Side Glances
Washington Merry-Go-Round
EDITORIAL PAGE
Br DREW PEARSON
La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schlro, Publisher
WEDNESDAY EVKN!N(J. AUfJUST 22, 1945 Page Two
Flexible Guys, These Japs
1942 Jjt&GSSi0 "
jJl Uk,i
Exit the Black Marketer
Sure to be one or the first casualties
of pence is the black marketer, n 11 il
there will be none to mourn his passing.
Not even those whomay have putron
ized him will shed any tears when this
peculiarly repulsive human vulture is
. put out of business.
'fills does not surest the expecta
tion that nil shortiiK'es are likely to end
immediately. Scarcities of many com
modities are likely to continue for some
lime perhaps a year or two in some
items, such as sugar and perhaps other
foods.
But the black tmrltet in gasoline
and this was one of the worst al
ready is at an end as result of the lift
ing of nil ration restrictions upon this
product. Tobacco products have be
come somewhat more plentiful very re
cently.'. The general situation already
is better, and there seems every reason
to expect that improvement will be
continuous.
The fact that improvements are Ink
ing place probably will discourage
trading with the black market racke
teers who can supply items thai still
are scarce. People will be more inclin
ed to wnit, since they have reason to
hope that the waiting will not be much
longer. And more people will be reluc
tant to pay the exorbitant prices the
black marketer demands.
Whether this type of raekeler is go
ing to enjoy the fruits of his betrayal
of country remains to be seen. Prob
ably, insofar as prosecution and crim
inal penalties arc concerned, most of
them will escape. A few doubtless will
be accused, tried and convicted, but
these are likely to be the exception
rather than the rule. More may be trip
ped because of evasions of income tax
" laws." Hut many almost certainly will
"get away with" their violations.
However, there often can be worse
punish m e n t m than those inflicted
through legal processes. The disgrace
of a revealed violation frequently be-
comes a worse penalty than jail burs
or a fine.
The black marketer is sure to dis
cover if he has not discovered that
he must occupy a position which will
lack much of being that of an esteem
ed citizen. He is known for what he is
to enough people to insure that the
brand of homefront traitor will be upon
him through all the days of his life.
His patrons and certainly ho one
can hold any brief for the m have
demonstrated by being black market
patrons that they aren't the type to
aid the marketer in concealing his rec
ord and identity. From this time for
ward, every black market dealer must
live in the constant danger of beins
shamed before the world. The same
threat hangs over his family and every
one with whom he may be associated.
As a consequence, there will be few
to envy the outlook for the black mar
keter. Regardless of how big his bank
roll may be, not m a n y of those who
have tried to "play ball" on the home
front during the war would be willing
to trade places with him.
Funny business
1 f '
m U - " - . -
- -
'.' '-f.'-j.-V' ;; :;'o
3.''
o SO THEY SAY
We've learned that life's too
short lo waste any of it hating
our own kind of people.
Plying Officer William Bray
ley, Montreal.
Tiie world has grown so small,
and the perils of lawlessness so
great, that it would he suicidal
to refuse to vest powers of con
trol m men and nations of under
standing and good will.
Alpena. Mich., News.
l)..r nation has open fortunate
."iiring this war in owning auto
mohilrs which have been devel
oped to provide such a high de
grtv of dependability and long
lite.
John Oswald. General Motors
Corp.
"I think h was a ration board olltciall"
t hope he (PrniAent Truman)
continues his policy of clejniiig
h'liiK, and begins with the war
itip'jrtmfnt
-Uep. John E Rankin of Minis-
WASHINGTON Whether t we like it or
not, the American people are going lo hear
a lot more about the emperor of Japan. In
fact, during the next several years that we
govern Japan we ought to make it our job
to know almost as much about Tokyo's gov
ernmental system as we know about our
own.
This writer happens to oppose the views
of certain emperor-appeasers in the U. S.
state department. Nevertheless, it is only
tail' to examine the facts on their side care
fully. About 20 years ago, when Hirohito was
only prince regent, this columnist made sev
eral trips to Japan, got acquainted with one
of Hirohito's intimate aides, and heard many
complimentary things about the young man.
Actually, the recent history of the Jap
anese emperor is closely Interwoven with the
history of American troops in Japan. We
helped give the emperor a new start in life
when Commodore Perry first opened the
doors of Japan in 1852, and if it had not
been for the landing of Perry, there might
"he no royal family of any potency in Japan
today.
Now, 83 years later, American troops, once
again landing in Japan, are scheduled to
operate through the emperor perhaps also
giving him a new lease on life.
It was not an atomic bomb, but an inven
tion almost as revolutionary, the steamship,
which opened up Japan to U. S. troops the
first time. When Commodore Perry and
the U. S. S. Mississippi, first steam-propelled
man-o'-war to circumnavigate the globe, ar
rived off Japanese waters, the government
of Japan was split between Emperor Osa
hito, then the weakest af weak figureheads,
and the shogun, or premier, then the real
ruler of Japan. Perry, knowing who the
real ruler was, signed a treaty with the sho
gun, not the emperor, whereby the hated
foreigners were permitted to come ashore
and enjoy commercial privileges.
This started a wave of resentment against
the shogunate. The merchant princes and
feudal leaders, Already down on the shogun
because of high taxes, rallied round the em
peror. A virtual prisoner in Kyoto, the aged em
peror broke forth in verse:
"Perish my body 'neath the cold clear
wave of some dark well.
But let no foreign foot : .
Pollute the water with its presence here."
And with a child's misconception of the
tremendous .power of Perry's "big, black
fireships," the emperor issued an order that
no foreigner could set foot on Japanese soil
wearing hats or any article of "barbaric"
clothing. .
This was the cue for the feudal lords to
build up the emperor at the expense of the
sfiogun, and a few years after the shogun
signed his treaty with Commodore Perry,
the war lords assasinated him. Tokyo at
that time was so crowded with "jo-I" or
"aline-haters" that no insurance companies
could take the risk of underwriting policies
on the lives of Americans in Japan.
This wave of alien-hating, plus the strat
egy of the feudal barons in strengthening a
rival to the unpopular shogunate, took the
Japanese royal family out of virtual impris
onment and started them on the road to their
present powerful hold on the Japanese peo
ple. Much of this build-up was synthetic.
It would have made even Ivy Lee, publicity
genius who sold the American public on
John D. Rockefeller, green with envy.
It was under the Emperor Meiji, grand
father of Hirohito, that the royal family en
joyed its most important reign. Meiji came
into power 16 years after the arrival of Com
modore Perry, and put an end to alien-hating.
By so doing, he consolidated his own
power.
It happened that some foreigners had fail
ed to fall on their knees when the daimio of
Bizen passed on the streets of Kobe, and the
daimio's troops, armed with new American
rifles, fired on the disrespectful barbarians.
The foreign governments involved demand
ed an apology, not from the daimio of Bizen,
but from the emperor of Japan. He prompt
ly gave it, and simultaneously gave notice
that control of foreign affairs henceforth was
centralized in the person of the emperor, not
in the daimios.
Prior to this, the emperor of Japan had
been kicked around more than almost any
crowned head of Europe. They were jailed
and assassinated at the pleasure of the sho
guns and war lords. They had been exiled,
had to flee for their lives, and one of them
lay unburied for several weeks while his son
took up a collection to pay the funeral ex
penses. But it remained for the Americans who
pried open Japan's door, plus smart public
relations on the part of a group of powerful
merchant princes and military men, to make
the emperor of Japan what he is today.
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MILLETT
Gasoline rationing has ended! That will,
perhaps, mean more to one section of the
feminine world than to others the women '
whose husbands belong to share-the-ride
groups. That is, if the trouble a New Jersey
court blames on the war-born share-the-ride
scheme is true thoughout the country.
Ail too often, says the court, the little
group becomes too cozy, and pretty soon
some worker wants a divorce to marry a
worker he has had time lo get chummy with
on those long rides to and from work.
While sharing rides has been necessary,
Mama couldn't protest Papa's stopping on
the corner every morning to pick up some
pert young thing working in the same plant.
Nor could Mama say anything about his
waiting for her after work each evening to
drive her home.
It could have become a pretty cozy set-up
and apparently often has with every
body's official okay. Mama was in no posi
tion to argue.
But once there is gasoline, Papa can just
expect Mama to start saying who she ap
proves of riding in the family car.
If it can't be worked out any other way,
just leave it to Mama to decide Papa doesn't
need the car after all, and she is tired of
carrying groceries, etc.
Then Papa will be in a car pool that is
a closed corporation. He'll ride to work be
side Mama, who'll go back to the good old
days of driving him to work and picking him
up each evening. The gasoline shortage
gave Papa a freedom he may never know
again.
Behind Scenes in Washington
By PETER EDSON, La Grand Erenlng Obaaryar Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 Millions of re
turning veterans the estimated 80 percent
of men in service who don't have reemploy
ment rights face bitter disillusionment.
Most of industry is covered by union con
tracts which establish the seniority rights
of workers. The unions contention, upheld
by war labor board ruling, is that a veteran
cannot use his service seniority rights in get
ting a new job. Once he gets a job, they
say, and passes a satisfactory probationary
period, then give him seniority according
to his length of service in the armed forces.
During the reconversion period practical
ly every factory or plant will have laid off
some workers. Result will be call-back lists
of varying lengths. How will it be possible,
then, for a vet to get a job in one of these
factories until everyone who had a job dur
ing the war goes back to work? It won't,
AFL admits. In other words, according to
the way the unions look at it, theoretically
employment will have to rise above the war
time peak before there is a chance for a vet
eran to get a job.
Lessening the seventy of this situation,
however, will be the old men, women and
transplanted war workers going home who
won't answer when the call-back list is read.
But recent surveys show a much smaller
percent of these workers expect to drop out
of tiie later market than was previously esti
mated by war manpower commission.
For months this question of veterans' job
rights has been hotly debated among un
ions, veterans organizations and the govern
ment. On the issue of veterans' getting new
jobs the unions appear to have ended on top.
The "super seniority" issue of reemployment,
is still up in the air. Selective service would
give the man hack his job with no questions
asked. Unions would permit a vet to bump
a worker only if the vet had more seniority,
pins set vice seniority.
American Legion and Veterans of Foreign
Wais have been trying to get a test cao be.
fore the courts. It has been hard liexause
no employ! has hn willing to set himself
up as the "bogey man."
Slapping back at the unions for their stand
on new jobs for vets Rep. Harold Knutson,
R., Minn., has introduced a VFW bill which
would make it mandatory for an employer
to give a veteran service seniority for new
jobs. It goes even further. For the five
days of each week in service it would give
the man five days seniority. For the sixth
day it would give a man a day and one half
and for the seventh day it would give the
vet two days. The bill is in the house mili
tary affairs committee.
Employers are strong for giving the vet
erans more rights for new jobs although it
is doubtful if they would want to go as far
as the Knutson bill. During the war many
inefficient workers have gotten on the pay
roll. The cream of the nation's manpower
has been in uniform. It's of dollar and cents
value to manufacturers and employers to
grab these men.
Naturally these employers would like a
free hand in placing the best available men
and best producers in each job but they are
treading carefully so as not to strain further
relations with the unions.
The auto industry', in the tight grip of the
CIO United Automobile Workers union, will
be the hardest for the veteran who hasn't
had a job before to get into. The strength
of the UAW would be threatened if they
weren't able to offer some guarantees of
post war job to the thousands who became
new members because of their war jobs. Re
sult is their exclusion of veterans from com
petition. Their argument is that seniority
is a property right belonging to the work
men who now have the jobs.
This whole problem, of course, only ap
plies to jobs in industry. It is estimated that
industry should provide about one quarter
of all employment and that about one quar
ter of all the veterans will try to get jobs
in industry.
After the whole things gets hashed over
by interested parties the same conclusion is
always reached there must be full employ
ment. But that is a goal toward which
little progress has been made.
11 1 n .
8-13
com ww wiipsuma. we. m. au. .. , 1
"Look at him, Moml He just loafs out here In the kitchen and
grins ever since you said I was the only one you could trust with '
the dishes!"
O McKENNEY ON BRIDGE '
By WILLIAM E. McKENNEY . America's Card Authority
QUEENS KEY WEAKER
HAND TO BIG SLAM
Numerous systems have been
devised for slam bidding, but I
have found that too often they
fail to get into the right contract
unless you use a little common
sense along with them.
Today's hand came up in the
Q 10 7 4
V A96
Q74
J 32
A J 8 6 3
QJ 10 2
86
74
N .
W E
S
Dealer
52
V 8 5 4 3
532
10 8 6 5
AAK9
K7
A K J 10 9
AKQ
Duplicate Neither vul.
South Wst North East
2 Pass 2 V Pass
6 N. T. Pass 7 N. T. Pass
23
no ace, they would bid three no
trump. Over North's two-heart
bid, South in most cases bid six
no trump.
It is surprising that most of the
North players now passed. It is
true that South knew his partner
held the ace of hearts, but South
had . bid two diamonds and
North's queen should make his
whole diamond suit solid.
In addition North held the
queen of spades, and in my opin
ion he should not have found u
hid of seven no trump a problem.
O IN FORMER
YEARS
South Shore tournament in New
York, and most of the South
players opened the bidding with
two diamonds. North bid two
hearts to show the ace. With
two aces the majority of New
York players would bid four no
trump over the opening two-bid,
while with a trick and a half but
30 Years Ago
A new planing mill has been
installed at Minam by Burt Ack
ert and the output of three saw
mills will be handled through the
plant this season.
Fire fighters were called up
river to handle a slashings fire
on Spring creek. It burned over
about five acres but did no dam
age. Rev. L. G. Clark of tho'Presby
tcrian church was assigned the
duty of preaching the union serv
ices Sunday at the Baptist church.
O BARBS
And so most of the world turn
ed out to celebrate and went
Jap happy!
When General MacArthur said,
"I will return," he neglected to
mention that the Philippines
would be just a stop-off on the
way to Tokyo.
Some men become proud fa
thers and pass out cigars others
just pass out.
15 Years Ago
Eastern Oregon tennis tourna
ment opened at Union with Worth
Oswald one of the nation's rank
ing players attracted.
Yearly flower show was set for
Sept. 6, according to Mrs. W. C.
Perkins, chairman of the commit
tee. The show was to be held in
the ballroom of the La Grande
hotel.
The Flying Fleet, a nationally
known group of commercial fly
ers, was to give a series of free
exhibitions at Gekeler field, a
mile and a half east of La Grande.
A Tokyo broadcast to the Nip
troops said, "We have lost, but
this is temporary." The wbrd
must have a new meaning.
By the expression, "So sorry,"
shall we always know the Japs
just a sorry race!
Sixteen operations are needed
in making the ordinary sewing
needle.
10 Years Ago
The city commission adopted a
resolution designating both na
tional banks here as city deposi
tories. The mercury shot up to the 90s
the day before with a minimum
the night before of only 55.
Progress of La Grande in the
last 16 years amazed Richard E.
Hackman, who returned for a
visit after living many years in
Los Angeles.
This Curious World
HAVE BEEN MAKIN
SUICIDE ATTACKS'
FOR CENTURIES
WHEN A BEE USES ITS
STINOER, IT OES.
1
'5 ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
MINERALS IN THE BOOY...
SO IAVPORTANT THAT A MAN
CAN LIVE LON&SR ON SXir
AAfO WATS THAN HE CAN
ON FOOD AND WATSR WITH
THE SAiTAMMOVMO.
am. tM IT NW WKVKC. MC
ANSWER; Daniel Manning of New York, first secretary of the
treasury under Graver Cleveland.
it FEDERAL TAX STAMP SEEN ONI
U.S. Automobile windshields
THESE DAYS SHOWS A PICTURE
OF "O. MANN INS."
WHO WASSJf
J i? T M PIC U HT or. .
HEXT: Are diamonds found In Borneo?