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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 1945)
Washington Merry-Go-Round EDITORIAL PAGE La Grande Evening Observer Frank Sehiro, Publisher TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 25, 1915 Page Two Optimistic Sort of a Guy, Isn't He? TODAY'S TEXT Dearly beloved, avenge not your selves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Ventrcance is mine; 1 will repay, saith the Lord. Itumaim 12:19. firings on Loans t ; It is said that Premier Stalin would like the United States to lend Russia. $(,00(),0()(),000 to help rebuild that war torn country and raise its -living stan dard. Final decision on such a request will surely require, ns Senator Uussell of Georgia has said, "a good deal more than snap judgment." Congress may insist upon knowing how the money is to be spent before any rehabilitation loans are made to foreign governments. ' And it would neem reasonable that before any billions are lent to Russia, this country should have definite assurance that the Com intern will not be revived here. Of course the Comintern is officially dead, lint the American communists quickly reverted to political action and their party lines after a spell of 10?.-per-cent Americanism which lasted only as long as Uussia was involved in the European war. America, being committed to free speech, has tolerated the American com munists long and patiently. It has pro tected them while they preached revo lution and the overthrow of capitalism. One might safely guess that the Mos cow government would have been con siderably less patient with a revolution ary movement in Russia to set up an American capitalistic system. Whatever communists in Russia or socialists in England may say about capitalism, they cannot deny that the war products of America's capitalist in dustry helped their countries consider ably during the war. Nor can they deny that the billions of capitalist America's dollars that their countries ' are seeking would be equally helpful now. ; . Hut what Russians or Englishmen say in their- own countries is none of bur business, even though their oratorical bites at the hand they hope will feed them can be somewhat tiresome and irritating. 'Phe resumption of Russian support for American communists' revolution nry activities, however, would be our business. For Americans to finance even indirectly such a program would be absurd, to say the least. It would be as if the goose in the fable had vol untarily contributed a few golden eggs to a fund with which the farmer hoped to buy an ax and kill the bird. There is scant danger that American communists will start a shooting revo lution. Rut there is a legitimate four that Russian support of their incessant sniping at our social system, nt a time when Russia was rebuilding with the help of American dollars, would so righteously infuriate the American peo ple that, peaceful relations between the world's two greatest countries might be jeopardized. Americans have no quarrel with tiie Russian type of government for the Russians. If Premier Stalin and his people will maintain a like feeling to ward us, lasting peace will have a bet ter chance of becoming a reality. Funny Business - WW W .Vv v . EE 1 1 o SO THEY SAY I believe wo can look forward lo a period of al IchsI five years of prosperity swell as this coun try has never witnessed before. Hoi man W. Stoingraus, Bridge port. Conn. An aneicnt truth is worthy of serving as an universal motto: "Blessed are the peacemakers, lor they shall bo called the chil dren of God." Ashland. Ky., Independent. 1 think Ihe Japs arc reacting s wo thought they would. They re trying to ingratiate them selves and get buck into our good am-, through bowing and scrap ing. We should not forget their line character the Jap Hie en tirely different person- when they are on tui. Lt.-Col. James Oevc.cuX. 'C'jmei in hoflily ho brought It along from the navyl" Parents must fnke HKUl ef fort this year to gvt reir 'j-.ya and Kills into school, ll never has been more important. Albany, Ga., HvniM. Br DREW PEAIUSGN WASHINGTON Gen. Dwight Eisenhow er, has been making progress toward friend ship with the Russians, but got a setback the other day. U.. S. officiate entering Elsenhower's of fice found him despondent. He was holding a copy of 'Time" magazine. "Look at that," he said, "six weeks' work gone." Eisenhower pointed to a picture of a fe male entertainer in a Berlin night club standing on her head, legs apart, holding a picture of Stalin between them. "Time" had reproduced the picture. "And just as I was making some progress with Marshal Zhukov," Eisenhower mourn ed. "First he would scarcely see me. But recently we have become pretty good friends. When I go into his office he says, 'here's to Ike.'" Eisenhower went on to tell how Zhukov was blazing mad over the "Time" magazine picture. He had just come from seeing the Russian commander who had demanded: "What are you going to do about this?" "Nothing," replied Eisenhower. "What! You let the American press make mockery of the marshal?" exclaimed Zhukov. "That's what we fought the war for the right to criticize, the right for people to say what they please," said Eisenhower. New Supreme Court Justice President Truman really let his hair down with Senator Burton when he called him in last week to tell him he was being nom inated to the supreme court, senator was aoutxzVWtaocmfwxz'i ,? ( Catching Burton just before the Ohio sen ator was about to leave for Cincinnati, Tru man told him that he had actually prom ised the supreme court job to another man, Robert Patterson, now secretary of war, but changed his mind. "Harold," said Truman at the start of the interview, "I've made up my mind to appoint you to the supreme court. "You were always my first choice," Tru man continued, "but I had some vaccila tions. I considered appointing Phillips of Denver, Parker of North Carolina and Pat terson. "Finally I decided to appoint Patterson and told him I was going to appoint him." Truman then explained it was better to leave Patterson in the war department to replace Stimson as secretary of war. "One of jthe things Chat disturbed me about your appointment," Truman contin ued, "was the probable claim that I might be playing politics in order to get a demo crat senator from Ohio. (Truman had in mind the fact Governor Lausche of Ohio, a democrat, now can appoint a democrat sen ator to replace Burton, a republican.) "So I talked it over with Alben Bark ley, Truman explained, "and he advised that if I was convinced you were the right man, I should appoint you and let political con sequences go hang." Army Run-Around Here is the army run-around again to one group of 182 air force personnel all with more than 100 points. Unfortunately It is typical of the run-round given to a great many men entitled to immediate discharge. This group of 182 airmen arrived in New York harbor last July. But despite their points, most are not out of the army yet. Here is the play-by-play history of what happened. 1. From New Vcrk, the group was sent lo Camp Kilmer, N. J. 2. Fifteen hours after arriving in New Jersey, they backtracked north again to Fort Dcvens, Mass. There they were taken off the train, given physical examinations and other red tape until 5 a. m. At 7 a. m. the job was supposed to be completed. But after loafing around for three hours, wait ing for the last papers ,they were ordered home on 30-day furloughs. 3. After the 30-day furloughs, they were ordered to report to Greensboro, N. C. There they were told they were not essential and would be released. Grensboro is a separa tion center, but they were not released there. 4. Instead, the group was ordered all the way north to Devens, Mass., again. Before this happened, however, they loafed around Greensboro for three weeks. , WE, THE WOMEN By RUTH MILLETT A publicity story from an AAF redistribu tion station in an eastern city says the air force returnees rate American women tops when it comes to poise, smartness, mako-up and femininity but . . . They claim English girls are more cin . core,vi mgrei unspoiled, and more domestic minded. They say the Dutch cah't be beat for natural beauty. The Australian girls are plenty good to look at. And Italian women have a certain exotic quality that has its oWn appeal. Aren't American women going to get fed up pretty quickly with being compared with the women of all the other countries Amer ican servicemen have visited during the war? The subject Is really dynamite and you would think the men would realize it. But maybe we can stop the comparisons with a few sweetly spoken comments and questions. It ought to be easy to halt the man who is raving about the chic and sex appeal of the French women with, "Isn't it too bad the Frenchwomen were so unapprcciative of American men's admiration that they came out with all those remarks about American men being lousy lovers?" And after listening to a man rave over the hatural beauty of Australian girls a few minutes, a woman ought to be able to turn the talk quickly to other things with "But do tell me about the Australian men; are they really as handsome as they look in the newsreels?" But maybe the whole subject isn't worth bothering about. For once the men are home the enchanting qualities of Ihe girls of for eign countries will be no more competition than the charms of pin-up girls. For after all, a man can't run over to England for a date with a domestic type of girl just because he is at the moment fed up with the independence of American girls. Once he is home he is stuck with us. And we'll have lo do. Behind Scenes in Washington By PETER EDSON. La Grand Evening Observer Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, D. C If there is one man who has had official Washington buf faloed all through the war, it is general of the armies, Douglas Mai-Arthur. But things have come to a show-down now and its possible to sec a lilllc more clearly who's who in Japan. MacArthur entered the war as a symbol. In that respect he was a good bit like Gen. Charles de Gaulle. You either clung with hope to the symbol or there wasn't anything to cling to. Any man who becomes a symbol is in danger of falling. He is in danger of fall ing into the belief he's pretty important. MacArthur was no exception. War corres pondents began to bring back reports stories they were kind enough not to print that this man's arrogance was pretty hard to lake. It was reflected in seven stanza bit of doggerel called "Doug's Communique," circulated all over the Pacific. One sample stanza ran: "My battleships bombard the Nips from Maine to Singa pore. My subs have sunk a milliton tons they'll sink a billion m o r e; my aircraft bombed Berlin last night. In Italy they say 'Our turn's tonight, because it's right in Doug's communique.' " But the need to maintain MacArthur as a symbol was reflected in Washington by official kow-towing. When one correspond ent wrote a war review story saying the amphibious operations in the Pacific were planned by the combined chiefs of staff in Washington, it was discreetly suggested that ihe copy be changed because if MacArthu ever saw the story he would protest against the idea that anyone planned his opera tions for him. This same deference to the "cneril , carried over even after the aurremVr of Japan. Official in W.hiuj;un hi eie asked alxiut detailed plans for the opera tion of Jap t the reply it tea- rot their hand the tmaid ptn-siptet piM U,.wn at, P. dam ana after that it tofieim-al.M.icArtlmrA-1 O 0 o , Sucrwm apswcr did not n.We sense on its o face for the simple reason that the detailed plans for occupation of Germany had been carefully worked oul in Washington and were handed complete to General Eisen hower for execution. And it was known that a joint committee of state, war and navy department experts had been working for a year on plans to occupy Japan, and break up the old imperial government. Officially, however, the fiction was maintained that General MacArthur was Mr. Big in the Pa cific. Shortly after Secretary of State Byrnes went to London for the big five conference of foreign ministers. Dean Acheson held his first press conference as acting secretary of state. He was asked about the occupation policy in Japan because MacArthur was al ready being criticized. Acheson replied that MacArthur had the power to say what was done in Japan. Questioned further on the point as to who told MacArthur what to do, Acheson replied that this was up to the president. Less than a week after Acheson made these state ments. General MacArthur as supreme com mander in Japan announced only 200.000 troops might be needed for occupation with in six months. Acheson cracked down on him and this time a different answer wor forthcoming. A state, war and navy com mittee coordinated American policy on Jap anese occupation and instructions were go ing to the occupation forces through military channels from the president. MacArthur wasn't mentioned by name, but there was no doubt as to who w as meant. MacArthur has been severly criticized for this -oft policy of occupation and the ap parent slowness with which the Japs hav-; been made to feel that they lost the war. With acting secretary of state Achcson's new statement, however, it now becomes clear if the occupa! policy in Japan isn't work ing, it may nt be so much the fault of General M;cArthur as it is the fault of the state, war and navy bright boys who made the plans iifthe first place. l co-n i4Hr-iAM"VKt,n.a t. m. ca u. a. mr. off. .. ... ' "What difference does it make for me if they split ihe atom? I'll be interested when they bring oi something that will split wood , without me swinging an ex!" McKENNEY ON BRIDGE By WILLIAM E. McKENNEY America's Card Authority THIS HAND TAXES ' YOUR IMAGINATION When dis-ussion of a bridge hand develops into an argument between experts, I always lend an attentive ear. Recently I beard an argument about the hand shown today. I am not giving you the spade holding in the East and AQJ9863 V 832 A9 74 ie. ? ? ? QJ107 892 932 N W E S Dealer A ? ? 95 V K Q J 7 4 J 1065 A 52 V AK64 10 6 3 AKQ8 Duplicate E.-W. vul. South West North East 1 V Pass 1 A 2 0 3 A Pass 3 A Pass 4 A Pass Pass Pass Opening K. . 26 West hands, as that was the basis of the discussion. Declarer won the opening lead and discarded his losing diamond bri the queen of clubs. Now he played a small spade from dum- BARBS It's harder to get men to church because they don't care what the other men are wearing. Now we can begin feeling sor ry for the fisherman who didn't even catch one to lie about. A janitor in an Indiana bank stole $1,000. Probably Ihe best he ever cleaned up. my and West played low. How should North play tho spade suit? Everyone agreed that his first piny should be the jack of spades, and le! us say that East wins this with the king. A dia mond return is ruffed by North, a heart led to dummy's ace and another spade led. If West plays low, what should North play now? Has East the ace as well as the king? If so, the eight-spot should be finessed. However, the majority of experts claim that the queen should be played at this time, hoping to split the honors. Unfortunately, in this particular hand, the queen lost, as East held the blank ace-king. The finesse probably should be taken in this case, because of East's vulnerable overcall of two diamonds, which would hardly be justified with out the ace-king of spades. IN FORMER YEARS Thirty Years Ago There are plenty of indications tho reported big crop of grain in Wallowa county is all that it has been represented. The local threshing machines have hardly been able to cope with the situa tion. Today there is being load ed on a flat car at Alicel the Twidwell threshing outfit, con sisting of the separator, traction engin-3 and t other equipment, for shipment to Wallowa county vhere there are threshing con tracts awaiting that will keep the machine on a continuous run of 20 days or more. A pessimist is any politician discussing what the other side has accomplished. We'd like the prices of some commodities to realize that every fall starts in September. Why is it that we don't crave it half as much since cheese is off rationing? Fifteen Years Ago Union county joined with Cove lasl night when the $8000 Cove high school gymnasium, built this summer, was formally dedi cated at a program of music and addresses. The prune harvest in Union and Cove districts has reached its peak and four or five cars are being shipped daily. Colorado reports its first snow of the fall season. Will the well known spring robin please take a back seat! All history is a decline of war. though a slow decline. Sen. Walter F. George of Georgia. Ten Years Ago Three or four months will be required to complete the S90,00fl undergrade crossing on Spruce si reel, connecting La -Grande-Wallowa Lake highway with the Old Oregon trail, it was an nounced here today. This, pro viding a stopping of work is not required during the winter. This Curious World ( (WIZZLY BEAR. J ! vilmJj ccr. 'Ms 3y Ntrsiafcs. inc. . . -m m t o ' "a" ' on. ggtSOtfJGf tscm Z?Xtr f : I fSOoJxkc- BASEBALL CATCHERS Pl-AY IN , '' OF THE OlfCHER, SUTTHETSHf I rrCS" Always be behind hi,w,"J .etfc. j fowe, 7e"reJJ Ji. WORD COVZS CSOWTHE FACT THAT LODESTONE, OB AtASNETITE, i)S first ran. Din "44 prcvme CF MA&VMA t IN AS! A MINOR . NEXT: How w O w o
