'oiae uiunces
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By PHEW PEAH8CN
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La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schiro, Publisher
TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER IS, J915.
Page Two
Re-Birth of a Nation
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77te Dangerous Little People
Tim polite liltlu people of Japan are
bending (iver (not Imckwnrd, IniC fur
forward) to show the occupying- forces
their willinjrnes.s to eo-operati". The.v
are Huyinjr that Ucy think democracy
is a fine, desirahle thinjf. So sorry,
please. Shake hands like alter tennis
match. No hard feelings.
The polite little people of Japan are
heiiifr revealed as unspeakably liurliai'
ous by newly released allied prisoners
who, day after day, tell new stories of
brutality, burning, mif focal ion, torlun
and indignities which debase the word
"civilized" a word once applied to
the Japs,
These polite little people are showing
their conviction that their emperor's
order, and not superior force, ended the
war. One reporter in Tokyo says they
feel embarrassed now, but that "next
time they will do better." lie describes
their feeling of the present defeat as
being a "breather between rounds."
The Sultan of Johore says the Jap
commander of Singapore told him he
hoped the peace would last for 20 years
"and then we will be back."
Japanese industrialists blame defeat
on the Tokyo bureaucrats, and on the
failure of the army and navy (o co-operate.
Next time I hey, too, hope that the
difficulties will be ironed out.
In short, the polite little people !'
Japan are showing themselves to be a
hypocritical, deceitful, vengeful tribe
who don't know yet they've been licked.
And while it's too early to judge, it
doesn't seem that our occupation thus
far has done much to change their
minds.
American reporters were turned back
linn) their first entrance into Tokyo
because the army didn't want the press
"spearheading the occupation." Yet the
Domei news agency was still poisoning
the polite little people's minds against
the Americans until General MacArthui
clamped a tight censorship on this sort
of business.
Of course these slight fumbles aren't
too important. Once General JlacArthur
is firmly established in Tokyo, the re
education process will surely get under
way.
Obviously the guilty war lords of
Japan must stand trial, as must the
nazis responsible for the European war.
Obviously (here must be an eventual,
ladical change in the Japanese system
of government.
And throughout all this time there
must be constant vigilance by this coun
try and its present allies, no matter how
large an occupying force is required.
Japan already has shown that, given a
chance, she will prepare for the next
v. ar as Germany did in the two decades
after 1 !)!!). We must not become un
wary and satisfied with . "routine" oc
cupation. The I'nited Nations g.iiiration will
only have power lo intervene at the
threat of hostilities. It will be up to us
to guard against the preparations which
"ould make such a threat possible.
Funny Husiness
i'lfe'":.'
Ml
mm
SO THEY SAY
If no outside imports (of coal)
are forthcoming, (liberated) na
tions of Europe will be 80,000,
lioo tons short of their normal
needs ami some ;U),000,000 tons
below essential requirements for
existence.
Report. Office of War Information.
Americans cannot afford t h e
Iniman misery nor the economic
waste of large-scale protracted
unemployment.
--John W. Snyder. Director of
War Mobilization and Recon
version. If t'N'RHA fails in its mission,
the name of the united nation
w ill Ik' a mockery in F.uroi.
Hubert Lehman, VNRRA director.
"They've been doing it that wey ever tin.re the fullback came
back irom Iho army mortar aquadl"
One sure way to learn (he
needs of foreign countries and
how INKJtA is functioning s
thiongh fiee access to news from
abn.ad.
- Itep Clarence J. Brown of
Ohio.
WASHINGTON State and local govern
ment purchasers are getting ready to make
a long list of charges against Stuart Sym
ington's surplus property board. They claim
the board has completely ignored the legal
preference states and cities are supposed to
receive.
According to the surplus properly act,
agencies of the federal government are to
have the first chance to buy surplus military
goods, wth stats, county and municipal
governments offered the next chance.
Actually, however, the purchasing agents
for local and state governments complain
they are being by-passed wherever possible.
A senate committee investigator checked at
Fort Meade last week to discover a fleet of
used army trucks was being sold to dealers
only without state or local representatives
being given an invitation to bid.
At Fort Bragg, N. C, the surplus property
board okayed an army move to sell tire man
ufacturers several acres of used truck tires
at $30 a ton. The tires were declared class
C-l by the army. ,
However, North Carolina heard about the
deal. Like many other states, North Caro
lina has had to delay considerable road
work. So a tire specialist was sent over to
examine the tires at Fort Bragg, and found
they would be an excellent buy for state
use.
He was not permitted to buy any of them,
however. Instead, carloads have been going
out at $30 a ton to U. S. Rubber company
and other rubber manufacturers, who are
reselling the mat $40 a ton to independent
tire repair companies. Once repaired, these
tires are put on the market at ceiling prices
for used tires.
Whjle North Carolina is unable to get
any of these tires, a carload of them was
delivered only last week to the Goodrich
agency In Raleigh, the state capital, for re
pair and resole at ceiling prices.
State agents were told also by Fort Bragg's
salvage officer, Cupt. V. Y. Jones, that 2,000
class C tires (repairable for army use) re
cently have been declared surplus. So far,
states and cities have not been permitted
to hid.
Army Discharges
Rep. Lyndon Johnson of Texas is prepar
ing to blast the army regarding the follow
ing point in the muddled discharge situation:
The army's announcement men with 45
points or more will not be sent to the Pa
cific means more than 2,000,000 men will
neither be sent overseas nor released. In
other words, men with between 45 to 80
points will have to mark time in this coun
try doing nothing.
Another blast congressmen plan to launch
against the army is illustrated by the re
mark of Maj. Gen. Elwood R. Quesada, of
air force counter-intelligence. General
Quesada admitted to his staff of 28 officers
it had been recommended they be cut to a
peacetime force of five officers.
"But," he added, "I'm letting three of you
be discharged and keeping 25. If I kept only
five officers, I'd have to go back to my per
manent rank of captain."
In other words, a general cannot be a
general unless he has a large number of men
to command. The more men discharged from
the army, the less justification for generals.
So with an all-time record of 1,800 generals,
you eon understand why discharges move
slowly.
Picketing Bilbo
Edward Bykowski, discharged army vet
eran who picketed the Washington apart
ment of Senator Theodore Bilbo of Missis
sippi for three weeks despite a game leg,
has gone back to New York for hospital
treatment.
With him he has taken over 500 letters
of support from all parts of the country
including one which actually got to him
despite the fact it was addressed "care of
Senator Bilbo."
Bykowski also has the satisfaction of
knowing that he forced the gentleman from
Mississippi to get up earlier than usual in
the morning.
Bilbo did not like benig picketed, and
when he found that Bykowski was always
on hand at about nine in the morning, the
senator started getting up earlier. By grad
ual stages, he finally found himself leaving
the house as early as 7:15 in the morning
but Bykowski was always there.
Capitol Chaff
It was Senators George and Russel of
Georgia who really did the baskstoge spade
work to have Governor Ellis Arnall of
Georgia invited to be solicitor general. Want
ing to get him out of Georgia so he wouldn't
run against either of them for the senate,
the two senators hinted to Hannegan for the
popular young governor to be brought to
Washington. Note The Georgia light and
power company also was delighted . . .Hugh
Wilson, whom FDR once made U. S. ambas
sador to Germany, is now working for the re
publican national committee. He is trying
to recruit expert investigators from the of
fice of strategic services to act as repub
lican sleuths to investigate democratic for
eign policy. ,
con. iMstvNU wrvice. inc. t. m. mo, u. . pat. oft.
9-9
"I know you're only being true to the navy, dear, by wearing
those things but after alt, I've seen nothing but sailorr for 14
monthil"
O McKENNEY ON BRIDGE T7
By WILLIAM E. McKENNEY America's Card Authority
PLENTY OF 'IFS'
'TWEEN BID, GAME
Mrs. Doris Fuller of New York
told me about an interesting
hand in a duplicate game at the
Meadow Club at Southampton,
L. I. South, not vulnerable, made
the terrific opening of five dia
monds. The surprising thing
about the hand is that not one
West player took any action
against the five-diamond bid. In
every case East overcalled with
five hearts.
South, having bid five, decid
ed he might as well go to six dia-
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MILLETT
Parents who want cooperation instead of
squawks from junior are told that "small
' fry" react more obligingly til pleasant re
quests than to scoldings, a ri d to positive
rather than negative suggestions. For in
stance, parents should say, "See if you can
keep the water in the bathtub, Willy," in
stead of "Don't splash the water, Willy."
Well, how about once pleasing the cus
tomer instead of insulting him is again the
order of the day giving sales people and
others who deal with the public a list of
"better ways to soy things?"
For example, "Shoes are on the second
floor," instead of "You'll have to go to the
second floor."
"I'm sorry, but wo haven't a purple suit
in the store," instead of "But purple just
isn't being worn this season."
"I'm sorry you didn't find just what you
wanted,'"' instead of a contemptuous shrug
of the shoulders or "I've showed you every
thing we have."
"The store manager, Mr.iS o vand-so -,on
such and such a floor is the person to see
about that," instead of "You'll have tp. see
the manager. I don't know anything about
it."
"I'm afraid there are several ahead of you
but I'll take care of you as quickly as I
can," instead of "You'll have to get in line."
"Could I help you, please," instead of
"What is it you want?"
"I'm sorry but we haven't a size 42 left,"
instead of "That isn't made in anything
larger than an 18."
"I'm afraid this isn't your size," instead
of'This is way too small for you."
The gracious, pleasant phrase isn't any
more trouble to use than the one that irri
tates. And it certainly would pay off in the
better humor of Mr. and Mrs. Public.
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South West North East
6 Pass Pass ?
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ly would have bid six. I doubt
that it would be possible to get
into seven spades unless South
bid seven diamonds. Neverthe
less, seven spades is ice -cold, A
diamond opening is won with
dummy's ace, while a clulj 'open
ing is ruffed. The heart, finesse
should not be token. TheJ second
heart lead drops the king and the
hand can bo spread.
O IN FORMER
YEARS
Thirty Years Ago
There are but two schools in
Union county not in operation.
These are rural and will be going
by next week, according to the
county school superintendent,
who went out to Imbler and Al
icel to inspect nearby schools
schools this morning, reporting,
before her departure, that the
schools of the county are rapidly
striking their gait for the winter
months.
La Grande municipal election
is practically two months off, but
the matter of candidacies for
commissioner is being discussed
with mild vim at this early date.
monds and East was stuck; he
vcciidt'riot bid' his -six spades.
East should have overcalled the
five ,- diamond bid with five
spades. Then when South bid six
diamonds', West would bid six
spades, or, failing this, East
would still be in a position to
show his second suit by bidding
six hearts and giving his partner
a choice at the six level.
On this particular hand, if East
had bid five spades, West quick-
O BARBS
Hard work has a habit of tak
ing your mind off the few
troubles that hard work won't
cure.
Fifteen Years Agc--;"'"'''
The ornamental street lighting
system, consisting of three blocks
along Fourth from Adams to
Washington and down. Washing
ton from Fourth to Elm which
was petitioned for in April, was
favorably passed upon last! night
by the city commission.
The solicitation being conduct
ed by a chamber of commerce
committee to secure $500 fpr use
with the government and county
money in building the Mt. Emily
scenic highway, was far enough
along today to indicate success.
Ten Years Ago
Behind Scenes in Washington
By PETER EDSON, La Grande Efening Obserrer Washington Correspondent
Wartime will die on Sept. 30
meaning that our mourning
rise will be one hour later.
WASHINGTON, D. C Slangy GIs in the
China-Burma theater have given their own
pet names to the Chinese national heroei,
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek and R. Sun
Yat Sen. They are "Shanky Jack" and "Sun
set Sam."
Eugene H. Dooman, born in Japan of
American parents, w a s recently removed
from a top position as a Japanese expert
in the state department. His retirement drew
from one of the advisers on Japanese policy
in the war department the comment, "in all
the world there were only three people who
believed in the divinity of the Japanese
emperor. One was the emperor himself. The
second was Admiral Yatnamoto. The third
was Eugene Dooman of the state depart
ment." Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves, who was in
charge of the atomic bomb project for the
war department, says all explosions arc
freaks. He should know. When he was a
young officer, he happened to be in a room
where a half pound of TNT was accident
ally exploded on the floor. The man hold
ing the TNT was killed and Groves himself
was badly injured. One man lost the sight
of an eye, another had his leg scratched.
Another escaped uninjured. General Groves
tells this story to explain the first eye-witness
of the flash instinctively pulled a
blanket over his head, rolled under the bed
before the force of the blast reached him
and so escaped uninjured.
At Under Secretary of State Dean Ache
son's first press conference he was asked
why Spruille Braden had been ordered back
to Washington before completing a sched
uled trip to South American capitals. Ache
son confessed that with Secretary of State
Byrnes and his staff in London and with
three new assistant secretaries in the de
partment, he simply had to have more help.
"If something doesn't happen around here
to relieve me," the dignified Acheson said
frankly, "They'll have to carry me out on a
shutter."
An aide dashed into Gen. Brehon Somer
vell's office the other day to warn him that
some of the army brass was considering an
order to require officers to wear full dress
uniforms for formal ceremonies in Washing
ton. "They bettei not," said the general
quietly. "Those epaulets on a four star gen
eral's dress uniform cost $60 a pair." The
order was not issued.
Secretary of the Treasury Fred M. Vin
son figures the two billion dollar atomic
bomb saved the U. S. money. He figures it
this way. The peak of U. S. war expendi
tures was 250 million dollars a day. "That
means," says Vinson, "that if the atomic
bomb shortened the war by nine days, we
were more than repaid for its cost."
CIO political action committee recently
started a drive to collect one dollar from
each member to support a publicity cam
paign on its objective. Copy for a full page
ad was prepared and sent to all the labor
presses. Then it was hastily withdrawn.
Reason was through a typographical error
they had listed as one of their goals, pas
sage of the full "unemployment" bill.
If Assistant Secretary of the Interior Os
car L. Chapman gets Paul V. McNutfs job
as federal security administrator, he will be
filling a post for which he was originally
slated four and a half years ago when FSA
was given to him at his request. To McNutt,
it looked like a great political springboard
and a chance to endear himself to millions
of Americans through social security and
welfare benefits. But it didn't develop that
way and now McNutt has gone to the Phil
ippines as high commissioner. That put
Chapman in the running again.
Nobody on the scene t-Jtl sor
ry for Tojo when he shot him
self. Will they please move over
and make room for us?
Metal toys are not expected to
be plentiful this Christmas. How
will dad ever get along without
that electric train?
Prune growers of Union county,
at least those whose orchards are
bearing well, are looking'forward
to an excellent season. Picking
is scheduled to begin Sept. 23,
and will continue for the follow
ing two weeks. ,.
Approximately 80 percent of
the money needed to assure
Union county of a first aid car
to answer emergency calls, has
been subscribed, and possibly
half of the remaining 20 percent
needed is regarded os sure to be
raised within the next week or
so.
This Curious World
rHOW MANY ATOMS ARE THERE
f intnvilKC MJMJI. ATION Or THE J II
"When a solfec chips in,
no. nuLLl our, "Sjy.r
HO OUR Kumu
AND " Bow eiewe.
&3KS OF ITS INTBOMAU
OtbAHi ARC CAKJXEO IN THf .
LIMBS,
com im ir hi amvKt. ma
NEXT: High harvest in Ariiona.