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About La Grande observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1959-1968 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1959)
Pursuing Our New Policy of Honesty, this Product Stinks" i mil I I -mm . is ii EDITORIAL PAGE LA GRANDE OBSERVER Tuesday, November 17, 1959 "Without or with friend or foe, we print your daily world as it goes" Byron. RILEY ALLEN, publisher Grady PannelL managing editor George Challis, advertising director Tom Humes, circulation manager DREW PEARSON SAYS Challenge To The Press People of this country have U'en sur prised at the degree of dishonesty which existed in TV quiz contests. It wuh a shock to learn that some of the heroes of the quiz hot boxes wore only acting when they seemed to grope so painfully for answers already provided in secrecy. The revelations cast a shadow over t lie validity of TV advertising. The Ameri can people like champions, but they de test deception; essentially, they respect honesty and integrity. When they have been fooled once, they understandably became suspicious and may even bold suspect some, person or activity that is strictly on the up-and-up. With the TV industry examining it self, and trying; to crawl out of the pres ent embarrassing situation with as few scars as possible, it might be a good time for other businesses serving the public to take a look at themselves. Take the American press, meaning narrowly in this instance the news papers of the nation. We think it would be proper and fitting for responsible persons in this great service industry to take a close look at it and make certain that it is not permitting moral weaklings to prostitute its noble purposes in our democratic system. Newspapers must be operated honestly. News columns must be kept clear of editorializing. Stories that should be published must appear in print, and must never be bought : off. Kditon'al support on the editorial page never should be for sale. Authors of newspaper columns should be far above holding out a grimy hand for a reward following a favorable mention, or for overlooking a situation that should be revealed. Sports writers should' be pro fessionally virtuous. All these things must lie done if the press is to measure up to its great resKnsibiblity and con tinue to enjoy the-privilege of leader ship which it should exercise. We think there is no room now for smug satisfaction at the discomfiture of the TV business. We rather think it would be an excellent time for some organization to take a good hard look into the situation, and we suggest such an inquiry is a logical and proper thing . for the American Society of Newspaper Editors to tackle. A venal, kept and cowardly press can't he tolerated in this nation. For it could he a prelude to disaster. And one of the first responsibilities and opportunities of the press is to watch itself, examine itself and police itself as may be neces-saiv. Political Season Opens In Washington WASHINGTON. D. C. Washington is a town which lives off politics, and politics is undoubtedly the favorite sin gle subject of conversation whenever Washingtonians, particularly newsmen, gather. With the presidential election race already under way, the current favorite subject is the various presidential hope fuls who are beating their way around the nation. Democrat or Republican, it makes no difference. For what it's worth, here is a con census gathered in two days of sessions with Washington correspondent friends from such widely divergent papers as the New York Times and St. I juris Post Dispatch. Vice President Nixon is too far out in front to face any real danger from New York's Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in his race for the Republican nomination. This is true even though many of these men do not like Nixon and would rather see Rockefeller running. Nixon has followed a course charted some years ago, followed it well and can not be headed now. (Why these men dislike Nixon is an other hing. Most of them, when asked, have a hard time putting their finger on the reason j there to something in the man's personality, however, which im presses these people unfavorably.) Of the Democrats, these people think Adlai Stevenson is the leading candidate, in spite of Stevenson disavowals. Sena tors Humphrey and Johnson are dis missed as lacking enough support to get the nomination. Senator Stuart Syming ton is considered a real dark horse, in :is much as he has the support of a large number of the old pros. There is an impression that Syming ton is running strong because he has a good chance of winning, not because he is popular or brilliant, neither one of which is true. Symington has been able to keep him self in the background in the Senate, never a very difficult task, excepting on matters of national defense. There he has spoken out. But in debate after de hate Symington's voice is raised only to cast his vote. Hut the current betting right now is that the tickets will line up this way after the conventions next" summer: Kor the Republicans Nixon and sotne Eastern Republican, still in the background, as his running mate. For the Democrats Stevenson and either Kennedy or some Western Cath olic, probably Pat Frown of California. Top Soviet Official Plans Trip Through Latin America WASHINGTON Vt hen Soviet Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan arrives in Mexico City it will mark the first time in the 42 vears since the isoisnevik revolu lion that any top-ranking Russian Communist has visited Latin Am erica except as a refugee from Stalin s vengeance. This fact alone lends singular significance to tne trip of the Kremlin's No. 2 man. For it was in Mexico City. years ago. that exiled Leon Irotsky was butcher ed by ex-wielding "Jacques Mor nard" (real name: Ramon Mer cader), still serving his 20 year sentence lor muruer. .Mikoyan is going to the Mcxi can capital to inaugurate an ex position on Soviet science, indus try, and culture, set up at a cost it $500,000 the same exhibit liown earlier this year in New York City. It will now include a Lunik I reproduction, a scale model of the atomic ice breaker Lenin, and huge blowups of pic lures of the Moon's far side. Mexico was picked as the site f the exposition, Soviet Embassv officials say. because of that country's "growing social, eco nomic, and technical importance in Latin America." But the Miko van tour will also include Vene zuela, Brazil, Argentina, Urugu ay, and perhaps Cuba and Columbia. World Festivals By an interesting "coincidence" the exposition dates Nov. 22 to Dec. 15 closely parallel those of Mexico's big second annual re view of world film festivals and both events will take place in the same building, Mexico City's 13,0O0seat National Audi torium. Note Mexicon officials esti mate that about 1.500,000 persons will view the Soviet exhibits dur ing their 24-day stand. The Rus sians have set the admission fee at a rock bottom 1 peso, or 8 cents in U. S. currency Blowing the whistle on phony television! commercials in what must be the hottest commercial on television, the announcer sets fire to a car polish with Hutchin son's waterproof wax. "The only reason we burn the car, he ex plains dramatically, "is to show you that you positively cannot get down through that siliconized finish." ... the Federal Trade Commission, however, has now splashed cold water on the"flam ing auto" commercial. The flash fire doesn't burn long enough to damage the car, the FTC claims. Since heat rises, it doesn't have time to burn through the 'silicon ized ' finish or any other finish. . . the KTC also (rowns upon the Holaid commercials, which show stomach acid burning a hole through a napkin. The announcer suggests that" Rolaids will relieve t liis dangerous acidity. What ac tually eats through the napkin, however, is hydrochloric acid, vhich may be found in the stomach but never in such concentrated form as to disintegrate napkins ... the i has stated that the Ted Bates Advertising agency is one of those responsible for jamming unde siialile advertising down the throats of the TV networks. The' bureau tells this column that the1 Tod Bates agency specializes in hard sell" or high-pressure ad J vertising copy and won't permit the networks to change a word. The television code review board found the Ted Bates commercials plugging hemorrhoid preparation "11" so objectionable that it with drew its seal of acceptance . . . in most cases, however, the net v orks permit Madison Avenue to do as it pleases. Appeal for Help The Cuban pilots who were treed by Fidel Castro's military tiibunat only to be retired after OBITS United Press International Castro expressed his disapprov al of the verdict, have smuggled a dramatic message out of their Isle of Pines prison appealing for help. In the scrawled note to Col Fred Hook, former chief of the U. S. Air Force mission in Cu ba, the pilots plead: "Please do something. We can't stand it any lunger. We are slaves working in the marble mines. Food has worms. . . we can't believe the L'SAF abandoned us that in some way belong to their reserve. Pro test! Claim us, rescue us any thing, but don't let (sic) us here dying a thousands deaths. Help The wadded note was slipped to a pilot s wife who was permit ted io visit her husband at the Isle of Pines, known as Cuba's Alcatraz. She managed to smug gle it past the prison guard. The imprisoned pilots address ed their appeal to Colonel Hook apparently because he had ar ranged for them to take flight training in Texas during the ear ly 1950s. Headlines and Footnotts The U. S. Navy is now armed with Terrier missiles which, thanks to boosters, can knock down subsonic planes (flying less than 700 mph) as high as 40,000 feet. The admirals won't say what they'll do, however, if the attacking planes refuse to fly as slow as 700 MI'H and as low as 40,000 feet . . . Clark Air Force base outside Manila has been ad vertising Scotch, Vodka, gin. champagne, brandy, and wines for sale in Philippine newspa- CINCINNATI. Ohio (CPU -Harry W. Mayo, 47. a veteran newspaper reporter and editor for the Cincinnati Post and Times Star for the past 21 years, died Monday. NAPLES, Italy (UPI) Prof t'mberto Pierantoni, 83, noted zoologist and president of the Na ples Academy of Science, died Monday night. NEW YORK (UPI) Ralph E. Cropley, 74, marine historian and assistant curator and historian of flit Marine Museum of the Sea men's Church here, died Monday. SAN DIEGO. Calif. ITI - dinornl uwuiHA. . . l. kl4 were iu w today for Mrs. Josephine Stedem scrips, a, a member in newspaper family. Mrs. Scripps, widow of James George Scripps, died Sunday night at the San Luis Rey home of her daughter, Josephine L. Scripps. following a long illness. Interment was to take place at Greenwood Cemetery. pcrs. When the Pentagon rais ed an eyebrow, the Thirteenth Air Force explained that "the sub ject material became surplus as a result of closing certan rec reaticnal facilities," then added hopefully: "Legal office advises no misinterpretation or violation of regulations in this matter." . Mamie Eisenhower quietly arranged for two wrought-iron tablets to be installed last sum mer in tne W hue House rose garden and another flower bed Inscribed on the tablets is this verse: "The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds tor mirth; one is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth." Eight Democrats have offered to run for the seat of the late Congressman Steve Carter, Iowa Democrat, who died of cancer. His wife, Lucille. would like to keep the seat in the family . . . most likely choice to succeed Congressman Charles Boyle, Illinois Democrat and a great congressman who was kill ed in an auto accident is Chicago attorney Philip Fleischman. REMEMBER WHEN ... 25 years ago. monogram awards were handed out to foot ball rlavers by Coach Hob Quinn at Eastern Oregon Normal here. .liggs Burnett was the only three year lettterman. Awards went also to Winnie Commann, Frank Beers and Fred Peltersen. 2-year; Roy Leonard, Norman Ilngcnson, Buck Fowler, L. McEwen. N. Ragsilale, Woodrow Damerell. V. Ragsdale and Tseheu. Smith. Miles, Schmidt, Latham. Ellis, tlunderson and Fox. 1 year. Union County farmers receiv ed 60 cents a bushel for wheat. with 25.000 bushels of the grain sold, but about 60 per cent of the farmers were holding their crops due to low prices. ... 15 years ago, American bombers raided Manilla, knocking out 14 Japanese ships; in Europe. the Allies reported gains around beleaguered Cologne. One thousand seats wore be ing reserved for the La Grande Roosevelt High School state football championship game here. The local Tigers went through regular season play undefeated La Grande High principal Ralnh Jones predicted a record crowd oi fans. Fletcher Milton, local World War I vet. was appointed bv 1j Grande Legion commander Gecxge Tiss to assist Sul Burleigh in vet service worn rrrparatorvi to the return of area servicemen I Candidates Also Confused Over Election Result CENTER V1LLE. Ohio UPI Even the candidates were con fused over the outcome of this little southwestern Ohio commu nity's recent race for mayor. Inofficial election returns had shown James Kelsey winner by three votes over William Gimbel. Then the official returns came in. each candidate had 402 votes. The Board of Elections Monday called in the two to settle the matter by the only means left the flip of a coin. Kelsey called heads. The coin was spun and came to rest on the board's book of minutes. It was heads. Gimbel offered Kelsey his hand in congratulation, then turned to leave. But the election officials called him back. . , The coin had slipped down onto' the table. It was tails. Kelsey put out his hand to con gratulate Gimbel. "I m confused," said Gimbel. QUOTES IN THE NEWS United Press International ST. LOUIS Former British Prime Minister Clement Attlee. after being asked whether he thought the United States should recognize Communis! China: "It's no good ignoring it. Rec ognition does not mean ap proval." uraPlllS Term. Sen. Allen J. Ellender (D-La.l, denouncing Cuban land reform policies: "Recent events in tuba involv ing land reforms are tantamount to confiscation of American prop erty there." MIAMI Charlotte Heidal. far. mer Army private who had her sex changed oy surgery ana now is married, disclosing that she has left several jobs because of gossip: "It hurt to always know that people were yak-yak-yaking be hind my back. That hurts any woman. HOUSTON. Tex. Dr. Russell Wolfe, discussing his patient, old Confederate Walter u. Williams, at Williams' 117th birthday party: "He doesn't need peace and quiet. He needs a party to help him get well." wro-w MO Nearly Every One In La Grande & Union County Reads & Uses Ob server Classified Ads . . . Thai's Who! WHAT- 7 v- - r?. v Tig m ' J Call It's Besnlls Thai Tell The Story. More People Bead The Ads Than Ever Before And More People Bny What Is Advertised "WHEW" .. Every Time A Prospect: Picks Up The Paper He Is Exposed To Your Sales Message.. And It Works. "WHERE"... WO 3-3161 The RESULT Number Observer Classified Ads, Of Course, And Ask For The BARGAIN RATE DAYS FOR THE PRICE OF 2 Lines for 6 Days Cost Only $1.50 Cash Or Discount Bate, If Paid In 5 Days ... And Yon flay Kill The Ad When Yon Get Besnlls, Paying Only For ThrDays Bnn. HAGERTY IN INDIA ' NEW DELHI (UPI) U. S. presidential press secretary James Hagerty will discuss Presi dent Eisenhower's visit to India at length with Indian officials to day. Hagerty, who is making a dry run of the presmenl s tour, arrived here Monday night.