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
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Dealer
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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