La Grande evening observer., April 20, 1945, Image 5

Side Glances
Editorial page
Washington Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON
' La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schiro, Publisher
FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 20, 1945
Pajre Five
The Light Tlmt Must Not Fail
8? (jpll S1
EVENING OBSERVER'S
PROGRESS PROGRAM
IRRIGATION Complete the Grande
Ronde Valley Irrigation project.
LA GRANDE A city of 10,000
Extend the city limits.
TODAY'S TEXT .
'. If those ordinances depart from be
fore me, saith the Lord, then the seed '
of Israel also shall cease from being a
nation before me for ever. Jeremiah
31:36.
Philadelphia and
San Francisco
'Nearly 30 years after the constitu
tion of the United States was written
ani; submitted to the states, Thomas
Jefferson wrote: "Some men look at
constitutions with sanctimonious rever
eiidef nd deem them like the ark of the
ettenant too sacred to be touched.
They ascribe to the men of the preced
ing age a wisdom more than human . ."
vTfrat reverence which Jefferson noted
. has grown through the years. Today
we are inclined to be forgetful of the
. constitution's early history and of the
amendments which we have seen fit to
make in it. Because the constitution is
gjieat and impregnable today, we some
times talk as if it had been conceived
in harmony and born in triumphant
strength and full-blown perfection,
rio vve should be vigilant against de
manding the same impossible perfec
tion of the document that will issue
from the San Francisco conference.
And perhaps it will increase that vigi
lance if we review a little further some
of the circumstances of the constitu
tion's birth.
. The structure of free representative
government explicit in its final form
Funny Business
was the fruit of expediency as well as
idealism. Smaller states, bucking con
trol by New York, Pennsylvania and
Virginia, the big three and how mod
ern that sounds won such compromise
victories as proportional representation
in the house and the popular vote for
presidential electors by threatening to
walk out of the convention.
The constitution was presented to the
people witli considerable fear. Some of
the delegates went home before the job
was done. Three who remained refused
to sign the document. Others were re
luctant. Elbridge Gerry thought that'
it would provoke a civil war. Jefferson,
in Europe, was astonished that it con
tained ?io guarantee of basic human
rights.
At first the constitution found its
support among the rich, and its opposi
tion from the poor and a handful of
rich, "visionary" champions of demo
cracy. The series of federalist papers
by Hamilton, Madison and Jay helped
greatly in swinging popular opinion.
Hut even so, Rhode Island, which had
refused to send delegates to the conven
tion, waited three years before ratify
ing the constitution.
The point is that the constitution has
grown more democratic, stronger and
more effective with the passing years.
Today, thanks to the bill of rights and
subsequent amendments, it stands be
fore the world as a paragon of political
right and wisdom, however short we
may fall of fulfilling its let ter and spirit.
The moral of this short refresher
course is obvious. The San Francisco
conference, also sailing an uncharted
course, is bound to produce an imperfect
plan. By refusing it we should have
nothing to take its place. Ily accepting
and amending and improving it we can
look with confidence toward a world
in which men may live out their lives
in peace.
1 spoTLUT
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I "n't ute the acl. but I think J can gel you ( job a, .
e SO THEY SAY
' There is an overwhelming
opinoin throughout the world to
settle differences by means oth
: than war. We are going to in
sist on some form of organiza
tion. The exact form is not im
portant, nut we have got to
make a start.
Comdr. Harold E. Slassen,
United Nations conference delegate.
What really stopped the Japa
nese froth moving through the
South China sea was the army's
nth and'' 13th air forces, which
loosed large numbers of planes
gainst enemy convoys, sinking
them nearly to the last ship.
Rear Adml. Frank D. Wagner,
Seventh fleet air force com
mander. i
I should be very jjreatly sur
p.hert 'if. before the San Fran
cisco conference is called, the
v ar in Europe will not have been
officially declared to 'Wive btrfn
trought lo a victorious close.
. Prime Minister W. L. Macken
I jZie King of Canada,
WASHINGTON Politicos are pressuring
to get popular democratic treasurer Ed Paul
ey appointed secretary of the Interior . . .
should he get the job, he will replace the
man who first pushed him ahead in Wash
ington, Harold Ickes . . . Pauley was a Cal
ifornia independent oil producer who sold
out to Standard Oil of California, got to
know Ickes, and introduced Ralph Davies,
head of that company, to him. - Through
Pauley; Davies was made Ickes' deputy ad
ministrator for petroleum, the most import
ant oil Job in the country. He has the power
of life or death over oil companies . . . Ickes
and Pauley drifted apart, however, when the
vivacious Ed tried to get government hfclp;ph ,
building a high octane gasoline plantain
Mexico. His pal Davies boosted the plan,
but the stuto department opposed, and Iekefl
finally sided against his old friend PuitleV
and with the state department . . . The two
have not been chummy since. Now the;bil
boys plus democratic bigwigs are doing their
best to have Truman put Pauley into Ickes'
job ... If so, Pauley and Davies will have a
real oil monopoly. The Roosevelt adminis-'
tration already has undergone criticism be
cause navy oil lands in Elk hills were leased
to Ralph Davies' company, Standard of Cal
ifornia. Diplomatic Pouch
Ever since the Yalta conference, the Rus
sians have had their ' y. S. experts 'busy
studying Truman. Apparently they realized
at Yalta that Roosevelt was fading fast; so
wanted to know all they could about the
man who might be presldoht . . . The British
also have been making a, careful check On
Truman's past speeches,- past friends, past
views on foreign affairs . . . (Foreign gov
ernments always do this. They made the
same careful cheek on Roosevelt In 1932, one
library of congress article in Asia magazine
by Roosevelt on Japan being thumbed thin.
The Jap embassy delivered the text ver
batim lo Tokyo) . . , Diplomats believe the
Russian scrutiny of Truman helped Influ
ence their switch on Poland. Anyway, last
Saturday the Russians suddenly agreed to
welcome representatives of four major Pol
ish parties plus the communists into the
Lublin government. They also decided to
send Foreign Minister Molotov to San Fran
cisco, a move for which Roosevelt had plead
ed. . . . Here is one diplomatic line-up being
discussed if Jimmy Byrnes succeeds Ed Stet
tinius as secretary of state: Stettlnlus to
London a ambassador; John Winant from
London to Paris; Ambassador Caffery, who
muffed things with De Gaulle, to be trans
ferred to Cuba; Ambassador Braden from
Cuba to Argentina . . . Under Secretary Joe
Grew would resign.
The men around any president can help
make or break him. Here are some of the
men around Truman who will help to shape
American destinies for the next three years:
Hannegan the man who nominated Tru
man at Chicago heads the list.
Banker John W. Snyder will be one of
Truman's closest monetary advisers, already
has been made federal loan administrator.
Born in Jonesboro, Snyder served as a cap
tain of field artillery during the last war.
Truman served in a different outfit, but later
thoy joined the reserve, and trained together
every summer. That was where they bo
cam close friends.
Hugh A. Fulton Former counsel for the
Truman committee, has hud the reputation
of being the brains behind Truman but is
overrated.
As counsel for the Truman committee,
Fulton was a brilliant fact-finder and law
yer, but otherwise stodgy and conceited. He
showed no aptitude for knitting his facta .
into the broad picture of political issues or
social trends, and Trumun seldom took his
advice on policy matters.
Matt Connelly Confidential secretary to
Trumun, is a native of Boston and a gradu
ate of Fordham university.' He got to know
the president as an investigator for the Tru
man committee, having previously been a
young accountant with the general account
ing office. Connelly has become a favorite
on Capitol hill, knows his way Around, hai
a clover wit, ulul Is on friendly terms with
many senutors. He will be a real asset to
the new president.
CoL Harry Vaughan was Senator Tru
man's secretory just before Pearl Harbor,
theri was called to active duty. He and Tru
man served together at Fort Sill in the last
war, arid have been close friends ever since
Since Truman became vice-president,
Vaughan has been his military aide, which
caused some eyebrow raising, because never
before has the vice-president had a military
aide.
Jj Leonard Reinsch Truman's press-radio
aide, has been radio director of FDR's old
friend and 1920 running mate, former Gov
ernor Cox of Ohio.
Few people' know it, but right after elec
tion, Cox urged Truman to start Improving
his spunking technique. Result was that
Reinsch returned to Washington ond went to
work with Truman day after day, teaching
him the fine points of public speaking.
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MILLETT
The other day a housewife in a southern
city was charged with trying to knife an
other housewife with whom she shared a
house and kitchen.
In these times, kitchens often have to be
shured by two or even more women.
That situation is always a potential trouble-maker,
for there are some things women
just can't share.
A kitchen Is one. (
A man is another.
Confidences shared between women
friends is still another potential danger.
The right to correct their own children in
their own way is another. And the neigh
bor wtft. takes, H on herself to correct some
body else' child had better watch out.
Sharing the knowledge of their age and
weight is something else women don't seem
to manage gracefully. Nor do they like to
share the knowledge of where they bought
their clothes unless of course, they come
from the most exclusive store in town.
So any time that a woman decides or is
forced to share any of these things with an
other woman, they hud both better watch
out.
Though it is only occasionally that they
result in unything so drastic as a knife at
tack, it's two to one the habit of sharing
will result in a verbal knifing in the back.
Behind Scenes in Washington
By PETER EDSON, La Grande Evening Observer Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON With the whole world
wondering what kind of president Harry
Truman will make, this is the estimate of the
man's measure as given by people who have
worked with him closely.
They admit frankly that Truman will have
to be a great president to be considered even
good, but that is more of a reflection on the
time than on the man.
Comparisons always being odious, it is
perhaps impossible to try to slack up Tru
man beside Roosevelt. They arc millions of
men like Truman. There was only one Roose
velt. But Roosevelt had his weaknesses and
Truman has his strong points which Roose
velt did not have. Truman's admirers say
these characteristics might even give their
man the capacity as well us the opportunity
to bo a better chief executive than Roosevelt
for the job ahead.
The political election campaign ularm of
"Think of Truman in the While Housd!"
which was a natural enough reflex reaction
when the shock of Roosevelt's death was
first felt, is therefore said to be entirely a
false alarm by the people who know Tru
man's Washington record and should there
fore be in a position to judge his capabili
ties. This is admittedly a prejudiced appraisal.
But at the time when all eyes are on the
man from Missouri, wanting him to suc
ceed, realizing he must succeed, anxious to
give him every encouragement in assuming
the world's greatest responsibility, this is
the only fair appraisal to give Truman the
chance that he deserves:
There is no question of Truman's honesty
or sincerity. He works hard. That, plus p
large shave of good luck, have put him
here he is today. ' ,
He is decisive. When he finds a, bad situa
tion he moves in on it before it gets worse,
instead of just letting it ride. When he
thir.ks h has the facts on a case, he goes
0 ahead. q 0
In carrying outth? work of the Truma
cnmmStee he did not hesitate to move in
Against sacred c..-busincss or political.
On his carpet were called U. S. Steel, Cur-
o o o
tiss-Wright and Alcoa, Basic Magnesium.
He flayed the army on Canol and the navy
on its initial landing craft bungles. He went
after Donald Nelson for supporting Philip
G. Reed of General Electric and subpoenaed
cabinet officers and other top administrat
ors when they were reluctant lo give infor
mation he thought the senate was entitled
to have.
He will not hesitate to hold labor leaders
to their responsibilities, either. In the Cur
rier housing project case in Detroit, he tore
into Sidney Hillman, then co-chairman of
OPM, telling him either lo do his job or else
get out and let someone else do It.
On postwar domestic Issues it can be claim
ed that Truman is far better grounded than
Roosevelt was because Truman had the tima
to study these issues while Roosevelt was
preoccupied with the war and international
affairs. The Truman committee's third an
nual report, issued in 1944, is now pointed
to as one of the first unalyses on the prob
lems of reconversion.
While his dominating interest with the
senate war investigations were production,
supply and the maintenance of a sound na
tional economy on the home front, Truman
was also a member of the senate committed
on military affairs. That gave him the op
portunity to follow closely the planning and
strategy. So he does not go to the White
House a novice in military matters and be
sides, the war is going to be won no matter
who is president.
For some weeks at least, there may be no
changes in top Washington personnel. Tru
man will of course move Into the White
House with I new personal secretarial staff
of his own choosing. His acquaintance with
Harry Hopkins, Judge Samuel N. lTosenman
and others of the Roosevelt White House
staff Is slight. There is known lo be no love
between Truman and several members jrf
the old cabinet and chang there would
cotmOas no surprise.
But even it changes should be made in
the cabinet af?d other administrative posts,
they would be presented as not necessarily
a change ht. Roasevelt policy mily a
change in the men selected to carry It out.
cowtms w ww ggnwer, ne. t. m: Mo. u. pat. orr.
mm
"Why, yes, mother, I fall In love with a different boy at the can
tee.i every night! Why not? Aren't they all wonderful?"
o McKENNEY ON BRIDGE
By WM. E. McKENNEY, America's Card Authority
FOUR-SPADE HAND
LEFT AT ONE N. T.
I muy be leaving myself wide
i pen on today's hand. It came to
me from Pittsburgh, where they
have a series of inter-club matches-
with teams of eight which
A 10 4
V A Q 10
J 10 7 2
J43
VK 634 32
Q4
1096 5
W N E
8
Dealer
4KQ769
8
A52
Q82
A9832
J97
K88
AK7
Duplicate Both vul.
South West North East
Puss 1 IV 1
1 Pass IN. T. Pass Pass
j Opening 4 K. 11
meet every two weeks.
This hand was sent to me by
one of the players, taken from
one of their recent tournaments.
He asked me to comment on the
bidding. The hand does present
an interest bidding problem. .
In the first place, South passed'
Questions & Answers
Q Where does captured Pad
crborn, Germany (prewar pop.
37,000), get Its name?
A From the Padcr river,
which is fed by mineral springs.
Padcrborn means "Spring of the
Pader."
Q What has Mannheim, Ger
many, Rhino city of 283,000 (pre
war), in common With Washing
ton? A Streets ore designated by
letters instead of names.
liko West's second bid the one
no trump bid. He definitely tells
his partner thut he lias the hcart(
suit well stopped.
Now East should not pass. East
should bid two diamonds. I
would not severely criticize two
spades, but two diamonds is the
better bid.
West then will bid two spades,
in which case, East certainly can
bid three spades and West will
take the contract to four. ' -
It looks as if the loss should
be held to two clubs and a dia
mond. o IN FORMER
YEARS
30 Year Ago
Mr. and Mrs, Chase Bohnon
kamp went to Wallowa county in
their Cycle car, Intending to
transact business and discuss the
forthcoming motorcycle races
here.
Two score' friends and co
workers of Commercial club cir
cles in La Grande gathered at
a luncheon to honor John Collier,
veteran club' worker and boost
er, who wat-io leave for Portland
to make his home.
Q What is a Sehmclsser?
A A German machine gun
pistol.
IS Years Ago
With a total of 138 citizens of
the school district going to the
polls, an $8,000 bond measure to
provide for the building of a high
school gymnasium at Cove, was
approved at a special election by
a vote of 107 to 31.
Mrs. C. C. Bull and her daugh
ter returned from Dunsmuir,
Calif., where they visited for sev
eral weeks.
Adolph Sicgrlst, Mrs. Bonnie
Nedrow, Miss Frances Richards
and Miss Helen Ncwlin, accom
panied by Miss Williams, high
school instructor, went to Pen
dleton where the students partic
ipated in a typing contest,
Q What is the distinction of
Mogolc, Burma, captured by the
British?
A It is the center of the
world's greatest ruby mining
region.
Q How many Italians are now
serving against Germany?
A The Italian government
says 1,000,000 Including service
troops, combat troops and POW's
in war work.
nn opening bid. However, he
does have a defensive type hand
;:nd should not be criticized. I
10 Years Ago
Eighteen Union county boys
left for Vancouver, Wash., to en
ter CCC camp work.
Claude Muckey was the win
ner In the secund annual Observ
er trophy trapshoot held at
grounds of the La Grande Gun
club. It required a shootoff of
a three-way lie to decide the
winner. Mackey, George Walk
er and John R. Guilty tied in
the 50-bird event with 42 euch,
and in the shunt-off Mackey
broke 20, Walker 19 and Gurity,
111.
This Curious World
'
II , I
.1
IF OUR EARTH SHOULD
COVlE TO A HALT IN
nS TRAVELS
THE SUN, IT WOULD
BE&IN FALLING
rOWMAt THE SUN,
and in two months
would crash intc
it and bb
BURNED UB
i JIOCMANCK WHAT P
1 a mad op nrw
1 7f mfSXAM
INSET.
INSIDE TM PPWTBCT1NS PETAL!
OF BLOSSOdtt THAT CLiJf E UP
. . AT THft END OF OA?.
21 t.itiau.fl.rAT.ofr.
ANSWER: A rattlesnake named for Its peculiar locomotion.
NEXT: Where did cocker spaniels get their name?
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