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EDITORIAL PAGE
La Grande Observer
EZSEKSSyt Tuesday, Ma 26, 1959
"A Modern Newspaper With The Pioneer Spirit"
published by thfj
La orandk publishing compant
nobart W. Chandler, Prcaldent
J. M. McCl.lUnd. Jr. Vice President
RILEY D. ALLEN Publisher
GEORGE S, CHALLIS , Adv. Director
H. E. PHTLBY Managing Editor
TOM HUMES 4 : Circulation Mgr.
Will They Take Effective Action?
; Two adjectives used most freauentlv in
describing James" Iloffa are "tough" and
"smart." , But if he is really smart, would
he have said what he did at a Texas long-
shore convention last week. lie as much
, as threatened a nationwide strike if Con
gress dares to pass a law that gets in his
. way. His subsequent charge that he was
k misquoted, does not prove anything.
r He was speaking of the suggestion
that unions be restrained by anti-trust
. laws as business is. "The only answer is
that if such a law passed," he said, "we
should have all our contracts on a given
date. They talk about a secondary boy
cott; we can call a primary strike all
i across the nation that will straighten
i out the employers for once and for all."
c 1 What he meant was this: If Congress
should make it Hlegal for one union to
. monopolize all the labor in a given indiis-
try, making it impossible for the Team
i sters, for example, to control nil, trans
' portation workers as Iloffa desires, then
one big union couldn't call a nationwide
or even an industry wide strike. The
United Steel Workers could not shut
down every steel mill in the country at
one time.
The answer to that, Hoffa said, would
' be simple. Just fix it so all contracts
. end at the same time. Then all unions
could go on strike at the same time.
That would "straighten out 'employers
as to who has the upper hand . in this
country.
Now, getting back to the point of
whether it is smart for Hoffa to be say
ing this. It would not seem so because of
the bad reaction it would have on Cpn-y,
gress, now considering labor legislation.
The natural reaction would be for a Con
gress to bristle and say: "We'll show
that arrogant so and so."
But will that be the reaction? Iloffa,
who is conceded to be smart, would
hardly have picked this time to rile Con
gress if he thought it would backfire. The
other possibility is that he considers him
self to be so powerful that he can in
timidate Congress,.
So now we will see. The Senate has
passed the amended Kennedy bill, called
a mild labor reform measure. The House,
where far more members than in the Sen
ate are beholden to. unions for political
support have not.' up till now been ex
pected to make the bill any tougher. In
fact there is some question whether it
will even accept the Senate version.
, Now Hoffa has shaken his fist and
said: "Don't you dare!" He should ob
serve carefully to see whether the House
of Representatives reacts by cringing or
by taking effective action against this
friend of racketeers and hoodlums once
and for all.
DREW PEARSON
Ex-President Figueres
Battles Against Reds
WASHINGTON Gov. Luis Mu-1
noz-Marin of Puerto Rico picked
up the telephone in Washington
the other day.
Hello, how is your excellen
cy?" said the voice on the other
end. "My Excellency is OK.'
Dr. Jose'' Figueres Ferar, ex-
president of Costa Rica, was on
the line, and from his tone of
voice even one not knowing him
could understand why he is
called "Pepi." For the man who
long governed'the most democratic
country in Central America has a
personality that bounces and a
charm that is contagious. He has
been in Washington getting bet
ter' acquainted with some of the
North Americans whom he has
both defended and criticized.
We have a group that has
been working together for demo
cracy in the Caribbean," Figueres
confided. "There is Munoz-Marin
whom we can the poet. He's even
a better poet than his father, but
most people have forgotten his
poetry since he became governor
of Puerto Rico. Then there's
president Betancourt of Venezu
ela whom we call the politician.
Then there's me the farmer."
This is the little group that has
been fighing for democracy in
the Caribbean for the last de
cade, and' whose three leaders
have now become the No. 1 ene
mies of Communism in Latin Am
erica. President Betancourt of
Venezuela, onetime member of
the Communist Third Internation
ale, once lived in exile in New
York and San Juan. He was so
distrusted by Henry Holland,
President Eisenhower's first as
sistant for Latin-American affairs.
that Holland phoned Gov. Munoz
Marin to ask that he require Bet
ancourt to leave Puerto Rico on
the eve of a Pan American con
ference. '
Oil Companies Gat Wise
Running for president of Vene
zuela last year, however, Betan
court was the No. 1 enemy of the
Communists and won.
"Venezuela is the most import
ant test of Communism in Latin
America." -i'Pcpi" Figueres told
me. "If Betancourt succeeds it
will be' a great triumph for De
mocracy. So far, American oil
companies have been smart.
They were opposed to Betancourt,
but now they realize he can
bring stability and are coopcrat
In a.
My candidate for President 01
Latin America." ' conunuea we
fiery ex-prcsident of Costa Rica,
"is your governor 01 pueno uico.
"Can Latin America ever unite
into one federation?" I asked.
. OThe-onln. thine that could, unite
them would" tic, opposition for flic
United States and that would Dc
sad. However, finding leaders in
Latin America is not easy.
Vou have a hard enough time
finding one good president of the
United States to govern 170,000,-
000 people. Yet we have to find
20 different presidents to govern
about the same number of peo
ple. It isn't, easy to find good
presidents." '
Figueres was roiuciani 10 umi
about his recent visit to Cuba
where he was invited to be tnc
official guest of the Castro gov
ernment but departed after a row
with Castro.
"Your column had most of the
story," Figueres said when I ask
ed him about the speech in which
he warned that Latin America
would have to side with the
United State in the coming strug
gle with Russia.
"Before I made the speech I
sent word to Castro that I wanted
to talk to him. But I never got
a reply. I sent word several
limes that I should talk to him
before addressing the Cuban peo
ple, but I never heard from him.
Finally, on the evening of the
speech I rode with him to the
hall and he said there was only
one thing he didn't want me to
mention Puerto Rico."
Fiaueres-Cattro Debate
Figueres explained ' that the
Communist line in Latin America
is that Puerto Rico is an unwill
ing prisoner of the United States
and the Puerto Rican people are
burning for independence. .
"It has been my painful duty
to talk about Puerto Rico in Latin
America and upset the Communist
line that you are guilty of colon
ialism," Figueres said.
However, at Castro's request,
he agreed not to mention Puerto
Rico in his Havana, talk. When
he urged that Latin Americans
stand on the side of the United
States against Russia, however.
Castro seized the microphone and
announced that Cuba would be
neutral.
Following this, Figueres was in
vited by two Havana TV stations
to make two telecasts of 30 min
utes each, which were extended
bv "popular demand to an hour
each. They bad such impact that
Castro decided to break into Holy
Week and its moratorium on po
litical discussion, with a telecast
answering Figueres. It lasted
six hours. .
At the subsequent state din
ner given in honor of the former
Ccsta Rican president by ine uu-
ban government, sometimes called
the "ghost" government, tne
wives of cabinet officers secretly
eoneratulated their honor guest.
"Cuba is the most difficult pro
blem you face." Figueres told me.
What Moscow would like most is to
have Cuba become an 'American
Hunearv' have the U. S.- Army
get involved in a bloody inter
vention. However, 1 ininn your
state department is too wise for
that." :
..The clue to whether Castro real
'.y wants democracy rather than
'Communism in Cuba, according
to the dynamic little man who has
fought so long for Democracy in
ihc Caribbean, is whether he
sets a date for free elections.
QUOTES FROM
THE NEWS
Breaking Out In A Real Rash
1 What's one man's meat is another
t mnn't poison, and so when Gov. Hatfield
talked favorably of state income taxes
to the Michigan legislature this week, it
was poison to most of the members of
his own party who had invited him to
come and speak.
Michigan is like the State of Washing
; ton. It has a sales tax but no income tax.
It is desperately in need of more tax
i revenue, just as Washington is. Michi-
gan legislators seem to favor doing what
Washington's legislature did raiso the
sales tax rate. They should have in
l vited Gov. Roscllini to toft them how to
do it. '
t There's no way to explain why a state v
income tax is Oregon's meat and Wash
' ington's poison, and vice versa on the
sales tax, except the instinctive fear all
humans seem to have for what is new
and strange. We get used to the kind
of taxes we have and are afraid to try
something different.
Such fears are a handicap because they
result in narrow tax bases.
Washington's trouble lies in the fact
that it has so few places to go for more
income. Once it gets out of the sales tax
and the business tax field, it finds it
self trying to tax special groups, rather
than the state as a whole, and that is
not fair. "
Oregon is in the same fix. So is
Michigan. So are a lqt of other states.
The situation will change when more
states get bold enough to taste what they
now consider poison and don't break out
in a rash of red dollar signs as a result. .
If So It's Best To Ignore Him
. . Franklin Roosevelt Jr. Is the latest one
f to dress down publicly Gen. Montgomery
for his critical remarks about American
generals and the way they conducted
the war. He contends that the famed
; "Monty" is motivated primarily by the
, desire to see his name in headlines that
' characterized him during the war.
; That could be. As newspapermen es-
peciaDy know, there are those who crave
J publicity. And this is just unfortunate
because their efforts sometimes are so
obvious that others actually shun pub
licity for fear of being critized as some
of the known headline grabbers are.
Actually there is nothing immodest
about publicity received in the normal
couse of one's activities. When one docs
something or says something that others
are interested in, it should be in the paper.
One doesn't get accused of seeking pub
licity unless he means to create news
worthy situations with himself the cen
ter of attention. Maybe, as FDR Jr. says,
Monty is one of those kind. If so the
best thing is to ignore him: ,
POPLARVILLE, Miss. Circuit
Judge Sebe Dale, on whether a
local grand Jury would issue in
dictments on the -basis of an'
FBI report on the Mack Charles
Parker lynching: ,
"Certainly they might not be
as apt to indict in this case as
in some other case, but I believe
there will be Indictments if the
evidence is sufficient."
INDIANAPOLIS The governing
body of the United Presbyterian
Church, in a resolution expressing
hope for U.S. recognition of Red
China:
"The day may soon come when
our government, in concert with
free nations, may enter with hon
or into normal relations with the
government of the Chinese peo
ple.
WASHINGTON Rep. H. R.
Gross (R-Iowa), blocking House
action on a 110,225,500 money bill
he thought too high to run the
White House: J
"I'm disappointed that the
President of the United States
didn't set the example by cutting
back in his own slug." .
Steel Industry
Toughens Stand
Against Increase
NEW YORK UPI The steel
industry is moving to strengthen
Its stand against any wage in
crease this year.' '
f.Thc 12 big firms, engaged in
contract itiiiva wim
Bteelworkers of America, have
ent letters to all other steei
companies asking their opinions
on the union's demands.
Informed sources said the let
ters were aimed at obtaining
complete industry support for the
stand against hlgner wages.
Four man bargaining teams
were to resume talks today. They
met for two, yours Monday.
With the companies calling for
a waffc freeze and the Steelwork-
ers demanding a big pay hike,
the bargaining teams have made
little or no progress on a new
contract.
The present three-year pact
covering 500,000 Steeiworkers ex
pires at midnight June 30.
After, today's session, the nego
tiators will recess their joint
talks until June 2. The industry
team will attend the annual con
vention of the. American Iron &
Steel Institute here Wednesday
and ' Thursday. ' ' -
KRUSHCHEV MAY HAVE COOLED
TOWARD SUMMIT CONFERENCE
By PHIL NEWSOM
' UPI Staff Writtr
From the foreign editor's as
signment sheet:
Long Summer
Western hopes of a quick Gene
va conference are fading fast. Be
lief now is that Soviet Premier
Nikita Khrushchev may not be in
such a hurry for a summit meet
ing as the West first thought. The
emphasis now'.is one "patience."
Geneva ' observers are curious
about Khrushchev's trip to Alban
is. They are speculating .that
Khrushchev, already more than
halfway from Moscow to Geneva,
might offer to meet President
Elsenhower in the Big Four city
to break through the foreign min
isters stalemate.
There is not the slightest pos
sibility such a proposal would be
considered on a snap basis. But
the Russians might consider the
gesture as good propaganda. '
Observers rule out the thought
that Khrushchev might come to
Geneva on his own to push things
along. He has always maintained
that ' East-West business can be
done only directly with Eisen
hower. Round And Round It Cms
There's a behind-the-scenes bat
tle - going on among the press
spokesmen of the Big Three west
ern powers at Geneva the U. S.,
Britain and France on what ac
tually happens at these private
Baby Taken
From Embassy
In Paraguay
' ASUNCION, Paraguay (UPD
Police of two nations joined today
in search for Maria Berta Becker,
45-day-old granddaughter of Bo
livian Ambassador Luis Arduz
Daza, who was kidnaped from the
embassy Sunday.
Paraguayan police rounded up
a' number of the 300 Bolivian ref
ugees here on the chance that the
crime was part of a political plot.
They also arrested all the em
bassy servants because of indica
tions the kidnapping might have
been an inside job.
Radio stations here broadcast
repeated appeals for help in lo
cating the missing infant.
At the ambassador's request
Bolivian authorities set up i
watch at border points through
which little Maria might be smug
gled into Bolivia.
Arduz, a career diplomat who
has lived most of his life outside
Bolivia, said he couldn't conceive
of any political motive for the
kidnapping. He said he never' has
been active in politics.
So far as was known, no ran
som note has been received.
' Little Maria was abducted from
a bedroom in the Embassy resi
dence on Peru Avenue where she
was taking an afternoon nap.
Belief that the kidnapping may
nave been an inside job was
based largely on the fact that the
kidnapers appeared to be familiar
with the layout of the building.
so tar as is known, no one saw
them enter or leave.
Mrs. Roosevelt
Hopes Nixon
Runs In I960
CHICAGO (UPI) -Mrs. Eleanor
Roosevelt, 74, told a news confer
ence Sunday she hoped Republi
cans would nominate Vice Presi
dent Richard, M'. Nixon as their
presidential candidate.
The former first lady saiu sne
believed it would be easier for
Democrats to beat Nixon than it
would be to defeat his possible
rival for the nomination, New
York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller.
Mrs. Roosevelt, added she was
not confident of a Democratic
presidential victory in 1960.
Tm never' confident, sne sam.
"Too marc things can happen.
She declined tp.name her favorite
for- the Democratic presiaenuai
nomination.
Mrs. Rooseveli was here to ad
dress alumnae of Theta Sigma
Phi, national journalism women's
fraternity. ' . ur
SAY EXPENSE JUSTIFIED
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (UPI)
Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen.
Lyman L. Lcmnitzer said Thurs
day large sums of money spent
for separate research and devel
opmcnt of missiles were justified.
dinner and lunch, meetings with
the Russians. , ,
The Americans so far nave
brushed off these occasions as
"purely social.",. with the conver
sation leaning on mountains, snow.
the weather and how the Kius are
doing in school,
The French say the Big rour
actually are .talking conference
turkey at these get-togethers, al
though they admit that nothing
concrete has been solved and no
major breakthrough recorded.
The Briusn say. mere is
talk about conference matters, but
nothing extraordinary. .
Not a word from the Russians
who are being extraordinarily
cagey.
The Propagnda War
Italy is 'becoming more and
more concerned about the Alban
ian buildup of troops and arms.
Furthermore, they suspect that
Khrushchev's visit to the tiny sat
ellite may be the tipoff to a big
new Soviet propaganda" campaign
in the cold war aimed at the
Mediterranean and particulary It
aly. Italy is one of the few West
ern countreis with a consulate in
Albania. There have been reliable
reports that the Communist
country right across the Adriatic
Sea from Italy is increasing its
troops, arms and submarine fleet.
A number of troops mostly air
bornehave been reported en
tering the country recently. And
a number of submarine bases
have been undergoing a buildup.
Albania already has sent a dip
olmatic protest to Italy warning
about stationing U. S. missiles
on Italian soil.
Communist-stirred trouble may
be brewing in the tiny Indonesian
kingdom of Laos. Red China's
Peiping radio has been accusing
Laos of undermining the agree
ment reached in another' Geneva
meeting. That foreign ministers
meeting ended July 20, 1954, and
brought to an end the war in
Indochina by agreeing on a North
South division between Communist
and free states.
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Children Slayers
Said To Be Sane
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (UPI)'
Mrs. Wanda Brogdon. 33, and her
lover, both found sane by a jury,
were in jail today awaiting trial
for the slaying of Mrs. Brogdon's
two small sons because they were
a "bother."
Mrs. Brogdon and Archie Mer
riam. 36. both of Rockford, Ill-
were declared sane Monday by a
jury of eight men and four women
after a week-long trial. The jury
deliberated only about one hour.
Sheriff's deputies said Merrlam
admitted strangling the two boys,
Virgil, 5, and David, 3, in the
mountains May 2 while the mother
waited in an auto.
Mcrriam told deputies that he
and Mrs. Brogdon came here sev
eral weeks before the killings and
decided to "get rid of the boys
because" they were too much
trouble. .
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