EDITORIAL. PAGE
La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schlro, Publisher
THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 13, 1945
Page Four-
Seems Silly to Ride a Good Thing to Death
EVENING OBSERVER'S
PROGRESS PROGRAM
IRRIGATION Complete the Grande
Ronde Valley irrigation project,
I.A GRANDE A city of 10,000 -Extend
the city limits,
A Cheer for the Bureaucrats
Cussing the bureaucrats has been a
favored and almost universal practice
among Americans during the entire
war period. Much of It still is going on.
And honesty compels the admission
that we have done our full proportion
ate share of the cussing.
But with this confession and still
insisting that bureaucrats deserved
much of the cussing they received
this thought occurs:
Isn't it time, and doesn't justice re
quire, that the bureaucrats like the
devil be given their due?
And, if given their due, can any rea
sonable person honestly deny that, on
the whole and under the conditions
existing, wartime bureaucrats did a
splendid job and made an indispensable
contribution to victory?
Emphatically, these statements do
not attempt to argue for the perpetua
tion of widespread bureaucracy in gov
ernment. Heaven forbid! Let us be rid
of the war-born alphabetical agencies
as soon as the nation's postwar economy
will permit. That would be soon for
most of them.
Hut eagerness to be rid of the agen
cies and the restrictions they represent
cannot and should not deprive them of
any credit due for whatever job they
have done during the worst emergency
ever to face this nation. We think thev
are due a great deal of credit.
True, they made many mistakes.
There were instances of confusion,
bungling and even absurdities. Beyond
any question, mun bureaucratic actions
mid- policies did more-to hurt' then help
the victory effort.
But such things were inevitable when
one considers that the gigantic agencies
usually had to be thrown together over
night to tackle jobs which held the fate
of a nation in their balance.
Far more than offsetting any mis
takes made is their record of achieve
ments. Prices were not allowed to get
out of hand, as they did in world war
I and the Civil war. The American
people never lacked abundances of food
and other essentials despite scarcities
of individual items. Necessary mate
rials were channeled to the places where
they could be utilized best for victory.
Production and supply represented mir
acles surpassing anything of similar
nature in history. And, in all these
achievements, the war agencies the
bureaucrats played their indispens
able parts.
Furthermore, it should do remember
ed that few of those who served in the
more important bureaucratic positions
wanted their jobs. They were drafted
just as much as any man on the firing
line was drafted. They solved when
every minute of service must have been
miserable because of the criticism and
abuse heaped upon them. 1
So isn't it about time that some of
us tone down somewhat in our cussing
of the bureaucrats? Aren't they deserv
ing of at least one lusty, whole-hearted
cheer for a job which, on the whole,
was amazingly well done?
Funny Business
O SO THEY SAY
Now more than ever before we
must make it our business to see
that the means to wage war be
kept in the hands of those who
hate war.
James V. Forrestnl, secretary
of the navy.
I think the management of our
broadcasting systems will agree
that, by and large, the public re
ceives over the nir not neces
sarily what it wants, hut what it
doesn't complain about.
Piul Porter, chairman, federal
comnfunications commission.
If n man is an American, he
dusmves to be treated as an
American. His onccstry ti not to
bo held against him. That's one
of the things we fought war fur.
-Pittsburgs, PS., PtW,,
The welfare of this country de
mands that every boy and girl
receive the best preparation for
his .future work. ,
.-tUov, Thomas E,' Dewey of ey
Washington Merry-Go-Round
Side Glances
By DREW PEAHGGN
7t"
WASHINGTON Those who watched Pies
ldent Truman operate with Stalin at Pots
dam say he employed a masterful technique.
In the evenings he drank' and sang with
Stalin. They literally had their arms around
each other . . . But next day during diplo
matic negotiations, Truman was formal, po
lite, and cold as steel . . . Some military ob
servers see significance in the make-up of
the army's Pearl Harbor board and the fact
it criticised chief of stuff General Marshall.
One member was Maj. Gem Henry Russell
of Macon, Ga., who commanded the divi
sion made up of Georgia national guards
men at Fort Jackson, S. C, from Septem
ber, 1940 to May, 1942. Then just as the di
vision was about to go overseas, he was re
lieved . . . This was in line with the army's
frequently unfair policy of taking commands
away from national guard officers in favor
of West Pointers and regulars . . General
Russell resented this bitterly. He had spent
almost 20 years with the Georgia national
guard and had a fine overseas record in the
last war. So he protested right up to Gen
eral Marshall himself. Marshall, however,
refused to change the order. Russell stayed
homo and eventually became a member of
the Pearl Harbor board where he helped
find Marshall guilty of neglect . . . Gen.
George Grunert, who headed the Pearl Har
bor inquiry, an A-l officer, is another who
had trouble at the top. Serving in the Phil
ippines under MaeArthur along with Lieut.
Col. Dwight Eisenhower, both he and Eisen
hower got in wrong with MaeArthur and
were sent home. It was the best break Eisen
hower ever had . . . Grunert enlisted as a
private, never went to West Point.
Cupid Over Congress
One congressman bachelor traveling in
Europe almost didn't come home a bachelor.
He is Rep. Mel Price, former corporal in
the army and now a democrat congressman
from east St. Louis, 111. He had a close call
from cupid and at first he didn't know it.
Price was in Rome, anxious to study the
Roman civil government and knowing no
Italian, enlisted the services of an American
Red Cross girl who said she spoke the lan
guage. She went with him to question local
Italian officials. )
Arriving in a room of. Rome's municipal
building, the girl began to quiz the clerk
regarding his duties. Apparently her Italian
left something to be desired. ..;; , v .
Smiling at the two Americans, the clerk
left the room, but came back and asked them
to sign the register. The girl had completed
her signature when Congressman Price no
ticed a priest entering the room, smiling
broadly. ' ' . .
Whereupon the gentleman from Illinois '
got suspicious. .Using sign language and a
few words of Italian he discovered he. was
being asked to sign a marriage register: The"
priest Was on hand to tie the: knot the min
ute he had signed. Price departed immediately.-
- ' ''' !.
Capital Chaff " "'
Senators are looking forward to better,
eating, now thai Derwin Darling has come
back from two years in the marines to re
sume management of the senate restaurant
. . . Alleged United States opposition to the
Kilgore unemployment compensation bill
cracked open last week. Forty-seven state
administrations were reported opposed, but
it now develops that Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Oklahoma, Washington and Califor
nia are definitely for the bill, with Connect
icut and several other states about ready
to support it . . . When Nelson Rockefeller
was eased out of the state department, work
ers in the building were Startled to see
truckers removing the furniture from his
office. He had furnished his suite with his
own furniture. When the truck pulled away,
even the chandeliers, which were Rocke
feller's persi.na' property, had been taken.
Different
i. ..ring the reoerjt reparations riegotia
tions in Moscow, Ambassador Averell Har
riman frequently reminded U. S. colleagues
how the Russians had cleaned out every
movable piece of nazi machinery from their
zone of Germany, even removing machinery
from what later became the American zone
of occupation in Berlin.
Harriman termed these operations "loot
ing." When the U. S. reparations party got to
Potsdam Harriman inspected several plants
in the area which the U. S. had taken over
from the Russians'. All had been stripped
clean. Harriman kept muttering, "those Rus
See WASHINGTON . ... Page 6
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MItLETT
Parents who don't think their 18-year-old
kids should have to go ihto the army how
that the war is ended are making their
voices heard through their congressmen.
They don't want their boys to "have their
lives interrupted" at this point.
It is only human for them to see the
problem from their point of view. But they
might be more willing to see Johnny get
into uniform if they stopped to look at the
situation from somebody else's point of view.
Let them look at it for 'instance from the
point of view of a war wife whose husband
has already put four years overseas, broken
only by one two-month's leave. He is still
overseas.
His wife has lived alone for four years
and for four years has had full responsibil
ity for bringing up their son, who was a
chubby two-and-a-half year old when his
Dad was shipped out of the country before
America was at war. . ." j-.
Now' he is a tall kid,- going -off" to schools
He needs his Dad at home far more than
parents need their grown sons around the
house. ' y
Furthermore, that man, already set in his
profession, had his life interrupted by mili
tary service much more (drastically than
would any young man's life be interrupted
who hasn't even finished his education.
There is one pile of letters on congress
men's desks that have a perfect right to be
there. The ones from wives whose men have
served long periods of time overseas and
are still writing home. "I don't have any
idea when I'll get out of here." ' '
But however much parents personally
may hate to see their boys who were for
tunate enough to miss action in the war get
into uniform to help maintain peace logic,
justice and necessity aren't on their side.
Behind Scenes in Washington
By PETER EDSON, La Grande Evening ObaeiTer Washington Corretpondenl
WASHINGTON The lid can be lifted a
little now on planning for the military gov
ernment of Japan.
The impression prevails that the United
States is occupying Japan today in about the
same fashion it occupied Germany after the
first world war loosely and with disastrous
consequences leading to the second world
war. The Japanese situation is therefore
worth examining closely to see if the old
mistakes are being repeated.
In the sense that the Japs are being al
lowed to keep a form of government of their
own choosing, the comparison between Ger
many in 1918 and Japan in 1945 may be true.
Actually, that is not the whole story.
A joint committee of state, war and navy
and other government department planners
have been working on plans for the occu
pation of Japan for over a year. They pre
pared a number of plans to meet varying
situations.
The most extreme called for complete
government of Japan with the emperor re
moved. The most lenient called for govern
ment of Japan by its war-time government.
The plan actually adopted is between the
two extremes, but closer to the latter than
the former. Right or wrong, it was decided
to retain the emperor. Removal of the kaiser
in 1918 didn't keep Germany from going on
tho rampage a generation later.
If the Japanese emperor had been remov
ed, ordcis to the Japanese people would
have read, "The U. S. military government
in Japan" orders thus and so. Under the
plan adopted, tho eiders to the Japanese
people are written by the military govern
ment just the same, but they read, "Wo the
emperor of Japan" orders so and so. After
the orders are written, they at given to the
Japanese government to pass out as their
own. In this respect, the military govern
ment imposed on Japan is more strict than
in the token occupation of Germany after
the last war. Huw& will work out rernains
to lie seen.
Chief of military gowmment on General
Mai-Arthur's staff is Brig. Gen. William
. $rist..JWjfr 3ltTfhin8Uii Jus' bef"re
COW. 1t4 It NtA ItHVKH, WC. J. M. MU V. . MT. Off. . 9-
"I hope you give me better grades in English this year I spent
the summer reading ever so many comic books!", - j
O McKENNEY ON BRIDGE
By WILLIAM E. McKENNEY America's Card Authority
MRS. W AGAR PLAYS
GOOD MAN'S GAME
Mrs. Margaret Wagar of At
lanta, Ga., came to t h e recent
national tournament and, as us
ual, walked away with a cham
pionship. She won the national
Mixed team - of-four champion
ship and finished second in the
women's pair event. It has often
been said that Mrs. Wagar plays
a man's style of game. I don't
know whether that is compli
mentary or not, as today there
are several fine women players,
like Mrs. Wagar, who are said to
play better bridge than men.
Mrs. Wagar lost no time in get
ting to six diamonds on today's
hand. She won the opening lead
in dummy with the ace of spades.
She did not discard a heart, as
she might have to ruff out two
hearts and a club. She discarded a
club from her own hand, pro
viding for the establishment of
"the fifth heart. A small diamond
was led from dummy East played
low, Mrs. Wagar went in with
the queen, cashed the ace of
hearts and ruffed a heart. She
returned to her hand with -the
AQJ10 9
V 10832
2
J654
A A87654
5
10753
K2
W E
S
Dealer
AK32
VCiJ4
A J8
Q 10 9 3
Mrs. Wagar
A None
VAK976
KQ964
A87
Duplicate Neither vul. .
South West North East
1 Pass 1 A ' Pass
2 Pass 3 ' Pass
6 Pass Pass - Pass
Opening A Q. ' f . 4
O BARBS
Peacetime ice cream shortly
will replace the wartime variety
on the market. The thought of it,
melting in your mouth, instead
of the container, is pleasant.
A Missouri doctor says 40 is
the ideal age for love. Wonder
how old he is? We'd guess about
40!
Proposals . in President Tru
man's first peacetime message in
cluded plenty of work for every
body including congress.
Thrift is one thing that is worth
a lot of money yet doesn't cost
a cent.
ace of clubs and ruffed anoter
heart. Now she led a trump to
ward her hand, and E.ast with
aee-jii'ck could win only one ,'
trump trick.
O IN FORMER
YEARS
Thirty Years Ago
La Grande's aster growers this
afternoon and tomorrow come
into their own. The aster show
sponsored by the Neighborhood
club in reality began today, for
yard judges toured the city to
pick out the most attractive aster
beds in the city limits. '.
. So completely has the water
situation reshaped itself that the
O-W shops were connected up
with the city mains today after
having been shut off for several
weeks during the water famine.
full instructions on military government.
First orders issued by General MaeArthur
under these instructions have already been
posted. .
General Crist's military government forces
will consist of more than 4,000 specially
trained officers. About" 1,500 have had ac
tual military government experience on Sai
pan, Okinawa and other Pacific islands lib
erated by MaeArthur and Nimitz forces. For
the past year, some 1,800 more officers have
been undergoing special training in eight
U. S. universities where military government
schools have been in operation. As these
schools have now been closed, their facili
ties of nearly 700 specialists in Japanese
language, industry, law and customs have
been moved to Japan. They are supplement
ed by specialists on sanitation, communica
tion transport and so on, withdrawn, from
Europe. All these military government of
ficers have had pin point training for spe
cific assignments, mapped in advance. .
Japanese government will be controlled "
from the top. All members of the cabinet,
for instance, must be acceptable to General
MaeArthur. Orders to provincial pr munici
pal governments will go through MaeArthur ... ..
to the responsible heads of Japnese govern
ment. If a mayor or police chief turns out
to be uncooperative he will be told to re
place the offending official with someone
acceptable.
General MaeArthur's forces and his mili
tary governors will not occupy every fish
ing village. His combat troops on the main
islands will number only between 750,000
and 1,000,000. They will occupy only the key
governments and communication centers,
with main forces in strategic centers, from
which they can move to put down any dis
orders. In broad outline, this is the administrative
setup for governing Jipan. hi addition ther i"
is the formidable job of revamping the Jap-'-'
anese economy to put it on a peace basis,"
eliminating the potential to make war just
as completely as it is being eliminated in
Germany today. That means doing a fa'
There is strong sentiment in
favor of bringing all our armed
forces under one command and
the sooner that command is "go
home" the better the boys will
like it.
Fifteen Years Ago
Twenty-five La Grande coun
try club golfers will go to Pen
dleton tomorrow for an intercity
tournament, play to be based on
the Nassau system.
IVORY WAS VALUELESS
Before the Arabs came, ivory
had no intrinsic value in the in
terior of Africa. Natives killed
elephants merely for their flesh.
They could not trade the ivory
for . anything and it became so
plentiful that it was used for
fences, door posts, roof supports
and hundreds of other ordinary
purposes.
Ten Years Ago
The works progress adminis
tration is being asked for five
armories instead of four for east
ern Oregon, it was learned here
today. Originally, reports' of the
applications sent to WPA listed
only La Grande, Baker, Pendle
ton and The Dalles. Now word
has been received that an appli
cation also was sent for an ar
mory for Union. '"
This Curious World
i r y -.arm
wr V ' " i j rTT 'r-i-'rr n
IT " -"- - " - V. Qa:I7--M -rue i cpDBO . M
FIRST
ANCIENT CHINESE fl
UKUIUA TO RE; U
AWAKENED AT A
CERTAIN TIMB
PLACED A GRASS
ROPE 8ETWEEM
THE TOES AND
LI6HTED THE END
AS THE BURNING
ROPE SHORTENED,
rrs heat Aroused
THE SLEEPER.
COPfl. IW BY NCA SERVICE. INC
T. nu v. . rAi. OFF,
'you can have a little MOtTH
AMD ALSO A LAH.SE ONE," Jiff
DOW3THY WEST,
O i
W.'i
clpueBLA DC LA
MIMA DC iOS
UPDIKIUNCULA
u.
THE ORkrINAL NAAE OF
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,
-