EDITOR! AE PAGE
La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schiro, Publisher
W EJ)N ICS1) A Y. IC V EN IN(i, AUGUST 8, 1945
'uge Two
Too Had They Have to lie Contaminated With It!
Ml St ' I ' f r, rr tr. V M JIF
i : : - )
EVENING OBSERVER'S
PROGRESS PROGRAM
IRRIGATION Complete the Grande
Ronde Valley irrigation project.
LA GRANDE A city of 10,000
Extend the city limits.
Atomic Bombing
And Civilization
Atomic Ixiiiiijinjf has lonjr LkJcii vis
ualized by man, but hitherto only in
what wore considered the most fantas
tic I'liuhts of imaginative destruction.
Writers of "horror" and "astounding"
stories, patterning lheir conwpts on
the earlier pseudo - scientific writers
such as Jules Verne and 11. Or. Wells
have for many years laid waste entire
populations and civilizations, sometimes
in fanciful interplanetary warfare and
sometimes on our own planet.
Today, in actual warfare, the pseudo
scientific has become scientific. Today
we have bir.z-bombs, rocket bombs, and
jet propelled airplanes,
This week wo dropped an atomic
bomb on Japan, of which a mere de
scription of its destructive force stag
gers our imagination and leaves us
chilled.
Read again this description of its
power, the conclusion of the scientists
who worked with it :
One pound of l''2'. would contain as
much energy as lo.lioo tons of TNT, or
HUH carloads of "ill tons each. If this
one pound of Ul2:l.r) exploded within
1 lO.OOillhs of a second, as does TNT,
the pressure produced would be of 100,
000,000 atmospheres. This would be
about 1,000.000 limes the pressure pro
duced by TNT or nitio-glycerine.
The atmospheric pressure at sea-level
to which the human body is conditioned,
is I I pounds per sipiare inch. Multiply,
if you will, I I pounds by 100.000. Olio
and then try to visualize the effect of
that much pressure on man, his posses
sions and his earth. If the scientists
are right, this new explosive is 1,000,000
limes greater than any explosive force
hitherto known to man.
The American people are jubilant to
day because we feel that the atomic
bomb and its destructive force will
bring to an earlier close our war with
Japan on , the only terms on which we
can accept that close unconditional
surrender. This jubilation, however,
must be tempered with a full realization
of what has happened this week.
A new era in civilization has been
entered. A new era in international re
lations is in the offing, created by the
atomic bomb. Warfare such as we have
known in the past will be of the shield
and spear classification in comparison
to the future.
. liuzz bombs, rocket bombs and atomic
explosives will not be conducive to the
peace of mind of the American citizen
or the world.
It is a matter of good fortune only
that the United States developed the
atomic bomb before the scientists of
Germany, who were well advanced. Had
Germany reached the point we now
have reached, atomic bombs may have
dropped as buzz bombs on the centers
of our own populations. We may yet
at some not too distancl date, wake up
some morning to find that our indus
trial areas and large cities were wiped
out overnight in a sneak attack by some
Hitler now an infant or yet unborn.
All of this suggests that the United
States has a tremendous moral obliga
tion to control rigidly the atomic bomb.
Our allies, in particular liussin, will now
reijliosl it and ils secrets. We, who
have been so far, a non-imperialistic
nation, living more or less as a moral
nation in relation to our altitude toward
our international neighbors may per
haps not do too much damage with our
atomic bomb.
What other nation is in the same
category '.'
Funny litisiness
-fillii-
lto 4i ii m mv;,Nf t u mt i) i off.
SO THEY SAY
I waul In stress the (net that
tin' worst part of the redeploy
ment problem is still ahead. It is
expected iliat by December 1,
50(1.0110 soldiers will be using
trains ami that the peak of mili
tary f i right movements will come
next year.
John W. Snyiler. War Mobiliza
tion Pireetor.
All that can help tomorrow it
thv eitnen who din's his duty.
May their ! a lot of him.
Cleveland, O., Press.
"My wile' on clionl"
Should the war in the Pacific
end soon, it will find us largely
unprepared to overcome our do
mestic problems.
- Sen. James M. .Mead, of New
York.
Hem-rally, men who mil their
own business work six full days
a week and many of those days
stieteh into nights.
Kioin Depaitmelit of Commeriv
pamplilrt.
Washington Merry-Go-Round
Side Glances
Br DREW PEARSON
WASHINGTON t- With President Tru
man's, announcement regarding the new
utomic bomb, some of the background be
hind the nation's most carefully kept secret
can now be told.
If the nazis had known Mie detailB of
this secret and developed it before. V-F. day,
the results of this war might have been just
the opposite, As it was, there is reason to
believe that the. nazis knew we were work
ing on such, an invention, because the eight
nazi saboteurs, under cross - examination,
admitted that they were instructed to find
out what they could about this experiment.
Those who have studied the new bomb
say its discovery is just as revolutionary
as the Chinese invention of gunpowder. It
will not only revolutionize warfare, but
might wipe out civilization if nations con
tinue to resort to war. One new atomic
bomb, if dropped on New York city by a
transatlantic, rocket, would wipe out the
city completely.
Actually, the inventors of the bomb are
not entirely certain what its future strength
may be. While the details are still highly
secret, it isweported that the, effect on at
mospheric pressure is such that the bomb's
destructive force travels in waves in the
atmosphere surrounding it. It is also re
ported that, if dropped in a bay or confined
body of water, the bomb could start a tidal
wave capable of inundating whole cities.
Part of the experimentation for the bomb
was performed at the University of Chicago;
part also by British scientists at .pxford.
While the bomb was in the process of being
developed, trusted workmen had to sign
cn oath that they would work in the secret
desert bases without visiting their families.
The danger of the bomb to future civiliza
tion is almost beyond belief, once the secret
becomes known. For instance, it is esti
mated that a bomb hidden in a safe deposit
vault in a New York bank could explode
24 hours later with such terrific force that
it would destroy most of the city.'
One complication is whether the bomb
secret should be given to our other allies.
At Teheran it is understood that pre
liminary arrangements were made for Rus
sian entrance into the war against Japan
and that in return the United States was to
give Russia knowledge of all our secret
weapons. '
Now, many military men, believing the
war can be terminated soon, doubt the
feasibility of handing over this secret to
the Russians. Others believe, however,
that an invention of this kind is sure to
leak out, just as every military weapon
sooner or later becomes known.
Poising the Buck
One reason for the terrific senatorial
blasts leveled at the army is the constant
and deliberate run-around given the senate
by. war department officials.
Senate military investigating committee
members recently figured out brass hats
summoned to testify have a regular set of
"football pluys" they use to dodge questions.
The favorite brass-hat play is known as
the bucking half-back play. The witness is
asked a question by a senator. He pauses,
looks anxiously to the left and right to the
numerous junior brass hats who accompany
him, fails to get any assistance, then turns
back to the legislator and says:
"We just don't know the answer to that
cne, senator. But with your help, we'll
certainly find out."
Senators describe another favorite as the
statue of liberty play, fashioned after the
old Notre Dame trick of concealing the ball.
When a brass hat is asked an embarrassing
question, he replies with, a carefully phrased
answer intended to arouse another senator
to question the meaning of the first senator.
In this play, the two senators get into a
tremendous argument between themselves
with the witness trying to act helpful, but
actually sitting back delighted.
A third play, one of the most frequently
used, senators call the lateral pass. The wit
ness, being asked a tough' question by a
senator, replies:
"We don't have that information with us
today, senator, but we can get it in several
days. I'll be glad to send it up to you and
have it entered as a part of the transcript."
The senator can do little but say "yes." Gen
erally, by the time the answer does come
up, the committee is working on an entirely
different subject and the reply goes unnoticed.
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MILLETT
By the way, whatever become of:
Hostesses whose guests invariably wound
up with indigestion because second and
third helpings were -urged on them with
such persistence?
Articles that used to tell us how to spend
odr leisure time?
The persons who smoked only a partic
ularly brand of cigarets?
Renters who made the landlord redeco
rate before they moved into a house or
apartment?
Articles that urged a yearly separation
of husband and wife, via the separate vaca
tion plan?
The fast talking salesman who tried to
shame you into buying his brand of vacuum
cleaner by showing you how much dirt he
could get out of your carefully cared-for
carpet? (He used to dump the dirt in a lit
tle round pile on the middle of the rug,
remember?)
Steak frys?
The dogs whose owners bragged they
were finicky eaters, and had to ' have' their
hamburger cooked just so?
The man who raised cain if his shirts
weren't done exactly right?
The folks who used to get on trains with
six or eight pieces of luggage?
The dear little dressmaker, who charged
"practically nothing" and the second-hand
furniture women were always picking up
for a song?
The people who used to "say "I never
travel except by Pullman?"
Behind Scenes in Washington
By PETER EDSON. La Grand Erenlng Obserrar Washington Conupondsni
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 A great race
between Senator Bob Taft of Ohio and San
ator Bob Wagner of New York came down
the stretch on the last day congress was in
session. It ended in a photo finish, or may
be Wagner by a nose. It was a race to de
velop a post-war housing policy.
Senator Wagner is of course the author
of nearly all the New Deal legislation on
housing destiny of any new housing legis
lation that comes up.
Taft is a minority member of the bank
ing and currency committee, but he is also
chairman of a senate postwar subcommit
tee on housing. That has made him top
man in the long series o hearings on post
war housing policy. They began in June
1!M4 and ran until February 1945. They
enabled Taft to steal the housing spotlight
from Wagner. A natural rivalry, as well as
n traditional policy rivalry developed.
Twice during the Taft committee hear
ings Wagner rose to announce that this was
only an advisory subcommittee and had no
authority to do anything about legislation,
which would have to be referred to his,
Wagner's banking and currency committee
later on.
Taft went ahead, however, and took five
months' to prepare a report which he filed
on the 1st day the senate was in session.
The report is one of the most liberal and
far-reaching programs for the development
of public housing ever to get before con
gress. Taft has a reputation as a conserv
ative who is sometimes called a reactionary.
He has been the Republicans' number one
critic of many Democratic proposals. Know
ing these facts, any Washington observer
w ill pick up the Taft report and read with
amazement what the senator from Ohio
proposed for a long-range- government
housing program:
A single agency with a single head to
promote all government housing activities.
Tax reductions to corporations owning hous
ing developments. Downward revaluation
of propel ty in new housing. Development
of more rural husing. More assistance to
citus in rebuilding slum areas. Disapproval
of the rent certiorate subsidy for low in
come families. Review of the antitrust laws
to eliminate monopoly and racketeering
practices of both businessm anagement and
labor organizations which conspire to re
strict housing productivity.
Taft includes statements public housing
rhould not compete with private housing.
He favors state and local government co
operation with the federal government on
future housing developments. Also, he does
not believe that public housing should be
imposed on communities that do not want
it. But anyone reading this report and not
knowing the author would never guess it
was written by Senator Taft. It is that lib
eral. It is everything the public housing
advocates have been asking for. It is a
striking demonstration of Taft's abilities,
once he turns his attention to constructive
development in which he sincerely believes
instead of devoting his ene'rgies to obstruc
tion. It would be too much to expect the Dem
ocrats would allow Taft to steal this dream
house right out of their own back yard.
While Taft was writing his report, Senator
Wagner, in collaboration with Senator Allan
,1. Ellender of Louisiana, representing the
Senate committee on education and labor,
were busy preparing a new housing bill.
Having sat in on all the Taft subcommit
tee hearings, Wagner and Ellender were
able to write into their proposed bill many
of the reforms advocated by Taft and a
few others besides. And the two Democratic
senators also filed their bill on the last day
the senate was in session, providing the
aforementioned photo finish.
The Wagner-Ellender bill gets the play
because it is a step further along a defi
nite proposal for legislation. But it is 65
pages long and it takes a lawyer to figure
out. That Taft report, on the other hand,
is onlv 2.1 pages long and extremely read
able. Both are recommended reading for for
anyone interested in public housing and
postwar private housing, too, builders, con
1 1 actors, realtors, landlords and building
trades union leaders who start reading be
fore bedtime shouldn't count on getting too
much sleep. There are things in these pro
posals to keep them awake anil worrying
for some time to come.
WW. 1M4 T HIA tlHHCf, INC T. H Ml U. . HI. Off. '
"She'll be famous soma day, watch and see, avery time I start
singing to her she joins in and harmonizes perfectly!"
o McKENNEY ON BRIDGE
By WILLIAM E. McKENNEY America's Card Authority
CUE-BIDDING OFTEN
LEADS TO SLAM
We in New York were all deep
ly shocked by the sudden death
of Erno Rupee, the great orches
tra leader and father of George
Rapee, one of the Life Masters of
bridge. He was quite proud when
George won the individual cham
pionship in 1944. In my opinion
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Opening A. t
George Rapee is one of the great
est players in the country today.
He puts a tremendous amount of
spirit into a game of bridge and
his daring and maneuvering have
a great deal of thought behind
them.'
. When his partner on today's
hand opened the bidding with one
heart, Rapee immediately began
to plan how to get a grand slam.
o BARBS
He doubled one spade to lead the
opponents to believe that he held
something in that suit. East's
two-diamond bid was exactly
what Rapee had hoped for.
When South b i d two hearts,
showing a sound heart suit and a
rebid, Rapee made his one-bid
of three diamonds. Having dou
bled spades, his cue-bid in dia
monds gave tha opponents the
impression that he had no dia
monds. For his opening, West
selected the ace he-thought more
likely to win a trick the ace of
spades and the hand was a
spread for seven-odd.
IN FORMER
YEARS
Thirty Years Ago Today, Aug. S
Officials hoped to stop perman
ently the petty thievery of chick
ens, etc., by removing campers
who occupied during the summer
vacant tracts of land in the val
ley. Transient campers were not
to be bothered, but anyone who
camped out for any length of
time, would have J:o "ac'count-. for
his diet "
Some excellent catches of fish
were being made in nearby wa
ters by the Wing, Fin and Fleet
foot club members, including 14
inch trout caught by Roll Baker
and Ed Boylen.
Elgin branch of the railroad
was 25 years old and an anni
versary celebration was planned.
Enlisted men may get 30 gal
lons of gas at the time of dis
charge. It'll take more than that,
however, to get them any place
a job, for instance!
Even if you spend your vaca
tion in your own back yard you
can do it up good and brown.
Just sit in the sun!
Plenty of people will question
Cooling's heart attack. Since
when has he had a heart?
Fifteen Years Ago. Aug. 8
About 600,000 trout and salmon
were liberated in Union county
streams, announcements by the
game warden said. Trout were
placed in the Grande Ronde, Mi
nam, Catherine creek, Mill creek
and Looking Glass creek.
Drum corps and drill teams of
La Grande and Baker paraded
for a half hour, in practice for
the state American Legion con
vention to be held the next week
at Baker.
A busk, which does a neat job
of squeezing the waist line, is
back on the market. And the
women don't mind being taken
in!
The question is, how long will
the Japs prefer to have our B-2()s
overhead to our G. I.s on the
ground?
Ten Years Ago, Aug. B
First aid auto donations climb
ed to $886.25 today, with dona
tions from the theater employes.
American Legion officers nom
inated included C. J. Shorb for
commander, Dr. Fred Earns, vice
commander; Clarence Green,
chaplain; Homer Leffel, finance;
C. A. Rosenbaum, adjutant.
This Curious World
oppressive r AIM i.
ATMOSPHERE -Jl Jr&7
JUST BEFORE A RAIN ACTUALLY L ;' SJllfl kWS6
l THAN THE AIR K M i &, SiScZ
OHActA,er&& day. JcSvtESl JSM 'Vl
copw. i w by he stnvict. tug fYn BlVnuLr I ! J I VnaaCir
AT
V.AN," WAS fitlVEM BY
ESTES PARK, COLORADO,
NAMED FOR EARL OERR
SEVEN KEYS TO 8ALDPATE"
THE WALLS AND CEILIN6 OF
ONE LARSE ROOM ARE HUN6
WITH MORE THAN O.OOO
MAILED FROVt R?RER &LESTC
FROll ALL OVE THE WiPRLO.
t. m. c u. a Ml. Oft.
ANSWER: Horace Greeley.
t NSZT: How big in the Pacific?
54 Like
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