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
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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."
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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-
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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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