Side Glances
EDITORIAL PAGE .
La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schiro, Publisher
TUKSDAY KVfoVING, AUGUST. M, 1915
Page Two
'Okay, You Win, in a Blast'
EVENING OBSERVER'S
PROGRESS PROGRAM
IRRIGATION Complete the Grande
Ronde Valley irrigation project.
-A GRANDE A city of 10,000
' ' Extend the city limit.
No Earlhly Paradise
On Aupr. (, 1915, there occurred, for
the first time in history, an instan
taneous revolution of human thought.
One ho nib dropped on one Japanese
city, and the whole future changed.
The minds of thoughtful men were con
fronted by both a blank wall and a new,
limitless horizon suddenly disclosed.
There followed an epidemic of spec
ulation. It, ,wus not the leisurely con
templation of a future based on estab
lished fuel but tin urgent, bewildered
rroping. What was probably the pre
ponderant juuestion was staled thus by
the science' writer, Dr. Frank Thone:
"Will atomic power bring on an earth
ly paradise-afler it has swiftly finish
ed its present job of raising concen
trated liell?"
Even a beginning of the authentic
answer will bo a lung time coming. The
first clue will come from the mere hand
ful of men on earth who have under
stood and harni'ssed for human use a
Utile of that .ageless, limitless, univer
sal force which baffles t li e ordinary
mind even more than il disturbs it. The
next will cno from those non-scientific
men into whose control the uso
of this new force will pass.
Dr. Thone, being better informed
than most of us, has a few pertinent
questions on which the answer must
rest :
How much potential danger lies even
in the wise and peaceable use of atomic
power? What will atomic power do to
present world economics? Will an abun
dant source of such power be found
which will render coal, oil and water
power obsolete? Or will the new pow
er's development be prohibitively ex
pensive? What of the political consequences?
Will there be an International struggle
for uranium (or a Inter and more plen
tiful source of atomic power) that will
surpass all other fights for t natural
resources?
Keing more, brash and loss wise-than
Dr. Thone, we are going to hazard an
answer to his first and general ques
tion, for it is the only one to which
past history offers any key. And the
answer is: No!
No scientific discovery has ever pro
duced anything resembling an earthly
paradise.
Such men as Copernicus, Galileo, Co
lumbus, Newton and Darwin helped to
define for us the world we live in. To
day, in spite of their legacy of scien
tific wisdom, much of the world lies
brokn under the greatest war that ever
raged upon this planet.
If the world works with enough wis
dom and prays with enough zeal, per
haps the future will be different. But
as of today, the progress is definitely
not for any earthly paradise.
Funny Business
V' I APO
V-jV :-flr-'V mail vv
AW : '. P5 ') :
o SO THEY SAY
Any realistic description of our
civilization would exhaust our
vocabulary of such words as pain,
hardship, hunger, fear and de
spair. But while we live in a
suffering world, it is one that is
hopefully looking for some cure
lo help restore it to health and
peace.
Kev. A. Dale Fiors, Newark, O.
Whatever others may do, let's
keep the United Status of Amer
ica democratic and muke it work.
Lynchburg, Va., News.
So long as the enemy asks for'
Japan's unconditional surrender,
she will have to shed blood pro
portionate to the time and inten
siiy of each baltlu.
Jap Adml. Kichisuburo Nomura.
"Mf giti'i mother cwiorod the lettotl"
Homo Sap said that of course
C!od could not bless America
while Amvtiraivl wei Wit lt"t
all lhv could wtiite the getting
was gooii
- Slilhvaftjr, Cl&la,, Hewa -fens. ,
Washington Merry-Go-Round
Br DREW PEARSON
WASHINGTON The Japanese weren't
the only ones hit by atomic bombs. When
President Truman stepped off the cruiser
Augusta at Newport News last week, he was
hit by a veritable domestic atom bomb.
Waiting for him at the doekside was his
old friend and new war mobilizer, John W,
Snyder. - Snyder had rushed down from
Washington to give Truman an earful.
Snyder in three short weeks as war mo
bilizer has found the entire reconversion pic
ture is paralyzed by exorbitant army-navy
refusal to reconvert.
He told the president how congress has
been screaming because the army won't re
lease the few thousand men needed to run
the railroads and mins. He also revealed
how all his efforts to get the brass hats to
cut back on manpower and procurement had
met with failure. Snyder told Truman flat
ly that unless something is done immediate
ly, the nation might have as many as 20,000,
000 unemployed within 12 months.
Perhaps realizing Japanese surrender is
imminent, Snyder reported the situation is
so bad sudden peace with Japan might para
lyze the entire civilian economy.
The war mobilizer complained that he had
been called a man of inaction, but said it
was impossible to act unless he had suffi
cient backing to overrule army-navy brass
hats.
Next morning Truman hastily summoned
Senator Harley Kilgore of West Virginia,
asked him how bad the situation was. Kil
gore reportod it was terrible and likely to
break wide open any moment. He also told
the president army-navy manpower hoard
ing was the crux of the matter.
Trumun asked Kilgore to get to work at
once on passage of the legislative program
which Kilgore long has advocated.
Meanwhile, piled up in the White Housa
is a stack of indignant reports from busi
nessmen telling Truman how the entire re-
conversion picture was being wrecked.
Meanwhile, also, some of Truman's best
friends in the Democrat party say private
ly his chances of re-election are sure to re
ceive a severe jolt as a result of reconver
sion delays. They point out as chairman of
his old Truman committee, he was perhaps
more familiar than anyone else with the in
efficiency of the army and navy in planning
for supplies, and that since he kept the same
brass hats in office, he cannot dodge respon
sibility. Note Republican leaders have been put
ting their heads' together to make the most
of post-war economic dislocation when it
comes to the 1040 and 10-18 election cam
paigns. Keeping Hirohilo
Inside fact is, thut the vital question of
whether we should permit Emperor Hiro-
hito to stay on the throne was attended by
weeks of backstage discussion, dating back
to before President Truman went to Pots
dam. Spearhead of the Hirohito clique inside
the slate department is Under Secretary Joe
Grew, for many years U. S. ambassador to
Japan, and the man who convinced Roose
velt we should continue sending scrap iron
and oil to Japan.
Chief opposition to Grew inside the state
department was. led by Assistant Secretary
Dean Acheson. Acheson, however, fought a
losing battle. Grew convinced Secretary of
War Stimson and Secretary of Navy Forres
tal he was right. He drew up a formula, lat
er used as the basis for the Potsdam declar
ation in which Hirohito was not mentioned.
Grew's argument was that Hirohito could
be used as a puppet by the allies, just as the
Jap fascists had used him. It was also ar
gued there would be chaos in Japan without
the emperor. But the most effective argu
ment was that Hirohito could order Jap
troops in Manchuria, China, Singapore and
the Dutch East Indies to surrender. Other
wise they might be fighting guerrilla war
fare for months. This, it was argued, would
save many American lives.
This latter argument especially appealed
to President Truman.
j
Anil-Emperor' Group
Dean Acheson, on the other hand, argued
that the emperor had stood for a system of
conquest which had enslaved a large part of
Asia, that he was permanently identified with
this system and we could not be identified
with him or it. Acheson felt that the move
ments inside Japan, the labor and farm,
groups, should be given a chance to work
out a new type of government, that they
could not do this with the emperor on the
throne and that unless Japan had a new gov
ernmental system we might have to fight an
other war in future years.
Finally, in order to convince Truman,
Acheson asked him to discuss the matter
with Owen Lattimore, one of the foremost
American authorities on China and former
adviser to Chiang Kai-shek.
Lattimore talked to Truman for 30 min
utes just two days before he departed for
Potsdam. The president listened most care
fully but mude no comment. It appeared,
however, thut he leaned toward the Grew
theory of using the emperor as an American
puppet.
Note Lattimore is chiefly famous for
having been an adviser to Chiang Kai-shek.
He lived in China and all his work has been
closely identified with China. But while he
and Grew were in the White House ante
room waiting to see Truman, Grew remark
ed: "How long since you were in Japan, Mr.
Lattimore?"
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MILLETT
When Congresswoman Clare Boothe Luce
decided to make her debut as an actress dur
ing the congressional recess, her constituents
began to worry over whether or not it was
fitting and proper for a representative to
turn actress in her spare time.
Why there should have been any raised
eyebrows is hard to understond. Surely,
the voters who elected one of the country's
most glamorous women to represent them
didn't expect her to relinguish the title of
"glamor girl" just because they set her up
as a lawmaker in Washington.
And with all the competition from pin-up
girls, no fortyish woman is going to retain
her glamor title and keep her picture smil
ing out of newspapers and magazines with
out working hard at the job.
So the folks who sent Mrs. Luce to Wash
ington to represent them shouldn't hnve
been at all surprised to see their congress-
woman making her stage debut during a
congressional recess.
Nor should they be surprised at the next
stunt the versatile Mrs. Luce pulls, when
she thinks it is time to start people talking
again.
They elected a glamor girl, and a glamor
girl is what they are going to have, no mat
ter how many years she stays in office.
For the voters who elected her to expect
anything else, is as foolish as for a man to
marry the town's most popular girl and ex
pect her to settle down and be the shy, self
effacing little woman.
There are women who are born loving the
spotlight and knowing how to keep it turned
brightly on themselves. And if you marry
one or elect one to congress you can't ex
pect to have her undivided attention. But
you can expect to be entertained and diverted.
Behind Scenes in Washington
Br PETER EDSON. La Grand Evening Observer Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 The end of war
finds the government less prepared for the
problems of peace than it was for war in
1041. As the country faces one of the most
crucial periods in its history, here's a quick
look at the situation: OPA and war produc
tion board,' the biggest war agencies, most
closely affecting each citizen, are in the
middle of a big scrap over reconversion and
what controls to keep. Other than mean
ingless vague statements, no decision has
been made'as to how much price control to
keep. Treasury, labor, agriculture and com
merce departments are in the midst of ma
jor reorganizations with new top men. Most
of the officials at the second level are in
experienced men or about to losv their jobs.
No machinery exists to do anything for the
millions who will immediately be out of
work except the various state social secur
ity agencies. On top of being out of work,
a large percentage of the unemployed find
themselves far from home. War manpower
commission isn't equipped to do anything
about it.
Quick reconversion of industry could solve
many of the problems but the government
hasn't given businessmen a chance to do any
concrete planning. Statistical information
which the government furnished business
and industry as to markets, population, pro
diu'ton, etc.. durng peace tmc was not gath
ered during the war. Vital for planning,
these figures don't exist now.
Office of civilian requirements -admits it
doesn't have the renutcst idea of what un
controlled demand for civilian goods is. It
Only concerned itself with seeing that pro
duction didn't full below basic civilian needs.
I'lobaMy least prepared for peace is the vet-t
erans administration.
General Bradley, whose duties in Europe
occupied him until a few weeks ago, hasn't
even scratched the surface of what has to be
done to that agency to prepare it for the job
of getting about 8,000,000 men back into ci
vilian life.
It's admitted now by all parties concern
ed that the GI till of rights falls far short.
But the changes that would really make it
amount to something now lie in an idle con
gressional committee.
First thing the veteran is going to do when
he gets back is try to get a job, his old one,
or a new one. But, the government has this
all fouled up.
The department of justice, selective serv
ice, and national war labor board aren't
agreed on just what veterans re-employment
rights are or his preference for a new job.
The way it stands now, it is impossible for
a vet to get a job in the automobile industry,
for instance. Even OWI is caught flat-footed.
For many weeks before VE day, it had
dreams of "now it can be told" information
for the press and radio. It wasn't until the
announcement of the atomic bomb that it
dawned on them they'd better be getting to
work on the VJ story.
Apparently, OWI, as well as the rest of
the government agencies, believed the con
stant assertions of the war and navy depart
ments that it would take months, maybe
years to lick the Japs. This was done, of
course, to keep up production and without
knowing the atomic bomb was coming. It
is difficult to assess the blame to their con
gress or the administration for the lack of
adequate planning, but when the jubilation
over peace and victory weus off, somebody
is in for a lot of explaining.
VLli"'4
COPIt tm MA StUVKt, WC. T. M. BIQ. IT. . PAT. Off.
"Bill's a nice boy, (but remember, if you should have a little quarrel,
call me up right awayI wish he weren't so used to shooting Japs!"
O McKENNEY ON BRIDGE
By WILLIAM E. McKENNEY America's Card Authority
GOOD OFFENSE IS
GOOD DEFENSE
The bidding on today's hand
was fast and furious. Dr. J. A.
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Opening A 5. 15
Boyd of Stratford, Ontario, Can
qdu, who sent me the hand, said
O BARBS
It isn't only because of the
atomic bomb that the Japs arc
seeing Red!
Singing columns of Red army
men marched through Moscow
on their way to war with Japan.
As far as the Nips are concerned,
that's where the harmony ends.
May we suggest that the allies
leave at least one spot in Japan
where the next Big Three meet
ing can be held?
it was played at the Stratford
club, and while he was dummy
and lost on the hand, he never
theless admired East's defensive
ploy and I agree with him.
North ruffed the opening spade
lead and then ran off all the dia
monds, bearing down to the king
nine of hearts and ace-nine of
clubs. East was down to the aee
queen of hearts and king-jack of
clubs.
Declarer then cashed the ace of
clubs and here East made the
nice 'play. Instead of following
with the jack, he threw on the
king. Thus when North led the
nine of clubs, West was able to
overtake the trick with the queen
and the defenders took the bal
ance of the tricks.
O IN FORMER
YEARS
Thirty Years Ago
Eight automobile owners were
today tugged and required to con
tribute $10 apiece to t h e city
treasury for violation of the tail
light statute.
At 3:15 o'clock this-afternoon
the fire department responded to
a call on Madison avenue, where
an old building owned by W. R.
Kivette and leased by Stiles and
Ollinger, was on fire. The hay in
the building was a complete loss.
A suggestion for the postwar
auto: . one that will stop and
count 10 before hitting a pedestrian.
Most people can blame being
disappointed on being disappoint
ing.. Even the oyster gets a four
month's vacation.
Dancing frocks have done much
toward keeping us from being
shocked by bathing suits.
Fifteen Years Ago
The city commission, by a vote
of two to one, last 'night at an
adjourned meeting, passed a mo
tion authorizing City Manager
W. C. Crews to draw up a con
tract with A. A. Durant for the
drilling of a third artesian well
for the city system.
The annual two-day baby clin
ic being conducted at the La
Grande high' school building by
the Union County Health asso
ciation, is neaiing a close this
afternoon, with a large number
of children examined and the
clinic in general very successful.
When father gets out with the
lawn mower on a sizzling day,
watch out for cutting remarks!
Reduction of beef point values
still leaves pork to beef about.
Just because you're noisy does
n't mean you've got a sound argument.
Ten Years Ago
Contributions from the city f
Union, the state highway, and
others added $60 to the Union
county Amos L. Helms first aid
car fund today, bring the total
in cash and pledges to $1,115.85.
The second game of the kitten
ball championship play-off be
tween Greenwood and P. D. Q.
club will be held tonight at the
L. H. S. stadium.
This Curious World
EXPECT THE 200-INCH .dSm
MX PALOMAR TELESCOPE .477f
WILL PENETRATE SPACE ttSM0&
o. oca ooo. ooo. gtSSfrw
000.000. s&(tS&r HEAD
MILES Ag&jftS HECK.
i OP A GIRAFFE.
miK MAKE UP ABOUT"
leafffSRWlA OP THE ANIMAL'S
' JwJilJVA TOTAL WE&HT.
A MARRIED MAN 45 STILL.
A SINGLE PERSON Sift
DAVID A. JAnaBSOU.
.oxer Is&JttS, Afau'&rik. I
COH-1WI 1Y MtA MIIVKC WC.
NEXT: They lived a short time, but long ago.