Home is the Sailor

Commander Harold Stassen stayed as close to his South St. Paul home as he possibly could. Like many another Naval officer, he came back from his year in the South Pacific with a hunger for familiar voices, for the sight of his wife and his father and mother and for the taste of things like farm-fresh milk and home-baked cake. He spent hours discussing a doll house with his two-year-old daughter Kathleen--she had learned to talk while he was away. When he went to Washington, D.C. last week, it was on Navy business. He parried political questions. Strict observance of Naval regulations forbade his admitting any interest in the current political campaign.

But he did talk about the future, thoughts that had come to his mind during the months he spent as Admiral William F. Halsey's flag secretary. He returned, he said, deeply convinced that the U.S. must stay strong. "My Number One aim after the war will be to assist in developing a strong world policy for America. A desire for peace does not require you to become weak yourself. We must have a strong army and navy, and adequate landing forces."

About the home front?

"Many in the armed forces feel that there is an overoptimism about the war and an overpessimism toward the peace. They feel that if they can win their battles, then the battle for lasting peace through a world organization can be won as well."

Then the former G.O.P. Governor of Minnesota, fit but 30 lbs. lighter than his peacetime 225 lbs., headed west for St. Paul and a few more days at home. After that, he said, he will return to the Pacific.

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