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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1961)
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORE. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1961 A 3 Question of Alliance Between Japan And U.S. Is Raised Ashland Author Credits Success To Persistence, Talent, Belief By FAITH McCULLOUGH Mail Tribune Correspondent Ashland - It was Wednes day, the day after the Satur day Evening Post had ap peared on the nation's news stands, that we spent an hour in the book-lined living room of Ashland's author , Verne Athanas, hoping to discover some secret formula for his remarkable batting average -19 fiction hits with this top weekly in less than nine years! . The creator of "Big Elk" and dozens of popular prede cessors holds no illusions about his craft and modestly credits his success to "equal parts, of persistence, talent, and belief in one's self." -. It was in 1946 while work ing In Peck's Book Store (now The Mart) that Athanas suc cumbed to the writing urge. He set himself a daily goal of 1,000 words, and soon was submitting short stories to a wide field of magazines from "pulps" to "slicks," on the theory that the more sent out tile greater the chances. Rejection slips came but so did checks. One story made the rounds for 10 turn-downs by the "pulps" and on its 11th trip was accepted by Colliers. Argosy, Country Gentleman and the Post were but a few of the magazines on Athanas' list. 1 First acceptance came from Country Gentleman for a tale that has since been incorpor ated in a college English text book as one of four short stories. Athanas' first Post fiction hit was "Charge of the Jungle Battalion," a war-time adven ture which he said had been r. J. . v '''' iki r w - "'4 V tv- W. VERNE ATHANAS Discusses Writing Success "boiling for years." In quick succession came short stories, novelettes and serials in ad dition to three full length novels, "The Proud Ones," published in 1952 by Simon and Shuster; "Rogue Valley," and "Maverick," which ap peared in serial form under the title of "Trail East." Motion pictures, paperbacks and television have all spread Athanas1 adventure tales be fore the public both here and abroad. Recently two of his stories were televised on NBC. When asked if he slanted his writing toward any partic ular magazine or type of read er, Athanas replied that he ..TAURUS APR. 21 I MAY 21 Hi 1-7-10-43 r69-71-83.90 STAR GAXElC0 H . 6-34-M '44-46-57 OCMMI MAY 22 JUN5 22 JN31-48-5W5 kv76-77-84-8Sl CANCER JUNE 23 14-18-24-2 54-55-66 LEO JULY 24 19-71 -38-501 64-72-85-881 VIRGO AUG. 71 1 SEPT. 22' 3- 5- 8-23 By CLAY R. POLLAN Your Daily Activity Guide Aeeardina to th Stan. To develop message for Sunday ; read words corresponding to numbers of your Zodiac birth sign. ... 1 Don't 31 A ' r 61 Today . .2 Don't ', 32 For , . 62 Winning 3 Your . 33 Contact - 63Woinlom 4 Friendly 34 People 64 You ', 5 Charm 35 Affection . 65Motter 6 Aspects 36 Con 66 Scene , 7-Let 37 Will r - 67 In 8 Aids 38 Should .. 68 Favors 9Weor 39May ' , 69Critrciim 10 Comments 40 May 70 Authority 11 Yourself 41,Be 71 To . . 12A -42AAet,-, - 72Hopw . ir ' 13 Out , 430r ' 73A f -' - . 14 Uninvited -'44 Do '':" 74Agreeoblt ' - lSWelcoms ' 45Agoinst ...75 At -! 16 Don't , - r 46 You . ' 76 Calls 17Knock . . 47 Indicated .',77 For' 18 Visitors ' : 48Delicote 78 Your 19 Cheerful t 49 Opposition 79 Your 20Voluobl ' 50 Moke 80 Steady ' 21 News 51 Those B I Hopes. 22 Harbor 52 Come 82 Pace 23 You 53 B ' 83 Disturb , 24 May . 54 On 84 Serious 25 New 55 The 85 And 26 Desire 56 Developed - 86 Today 27 In 57 Favors 87 Door 28 Resentment 29 Appear 30 You. . LIBRA SEPT. 23 OCT. 23 16-22-28-454 151-67-70 S SCORPIO OCT.24fe& NOV. 72 "0 20-25-33-36Ol Ml-56-61 SAGITTARIUS NOV. 23 DEC 22 30-39-42-49 k0-78-81-8cV . ' CAPRICORN DEC 23 JAN. 20 2- 9-11-13J1 1 jwkn 4 3-73-80-8213 AQUARIUS JAN. 21 e to. njffi p6-32-35-47ft B3-58-74 )Gcod 58 Worm-beorted88 Grateful 59 Personol 89 Conjiderotton 60 To 90 You Adverse tfNeutnl MCES FEB. 20 MAR. 21 i9.i.i7.nry 152-7579-87 can only write of the things he knows, adding "I am a West erner, I could never write of suburbia or metropolitan life because I am unacquainted with them." On the other hand he has no wish to be typed for Westerns only and therefore has strayed occasionally into the field of romance. He is contemptuous of sensationalism and declares that "if I don't feel a story I can't write it. I have never been a tongue-in-cheek writer and would not insult serious readers with that sort of fic tion." . Although most of Athanas' stories have a definite appeal to masculine readers his lan guage is light on profanity be yond an . occasional damn or hell. They are replete with ac tion and suspense and alive with vigorous verbs. 'There is no substitute for work," declares the author, "and no short cut to success. To be a good writer one must be an omniverous reader and a lover of words and their usage." Training Jn the fundamen tals of grammar, familiarity with semantics, and acquaint ance with the best in litera ture should be a part of every child's education, he believes. Remedial English for college freshmen shows a woeful lack of high school preparation, ac cording to the author. Verne Athanas and his wife, Alice Spencer, were class mates, graduating in 1936 from Ashland High school and marrying the same year. Their family includes two married sons, Michael and David, who both live in Ashland and recent addition "a very special granddaughter.' Work in the Weyerhauser forests, life in the mountains of Oregon, a lively interest in pioneer history, and a flair for words combined to direct Ath anas toward the writing field. Latent ambition had been stirred by several of his high school teachers. Hunting and fishing; lead ership of the Ashland Junior Gun club, chairmaning the membership committee of Western Writers of America, lure the author away from his secluded study and into fields which , furnish fresh grist for eventual production. While- "Big Elk"; is being read this week by a majority of the Post s estimated 21 mil' lion readers Its author is al ready, deep in other adven tures with a half dozen stories "on to boil." "There are no trade secrets and no magic tools," cautioned the successful story spinner, adding "And no substitute for hard work." Proved on over 300,000 homes! 35333 You can have this protection for as little as $14.50 a month! Patented Seal-O-Matic Asphalt Shingles have a continuous stripe of adhesive on the underside of each shingle The sun's heat seals down the entire edge... bonds it firmly against gala winds and driven rain. Get Seal-O-Matie Shingles at... Plenty of Free Off-Street Parking Corner 6th and Fir Open Daily Until 5:30 Saturday! Until 5:00 nfcmre, ammtu miiMiito mmhuBSI Two Factors Will Enter Into Relations in 1961, Writer Says (Editor's note: The following dispatch Is the fourth or eight being published In connecUon with the "Great Decisions" pro gram of the non-profit, non partisan Foreign Policy associa tion. This dispatch is related to the fourth discussion topic: "Japan Future of An Asian Al ly Partnership or Competition Ahead?") By LEROY HANSEN United Press International Tokyo - (UPD - Japan has embarked on 1961 hopeful and confident of further strengthening its already close ties with the United States. But while the two nations seem certain to retain their international partnership, Ja pan undoubtedly will become a strong competitor to the United States in the quest for world markets. Two new factors could pos sibly enter into U.S. - Japan relations in 1961, however. One is the question of Com munist China. Premier Hayato Ikeda's con servative Liberal -Democratic party has been coming under increasing pressure to relax its stiff attitude toward the Red mainland. Japan has no diplomatic re lations with Red China and is not likely to initiate them until the Peiping regime is admitted to the United Na tions. Trade Another Matter Despite cries from the So cialist and Communist parties and from the 3.S million mem ber Sohyo Labor Union Con federation, Ikeda Is not likely to relax his stand. At least not this year. Trade is another matter, however, and Japanese mer chants eye the Communist mainland with yearning. Up to 1958, there was growing trade between Japan and Red China, but the Reds broke off trade relations when a youth pulled down a Chinese Com munist flag from a stamp ex hibition in southern Japan. In recent months, there has been a gradual Increase in trade between the two nations on a private basis. This is like ly to continue. Here again, Ikeda Is under pressure to sign a formal government-to-government trade agreement, but he is resisting It. Japan's attitude toward Communist China brings up the second point which could possibly affect U.S.-Japan re lations in 1961. The government has been accused many times of not having an independent foreign policy of its own. One critic even termed Japan a "lap dog," following at the heels of the United States, afraid to make a decision of its own. Orphans of Asia Wrote one conservative crit ic: "The fact is that in inter national diplomacy, as in pri vate life, Japanese 'are often so afraid of offending some one that they please no one. It is this indecisiveness and apparent shiftiness which tends to make other nations suspicious of Japanese mo tives and which in turn gives Japan the feeling of being an orphan." Some Japanese do consider themselves to be "the orphans of Asia." Ethnically and geographi cally, Japan belongs to the Asian bloc of nations. But economically Japan is the greatest industrial nation in Asia, and, as such, more often finds that its best interests lie with the Western powers. The result is a split personality. Consequently, there may be increasing cries in 1961 urg ing Japan to stand on its own two feet and develop an in dependent foreign policy and not merely follow the United States. No Anti-Americanism Many influential Japanese are becoming more national istic and believe their nation should attain a more impor tant position in the interna tional community. But this increasing national ism cannist be interpreted as increasing anti-Americanism. Even at the height of the Tokyo demonstrations last June, there was little or no anti-Americanism as such. The demonstrations were aimed primarily at toppling the gov ernment of Premier Nobusuke Kishi and of halting ratifica tion of the U.S.-Japan security treaty. Cancellation of Presi dent Eisenhower's visit was a side effect. However, all will not be sweetness and light fur the tinue to improve, although I Japan through America's save United States in Japan in there would be some loss to the-dollar campaign. 1961. - The Socialists, Communists i and Sohyo are certain to raise again the issue of Ihe U.S. Japan security treaty, now in effect. The ultra-left Zenga kurcn students are certain to stage demonstrations, and there will be demands tor withdrawal of U.S. bases from Japan. But these will not alter basic U.S.-Japan friendship. Conceivably Premier Ikeda's cabinet could fall. But the new premier also would be a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic party and, as such, there would be no drastic change in U.S.-Japanese rela tions. Trade between the two na tions which reached an all time high in 1960, would con- L.atki Katsbdlfi John A. Carter 133 South Central Medford SP 3-6695 STATE FARM The Carehil DHvtr't (and eareful buyar't) Car Iniuranet Statt Farm Mutual Aulomobilt ln$uranet Company Hmt Offitt; Bloomington, III. 1 Great Decisions Group Sets Meeting Jacksonville - The second In a series of eight topics will be discussed tomorrow eve ning when the second Great Decisions Group meeting will be held in the Jacksonville li brary between 7 and 9 p.m. The meeting Is in addition to the Great Decisions meet ings held each Tuesday after noon in the Public Library of Medford and Jackson County at 2:30 p.m. Library officials invite any one interested to attend these meetings and join the discus sions concerning world problems. 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