Capital A Journal
An Independent Newspaper Established 1888
GEORGE PUTNAM, Editor and Publisher
ROBERT LETTS JONES, Assistant Publisher
Published every afternoon except Sunday at 444 Che
meketa St., Salem. Phones: Business, 8037 and 3571;
Want Ads, 3571; News Room, 3572; Society Editor, 3573.
Full Leased Wire Service of the Associated Press and
The United Press. The Associated Press is exclusively
entitled to the use for publication of all news dispatches
credited to it or otherwise credited in this paper and also
news published therein.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
By Carrier: Weekly, 20c; Monthly, 75c; One Tear, 19.00. By
Mall In Oregon: Monthly, 60c; 6 Mos., $3.00; One Year, S6.00.
II. S. Outside Oregon: Monthly, 75c; 6 Months, $4; Year $7.50.
by BECK
A Dog's Life
4
Salem, Oregon, Thursday, July 29, 1948
Proposed Change for the Worse
. The mass meeting called by the labor leaders to start
a movement to abolish the city manager form of govern
ment and restore the old councilmanic form attended by
40 people, decided instead to launch a referendum move to
substitute a commission form of government by charter
amendment. The commission proposal would substitute
an elected mayor and two commissioners to serve full
time on a paid basis to replace seven elected aldermen and
mayor who serve on an unpaid basis as executives, and em
ploy a salaried city manager as administrator.
The commission form is preferable to the old council
manic form but it creates a division of authority that al
ways spells inefficiency and discord. It combines the execu
tive and administrative branches, which also spells ineffi
ciency, confusion and extravagance a system that has
long been discarded by large corporations and is a greater
concentration of power than exists under the city manage
ment and substitutes three paid city managers instead
of one. It would therefore be a step backward in the city's
progress besides being more costly and eliminating super
vision. There are a large number of cities that have abondoned
the city commission form of government and substituted
the business manager form which has proved more satis
factory. Where there has been no check on the city man
ager when appointed by a political boss, it has in some in
stances proved unsatisfactory, but in the form utilized in
Salem it has proved the most satisfactory of any system
yet utilized.
Portland, one of the worst governed cities, is a fair ex
ample of the commission form of government. There is
perpetual discord in city affairs, failure to enforce the law
and crime and gambling of all kinds flourish, broken only
by sporadic raids on the Chinese who have no political pow
er and cannot vote. Those gamblers and night club joints
that have influence grow wealthy on law violations. The
election of Dorothy Lee as mayor emphasized the popular
attitude toward commission ruled conditions in Oregon's
metropolis.
Salem's city manager plan should be given a fair trial
with its record of efficiency, economy and law enforce
ment before a change is proposed.
Bp beat it. VviW Im V J iW
SIPS FOR SUPPER
Friendly Bee Wanted
By DON UPJOHN
Does any customer have a nice docile and' amicable bee he
doesn't need for a lew days? If so, he could be of great help to
one of our honest, industrious and dependable citizens by loan
ing same with
assurances o f
getting it back
in good shape.
Yea, our old
friend, Dominie !
Swift, whose
cucumber patch
has so far put
forth one little!
cucumber about I
three - quarters!
of an inch long,
thinks that a
bee is what is is needed.
The
O well, Doug, one day is about
like another when at the beach
on a vacation. The next legis
lature is going to give you a
lot more confusing problems
than that one.
Women Neglect Cancer
Interest in can,-er is at an all time high, yet a nation
wide survey published in a current issue of The Woman's
Home Companion under the title, "What Do You Do About
Cancer?" shows that women (and one out of four between
the ages of 85 and 50 die from cancer) do not use the
information and treatment available to them.
The magazine polled a national cross-section of its mil
lions of women readers and 87 percent confessed that they
never have been examined by a competent cancer special
ist. Thousands of them, says the article, might have been
saved if they had such periodic examination.
Cancer in women, according to medical experience, is
more likely than not to start in the breast or genital sys
tem and "so long as we don't go to a good doctor for a
breast and pelvic examination every year we are in effect
driving in the dark down a hazardous road. Neither prud
ery nor dread of verdict," the article adds, "should deter
us in personally having periodic breast and pelvic examin
ations." In some cases the women complained that their
doctors were too busy or negligent to give satisfactory
examinations.
The article suggests that women in various communi
ties to combat these negative attitudes might interest
two or three physicians trained in gynecology to organize
a co-operative cancer control center. However complete
the medical knowledge about cancer is real progress will
be made only when each woman assumes full responsibility
for the dissemination and use of this knowledge.
Just Plain Common Sense
Reports from travelers into Washington indicate that
extra attention is given toward showing special courtesy
to visitors from out-of-state.
It is the aim of our northern neighbor to make the
traveler feel at home. If shown every consideration, that
traveler will probably want to stay awhile or at least,
come again. So goes the reasoning behind the drive that
could be considered as a statewide application of the good
neighbor policy.
When Oregon was a territory and later during its early
statehood, common courtesy called for open hospitality
to visitors and the offering of a place at the dinner table.
That was nothing but common courtesy. To have ignored
these simple bits of politeness would have been to insult
the passerby.
Today milling masses of population seem to have for
gotten the ways of the past. Washington, however, is
trying to get its people to relive those days of early west
ern hospitality to the traveler by encouraging the expres
sion of common courtesy to the visitor.
A cold analysis of such special attention to this matter
finds that the pushing aside of selfish indifference pays
off in bolstering an inner satisfaction and in building
the lucrative tourist business.
A friendly state is a pleasant state to visit.
Washington has an idea that is certainly not new nor is
It unusual. It is just good common sense. It really
shouldn't take any statewide drive to bring about.
WANTED: AN ARMY SONG
Like the Marine's Hymn
New York MV-The army wants a song.
It can't draft one. It can't requisition one. So It's using an
other system a contest.
First Army headquarters said either soldiers or civilians mav
submit entries.
What is wanted is a song "worthy of becoming an over-all
army song."
All kinds of musical ditties, both published and unpublished,
have been kicking around in the army for a long time now,
but none of them meets the requirements.
The new over-all soldiers' melody, said the army, must be
'of military character, written In a rhythm and ranje which
can lastly ba u:ed for marching and singing."
natch shows a wonderful growth difficulties? Anxinnslv vmin.
of vines, no end of healthy look- Doug."
ing blossoms, but, he thinks the
one tiny cucumber isn t bring
ing out of the vine all of its
potentialities. What he figures
is the matter is a lack of bees
to pollinate those blossoms and
bees as a rule don't hang around
the center of town when they
can find lots more Interesting
things elsewhere. So if any
body has a bee he can get in
touch with the good reverend
and maybe they can make a
dicker. It might even be better
If somebody was willing to part
with two bees for a little while.
One bee might get lonesome,
even in such interesting and In
structive company as the dom
inie. We doubt, however, if
George would go far enough to
invite the bees in to play chess
with him after they'd put In
their day's work.
It's Daytime Savings, Doug
From next-governor Doug
McKay resting up at Neskowin
comes an appealing note marked
"date unknown" which speaks
for itself: "I'm terribly con
fused! This morning at 11:30
I picked up my Capital Journal
at the post office. On the front
Our column last evening in
advertently, with gross negli
gence and accidental mistake as
the lawyers are wont to say,
referred to Ed Booth, court
house custodian, as Ed Snook, a
very sloppy error indeed. But
having this called to our atten
tion gives us pause as we won
der where we ever heard that
name Ed Booth before? O yes,
didn't a chap named Ed Booth
have something to do with
Abraham Lincoln and is still
supposed by some to be alive
and hiding out? Doggone, may
be we're on our way to a great
historic discovery.
Also, we'd like to call the at
tention of the FBI to the fact
that some of our public offi
cials are using pink soap in their
powdered soap dispensers.
That'll sure raise an eyebrow.
Broken Leg Benefits Kitten
Columbus, O. PI A six-week-old kitten took an airplane
ride to Kansas City mainly because it had a broken leg a
couple of weeks back.
Miss Kuth Ellen Gosnell found It down near Chillicothe
and nursed It bark to health. Her uncle and aunt, Mr. and
Mrs. G. C. Gosnell of Kansas City, visited and fell in love
with it.
So, Ruth Kllcn put it in a box with a toy dog and sent it
off, air express.
POOR MAN'S PHILOSOPHER
Immigrant's Grandson Becomes
Henry Ford of Night Club Biz
BY HAL BOYLE
Philadelphia W' The 33-year-old grandson of an Italian immi
grant has become a Henry Ford of the night club business in
America.
And Frank
Palunibo built
his after-dark
empire here m
the city of
brotherly love,
which is popu
larly supposed
to stay up after I
sunset onlv on !
the day when
an evening
baseball game
Is being played.
But Palumbo created a multi
million dollar yearly business on
the basis that the masses have
more money to spend at night
clubs than the classes.
"The whole secret of this bus
iness is giving the people the
kind of entertainment they
want." said Palumbo. who owns
six night clubs and restaurants
In Philadelphia.
llil BotI.
Right now he thinks the peo
ple are shopping for night club
entertainment every bit as
sharply as they do for their dol
lar's value in food or clothing.
"They no longer are Just sat
isfied to ro and pay their money
and listen to a band." he said.
"They want more than a voice
or a tune. These guys who Just
play their saxophones and clari
nets and turn their back to the
audience are finished."
Palumbo thinks the night club
business, now off 100 per cent
in many cities, never will en
Joy again such a lucrative peri
od as the war years.
"Night clubs have to get back
to real merchandising. The fast
dollar is gone."
Palumbo, a stocky, dark-haired
cheerful bachelor, has made
himself a civic institution here
by his pleasure in giving.
Friends estimate he gives away
$100,000 a year.
His pattern of philanthropy
is based, probably, more on
what gives him pleasure than
on how his gifts will bring him
more business.
He likes sports he owns a
chunk of Ike Williams, the
lightweight boxing champion
and gives a number of cups and
trophies each year to winners of
sporting events. He also takes
some 45.000 children a year to
the zoo, circus or a major league
ball game.
By giving the zoo a leopard,
four, alligators, some South Am
erican birds and two rhinos ha
also endeared himself to the an
imal loving hearts of the main
line aristocracy here. And it
is a crusty society you Just
don't crash with a new bank
roll.
Palumbo has given blood
transfusions as well as dollars.
He is easier to hit than a radio
give-away program. As whim
seizes him, he passes out watch
es, pen and pencil sets, cases
of liquor, perfume, gold rings,
bracelets, and television sets for
orphanages.
"I get my chief pleasure out
of life In seeing people enjoy
themselves." he says. His favor
ite beveragt Is a soft drink.
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND
Berlin Withdrawal Would
Kill Germany Rebuilding
BY DREW PEARSON
Washington When Gen. Lucius Clay testified before a closed
door session of the house foreign affairs committee regarding
Berlin, he was asked a question about the reconstruction of Ger
many. Before Clay could reply, Ambassador Robert Murphy, state
department representative In '
THIS FUNNY WORLD
LAI I
Drrw PtirioB
page it says Tuesday, July 27,
1948. On pages 2 and 3 it said
Monday, July 26, 1948 and on
page 4 it said Monday, July 28
the rest of the pages said Mon
day, July 26. Here is my prob
lem I'm at the beach without
a calendar so don't know when
to come home. Shall I start im
mediately or can I count on
your paper getting on the beam
by the end of the week? Or
should I write to Charlie
Sprague to straighten out my
Germany, Interrupted to an
swer for him.
U n fortunate
ly, Murphy
said, it was im
possible to get
private capital
inter e s t e d in
Germany,
Though the
banks are full
of money, ev
eryone in Eu
rope fears that
when the Unit
ed Stales moves
o u t of western Germany the
Russians will move in, Mur
phy said. That would mean the
confiscation of all private prop
erty. Ambassador Murphy gave
this as one of the chief reasons
why the United States could
not leave Berlin now.
"If we pull out of Berlin,"
Murphy told the congressmen,
"people will say 'that is exactly
what will happen in western
Germany later.' It would under
mine all confidence in us."
When a German sets up a
business enterprise in the Ame
rican zone of Germany even
today, Murphy told the con
gressmen, a Russian agent is
certain to come around and dis
creetly warn that if he con
tinues his operation he will be
put down in the Soviet black
book. And when American
troops move out and Russia
moves In, he is told that he
will be liquidated.
General Clay concurred with
Murphy that this psychological
factor was one of the biggest
reasons why the United States
had to stay in Berlin. To with
draw would mean the end of
whatever confidence the U.S.A.
had built up in western Ger
many. PENETRATE IRON CURTAIN
General public reaction to
the idea of going over the bead
of the Kremlin by floating
weather balloons from France
and Germany over Russia with
messages and gifts to the Rus
sian people has been favorable.
Government reaction has
been reasonably favorable
though slow.
Both government ana private
meteorological experts agree
that the wind currents make the
floating of such balloons en
tirely feasible.
In fact, the Japs floated them
all the way across the Pacific
to Washington and Oregon.
Their balloons, however, car
ried missiles of death, these
would carry messages of friend
ship. This columnist holds no brief
for any particular means of
reaching the Russian people. If
any other way is better than
balloons, fine. But I do main
tain that as a nation we are
doing almost nothing to get
behind the Iron Curtain and
show the Russian people that
we are not what the Moscow
propagandists say we are.
Until we have some brake on
the Kremlin to prevent it from
declaring war overnight, there
will always be danger of war.
That brake must be the Russian
people.
Anyway here is a cross sec
tion of mail showing how the
American people feel about it.
Arthur B. Borden, Borden
Mills, Inc., New York Thanks
for your open letter to Secre
tary for Air Symington re in
formation to Russian people.
Having had the honor of serv
ing under General LeMay both
in India and Guam believe his
boys could really do the job
you suggest. The Borden Mills,
Inc., of 90 Worth street, New
York City, would like to make
a cloth contribution.
Mrs. Herman H. Hardison,
Bat Cave, N.C. At last here is
a powerful suggestion of how
we may perhaps prevent an
other war. Showing our
strength, but. with that strength
getting to the Russian people
with messages containing facts
about our country, and letting
them know of our latent friend
ship. Emerson Rupert, consultant,
Bradenton. Fla. I agree hear
tily with your Ideas on reach
ing the Russian people direct
ly. Your current suggestion can
be followed up with a dynamic
program to sell peace, democ
racy and freedom to all men.
We've got to exert every pos
sible effort to avoid war.
Edward Nielsen, Cozad, Neb.
Your letter to Stuart Syming
ton is best suggestion for peace
I have yet heard. I am sure if
the Russian people understand
us, they Would not fight us. If
I can help you in any way, I
will!
H. A. Smith. 228 S.W. 5th
Ave.. Miami, Fla. A good big
crowd of us have Just finished
reading your piece in Tuesday
night's "Miami Herald" and It's
a corker. If our fellows have got
enough guts, they will pronto
supply thos "fre" gifu from
those swell firms that offered
them, load those planes and do
exactly as you described.
Robert B. Flanders, North At
tleboro, Mass. Very rarely do
I feel as much moved as I was
by your recent column in the
form of an open letter to Secre
tary Symington. You might just
possibly be interested in the
fact that I read it in Joe Mar
tin's own newspaper the North
Attleboro Chronicle. It is most
heartwarming to have it publ
cized that the so-called "war
monger industrialists" are will
ing to be so generous for the
cause of peace. Keep pounding
on that theme.
Arnold J. Nelson, Washing
ton, D. C. I have been reading
newspaper columns for years,
but yours today, suggesting us
ing our B-29's to carry leaflets
to the Russian people so im
pressed me that I am writing
my first letter to a columnist.
L. R. Dillingham, Portland,
Ore. Your suggestion relative
to the friendship balloons is a
grand idea, especially if they
were carrying such articles as
you mention. It's these simple,
convincing things that reach the
hearts of most people. The gen
eral tendency of all peoples is
friendliness.
M. S. Rackett, Richmond, Va.
This letter is being written
simply to say that I approve
most heartily of the line you are
taking. Far from thinking you
are "a terrible bore on the sub
ject," I for one thrill with en
thusiasm when you come out
with these admirably construc
tive ideas.
(Copyright 1948)
WHAT IT MEANS:
. sjL
VL UTS -
- -A
MeNtucht Syndicate,
"No, no mine is a gray tweed" "
MacKENZIE'S COLUMN
The U.N. Can't Function 1
Until Cold War Is Settled
By DeWITT MacKENZIE
Ai ForeigD Aflsir Aoalyit)
The working committee of the United Nations commission
for conventional armaments (those apart from atomic weapons)
finally has decided that armaments can't be reduced and con
trolled until.
the big powers
agree on a U.
N police force,
atomic energy
is leashed and
peace treaties
are made with
Germany and
Japan.
- In short, this
momentous
question, which
is the crux of
the effort to
tkll
DeWltl MicKetizli
enforce world
The High Cost of Illiteracy
BY ROBERT E. GEIGER
Washington VPj Would you know what to do if you saw a sign
that said "Explosives Keep Away"? Or "Poison For External
Use Only"?
Sen. Harley M. Kilgore (D.,
W. Va.) says the census reveals
that slightly over 10,000,000
Americans one out of every
seven adults wouldn't know.
He calls them "sheer or near il
literates." He proposed $130,000,000 fed
eral aid to help such people
learn to read and write. His
bill died, but educators say it is
sure to come up again.
What is an illiterate?
Vhere do these 10,000,000 il
literates live?
Kilgore says the answers to
these questions are so amazing
the situation can only be de
scribed as a rational disgrace.
First, he describes illiterates
as persons without the equiva
lent of a fourth grade education.
They can't read or, if they can,
they can't understand what they
read sufficiently well to func
tion as citizens.
Second, he says many of these
people probably the majority
of them don't live far out in
the sticks, where an education
is hard to come by. And the
majority are not foreign born,
but native Americans.
He gives these figures: 4,200,
000 are white people, born in
this country; 3,200.000 are for
eign born whites; 2,700.000 are
Negroes. He says one-tenth of
the 10.000,000 live in New York,
462,000 in Illinois and 385,000 in
California.
Louisiana has a higher per
centage of illiterates among its
total population than any other
state. Kilgore estimates the
number at 36 percent. Iowa
has the lowest, 4.1 percent.
There are three times as many
illiterates in the country as col
lege graduates, Kilgore adds. He
says this weakens democracy
because many of these people
cannot read the words "free
dom" or "peace."
Communists are aware of this
situation and take full advant
age of it by using only the
simplest types of propaganda or
by making personal contacts,
the senator says.
He proposed that $5,000,000
aid be given the states in 1949
to teach people to read, write,
speak and understand the Eng
lish language, to perform ele
mentary arithmetical computa
tions and to understand the basic
features of U.S. government. He
would appropriate $10,000,000
for the teaching program in
1950, and then $15,000,000 a
year until 1957, decreasing to
$5,000,000 in 1958-59. By that
time, he believes, illiteracy
would be eliminated in the Unit
ed States.
One difficulty is that illiteracy
apparently hasn't been accur
ately defined.
Most authorities agree that
the 10,000,000 estimate may be
wide of the true mark, one way
or the other. Until 1940 the
U.S. census bureau counted il
literates merely by asking peo
ple if they could read and write
in any language. If they could
not, they were classified as il
literate. 4
In 1940 the census classified
people by their degree of educa
tion number of years they at
tended school. This is the origin
of the estimate that there are
10,000,000 people without the
equivalent of a fourth grade
education.
During the war the army used
the fourth grade as the dividing
line between literacy and Illit
eracy. This was based on the
wartime experience of the army.
It found that as a general rule
people with less than a fourth
grade education couldn't read or
obey the simplest sort of orders.
Army officials say 350,000
soldiers between 21 and 45 had
to "make their mark" with an
X because they couldn't write
their own names.
peace, is being temporarily
shelved.
The committee's explanation
strikes us as being a bit of dip
lomatic shadow boxing because
the blunt fact is that the United
Nations can't function as a
peace controlling agency until
the cold war between. Russia
and the democracies has been
settled.
Presumably, this problem of
enforcing peace will come up
in the U. N. again and then
again and again.
But it never can be solved un
til the issue of world revolu
tion for the spread of commun
ism has been dealt with.
A British viewpoint of the
fundamental difference between
Russia and the 'went ii- summed'
up by the weekly publication
"Time and Tide," and I quote it
because is represents the con
sensus of many objective ob
servers: "The issue is whether Russia
means to carry on with or aban
don her plans for the destruc
tion of the democracies. If she
will abandon them, there Is no
issue between Russia and thei
west which cannot be peacefully ,
solved.
"The argument as to whether
Russia wants war is beside the
point.
"In all probability she does
not want it now. From Russia's
point of view a 'shooting war'
is not to be undertaken until the
process of internal erosion in
the democracies has reached the
point where only the very
slightest push from without
would be necessary to topple
over the whole structure."
That's the story.
The battle of Berlin, and the
innumerable other cold hostili
ties, all hinge on Bolshevism's
efforts to communize the world.
We shall get an easement of
the German imbroglio, and the
hundred and one other difficul
ties encircling the globe, if and
when the Russians decide that
they have carried their aggres
sion about as far as they can for
the present.
Let us not fool ourselves in
to thinking that we can have
peace while communism ii
reaching for power in all coun-tries--not
least in America.
Irish Colleen-or Hound Dogs
San Fernando, Cal. (U.R)Bert Stone, a powerhouse foreman
who admits only to a coy "past 40," said today that the mayor
of Dublin is helping him find a "well-built Irish girl" to wed.
Stone, who has been married and divorced, said he wrote the r
mayor more as a joke than anything else.
"But I didn't know he would put an ad in the paper," Stone
said.
The letter outlined Stone's ideal as "up to 30 years of age,
short, well-built, but not too slender."
Of his own qualifications, Stone said he had a "little money in
the bank, a car and a good house," but he added: "I'm not a
wealthy man."
The letter didn't mention Stone's other tangible assets a pack
of hound dogs which he's counting on for company if he doesn't
get the Irish colleen.