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Side Glances
EDITORIAL PAGE
La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schiro, Publisher
THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 26, 1915
Page Four
They Send a Hoy to Do a Man's Work
'p c
EVENING OBSERVER'S
PROGRESS PROGRAM
IRRIGATION Complete the Grande
Ronde Valley irrigation project.
I.A GRANDE A city of 10.000 -Extend
the city limita
THOUGHT TOR TODAY
Thunder on! Stride on! Democracy.
Strike with vengeful strokes. Wall
Whitman.
Unreasonably Regional
This country is so full of regional
pride nnd prejudice that inevitably a
lot of political journalists hastened to
explain the first president from Mis
souri with Missourian symbols.
There was a marked tendency, espe
cially among the Washington and New
Yol k writers, to appraise Mr. Truman's
qualities and predict his course of ac
tion in tonus of the healthy skepticism
and mulish resolution with which tradi
tion has endowed the natives of his
state.
Less specific writers sought to in
terpret the new president against the
more general background of his mid
western origin. Hut a quick look around
might convince the most casual seeker
lifter typical midwestern political char
acteristics that there ain't no such' ani
mals. It might be noted first that All' M.
Ijindon comes from Kansas, and Henry
A. Wallace from Iowa. Senator C.
Wayland llrooks is from Illinois. So is
the poet and assistant secretary of
state, Archibald MaeLeish. Wendell
Willkie was a native lloosier, as is Sen
ator I!ay Wills. Senator Joe Hall hails
from Minnesota, and former Senator
Gerald Nye from North Dakota.
Now scramble them all together and
try to find a common political denom
inator. You find instead that the theory
of typical midwestern political temper
ament has been nipped right in its grass
loots. ' '
The same divergence can lie found
among prominent politicians from any,
other section of the coufitry." 'No. fur-'
ther examples are necessary to prove
that you can no more explain Harry .S.
Truman politicaly in terms of prairie
farmland than you can explain Frank
lin I). Roosevelt in terms of Groton and
1 larvard.
ProbaUv our regional thinking is a
holdover from a century ago when the
gulfs between industrial New England,
the argicultural south and the frontier
west were very real and very wide.
Some of the basic economic differences
remain today and probably always will.
Hut the expansion and development of
our country, and particularly the abun
dance and speed of transportation, make
any barriers of thought inexcusable
today.
And yet regionalism still exists as a
result of habit, thoughtlessness and, to
some extent, a political expediency that
fosters it. It is a mild form of bigotry
and not too serious, perhaps. Hut it is
not good, either.
Today especially we need to be Amer
icans first of all in our political think
ing. President Truman has appealed to
"every American, regardless of party,
race, color or creed," for support in the
effort to gain lasting world peace. He
will need that support in all his new
and difficult duties.
That does not mean we must lc un
critical, unthinking robots. Unity, not
uniformity, is what we need. And it
will bo easier of attainment if we can
get over the habit of viewing our fel
low citizens in other sections of the
country with contempt, suspicion or
condescension, and crediting them with
mass thinking based on some cock-eved
geographical concept.
Funny Business
WwbiJ Jml$2:. rwiL
o SO THEY SAY
The war cannot last much
Unifier in my opinion. We have
sunk very low.
Goebbels.
We cannot have prospedity In
the United Stales it the lest of
the world is sunk in depression
and poverty,
Sectvtary of Stale Edward R.
Slettinius, jr.
"What I would.VI givo for company ot all maglciani!"
Hidden or not. Japanese indus
try will not survive the bombard
ment in store for it.
MaJ.-Cien. Laurence S. Kuter,
acting AAK chief of staff.
Washington Merry-Gp-Round
By DREW PEARSON
SAN FRANCISCO Last fall it leaked
out that there was a drastic difference of
opinion between the state department and
the treasury over a soft peace for Germany,
und after several weeks of discussion, Presi
dent Roosevelt definitely threw his weight
with the treasury in favor of a hard peace.
Top war department officials, influenced
by the atrocities committed against Ameri
can and allied prisoners, finally agreed with
the president, and even the state department
reluctantly swung into line.
For -a long time it has been no secret that
a group inside the state department favored
a. soft peace for Germany with a view to
making her a bulwark against Russia after
the war. But as long as Roosevelt wus in
the White House, the state department ap
pcascrs kept quiet.
However, on the day after his body was
buried, a meeting of the German repara
tions committee was held in the office of
assistant secretary Will Clayton at which
both the state and war departments sudden
ly reversed Roosevelt's policy of a hard
peace.
Specifically, they argued against the re
moval of nazi factories, machine tools, plant
equipment or goods out of Germany. The
Russians have proposed the removal of Ger
man war plants to help build up the hun
dreds of Russian factories destroyed by Ger
many. But the state and war departments
maintained that no such German equip
ment could be removed from Germany with
out the unanimous consent of the repara
tions commission. Naturally this means
that cither the United States or Great Brit
ain could block such removal since both
sit on the commission.
This meeting, Assistant Secretary Clayton
argued that American policy should favor
leaving factory equipment and machinery
In Germany so she can get back on a sound
economic basis. He even mentioned that
fact that Germany would need to import
cotton to manufacture clothes and should
be permitted to have enough exports to pay
for the imported cotton. (Clayton is the
biggest cotton exporter in the world and
did a heavy business wih the nazis before
the war.)
' Russians Remember
Unfortunately the Russians are all too
familiar with the attitude of the state and
war departments toward them; Unfortunate
ly, also, some observers believe this distrust
of the U. S. state department is one reason
why the Russians demand a strong, all-communist
Poland.
However, no matter how efficient the
peace machinery devised at San Francisco,
it will not work if the two strongest powers
supposed to keep the peace already have
begun jockeying against each other.
The Russians cannot forget among other
things the strategy of the Cliveden set in
England (with which Churchill was once
sympathetic) to stir up war between Ger
many and Russia while England sat on the
sidelines. The Russians also know all too
well the type of anti-Russian conversation
that goes on at the home of Mrs. Evalyn
Walsh (Hope diamond) McLean, when she
entertains the elite of Washington society
at her famous dinners at what is sometimes
called the headquarters of the American
Cliveden set.
The Russians knew in advance, for in
stance, that the Douglas Aircraft company
had sold the plans for its DC-4 to Japan for
SI, 000,000 before Pearl Harbor.
And they have been especially interested
in the war department's survey of the dam
age done to German war plants by U. S.
planes, a survey to be undertaken by a group
of bankers and top insurance executives, in
cluding: Henry C. Alexander, vice-president
of J. P. Morgan; Fred Searles, Jr.,
president of several J. P. Morgan mine com
panies; Franklin O'Olier, president of the
Prudential Life Insurance Co.-, and Robert
P. Russell, president of Standard Oil De
velopment Co.
Considering the manner in which Stand
ard Oil of New Jersey collaborated with
Hitler's cartels even after the war broke in
Europe,, and considering how the J. P. Mor
gan branch bank in Paris collaborated with
the nazis even after Pearl Harbor, you
can't blame the Russians for wondering
whether this survey actually isn't for the
purpose of getting a line on German indus
try and building it up after the war.
American Industry Wants In
Already, the state department is being
bombarded by American industrialists who
owned factories in Germany before the war
and want to get back to start operating them.
Among the leading pressure boys is Graeme
Howard, vice-president of General Motors
in charge of operations in Europe (and
Germany.) Howard helped organize Franco's
Pee WASHINGTON . . . Page 6
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MILLETT
The women around the bridge table were
comparing notes on what they should have
..Keen. doing at home, in8,tedd."et-playing cards,
for a whole afternoon. '
But they all agreed that they still belong
ed to their bridge club even when they
couldn't afford the time because they sim
ply had to get out and talk to people once
in a while.
There are a lot of women in the same boar.
They don't like to give up'the social clubs
they used to have time for because they still
like to get out and see their friends and yet
they aren't really comfortable spending
whole afternoons in which they accomplish
nothing, when they have so much to do at
home.
Why wouldn't it be a good idea for women
like that to start having some over-all par
ties, instead of bridge parties? Instead of
meeting at Mrs. Jones' for a fancy luncheon
and;br)dge, why not meet for a picnic meal
and planting Mrs. Jones' garden?
When it's Mrs. Smith's turn to entertain
she may want help with the family mending,
with painting the kitchen, or with refinish
ing an old piece of furniture.
But whatever the job it would not seem
like real work if it were done to the tunc
of laughter and gossip and the swapping of
ideas.
And the women could enjoy getting to
gether without being bothered by the nag
ging thought that they were wasting hours
they had no business wasting.
Just think how much could be accom
plished in the time it takes eight or twelve
women to play three rubbers cf bridge.
Behind Scenes in Washington
By PETER EDSON, La Grande Evening Observer Washington Correspondent
People here think well of Har
ry Truman. They think he will
do quite well.
Arthur Aull, I.amur, Mo., pub
lisher. President Roosevelt v r.s one of
the great men of all times a
builder of human values.
Hep., John W. McCormack of
Massachusetts.
Where the department of state gels on and
off in the present misunderstanding with the
senate foreign relations committee over post
war international aviation treaties and exec
utive agreements is a little involved.
An effort has been made to hang the
blame for the whole business on Adolf Belie,
former assistant secretary of state and
chairman of the 54-nation conference on civ
il aviation held at Chicago last fall.
But an equally strong case can be made
to show that the senate is at fault: first
through a law that can be interpreted two
ways; second becai:se the two senate dele
gates ta the Chicago conference weren't on
the job; third because several senators in
key positions gave loose permission to the
department of state to go ahead with the
executive agreements and now wish they
hadn't.
The whole thing has been kicked around.
Berle's part goes back to January, 1!44.
when he was put in charge of the Interna
tional communication and transportation di
visions of the department of state. The pres
ident and Secretary Hull were too busy with
the war, so Berle had clear tracks and lines,
and he went ahead to shape a postwar avia
tion policy for the United States.
Berle formed an inter-departmental com
mittee with representatives of CAB, com
merce, war, navy and other interested agen
cies in Washington. , In Marcn he went to'
London to talk things over with Lord Beav
erbrook. his opposite number in the British
government. In July Beaverbrook came to
Washington. There were other conferences
with representatives of nearly a doen coun
tries. What -was said, is a closed book, but
out of these conferences came the slate de
partment policy and the plan for the inter ,
national confcrVnW) which finally opened mi
Chivflgo Nov., 1. O
A special senate committciOtiuter ot-Sn'n.
Bennett Clark tried to slop any commit
nier.ts, pending senate approval, but couhln t
make it stick. People who don't like Berle
or what came out of U' Chicago coiiffivncr
say he swallowed iWl had been British
policy for the last 20 vears and even gave
the British more than they asked for, after
which they put up a show of reluctant ac
ceptance. But there are just as many people who say
Berle did a grand job, traded ind maneu
vered the British out of their scheme to con
trol world aviation, and won a lot of new
rights for U. S. postwar aviation.
Take your pick. Only time and actual ex
perience will prove which is right.
But with Berle eased out of his job and
packed oft to Brazil as ambassador, the job
of carrying out the Berle policies has fallen
on others, principally Assistant Secretaries
Will Clayton and Dean Acheson, and Stoke
ley W. Morgan, head of the aviation section
in the department of state under Clayton.
Morgan was the only one of the three at Chi
cago. Morgan admits there is room for a mis
understanding on what passed between Sen
ators Bailey and Brewster and Assistant Sec
retary Berle. But Morgan as a technical ex
pvrl was on the drafting committee that
drew up the interim agreement and the two
am! five-freedoms agreements and it is his
contention that these documents were drawn
up within the scope of the present law. This
opinion is supported by state department
counsel.
The supporting argument is: Under the
civil areonautics act of 1938, the civil aero
nautics board has the power to enter into
bi-lateral agreements with any government
for foreign air rights.
There were 12 such bilateral agreement.!
in force at the time of the Chicago confer
ence. The only difference between those agree
ments and the agreements drafted at Chi
e.iK.i is that this government proposed to do
by multi-lateral agreement what is had al
ready been doing in bilateral agreements
with Canada. Great Britain, Italy, Norway.
Qhe Netherlands, Nejv, Zealand, France,'
rortiij.al.Qind ftlurs. In othp; words, it is
claimed that V.n agreemontjittjdc with all
the 54 nations aGchie'sgo would be-a tre
mendous thing for U. S. aviation, opening
unlimited prospects for di(Wj(opment of U.
S. air routes all over the world.
C0HL1WVMAMHHCI.IHC. T. M. WO. U. MT. Off. 4'27
"But It helps. Mom. to put on my shirt before I wash in the morn
i.ig then I know just how far I have to gol"
e McKENNEY ON BRIDGE
By WM. E, McKENNEY, America's Card Authority '
THE OLD CHALLENGE
RULE CONTROVERSY
Another of the famous names
of a few years back is George
Reith, who for years was associ
ated with the Knickerbocker
whist club. George wrote sev
eral books on bridge, but he is
probably most famous for his ef
fort to get into the rules the
"challenge." As a matter of fact,
the Knickerbocker whist club
adopted the "challenge."
The "challenge" was an at
tempt to end the confusion as to
whether a player making ' it
wanted his partner to bid or
wanted to play the hand for pen-
A7653
V 85
764
9 7 5 3
Reith N
AAJ2 UV F Q'04
VA 9 7 2 e V63
AK3 ni, J
AQ6 I Dealr j. ., mH4
AK98
VKQJ 104
10 5 2
K2
Rubber N.-S. vul.
South ' West, North
1 V Double Pass
Opening K.
east ;
Pass '
27 '
alties. Under this rule, if you
doubled you meant that you
thought you could beat the con
tract and wanted to play the
hand for a penalty.
However, if you challenged, it
meant that your partner had to
bid.
There was quite a feud over
the "challenge." Ely Culbertson
resigned from the Knickerbock
er whist club in protest.
Here is an example of how the
"challenge" was used:
South has made a fairly weak
opening bid. Now if West dou
bles, under our present conven
tions that would be demanding
Last to make a bid. But under
Reith's plan, if West wanted his
partner to bid, he could pa" "I
challenge," in which c."'; East
would respond with a b: 1- if
he felt his hand was trong
enough to, he could cr n e the
challenge into a double.
Questions & A rivers
Q Who is Sir Jarm ? Crigg?
A British war mini. r.
But in today's hand West
would double because his side is
not vulnerable and he feels he
jr f ,ui ....J.......
can ueieui ouum a uuuutiui,
Therefore, although East had a
fairly weak hand, he knows that
he is safe in passing as his part
ner has told him he thinks he
can defeat the contract'.-
You can see that after cashing
three diamonds and shifting to a
club, the best declarer Can do is
take four tricks, thereby going
down three for a loss of eight
hundred. ' '
O IN FORME"
YEARS :
30 Years Ago
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rudd re
turned from Eugene. Rudd was
employed in the La Grande ga
rage. They were making their
home temporarily with Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Chatas. .' ''
Robert Mays, former ipostmas
ter of Elgin was in the city on his
way to visit his brother Charles
Mays of the North Powder dis
trict. ,.. i . .M-U , .' . ...
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. McKerinon
left for Arkansas and other east
ern points to remain for several
weeks visiting old friends and in
vestigating business conditions.
Mrs. W. H. James and daugh
ter, Mrs. Garey, arrved from
Winnipeg, Canada, to make their
home in La Grande.
Q How many rivets go into
a B-24 Liberator?
A About 400,000.
15 Years Ago '
The heaviest rain in several
weeks fell in La Grande. The
majority of the crops had been
planted in the valley and the
rain was welcomed by most
farmers.
The Rev. W. H. Hertzog ar
rived from Salem to occupy the
pulpit in the First Methodist
church.
10 Years Ago
Peggy Bohnenkamp has gone
to Portland where she will visit
friends and relatives. She took a
carload of girls to Forest Grove
to take part in the state glee club
contesi. ,
Bart Robbs and John War-
etqfr lrllln 4k.nn .n..U.n-lnD
near Union. They were, hunting
coyote dens when they found the
reptiles, the largest one 'measur
ing four feet in length with 11
rattles and a button. -;.
The Imbler P-TA gave a sur
prise party in honor of Mr. and
Mrs. James King, in Wade hall.
This Curious World
IT NEVER SETS
TOO COLO TO
SNOW...
Bur IT does &Er
TOO COLD TO
SMOW IN
K m W-ii SMOW INI WS
ill i i m m it . n. i
J 1 - Pfyt TEMPERATURES,
I tt---cc t SMOW FALLS IN k;
A w V ) DIAMOND-LIKE (
. ,Jx V. ) DUST, OR IN (
l M W 0 ( ICE SPICULES
I Vo--J ( OR NEEDLES. )
cop, mi it nea scai. inc.
1 fl
"fcHEN DSILLIN&, YOLTRE ON THE
RI&MT FOOT IFTOU START Orp
ON THE LEFT FOOT, " Ssys
pranklin T. bone.
eveay child
IS COICB BLIND AT BIRTH
..1 AND NCT UNTIL TWft'AHO-
A'HAlf years is the ca.CZ
vision fully oevelopecX;;
T. M Rf c. U. t. MT. Off.
NEXT: Nature's flying instructors.