i
!
Pw 4
THE CAPITAL JOURNAL, Salesa, Oregon
Friday, September 11, 195S
Capital AJournal
An Independent Newipoper Estobliihed 1888
BERNARD MAINWARING, Editor end Publisher
.' GEORGE PUTNAM, Editor Emeritus
Published every afternoon except Sunday ot 444 Che
meketa St., Solera Phones: Business, Newsroom, Wont
Ads, 2-2406; Society Editor, 2-2409.
A NEW KIND OF "LEAF RAKING"
ImcUM mm k adutnlr ibUU to dm m I nktluUas 1
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Br curort iKnthlr, It.. ts Monti, ftjo; On twr. HISS. It Ma t Mr1o.
rout. Una. Bwton. Clukuii OoubUm; Ifaalhlv. Met aii Month. MM;
Tut, w oo. a sua Euiiwr n onra: Mosuur, lt.; sa Moataa, mm oh
Tmt. iu.im. b sua Otui omk MaaUUr, SI Ml an Koalas, I7.M; Oh
DURKIN'S RESIGNATION
1 We are rather relieved at Secretary of Labor Durkin'a
7 resignation from the Eisenhower cabinet, although we
. entertain the highest regard for Durkin, whom we believe
,did an excellent job during the eight months he held
office.
The .trouble was and is that Durkin as a Democrat
supported Stevenson and the Democratic program against
i the Eisenhower and Republican program. It developed
, that as labor secretary he sought to bring about changes
in the Taft-Hartley act which Stevenson would probably
have approved had he been president, but which Eisen
' hower could not approve, once he understood their impli
cation.
Had Stevenson been elected, with a Democratic con-
gress, it is extremely doubtful the Durkin changes would
have become law, for nearly all Republicans and many
Democrats would nave opposed them. With a Republi
can administration the Durkin changes could not possibly
have gotten through congress, even had Eisenhower sup
ported them, which he apparently refused to do once he
' had heard the other side.
The only way Durkin could have remained in the
. cabinet would have been to have accepted in good: faith
the will of the people that restrictions on the power of
. labor leaders be retained as a national policy. This will
was reflected in the original vote in congress in 1947, in
which a majority of the Democrats voting in each house
' were recorded for the bill. It was reflected again in
Taft's sensational re-election in Ohio in 1960 with the
Taft-Hartley act as the principal issue. It was reflected
still again in the Eisenhower victory in 1952.
Had Durkin been willing to abide by a national policy
of restricting somewhat the overgrown power of labor
leadership he could have continued as an effective, re
spected member of the Eisenhower cabinet. This he was
evidently unwilling to do, but continuously sought
changes, some of which would have been against the pub
lic interest and which the Eisenhower administration
could not possibly accept. "
Such being Durkin's attitude, and we do not for a
moment doubt his sincerity, it is best that he and the
administration part company. He may some day return
to the labor secretaryship in a Democratic administra
tion, but he does not belong in a Republican administra
tion. , ,
This is what we have political parties and programs
for. And the ruling program has to be the one the people
voted for, not that of the defeated opposition. ;
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND
Vinson Prevented Giving
Atomic Secret to Russia
By DREW PEARSON
AUTO INSURANCE RATES REVISED
The revised automobile liability insurance rates which
have been agreed upon by the 21S companies affiliated
, with the National Bureau of Casualty Underwriters and
the Mutual Insurance Rating Bureau cut some costs on
adult pleasure car drivers but increased rates upon the
cars used to commute to Vork and upon young drivers
under 25 years of age. -
A slightiy higher rate is fixed for cars driven less than
10 miles on a one-way trip to work; still higher rates
apply for vehicles driven more than 10 miles to work.
Previously there was no distinction for both pleasure
driving and for traveling to work. The graduated scale
recognizes the hazards incurred in daily use of the family
auto in peak traffic rush hours and charges accordingly.
The extent to which policyholders may misrepresent
their customary use of the cars to receive lower rates
can only be determined by experience. An alternative
would have been to correlate speedometer mileatre with
insurance premium to guard against evasion but would
not relate to premiums to rush hour driving.
Stimulation to the use of mass transportation Instead
of congestion breeding expansion of private car commut
ing snouia oe encouraged.
Because most of the traffic accidents are caused by
young drivers who have uncontrolled use of the car, as
the records prove, these will be reaDimr the harvest of
the tragedies they have caused for they will be paying
iwice as mucn lor insurance as tne best-risk drivers.
The revision in rates for many car owners will be the
first reduction since World War II, as against seven pre
vious increases. The intent aims at greater fairness in
apportioning the cost of accidents and is therefore sound
poucy. Trial will determine whether the aims are achiev.
ed. G. P.
HARD LINE ON RED CHINA
Senator William Knowland took a hard and fiut nnai.
tion on the admission of Red China to the U.N. the other
day from the Far East where he is making a tour of in
spection. .
Knowland said flatly that if the U.N. admits Red China
the U.S. should withdraw from the U.N. The adminis
tration has not put it as bluntly as this and Knowland
has no authority to bind Eisenhower and Dulles, but his
position as Republican leader in the senate gives his
woras plenty oi signuicance. ,
Knowland, in addition to party leadership, is regarded
as sometning oi an expert on the Far East and his posi
tion will have great influence in the senate, which has to
ratify treaties and is jealous of its place in foreign affairs.
Knowland's position has been ours ever since Red
China came into the U.N. picture. If the U.N. is the kind
of an organization in which an outlaw setup like Red
China should have a place it is not the kind of an organ
ization in which we belong.
This of course raises the question: What about Soviet
Russia ? Does it belong in the U.N.T Obviously it
doesn't, in the light of its conduct since the U.N. was
established. But the U.S. does not have the power to
expel Russia, We certainly wouldn't vote to admit Rus
sia, if the question were still open. We made a mistake on
Russia, which we are powerless presently to correct. We
need not make another on Red China.
The determining issue as we see it is not that China
and Russia are Communist It is that they flout all in
ternational responsibilities and even nv.ke war on the
U.N. Their agreement are worthless. They are in
fact outlaws. Once we were convinced that Red China
had seen the error of her way we'd have no objection to
her in the U.N. But there if no aign whatever of this.
Washington Here are tome
fleeting glimpses In the life of
a very great man who died
this week.
I was on a camDina- trio In
the Adirondack! with Chief
Justice Vinson about a month
ago. The woods around ui
were dry. We were seated on
pine-needles eating lunch one
day, and the chief justice was
smoking a cigarette. He smok
ed It down to a stub, crushed
the stub on a rock, then went
over to the water bucket and
threw water on the burnt-out
stub.
I couldn't help but think
that this was typical of Fred
Vinson's life thoughtful,
considerate, careful even
about the most minute detail.
One evening he told about
historic cabinet meeting
dealing with the atom bomb.
The meeting is history now
and there s no reason why it
can't be described. It took
place In 1945. Truman was
president, Vinson was secre
tary of the treasury, Henry L.
Stirason was secretary of war.
Stimson came into the cabinet
meeting to propose that Rus
sia be given the atom bomb.
He argued that Russia was
certain to get the secret any
way, and our chances of world
peace would be far better if
we ahowed our good will and
sincerity by offering to share
our secret with the soviet. Our
relatibns with Russia, Inci
dentally, were fur better at
that time than a year or so
later.
CABINET DEBATE
The Stimson proposal touch
ed off a heated debate.
President Truman went
round the cabinet table, asked
the opinions. of all present.
Jlmmle Byrnes, secretary of
state, sided with Stimson. So
did Miss Perkins, secretary of
labor. But Vinson led the op
position. He argued that the
secret of the A-bomb was
something the American peo
ple had paid for, worked for,
had a right to keep. Under no
circumstances should It be giv
en away.
Tom Clark, then attorney
general, backed him up. He
argued, Vinson said, from th.
point of view of the people of
icxaa and now they would
feel if the A-bomb secret were
given away.
Secretary Stimson
had given great thought to the
mauer, Vinson said. He spoke
with the utmost sincerity.
r urwrrmore ne spoke as a for
mer secretary of state. Presl-
oeni Truman postnoned M
sion, but in the end ruled that
the atom secrets should be
Kept.
CLF.ANED-OCT
COMMUNIST
One of the most memorable
talks I ever had with Vinson
was a few weeks after he be
came secretary of the trea
sury. I had been working on
one ot the most important
news stories I ever broke, the
Soviet spy ring in Canada, and
torn Vinson that I thought he
had either a communist or a
pro-communist working for
him as assistant secretary of
the treasury, Harry D. White.
I told Vinson I had no evi
dence that would stand up In
court but that I was certain
one of the men the Russians
used as their contact in Wash
ington was White. Vinson
didn't say much. But in the
next week or two I noted that
White left the treasury. Some
years later his part in the So
viet spy ring was substantiate
MISSION TO MOSCOW
The story of Vinson's pro
posed trip to Moscow in the
fall of 1948 has been written
a good many times, but some
of the most Important angles
were never told.
It is known, of course, that
President Truman wanted the
chief Justice to make a per
sonal face-to-face appeal to
Stalin for peace between the
two nations. Truman felt that
a man with the warm, con
tagious personality of Fred
Vinson, plus his down-to-earth
directness and homey philo
sophy, would be able to melt
even the stony neart of Joe
Stalin.
Vinson himself was not en
thusiastic. He had misgivings
about the mission, doubted
that he could bring back any
real agreement. But, like the
good soldier he had always
been, he agreed to go if Tru
man so desired.
However, he insisted that if
he did go, he must resign from
the supreme court and not be
reappointed. So strongly did
Vinson feel that the court must
be divorced from the executive
branch of the government that
he was willing to sacrifice the
second most important post in
the United States. It was part
ly because of this insistence, I
think, that Truman abandoned
the mission-to-Moscow idea.
He thought it would be unfair
to his old friend Fred Vinson.
1JTH CHIEF JUSTICE
Fred Vinson used to remark
that there had been 12 chief
Justices of the United States.
He was the 13th. He never
went on to remark that there
had been 34 presidents. He
was too modest for that.
But altogether he enjoyed
ha enjoyed his work as chief
justice, and was justifiably
proud of his position, I always
got the Impression that his
happiest days were in con
gress and as economic stabiliz
er. Few people ever realized
what a difficult but efficient
Job Fred Vinson did in holding
prices down during the war.
He was criticized by everyone.
But he stuck to his guns. And,
along with Leon Henderson, to
whom Vinson paid the high
est credit, prices ended up
lower after the war than be
fore Pearl Harbor.
I think it was because Harry
Truman recognized Vinson
qualities as an administrator
that he wanted him to run for
president. And he would have
been a great president. But
here again Vinson did not be
lieve any member of the su
preme court should leave the
court to run for public office.
MODEST TRAVELER
The next to the last time 1
saw Fred Vinson was a month
ago coming from Lake Placid,
N.Y., to Washington. We
changed planes at La Cuardia
airport, where by accident we
discovered that our 7:30 con'
nection to Washington was de
layed in Boston. Though the
chief Justice of the United
States was traveling, Amert
can Airlines didn't take the
trouble to notify him that he
wouio DC delaved mora than
an hour, aor did they take the
trouble to help Mm get a res
ervation on the 7:55.
Finally I switched his reser
vation, following which there
was the problem of baggage.
American Airlines refused to
carry the baggage from one
plane to the other, and no
porter was available. So the
chief Justice of the United
States carried his two huge
suitcases, uncomplaining, out
to the airplane and virtually
loaded them aboard himself.
A terrific thunderstorm
caught us between Baltimore
and Washington and for one
hour the plane circled the
Washington airport, waiting
for a chance to come down. It
was hot, humid, ventilation
was poor. Sweating passengers
were packed closely together
many of them complaining.
But not the chief justice.. The
second most Important official
in tne nation was aboard that
plane but, characteristically,
he was so quiet that not one of
the crew or passengers knew
he was with them.
Salem 38 Years Ago
Dt den maxwell
September 11, 1915
German Ambassador VonJ
Berastort! Had stated war with
America would follow in a
few days after a break of dip
lomatic relations between Ger
many and America.
A report from El Paso had
said General Francisco Villa
was "killed attacking a planta
tion of an erstwhile partisan.
Liquor dealers in other
states, particularly in Cali
fornia, were preparing to reap
a rich harvest in Oregon when
tne state goes "dry" January
1, 1918.
Margaret Mason, writing
about New York fashions for
the Capital Journal, had re
ported: "With the exception
of the prevalence of Russian
coats, turbaned and with a full
skirt a la Cossack, and a gleam
ing gold tassel or so of a Bel
blan officer, little or no mili
tarism has been allowed to
gain headway against the lines
of allied a la mode."
For Sunday and Monday
Oregon theater had Theda Bara
in "Lady Audley's Secret" and
Charlie Chaplin in "The Mix-up."
T. A. Livesley had suffered
a hopyard fire that caused a
loss of $50,000 when hop kilns
and baled hops in storage were
destroyed.
Forest fires a mile west of
Pratum had gotten out of con
trol and were whpping toward
the village at an alarming rate.
Steamer Oregana had struck
a sandbar aboutfour miles be
low Salem and remained fast
until pulled off by the U.
engineers' boat Mathloma.
Salem's municipal bathing
beach had been doing a fair
business under direction of Ar
thur Wilson and the scow
would be kept in operation so
long as patronage continued.
For ladles' fall wear the V.
G. Shipley company had Pad
dox chin-chin fur trimmed
coats and the new Vogue mod
els in plush Furtex, prices
Tanging between $7.50 and
$85.
Flour mills at Jefferson had
resumed operations following
Installation of new machinery
costing thousands of dollars, j
Film Ceds Sticks
By RAYMOND MOLET
Los Angeles Two head
lines in "Dally Variety," pub
lished here, mark the begin
ning and end of a story which
has important artistic, moral,
and political significance. The
first, in the issue of March 4,
1953, was "Pix Prod'n Code
On Way Out." The second, on
August 13, 1053, was "Prod'n
Code Will Stick As Is." This
specific issue arose over a play
and picture called "The Moon
Is Blue."
A producer first submitted
the successful Broadway play
of that name two years ago to
the Production Code Adminis
tration, variously - known as
the Hays, Johnston, or Breen
office. The Administration said
that it was in violation of the
Code, a standard of propriety
adopted by the Motion Picture
Association of America long
ago as a guide by and to all
major companies. The produc
er of "The Moon Is Blue," who
was not a member of the As
sociation, despite this opinion,
had a script made and sub
mitted it some months later.
Again, the Code Administra
tion refused to approve it
in part, because of some of the
dialogue, but fundamentally
because it was said to violate
sections of the Code which
say that "pictures shall not in
fer that low forms of sex rela
tionship are the accepted or
common thing" and that seduc
tion shall never be the proper
subject for comedy.
The producer held that his
script did not violate the Code
and proceeded to make the
picture, which he submitted to
the Administration. The Ad
ministration refused its seal of
approval, and the producer
took an appeal to the board of
directors of the Association,
which upheld the Code Admin
istration. The picture was
then exhibited in such theatres
as were available to a picture
thus banned, with advertising
saying that it is an "adult"
film, or "for adults only."
At this point I wish to state
that I am not discussing the
specific moral or artistic is
sues involved. I am concerned
with the wisdom of private
business regulating itself as
an alternative to regulation by
the heavy hands of the state.
On that point I wrote a book
some years ago called "The
Hays Office, which I may say,
met the aprpoval of the trade
press in the motion-picture in
dustry as a fair and authentic
portrayal of the problem.
In the present case of "The
Moon Is Blue," left-wing writ
ers proceeded to go far beyond
criticism of - the specific de
cision of the Code Administra
tion and raised a hue and cry
for the abolition of the whole
system of self-regulation. This
demand was slapped down by
the directors of the Associa
tion on August 12. Through
their president, Eric Johnston,
it was made clear that the
Code and its administration
would continue.
It has taken many years for
POOR MAN'S PHILOSOPHER
Tightwads Springing Up
In N.Y., Among Children
y HAL BOYLE
New York, () Everyone
knows New York City is in
habited by a bunch of fast-
living grasshoppers who toss
away their money with no
thought of the morrow. Yep,
that's us. fellows. If we can't
spend our dough quick enough
with both hands, we kick k
away with our feet.
As the old Broadway saying
goes. '"Who wants to be the
richest uy in the cemetery?1
A guy who Isn't living beyond
his means just isn't living.
But guess what's happening
right here in the neon-lit midst
of the world's greatest one-way
primrose path. Why, a herd of
thrifty young ants is springing
up, a generation infected by
the old squirrelly idea that it
pays to put away a few acorns
for a rainy day.
Who are these young cod-
savers. But an oia wastrel I
showed the figures to only
grumbled enviously:
"Imagine children of such
tender years having a sum like
$150,000 a week within reach
of their grimy little paws. I
trust the little monsters are
saving it for a sensible pur
pose, such as buying mink
coats or entertaining chorus
girls."
However, the kids who in
dicated any immediate goal for
their savings were stubbornly
planning such typical small fry
investments as model air
planes, doll dresses and bi
cycles. . .
Where do city children set
their money? How much do
they get, and how do they
spend it? What do they reallV
know about the value of mon
ey? The survey came uo with .
some interesting answers.
gers? Well, they turned up to Qver half to Ud t ' '
a survey of 3.620 children be-! wwl ... "
tween 6 and 11 years old, and
it turned out that one out of
five already had somehow or
other picked up the old fash
ioned habit of saving part of
his pocket money each week.
Most averaged between 25 and
50 cents. ,.
The survey, made by the Gil
bert youth research organiza
tion for the Washington
Heights Federal Savings - &
Loan association, estimated that
the city's one million sub-teen
agers are stashing up to $150,-
000 a week in their piggy
banks. This, of course, includes
emergency withdrawals to help
their parents out of a tight
spot
The bankers thought this
showed a mighty healthy atti
tude on the part of the young
the heads of the motion-picture
industry to build the faith
they now have in their Code.
But it is now a mighty con
viction, a conviction based
upon the two propositions
which went into the making
and adoption of the Code 25
years ago. The first of those
propositions is that, unless
there is self-regulation, the
pressure of religious bodies,
parent groups, and other sec
tors of American opinion will
have recourse to the govern
ment for the protection of the
morals of those who make up
the immense mass audience of
motion pictures. The other
proposition is that in a highly
competitive industry the indi
vidual cannot "exercise self
censorship alone. To be frank,
the members of a competitive
industry cannot trust each oth
er and must, if there is to be
reguation, resort to joint ac
tion. It is true that there will be
differences of opinion as to
whether this or that picture
should be shown. But some
authority must exercise the
prudential decision, and in
this case it was the Code Administration.
ular
majority of those in the 6-7 age
oracxet got 28 to 50 cents;
those 8 to 9 from 51 to 99
cents; those 10 to 11 from 51
cents to a dollar or more. Only
10 per cent reported the best
they could knick the old folks
for was a dime or less.
One out of every five said
they sometimes earned their
own money, either for "being
good" or by doing chores. Fully
half of these also were savers,
showing that the harder it is
for a young fellow to get his
dukes on dough the more re
luctant he is to fritter it away
on a grammar school blonde.
,The average teen-ager con
sumes six candy bars and 5.2
bottles of pop a week. But the
favorite vice of the 6 to 7 year
old child is ice cream, about
seven servings a week if he can
buy them. His interests in wild
er pleasures ice cream sodas,
candy and pop picks up as he
matures.
It was estimated the kids
gulp down 8 billion plates of
ice cream a year. It your child
says wistfully, "Gee, I'd like to
have all that" well, tell him
that if he ate a serving every
minute, it would take him
15,360 years to eat it all. And,
ot course, all he'd say to that
is, "I guess I wouldn't have to
hurry, would I, dad?
As to the movies, hold on.
Hollywood, bad news ahead.
The survey said a majority ot
the 6 to 11 year old children
went to the movies at least ,
once a week 10 years ago, but
now only 10 per cent do. In
six out of 10 homes the kids
reported Hopalong Cassidy
now rides into their living
rooms via television for free,
When asked what they or
their parents could buy for a
penny, 841 of the 3,620 kids
said flatly, "Nothing." And 93
said the same thing about a
nickel.
Kind of makes you feel sad
and old doesn't it to hear of
even one kid who no lonfer
can buy a dream with a nickel?
(7o
EHliK
'.'Jits. 4;sri i). ,lt
1 1
Funtral Service Sine 1871 I
M,,gu " - T I
4
t.