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About Eugene register-guard. (Eugene, Or.) 1930-1983 | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1941)
Page Four AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER .A' (fubllihtd Wnrr Bwntaa M Suaaiyi tZSnt at flu Fort Oifle t Iwnt. OrMon. u Mcond U autM. DITORI AL'PA.GE OF THE REGISTER-GUARD Tba IIMtatw-Oiurd'i poller 1 complrt ind taw" : rsr 5.. 3 ErtSraiul helpful In tiw development o eonitmctive eamm unity roller. HOME DEFENSE REGISTRATION The rather disappointing returns from the first county-wide one-day registration for home defense should not be permanently discouraging. So far as we can learn people failed to flock to the usual polling places to sign up because: 1. Didn't quite understand purpose.. 2. Polling places after all not most convenient. 3. Confusion with other drives and appeals. For that reason we are suggesting a more centralized and more continuous and more deliberate campaign till we get the required 10,000 men and women enrolled. Instead of so many registration places, set up registra tion desks or counters in the principal towns at the banks, stores and other places where people are accustomed to go. Likewise the nature of Home Defense en listment needs to be much more carefully explained. For instance, a good many people told Judge Hurd they hesitated to sign be cause they had the impression they would be subject to army calls. The Home Defense enrollment through out the nation is preparation against these needs: 1. Check on sabotage and vandalism during emergency. 2. Check on espionage. 3. Actual behind-the-lines defense if this nation finally is isolated and invad ed. (All same Britain) 4. Strengthen support of soldiers and sailors at main fronts. 5. Take place of our national guards men and reinforce normal city, county and state police patrols. The work covers a tremendous range from proper, diet for children in towns under attack, the organization and handling of ci vilians under war conditions, airplane spot ting, fire protection, police work, forest con servation, maintenance of all water and elec tric utilities. Try to imagine any modern city under total war's attack and the prob lems which arise as normal public services an Interrupted. How would you keep your town going? How would you get men and women to the factories and shops which must be kept running to supply troops? That's the meaning of Civil Defense or Home Defense. Nobody is going to be called upon for any extended duty now, but everybody, according to his ability is asked to take up the necessary training in his line of work. It may involve a few hours a week or one or two days a month. It is not too early to prepare. Nobody can predict which way this war will turn. Readiness will be worth the cost. "HOCUS POCUS, OR SELF DEFENSE" ARMY PAYS FOR PUBLICITY To old timers, the amusing incident of General Ben Lear and the "yoo-hoo" bat talion means just one thing. The U. S. army is beginning to pay the price for its public ity. A lot of sympathy is being wasted upon the 300 members of the Memphis battalion who had to march 15 miles on foot for the alleged sins of a few. Pothouse politicians in Congress are having a field day at old Ben Lear's expense, and because of these political angles old Ben will have some ("reply by endorsement hereon") explaining to do. If you could look into the War Depart ment's wind you would find that the only sin General Lear has committed is "unfavor able publicity." Of course, soldiers on the march must not act like hoodlums. If such outbreaks occur and it is is not possible to spot the main of fenders two conditions must be assumed (1) incompetent officers; (2) generally bad morale. A 15-mile hike isn't going to hurt any outfit that is fit and it can do a lot to make every man realize that he is at least partly responsible for that life-saving factor called morale. The thing that hurt was getting into the papers with a lot of trumped up pictures of "pansy-pad" soldiers looking for blisters. We bleed for old Ben Lear, a soldier of the old school before the army's "military intelli gence" was infested with a lot of "public re lations men" sending pieces to the home papers. We can still hear one tough old hellion e-f the Mexican border period roaring: "If I had my way I wouldn't have a (x x x x x) newspaper man within 80 miles of thli army.'' That old cuss was tough to take but he ynt beloved because he was a man's man .who made real soldiers. The depth bomb incident in the North Atlantic, acknowledged by Secretary Knox, was to be expected. An American destroyer picking up survivors of a British submarine victim felt it necessary to drop "ash cans" to ward off the U-boat. What other course could be expected? The frank statement of Col. Knox on this incident at least clears away the "scud" of rumors circulated mainly by Senator Wheel er and other last-ditch isolationists. How ever, if there has been no actual battle be tween our forces and the Germans, it is mere ly because we and the Germans are trying to make the other strike first. It's like the old small-boy chip-on-should-er stuff. The Germans dared us to come into their "war zone" saying they would shoot at any ship in their gun sights. We promptly extended our hemisphere boundaries and took over Iceland. Maybe the dropping of depth bombs in "self-defense" will provide the necessary provocation. It's like when the chlp-on-shoulder boys reach the stage of shoving at each other, not quite daring to take a good healthy punch. In this country we are making a rather disgusting political spectacle out of a crisis which involves the lives of our young men. Between Franklin D. Roosevelt's habitual evasions of truth and Burt Wheeler's phoney heroics, we see no possible choice. It doesn't matter a tinker's whoop whether we call it shooting in "self defense" it is shooting which is as it should be because we ARE AT WAR, as every simpleton knows. The great shame is that the lives of thousands of American soldiers and sailors in the North Atlantic may be put in double jeopardy because of the efforts of these political quacks to make war taste like soothing syrup. If you were aboard any vessel in the North Atlantic your life would depend on shooting first and hardest and straightest. No other policy is truthful or makes sense. A BAS LES WHISKALANTES! That sterling patriot and veteran of hor net wars, Ajax McGurk, has risen in revolt against what he terms the mob rule of the Whiskalantes. The Black Shirts, he calls them contemptuously, and he declares he will not be regimented, badgered, bulldozed or otherwise intimated into wearing whis kers against his will in hot weather. McGurk expresses surprise that such staunch individuals as Judge Skipworth and Judge Wimberley should have sought to pur chase immunity from the Whiskalante gang sters. It reveals, says he, the low state into which democracy has fallen. This year's pageant, the eminent curb stone orator points out, is dedicated to FREEDOM. The heroes of the wagon trains, he avers, wore whiskers not from fear of man or beast but as free will offerings and as a form of camouflage to deceive scalp- hunting Indians. They would have scorned feeble compromises with nature. McGurk is apprehensive that the Grants Pass Cave Men will round up the whole body of Whiskalan tes into their Order of the Dinosaur. McGurk left yesterday for South Slough where he expects to remain for the duration. IN THE EDITOB'S MAILBAG BONUS PLAN FOR FUTURE VETERANS It was to be expected. A certain mem ber of the legislature, whose name we shall not use because there are times when we draw the line at free advertising, has launched an initiation bill to provide a bonus for future veterans, when as and if the present war ends and the men in service re turn to civilian occupations. Un-huh, he has the support of the Commonwealth Federa tion. Yessir, Representative X has proposed a tax of 5 percent against all dividends paid within the state of Oregon or originating in Oregon. To broaden the appeal and clinch a few more votes, Mr. X proposes that any amounts not used to pay off soldiers ($15 a week for 16 weeks after discharge) will be transferred to old age pensions, to help get even, he says for the cigarette sales tax which the referendum has held up. No doubt if the men now in service see active duty, the time will come when there will be a new Legion and VFW and DAV to demand bonuses and special compensa tions and the new veterans will be just as much entitled to such reward as any of their predecessors, but we think most of the men now in service would agree that we've A WAR TO FIGHT FIRST. In the meantime the Future Veterans are not particularly interested in the politi cal aspirations (or rackets) of Mr. X, but there is a lot of this half baked claptrap which comes precious close to being a racket. . . The only law obeyed by bootleggers is the law of supply and demand. . Lots ot snapely girls regard bathing suits as dry goods. , FROM LOOIE UTILLISTON, N. D. (To the Editor) I am leaving Yellow stone valley and its 88,000 acres of irrigable land and last week It had a scattered hail and rain storm. It did a lot of damage but also did a great deal at good. It has a big sugar factory and a lot of Mexicans taking care of the beets, and, of course, the al falfa feeds a lot ot beef cattle, and when I look at the big fat Here fords and then think of the amount of meat we buy from the Argentine, I wonder what it Is all about. Why don't we take care of our own farmers? They are the back bone of this America. I say, why don't we? We are leaving Williston, N. D., going east, and a lot of strip farming is here in spots as there has been plenty of rain. The dry land crops are really good so there will be more for the big brains in Washington, D. C, to control. I say What a Shame! North Dakota, dry for some years, is sure looking good. This native grass, buffalo grass and niggerwool ripens on the sod and it is the finest to fatten stock in the fall. Cattle are a good price and stock sheep are around $8 a head for two to four-year-olds. There are not many sheep to be had. There are a few men that sell when the price is high and buy when it is low, and that is O. K. for all things. Don't hold it too long, that is as Wall street is doing, only they force it, and that is where the sucker is caught and we have many suckers on dry land. That is the Great Checker Game of Life, and in Europe it has turned out to be a grand dog fight. There are a lot of snowsheds here. Trees and bushes to protect the railroad and the dry seasons have killed a lot of them but since last year and this, they have started to grow again. The farmers have a wind charger for battery for radio and some lights. The Montana-Dakota power has full swing on electric service at a fair to high price. The few farmers here are try ing to do as the railroad as for snow-breaks, we are romng to ward Minot and it is the typical Dakota prairie. Minot is a sort of in-between prairie and farming country, busy, but not big payroll as Eugene is enjoying now ana that arand nageant coming on. More next week as I roll to ward St. Paul. LOUIS JOSEPHSEN. Lines From The Library THERE have been many medical biographies added to the shelves at the Eugene Public Library in recent years, but A Yankee Doo tor In Paradise" by S. M. Lambert is one of the best. Dr. Lambert tells his own story and of how he received his appointment to work in the South Seas through Dr. Heiser, author of "An American Doctor's Odyssey." Dr. Heiser vis ited Dr. Lambert on the job and watched him work and has said, "If any man should write a book, it should be Lambert. He packs it from cover to cover with fasci nating, authentic human interest. His work at Suva has been monu mental." Dr. Lambert worked chiefly on hookworm. He went over red tape, made friends with the natives of the various islands and tells much of the manners and customs of these fascinating islands. Another medical book, but Of an entirely different type, is "Tough en Up, America" by Dr. Victor Heiser. It is a book calling the people of this country to ac count for our poor health record. It is written in the author's usual vigorous style and he makes fre quent comparison with his exper iences in other countries. A list of the partial contents follow: Facts about foods; If you are under thirty; Outwitting the years; Sleep and refueling; Habits; Assets and liabilities. A book which is to a certain ex tent the history of the cattle trade in the west is "The Longhorns" by James Frank Dobie. It is "a his tory" of the Texas longhorns, a breed of cattle that was an im portant factor in the economic de velopment of the west. Details of the great cattle industry, natural history of the longhorns, and plenty of western legend and an cedote are included. Illustrated with striking drawings and photo graphs." For the mystery fans there is "N Or M?" by Agatha Christie. The book is fast moving and tells of Tommy Beresford and his wife, Tuppence, who did their bit In the last war and who were invited to do a Job of spying for England in 1940. The scene is a summer resort on the British coast. There they become heavily involved with the German fifth column in England. D. E. Stevenson has written "Mrs. Tim Carries On," as a se quel to "Mrs. Tim of the Regi ment." In this book Mrs. Tim tells of the amusing and pathetic rou tine of life during the last months of 1939 and early 1940 in a small Scottish town. It is light, humor ous and at the same time a cour ageous "carry on' novel. The au thor will also be remembered for having written "Miss Buncle's Book." pUGENE, Ore. (To the Editor)- ence) missed out on Beecher and Tilton Rocks on the Old Siuslaw Stage road. They were named for the Beecher-Tllton trail at ibi. Chris Beck, Tom Neely, Chas, Harwood. Jim Furnish or former County Judge Fred Flsk might verify this. I well remember my father, F. M. Nighswander, telling of this. J. M. NIGHSWAWBEK. OUCH! TUNCTION CITY. (To the Edt ' tor) Just a little information for the much worried firemen and Mr. McGurk. suggest that any one get up early Now I hesitate just a little to in the morning and especially early enough at this time of year to be there when the hornets begin to wake up or better still just a little before they start. If the worried one will make it a point to get up early and as semble the wife's Hoover vacuum cleaner (maybe he will have to get up early for two reasons if he gets the cleaner). The Hoover does have good suction and the dusting tools are light enough that it is no trouble to hold the nozzle of the cleaner up to the door of the hor nets nest and there is sufficient suction that Mr. Hornet just can't resist going in the bag. One at a time or as many as can come out the opening of the nest. Very simple and short operation with no regrets. They are perfectly harm less after going through the fan of the cleaner into the bag. OLE OLESEN. Mrs. Pitcher Dies Friday at Hospital Mrs. Mildred Pitcher of Spring field died at the Sacred Heart hos pital Friday afternoon. Miss Mildred FurKmser wb born at Hiawatha, Kansas, and ai the age of eight years moved with h family to Pavette. Idaho. In 1910 she married Ben n. ri.- nt T.aGrande. Ore., where they lived until 1917 when they came to the Willamette vauey. ine Pitchers made their home in Salem for 10 years before moving to Springfield two years ago. Besides her widower, sne is sur. vived bv three children, Mrs. HpIimib Pnwers. of Grand Ronde and Richard and Bert, Doin oi Snrinefield: two sisters, Mrs. Bel la Jones, of La Grande, and Mrs. Helen Dement, of Eagle, laano; two brothers, of Caldwell, Idaho, and Ross, of Salem. She was a member of the Episcopal church. Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Rose Lawn funeral home in Salem and interment will be in the Bellcrest cemetery. The Phil Bartholomew chapel is in charge of arrangements. Friends wishing to send flowers may leave them at Bartholomew's any time before 10 o'clock Monday morning. RKANH GET BOOST BASIN, Wyo. (U.R) Attention, drafters! Farmers in the center of Wyoming's navy bean-growing in dustry arused by reports that beans are a luxury at New York armv costs have written their congressmen urging that beans be included on the menu at training Clarence Purkhiser camps. Jllljl Rin Ron. L Will Employ 70flo Harvesting of tt, i. bean crop in Lane tj the latter 4 W18 to 7500 persons to Uj during the Growers contracted A beans th is v J I bein, edup'CT TM i r lorsfieint For Men A ff J BURCH' 1060 Willi,.! Sanltone Cleaning Electric Cleaners Fh. 300 SPECIAL MONDAY ONLY LADIES' HEEL CAPS le For Only With Every Pair Q at the Regular Price 19C Whlle-IMValt Service PENNEY'S Shoe Repairing National Operated PENNEY'S BASEMENT ZEMACOL Money back guarantee for poison oak relief 47o PENNY-WISE 40 East Broadway 769 W. 8th Syd's Friendly Advice Is FREEI Young Folks Listen jMH yfesSf When Syd Rhodes Vjscili V Analyzes Their To make plans and purse pull together is not always easy. Syd has had world! of experience along this line. Syd Rhodes is the Only Man in Eugene Who Spends All His Time Making FHA Loans! In addition to making many loans from $2500 to $5,000, Syd says he has increasing calls for loans on new homes to cost $6,000 and over. For financing these larger homes, Syd has unusual facilities. TWIN OAKS BUILDERS SUPPLY CO: 869 If We Don't Render A Complete Building Service High Street WHO DOES? Phone 7tt! . i ps 7ThCtrrr vW7S7M Trtysn wrtmrt TirnTTJCimi Mini ifumma jia JDMfflliW fSSfe A"d flet th,s !2 sos'tlon along f VffYttTII l-i-rr TffflMfl HO most of tha luuru. I I IIIAI V vsMra.r.i..u,.1.ad,natorInKj11,or W &MWf, 1 llth at Olive SILVA CHEVROLET CO. no1
