time and energy than I do. I try to moko ~ myself useful about getting advico from ny scientific colleguas on vegetable crops and horticultural problens, and on how to control insects. T am tne official entomologist" for the Erwintliller garden end even apply chlorsicrinas a soil funigant, With no freezing weather to kill sone of the obnoxious arthropods, all one ean do is to keep then at bay. We long for DDT to be released for ci¥ilien use but such insecticides as we have keep nost of, tho pests sufficiently repressed excopt the fruit fly and the rose beetle. To keep the latter within a relatively karnless auuber and give us continuing good crops of beans, I go to the garden after derk and with the aid of a flachlight pick the bootlos off the leaves and drop then in a little ean of gascline. That sends then to their happy hunting ground in a hurrylt It 1s Slon but sure and keeps the "beetle population" down to a peint where they do but little damage. We have quite a variety of vegetables the year round =- lettuce, carrots, cabbege, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, green peppers, veleube (Xanthosome brazilinsis -- the leaves resemble taro leaves) as a perennial year-round groon, and in the sunner nonths some okra. Kentucky: Wontier pole beens are our favorite variety because they are rust resistant and bear longer than most bush beans. Ada's delectable vine ripened red tonatocs delight our occasional dinner guests. ‘The vines must be staked to keep then off tha damp and buggy soil and each fruit is covered with a little cloth bag to protect it from the melon flies. We aim to keep 8 to 10 bearing papaya trees. The agricultarel extension division recommends a tree for each member of tne family, but that doesn't give us enough for breakfast cach morning, s0 vo have about three each. Papayas are richer in vitamin C than oranges and although we use sone oranges in our packed lunches, for variety and convenience, when they dis~ appear fron the market for several. continuous weeks, we don't worry about having our teeth fall out. In addition to papaya, We keep a good stock of hone bottled gueva juice and several kinds cf Jans and jellies nade fron local fruits. We have by far the boct gardon in the neighborhood, although there fare men in all the other families. Some do not have the time or place for a vegetable garden, others are just too lazy or indifferent. We have no food rationing here except as shipping facilitics onforco some limitation of cer- tain products. We are indeed grateful for the help that we have. When onets professional life is predicated on having adequate and relisble maid service for all housekeeping duties and then such help suddenly vanishes, o house and its Keeping become a real burdon in addition to professional duties and the extra-professional and conmmnity activities that one is expected to perform. ‘A girl from one of the other Islands who 1s attending business school is with us for the socond yoar. She prepares the ovening moal end washes the dishes. Her repartoire is limited, but she really does very well. ‘nd we have a yard man! (A good meny do not). Ho is as tompor- mental as Samnle in Bertha Damon's book - Sense of Hams (recommended as amis~ ing reading, especially for gardeners). The yard man comes once each week, except now and then when, for reesons mom cnly to himself or at least not divulged to us, he stays avay. We arait his his return apprehensively, fear- ful that we have mortally offended hin. But if he has gone eway mad he finallyreturns in a relatively good mood. He keeps the lam, flowers (what ne have now) and the borders in good shape and by dint of considerable humlimali (Hawaiian for soft-soaping) he is persuaded to do some saeding aftouni the pa- paya anu tae benane trees or to dig up a bed for vegetables. Ada protests (to herself or we, vut nob to the yerdnan) that he never digs the bed dooply enough, bat at least it makes it a little easier for her to do it properly with the spading fork. We are thankful that it has not bean necessary to restore the black out. We can now tur on any Kind of lights anywhere, any time!! (Except, of course; during on cir raid/alerm). The curfew at ten ronains, however, and we ara even thancful for that. It curds noisy neighborhood parties (or usu- ally dovs) und assures longer nours of undisturbed rest. Only once in three yeare have ve been away from hone after 10 pen. I talked in praise of dicti- Yisns at the Hospital Day radio progran which was given one night between 10 and 10:30 p.m. and rebroadcast next day. Ada went along "to protect" me on the way home. She wos afraid we wouldn't be stopped by the military police, but we were and she had the oportunity of displaying our peruit to be out at that time of nignt. Gasoline rationing remains, but restrictions on head- lights have gradually been modified. Black paint and hoods are off, end we have full lights. Air raid alarms in the middle of the night are not exactly something to be thankful for —— unless it is that such a good systom of detecting "un- identified planes" exists. I think we shal all be conditioned to sirens for the rest of our lives. It ip ¢ fcurful sound thab penetrates to your Lone narrow. I araken et the first wail, but I understand that sone can actually Sleep through the din, 1 have a special assignment only in case evacuation of certain districts should be necessary, but sone of ny friends on duty at OCD stations and hospitels mst rush off to their posts ond remain there until the "all clear" sounds. I have a suall radio that brings ms only locs progras tut I an thankful for good musical programs whether fron regular records or rebroad— casts of such programs as the N.B.C, symphony concerts. We rarely seem to find tine or energy for novies any more — one every 2 or 3 months seems to be our pace. The local symphony concerts given since the war on Sunday after- noons are attended regularly. The firet tro this sceson have been outstanding. The orchestra is a regular "Leayuo of Nations." The concartmeister is o German refugee formerly concertneister of a large symphony in Germany who fled ‘to Japan and thence to Hawaii even before our entry into the war and who was in- tered for several months after Paarl Harbor. The conductor is English born and for many years 2 resident of Australia before he cam2 to Hawaii. Players represent all colors and races, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiiun, end Caucasians of various national origin to sey nothing of the mixtures. The or— chestra has been augmented by 2 number of players in military uniform: There is a number of professionals with real ability, some’from big symphonies on tho mainland. Tho concortmeister montioned above and a group of cervico monrecently gave the wost delightful chamber uusic recitel that I ever hops to eur. We are thankful for an occasional treat such as a concert by Menahin, vho waa hore to play for the service men but who gave covoral for civilians also. Maurice Evans a noted Shaxesperian actor has given superb performances of Nacbeth and Hamlet. Most performances were for service nen only, but cach time several were open to civilians. ‘There are uuny other things for which I um thankful but along ¥ith millions of others; the event which will evoke the greatest thankfulness will be the end of the war,