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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1950)
4 Th Elatotmcm. Sdom. Oregon, lutdarf. frhraarr 1 1838 tejft(JttMate8mati ' . : MWM0 MM We Favor Stoays Us, No Fear SKall AwtT j Freflr First SUtesnua, March Zt 11S1 THE STATESMAN PUBLISinNC COMPANY CHAPI.KJ A SPRAGUE. Editor and Publisher Catered at the postofflce af&slem. Oregon, as secead elan nutter eader act el eongress lUreh S. It'll. Published every morula. Business efflce 215 8. Commercial. Salem, Oregon. Telephone 2-2441. No "One Package Deal" For Northwest A delegation of residents of Lincoln and" Benton counties conferred with Governor Mc Kay Monday to protest construction of a dam on the Turn Turn fork of Mary's river. This dam is included in the Willamette basin project, part of the combined program for Columbia basin development which awaits authorization of the congress. This protest points up the contention The Statesman has made against the pending S 2180 which would give blanket authorization for the whole army engineers-reclamation bureau pro gram for the northwest. Once adopted these agencies or their successors could go right ahead on the project as fast as funds are made avail able; and apparently they will be able to use even the interest on power plant investment which ought to return to the treasury for ap propriation. We think it would be in order for congress to give a general approval of the combined pro gram, but still require authorization and ap propriation for individual projects. One reason for keeping, the developement program open is that changing conditions may warrant modifications in the program. . We have seen such changes in the Willamette valley pro ject. Originally it embraced dams on the Mc Kenzie at about Blue River and on the South Santiam just below Sweet Home. This paper objected to the former because of the damage It would do to a prime recreational area. This was later abandoned in favor of dams on tri butaries. Likewise objections were raised to the Sweet Home dam, and as the city grew the engineers themselves saw how unfeasible that was from the cost standpoint. The "3QS1 report includes an irrigation pro ject at Canby, but the Canby Herald reports that farmers there are not interested. They may be in time, but why get congressional, authoriza tion if the project is unwanted? It seems unwise to ask congress on the basis of a few hearings to give blanket authorization for a program which will run in cost into bil lions of dollars. True, the engineers have work ed long and hard in making surveys and pre paring plans. But there has been no competent, impartial review of such plans by an independ ent agency of government. . Opponents of CVA seem agreeable to adopt ion of S 2180, thinking perhaps that this will top the agitation for the valley authority. Once this bill is passed the drive for CVA may be intensified; and once a CVA is set up it could ride "high," wide and handsome" with the pro- i o man gim pitrviuuaijr appiuvcu uuuci -uv. Why wrap northwest development all up in one package? Why not take it on a step-by-step basis, with congress making the start and stop decisions'? Promoters may chafe under the necessity of getting authority and money from congress; but that is the democratic process which these promoters always applaud yet often seek to circumvent. ....... This paper is eager for northwest develop ment, but wants it done on an orderly, sound basis which we can justify to the nation and never need to apologize for. Turn Turn is just a sample of how the little project may get scant consideration on Its merits when it is tacked Johnson Threatens to 'Fire' Military Leaders By Joseph and Stewart Alsop j WASHINGTON, leb. 20 Tha hardest question to answer about Louis A. Johnson's - concealed 4 Is armament program is why the joint chiefs of staffs have stood for It so long. The an swer would seem to fall in to several carta. inc ; um pan Is the new at moiph ere of Be a. if blended favor- - itisra ' and in timidation that now pervades the defense de partment. if ' A pretty good symbol of - the favoritism is to be found in the secretary of defense's outer of fice. Brig. Gen. Louis Renfrow, a plump relic of Johnson's American Le gion machine, now presides there as his pa tron's special assistant. For a far from brilli ant reserve of ficer serving as 1 Mtrwart AWj- Johnson's i ap- pomunenu sec retary, Renfrow has received re markably high promotion. But that is not all. He was! once a dentUt He is also drawing $100 a month supplementary pay un der a rule designed to attract young dentists into the services. The sum is not large. The ar rangement is at least technically . legal. But the symbol remains: the crony gets his perquisites ... while Johnson's economies bite deep into the sinew of Amer ican 'Strength. ''. '.' -As for the intimidation, there Is plenty of evidence concerning the secretary of defense's special methods of getting his way. One authenticated incident involved one of the two or three ablest senior officers in the army, whose unpopularity with John on may probably be traced to his serious - approach to defense y 1 onto such mammoth projects as the Hell's Can yon dam and Chief Joseph dam, the glamor pro jects of the Columbia basin program. Will the protest of the Benton county farmers be heard? Or will Turn Turn become Mum Mum? Bad Industrial Relations Last' Thursday workers at the Doernbecher Manufacturing company with a furniture plant in Portland and a. lumber mill at Coalca en countered a sign at the;1 gate: "Plant closed until further notice." Just like that. Inquiry by reporters and union officials brought no ex planation. All the reporters got was "no com ment" by the president, Harry A. Green. Came Saturday and the directors met and elected a new president and announced the plants would reopen Monday. Green refuses to be "fired", but anyway the plants are running again. What the internal situation in management is we do not know; but the company has had a reputation for bad employe relations. This abrupt shutdown, unannounced and unexplain ed, is also bad public relations. Workers have their economic lives wrapped up in an enter prise and are entitled to warning if shutdown is imminent and to some justification for such an action. Undoubtedly the action on Saturday indicates that the board feels that the adminis-'' tration has been high-handed and wants to re form its management. "No Place to Hide" The newly appointed head of national civilian defense says the first problem to be considered is relocation and redesign of the government offices in Washington. He mentions dispersal and going underground as means of protection against bombing in the atomic age. Congressman Holifield of California has pre pared a resolution authorizing a commission to study and report on possible sites for an alter nate government, duplication of government records and procedures for continuity of admin istration in event the president and those in line of succession should all be unable to funct ion. These matters are pertinent when we read that the H-bomb is on the way. But it all un derscores the heading of this editorial which was the title of a recent book on the subject It is fast becoming true that "there's no place to hide." This doesn't mean we should be quiescent and just sit and wait for the bombs to drop. We should be prudent and reduce risks Insofar as seems practical, we can't avoid them alL But all the more reason for the peoples of the na tions to demand of their rulers assurance of peace. That Is the best security. Out of News Listeners to the Sam Hayes news broadcast Sunday night heard this interjection, unintend ed for the microphone: "Get me some more news; I'm running out of news". So radio newscasters have those troubles too. News editors and editorial writers are frequent ly afflicted with a dearth of news or of ideas. If Sam would reduce his speed of broadcasting he wouldn't run out of copy. problems. At a large meeting, because of a relatively petty dis agreement, Johnson publicly threatened to drive this brilliant and disinterested man out of the military service. Several other general officers who have dared to argue have had the same sort of experience. Mere threats would of coarse not frighten the joint chiefs themselves. Yet it must be re membered that Bradley and Col lins, Vandenberg and Sherman were all trained in an earlier per iod, as members of the defense services of a country that had no defense. ; Secretaries of the army and navy, in those days, were customarily pretty awfuL The services made do with what ever was granted, either in lead ership or in appropriations. America, in those days, was not in the first line. , This pre-war psychology has quite visibly survived, for ex ample, in General J. Lawton Col lins, who is fond of repeating that his ground forces are in bet ter shape than ever. It is true, and has been recorded in this space, that the army alone has maintained its fighting units un der the impact of Johnsonian "economy."' It is also true that these fighting units are in a fine state of training. At least in his public state ments, this seems to satisfy Gen eral Collins, yet he is making do with second world war weapons which are in many cases obso lescent or actually obsolete. He has no tank force worth speaking of. He has in prospect only the smallest trickle of the new anti tank weapons. Above all. because of air force "economies," he can not count on the slightest effec tive close air support,, without which modern armies literally cannot take the field. Over all, the facts General Collins omits are infinitely more significant than the facts he points to. . This pre-war psychology, which leads to the unwarranted optimism of General Collins, is strengthened by the conscious ness of past folly, from which the joint chiefs no doubt suffer. The navy today is less able to protest the impairment of its anti-submarine capability, because the admirals themselves so long for got the submarine problem in their eagerness to encroach upon the air force mission. Equally, In 1948. the Joint chiefs permanent ly weakened their own ease by preparing an idiotically swollen budget request for 130,000,000, 090. finally, the joint chiefs must be well aware that In this mat ter of defense "economy, the secretary of defense only differs from the president in wishing to go further and faster. The presi dent made the original decision, in 1948, to forget the require ments of a serious defense, and to sacrifice defense planning to budgetary convenience. At that time, it was also agreed that the Joint chiefs would draw up each year a new "requirements" plan and budget, against which the budget-ceiling or "capabilities" pi in could be measured. This year, the chiefs were called to ths" 'Jhite House, to be given their $13,000,000,000 budget ceiling by the president in person. Thereafter, a spas modic effort was made to draw up the regular, a-nual require ments" program. But in the end this seemed so fraitlea that "the task was never completed the J.CJS. temporarily surrendered. . Meanwhile, however, Soviet strength baa grown visibly, and the world situation has worsen ed appallingly. Meanwhile, the defense planning of the Atlantic pact nations, which is under the personal charge of the incorrup tible General Omar Bradley, has begun to show how enormous are the gaps in our security. Mean while, congress has beer waking up, as is shown by Senator Mil-. lard Tydinss fine speech last week. Thus far. Secretary Johnson has been able to count upon the joint chiefs' acquiescence, and to take advantage of it But that ac : quiescence may not endure for ever. tr : - . (Copyricht JS50. m Kw York Herald Tribune Inc.) Armed Guard An Insult, Not A Real Honor By Henry Mclezaore DAYTONA BEACH, Fla, Feb. 20 Things That Puzzle Me Sec tion: Why is it that a baseball commissioner has to have an armed guard when he makes a public appear ance? Not too long ago I saw "Happy" Chan dler escorted to his seat at a football game by two police men each of whom bristled with enough - ' x J t J arms to fight a platoon of sol diers on even terms for a fort night I imagine you could take a poll of all Americans old enough and big enough to fire a gun with out finding one who wants to shoot Mr. Chandler. The chances are he could walk around un escorted by artillery-bearing folk with perfect safety. And so, I am sure, could 99 and 99100ths of the folk who are given armed escorts in this country. But our nation seems to consider such an escort an honor. To me such an escort is an insult not an honor. If a man can't walk among his fellows without having gun toters on all sides the Implication is that he is so downright ornery that somebody wants to have a plug at him. e To continue the subject of things that puzzle me, why does Winston Churchill, if the Con servatives beat the Labor eleven, want to arrange a talk among himself, Stalin, : and President Truman? Stalin appears to be the type who would lie about his age to his mother, so what would any of his promises mean? Sup pose he said Russia never would drop a bomb, and shook hands as pledge of good faith. Could any sane man believe him? A fellow named Hitler did just that to a fellow named Chamberlain, and while Hitler was shaking hands with his right hand he was cocking a pistol with his left Mr. Churchill and Mr. Truman are toe honest to deal with Stalin. Being men of good will they are blind to the fact that a lot of men aren't cut from the same solid cloth. If anyone is to be sent to talk to Stalin I think it would be wise to find the crookedest man in the United States and the biggest thief in England and make them the official emissaries. No one can see through'a crook as fast as another crook. Another puzzler. Why don't newspaper columnists send out pictures to run along with their columns that bear some slight resemblance to themselves. Most of the papers which use my col umn use a picture of me taken when I was at an age when I was switching from a tricycle to a bicycle. If the picture was much bigger it would show my romp ers and the Buster Brown shoes I was wearing. And I am not as guilty of mis representation as some others of my craft I know a female col umnist who is pictured as too young to make mud pies when the truth is she was a ballot box tender when McKinley was run ning. I can answer my own question. Most of us columnists don't dare send out pictures of ourselves that look the way we really do. After all, we have to have read ers to make a living, and if you frighten a reader often enough he'll give you Up for the want ads. (McN.ufht Syndicate. Inc.) NO TAX 'is levied on G. I. in surance dividends. No income tax is asked on mutual insurance company dividends or inheri tances or money received as gifts. GRIN AND BEAR IT "Four years getting a teaching spent patting en and palling eft j I ! THE LETTER The Safety "BLIND FAITH" NOT TENET OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE To the Editor: Commenting editorially last Thursday upon a recent address at Northwestern university by Erwin D. Canham, editor of The Christian Science Monitor, dur ing a campus conference on re ligion, you have said: "It is no favor to the young people to spoon-feed them the idea that if we all live right and say our prayers, peace and plenty will automatically just happen." Because from the tone of the editorial your readers not other wise informed might conclude that Christian Science teaches its adherents to indulge in blind faith, I shall appreciate space in an early issue of the Oregon Statesman for this reply. Christian Scientists are under no illusions concerning this mo mentous 'period nor are they found with their heads in the sands of faith without works. Having already proved in their Individual lives the power of prayer to heal sickness and sin through a spiritual understand ing of God and man, they are prepared to meet the challenge of our times in the spirit urged by Christ Jesus, the Way shower: "... when these things (wars, persecutions, tumults of Better English By D. C Williams 1., What is wrong with this sentence? The food was very tasty, and we enjoyed It" 2. What is the correct pronun ciation of "valiant? - 3. Which one of these words is misspelled? Furlough, fusillade, tuedaiism. runicuiar. 4. What does the word "abash" mean? 5. What la a word beginning with ve that means "greedy in eating"? ANSWERS 1. Say, "The food was very tasteful." 2. Pronounce val-yant both a's as in at second a un stressed. 3. Feudalism. 4. To de stroy the self-possession of; to confuse; disconcert "But there were at least three 'persons in the room whom nothing could abash.' 5. voracious. by Lichty degree! . . . and all ear time Is galoshes and snow salts . HE'S BEEN WAITING FOR jj Valve nature, distress of nations, and fearful hearts) begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads;" (Luke 2128). What Mr. Canham said at Northwestern university will not mislead those who caught the import of bis remarks. His au ditors will not be lulled into some false hope that "friendly relations with the enemy" will be insured "through some occult working of mind over matter" referred to in your editorial. The youth present In the chapel heard the Monitor's editor say in substance that the spiritual awakening of the Individual is essential to his effective service to bis brother man in the omi nous days ahead. A substantial IU1 NEW DURO-CRAFT POWER TOOLS . , every model improved just for you! I! 15-Inch JIG SAW Large capacity jig saw with full 15" front blade to frame, with full V depth. 9"x9" precision ground, work table tin Ol OC to 45 JmMlSW NEW 8" TABLE New, convenient construction permits micrometer adjustments for dado work (dado capacity 6"x1316"). Ta ble, tilts to 45 stops automatically at 90. Saw guard, splitter, and mitre llVlf w 59.95 guage included Make Certain! Ask for DURO-CRAFT Power Tools . . . they're precision designed especially for you. DURO-CRAFT Power Tools . . . at that convenient location. report of the address in question appears in the Monitor for Feb ruary 11. Very sincerely yours, Norman Dexter Scovill Committee on Publication For the State of Oregon Portland, Oregon ANCIENT SNAKE FOUND RIO DE JANEIRO -(ff)-An 80-million-y ear-old snake has' been reported found near San Jose Ita borai, small town In Rio de Jan eiro state. A report to the geolog ical museum here says a field par ty, digging in a site which hai been explored for 20 years, found fossil birds, lizards, plants and a snake estimated to belong to the tertiary age. The snake is the first of that type found in Brazil, says the report mm w uiru SAW shaping, etc .j, f f". II I - -Pmr """J Literary . . Guidepost . - By W. G. Rorers THE SIDEWALKS ARE FREE, by Sam Ross (Farrar, Straus: " $3.00). Hershy Melov-is a busy young ster, busy killing Indians, ex ploring, being a soldier, a fighter pilot a magician, an inventor . . . "Thank God you aren't grown up," says his mother Son ya. His father David has packed up his carpenter's kit and gone off to work in army camps, and his uncle Yussel is in uniform and serving abroad. , Chicago is not a good place for a boy, nor a bad. It's just a place. It takes the young foreign-born, like Hershy, rubs off the foreign and puts the American there in stead, just as the passing years replace the boy with the man. With quick eyes and ready ears, and a mind that can put two and two together, Hershy learns something about being a Jew, about having to use his fists; he finds out some facts of life from his mother, and from Rachel alone and Rachel with Joe Ganz; and he is initiated Into the world of business when finally the family comes into some money, and hoards it and just misses putting it in gold bricks, and at last invests it in the whoppinest goldbrick of alL a laundry. Why Isn't it enough, the desperate father cries, just to be a human being? And human beings they are, fi nally, pictured in this earnest novel, which achieves impor tance by dealing honestly with people of no Importance. The sidewalks of Chicago will not get fate song, like the sidewalks of New York, but they are a fertile background for Hershy and his family. If Ross does not stir the read er, he holds him. One virtue of his novel is the care with which he stays on this side of that sen sationalism which tends to -put books about Chicago on the list of books banned in Boston. This isn t an expose of a city, but an exposition of a character. The National Geographic Socie ty says Dr. Thomas Walker in 1750 disclosed the importance of Cumberland Gap as a way to the west FOl INSURED SAVINGS SK Rrsl Federal Savings Fin! Current Dividend 2Va 9 1 rtUtlUI ?Ulil end lean Ass'iu 112 So. Liberty I V : " p 43 Six-Splined Spindle Drill Press Spindle has total travel of 3ft" and will drill to the center of 14Vi" circle. 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