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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1973)
Page 2 a Portland/O bserver * . Thursday, May 10, 1973 I MtMBtR Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association |,M- ONLY THE BADDEST w e a r the BEST nike ' Tour Ouneentss ALFRED LEE HENDERSON EDITOR/PUBLISHER »1 Quail» f " at k WE SEE THE WORLD V in c e n t B uford O re g o n sprinter MEMBER NNA THROUGH BLACK EYES. 4 7 3 3 S.E. HAWTHORNE 2 3 4 —0342< ATHLETIC DEPT, Assodttion • Founded 1885 M allon s Watergate: Roots in history As th e W a te rg a te a ffa ir splashes across the A m e ric a n scene, w e m ust lo o k a t it in th e p e r sp ective o f its m e a n in g to th e A m e ric a n system o f g o v e rn m e n t a n d a g a in s t th e h isto rica l b a c k g ro u n d o f th e m an at its ce n te r. It is true, as th e President has sa id , th a t th e re has b e e n scandal a n d p o litic a l e s p io n a g e in o th e r c a m p a ig n s a n d in o th e r a d m in istra tio n s. H o w e v e r, in th e past these m a n ip u la tio n s h a ve b e e n fo r m o n e y , vic u n a coats, cows fo r th e G e ttysb u rg fa rm , m o n e y in e x c h a n g e fo r p o s itio n or fa vors. N e v e r b e fo re have such fa r- re a c h in g c rim in a l acts bee n c o m m itte d fo r the o b ta in in g a n d p e rp e tu a tin g o f p o w e r. A n d n eve r b e fo re has such a p o w e r g ra b bee n m a d e fro m w ith in th e W h ite House. W a te rg a te is m uch m o re th a n the b u rg la ry o f a p o litic a l o ffic e . It is a p la n n e d a tte m p t to su bve rt the e le c to ra l process o f th e U n ite d States. It w as an a ll-o u t a tte m p t to ke e p c o n tro l o f the g o v e rn m ent o f th e U n ite d States. Perhaps th e P resident is in n o ce n t. Perhaps, as he said, he d id n ot k n o w his closest frie n d s and associates w e re c o n s p irin g a g a in s t the system he has sw orn to p ro te ct. Is it possible the new s d id not reach h im ? This c o u ld n ot h ave h a p p e n e d to President Johnson — or to K ennedy, Trum an, R oosevelt, o r a n y o th e r p re s id e n t in rece nt history. But p erha ps N ix o n has so is o la te d h im s e lf fro m not o n ly the A m e ric a n p e o p le , b u t his closest advisors as w e ll, th a t he d oe s not k n o w w h a t is g o in g on in his o w n house. If this g re a t a c rim e c o u ld go u n n o tice d , th e n M r. N ix o n m ust c e rta in ly be in co m p e te n t. A n d if th e P resident w as n ot d ire c tly in v o lv e d in the W a te rg a te b u rg la ry , th e sm ea r c a m p a ig n , the h id d e n c a m p a ig n fu n d s, th e p re ce d e n ts se tting the a tm o sp h e re in w h ic h these th in g s to o k p la ce can be fo u n d in M r. N ix o n 's o w n p o litic a l b ackg ro un d. The Sm ear C a m p a ig n — N ix o n 's firs t e le c tio n was w o n w ith a sm ear c a m p a ig n th a t w as c a rrie d out a g a in s t his o p p o n e n t. These sm ears have a c c o m p a n ie d e v e ry e le c tio n , a lw a y s a lle g e d ly w ith o u t his k n o w le d g e . But is it a c o in c id e n c e th a t these tactics seem to fo llo w h im ? S h ou ld w e n o w be shocked to le a rn th a t o n e o f his closest associates w as a rre ste d fo r a sm ear c a m p a ig n a g a in st Senators M u skie a n d H u m p h re y a n d th a t file s h a ve b e e n fo u n d in th e W h ite House w ith m a te ria l to sm ea r th e K e n n e d y fa m ily ? The H id d e n M o n e y -- M r. N ix o n 's secret fu n d n e a rly lost h im th e v ic e -p re s id e n c y , b ut his te a rfu l "C h e c k e rs " speech g o t h im o ff th e hook. S hould w e n o w be su rp rise d to le a rn a b o u t p erh a p s $10 m illio n in secret a n d ille g a l c a m p a ig n fu n d s used in th e 1972 e le ctio n s? The Ellsberg Case -- T w ice since a ssum in g the p re sid e n cy M r. N ix o n has in te rfe re d w ith th e court system. He m a d e d a m a g in g co m m en ts on the M anson case, a n d he in te rv e n e d in th e M a i Lai case. S hould w e be surprised to lea rn th a t he o rd e re d a secret in v e s tig a tio n o f the Ellsberg case th a t re su lte d in ille g a l pro ced ures, a nd th a t he o ffe re d th e tria l ju d g e a h ig h g o v e rn m e n t o ffic e d u rin g th e tim e th e case w as in tria l? The G ra b fo r P ow er — The President has said th a t he does n ot n e e d Congress a n d in recent m onths has bee n in a stru g g le to reduce th e p o w e r o f Congress. He has ch e a p e n e d the S uprem e C ourt by a p p o in tm e n t a n d a tte m p te d a p p o in tm e n t o f m en w h o a re less th a n h ig h ly q u a lifie d b u t w h o share his p o litic a l view s. S h ou ld w e be surprised that his fo llo w e rs w o u ld go to a n y m eans to p e r p e tu a te th e p o w e r th e y n o w h a ve reg ardle ss o f the e ffe cts on th e fu tu re o f the n a tio n . W a te rg a te is o n e m ore step on the ro a d to fa cism . It is an a tte m p t to p ro m o te ru le by p re s i d e n tia l e d ict ra th e r th an ru le by the d e m o c ra tic process. Old Blood’s Department Store O ld B lo o d ' a f a r fano d a d a ” ft Law and O rd er” . . . ? A complete line of the latest in Men’s and Women’s wear and Children’s Shoes Phone 281-6808 BERG'S FAMOUS With Ron Hendren A YOUNG VIE W OF W ASHINGTON GENERALS AND THEIR AIDS: PART II By Ron Hendren W A SHING TO N -Several weeks ago I re ported on the long-standing military tra dition of providing general officers with enlisted aides-men who become personal servants to the top brass and their fami lies. I noted then that the cost to the taxpayer for this boondoggle exceeds $13 million every year just for the pay and allowances of these aides. (Now the Army admits the total cost is nearly $22 m il lion.) Congress is finally challenging the armed forces on the practice, which dates back to the Revolutionary War, and Secretary of the Army Robert Froehlke came up to the lull last week to defend his generals. Froehlke told members of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee that he did not want his chief of staff going home at 5 p m to mow the lawn, and asserted that the provision of aides to high-ranking officers “ makes sense from a management standpoint." As I reported earlier, the General Accounting Office has disclosed that en listed aides, at taxpayer expense, not only mow their bones' lawns, but wash private cars, walk the dogs, babysit, keep house and tend garden -and that they do these chores for generals' wives and children as well. S u b c o m m itte e Chairman George Mahon (D -T ex.) suggested to Froehlke that Army chief of staff General Creigh ton Abrams “could hire his own help like the rest of us do ” Froehlke responded that Army officers do not make enough money to pay for hired help. Abrams' salary and allowances come to about $45,000 per year, and in addi tion he and his family live in free quarters at Ft Myer His four stars entitle him to four enlisted aides More than 1,700 enlisted soldiers are officially designated as personal aides to generals and admirals at this time In addition to being of questionable propri ety, the practice has alarming racial over tones. As I reported earlier, some 98 per cent of aides in the Navy are Filipinos In the Manne Corps. 65 per cent are black Promotions for these men come far more slowly than for other enlisted per sonnel The average Navy man at the rank of E-6 receives a promotion in nine years, while a Navy aide at the same rank is likely to stay there for 18 years. Letters of complaint have been pour ing into the offices of members of Con gress since Sen. William Proxmire dis closed the GAO study several weeks ago Many are from the wives and families of enlisted aides who have had the courage to tell the real story. One letter recounted the story of an aide who was ordered to make the beds of his commander’s lazy children. Now that the hearings have begun, the real picture is coming to the fore, and the practice of providing servants to generals and their families is likely to be revealed for what it is an unnecessary, repugnant, and costly boondoggle. 3933 N .l. Union Ave. TWICE-R-YESR SHOE SALE 5.30 TO 24.33 REG $10 to S40 A huge selection of moic than 2 000 pair* of fine *hne* from >ur cur rent spring and summer stocks Shoes for every occasion from undals to dress shoes Famous brand names from all over the w oild All shoes on display by size for your easy selection Sizes 4 to 10. S. N M ASK FOR "V A C A T IO N B IL L IN G " . r» b i b o . ih o p NO P A YM EN TS DUE U N T IL AUGUST M c o n d llo o r a n d b a r f i d a rk h o . i i b a a v a r io n Syndicated 1973 by Washington Weekly. Inc All nyhti reserved St MnsV^CLERY PICK-UP •KLIVWY Remit - LAN MOMXf H C Y C tl8 A little money in the bank always helps. Come rain or come shine. Start spinning your wheels- Try Chuck’s deals I speeds« 3 »peed*, 5 »peed* and 10 »peed* Published every Thursday by Exle Publishing Company, 2201 N , Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon 97217, Mailing address, PX>. Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208 Tricycles — training bike* — wagon* CHARLES CREWS Subscriptions $5.25 per year - Tri-County area, $6.00 per year - Outside Portland. Telephone, 283-2486. We feature: e Raleigh e Jeunet e Columbia Second Class Postage Paid a t P ortland, O re g o n The Observer's official position is expressed only in its Publisher’ s Column (The Observation Post) and the Editor's Desk. 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