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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1945)
Side Glances Washington Merry-Go-Round EDITORIAL PAGE 5 'T COi.l:. an s La Grande Evening Observer Frank Sehiro, Publisher MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 24, 1943 Pafe Two 0r Changing World These Was ,a time WHEM flE. ROPE B4CK IN PlSN(T EVENING OBSERVER'S PROGRESS PROGRAM IRRIGATION Complete the Grand Konde Valley lrrl (ration project. LA GRANDE A city of 10,000 Extend the city limits. .Whj?! a, bafe'eiliUftffi oil tft ' Hifu)r:ruiii projectors he lias at least one comforting assur ance: the project can't he entirely un successful. Hitler's war, while it failed to estab lish the rule of a "Nfew Order," did a pretty thorough job of ruining Europe. It took a staggering total of lives, agri cultural lands, raw materials and indus trial installations. It caused social and economic upheavals almost as complete as the political disintegration of Ger many. And in doing these things it probably finished off the continent of Kurope and the liritish Isles as the fin ancial, political and intellectual hub of the world a position they held for 2000 years and more. The twilight of Kurope is painfully apparent today. It can be seen in Wash ington, wlii'He representatives of the once proud and mighty Liritish Empire are pleading for the American money which might assure the Empire's econ omic survival. It can be seen even more clearly in London at the Council of Foreign Ministers. There the conflict of prestige and political morals is between IUissia and the United States Iiussia, which Ilit- ' ler hated and feared even more than he hated England, and the United States, which he considered decadent and div ided. . Today the magnetic attraction of Russia's Bocial system, studiously ex ploited by Russia's government, , has pulled eastern Europe into her orbit. Today the United States, physically f unharmed by war, is the world's finan cial center. However distasteful capi talism may be to Europeans today and it has been bitterly and ungener ously abused from London to Moscow-- the fruits of a prosperous capitalistic system, which did so much to save Eng land and Russia in their days of great est peril, are now as compellingly at tractive to them as the Russian political philosophy seems to be. And so, thanks largely to Hitler, the paths of wealth and power, and event ually of culture and civilization, have turned east and west from the familiar countryside of Europe. Europe will retain her monuments and cultural heritage of antiquity, her pride and jealousies and discontent. I.ut it is doubtful that she can ever again exert the power that has molded history since the lloman Empire. So it behooves the dominant states of Russia and America to live and work together, to profit by the endless strug gles which brought Europe to her pres ent state, to reach an effective com promise in their possession of world power despite their ideological differ ences. Otherwise Hitler will have won the war. Funny Business 0R&--.1iiJ'1'1."1" J IT" Flo ' TK 1 i'j r. l iu s im I o SO THEY SAY The family is the basis of soci ety and it is to the interest of the government that the families (of servicemen) be reunited as soon as possible. R c p. John W. McCormick of Massachusetts. Ninety percent of the people who come into Magistrate's court are not criminals. They merely are victims of our social-economic setup and only need our help. Magistrate Maurice Simmonds, New York City. Kurd should reach the low point of its employment within the next 10 days, and thereafter jobs should increase steadily until peak production is reached carlv in ISH6. Henry Ford, 3rd. "Could man who's been splitting tomi gat cup ot cotUs?" Kurope is a unit and must re main so. On no account must a system be evolved that would divide Kurope. - Ccoi'ites Hidault, French eign minister. For- By PEW PgAHSOl WASHINGTON If congress is really in terested in investigating military efficiency rather than In political recrimnaton, it will probe the disastrous Battle of the Bulge as well as Pearl Harbor. Casualties at Pearl Harbor were only around 3,000. But casualties in the Battle of the Bulge totalled around 60,000. And just as Pearl Harbor set us back in the Pa cific, so the Battle of the Bulge delayed victory in Europe. General Eisenhower had hoped to finish Germany in the winter, pos sibly by Christmas, but losses during the first two weeks of the Ardennes offensive helped drag out the war. How many extra American lives were lost as a result is not known. But what is known is that U. S. supply officers imme diately placed huge orders for more tanks, more artillery, more of almost everything as a result of the heavy supply losses in the Bulge. That is one reason why acres and acres of supplies are scattered over the country today. What never leaked out at the time of the battle is, that 20,000 U. S. infantry troops we're flown straight from the United States into the Bulge. Losses were so heavy and men so tired sufficient shock troops were not available in Europe. It was the longest air-borne troop carrying feat in history. Also it never leaked out certain U. S. in telligence officers in Washington warned the Bulge attack was coming, and that noth ing was done to prepare for it. These are a few of the things congress could investi gate with profit to future military effi ciency. Here are some more. Nasi Captive Talk Congress doesn't know it, though the army docs, that captured German officers have now thrown significant light on the Bel gian Bulge operation. They have testified the Bulgj operation was planned as early as November (though it didn't get started until Dec. 16). It was planned by Hitler himself. General generals were taken by a circuitous route to Hitler's headquarters, then near Frankfurt, where they were searched and placed in chairs four feet apart. Remembering how one colonel brought in a bomb concealed in a brief case at the last staff meeting Hitler took no chances. His gestapo men wanted to be able to see both sides of the chair in which each gen eral sat; also, didn't want the generals to know exactly where Hitler's headquarters were. Hitler then unfolded his plan. The gen erals debated whether the German army could squeeze enough gasoline and supplies from other operations to start the Bulge attack. Most of the general were opposed. They thought the idea was sheer suicide. But Hitler's mad fanaticism decreed this one last attempt must be made to break the American line and get through to Brusseb. Naiis Understood "Nuts" Lieut. Gen. Kurt von Manteuffel was among those who left the meeting heartsick. Before beginning the offensive he went to see his wife and children to tell them he never expeted to see them again. Later he was to surprise himself by getting as far as Bastogne, where he sent the message to Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe, to sur render. McAuliffe's now famous reply was, "nuts," and General Manteuffel has since told U. S. interviewers that he understood quite well what "nuts" meant. Another German opposed to the Belgian Bulge campaign was the man generally credited with master-minding it Field Mar shal Kurt von Rundstedt. Last December, American correspondents cabled accounts of von Rundstedt had planned and led the Ar dennes attack. But when interviewers asked him about the Belgian Bulge, he gruffly replied: "Do not connect me with that operation. That was Model." Von Rundstedt was referring to Field Marshal General Walther von Model, his colleague on the western front, who had been strong for Hitler's plan to catch the American army off-base. Despite the opposition of regular German army officers, Hitler guessed shrewdly in picking the time and place for his attack. Tragic inside fact, however, is that U. S. forces would not have been caught napping if the advice of two war department col onels in Washington had been taken; also the advice of the assistant secretary of war, John McCloy. Washington Have no Advice McCloy, looking at the map of the west ern front several days before the Germans launched their surprise attack and noting the thinly spread American forces in the Ardennes forest, remarked that he thought this was taking a chance. Members of the See WASHINGTON . . . Page 4 WE, THE WOMEN Br RUTH MILLETT Mrs. G. I. who was a good sport all through the war is about fed up. While her husband risked his life over seas and she ran the risk of being left alone to support and bring up her children you didn't hear her complain. She went about the job of being both father and mother as cheerfully as she could, all the while striving not only to keep up her own morale but the morale of her hus band overseas. Without bitterness she ac cepted sacrifices that only part of the pop ulation was called upon to make. But the war is over now, and she wants her husband back. She knows her children have suffered emotionally from having a father taken from them. She knows it is going to take plenty of time for the chil dren and their father to become adjusted to each other, after a long separation durine which the father has had no responsibility for the children and they have learned to make a mother the whole center of their existence. She knows that the sooner her husband gets back into civilian life, the better off the family will be financially. And a man's career is important when there are children to be educated. So she is tired of being a good sport and putting her country ahead of her family. She wants her man back home. And it burns her up to think she knows no more about when that will be than she did when the war was going on. 'They don't tell us a thing," her husband writes. And, "I haven't the slightest idea when I wil Iget home." Mrs. G. I. is fed up with that kind of treatment. She figures that at this point nobody needs a father more than his kids. And if the government doesn't want a new pressure group on its hands it had better consider Mrs. G. I. Joe. Her patience can't be counted on indefinitely. In fact, it has just about run cut. Behind Scenes in Washington Br PETER EDSON. La Grand Craning Observer Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON Evcrytime a newly-appointed public official comes to Washington, the quaint old capital custom is to stand the poor character up at a press conference so as to let the boys and girls look him over. It's an ordeal only slightly less trying than the death march on Bataan. The poor vic tim is propped up like a duck on a rock and trick questions are heaved at him like dor nicks to sec how he flinches. To keep him from being too badly bruised, he is usually surrounded by experienced hands in his de partment. But mostly the new man has to fend for himself. If he bounces back the brickbats as pearls of wisdom and in gen eral, handle himself well, he's a good joe and he's in until further notice. William Benton of Chicago was subjected to this hazing 24 hours after he was sworn in as assistant secretary of state. He turned out to be a medium sized gent with a nice voice, and a nice smile and a slight need of a haircut, unless he likes it that way. The sour apple job that has been wished on Benton is to bo in charge of public af fairs. This doesn't mean he's to be in charge of public ceremonies. It means public re lations, only to say it right out that way in the state department would never do. Ho is also to be responsible for supervision of the Office of international information and cultural affairs which hiccoughs into OIICA, and the interim international information office which stutters into 1ISO. What th:s all amounts to is that Benton's lot from here on is to sell the state department at home and abroad, and not short, either. Judging from Benton's self-confessed rec ord, he can sell anything even the state department. The things he's sold before com ing to Washington a'e unbelievable. He has sold advertising, the Encyclopedia Brittan nica, movies for school rooms, and muzac the canned music they play nt you with your meals to drown out the clatter of dish es and your own voice in restaurants that can't afford or haven't space for a live or chestra. Benton's latest venture was in trying to sell "subscription radio," which is radio for entertainment and information only, with out the commercials. It would have been a blessing if he had been able to put this over, and he would have been hailed as a public benefactor far and wide, but he was lured away from this worthy venture to go into the' service of his government. Benton is so good as a salesman that he even sold his name and got to keep it. That was when he pulled out of the advertising firm of Benton and Bowles about 10 wars ago. His partner in this business. Chester Bowles, is the same Chester Bowles who has had to ell OPA. He's good too. But as to which is harder to sell OPA or depart ment of state, oh, you decide. Benton says he has severed all his past and private business connections and from now on till he gets fired, or gives up, hi will be strictly in the sales end of the diplo macy business. That's too bad. If he could have moved some of his past into that noble Victorian pile of building blocks which houses the department of state, think what an improvement it might have made. Ev ery conference room wired for technicolor and sound advertising sale presentations for visual education on every wall. Lipstick, perfume and corset ad models all over the place. Appropriate muzac for every international situation: Chopin's "Polonaise" while fixing the Curzon line. "Vienna Breeze" if the Rus sians weren't cooperating on Austria. A tango for the Argentine and "Song of In dia" when the independence issue comes up. Visiting diplomats might bring their own records. The British, here to negotiate a loan, could overtuie with "You Made Me What I Am Today, I Hope You're Satisfied." CCWt mS BY HCA SEBV1CE. IMC. T. M. II EC. U. 9. PAT. Oft: f'S" L "Pop, why don't you try to look like these Marines In the comic strips?" e McKENNEY ON BRIDGE By WILLIAM E. McKENNEY America's Card Authority., TOUGH NO TRUMP NEEDS FEELER PLAYS When Aaron Goodman and Samuel Gold of Montreal came to the summer nationals this year, we were reminded that only a few years ago a Canadian team won the national team-of-ffour title. Goodman and Gold made a fine showing in the World Cham pionship Masters Pairs this year. With just a little better luck they AQ842 V 9 5 3 2 K J 1076 Goodman K97 V8 A Q 10 9 '3 A984 73 W E S Dealer Gold A A J6 VKJ6 J754 2 KQ A 10 5 3 VAQ10 74 86 532 Duplicate Neither vul. South West North East Pass 1 Pass I V Pass 2 A Pass 3 N. T Opening V 7. 25 might have won it. They finished tenth in a field of 90 pairs of the world's outstanding bridge play ers. In telling me a b o u t .today's,, hand, Gold said, "When the dum my went down, I knew I had a difficult contract to make. When I won the opening heart lead with the jack, I knew I had to keep North from getting into the lead. First I cashed the king and queen of clubs to find out if the jack and ten would fall. When this failed, I decided to take the spade finesse. In order to do so I led a small diamond. I could not take the diamond finesse, because of the danger of losing all the hearts, so I went up withithe diamond ace a, n d fo.ttunaicly caught North's singleton king. I cashed the ace of clubs, ran off the diamonds, cashed the king of spades and was able to take the spade finesse with safety." Thus Gold made six-odd on a hand on which he could easily have gone down. Many careless players did go down, because in stead of playing for a possible down one, they foolishly led the diamond jack and took the fines se. Then, of course, the opponents cashed four more heart tricks. o IN FORMER YEARS Thirty Years Ago The north side of town was re ported building up as fast as other sections of La Grande, ac cording to contractor George R. Lyman. Several new houses were at the moment in procession of completion, at Y avenue and North Ash, on north Birch and on Z nvenue. Frank W. Pattison, A. E. O'Brien and W. A. Smeal were contractors. Thirty-eight persons bought round-trip tiHtets to' Pe'ndtet'. lo.AJip wund-up., , , '. Enough chicken and other de licacies to feed ,20 persons were stolen from the K. of P. hall early in the morning after a banquet given by the Royal Neighbors. O BARBS The Japs want us to forget Pearl Harbor. It's typical of their cheek expecting us to turn the other one. Fifteen Years Ago Gertrude Bell of Cove made an 111 lime record in the open' class of the Oregon state fair by win ning highest honors senior and grand championship on her Jer sey cow. Allen Mills and Herbert Hlokland each won first in beef classes. Four forest fires started ear lier in the week in th? county. The fires were below Cabin creek rear Palmer Junction, near Glo ver crossing and west of Elgin. A Camden, N. J., woman asks divorce because her hubby in sisted she ride on the rear of his motorcycle. Just another wife who won't take a back scat. A stolen City of Oakland fire tug was found on some mud flats. The city fathers are still burning. Ten Years Ago Rep. Walter Pierce, speaking at the Sacajawea, announced him self in favor of the Townsend plan . . . Registration at Eastern Oregon Normal indicated a large increase . . . Bids on rcgrading and surfacing 4.28 miles of the Rock creok-Wallowa section of the Wallowa lake highway were to bo taken. This Curious World 7Ac term (Hi)(5'ig(Pti?ig "" ''f jf "1 WAS INVENTED BY JAMES WATT, f J fl WHO EXPERIMENTED WITH DRAY f f - 111 HORSES AND CONCLUDED 1 . ' AVWFIV THE EACTH WAS ROUND 2,000 YEARS BEFOR'E COLUMBUS TWOCMSjVr IT WAS. T. h. ate. u. t. ,f at. err. 9-25 WHERE'S i.AeR ANSWER: D.'.er, Delaware. NEXT: Where does the magnet get Its name? ii
