Friday, Sept. 15, 1039 SOUTHERN OREGON MINER Page 4 Southern Oregon Miner Published Every Friday at 167 East Main Street ASHLAND, OREGON -MA’. WHLRWÍS A lu T he P íh ’ I ÍUTTVSI ITS THE -S*AM£ OX.V» STORX- Leonard N. Hall 'You M ap thl V hsomg . K imp of J3 aif -- Editor and Publisher OH WELL- X P om T F jlel A jsout ★ ★ SUBSCRIPTION Entere1.54. SIX MONTHS ....... 80c i Mailed Anywhere in the United States) ★ TELEPHONE 8561 SET YOU “THE TRUTH WILL FREE“ SENATOR BORAH HAS DISCREDITED HIMSELF! When President Roosevelt reconvenes congress for consideration of policy concerning the war in Europe, then will our legislative process need capable states­ manship and an absence of political opportunism. That congress will rise to needs of the situation is probable, but our veteran legislator, Senator Borah of Idaho, apparently is doing his bit to make of the session just another anti-administration political rally. Already Borah is soliciting publicity for himself by fighting the battles of the special session even before the session has been called. He is arguing his case in the newspapers before any case has been pre­ sented. Of all men in the nation at this time, perhaps Wil­ liam E. Borah is the most discredited. It was he, very largely, who defeated the President’s attempts to se­ cure neutrality law revision during the last session by announcing that there would be no European crisis or war. He left the inference that his sources of infor­ mation were superior to those of the President and the state department. Neutrality statute revision was asked by Mr. Roose­ velt at a time when he believed such action might have a deterrent effect on war plans abroad. Now revision can be aimed only at hastening conclusion of the slaughter. Many of us for years on end have held Borah in high regard as a statesman and sincere legislator. For the first time he has raised serious doubts in many Americans’ minds and today he places himself in the position of one who stubbornly injured the cause of peace and delayed necessary legislation—and was proved wrong by his own words. At the special session of congress to be called soon Senator Borah will carry only the weight of a publicity- hungry old man desperately trying to be an important figure in politics at a time when politics should be forgotten. ★ ★ ★ MIGHT NOT STALIN BE NEXT? These are troublous times with the world scene a swiftly-changing, kaleidoscopic mass of passion. How surprising are the ever-shifting scenes, and how fickle our interpretation of their significance is demonstrated by recalling the situation of a few years ago when Italy was making conquest of Ethiopia. At that time the newly-risen Hitler was regarded as a second-rate dictator of little or no world import­ ance; all attention was directed to Mussolini, who strode the center of the militaristic stage and made nations tremble. Once Benito’s thunder was expended, then the world’s eyes and ears suddenly were turned to Ger­ many’s supposed mimic dictator. Surprised indeed were most people when the truth dawned that of the two, perhaps Hitler’s ambitions would wreak the most havoc. When Hitler s strength has been spent, his armies wasted, perhaps then a third dictator, Russia’s Stalin —these many years largely ignored—may take the center of the stage and cause more world-wide trem­ bling and misery. This is not a pleasant epoch in which to live while history is being made. ★ ★ J a T A kt axwaví SX) JouuN - ANO T unny • », *. • • • conflict. His weeding out of dangerous and hate-pro­ voking propaganda over the radio was a great service to the cause of American neutrality. Since the “invasion from Mars’’ scare of several months ago, it is well that the President has been alert to protect a gullible listening public from its own emotions. Propaganda played a great part in involving us in the last World war and apparently Mr. Roosevelt is seeing to it that we are not going to be duped this time. What Other Editors Are Saying! KI MOKED SCUTTLING OF THE CORCORANS The remarkable announcement from the President's office in Washington that his war-time emergency streamlining of the execuUve branch of the govern­ ment does away with Tommy Cor­ coran and the New Deal "kitchen cabinet,” and their influence in governmental matters, is almost beyond belief It is not quite beyond the limit of possibility, because of the war­ time side of the President's char­ acter. President Roosevelt, as David Lawrence points out in his col­ umn, is the single high-ranking, official now in the government who went through the first World war in a high position within the government. Even the high army and navy officers of 1918 have long since re­ tired All high-ranking civilians in the war agencies of 1917-18 have passed out of official life. Roosevelt was a trusted ad­ viser of President Wilson. He was assistant secretary of the navy and had to s|*end much time in f-ondon in war days. He became familiar during the war with problems of shipping and submarine raiding. He knew about the intelligence units, and their discoveries of saliotage. There is no question but that the Nazis would rather have almost any other citizen of the United States SPLEEN in democratic GOVERNMENT That the dominating note of the j final action of the last congress I was pure hatred of the I‘resilient, unleashisl and rumpant, cannot in­ doubted. That economy was not the animating spirit is proven in the fact that the congress appro­ priated some $300,000.000 more than the President had asked A total of 13 billions were appro- I pilated. so there is a very small case made out that there was any money saving in the minds of con­ gress as a whole. One can easily ait down and de­ spair of democratic government in contemplation of a group, one might better say a herd, that is charged with deliberate rsapon- i sibility, acting like spoiled chil­ dren If it did any good, one might hang his head in shame that the nation's lawmaking body is com- ■ posed of such petty men Justifi- i cation for their action on the I ground that the President has been dictatorial and overbearing is like saving that It a policeman finds another officer shooting ill a citizen, he should grab his gun and start shooting other and more of the natives, so that he doesn't li t the tu st cop outdo him It is Ixilh disgusting and sad­ dening Democracy is without doubt on its way out the world over and we are furnishing the world a full-fledged spectacle of .is.smimty in full flower Rose burg Uhieftuin > as its president at this mo­ ment. He is a keen student of naval strategy, and the best of all commanders of the United Statist army and navy in time of war. Thus it Is easy to see how In his own mind he might conceive a new position of war-time leader­ ship to be a superior role to his old position of peace-Ume Amer­ ican leadership. If he does, the Corcorans of his political fighting staff could de­ crease in importance to near zero, while real statesmen might become vitally important in their places At this hour President Roose­ velt seems determined to put America into the war, at least to the extent of suspending our neu­ trality embargo against supplying arms and war materials to our favored belligerants. A call for congress to assemble and vote him this power seems imminent It is a necessary step for him if he is to assume the world war-time im­ portance that could be his. He might be willing to scuttle the Corcorans to gain this step. He might see the Corcorans as a sacrifice he could make to gain the approval of congress for the things he wants. He must know that in war he must become an acting dictator with powers far beyond anything WHO PROUTS? Who profits by war? Who. when the last gun hns fired its last shell, can say "Well done. Tlie end is accomplisheil and I am satis­ fied ? These questions, asked hy many Americans after the close of the last World war are being asked by many Americans today at the start of a conflict that may Soon become another World war Who does profit, or in any way gain? The farmer? No. Any pos­ sible profits to be made from a few years of higher prices for his products will be more than eaten up in the taxes that will, some day, have to be assessed to pay for the war The small business man who may lose his all in eco­ nomic readjustments attendant upon any war ? The laborer, who like the farmer will in the end pay back with interest the gain in wartime wages? The politician whose constituents will some day blame him, possibly unjustly, for taking away their sons" The sol­ dier who lives to return ? Ask any veteran. No, the answer must be sought elsewhere: possibly among the po­ litical hotheads of all nations; pos­ sibly among the munitions makers or from the unscrupulous element among th«- big industrialists; pM* albly from Hitler and the potential Hitlers of all countries, who mis­ takenly sec In war the opportunity to win places in the world from which their own personalities will always bar them. 'rhe German people cannot pos- ¡illHloN.S truiflc accident sit v uation and whut Is being done about it formed the theme for a booth mulntumed by the secretary of stale s office and the slate high­ way department at the Oregon state fair this year. Feuturcd in the display was a statistical account or traffic ac­ cidents, injuries and deaths, fig­ ures on gasoline cunsuniplloii, driver registration and non-resi­ dent motorista regtstraliun. The story of safety activities carried on in Oregon by Earl Snell, secre­ tary ol siale, was told in stalls lies und pictures. Hundreds of fair visitors have taken the reaction teal, the reuc- lometer measuring in split seconds the lime it takes a driver to apply his biukcs at a given signal. The avciage time la three-fourths of a second. A miniature set illustrated the seven I mis I c lessons forming the safety driving school, a|>onaored by the secretary of state. Street interacctiona, complete with street signa and markings were shown in minature as were highways, parking spaces and hills. Tiny cars were list'd to show the proper pro­ cedure in parking, starting and stopping on hills, driving in traf­ ile, making turns, etc , as they are taught in the actual school To give drivers a better idea of the operation of the clutch and gear shift, a cut away clutch and gear nl>;v WU Imluded m UM dis­ play A complete display of Oregon automobile license plates, from the first issued in 1905, down to the current tugs was Included in the booth. Tlie latest type electrical traffic signal devices were displayed by the state highways department, which also showed artists' draw­ ings of various highway projects completed, under way or project­ ed In Oregon The booth was in the grandstand exhibit area. albly hope to gain, for even though the goal of empire of which their leaders drcam is reached, the coat will be so high that profit will be loss and alliances now formed will become nubilities instead of as­ sets The German people's all la again being staked against terrific odds for. while they m*y be now even stronger than in 1914, their rise has been too rapid and they will have a second enemy even more dangerous than the allies Internal al rife Eng land and France are in no position for u protracted war; neither are Italy, China and Japan Russia, like a huge mon­ ster. waits no nation's ally, every nation's enemy No, there is no gain in war Tlie United States must arm. FOR DE­ FENSE. take every im-axuie [ his ■ible to keep out of hostilities across the seas AND, equally Im- portant, wood out the subversive elements that war from within — Granta Pass Bulletin $25.00 REWARD will lie paid for any corn