Side Glances
Washington M erry-G o-R b u n d
EDITORIAL PAGE
I
' 1
f. '
La Grande Evening Observer
Frank Schiro, Publisher
FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 21, 1945
Page Two
The Nonconformist
EVKNTNJi OHSERVEH'H
PROGRESS PROGRAM
IRRIGATION Complete the Grande
Itondc Valley irrigation project.
.A GRANDE A city of 10,000
Extend the city limits.
Billions for Britain
Amuricnn 111 irilc ill? dimmed con
8ilciul)ly since the day when President
Calvin Coolidtfe over-simplified the com
plicated niallcr of Europe's war debts
hy observing, "They hired the money,
didn't they?"
Twenty years ano the entire nation
would probably have screamed like a
tribe of tatooed Indians at the mere
thought of a foreign power asking this
country for an outright grant of money,
or a loan without interest. But today
Lord Keynes is over here making such
a reipiost of Britain. And In spite of
a few intemperate and inflammatory
outbursts from boCh sides of the Atlan
tic, the American people are taking it
pretty calmly.
It is not surprising that they should,
for events of the past two decades in
this changing, shrinking world could
scarcely have failed to teach us some
lessons.
Wo have learned that the Coolidge
country-banker philosophy, though mor
ally sound, didn't solve the intricate in
volvements of world economy. We have
learned that when a major power can't
or won't repay a debt there is little re
course which would not be harmful to
the creditor in the end.
And we have learned, or are learning,
some lessons at home that can apply to
international problems. Gradually we
have come to realize that slums depress
and threaten a whole community's liv
ing standard and impede its progress.
It has begun to dawn on us that sup
pressing one section of society and with
holding opportunities from it puts a
drag on the whole society.
So, perhaps, it is becoming clear to
Americans that they cannot be pros
perous in a world society impoverished
by war, a society in which their best
former customers are without funds to
buy. Nor can they be safe or happy
in a world where want and discontent
invite chaos and threaten peace.
Rut that does not mean that this gov
ernment must give England a gift of
money and a pat on the head. For if
America does that for England, she will
be expected to do as much for France,
Russia, China and all the other coun
tries that have suffered grievously in
the recent conflict. With her present
tremendous debt and her tremendous
future commitments to her own citizeur,
America cannot afford to play philan
thropist to the world.
At the very least, it will be necessary
to know how the receiving nation in
tends to use a grant or loan before the
money is shelled out. Assurance must
be given that American dollars will not
be used to foster monopoly or otherwise
hinder the development of a sounder,
healthier international trade than the
world has known before.
Funny Husiness
A y ',',':. Vs v M ,-'7 J. '
e SO THEY SAY
A great many of the major
units of Ihc fleet that enn be
spared (will be) buck in Ameri
can waters by this coming Octo
ber. Hear Adml. Louis K. Dcnfeld,
chief of U. S. Nuvy Personnel.
The
motorist is short - sitlhtcd
indeed who yields to the urge for
11 long-delayed trip without reas
oning that the tiros of his car arc
in no condition to withstand such
travel.
Cheyenne. Wyo., State Tribune.
t believe there is a clear ma
jority now which is convinced
that bootstrap legislation, deficit
financing and regimentation must
be stopped.
Hep. Charles A. Hntleck of Indiana.
"He uses a fly swatter lor counting 'em out they have a boiler
chance of coming lot"
, Japanese militarism IwU been
crushed. And world ptiiro de
mands that it remain crushed, in
the manner that is proscribed for
the German tlpopie.
UurUeton, N. C, TimTi-New.
Br PHEW PEAHSGN
WASHINGTON Chief topic of conversa
tion at t h e recent closed-door caucus of
house republicans was President Harry Tru
man. Had he been there, he would have
disliked some of the references to him, but
he would have felt pleased to note how
strong a man the republicans think he is.
For a dozen years, republican sessions
featured vitriolic outbursts against the late
President Roosevelt. For a time after Tru
man went to the White House, little was
heard about him in the discussions. But now
the republicans have decided they have just
as dangerous an enemy.
Rep. Charley Halleck of Rensselaer, Ind.,
summed it up this way near the close of
the session:
"We've got to quit electing Truman. The
way we're operating here, the only fight
Truman will have in 1948 will be within his
own party the fight between the democrats
and the commucrats."
Plenty of vitriol was thrown on Truman
from all sides. "He's just as determined to
give America away to England and the
others in Europe as Roosevelt was," shout
ed reactionary Howard Buffett of Omaha.
He referred to Truman as "Harry Truman
Pendergast."
"We're in a situation now where it's prac
tically suicide to stand up and make a speech
for America," howled Frederick "Doc"
Smith, of Marion, O.
Several analyses of Truman were made,
with a strong feeling he is a more danger
ous man than Roosevelt. .
"He has learned at the Pendergast school,"
said Nebraska's buffett, "and he has learned
to appear modest and homey."
Among other crimes the GOP holds against
Truman is the fact he is not a college man
all his simplicity and his lack of polish
merely mask a sharp political mind which,
in its way, is just as dangerous to the GOP
as was Roosevelt if not more so.
Congress Thrives on Battle
"What Truman is going to do," one mid
western republican said, "is to let this con
gress have its way." Deduction was this
would be tough on GOP congressmen. They
thrive on political battles.
The republicans were told, for instance,
they will not get a chance to vote on abol
ishing the draft because democrat leader
ship will keep the issue from a vote until
the pressure gets heavier. Then at the right
psychological moment, it was predicted, the
White House will abolish the draft by ex
ecutive order.
Otherwise there was little done in the
caucus. It was supposed to work up a legis
lative program, tut little of constructive
nature was said. John Taber of Auburn,
N. Y., ranking republican of the house ap
propriations committee, made his usual
speech calling for economy' in government.
As usual, he was seconded by Harold Knut
son of Minnesota.
At this point Clarence Brown of Blanch
ester, O., walked put.
"What's the use of staying," he remarked,
"when I can read it all i nDrew Pearson's
column later?"
Only once did the republicans hear any
thing which made them wince a bit. This
came from progressive Charley La Follette
of Evansville, Ind., who spoke on the pend
ing legislation to create a fair employment
practices committee. Because it was appar
ent that the republicans are not bestirring
themselves to put through this legislation,
La Follette reminded them that their 1944
platform definitely calls for support for
FEPC.
"It's about time we stopped crucifying our
own candidates," said Indiana's La Follette.
"If we are to be honest about ;this whole
thing, why don't we select as, our candidate
someone in congress whose vote has never
deviated from the republican policy? Let's
put up such a-man and let him'run with this
simple platform: 'I stand on the record of
the republican party in congress.' "
Most of his colleagues either did not catch
or did not like this sarcasm.
Quizzing German Officers
One of the smartest operators attached to
the U. S. strategic bombing survey, which
studied bombing damage in Germany, was
Sgt. Paul Baran, former Harvard instruc
tor, and a refugee from Hitler. Baran was
given the job of interviewing Col. Gen.
Franz Haider.
Up until Himmlor eased him out in 1942,
Haider ran the German army. However, he
was forced to sit before Sergeant Baran for
two long hours and answer rapid-fire ques
tions. After the interview, General Haldar,
with considerable respect in his voice, said:
"May I ask my interviewer a question?"
Sergeant Baron nodded permission.
"Is all American intelligence on a level
with this interrogation?"
Baran replied he thought it was.
"Then I would like to say, sir," replied
Hitler's former chief of staff, "that your
Knowledge of Germany's strategic plans is
greater than the Fuehrer's."
Capitol Chaff
The army officer, reported in this column
to have spent his time with the U. S. strat
egic bombing survey collecting German
portraits, has now been busted . . . Officials
promise that no enlisted-'men photographers
who served with the bombing - survey in
Europe will have to go to the Pacific . . .
A hot row is on between the navy and
the treasury over the coast guard. Peace
time duty of the coast guard is to patrol the
coasts, keep down rum-running, save ship
wreckos at sea, etc. Therefore it was under
the treasury. But. the navy took it over in
wartime and wants to keep it. . ' ". ."'
WE, THE WOMEN
By RUTH MILLETT
Papa, your personal peace is over. Mama
has the old buying gleam in her eye and
what is worse so do all her friends.
The talk over the bridge tables these days
goes something like this: "The very first
thing I'm going to buy is a dish washer,
and then I want one of those new washing
machines that does everything but hang up
the clothes, and then "
Every woman has her eye on some super
gadget, and then, of course, she'll have to
have all the gadgets her friends buy. Then
there'll be a race to sec which one can out
decorate the others, and out will go the
comfortable old sofa and in will come some
thing in pale chartreuse you won't dare put
your feet on.
It's going to ba an era of keeping up with
the Joneses to end all such eras. ,
Remember, Mama hasn't been able to go
in for household gadgets for a long time.
And while you thought smugly that the
days of her having to have someting, just
because the girls in the bridge club were
mad for it, are a thing of the past, the urge
for buying was just dormant.
Now it is coming to life again. And you
might as well be prepared. Maybe Mama
hasn't started selling you on all the stuff
she needs yet. But her friends have already
sold her. And the next step is selling you.
So take your feet down off that old sofa.
Your days of taking it easy are over. Mama
wants THINGS again. And you know Mama
well enough to know that if she wants them
she is going to have them.
Behind Scenes in Washington
By PETER EDSON. La Grande Evening Observer Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON Tracing the sourco of
ideas in President Truman's message to con
gress reveals that 14 of the points were cov
ered in a program put forward by Senator
Claude Pepper of Florida, Senator Harley
M. Kilgore of West Virginia and a group
of new deal senators and representatives
who held a rump caucus of their own just
before congress went home on recess. The
new dealers' unofficial platform covered
only domestic issues. Truman supplement
ed them with sections on selective service,
lend-lease and other foreign policy issues
that had arisen since the end of the war,
to complete his message.
Sixty labor organizations and their af
filiates are bringing representatives from
their locals into Washington to buck up their
capital lobbyists in a drive to secure pas
sage of the full employment bill. They claim
1!)8 pledges of support from house mem
bers, 50 from the senate. They wil Iput on
the heat to get enough additional votes to
assure a comfortable margin, which they
do not yet have. With some amending, pros
pects for passage of full employment bill
seem favorable. Opposition has not been able
to dramatize its eaie.
Most common explanation given for re
tirement of Nelson Rocekcfeller from his
position us assistant secretary of state in
charge of Latin American affairs is that he
was a rcpublicn. Republicans are asking
how this contributes to the administration
line the United States should have a non
partisan foreign policy? Democrats reply by
pointing to fait Byrnes took John Foster
Dulles to London with him as an -advisor.
Army's effort convince the public that
atomvs bomb gid not contaminate the
ground at Hiroshima and Nagasaki by in
ducing radio-activity is backfiring. Bombs
over Japan were timed to explode high, to
prevent this condition. But the fact the New
Mexico atomic bomb crater is still contam
inated, two months arter the first test, is
pointed to as proof the ground would be
contaminated if bombs were accidentally
exploded at lower levels.
Said a cynical colonel to his general,
"Well, I suppose the atomic bomb will revo
lutionize army thinking to the extent of
making them rialize the horse cavalry is
obsolete.
Said the cynical general to the colonel;
"You're wrong. They've already asked for
two additional remount stations.' '
Commercial airline pilots are trying to
balk modification of civil aeronautics board
regulations which limit landing speeds to
80 miles an hour. Plane manufacturers want
limit raised to 100. Pilots claim this unsafe.
CAB position is that speeds in excess of
present 80 mile limit can be permitted on
big airports for transoceanic planes. For
smaller airports and shorter hops, landing
speeds will be kept down. Many military
planes land and take off about 100 and are
considered safe.
First U. S. movies to be distributed in
Japan were prepared undjer direction of
overseas branch of office of war information,
long before the Nips surrendered. They
have Japanese language titles dubbed in.
They were distributed to Jup film compan
ies free by army public relations. Hollywood
CiWipanios have 45 nmre pictures in prep
aration for distribution through Japanese
trade channels.
.-yiwte-- 1 'J-.
COPB- 1943 BY WEA 3 EH VICE. IHC. T.M. BEO. U. 9. PAT. OrT. ;
"I'm sweating out my 50th mission in this thing!"
O McKENNEY ON BRIDGE
By WILLIAM E. McKENNEY
America's Card Authority
BLACKWOOD BID OKEH
IF USE IS LIMITED
Lately I have noticed many ex
perts using the Blackwood four
five no trump convention when
it is obviously asking for aces or
kings. The ordinary way to bid
today's hand might be as follows:
South, 1 diamond; North, 1 spade;
A J 10 8 53
V 9
K8
AJ76
197642
iQ653
j None
Q942
N
W E
.S
Dealer
A None
V J10 7 4
2
4 10763
4 108 5 3
KQ
VAK8
AQJ9542 V
K
Duplicate Neither vul.
South West North East
2
4N.T.
5N.T.
7N.T.
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
2
5 V
6
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
23
South, 3 diamonds; North 4 clubs;
South, 4 hearts (a slam try bid);
.North,, 4 spades; .South,. 6 spades;
North, 7 spades.
East opens a diamond and the
contract is defeated. If North and
South get to seven diamonds,
West will open a spade and de
feat them.
If the hand is opened with a
O BARBS
General MacArthur promises
"no k i d glove policy" for the
Japs. We're for bare fists, our
selves right on the chin!
two-bid, and North and South
are not playing the ace-showing
convention in response to a two
bid, North will make a positive
response of two spades. South
now bids four no trump, which is
obviously a Blackwood bid ask
ing partner for aces. When South
receives the information that his
partner holds two aces, he bids
five no trump asking for kings.
North, with one king, bids six
diamonds, and South can prac
tically count 13 top tricks. He
safely bids seven no trump, which
cannot be defeated.
The expert using the Black
wood convention tn a limited ex
tent gains its advantages without
experiencing the disadvantages
involved in using it too often.
IN FORMER
YEARS
Thirty Years Ago
R. A. West, the well driller,
struck an artesian flow of water
on the Ed Fickle farm, six miles
north of Union, yesterday.
Contractor G. H. Rush has.
closed with the George Palmer
Lumber company for the erection
of a two-compaitment dry kiln
to be added to the present equip
ment. The present heating plant
will be used, and the kilns will be
duplicates of the present ones,
made serviceable for the auto
matic stackers which are loaded
without hand kindling and then
run into the kiln.
Now is the time to get your
final tossing in on that fresh
greens salad. The home-grown
season is about over.
If the young ex-nazi has done
to him what should be done to
him, Germany is going to be full
of reform schools.
Good cooking isn't as much of
an art these days as being able
to get the good things you want
to cook.
Fifteen Years Ago
Fred E. Kiddle chalked up a
double win at the country club
yesterday when he won the An
drews and Son golf bag in a 36
hole tournament, and also took
first place in the ball sweep
slakes, match play against par.
Development for plans for the
opening of the fall-winter run of
the Ross Packing company dehy
drator in east La Grande, near
the La Grande Flouring mill, in
dicates the first work will begin
about Oct. 1.
"Dancing is fine exercise," says
an instructor. So is just straight
wrestling.
Ten Years Ago
The price of local cash wiieat
stands at about 62 for western
white, and 66 cents for soft bulk,
according to the Pioneer Flouring
mills.
This Curious World
) 6i?UINOX) ( sissswtf are THE DAYS 5
AND EQUINOX ASEANS H AND NieTS )
Q8"3" -v?2v? OF THE EARTH i-N,
jTfrtr, yGyr : -i GETTING EffUAL 5;
V Aff '97 v , '-'..) AMOUNTS OF )
yutJLS JS 5UNSHINE Li
M I -j' 33 ( sX ) "Win THE RATS' U
l --JyW3 -JA J JUST TOUCHING f
C XsLjfl JiPZrSI'&Pi THE POLES, AND ' i
Jf L ) EVERYWHERE
COPB. 1Mb BY Hik SERVICE, INC.
THE FAAOUS RAINBOW BRlPeE
IS FOUND IN WHAT STATE... 0
ARIMNA, NEVADA CR UTAH o
ONCE WAS SUCH A CURlOSlt
THAT AM INfeOT Or IT '
DISPLAYED AT THE RAfel
VVORLD'S PAIR IN I8SS.
AND ITSVAS VALUED AT
$SO A POUND, y
ANSWER: Southeast corner of Utah.
i
NEiTi Do chimney swifts really roost in ccdmneyt?