La Grande evening observer., April 16, 1945, Image 2

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EDITORIAL PAGE
La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schiro, Publisher '
MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 16, 19-15
Now to Get Them to Eat
EVENING OBSERVER'S
PROGRESS PROGRAM
IRRIGATION Complete the Grande
Ronde Valley irrigation project.
LA GRANDE A city of 10,000
Extend the. city limits.
THOUGHT TOR TODAY
Tell mo thy company and I will tell
thee what thou art. Cervantes.
Wrong Again
Appointment of General MacArthur
and Admiral Nimitz to top command in
the Pacific theater must have come as
quite a blow o-several journalists who
specialize in psychic predictions.
These writers had lately been busy
reshuffling the Pacific command in an
ticipation of V-E Day. It was their bijr
Rest reorganization job since they pre
dicted, several months before the Nor
mandy invasion, that General Marshall
would 1)0 "kicked upstairs" into supreme
command of the allied invasion forces,
and that General Somervell would be
come chief of staff with the assignment
of organizing "a worldwide PA."
This time the psychic prognosticators
again brought in the dignified and dis
tinguished figure of General Marshall
as a sort of political football. He would
(ret the supreme on-the-spot command
of all Pacific armies, they said, while
General MacArthur would Im? stranded
in the Philippines.
Most of these predictions seem to
come from people who, for some reason
or other, have carried General Mac
Arthur around like a chip on their
shoulders almost since the day that war
began.
These people, including a few mom
bein of congress, ii a v e apparently
sought to give the impression that only
their constant vigilance has prevented
the political appointment of top com-
Funny Husineas
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"It's cm Scetin pitchtr ht hal to lt $a of th
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l'age Two
From the Same Dish
manders in wholesale lots. And since
there is no evidence of any political con
sideration in the final appointments,
they may receive some credit among
the gullible.
To that extent their activities are
harmless. Hut the oblique aspersions
they have cast upon the chiefs of staff
and the field commanders are neither
admirable nor helpful. ' ' ...
The brilliant record of the American
command capably refutes any question
of the proper discernment and use of
our generals' and admirals' talents. And
among the most brilliant records are
those of General MacArthur and Ad
miral Nimitz.
They were the logical men to entrust
with the job of finishing Japan. They
got the job. And we're extremely
doubtful that the psychic prognostic
ators' tears and eloquence had much to
do with the final decision.
The Miracle of Aviation
Post-war aviation, it is claimed, will
turn this strife-torn globe into one world
and, by making travel quick and easy,
unite the formerly insular and suspi
cious citizens of various countries by
the bond of common interests. Hut the
most persuasive claim we've yet seen
for aviation as an agent of world broth
erhood originated right in Washington.
There the Congressional Flying club
of 91 air-minded legislators is reported
to be on the verge of inviting Secretary
of Commerce Henry Wallace to become
its only non-congressional member.
It seems only yesterday that a great
many congressmen were saying some
rather unflattering things about Wal
lace. They were not inviting him to
join anything unless, by implication, the
unemployed.
If Wallace's simple announcement
that he is taking flying lessons could
work this sudden transformation on
capitol hill, we're ready to believe that
aviation can do anything.
o SO THEY SAY
I'd hate to Ihink that Ameri
cans fihlir.g an invader of the
I'niiod States couldn't fight any
bitter or hunter than these
krauts, who are supposed to be
si.ving the Fatherland.
Sst. Joseph R. P. A. Hackctt of
Brooklyn, with First army.
CVc o the pieces of folklore
that his existed always in this
country is that we are constant
ly at the mercy of wily riipjei
r ats. I don't believe it at all.
Carl Van Deiren. author.
The great -challenge to our
form of govcrrWeitt today is to
C,T)nd a program for po:tear cm-
plovmont at decent u4u(t.
-.Rip Helen Gah,$n tVugV.s
jtV of CVrttforrW O
o o
wGhgM not he nervous
iNnitJVhc (cliprorary phase ot
o
.... CO
rt'ie For vft)inrr)c lost
So .linti. but ! M1 he'erve we
vrt h- hi'i'e Jm-o wNn
1 tttr. of 'he spiritual.-- itM
to fev-.t-t-y :(Yhi? :ted.
JvFrtir.;trar.tjra Smuki.
bl'.l
WashingtQn
By DREW PEARSON J v ' .'
WASHINGTON Harry Truman will be
known as the man who didn't want, to be
president, . ;
Unassuming, modest, in love with his job
as senator from Missouri,' Harry never
w anted to be vice-president in the first place
and after hi was elected, he dreaded the
thought that anything might happen to
President Roosevelt. Once, during the cam
paign, he awoke in a cold sweat. He had
dreamed that Roosevelt had died and he
was called upon to assume his mantle.
Harry said he never had such! a terrible
dream before jji all his life.
Truman had -arrived in Speaker Sam Rny
turn's office to discuss that same awesome
possibility when, the call came, to hurry to
the White House.
On Wednesday, the night before, Speaker
Ray burn had had a premonition of things
to come. Dining with friends, Rayburn
said:
"This country is in for a great tragedy,
and I feel it's j coming very soon. I don't
think the president will be with us much
longer."
Rayburn's listeners were shocked. When
they asked the speaker for an explanation,
he replied:
"Boujevclt's not a well man."
Refusing to 'be more specific, he turned
his head away from the table for a moment
and then said:- j
"I think I'll hbvc a talk with Harry (Tru-I
man) tomorrow. He's got to be prepared to
carry a tremendous burden. He's got to get
himself ready for this.
Next afternoon, about three, even as
Franklin Roosevelt was entering his last
hour of life, Rayburn called over to Tru
man's office in the senate, said he wanted
to see the vice-president. Truman said he'd
drop over when the senate recessed. He had
just arrived to see Rayburn when word
came from Steve Early that the event which
Truman so long dreaded, finally had trans
pired. Inside Siory of Chicago
Like Calvin 'Coolidge, Truman has been
the product of political miracles. The first
was when boss Pendergast of Kansas City
picked him, a totally unknown country
judge, to run for the senate seat of the fam
ous Jim Reed. The other was when he was
WE, THE WOMEN
Br RUTH MILLETT
Mrs. Jones has had a busy day. The
united national, clothing collection, headed
by Henry J. Kaiser, has designated April
as the montlt-for collecting the. nation's old
clothes, shoe and bedding for the relief
cf -destitute-.war-. victims throughout- thef
world. . r , .
And the drive combined with . Mrs.
Jones' annual, spring drive to get rid of
everything possible around the house re
sulted in two bix boxes of warm clothing
for war relief, and a nice satisfied feeling
for Mrs. Jones.
Not only are her closets clear now of
everything unusable, but she has got rid
at last of that too bright plaid Spit she never
did like on, MrTJoncs. She has donated the
overcoat he never wears but has insisted
for year "is too good to give away."
She'll have to talk fast when he discovers
Behind Scenes in Washington
By PETER EDSON. La Grande Erening Observer Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON What it takes to get
along with congress is worth special con
sideration. One of the several strange as
pects about the resignation of Justice James
F. Byrnes from his position as assistant
president is that it removes from the Wash
ington scene a politician who was supposed
to be ne plus ultra on "handling" congress.
When Byrnes first got his job as director of
the office of war mobilization, it was hailed
as a great step forward in improving the
relations between the White House and Capi
tol Hill. Jimmy Byrnes had been congress
man and senator himself. He was the great
compromiser. He, if anyone, could get alone
with congress and load the lawmakers safe
ly through the mine fit-Id and booby traps
of a legislative war-plan essential for vic
tory, yet the sad fact remains that almost
simultaneously with Justice Byrnes's re
signation, the administration took one of its
worst legislative lickings of the war in the
senate's defeat of the work or fight bill.
What that makes of Justice Byrne's reputa
tion as a gctter-along-with.congress. anyone
can figure out for himself. One little word
from Byrnes that manpower controls et
the work or fight hill would be necessary
in the reconversion period was all it took
to convirt the national service legislation
klca ir.to a dead duck.
How much of the Byrne? program will he
picked up and carried forward by his suc
cessor. Judge Fred M. Vin.-on. has vt to be
disclosed. The very fact that Byrnes re
signed lessens the importance of his recom
mendations to congress for continued high
t fcvrs, price and rationing controls, restric
tions on production of civilian consumers'
gvds.
Judge Vinson's appomtn-rnt will put an
other test on the idea that it takes a S n
S es.M O.-i to get along with cnngTvss. for he
x has srrv.cji.jn the house. T8 tt Ken
tuckian was confirmed without opposition.
Put now his troubles witrOMt-grcss begin.
Running $-n thr9$4 f wartime cabin-1
heads md ...mni.-tr,(tii-s. a'l hacr h.id !'' r
d:!:!cil's .h congress though h.'
hd refer luck thin ottu-rs. Even S-Wvy
of C?r3-.l! Hu'.l. rvsT;.-:Td hc".ich
f a as an ex-senater and congressman, had
,
trapped for the democratic vice-presidential
nomination last summer in Chicago.
' 'That fateful hour found ..Trumap emo
tionally disturbed reluctant, totally unpre
pared. .
It has never been revealed, but Truman's 1
first inkling, that Roosevelt wanted mm
came while he was sitting in his room at
the Blackstone hotel. The phone rang. Some
one answered it, told Truman that Hopkins
was on fhe'phone.
''Hopkins!" .he exclaimed, then remarked
that it must be Hopkins, the hotel man in
Kansas City."';.
He strode to the phone, there wts a rro
mcnt of silence. It was the Harry Hopkins
telling Truman that Roosevelt wanted r.im
as his running mate. Truman seemed dczed.
But recovering he said:
"I don't want the job. , I don't think
they're serious. I'll wait until I hear it from
the cief himself."
Late that night, with the convention on
the verge of a three-cornered deadlock, Tru
man was again back in his room when he
received another call this time from the
president.
"Hello, Mr. President," Truman said, "how
are you?"
There was a pause.
"But what should I do, Mr. President? I
don't quite know what to say," were Tol
lman's next words.
"Stay in there and pitch, Harry," Roose
velt replied. "Everything's going to be
OK."
"OK", answered Truman, "if you say so.
I'll stay in there."
From Hot-dogs io Vice-Presidency
He hung up rather weakly, said he was
going over to see Mrs. Truman and his
daughter Margaret at the Morrison hotel.
Walking down crowded State street, Tru
man reiterated to friends that he didn't
want the job. He was nervous, tense, and
worried. '
"Why don't you go to a night club and
have a drink?" advised a friend.
"No, I don't think I will," said Truman,
"I think I'll just duck in and see a movie."
He did.
Next day, when the vice-presidential bal
lot was finished, the little man from Mis
See WASHINGTON . . . Page 6
his fishing hat was among the "What you
can spare, they can wear" contributions.
And the kids may kick about a few of their
things with which she got generous.
( ..But,. )qok.at1(the..aom. jn.lhe .closets!. .And
lfiirik6 'IKe" relief of not having to worry
about making over all those old coats and
dresses she was so sure would come in
handy when there was a scare at the start of
the war about wool becoming scarce.
Mrs. Jones is a happy woman tonight.
She has helped a good cause and she
has indulged her spring urge to discard
everything that hasn't seen use in the last
six months.
How about spending a Say sorting and
collecting clothes yourself? "What you can
spare, they can wear!" And think wl.at it
will do for vour attic and closets.
hard sledding for his pet reciprocal trade
agreements. And ex-Senator Prentiss M.
Brown of Michigan, though he successfully
managed the original price control legisla
tion through congress, couldn't satisfy his
colleagues when he became OPA adminis
trator. Ex-Congressman Marvin Jones is a great
behind-the-scenes worker with congressmen
and he has kept a great. deal of. the con
gressional heat off the war food administra
tion. Ex-Congressman Frank Hancock has
done nearly as well as farm security ad
ministrator, once a sore spot with congress.
Ex-Congressman Maury Maverick has
lasted donger than any of his predecessors
as head of the smaller war plants corpora
tion. Strangely enough, the administrators who
seem to have had the best records in get
ting along with congress weren't congress
men at all. Jesise Jones for one. Chester
Fowles for anothcT. Nelson Rockefeller for
a third. The power that congress handed
to Jesse Jones in his 12 years and more at
the heai of the reconstruction finance cor
poration is almost unbelievable.
The millions Rockefeller got for South
America are astounding. ' Bowles has been
in hot water with many, but with the re
newal of the price control act; he got his
bill through th-? senate without change and
he g t his appropriation increased the. most
: :iy i:.::i,.r.:strator ever aked for.
What Jones and Bowles and Rockefeller
have that inspired confidence irf.con&rcss
nrin is an irtcngible attribute well wrtri
isolating and inoculating into the blood-i-trrarn
ofr, snrne of the other department
heads as the administration moves into a
critical periexi rrovrmc eo-flj rT-ioHa- ap
Qprov.;! fopir.any ofitspet projects. ,
St.ttinuis has the San FrartciSco owfT-e-ice
rcsuVe, coming up for rafifie-ifej or-
r--' ... . . . .
gcntn.iuwias Hrriroii uxvjs. w.niacr
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sion
foreign tvi-ie. War ami navy have jvvr
; (Hyat'W an-i crripulMvy' srrvicT probkrvj,
tt r-r own I'-l:s his anihlMns ort Kss
n public -ni v val'v rl-?.-yN
Any-n :re 9 rwp? for a 'P-k
have no trij- pcdilir.g it in Washington.
J'i tcgO&ycbf
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' COPE. IMi BY BtA SCRViCf. 1WC. T. M. HtC V. t. PAT. CTF. . . n
'Tm sure I saw you hiding something under that counter, young
ladyl I don't know what it was, but if there's a.iy under-the-counter
selling going on here I want my sharel" ,' v.ri5'
McKENNEY ON BRIDGE
By WM. E. McKENNEY, America's Card Authority
ARGUMENT AGAINST
OPENING A QUEEN
The team-of-four championship
in the recent eastern states tour
nament went to the team of Mr.
and Mrs. Lewis Jaeger, Joseph E.
Low, Mason Lichtcnstein and
Henry Sonenbliek. I have taken
this hand from the team-of-four
match for two reasons.
First of all, if there is such a
thing as bridge phobia, mine is
a phobia against leading queens.
I remember once leading from a
queen, jack, ten, nine that did not
do me any harm but I am always
tract was then made.
A 83
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952 c 8 7 3
KJ65 3 Dealer!7
AK J 10 S
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AKQ104
4842
Duplicate Both vul
South West .North East
'1 Pass" 2V -. Pass
3 Pass 4 A Pass
4 Pass 5 Pass
6 Pass Pass Pass
Opening A Q. 1'
unlucky if I lead from the queen,
jack, nine. I am sure to find that
combination of the king ten in
dummy with the declarer holding
the ace.
The other point I want to bring
cut in this hand is that so many
players believe that you should
lead the unhid suit which, in this
cese, was spades.
However, South's . bidding, in
which he refuses to support eith
er clubs or Hearts, must clearly
indicate, when he freely goes to
six diamonds, that he holds
something in spades. It looks as
if probably the best lead is the
weak suit, clubs.
Now, it is true that if West
opens a club and South takes the
finesse of the ten spot. Tie ran
Questions & A nswers
Q Had the American flag ever
flown over the Bonin Islands he
fore the Iwo Jima campaign?
A Commodore Perry occupied
them about 75 years age but
Old Glory left voluntarily a short
time later.
This Curious World
Mil) SPECULATES As TO WHAT WfAAT.
AJTSS IN THE WAKE-UP CF DINOSAURS
LEO TO THEI? Di4PEA34.ICc AFTE
90 AALt.OA Y-AS Ot--SO&MACr-C
EARTH... VET MA HAS RISMED
CNLY A fW rOUSAvaS CP YEAPS
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wnxrur
HONEvsees
CiOO.OOO SPECIES
0)PLNT5 f JIC Ct'E
1 EUSI
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HEXT: What u th. best tL of day to pick roses?
make the contract, but if' looks ns
if his best play is to gdjiip with
the ace of clubs and discard his
two losing clubs on the. kiag and
oueen 01 neans. men uu-nu uus
to do is to get the spade finesse.
Of course, as the spades, die, he
must go down. ,!&'
One played did open thq-!queen
of spades, which upheld njy the
ory that leading queens' tfs dan
gerous, for the small slam con
o IN FORME
YEARS
30 Years Ago
Orlando Anson, breeddr'bf reg
istered Poland hogs, has taken a
progressive step in the program
for the boys for raising hogs. He
has 10 registered hogs which he
will sell for as little or les.s than
the common cross breeds will
bring, and will exact no pax from
the boys who get them, until they
hsve been exhibited at the fair
snd sold. ,;( i
Fred Kddleand HamexLef
ffel, 'Students "at Oregon',"' who--were
home for the Easter vaca
tion, returned to Eugene. ,
15 Years Ago
Harold Hoyt, young grocrey
clerk, brought the first fish of the
season into La Grande, returning
ftom an early morning trip to
Five Points with two nice trout.
Ke was back in time to report for
work at 7 a. m. ,.,
Rube and Nate Zwcifel, noted
for they yearly habit of getting
the limit of fish the first day of
Ihc season, returned at 10:30 and,
with limits of Eastern Brook and .
Rainbow trout apiece, caught on
the Wallowa river.
A big catch in salmon was an
eight-pound and one-ounce stecl
head caught by Frank Flannary.
Ptcelhead weighing four and six
pounds were caught by V. B. Doi-cart.
10 Years Ago
Nearly an inch and a half of
run fell in about 36 hours. Al
though it delayed spring seeding
in the wheat areas, itr'btncfits
were regarded as great' '. , . ?,
Army officers flew bvfr the
Grande Ronde valley Uo, 'check
for army air base facilities
Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Perkins
purchased the Adolph- Siegrist
summer home at Wallowa lake.
4 irl,wnt:KE'CMER I