The Oregon statesman., February 28, 1994, Page 4, Image 4

PAGE TOUR
Tbm OBEGON STATESMAN. Satan, Or 900. Thanday Morning, February 18. lUt
resott
tatemaatt
"So Favor Swayi U$; No Ftar Shall AunT
From First SUUnua, March U. 1S51
TIIE STATESMAN PUBLISH IIS G COMPANY
CHARLES A. SPRAQUE, Editor and Publisher
Member of the A Mod a ted Praas
The Associated Press la exclusively entitled to the um (or pub Ilea Una of all
newt dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited In this newspaper.
A
Mainliner vs. Streamliner!
All-but-pilotless airplanes; chats between
homes and speeding cars; giant machines which
lay houses like eggs if Jules Verne had known
. of things like these, the French novelist (1828
1905) might have hid his own fanciful stories
in' shame. He's just outdone.
United Air Lines' latest announcement of
the electronic pilot, in fact, just about puts
even the weather in the class of things unim
portant, so far as aviation is concerned. And
when the weather gets in that category, it
might as well give up and be nice.
Hydraulic automatic pilots have been in use
for some time, but their functions are limited.
Not so with electronic devices. W. A. Patterson,
UAL's president, says "we are entering a new
era - - - which will lead ultimately to com
plete automatic flight." But he hastens to add
that "thin doe not mean we are going to die
pen with hSumair pilot." The latter will
merely T given more time for flight plan
ning and other light duties."
Under plan now scheduled to be operative
within the rent few months, planes which pick
up localizer radio signals with their new equip
ment, as they approach an airport, will follow
a precise sloping beam automatically to a point
just over the end of a runway, where the human
pilot will take over: Yet the landing operations
in no sense will be "blind." The plane will be
under rigid control from the ground as if it were
being drawn down on a huge track from the
skies. There will be no dependence on variables
such as altimeters or the kind of beams from
which planes can veer through human error
in the to-called blind landings of the past.
Already. UAL is starting to equip its Main
liner Martins with the new automats, and air
port localizers and glide path are being in
stalled by the civil aeronautics authority on
the nation's air routes. A survey of the Salem
airport was made last fall bythe CAA, and it
was understood the contract for new radio
localizer ground equipment was to be let. But
o far nothing has been done. The same situa
tion obtain? in Portland, Seattle, Pendleton and
Other, western cities.-
Salem currently has but two north-south
flights daily. It is no. secret that more stops
might be made here if weather did not fre
quently hem in the field or if equipment was
such as to make the weather less of a factor.
President Patterson of UAL undoubtedly had
the new electronic pilot in mind during a visit
bere some months ago when he forecast Salem
as a major port df call in postwar years. Present
indications are that ground equipment for the
'device may be installed later this! year.
Salem's airport now is under city jurisdic-
tion by virtue of an interim military permit, is
sued by the army pending formal cancellation
of its wartime contract. As the site of the Capi
tol, this city already is regarded as a "prestige"
link in UAL's main system, and sufficient busi- .
new to establish it as a major economic asset
to the airline is confidentally expected as the
area grows. If there' ;wasn't such expectation,
UAL wouldn't have offered to construct a $7S,
000 administration building . under conditions
which the city has had under advisement its
; era! months. , ' ?
With the advent of electronic pilots which
laugh at murky skies, the Salem airport with
Its roaring mainlmers should be fully as in
teresting a scene as the railroad station and
its projected streamline limited.
r , " v
Krujr la Appointed
J. A. Krug. President Truman's nominee for
secretary of the interior, is a man with an ex
cellent record in public service. He is a native
of Wisconsin, a graduate of the University of
Wisconsin, worked as research statistician for
the Wisconsin Telephone co., then went on the
staff of the Wisconsin public service commis
sion After a turn with the FCC he became
chief power engineer for the Tennessee valley
authority. With the outbreak of the war he
bees me consultant on power for the OPM. Later
he went with WPB and succeeded Donald Nel
son as director. Thus he has had rather wide
experience a a public administrator.
Business interests who feared from his conr
nection with TVA that he would be a long
haired socialist found him practical-minded. '
Editorial Comment
ATOMIC BOMB LIMITS
Wht Dr. Leonard Ier. navy research physicist,
S4v about the limitations of the atomic bomb is
SL''siH.tl inherent in the nature of atomic fission
of Uranium 235 and Plutonium. He advances, in
a Naval OYnnante laboratory Bulletin, the opinion
that thee round tm sire will probably prevent
nuking the bomb many time more destructive than
it now iv W should, itot look for atomic bombs a !
hundred or sc lime more devetsating than the one
th-tt strut k Hiroshima
The chain reaction that causes the. explosion
des' not occur in Uranium 235 Or Plutonium un
less there u a mass of the metal above a certain
size, not vet revealed. Masses under this size do
not go off. The tendency4 of the enormous heat gen
erated by tbe fission. Dr. Loeb points out, is to
throw the metal apart The heat, he says, runs a
ctMe race with the chain reaction; in a mass above
a certain sue it wouM probably break up the
metal and scatter it in chunks too small for fission
to operate. The bomb can be too small or too large.
We need not expect a single bomb big enough to
wipe out California or even Ohio at a crack.
To the shght comfort ki this pronouncement may
ie added another consideration brought forward
by Dr. Loeb, one commost to all kinds of bombs.
If a bomb of given power has a destructive radius
of s mile, one twice as big does not reach out'
two miles, but only 1.4 miles.
In view of the probable exaggeration in the
public mind of what the atomic bomb can do these
checks on imagination are useful. The thing is
!prtentou enough wHhout enlargement. San
I
V At '
Si i.li ll I
Franusco Chronicle.
He performed well through the closing days of
WPB and then engaged in private business as
a consultant. He now is recalled to public serv
ice in one of the most important offices in the
country. Those who know him vouch for his
integrity, which, is a prime requirement in this
office. A comparatively young man, 38 years
of age, he should bring to his job vigor and
alertness. If he has mental toughness too, he
ought to be successful in this difficult task.
One question sure to arise is what his atti
tude will be toward .Valley authorities. Harold
Ickes favored regional development but insisted
that it be prosecuted under existing agencies,
many of which centered in the interior depart
ment, and that no separate independent agency
be set up, like TVA. Sponsors of independent
agencies were bitter at Ickes for opposing MVA.
They will wonder what Krug's attitude will be.
Private power interests also will be concerned
because the interior department, under the law
manages the sales of all government hydro
electric plants except TVA. A fair guess would
be that Krug will take plenty of time to study
the problem, and that he will make up his
mind on the basis of what he thinks is best
for the country.
Some complaint was expressed because a
westerner was not chosen. In view of local '
pressures this paper believes it is better to
have some one not definitely tied up with the
west and its factions and group interests. Krug
has lived in Wisconsin which is near enough the
great west to supply him with something of
its atmosphere. He will quickly be able to grasp
its local problems and needs. The president's
choice merits commendations.
Behind the News
By PAUL MALLON
(Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc. Re-
production in whole or in part strictly prohibited.)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27. The announcements
said it was a "bold" program which Mr. Truman
proposes for the building of 2,700,000,000 new
houses this year and next.
It was bold enough in a way, but those who
know the inner workings or non-workings, at,
present of the building trades, recognized it, with
their more practised eye, as a familiar, typical;
program of the Roosevelt type.
It is sure-fire politically; otherwise a blunder!
buss. (Note: A blunderbuss is a;
noisy gun which does not shoot j
straight.) i
The troubles of the great lag
ging construction industry are two-i
fold:' (A) prices, and (B) labor.!
The report of Mr. Truman's hous-:
ing administrator Wilson Wyatt
considered the trouble as onefold:
A shortage of materials. But ma
terials scarcity is the visible re-
1 action from the two greater, deepJ
rai Man er causes. Price of materials, in
general, have been held at 1941-42 levels. But
building labor, in general, has had two or three
raises in the war years. Producers of building ma
terials simply could not make money, and were
crushed by the pressure of increasing labor cost
against a frozen price ceiling, as many another!
industry in this period. Not being able to.makt
any money, these producers went out of business,
curtailed unprofitable production, entered other
lines, or retired to the sidelines.
CentracU Fall te Find Bidders
I have heard of contracts for the building of,
roads going begging today, not because of thai
shortage of materials, but because no contractor
can make any money from them. Incidents of this,
revealing nature have occurred in New York
Minnesota and other states. The contracts offered!
by the states, municipalities or others are founded
on the 1941 42 price level, and it is impossible for
any contractor . to get materials or labor at those
levels.
In one Irreality I checked, the common day labor
wage, for example, is fixed at S3 rents an hour,
but no builder can get common labor short of S 1
an hour approximately one-third more than the
theoretical wage scale yet the actual wage-cost is
much higher because labor has slowed down on
work in the war years, and productivity per man
is incalcuably less.
To meet this trouble, the Truman-Wyatt plan;
in basic essence, proposed to pay a "premium!
(cash bounty) to producers of building material!
out of the federal treasury, in order to induce them
to go back to production. No set scheme of pay
ment was offered. The opportunities for favoritism
and politics are left open by the wide federal
power to pay one producer one amount, others an
other. Indeed, three different brickyards at th
very same city could b handled differently. A high
cost producer -could get a government subsidy, a
medium cost producer could make an average proff
it, and a low-cost producer could make a high profit
without subsidies. . j
Fries Increase Declared Justified
The theory, thus, is to transfer the-farm subsidy
plan to the building industry, and take the money;
of all- the people from the federal treasury to
pay to unprofiting operators in order to avoid a
price increase which is justified by all the facts. j
Consequently, the building industry is largely
laughing within its sleeve at the program, inwardly
calling it "just another Washington proposition,"
while willing to take, any money Washington wants
to throw around. The politicians in congress, on
the other hand, are taking it up eagerly, as they
do all this type of spending, and no doubt legisla
tion setting the program in motion will be-enacted
without much opposition. -
After all the defects, then, the only live, re
maining question is whether the program will
build the 2,700,000 houses which are needed. Will
it do the job? It may.
Mrv Wyatt, who will be in charge, is a promoter
rather than a builder. As a former Louisville mayor
and new dealer, he is what the administration
boys call "a live' wire." He may build that many
, houses, as Greenbelt, Arthurdale and other places
were built, but at an uneconomic cost.
What the industry would prefer' is a continuance
and expansion of the federal housing administra
tion, which has worked out well by making loans
to encourage ho me building, and a realistic upward
revision of the price ceilings to make the construc
tion oL building materials profitable.
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The Literary Guidepost
AVC Schedules
Meeting with
VetsatYMCA
Any man W woman who was
honorably discharged after serv
ice in the armed forces, merchant
marine, or In allied forces in
World War II. is invited to the
first Salem meeting of the Ameri
can Veterans Committee. at the
YMCA at 8, Thursday night.
Leslie D. Renniger, 'Spokane.
Wash., who is a field secretary
of the organization, will attend
the meeting to advise veterans on
the formation of a local chapter.
A Portland chapter, the only one
in Oregon, was formed February
12.
The committee started with a
group of friends of Gilbert Harri
son, army corporal, who corres
ponded about their ideas on how
to secure the peace, jobs and free
dom for which they were fighting.
The group grew until a headquar
ters was set up with Charles ;G
Court Hears Argument
On Special Election jine
The state supreme rourt Wed
nesday heard arguments of art tor -neys
in a suit brought by W. J.
Sen f erf against George P. St s del
man, mayor of The Dalles, to com
pel the city council there to ac
cept petit and call a special
election to vote on the question
of creating a peoples utility dis
trict. The council previously refused
to call the election as urged by
the petitioner. The lower court
held for the plaintiff whereupon
the city appealed to the state su
preme court.
College Plans
Changes for
Spring Term
The new spring semester open
ing at Willamette university
March II will bring new changes)
in curriculum and two new fae-
Bolte, a Dartmouth graduate. Who ; ulty members and a return appear
lost his leg , at El Alamein while j ance of a former member,
serving with the British army, as i First term courses open to fresh-
chairman.
men and new students are avail-
... ...
The statement of intentions of ; ,n lru" D'oiogy. m-iory. r.ng-
the AVC includes: adequate fi ' ''" Psychology, snd physics de
nancial, medical and vocational aid PB'tment.
for every veteran; thorough social Heading the lUt of new faculty
and economic security; active par-! members is James E. Simpson.
Ucipation in the United Nations fl,rmfr associate professor of psy
olganlzation and the establish-! chology at Chico state college.
Br J. M. Roberts, jr.
(Continued from Pftge 1)
of the war was of the best qual
ity, blames the poor reporting on
the censors. In an article in
February Harpers he tells of the
news vacuum of the war, with
instances like this:
"Censorship succeeded beauti
fully in concealing the name of
the commander who asked fat
reenforcements to quell 2000
Japs on Attu when he had only
15.000 men and the support of
a fleet No one was allow
ed to hint that the famous
V-mail device was detested by
the men at the front and was
usually so incompetently man
aged that ordinary letters and
postcards beat V-mail for .
speed." Pratt says that the navy cen
sorship system showed improve
ment in' the progress of the war
but that "the army clung
throughout to Brigadier General
Suites, retired, who--whatevet
his talents were in other direc
tions simply lacked the back- ,
ground to be anything more
than one of the glorified lackeys
the army system produced:"
Pratt doesn't put all the blame
on military censors. To quote:
"Far too many of the repre
sentatives of the press were old
political, police beat and dist
rict men, trained in the spot
news tradition, who failed com
pletely to realize that reporting
a war is a business of writing
a continuing series of feature
stories. Under the official re
pressions most of them turned
into 'handout men' waiting
around headquarters for the
communique and any attached
releases, then simply putting
these in their own words or
the cable."
The war is over now. and we
can look back on it with im
proved perspective. The presu
thought it was doing a pretty
good job. Now it sees great de
ficiencies, attributable in part
to the vastness of the war to
be reported, the difficulties of
getting the facts, the impedi
ments of censorship and com
munications, and inadequacies
THE CIA NO DIARIES, ay Taunt
' tialcassa CUao (DoableSari Ml.
The interest which attaches to
someone else's mail remaining
what it alwayt has been. The
Ciano Diaries," recording the
purported reactions of Musso
lini's young foreign affairs
mouthpiece during the years
1939-43, undoubtedly will stand
as one of the most interesting
books of the year.
Aside from that, the value of
the diaries in fixing responsi
bility for the history of the
period is little more than cor
roborative. Sumner Welles vouches for
Ciano's authorship. Authenticity
of content is another matter,
when it is considered that Mus
solini knew of the existence of
the diary, and that Ciano was
well aware of the "proclivities
of his dear Duce's secret police.
It must have been much like
writing on the walls of the Coli
seum in broad day. Like so
many diaries which display
great prescience concerning
events which occur long after
the date of entry but long prior
to publicaUon, one comes to
wonder if a little hindsight may
not have helped the author be
fore he smuggled the notebooks
to his wife, who brought them
out of Italy.
Blither that, or young Ciano
was one of the most farsighted
men of his time, who saw the
future of the Axis more accu
rately than anyone else.
With regard to the hinges
upon which the events of his
days turned, there is no .reason
to doubt Ciano's . familiarity,
and his version is extremely in
teresting if seldom importantly
revealing. Principally he serves
to emphasize how well the world
at large was informed regard
ing the inner workings of the
Axis. The psychology of Musso
lini and Hitler, the methods: of
the Nazis, the relations between
Italy and Germany, their war
aims, all appear much the same
as they did during the war.
Ciano completely adopts what
allied writers were saying of
the disparity and dislike be
tween Italy and Germany, the
sure awareneas of the Italians,
of reporters. We can admit fail
ures; but we do not ask for
another war to demonstrate we
have profited by past mistakes.
GRIN AND BEAR IT
By Lichly
i if'
I ii7
l i
msmL
2 & ' cw. n
ment of an international veterans
council for the futherance of world
peace and justice.
even II Duce, that they had got
ten tied up in something that
was neither profitable nor plea
sant. It 'Is the story which has
been accepted as the basis of the
peace, the story which probably
will be accepted by history, and
whether Ciano was consciously
trying to absolve himself or not,
the intimacies of his account are
a colorful Addition.
The
Safety Valve
LETTEBS FROM STATESMAN
READERS ,
PROTEST OVER DEATH
OF BOXER
To the Editor:
Many people were shocked
this last week, when they read
of the brutal killing of the young
man in the boxing bout other
wise prize fight-1; in our local ar
mory. And now' many are more
shocked at the complacent way
the tragedy has been received
without any individual or group
uttering a protest. What has hap
pened to our fair city of Salem,
meaning Peace, which was
founded by Christian mission
aries. Has human life become so
cheap that it can be snuffed out
without any protest? Have such
fatalities become so common that
they are taken for granted? Is
this licensed barbarism another
"sacred cow" that must not be
touched or spoken against? Or
are we waiting for those guar
dians of our morals, the elect
ladies of the WCTU to voice our
sentiments in their usual pro
test? Some bf us who do not ap
plaud such lethal blows would
like some information. The ver
dict by the coroner's inquest was
that death came from a "sub
dural hemorrhage" which was
caused by a blow struck by his
opponent and that his opponent
was "exonerated " On what
grounds "exonerated"? Was -it
an accident or in self-defense or
was it licensed murder? Had the
lethal blow been struck in some
dark alley would there have
been a negro lynching instead of
an exoneration. What hope Is
there to check juvenile crime
. r i I - , .
wnen a id year oia is- aimosv
commended for such a crime.
What about those who promoted
this tragedy being contributors
to the delinquency of a minor.
Now it is propwed to hold an
other similar performance to
raise money for the bereaved
widow. Is that the price to be
paid her for the life of her loved
one? Will that assuage her grief?
Will that exempt those respon
sible for the death from all
claims in a suit for damages?
Who will be the next victim to
be given -a "subdural hemor
rhage" For the sake of decency
and the sacred ness of human life
let us have done with this kind
of entertainment In our city. It
is too costly.
FRED C. TAYLOR,
Salem, Qxf.
Trooj
Salem Scout
) 4 Wins
Discabobolus
.A
Eighty three boy scouts and
leaders from Salem troop 4 of
the First Christian church and j
from troop 8 of the First Pres
byterian church took part in a !
Chico, Calif, who will become
head of Willamette's psychology
department. He will offer a course
in first term psychology and take
over the two second term sections
now being taught.
The biology department will
have a new addition in Dr. Ralph
W. McCoy, ex member of the
botanical research staff at the
University of California, who will
take over the present classes in
biology and offer a first term
course to new pre-medical and
! science majors.
Of interest to former students
of Willamette is the fad that Mrs
nnt -Hihnhnliu' Un! iV""-'u- "
evening at the social hall of e t to tbe faculty to teach two sections
Presbyterian church. j
Troop 4, with the Rev. Clay j
Pomeroy as scoutmaster, won the j
"discabobolus" by taking first)
place in Morse signaling, dressing
race O'Orndir rtril! nnri trnnn ir.
spection and by tieing for "Mature course, during the sum
tying and semaphore signaling. m" ses8'on- '
Most troop 8, with Scoutmaster
of freshman composition. Mrs.
Rin'gnalda. wife of Professor Mur
co Ringnalda. heed of, the jour
nalism department, was drama
! coach at Willamette in 1941 and
1942, and last year taught several
j Don Douris directing, won the box-the-compass
contest and rooster
I fight. A return meet is set for next
! month at the First Christian
j IIIU1VII Willi II U"JJ U IIUM. )
Scout leaders present Monday
iiiuuuTu uuiiia uiu riant ift
Chambers, troop 8 assistant scout
masters, and Rex Wirt and Leslie
Morris, troop v4 assistant scout
masters.
Following the event refresh
ments were served by troop com
mitteemen Paul R. Shepard and
Dale Flippos assisted by Mrs. Paul
R. Shepard.
Red Cross to
Hear Talk by
Milton Boone
Milton C. Boone, Portland, who
trained with an outfit for the Oki
nawa invasion and landed there
on April 9 of last year, will be
guest speaker for the annual
meeting of Marion county chap
ter American Red Cross Thurs
day at 8 p.m., Willamette univer
sity music hall. He will highlight
some of his experiences as field
director there, also during, the
time he served later as a field
director with Uie 10th naval con
struction brigade.
The general public interested
is invited to the Thursday meet
ing, especially all those working
with the Red Cross program. Miss
fCarlita Dreblow, recreational di
rector with the Red Cross at the
U. S. naval hospital at Corvallis,
is to sng. Justice George Ross
man, chairman of Marion county
chapter, will preside, and at the
short business session new chap
ter directors will be elected
"I think girls develasr natch faster than beys! Notice how ear appetites
always far ants trip their allowances!" ,
Dr. Fairham Notified
District First in Area
To Pay (lash on Pledges
Dr. Silas E. Fairham, former
superintendent of the Cascade dis
trict of the Methodist church, has
been notified by the Portland of
fice that his district was the first
in' the Portland area to meet in
cash its pledges to the Crusade for
Christ program. The amount was
more than S4C,000. The Portland
area includes Idaho, Washington,
and Oregon.
Dr. Fairham was recently re
leased, at his own request, from
the leadership of the district be
cause of ill health. His place was
taken on February 1 by the Rev.
Oliver J. Gill of Pendleton.
Portland Phone Workers
To Determine Policy
POKTLAND. Feb. 27-li1 -United
telephone employes of Oregon
were among Pacific coast union
organizations voting not to join
a nationwide telephone strike
called for March 7. but "what
others do concerns us," Edward
T. Healy, union president, said
'today. He said the executive
board will meet tmorrow night
to determine its policy.
Elks Cribbagc
Champions Win
Victory Bonds
With all the pomp and glory
befitting a champion S. G. Hirtkle
has proved by actual contest
against a most worthy opponent,
R. W. Southwick, that he is the
best cribbage player of the Salem
Elks club for the year 1945
As a reward from the Salem
Elks club and the other tourna
ment players Hinkle will receive
a $50 war bond and a gold, especially-made
Elks card case with
proper engravings. Southwick. as
the runner-up to the champion,
will also receive a 150 war bond.
The following tournament play
ers, for winning and going past
the third round of the play-off,
will each receive a $25 war bond:
Walter M. Cline. George D. Hend
erson, Munch E. Gadwa, A. C.
Gei linger, W. D. Evans, John Dor
cas. R. W. Ohmart, Romeo Gou
ley, William G. Hardy. Homer H.
Smith. William Schlitt. Edward
Rostein. A. W, Crocker. G. B.
Wynkoop.
These bonds will b handed to
the respective winners by the
exalted ruler at the lodge meet
ing tonight. All winners are ex
pected to be at this meeting to
receive their bonds and all other
tournament players also have
been urged to be present.
Supreme Court Offices
Closed for Funeral
The state supreme court offices
here were closed part of Wednes
day afternoon- out of respect for
H. L. Kloeping. deputy clerk of
the court, whose : funeral . service
was held from the W. T. Rigdon
chapel.
Kloeping had been employed
as deputy clerk since 1920. He was
65 years old and a member of
the Methodist church,
&p Stevens
! 1 "Wimm laln til. V
1
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i
j
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KDGAB SMITH RE-APPOINTED
Governor Earl Snell Wednesday
announced re-appointment of Ed
gar W. Smith, Portland, as a mem
ber of the state board of higher
education. Smith's nine-yea rterm
will become effective March 2.
Exclusirg Coetume
Piece
Pins, Xarrings. Bracelets.
Necklaces. Broaches, Pin
and Earring Seta, PeaxLs,
Lockets and Crosses!
Radrt PaysnenU
jWtnsj ag
JJf Cosjrt St.