Capital A Journal
An Independent Newspaper Established 1888
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4 Salem, Oregon, Friday, February 3, 1950
Double-Talk on Defense
Defense Secretary Johnson talked tough to his college
buddies Thursday night. He told his fellow alumni of
the University of Virginia that America's armed forces
would "lick hell" out of Joe Stalin if Joe started anything.
But was the blustering defense secretary trying to kid
the people about the state of the nation's defenses or
were his armed forces chiefs too conservative in their
appraisals of the situation made in the past few days?
On Wednesday Secretary of the Air Force Symington
admitted that Russia had the world's largest ground army,
air force and undersea fleet. On Thursday Chief of Naval
Operations Sherman admitted Russia has 60 or 70 sub
marines in the western Pacific alone. In comparison, latest
figure on total U.S. submarine strength in all oceans
was 76.
But Johnson would lead the American public to believe
that Russian strength is ineffectual and practically of
no account. Otherwise how could the United States be
lieve the inference made by Johnson that one hour after
Stalin started something the armed might of America
would start defeating Russia?
United States forces in all wars have won remarkable
records. And if another war came along, those forces
would certainly live up to the reputation of the past. But
the public shouldn't be led to believe that a decided
superiority in numbers of a potential enemy doesn't
count for anything.
In the years before World War II, politicians in Wash
ington repeatedly feared telling the public what the true
facts were on foreign affairs. After President Roosevelt
made his famous "quarantine-the-aggressor" speech in
Chicago in 1937, his advisors warned him about disturb
ing the peace of the minds of the American people. And
yet Washington was well aware at that time of the grow
ing threat of war. But the politicians did not want to
admit that fact to the public.
Now Johnson comes along and talks as if the people
couldn't read newspaper accounts of the relative strength
of the various armed forces. Instead of nice sounding
talk from politicians, the public wants to hear the real
facts. That Game public recalls distastefully the double
talk of pre-World War II days when politicians tried to
lead the people into believing that the forces of evil then
were ineffectual and not likely to disturb America. And
all the time those politicians privately were obviously
greatly disturbed.
Johnson shouldn't repeat that error of misleading the
public by his double-talk.
Our Own Totalitarian Tactics
In a recent decision the federal supreme court held that
the wife of an American citizen, a soldier's "war bride,"
could be denied admission to the United States on security
grounds without a hearing, on the basis of existing law
and the special regulations applying to the wartime "emer
gency" which has not yet been terminated.
This law gives to the attorney general authority to
exclude aliens without a hearing, if he believes that it
would bo "prejudicial to the public interest" to disclose
the confidential information on which the exclusion is
based. In the first place the war ended long ago and no
emergency exists. In the second place to give any official
absolute power to make such a decision without holding
a hearing is undemocratic and smacks of totalitarian
tyranny.
In a dissenting opinion by Justice Jackson who became
familiar with totalitarian tactics in the trial of the chief
Nazi war criminals at Neuremburg, at which he was chief
prosecutor, brought this abuse of power out clearly, when
he said:
"This American citizen . . . must abandon his bride to live
In his own country or forsake his country to live with his
bride . . . And the government tells the court that not even
a court can ilnd out why the girl is excluded. But it says . . .
even if we cannot get any reasons for it, we must say it is
legal; security requires It. Security is like liberty in that many
are the crimes committed in its name. The menace to the
security of this country, be it great as it may, from this girl's
admission is as nothing compared to the menace to free insti
tutions inherent in procedures of this pattern . . . The pica
that cvidenc of guilt must be secret is abhorrent to free men,
because it provides a cloak for the malevolent, the misinformed,
the meddlesome, and the corrupt . . ."
Such procedure is a violation of the fundamental human
rights for which this country is the avowed champion,
not only for its own citizens but for those of other coun
tries the right of every human being, of a chance to
defend himself in a fair trial. But it is the usual procedure
in Communist countries like Russia and as Justice Frank
furter remarked in this case, while the department of
justice acted within the letter of the law, "Sometimes
the letter killeth." The law should be repealed or amended
to conform to democratic principles.
The Federal Tax Squeeze
At the recent "tax clinic" under the auspices of F. H.
Young's "Oregon Business and Tax Research," at Port
land, tables were presented on the tax increases in Ore
gon in the last 20 years, from 1929 to 1949.
The statistics compiled showed that the total taxes
paid have increased 586.7 percent, from a total of $72,
334,089 paid in 1929 to $106,706,193 paid in 1949. The
population increase in the same period has been 69 per
cent. The dollar value of business more than doubled and
the value of the dollar shrunk to about half of its value
in 1929.
A comparison of local, state and federal taxes compiled
by Young 3howed the following in charts: Federal taxes
during the 20 years increased from $6,186,000 in 1929 to
$298,269,485 in 1949. State taxes increased from $23,
837,936 to $119,259,255. Local taxes increased from $42,
810,153 to $79,179,455.
The great increase has been in federal taxes, with the
government claiming most of the tax money. Federal
taxes have increased in the past 20 years 4,721 percent,
state taxes 411 percent, local taxes'85 percent.
Putting it another way, in 1929 federal taxes were 8.5
percent of the total taxes paid in Oregon, in 1949 they
were 60 percent. State taxes were in 1929 32.3 percent
of the total, and in 1949, 24 percent. Local taxes in 1929
were 59.2 and in 1949 16 percent of the total taxes paid.
With the federal government taking over 60 percent of
our tax money, no wonder the local governments, counties,
cities and schools are at their wits end in the tax squeeze.
BY BECK
What To Do?
""wk"1" i OH, M-0-T-H-E-R.IT'S A k
. ( 6NAZZY COAT.. BUT rVW DID I
YW PICK THAT COLOR.-
'OY?- L IT WON'T GO WITH ANY )
6r 0F NANCY'S CLOTHES,
iry 5SjVnor MINe ETHERyr
- WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND -
Justice Clark Wins Respect
On Supreme Court by Industry
By DREW PEARSON
Washington A friendly Texan who speaks In a soft drawl
and wears neat bow ties is the big surprise of the supreme court.
Six months ago when Attorney General Tom Clark's name
was sent to the senate, his critics looked down their noses and
sneered, "A politician! A bureaucrat!" In the gleaming white
marble building-
BY CLARE BARNES, JR.
White Collar Zoo
across the park
from the capi- fe
tol, there was
apprehension.
But today,
fellow justices
ungrudgin g 1 y
describe Clark
as "conscienti
ous ... a great
worker . . a pa-&
cifying Influ
ence." Chief
Drew Pcaraon
Taking a leaf from another
successful maneuver used by
Americans, British and Germans,
Russia is now reported to have
an airborne army of 150,000
men.
Another eye-opening set of
figures is the Soviet-controlled
airplane production last year.
This is 3,000 heavy bombers, 5,
000 light bombers, 5,000 jet
fighters, and 2,500 conventional
fighters. Total 15,500 new
planes.
In comparison, the U. S. air
force totals 17,800 planes, many
of them in mothballs.
BEARDLESS DEAN ACHESON
Angus Ward, the bewhiskered
KRISS-KROSS
Courthouse Elevator Has
Its Ups and Downs, Too
ByCHRISKOWITZ.Jr.
The elevator in Marion county's courthouse is noted for its
slow speed. Thermometers and stock markests rise and fall
about as fast. Frequent visitors to the courthouse ordinarily
refrain from using the elevator. They can make better time
by walking.
But more andwMssTa
more people arefei
riding lately, Icefc
on the court-j
house outert
steps is result
ing in a rush
business for the
elevator. People
apparently
would rather
descend slowly
and surely than
to come down
f
3F"Bfii,inm,8
Jr.
Cbrli Kowlti!
out those individuals who made
a financial killing by regular
ly selling used cars under the
camauflage of a "private party"
deal.
Preview on men's spring
styles: Sport coats and suits
more conservative, pajamas and
shorts louder than ever . . .
It wouldn't be out of order for
tow truck operators to give a
vote of confidence to Old Man
Winter. Cars which become
Justice Fred Vinson beams fond
ly when the freshman is men
tioned. Usually a neophyte on the
high court is considered a go
getter if he writes two majority
opinions his first year. Tom consul general who came back
Clark has written five in less from China a month ago, alrea-
than six months two on taxes, dy has achieved a distinction
corporate responsibility, railway that Secretary . Acheson can't
safety, and a cost equation for match.
property requisitioned by the He can walk in and out of the
government. without having to sign the ad-
Hemarked one justice of Clark: state department after hours
"Tom is the easiest man on the mission book,
bench to get along with. He is The other day Secretary Ach-
a great help to us all. He works eson not only was stopped by
hard, does more than his share, the guards at the door but had
and turns out a sound product." a difficult time identifying him-
ABE LINCOLN self before he was admitted. An-
"FAIR DEALER?" gus Ward's beard, however, is
When GOP Leader Joe Mar- his passport.
I oughta report this up front? j
tin moved that the house of rep
resentatives dispense with legis-
WEST COAST 1942 FRENZY
A letter from a Catholic priest
?T? ;L -SJ ar'': POPP'ng frozen 'up or stuck in snow
fast and headfirst. ,,, h t (h. .,(
Incidentally, said elevator is business . . . one enterprising
young chap around town has de
vised a set of tire chains for his
bicycle. Made them out of heavy
wire . . . Bernice Kleihege, home
on leave from the Woman's Air
a transplanted freight lift, hence
the slow rate of movement.
We understand an electric fan
at a State street residence froze
lative business on February 13 may stop senate confirmation of
so republicans could attend va- Karl R. Bendetsen of Aberdeen,
rious Lincoln Day dinners, Dem- Wash., as assistant secretary of
ocrat Walter Huber of Ohio rose the army. The letter tells the
as if to object. Instead, Huber story of Bendetsen when he was
said: in charge of evacuating persons
"Inasmuch as if Abraham Lin- of Japanese ancestry from the
coin were alive today he would west coast during the hysteria
be a fair dealer, I shall offer no of 1942.
objection to the request the gen- Writes Father Hugh Lavery of
tleman intends to make." the Catholic Maryknoll Mission
"Thank you," replied Martin, of Los Angeles: "(Bendetsen)
"but I have some doubts about showed himself a little Hitler,
the gentleman's assumption with I mentioned that we had an
"Wonder if
POOR MAN'S PHILOSOPHER
Candidate for an Oscar
Takes Crack at Poor Films
By HAL BOYLE
New York () Hollywood's' male Crawford has a solution to
the problem of movies versus television.
This Crawford is Broderick Crawford, and his solution to the
conflict that has motion picture magnates gnawing each other's
fingernails is:
regard to Abraham Lincoln."
RUSSIA FEARS ATOM
The atom bomb has forced
radical and secret shift in Rus-
orphanage. I told him some of
these were half-Japanese, others
one-fourth .or less. I asked,
which children should we send
up the other day So what? Who F js one of tw(J Sa,em WQ
wants to use the thing now, any- me now in Uncle Sams forces
how? . . . Lost art: Popping The other is WAVE Carol G
paper s in grry daughter of Postmaster Albert
. . Shoeshine boys are still c. G Salem., own Iice
doing a first-class job popping airplane is now iicensed and
their shine rags, however . . . read to fl wm be test.hopped
Unusual capers of the weather any day
man are matched by the efforts .
of one of Fred Huff s hens at
Lebanon. The hen laid a 6-ounce Regarding our recent account
egg, with a circumference of of that electrifying kiss on the
9 inches and a girth of TA porch of Lausanne hall: Several
Inches. Inside, in addition to a persons have told us they didn't
fluid egg, was a perfectly form- think it possible . . . We re-coned
hard shell egg of normal tacted the fellow to whom it
size and shape . . . Fry one, happened, and he vows the kiss
over easy . . . serves six. was just as shocking as we said
it was. His girl verifies it . . ,
The cubstoning used car rack- If there are any doubting mem
et which plagued Salem used bers of the female sex who still
car dealers for years has finally don't believe it, and who'd like
tunk out of the picture. Recent to be shown, this writer will
drops in used car prices scared gladly assist in a demonstration.
72 Dogs Are Too Many
Decatur, III., Feb. 3 W) Jerry Clark and his grandfather
are in the doghouse along with 11 dogs.
Jerry, 15, found a stray dog recently on his way home
from high school. There already was one dog in the Clark
household and Jerry's father, Melvin, put his foot down.
No more dogs.
Jerry's grandfather, William Clark, who resides near
by, came to Jerry's aid. They hid the dog at his house.
But the dog didn't exactly cooperate in the secret. She
gave birth to 10 pups.
That was a little too much of a thing to keep secret.
Jerry's father has discovered the plot. Jerry and his grand
father are trying to find takers for the 10 pups.
Grandmother Clark isn't particularly happy about the
situation, either.
"A dog is fine for a boy," she says, "but 12 are too many.
They are not cheaper by the dozen."
OPEN FORUM
Preserve Courthouse for Museum
Is it possible that the Marion county residents are going to
permit their old Marion county courthouse to be wrecked, or
is it just the will of high officials who wish to permit such a
great disaster?
If a vote were to be taken in the county, thre is belief that
the structure would still be per-
mittcd to stay in existance. this community, to the people
The block is needed for the over the state? Music from
new courthouse. Yes, we do the bells in the clock-tower of
need a new courthouse, but, we l"e ui mouse,
sian military tactics, according to the relocation centers?' (Ben-
to latest intelligence reports. detsen) replied, ' I am deter
In World War II, Soviet tac- mined that if they have one drop
tics were based on huge masses of Japanese blood in them they
of men supported by tanks and must all go to camp.' Just as
artillery, but given only mea- with Hitler, so with him. Is was
gre air support. Today, how- a question of blood."
ever, Russia has built a power- Mike Masaoka, the Japanese
ful air force of heavy, long- American war hero, has shown
range bombers for offense, plus the letter to senators, many of
swift jet fighters for defense, whom are opposed to Bendet
This is to ward off an atomic at- sen's confirmation as assistant
tack from the air. secretary of army, especially
More than half the Soviet mil- since the strong court of appeals
itary budget goes into the air opinion written by U.S. Judge
force. The goal is 20,000 fight- William nnmnn nf San Fran.
1949 and named Crawford actor
of the year.
Turn out the mxvzxwmixm
B-grade, or lwf jgT
budget, pictures pjr '
for television rfff (SSI Right now Broderick, a big,
and the A- p Ws bluff, easy-going ex-sergeant, is
grade, high-cost jjEJ I the ranking candidate for an
pictures for theFT? J-"? la academy "oscar" next month,
film theaters." I Vjs :: fi But he has been acting too long
Crawford S Jr to count on it.
no relation top'jnr JM He feels one reason "All the
Hollywood's fe-i jw 'A ! King's Men" turned out so well
male Crawford, K? JOSi 's 'ne off-hand manner in which
Joan thinks " "14'" it was made,
it is foolish for 0,1 "You want to know a see
the film industry to war against ret?" he said. "It was shot off
television, as it once tried to the cuff.
battle radio. "Nobody in the cast had a
script, and only Robert Rossen,
Dini,t , it,. ,,,; ,.i. the director-producer, really
Right now the movie actors , . . ,r ,
are screaming to get on televi- ,f
" he said, "but the studios .V" . . , .. : '
t let them once then took it away from
Television won t stop the until two minutes before the ca
mera starts grinding really
keeps an actor on his toes. It's
a wonderful way to work. You
sion,
won
ing planes, half of them swift
jets, 40 percent heavy bombers,
and the remainder conventional
fighters and fighter bombers.
MacKENZIE'S COLUMN
Cisco condemning the army's
treatment of Japanese-Americans.
(Copyright 1050)
Is World Scared to Death
With Reason Over H-Bomb?
By DeWITT MacKENZIE
() Foreign Affairs Analyst)
America's decision to go ahead with development of the dread
hydrogen bomb has most of the civilized world scared stiff.
That's not because the average foreign nation thinks Uncle
Sam contemplates aggression (although communism charged that
he does) but because even the existence of such a fearsome
weapon is a;
matter of anxiety.
In the hands'
of an aggressor!
is could chal
lenge the secur
ity of all man-S
kind.
This isn't to;
say that the su
per bomb canl
"destrnv civili-
zation"; That is Dc,v"' M"k'"'e
nil
' 1
mmm
X7
The Daughters of the Ameri
can Revolution have some things
in a small showcase in the base
ment of the Capitol building,
The G. A . R. members have
also need a museum and need
it bad.
In writing to the engineers in
Portland, who moved the stone
n . t-tt: ... ...Ul... It
a t ,li . ,. 41,. 'heir things stored in basements
would be possible to move he d , f No place to show
courthouse, they wrote back that T d wnat do
it could be moved. wUh them The g.f(s from
Now it is known that it can France to Marion county are
be moved, why cannot we find stored in the Archives of the
enough people in the city, in the state library.. No one can see
county, in the state who have the them. Do we need a museum?
patriotism, the integrity, the we certainly do.
push the thrift to put Salem, t0 wreck a building costs
on the map again by preserving money and a new building could
that magnificent structure for not be built for the price that
our own posterity and for the it would take to move it, so we
extra thousands of visitors it say move it and preserve it.
might bring to Salem to view Some day Marion county will
our historic collections in a mils- have to have a museum and on
eum? that day it would cost a great
There is a movement under- deal more than to preserve this
way to put in the Flemish type one which can be made fire
of Cnrillonic bells and have the proof.
sounds amplified from the four We are not a poor county,
windows above the clock-tower There is so much wealth all over
so they can be heard a distance it. Why can it not be financed
of fourteen miles, over the val- by some of this great wealth,
ley and into the hills. when it will mean so much to
Think of It! the people? . . .
Would not that mean some- RENSKA L. SWART
thing to Salem, to the people of 738 N. Front St., Salem
The reply added that, judging
by their recent conduct, the Rus
sians "are dominated by the
Marxist theory of an inevitable
clash between the two systems
into which the world is divided."
Is that a true bill? Is the
quest of peace hopeless? Is
war inevitable?
This column has said many
times, and repeated it yesterday,
that from our viewpoint a major
shooting war between the isms
an overworked and far-fetched isn't likely in the near future,
expression. However, science Will there come a time when
tells us that it is possible to communism and democracy must
construct bombs with which a line up on the batlefield of an
nation might be rendered totally Armageddon?
incapable either of defense or Let's look at the thing square
aggression, ly. Bolshevism long ago an-
nounced that it was out to corn
President Truman's order to munize the world by revolution,
construct the hydrogen bomb has It has gone far toward achieving
been followed by a renewal of its ambition, with the result
pleas from many quarters of that the democracies have or-
making of movies. It should,
however, force the studios to
make a better product.
"The people the cash cus- don't have time to get bored
tomers are shopping around with your lines."
now for entertainment. This isn't Rossen also used townspeople
wartime. They won't pay just to around Stockton, Calif., for mi
see anything, but they'll pay nor roles and crowd scenes, and
anything to see something that Crawford believes that made for
is really good." naturalness. It certainly has In
Crawford is in a position to foreign-produced films,
know something about that. Son
of well-known Actress Helen The last time I had seen Craw
Broderick, he made an excellent ford was in 1944 in Belgium,
name for himself on Broadway and he was wearing an army
but spent a dozen years on the uniform. He had dropped in on'
west coast before hitting the a war correspondent's party,
jackpot. When I asked if he remembered
He did it last year in "All the the occasion, he said:
King's Men," an adult picture in "Do I? They took me for my
which he played Gov. Willie last cent in a crap game that
Stark, who resembles the late night."
Huey Long. Eighty leading Hoi- He'd be much better pickings
lywood correspondents in an AP now. He was only drawing a
poll voted it the best film of sergeant's pay then.
99 Cents Worth of Automobile
Little Rock, Feb. 3 Wi A Little Rock used car firm today
advertised a 1931 model Chevrolet for sale at 99 cents. The
only promise: It starts and runs.
Capital Journal
Europe for international con
trol of atomic energy. And Wash
ington hasn't overlooked the
ganized against it. The world
is divided into two camps.
Now the bulk of the strength
need of such control. The state in all categories including eco-
department has been reviewing nomic and industrial power at
American policy on internation- present lies with the western na
al controls and this survey re- tions. There has been no in
portedly has included the pos- dication that they have any in
sibility of a fresh approach to tention of declaring a shooting
Russia. There has been no in- war against the communist bloc
dication of what, if anything, headed by Russia. And the So
might come from this study. viet Union would look twice be
Meantime the British foreign fore launching a shooting war
office pinned the thing down with the balance of power
tersely and bluntly in reply to against her.
a request by British Quakers However, we really begin to
that Prime Minister Atlee try worry about war when the two
to arrange a personal conference blocs are on an equal war foot
with Stalin, Truman and other ing. But is war inevitable even
western government heads in an under those circumstances? It
attempt to reach an international would be utterly foolish to try
agreement. The foreign office to forecast the distant future, but
replied on behalf of Attlee: this much we can say:
"It would be presumptuous to There are many close observ
suppose that personal contact at ers who feel that war will be
even the highest level would do highly probable if the two blocs
anything but raise unduly the become equalized in military
hopes for peace which have been strength. The leaders of the op
so often and so cruelly disap- posing forces would of course
pointed in the past." be Russia and America.
Dial
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