Capital A Journal
An Independent Newspaper Established 1888
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fly BECK
A Dog's Life
4
Salem, Oregon, Friday, October 22, 1948
Boys' Timber Camp Bill
Among the bills referred to the people by the legisla
ture is one authorizing a state boys' camp near Timber,
Oregon. The ballot title reads:
BILL AUTHORIZING STATE BOYS' CAMP NEAR TIMBER,
OREGON Purpose: Directs State Board of Control to estab
lish, maintain and supervise a camp at Reeher'i C.C.C. Camp
near Timber, in Washington County. Oregon, for the biennium
ending June 30. 1949. and thereafter if deemed advisable, for
delinquent boys, wards of state courts of juvenile jurisdiction,
between the ages of 12 and 18 years, committed for training in
useful occupations, discipline, moral and spiritual instruction,
academic and vocational education. Appropriates $50,000 from
funds authorized by section 3, chapter 317. Oregon Laws. 1945,
for establishment of camp, and $100,000 from general funds for
operation thereof for said biennium. Vote YES or NO.
The intent of the measure is praiseworthy and no doubt
such a boys' camp is desirable and such an institution will
eventually materialize. It is the location that is objec
tionable. No opposition argument appears with Voters'
pamphlet but considerable opposition has materialized,
even among welfare workers, who would naturally favor
such a camp.
The measure was recommended by an interim committee
of the 1945 legislature named to study juvenile delin
quency, proposing a new state detention school where pre
delinquent or first offender boys may be placed, a tem
porary residence for dependent children awaiting place
ment in foster homes and remove the stigma now associ
ated with the Woodburn boys' training school. Such in
stitutions have been successfully operated in other states.
The defects of the bill are summarized as follows :
Bill does not provide "standards" in education, health and
gocial treatment of the individual boy. No provision for integ
ration with other facilities for care of children needing correc
tive training. Does not provide protection against exnloitation
In the work program. The wide age range (from 12 to 18)
makes It difficult to plan a program fitted to the needs of all
the children. The commitment procedure is not clear as to
whether Justice of peace courts, district and magistrate courts,
as well as county and circuit courts, may commit boys to such
camps. Bill does not provide adequate trained personnel to
work with psychiatrist in following his recommendations. Makes
no distinction between delinquent children and dependent chil
dren who m8y be wards of the court. It Is an attempt at mass
treatment of children with serious behavior problems, who can
only be helped by individual treatment.
The location proposed is in state owned Reecher's CCC
eamp near Timber, on the summit of the coast range moun
tains, in the heart of the forest rain belt and means drearv
winters for children engaged In outdoor occupations. It
Is 65 miles from Woodburn, center of administration of
boys' training. The Portland Council of Social Agencies
says that such a camp should not be more than 15 miles
from Woodburn to avoid duplicated programs of activities.
The state has spent $647,000 to provide greater facili
ties for the overcrowded Woodburn school for additional
facilities and segregation raising the capacity from 110 to
200 boys.
There are so many defects in the measure affecting the
future of bovs that a new proposal should supplant it.
Vote 805X No.
Aiding Our Enemies
The commerce department, in a sweeping policy revision
few days ago, abolished regulations which require iron
and steel exporters to submit copies of their foreign orders
nd urged contracts in order to obtain export licenses. This
makes it easy for exporters to ship iron and steel to almost
every country in the world, including Russia and her satel
lites despite the fact that a severe shortage of iron and
steel exists in the United States and hampers building
and industry.
Apparently our government never learns by tragic
experience the folly of supplying potential enemies wilh
the sinews of war in a time of world crisis. Have we so
soon forgotten the Japanese war, when the thousands of
tons of scrap iron shipped to Japan, over the protests of
loyal and clear-headed Americans, came back at us in the
form of planes, bombs, shells and torpedoes? Then, at
least, we had the excuse that war with Japan was impos
sible; that the Japanese would never dare to attack us.
Tearl Harbor was the result of this wishful thinking.
We cannot now delude ourselves similarly with respect
to Russia. On the contrary, our leaders hopefully tell us
that we may yet find a peaceful solution; that war is not
necessarily inevitable. Faced by this admitted threat,
what possible consideration could lead the administration
into the action outlined above, whose effect can only be
to strengthen the hand of our enemy and dismay the dem
ocratic countries of western Europe, who look to us for
their salvation?
A possible (though insufficient) reason for this action
would exist if the output of iron and steel were more than
sufficient to meet our own needs and those of friendly
nations. Rut such is not the cae ; our production of heavy
poods is seriously curtailed by the lark of these metals
and we can look forward to still greater demands for the
rearmament programs of ourselves and our potential allies.
Our leader have been seeking counter-measures to force
the lift inp of the Rerlin blockade. One such measure
the counter-blockade of the Russian zone has appar
ently proved somewhat effective. Why, then, with a much
mre potent weapon (an absolute trade embargo) within
our grasp, do we throw it away, and instead furnish our
enemy with unlimited sinews of war?
The only possible solution is that, in an election year,
the administration seeks to curry favor with the exporters
and magnates of the iron and steel industry and this
from a party that accuses its opponents of being the repre
sentatives of the vested interests! Verily, a thorough
housecleaning in Washington is urgent and long overdue.
War Breaks in L. A.-on Rats
I-o Angeles i Rats! Right in the middle of the down
town section! l.o Angeles had declared war on 'em!
Seems that rodenta as hig as your forearm have been
coming out at night by the score In Pershing square, popular
ahruh. dotted park In the elty's heart. Their presence was ve
rified by photographs taken by ths Los Angeles Times, which
issued the rail to battle.
The opening gun was fired this week when eity health
department crews set 300 traps with poisoned ball, after
thinning out shrubs and spraying them with cyanide.
The remit: Dead rats by tht bucketful.
' Of TMf OPPOSITION PARTY ARE J - W. W ; MfSSM&iNW
' 4 OfFICf AND YOU HAVt JrfirMNO MOftE MmWit
NOTHING TO FEAR.. JwvvL BAftY-SlTTIN fl. fo Mul 'll
VllliwW, -r TIIL AFTER 'H I'M,
SIPS FOR SUPPER
Doesn't Add Up
By DOM UPJOHN
A customer signing as "A Former Minnesotan" sends us a
couple of clippings from an issue of our favorite paper for this
week. One of them is the weather report advising the tempera
ture in Salem
had a minimum jPR
flip
T
Dod Upjobn
of 36 and
m a x i mum of
38. In another
item clipped
from the same
issue under a
headline read
ing "Midwest
Shiver ing in
Premature Win
try Blast" it re
ports Minneap
olis had a minimum of 35 and
Bismarck, N. D., of 39. "Why,"
asks the customer, "is 36-38
'slightly cooler' in Salem, but
3S-39 is a 'wintry blast in Min
neapolis? I've been colder
longer and more constantly
since coming to Oregon than I
was in Minnesota. It s a little
tiresome reading about any
coolness there or any normal
snow being a "terrible storm"
in your local papers. "We fear
the customer will have to spend
another winter in Minnesota and
then come back to Oregon be
fore discovering the difference
in the two brands of "cold."
Maybe if said customer yanked
out the red flannels and elon
gated heavy coat worn in Min
nesota and wore them around
here the cold wouldn't seem so
cold.
mentary to Mr. Baker, so we will
caution the operator and proof
reader to use the world judge
hereafter.
Contempt of Court
(Independence Enterprise)
Through a typographical er
ror in Inst week's Enterprise we
referred to Robert W. Baker as
city "pudge" in place of city
judge. According to Fred Calcf,
city attorney, who consulted
Wagnall's dictionary, the word
"pudge" may mean either a
ditch, an owl, or a short fat
person. It appears that none of
these would be very compli-
We wonder what would hap
pen to a reporter around here
who wrote an item in re "Pudge"
McKinney or "Pudge" Felton, O,
gosh!
Heard a chap this morning
refer to his frau as a "million
dollar wife." Sounds kind of
picayunish in these billion dol
lar times.
Ed Booth, caretaker at the
courthouse, has been ousting out
the attic at the old building and
has come up with a bushel and
a half of dust held together by
cobwebs and sprinkled with
dead flies. A lot of archives
came out from under the coat
ing. Larry Boullier removing the
frame from an old picture at
Elfstrom's art department, dis
covered packed therein a copy
of the San Francisco Bulletin
of April 13, 1898, packed full
of the declaration of war about
to be launched against Spain.
As incidents tucked in along
with the war news was report of
coal miners striking in Ohio,
union printers in San Francisco,
et cetera. About the only dif
ference between then and now
was lack of reported deaths in
automobile accidents and air
plane crashes, substituting for
these being a chap shot dead in
drunken row.
Dog Training
MEMPHIS, Tenn. U.R Ever
since Mrs. W. E. Hammock
bought her dog "Wimpy" a pop
sicle, the animal howls when he
hears the street vendor's bell
until he gets one.
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND
Forrestal Tried to Block
Truman Reserves Order
By DREW PEARSON
Washington Secretary of Defense James Forrestal had no com
ment for the press after he was ordered by the president to
revitalize U. S. military reserves.
"The executive order relating to reserve component has not
been received," Forrestal told reporters bluntly on Oct. 16. He
wouldn't be able to comment,
ing them to vote for GOP can
didate Carroll Reece.
The letter begins by inviting
the policy holder to "serve as a
member of our national advi
sory board." Since the mimeo
graphed letter is sent to thou
sands of people, the advisory
board must be a gigantic one.
Continues Lobbyist Smith:
"We wish to call to your atten
tion a matter which is of vital
concern to every policy holder
in the nation. This is the elec
tion of Mr. Carroll Reece as
U. S. senator from Tennessee.
"Carroll Reece," claims Lob
byist Smith, "was quick to real
ize how fatal this 'new deal'
plan would be to those whose
future is dependent upon their
insurance."
The joke is that Reece, when
a member of congress served on
the new deal's temporary na
tional economy committee,
which conducted the most criti
cal investigation of the insur
ance companies since the days
when Charles Evans Hughes
probed them in New York.
The life insurance companies
were cross-examined from
stem-to-stern, with Carroll
Reece not only participating but
helping to appropriate more
congressional money for the in
vestigation. Despite this, Lobbyist Smith
concludes his letter: "I shall ap
preciate a line as to your views
on the probability of Mr.
Reece's election. We are of
course deeply concerned."
POOR MAN'S PHILOSOPHER
How to Catch a Mermaid
By HAL BOYLE
New York This morning I was sleeping peacefully, and all
of a sudden I started dreaming.
1 dreamt I was swimming again in the sapphire seas of the
south Pacific. A light breeze
dimpled the waves and the sun
shone warm and fair. White
seaguus wheel
ed o v e r h e ad
with faint
clam orou s
cries or rested
on the surface,
rising and fall
ing . . . rising
and falling.
A dim shape
moved up
through the
waters before
me and broke
M
Hal Barli
the surface. It was a mermaid
, . . a beautiful mermaid with
tan cheeks and blue eyes. She
had long wet golden hair, and
there were crimson poppies
tangled in it.
"Hello, big boy," she said,
laughing. "Have you got a
pocket comb I can borrow?"
I reached for my comb and
then felt embarrassed. For some
reason you know how silly
dreams are I didn't have any
pockets along
"I must've left my comb on
the beach." I mumbled.
"How annoying," said my
lovely companion. "You shore
people sure are useless."
W swam along together in
silence for a while, and then
she said:
"Did you ever kiss a mer
maid?" "No."
"Wouldn't you like to, big
boy?" she said, brushing against
me softly. Her scales felt
smooth as silk.
I thought it oer as I
switched from a side stroke to
an Australian crawl. Why not?
Who would ever know the dif
ference? "Sure I would."
"Well," she said. "Let's play
tag. If you catch me you can
have kiss "
She tossed her golden head
and gave a flip of her shining
Drtw rtiriM
I flailed the waves. I was gain
ing . . . gaining . . . gaining . . .
All at once the sky darkened
and hid the sun. The gulls flew
away with shrill calls of terror.
A freeiing wind sprang up. The
sea grew Icy cold.
The mermaid sank below the
surface. Her golden tresses
waved wanly. She held up her
arms and looked at me with a
mocking smile. 1 dived and
swam after her. I had no breath
left and I was strangling . , .
strangling , . ,
Then I woke up.
My face was wet and my
arms were tangled in the bed
clothing. Frances, my wife, was
standing over me, holding a
small glass of water in her
hand.
"Wake up, Rover." she said,
"you have to go out and earn
us a living."
"But why did you have to
drip water on my face?" I
asked.
"To stop your awful snoring."
said Frances. "1 was desper
ate" "Couldn't you Just've made
me turn over my side?"
"Listen, Rover boy, I've been
turning you over and over like
a flapjack. Every time I got
ou on your side you flopped
over on your back again. And
the way you waved your arms
around why, a person would
think you were swimming."
"I'll get up and go to work
on one condition."
"What is that?" said Frances.
"That if I start snoring to
morrow morning you'll drip
warm water on me instead of
cold water."
"Why?"
"Never mind. I'll explain the
whole thing tomorrow. And will
you be surprised!"
Tonight I'm going to eat some
pickles, chili, and ire cream be
fore going to bed.
And I'm going to put a comb
in my pajamas pocket. I feel
tall. The race was on. The blue sleepy already, waiting to go
waters churned to white foam, fishing in dreamland.
r
he apologized, until he had a
chance to study it.
The real truth is, Forrestal
not only had
studied the di
rective thor
oughly in ad
vance but had
done his best
to stop Truman
from issuing it.
The order
was first sent
over to Forres
tal's office on
October 9. Al
though the next
day was Sunday, Forrestal
marched over to the White
House in a sweat.
For reinforcement, he brought
along Army Chief of Staff
Omar Bradley.
They tried to talk the presi
dent out of issuing the order,
but all Truman would promise
was to hold it up until the fol
lowing Thursday to give them
a chance to make suggestions.
Late Thursday night Forrestal
came up with a barrage of rec
ommendations that would have
blasted the heart out of the or
der. Except for a few minor
points, these were rejected. The
most important concession Tru
man made was to cite Forres
tal's pet service, the navy, for
its excellent reserve program.
The president was out of
town campaigning when the re
lease was finally made by pres
idential assistant Dr. John
Steelman. Yet even as late as
the evening before publication,
Forrestal was in Steelman's of
fice still trying to block the di
rective. OLD LOBBYING TRICKS
Old lobbyists, like chickens,
always come home to roost.
One of the oldest lobbyists,
who has tried his hand at all
sorts of little games, is Robert
E. Smith, who once held forth
in a swank mansion in Rock
Creek park where congressmen
drank champagne and listened
to sweet words whispered by
the big utilities.
Smith was then lobbying
against the holding company
act. When his lob-nest was ex
posed, he slipped quietly out of
the limelight; only to come back
later with another high-sounding
name "The National Con
ference of Investors," supposed
ly to protect the stockholders of
the New Haven railroad.
However, U. S. Judge Carroll
Hincks of Connecticut soon
punctured that. After exposing
the way Smith had put his
daughter on the payroll, made
his son-in-law office manager,
and paid a salary to himself,
Judge Hincks stated:
'The dominant motive under
lying the formation of this com
mittee was the desire ... to ob
tain a gainful retainer."
When this lobbying venture
blew up. Smith conceived an
other high-sounding title "The
Life Insurance Policy-Holders
Protective association." Under
this letterhead Smith has scared
enough insurance holders out of
money to pay around $50,000 in
expenses.
Latest Smith operation has
been to Jump into the Tennessee
senatirial campaign with a letter
to insurance policy holders ask-
NOTE The senatorial race
between Reece and Estes Ke
fauver is one of the most inter
esting in the nation. Young Ke
fauver dared attempt what
everyone predicted was impos
sible successfully buck the
Crump machine. After being de
feated in the senatorial pri
maries, the cantankerous boss of
memphis got sore and bolted
the Democratic party.
Kefauver is considered
young - and coming Cordell
Hull while Reece got in wrong
with many Tennesseans because
he opposed Cordell Hull's trade
treaties. Reece, once an ener
getic congressman, in recent
years has veered toward Taft
isolation and was a vigorous
Dewey opponent before and at
Philadelphia.
(Copyrllht IMS)
Maybe, a New Kind of Weapon
Melrose, Mass. Uft A five-foot circular saw, rigged to the rear
wheels of a jacked automobile, burst with the following results:
A piece of the saw went through the roof of a schoolhouse a
half mile away.
A 15-pound chunk of the flywheel flew over a crowded busi
ness section and ripped into a house a quarter of a mile away.
A piece of metal spun 300 feet through the windshield of a
new car and dented the roof.
Another piece of the saw crashed through the window of a
tenement house and showered two occupants with glass and splin
ters. Neither was injured.
The operator of the saw suffered only a minor cut when the
belt snapped.
gaasfciaiMsaiiiaiM
Triumph Over Handicap
Thoughts range back to the recent observance of "National
Employ the Physically Handicapped week" and ahead to the
impending "March of Dimes," but they dwell chiefly upon the
seemingly unlimited potentialities of the.human will, unfettered
by frailties of the flesh, as word comes of the death of Harry
N. Crain.
From age seven, Harry Crain was a cripple, laid low by an
attack of polio. He wore braces, walked with crutches. There
wasn't much to him, from the waist down. In spite of this
handicap, perhaps in part because of it, he became one of Ore
gon's best known, most highly regarded and in some quarters,
most feared newspaperman.
As a news executive of the Salem Capital Journal from 1918
until within recent months, Harry Crain was at all times
"right on top of" the ever-changing picture of public events
in Oregon, and through his signed news stories, editorials and
personal influence, quite frequently had a hand in shaping that
picture. He was equally conversant with and influential in the
public affairs of the Salem municipality and Marion county.
Salem owes credit for its fine system of street bridges te
Harry Crain, just as Oregon owes him a debt for persistent
campaigning on behalf of adequate highways and sound fi
nancing of the highway program. Harry Crain's vigilant watch
fulness is credited, to, with a salutary influence upon the con
duct of state business.
On possibly a more practical level, Harry Crain was a major
factor in building the Salem Capital Journal from a shaky,
little-respected newspaper to the dominance which it en
joyed in the state capital. He was a good newspaperman as
well as a spirited crusader.
And beyond that, he lived a surprisingly full life despite
his handicaps. He was married in 1920. The Crains had one
daughter and four grandchildren. And to illustrate that his
triumph over frailty extended even to physical action, It is
recalled that once when the automobile he drove, with spe
cially designed spntrols, was involved in a collision, he threw
himself in front of his wife and baby to protect them from
flying glass.
As his illness progressed, for two or more years it was neces
sary for him to walk backward up the short flight of stairs to
his office. Then from 1945 on, he was unable to get to the
office, but carried on his editorial work at home. But he con
tinued even in that period, to exert an important influence
in public affairs.
The story of Harry Crain's life might well serve as an In
spiring example to many who, physically more fortunate have
somehow failed to achieve as much or contribute as much to
their community and state. Ralph Curtis of the Oregon City
Enterprise.
OPEN FORUM
Medical Profession Comment
(Editor's Note: Contributions to this column must
be confined to 300 words and signed by writer)
To the Editor: I wish to express my appreciation for the ex
cellent editorial in Tuesday night's Capital Journal. It is very
gratifying to have a powerful newspaper come to one's defense,
but it is even a greater satisfaction to the members of the medi
cal profession in reading such an editorial to find that a man In,
your position understands the matters at issue so clearly..
DR. W. W. BAUM.
4 A.M. Rooster
Booneville, Miss. (U.R)
"Wanted," said the ad in the
local newspaper "to swap my
town roosters that crows at 5
a. m. for a country rooster that
crows at 4 a. m.
The advertiser gave the fol
lowing reason: "I am going in
business and want to get an
early start."
Love Wins Out
La Porte, Ind. u. Love won
over the law when 20-year-old
Floyd Long was arrested after
his car had collided with an
other. The starry-eyed Long was
able to produce only a marriage
license when officers demanded
his driver's permit. He told po
lice he was on his way to be
married.
The Judge deferred the case
so the wedding could proceed.
Another Block Scoop!
HAD'
This daring decollete throat
on the delicate opera pump is
the last word In smart shoes .
A
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