Side Glances
Washington MerryGo-Round
v iuMii.'jiH"i,)Sy
fty DREW AJUtON
EDITOR! At PAGE I
La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schlro, Publisher
TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 24, 1945
Page Two
Our Changing World
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Most men employ the first part of
life to miike the other part miserable.
La Bruyere. ,
Farm Decrease Significant
'. Information recently released by the
bureau of census and published by this
newspaper indicated that although Un
ion county, in 1941 had 25,000 more
acres of farm land under cultivation, 47
r fewer farms were being operated than
in 1940.
This information is of more than
casual interest and indicates a trend,
which, if it continues, nuRurs ill for the
future of the Grande Hondo valley, its
farmers, business men and residonts.
Although railroading and lumbering
loom large in the business scheme of this
valley, the backbone of these and of the
entire social structure is agricultural.
1' mining accounts for more than 50
percent of the income, employment and
traffic of the area. Without the farm
background, every other activity would
be of less significance, create less pay
roll and traffic. Therefore, whatever
happens to our farm structure is of
vital importance to every citizen of the
area.
I,vt's examine the statistics a little
more closely: In 1940, there were 471,
173 acres under tillage or cultivation of
some sort. The latest survey indicated
l!)(i,169 acres being farmed.
In 1915 there exist 1,208 farms, but
in 1910 there were 1,225.
What does this mean? Does it mean
that while additional laud has been de
veloped, 47 farms are now lying idlo and
uncultivated?
Not at all. The significance of theso
figures lies in another angle of consider
ation. The 47 farms under question are
now part of other, larger farms. The
facts are that we have now in the vallev
47 KEWKll. KAUAI KAMI LIES THAN
IN 1910.
In our farming population, we have
47 fewer owners or operators of farms ;
47 fewer entrepreneurs, or farm busi
ness people; 47 fewer families to trade
in our towns nnd communities; 47 fewer
taxpayers.
The period from 1940 to 1945 has
been the most prosperous farming per
iod in tho history of the valley. Yet
despite the prosperity, 47 farmers have
found reason to quit.
It can be said that had prices been at
a less favorable level, the probabilities
would have been that our loss in the
number of farms would have been great
er. The probabilities are high that at
the conclusion of the war, this trend
may be accelerated.
What are the reasons? Farming prac
tice in the Grande Rondo valley at the
present time is of the type conducive to
large scale operation. Types nnd quali
ties and yields of crops are not con
ducive to profitable small scale opera
tion. On the pre-war scale of farm
prices only the larger operators, equip
ped for handling many acres at low cost
per acre could hope to come out in the
black. Even today it is difficult for
some. After the war, conditions will
certainly again narrow down.
What is the answer? Diversified
farming of the type conducive to small
. scale operation. Irrigation will open up
a tremendous field of farming now
closed in this valley. Irrigation will
double the farm population of the valley
' within ten years of its completion. Irri
gation will increase the size nnd pros
perity of every community. Without
irrigation, the Grande Konde valley will
eventually be composed of a compara
tively few very large farms. The city
populations will shrink as correspond
ingly fewer merchants, businesses and
their employes will be necessary to serve
their needs.
Irrigation will reverse the trend and
make this valley the productive paradise
it should be.
Funny Jiusinesv
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fa
o SO THEY SAY
No matter what concessions arc
made minorities lire never satis
fied. We therefore propose the
translcr of (German) populations.
President Eduurd Benes, of
Czechoslovakia.
The job thai the newspapers
of Hie nation have done In sup
port of the Seventh war loan
drive represents an accomplish
ment for which every newspa
ivrman should feet truly proud.
Frank Tripp, chairman. Allied
Newspaper Council of the
Ttcjjury.
"Hti going native!"
It will be up to FoUnd to har-moni.-e
her foreign policy with
that cf Soviet Russia, without
however sacrificing her political,
economic and cultural independ
ence. Prof. Oscar Lange, of tho Uni
versity of Chicago.
Care Is a little four-letter word
but it does a ir.igh'.y job !r. pro
ve;.'.. r.g ;.'igoiv
Memphis, Tenn., Prass-Scimitar.
WASHINGTON It may take a long time
to find out whether Hitler and Eva Braun
escaped to Patagonia. The country is a series
of vast Nazi-owned ranches, where German
is spoken almost exclusively and where Hit
ler could be hidden easily and successfully
for years. . ..
The ranches in this southern part of Ar
gentina cover thousands ot acres and have
been under German management for gen
erations. Because of absolute German con
trol, it would be impossible for any non
German to penetrate the area to make a
thorough investigation as to Hitler's where
abouts. Along the coast of Patagonia, many Ger
. mans own land which contains harbors deep
enough for submarine landings. And if sub
marines could get to Argentine-Uruguayan
waters from Germany, as they definitely did,
there is no reason why they could not go
a little farther south to Patagonia. Also there
is no reason why Hitler couldn't have been
on one of them.
Note On Dec. 15, 1943, this column report
ed "Hitler's gang has been working to build
up a place of exile in Argentina in case of
defeat. After the fall of Stalingrad and then
Tunisia, they began to see defeat staring
them in the face. That was their cue to move
in on Argentina." The same column also
cited chapter and verse regarding German
trained officials who ruled the new Argen
tine dictatorship. At San Francisco, Nelson
Rockefeller and Jimmy Dunn insisted that
the U. S. A. recognize1 Argentina.
Note 2 If it ever comes to identifying
Hitler, Dr. Robert Kermner, former German
police official now living in Lansdowne,
Pa., has the answers. Kempner, who was in
charge of the investigation after Hitler's
beer hall putsch, says that Hitler's right
thumb is abnormally long, his right ear
pointed on top, and his mouth is very reced
ing. Kempner has turned over his data to
U. S. authorities.
Army Politics Killed Chennault
Under Secretary of War Bob Patterson and
air force Gen. Ira Eaker were put on a very
hot spot during their secret session with the
senate military affairs committee. Not a sen
ator present was willing to believe .the res
ignation of Maj. Gen. Claire Chehnaultwas
caused by anything but army politics. ,
; Patterson tried to explain the selectiqri
of Lieut. Gen. George Stratemeycr as su
preme air chief in China oh the basijj.pl'
seniority. ,.- . 'lift "
"That was known when Stratemeyer i was
sent out there," shot, back hard-working
Senator Happy Chandler of Kentucky,""Whp
spent several weeks watching Chennault's'
operation in the winter of 1943. ' k
Aside from that explanation, Patterson
insisted that Stratemeyer's appointment over
Chennault was strictly a decision on. the part
of Gen. Albert Wedemeyer,' theater com
mander. Senator Allen Ellender of Louisiana, not
a member of the committee but sponsor of
a resolutin calling for senatorial investiga
tion of the incident, was at the secret com
mittee session and questioned Patterson and
Eaker about Chennault's military prowess.
War department officials did not attempt to
argue about the ability of the former "Fly
ing Tiger." "'
General Eaker, who had been in command
of U. S. air forces in England and was shunt
ed off to Italy, was well- received by the
senators. His own experience, they thought,
was part of the same army politics which
resulted in Chennault's resignation. The
Eaker Incident, however, was not discussed.
"Chennault Got Bored" Eaker
General Eaker attempted to explain tho
war in China has reached a new stage. The
important thing now, he said, is not over
land operations against the Jap armies and
See WASHINGTON . ;. .' Page 4
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MILLETT
All the while her soldier husband was
listed as missing in action and presumably
dead a young wife in Atlanta, Ga., wrote
him letters she couldn't mail but instead put
away in a drawer. '
Her faith that her husband would some
day return was rewarded, and the picture
of the two taken after the twice wounded
soldier was released from a German prison
camp showed them reading together the
letters that were actual proof of the wife's
continued love and faith.
It was a heart-warming story. How much
happier for all concerned than the stories
of the wives' who have given up hope for
their men when they have been reported
"killd in action," and have gone ahead and
married again enly to discover that their
husbands arc still living.
Waiting Is Duty
Faith that results in a wife's waiting for
a man month after month when he is be
lieved to be dead won't bring him back, if
the war department report is correct.
But with even the slight chance that the
report might be wrong, it seems ae though
the wives who are told their husbands are of
ficially dead shouldn't try to forget to the
extent of letting themselves fall in love
a,gain not, at least, until the war is over
long enough for there to be no possibility
of a mistake being made.
It is, perhaps, in some ways easier for a
human being to make himself accept the in
disputable fact that a loved-one is dead
than to live on the fodorn hope that he might
somehow, somewhere still be alive.
And yet, it seems from the stories of
mistaken, death reports that have already
come out of the war wives should keep
faith until after final victory.
For it would be better that a thousand
wives wait within reason than that one
should mistakenly marry while her husband
is still alive.
Waiting is the duty of women in wartime
even when it seems they are waiting with
out hope.
Behind Scenes in Washington
Br PETER EDSON, La Grand Evening Observer Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 24 Has the Tennes
see valley authority "experiment" paid off?
Or is it, as charged by the combined lobby
of 31 land and water users' organizations,
something which should not be repeated in
other parts of the United States?
Only answer to that must come from
TVA's own records. TVA's annual report
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1945, is
not yet completed. But taking the 1944 re
port and adding to it those figures which
are available on recent operations, these
facts stand out:
First, the cost. Congress has appropriated
$868,000,000 bonds. The net income from
power operations after payment of all cur
rent expense but before depreciation, is $75,
000,000. In addition, TV A took over from
the war department the old muscle Shoals
and other World War I developments at a
book value of $36,000,000. That makes the
total cost of $844,000,000.
Where has this money gone? $560,000,000
has been spent on the completed plant, and
another $188,000,000 has been spent on the
construction work still in progress. Of these
sums, approximately $460,000,000 is for pow
er projects, the rest flood control and navi
gation. In addition, $47,000,000 has been
spent for non-income producing develop
ment of the Tennessee valley. Two million
dollars worth of bonds have been retired
and there Is $41,000,000 intheTVA treasury.
Loans to municipal power companies arc
$3,000,000. Inventory is put at $7,000,000. De
preciation of $4,000,000 balances the books
at the above mentioned $844,000,000. On the
basis of operating experience up to the pres
ent, TVA estimates that us income from the
sale of electric power, which is its only
source of income, will be sufficient to retire
the entire investment within 60 years, with
out interest.
For the pa.st year, TVA's gross income
from power sales has liren $38,000,000. With
operating expenses of $20,000,000, the ne;
income has been $18,000,000. This is tbc
equivalent of a little over 3 percent interrs:
on the powr. flood control and navigation
Invjtment It is nearly 4 percent n the in
vestment in power ficihtits alone.
The charge that TVA can make this return
because it doesn't pay taxes does not bear
up In lieu of taxes TVA is currently paying
$.2,000,000 a year to state and local govern
ments where it owns property and does
business.
TVA's elx'.ric -aver generating system
of 24 water and II sieam plants has been
.greatly expanded for war production of alu
minum and chemicals. Three-fourths of its
present 2,200,000 kilowat capacity goes to
war plants.
In addition TVA furnished power to over
half a million consumers through 130 locally
owned municipal and co-op distribution sys
tems. More than 20 percent of the consumers
are rural. One of the big brags of TVA is
that its average non-industrial consumer
uses twice as much electricity as the U. S.
average. The TVA yardstick has been used
in many communities to force down rates.
The consumption figures arc cited by TVA
supporters to show that the standard of liv
ing in the Tennessee valley is higher, meas
ured in terms of consumption of electricity.
This, however, is not the only thing which
TVA claims to have done for the people of
its region.
TVA is charged with flood control. It has
19 water storage dams in operation. It flatly
denies charges its flood control operations
have not benefited flood conditions on the
lower Ohio and Mississippi. On the Tennessee
river itself, TVA claims to have lowered
floodcrcst levels at Chattanooga by six feet
In dry weather these dams opened to release
water at a rate that will maintain a nine-foot
channel depth for navigation on the river's
lower 650 miles. Ton-biles of traffic on the
river have been increased seven times over
1933, with 18 barg lines now carrying grain,
coal, petroleum and war materials.
TVA's chemical plant at Muscle Shoals
has turned out a quarter of a million tons
of fertilizer shipped to 31,000 farms in 28
states.
TVA has promoted forestry, planting 152.
000 seedlings to sustain yield on timber
lands which cover half the valley. It has
done research on minerals in this area, turn
ing up a firebrick clay that formerly had to
be imported from India. It has experimented
with new uses of elertncity on farms, new
farm machinery, new methods of food pro
cessing. It has worked for the control of
stcn pollution and malaria. In all ths rt-i-carch,
TVA goes af'rr the development cf
.ill resources in their relationship; to each
other rather than in segments, divided along
the sharp lines which separate government
departments from each other.
The whole list adds up to an imposing
record which the TVA enemies who art
cut to stop the spread of the 'authority"
id. a to other part o! the country will have
a hard time shouting down.
"Of course he doesn't like you he's a wolfhoundl"
O McKENNEY ON BRIDGE
Br WM. E. McKENNEY, America's Card Authority
MOST IMPORTANT?
COUNT YOUR TRICKS!
I have been running this bridge
column now for more than 15
years, and if you were to ask me
today what was the most impor
tant lesson to learn about bridge,
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Opening 10. 25
the answer would be: "Learn to
count your tricks." People spend
weeks studying ;queczes, end
plays and coups, and you know
those plays are ..just .natural, if
you count your tricks.'-.
I was kibitzing one of the rub
ber bridge games at the Mayfair
Questions & Answer
Q In what two cities does
nearly half of all Missouri's pop
ulation live?
A St. Louis and Kansas City,
whose metropolitan areas wtihin
the state contain some 1,500,000 or
over 40 percent of Missouri's 3,
800,000 people.
the other night and I saw de
clarer blow this nice hand.
He won the first trick in dum
my with the king of clubs and,
without hesitation, cashed the
king and queen of hearts. Now
his contract was lost. If he had
counted his tricks, he would have
overtaken the queen of hearts
with the ace, thus conserving a
club entry so that even though he
had to give up a heart trick, he
would still make one spade, four
hearts, two diamonds and two
clubs.
O IN FORMER
YEARS
30 Years Ago. July 24
The huckleberry crop will be
extremely light this year. In some
sections there will be about one
third of a crop, but it is the late
variety, the early kinds being en
tirely destroyed.
L. M. Epling left yesterday for
Kentucky points.
Celebration of the day when
the Mormon immigrants landed
in Utah was observed in this city
today with a big picnic and pro
gram at Riverside park. Members
of the LDS church from over the
entire state assembled to combine
a Sunday school program with a
fitting observance of the day set
apart each year to honor the ad
vent of Mormonism in the west.
Q When did Hawaii come into
the possession of the United
States?
A On July 7, 1898, when Pres
ident McKinley signed the Con
gressional resolution of annexa
tion. Ceremony transferring sov
ereignty took place Aug. 12, 1898.
Q Who is Sean T. O'Kelley?
A New president of Ireland.
15 Years Ago, July 24
F. L. Meyers, who recently at
tended the International Rotary
convention in Chicago, gave a de
tailed report of the meeting at
the La Grande Rotary club lunch
eon today at the La Grande hotel.
The club also enjoyed two flute
solos played by Dolph Siegrist,
accompanied at the piano by Mrs.
J. Donald Meyers.
A set of chimes, purchased re
cently for the pipe organ of the
First Presbyterian church, are
now in the building and will be
installed soon. .
Q Where is the Wright Bro
thers first airplane exhibited?
A It is displayed in the Sci
ence museum, South Kensington
England.
Q What duly elected Congress
never met in plenary session?
A The Congress of the Philip,
pines, elected in November, 1941.
Japs attacked before they ever
had a full meeting.
10 Years Ago, July 24
Hildcgarde Rettig has gone to
Portland where she will remain
until school opens here this falL
Robert Kingsley left yesterday
for Vancouver to spend a week
visaing his SJ-anHmother, Mrs.
O. L. Kingsley.
Rev. and Mrs. Edwin W. Bra
cher and family were leaving to
day for Bingner's cabin at the
foot of Mt. Emily where they will
spend two or three days vacation.
This Curious World
im. -v it
7ltmAH TEMPERATURE OF
RUSSIA,
IS ABOUT THE SAME , '-,
WINTER AND SUMMER,
AS THAT OP
GosroA.
SERVICE. INC
COW ms BY HI SERVICE INC.
MP .IT IL-iTW
VENUS'S C( v TO A a
SSAPS -ITS LEAVES SHUr TO
CATCH INSECTS Fc?R FOOD'
THE POINTED HAIRS INSIDE
"' IJtlJ?''3" TRI&OESS
,.TO SVAP THE LAP TOGETHER.
IC U. . MT. if
' HOUSEBOATS ARE NOT FOR
, MOUSES , Sjta-
WAY, C..,U.SV.R.
NEXT Why it the Dead Sea so sally?