4 A
-Ivaryona In Southtrn Orator"
Beads Die Mall Tribune1'
(hlbllshed tally except Saturday bt
umroHD PRINTING CO
1 North fir St., Ph SP3-11
ROBERT W KUIUU
IUB GRET. AOVeruunt aaan;
Eiiuujj t. Latham, bus Mr
EBB GREY. Advertlslnt Manager
GIKAUJ T. LATHAM, pus
ERIC W ALLEN JR.. Mn Editor
EARL H. ADAMS. City Editor
RICHARD JEWITt. Sportt Editor
OLIVE ST ARCHER, womtn'l Editor
DALE EBICKSUn. urcuiinpn wit
An ' Indenendent Newspaper
Bntorod aa teeond clase matter St
Medlord. Onion, under Act at
March 3. 1197
Iiwir-BIPTIOM BATES
By Mail la Advance. Copt i0
Dally and Sunday 1 ytar iU 00
Duly and Hundiy 6 moa. l-ttl
Dally and Sunday 4 moa. 4.20
ihui. Onlv On yaar a .20
mm fan law In Advance Idedford
OAshland. Central Point Ear'
Point. Jacksonville, cold Hill
mMnlv Shady Cava. RotUS HIV
T. 1 n mnii m RlOtAT rOUtOf.
Dally and Sunday I year til 00
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Official Paper or Jackson County
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NATIttJA. fOIT
VK I Wc
Medford and Jackson County
History from the files of The
Mall Tribune 10, 20, 30, 40
and 50 years ago.
10 YEAR AGO
May 3. 19S2 (Saturday)
"Smokeless orchard heating
.! unfortunately not yet a
reality," according to a state
ment Issued by b representa
tive of the Jackson County
Fruit Growera league.
United States National
bank, Medford branch, Is the
auccessful bidder on a $19S.
000 Central Point ichools
bond issue.
20 YEARS AGO
May 3, 1942 (Sunday)
U.S. announces Lt. Gen.
Jonathan Walnwrlght ha sur
rendered Corregldor fortress
In Manila bay.
From Arthur Perry's "Ye
Smudge Pot" column: "Straw
berries are now on display
and still out of the reach oi
the average pocketbook, and
of the jaybirds."
30 YEARS AGO
Mar 3. 1932 (Tuesday)
Elk Creek man sentenced to
year in Oregon atate prison
for "possession of illegal
mash."
Saturday specials an
nounced by Medford grocery
store include pound of butter,
10 cents; large ,'an of con
denied milk, one cent; three
fryers for $1, special Mothers'
day cakes, 35 cents.
40 YEARS AGO
May 3- 1922 (Wednesday)
Medford Ku Klux Klan or
ganization Invited Mayor C.
E. Gates to attend Klan meet
ing and hear a report on the
organization's "lofty purpos
es." Southern Oregon Federa
tion of Women's clubs takes
"positive stand against the
showing of Fatty Arbuckle
films" in this area.
10 YEARS AGO
May 3. 1912 (Thursday)
Medford Commercial club
calls meeting of all persons
interested In legislation to al'
low counties to determine the
amount of money they will
spend for roads.
City-wide cleanup campaign
to end with bonfire, free band
concert and speech by the
mayor.
Ctef To 14?
Nine or fen correct Is superior;
savin er elgftt Is excellent; five ei
sit b toes'.
1. Does the Mississippi riv
er have its source In Miss
ktslppi, Minnesota, Illinois, or
Uilo?
2. In geometry, a pentagon
to a polygon having four,
five, six, or eight sides?
3Was the Capitol, or the
White House, the first Fed
eral building to be erected
In Washington?
4. In England, who presides
over the House of Lord
3. What famous city was
captured by soldiers hidden
In a wooden horse?
8. Supply the S isslng word
in "The Sidewalks of . .
7. Which would you say
quacks the louder, a duck or
drake?
8. Who was nicknamed
"The Little Corporal"?
9
Did Ibe Treaty of Ghent
end the
Revolutionary, Mex-
lean, or War of 1812?
10. A young cow that has
not had a calf Is called a
. . . . ?
Answers! 1, Minnesota. 1
Five. 3. Tha while House.
4. Lord Chancettor, 9. Troy.
6. New York. 7. A drake does
X WJ-AHCtlATIOM
ORIAl
THURSDAY. MAY 3, 11(2
Porter, Straub, Duncan
Probably the most interesting, and likely the
most significant, contest in the coming primary
election is among the candidates for the Demo
cratic nomination for Congress from the Fourth
District.
Four men are running, Charles 0. Porter,
Robert W. Straub, Robert B. Duncan, and Patrick
M. Flynn.
As things look now, Flynn, who is virtually
1 At 1 , it. J A. A l.ti;,,!. -1
unxnown inrougnoui me
for the nomination, and
Porter, btraub and Duncan.
Between them, it appears to be pretty close
o . . . . .
DORTER is a two-term former Congressman,
who was narrowly defeated two years ago
by Edwin R. Durno, and largely on the basis of
a slashing, last-minute attgek involving a phoney
Japanese plywood import issue which hasn t
been heard of since. o
Porter lost much respect during his last term,
because of a number of his positions on foreign
policy. Hindsight reveals that he was right more
often than he was wrong, but still he gained the
reputation of maiine hasty snap-judgments, not
always on the soundest grounds.
Certain other of his proposals such gs a chair
lift from the rim to the water of Crater Lake
drew hot opposition.
On the oiier hand,
than any other sinerle individual for the resurrec
tion of the Rogue Basin
aeveiopmenis, ana oiner mailers auecung me
district, which tends to belie the allegation that
he was an inefiectutal
CTRAUB is a former highly successful county
commissioner in Lane county, is a former
chairman of the state Democratic ogranization
and is currently state senator.from Lane county.
He is an able, conscientious public servant
of experience and integrity, and is both liked
and respected by his colleagues and friends.
One of his warmest admirers,, who was a close
observer both of his performance as state chair
man and as senator, declares he is one or the
most effective men to serve in either capacity,
though he was handicapped by a split within
the party's ranks.
This friend compares
Dick Neuberger, whose
grew as he developed the "basic stuff intelli
gence, guts, imagination and, most important,
political savvy that showed him what the nub
of the issue was, how to broaden his sources of
power, and how to get the votes."
e e e o e
rUNCAN is better known in Jackson county
than the other two. With three terms in the
state house of representatives, an unprecedented
two of them as speaker,
other legislators.
He combines a compassionate regard for his
fellow man with a respectful and sharp-eyed re
gard for a tax dollar. He is good at compro
mise which is the essence of the legislative
process and yet will not compromise with
principle.
He is also strong-minded, and when con
vinced he is right, he 11 stick to his guns. He is
considered to be fair-minded, and honest in that
when he doesn't know something, he'll admit it,
and then set about finding out.
A LL are of the relatively "liberal" wing of the
Democratic party, Porter and Straub some
what more so than Duncan. All are sympathetic
with President Kennedy's programs and aims.
All are basically honest men of integrity, with
a genuine liking for public service as a career.
Lach has had experience in public office, and
is thus equipped to render high-ouality service.
Each is friendly and personable, with a genu
ine liking for people. Each is, to a degree, an
individualist, doing his own thinking, and, al
though willing to listen to others, making up his
own mind.
Democrats of the Fourth District are fortun
ate to have such able candidates. The difficulty
is to choose between them. E. A.
Two. Judgeships
The non-partisan ballot in the primary elec
tion will have only two judgeship races.
Theses are for Position No. 6 on the Oregon
Supreme CoilH, and for judge of the new Ore
gon Tax Court.
The two candidal for the Supreme Court
are both Circuit Judges at present, tjnel both pre
sent ft record of experience and public service.
They are Arno H. IVnecke of Multnomah county
and Lyle R. Wolff of Baker county. 0
Since both appear amply qualified, we 'are
inclined to accept the recommendation of the
state's lawyers, who voted in favr of Denecke
by a substantial margin in a State Bar Associa
tion poll. o
DETERo GUNNAR is the present tax court
judge, anft his record has yet to be made, since
the court has been in existence only since Jan. 1,
1962. But he has shown considerable organizing
ability in setting & up, and travelling throughout
the state making arrangements for tax court
sessions. o
He has also done a good job ol&informing
the public on wfoat the court is intended to do.
The other candidate , Portland Lawyer Ray
mond L. Jones, who, according to his Voters'
Pamphlet statement, also appears qualifiedO
Again, we rely on the State Bar poll, which
recommends the election of Judge Gunnar to his
present position. E. A.
aisinci, nas nine cnance
the contest is between
he is more responsible
Project, for certain port
congressman.
him to the late benator
influence and authority
he has the respect of
Dennis the Menace
'
Letters to the Editor must bur the
although under certain circumstances
for publication Is pcimUiible. The Mail Tribune reserves the right to
adit all letters with a view to clarification and condensation. Letters
submitted for publication must not exceed 400 words. The letters
printed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of the
paper; in fact the contrary Is often tha case.
Simple Solution
To the Editor:
Delinquent with your tax?
Aw, Shucks!
Pay 'em off with Blossom
Buck..
George Dlstell
Vashti Way
Medford.
Explanation" Asked
To the Editor: I feel that
Mr. Ottosen owes his fellow
Democrats and voters of Jack
son county an explanation
There are several items in
specific.
First of all, your campaign
chairman (and relative, I may
add,) is not a member of your
party. Does he not have
enough faith in you ur your
party to truly represent yiiu
In proper fashion?
Second, let ui In on th
news. Who does your bipar
tisan committee consist of?
Third, did you know that
you may set a record this
year? To my knowledge you
will be perhaps the only can
didate in the county or the
state whose campaign chair
man will not be able to vote
for him in the primary elec
tion. At that rate your hopes
for the general election are
pretty slim.
I should like to suggest you
take a good look at your wor
thy opponent. It may help you
to realize that Mr. Stephens
is a real Democrat and a great
credit to the party he repre
sents. You can be sure that
Mr. Stephens will be spend
ing his time in the office of
Jackson county sheriff, work-
ing for the good of the county
as a whole, and not spending
his time in self glorification.
A truly conscientious and ded
icated public servant does not
have time to waste his efforts
degrading his fellow man.
Olen Rlsner
2448 Crater Lake ave.
Medford
Bloasom Festival View
To the Editor: The Pear
Blossom parade was beautiful,
especially the bandplayers in
sensible and very lovely blue
suits.
1 liked even the pretty little
half-clothed girls who not only
looked chilly, but caused at
least two old men (I won't
call them gentlemen) to slob
ber at the mouth as they
gloated over the sight of those
smooth little bodies. One man
at my right worked his fingers
nervously and I wish the par
ents of those children could
have seen the liquid fire in
his eyes.
I love art and must concede
that the young human body
is beautiful: too beautiful in
fact, to go about uncovered.
even tve understood mat. But
some parents refuse to learn
ountil their child's body is
found ravished and torn. The
right beast may be caught -sometimes
the wrong one.
There are insane men and
those 'ho are natural murder
ers and they are sly. We can
not be present forever to
watch over our youngsters.
For goodness sake, parents,
get hep to present day de
cency! I am sorry I've been asked
to express my Idea of Blosson-o
Auctions - for the least saTJ,
the soonest mended. Well, not
my blamed corns; twcPon each
little toe got baby buggled.
bicycled and stepped on, my
back gt pushed in by some
one bigger thand am, and my
ribs got elbowed - all because
with 31 Ril5)s. in my use I.
like other suckers, expected
to get something for nothing.
We do buy according to our
overstocked bill yok. but
when we purchased $23.91
wurm wr iciti,cu unc oios-;
urn Ritrk M
The woman Jiut ahead of
us purchased $1.75 worth and
received a handful of B B's.
The merchants brought
MEDFORD
name and address of the wrltor,
the use of a oen name or initial
crowds in alright; If you don't
believe lt, ask that busy cotton
candy man.
One pickpocket - a small
girl, stole a friends handker
chief from her purse. I eyed
her and she threw it down.
Her mother quickly moved
her to better pickin s.
I met many friends and we
smiled regardless.
'Twas another day but not
another dol - er - I mean
"blossom buck".
Pearl Spackman,
Jacksonville, Ore.
t
Can't Win 'Em All
To the Editor: This being
my first letter to you, I'll try
and make it short and to the
point.
I've read with much inter
est, amusement and sometimes
disgust your communications
from your many readers, and
have wanted to add my bit
many times but never seemed
to get around to It.
Now, I can't keep quiet any
longer.
Yes, It is about the Blossom
Bucks "booberoo."
I sincerely believe the mer
chants of our fair city or the
persons who controlled the
auction should write a letter
ot apology to their many pa
trons who purchased many
articles they otherwise would
not have, under the impression
they would have some redeem
ing or purchasing power with
their Blossom Bucks.
A great advertising scheme.
no?
But I'll give you odds It
won't work again. Or anything
resembling it.
It could have been a swell
deal and a good finish to a
real nice festival (which we
enjoyed very much.)
Oh well, I guess we can't
win them all. Huh?
Ralph E. Clemans
1381 Spring st.
Medford
Fact and Fancy
To the Editor: Opponents
of Home Rule have regaled u
with tales both fanciful and
fantastic in their defense of
the present antiquated system
of government in Jackson
county. Two of the most fan
tastic yarns, funny if they
weren't such outrageous per
versions, are the following:
(1) That voters would be
deprived of their sacred right
to elect county officials.
FACT: True, a.few elective
officers would become ap
pointive. However, under the
charter we would elect seven
nonpartisan commissioners, in
place of the present three (of
the so-called County Court
which Isn't a true court, hav
ing lost its judicial functions
some years ago). All seven
would be accountable directly
to the voters not only for
their own perfornftfice In of
fice but also for that of the
departmental administrators
whom ihey would BDoSlnt.
i nis new ooara ot v.osmts-1
sloners would have Tower
both to legislate (the very es
sence of true hyne rule)
which the present "County
Court" does not have, and to
administer the ordinances
(laws) it adopts. Moreover.
these commissioners would
be accessible directly to the
voters who no longer would
have to look to the State as-
semb' (meeting only everOTribune of uncollected per
two years) for legislation to
meet our county's growing
needs.
(2) That some kind of dicta
torship would be set up un
der the charter, and a social
istic one at thatl
FACT; Not only does the
charter provide for the elec
tion of a Board of Commis
sioners immediately respon
sible to the electorate, but
also the important safeguards
of referendum and recall.
Among the most fanciful
claims made by tome propon
ents of the present, archaic
MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDfORD.
Nehru At Odds with Three Neighboring
States; Red China Fears Part of Cause
By PHIL NEWSOM
UPl Foreign News Analyst
Of India's half-dozen next
door neighbors. Prime Min
ister Jawaharlal Nehur at the
moment is
quar r e ling
with two and
on cool terms
with a third.
He is disput
ing posession
of K s s h mir
with Pakis
tan. He Is dis
puting with
Nawsoas Red China
about 12,000 square miles o
border seized by the Red
Chinese but claimed by India.
Deteriorating steadily are
his relations with King Ma
hendra of the neighboring
Himalayan state of Nepal.
The latter two situations
are related and, as in the
dispute with Pakistan, con
tainable seeds of armed con
flict which neither India nor
the whole South Asia could
afford.
Nepal is one of three small
Himalayan states-Nepal, Sik
kim end Bhutan-sandwiched
In the Day's News
By FRANK
The communist world pa
raded its armed might from
Moscow to Peiping.
In Moscow, Soviet Defense
Minister Rodion Y. Malinov
sky gets up on what in Mos
cow's Red Square passes for
a soapbox and shouts:
"The United States is pre
pared to wage a PREVEN
TIVE nuclear war, if neces
sary." (A preventive nuclear
war means dropping nuclear
bombs on the other fellow
before he has time to drop
them on you.)
"But"
He howls:
"Soviet power can defeat
ANY aggressor."
WELL, that's good.
If, in these ticklish days,
ANYBODY starts an unpro
voked aggression, he ought to
be defeated. This is no time
for aggression. It's no time
to rock the boat.
Fc
PEIPING, Communist
China's foreign minister.
Chen Yi, proclaims the unity
of the communist camp in a
rousing speech. One for all
and all for one, he says in
effect, of the Communist
world.
(While Yi was speaking,
the communist Chinese were
putting up a giant portrait
of STALIN in Peiplng's Tien
enman Square, where hun
dreds of Chinese commies
were massed. That amounts
to thumbing the Chinese nose
at Russia, where Stalin has
been degraded as a wicked
character.)
IN TOKYO, snake-dancing
LEFTIST students nrotest-
ing U.S. nuclear tests clashed
with police. Students parad
ing in a 3,000-member dem
onstration attacked police
men with bamboo poles and
the police struck back. There
were no injuries.
AND-
In the Western Hemis
phere Fidel Castro sends
trucks and buses out into the
Cuban countryside to round
up tens of thousands of hun
gry and unwilling Cubans to
watch Havana's communist
May Day parade and hear
Fidel speak.
That's one way to get an
audience.
WHY all the shouting?
Whv all the fist-shaklns?
Why all the tub-thumping?
WELL, it was the first day
of May. In 1887, the So
cialist parties of the world
chose May 1 as a day on
which working people could
show their unity by march
ing and holding special dem
onstrations. May Day was
celebrated In this way by
members of labor unions and
of workers' political parties
in many parts of the world.
The day has become an
system hy been that, by pre
senting party lSsllticsn coun-
ty government, we also would
Insure efficient administra.
tion, irPthat each party would
keep nHi eye on Die perform
ance of officials elected by
the other party. What a sorry
Joke that i.O
If there were even a trace
of substanay to this deceptive
Claim, now account lor tne
amazing revelations of thP
past few days in the Mall
sonal propsviy taxes amount
ing to nearly half a million
dollar? That's a pretty costly
deal par those taxpayers who
O pay their taxes and have
to bear the added burden Im
posed by those delinquencies
-of which a large share re
mains uncollectible. Such a
mess would be quite impos
sible under the charter.
It is high time for a change:
Vote for Home Rule on May
18:
Arnold Eugene Jenny
Rogue Valley .Manor
Medford.
OREGON
between India and Red Chi
nese controlled Tibet. India
guarantees their defense and
considers them within the In
dian sphere of influence.
Nehru's quarrel with King
Mahendra might be consid
ered a family affair except
that so far as India is con
cerned the king lately has
been showing an unpleasant
independence which includes
closer relations with Red
Chins.
An April summit meeting
in New Delhi between King
Mahendra and Nehru failed
to improve conditions.
On his side, Mahendra ac
cuses India of permitting
Nepalese rebels to carry out
attacks on Nepal from Indian
soil. e
Nehru is concerned primar
ily because of Nepal's agree
ment with Red China permit
ting construction of a high
way Jietween Ihasa, capital
of Tibet, and Katmandu, cap
ital of Nepal.
He also is unhappy with
Nepal's border agreement
with Red China which ceded
JENKINS
Important holiday in the So
viet Union - and elsewhere
in the world where commun
ism has become top dog.
LET'S sdd here, by way of
keeping the facts straight,
that present day communism,
with its glorification of des
pots and despotism, is about
as far away from the objec
tives of the Socialist parties
of the world back in 1887
as Betelgeuse is from this
planet that we all call the
Earth.
Betelguese is some 300
light years distant from us.
And, it should be added, one
light year is equal to six
TRILLION miles.
Strictly
Personal
By Sydney J. Harris
let Field Enterprises Inc.
PERSONAL PREJUDICES
Every nation wants peace,
ane every nation wants its
own way; but while nations
are ready to risk great deal
to get their own way, they are
willing to risk very little to
obtain peace.
Whenever I meet a man
who seems guarded, I feel
that his spirit Is not at one
with ltselfi for the guarded
attitude does not so much
imply suspicion toward
others as it does lack of
confidence In one's own
strength.
There is something ugly and
fre; ' ish-looking about little
boys who are dressed beyond
their years, in shrunken ver
sions of men's hats, pants, ties
and jackets; the British cus
tom of keeping small boys in
knee-pants and children's cos
tumes is much more sensible
and attractive than ours.
The psychological appeal
of fanatical, e x t r e m i st
movements of all types was
most tersely and accurately
described by Eric Hotter,
in hit book, "The True
Believer," when tie remark
ed: "Passionate hatred can
give meaning and purpose
to an empty life."
see
No adage is more wholly
wrong than that "Necessity
is the mother of invention"
for throughout history it has
always been leisure and lib
erty that were the parents of
invention, not necessity.
Real "equality of the sex
es" it Impossible as long
at lt remalnt a fact that
any man. whatever hit
handicaps, can find a wom
an who will marry him,
while numerous women
cannot find mates; thlt
matrimonial law of sufecly
and demand will always
ensure a buyers' market, in
the mffn't favor.
What one sees in a mirror
is not onl's face, as visible
to others, but a version pro
foundly distorted in the
mind's eye; as evidence, ifc
ywu were 10 mc youweu
walking down the corridor to
day, you would not have the
slightest shock of recognition,
Of all parental virtues,
patttnee It tha most Impor
tant for the child's develop
ment; to be Impatient with
a child it only to prolong
hit confusion, hit frustra-Q
lion ana nit resistance -yet
many educated. Intelli
gent parents fail to realise
what everr farm animal in
ttinctively knowt about its
young.
It Is the unfailing mark of
mediocrity to condemn what
is beyond It; a certain type of
mind must always call "fraud
ulent" what it finds incom
prehensible, and "artificial"
what it finds unnatural to it-self.
to the Red Chinese the north
ern slope ot famed Kt. Ever
est. But the highway la the
more important.
Nepaj) stretches along In
dia's northern border for 500
miles and is the guardian of
Matter of Fact By Joseph Alssas
(el New York Haraltf Tribune Syndicate
MAJ. THAO AND
CAPT. SAVAGE
Vlnh Blnh Province, South
Viet Nam MaJ. Le Huan
Thao, who rules this troubled
p ro v Ince of
troubled
South Viet
Nam, is a
tough, h a r d-
drlving, hawk-
faced man.
Unlike most
V 1 e tnamese
o f f i cers, he
rose from the
Aline ranks, and he
has a long, grim experience
of war. Although he is gener
ous as well as deeply serious,
he is the veryapposite of soft.
Nonetheless, the Vietnam
ese province chief rather evi
dently has a soft spot tor his
American junior partner of
the last four months. Capt.
Darrell Savage, an Idaho farm
boy by origin, is a 26-year-old
Ranger officer who volun
teered for service in Viet
Nam. His official job here is
to train the self-defense corps
the men of the village mili
tia who are, at long last, be
ing given proper arms as well
as proper military training.
Captain Savage's preferred
training method is to go along
with his men on combat pa
trols into the free zones the
parts of Vlnh Blnh province
still controlled by the Com
munist guerrillas. Besides
these dawn patrols and his
more routine training sched
ule, the Captain has managed
to participate extremely ac
tively In Just about every
medium-to-major engagement
with the Communists that has
taken place since he came
here.
Tie HAS also picked up a
smattering of Vietnamese
by exchanging Vietnamese
lessons for English lessons
with MaJ. Thao and his wife,
during evenings when no
fighting was in progress. Cur
rently, he is also teaching
English by request In the lo
cal high school to a class
which also includes a number
of the town's leading per
sonages. He has indeed be
come something of a locol
personage in his own right.
If I have spent some time
Introducing Major Thao and
Capatin Savage,, the reason
is quite simple. This report
is wholly based on their ex
perience and Judgment, which
I did not at first find easy
to credit. But after nearly
two days of wanderine ahnnt
Vinh Blnh province with the
Major and the Captain, I feel
very sure that they both be
long to the small class of men
whose opinions must be taken
at face value, at least until
and unless events prove them
to be wrong.
This is important, because
both of them are enthusiasti
cally confident of the value of
the exocriment they have
been demonstrating. If Ma
jor Thao and Captain Savage
are right, moreover, this bold
experiment with "strategic
hamlets" should mark a turn
ing point in the long, hard
war in Viet Nam. What then
is a "strategic hamlet"?
a a
PSSENTIALLY, it is a com
AJ promise, and a pretty Jer-ry-bullt-Iooking
com promise
at that. The basic Idea derives
from British practice in Ma
laya, where the villagers were
cut off from the guerrillas
(and vice versa) by forcible
concentration in new, strongly
fortified and closely control
led village-centers.
Exactly the same device Is
Try and Stop Mo
y BENN&TT CERF '
A RT BUCHWALD tells a story that underlines the skul
aggers of fake art dealers in Paris, with rich but un-
MftT u their I!1''' ViCtinS' 0ne sucn American
fell for the old gag of
tne masterpiece so valu
able that thg government
wouldn't allow its ship
ment out of the country
"It's Titian," whispered
the dealer, "aTit.every
museum director would
give his eye-teeth to
possess. There's only one
way I can sneak it to
America for you. Let my
assistant Garachl paint
over the Titian. Then,
when youjwt home, have
the Garacrii wiped off.
and voila, you have youP
priceless Titian."
The delighted American Wrote out his check for s"00 000
fSmr issued ,he "VtoSS
about the painting to his secretary in New York
HrZVS'J rT htiv thi "We from New York:
ri lved Garaohi and cleaned it. Found Titian
X .ta.n- Found Gtrachi' Howfar,hoU,Ud I gor.,an-
India's Ganges Valley. Com
pletion of the road will mean
that Red China has pierced
the Himalayan barrier and
will have an open highway
to India's heartland.
Nehru's concern, therefore, .
is understandable.
now being used here in Viet
Nam in the most exposed and 1
dangerous areas.
But for more general use,
a compromise device was
needed, because Vietnamese
villages are such enormous, (
straggling, widely spread out
agglomerations of humanity.
To avoid the immense trans
fers of population that would
be required by rigid applica
tion of the Malayan rules
each village is therefore be
ing divided Into four or fiva .
or six "strategic hamlets," ac
cording to the number of '
places in the village where
the people have clustered fair
ly closely together.
Each of these nuclei of pop
ulation Is then surrounded by
a barrier of thorny bamboo, -cactus,
and barbed wire. The
palm huts of those who live
too far from the nucleus are
brought within the barrier.
A small fort is built, for the ;
hamlet's self-defense corps.
The young men of the hamlet
are lightly armed and organ- 1
ized into groups for night and
day patrol.
TJIINALLY a census is taken,
T so that there is a clear
line between those who have
a right to be in the hamlet :
and those who have no busi- ;
ness being there. And that,
really, is all there is to it,
except the construction of ,
roads and bridges to give the
provincial troops quick access
to the hamlet in case of Com- '
munlst attack.
With Major Thao and Cap
tain Savage, I have now visit- :
ed a whole series of these
flimsy - looking protected .'
places, which now cover
about 40 per cent of Vlnh
Blnh province. Their point is
simple. Before the hamlets ;
were formed, the peasants had
no protection whatever
against the two or three or ,
four armed Communists gucr- j
rillas who would steal into ;
their huts by night, to take J
food, or to levy taxes, or to f
drag away the young men as )
new recruits for the Commu
nists' bands. But now, if the
people of the hamlets choose
to defend themisives, they
csn defy theie night maraud- v
en who are the key troops '
of the whole Communist at- '
tack In Viet Nam.
"Furthermore," said Cap-
tain Savage enthusiastically, ,
"they damn well do choose to !
defend themselves. In fact, '
they fight like hell, with
home-forged machetes if they ,
have nothing else."
THUS far, in this province,
no strategic hamlet h a s ;
failed to resist the commu
nists, even when the attack i
was relatively massive. In the
past month, there have been .
three such attacks, each In
volving at least 200 of the
regular troops of the Commu
nist provincial battalion.
In the first, at Ma Lang,
the little tort fell; the hamlet
itself was briefly occupied:
but the Communist provincial
battalion was pinned down
long enough to be thoroughly
chewed up by Major Thao
and his men. And the other
major attacks were no better
than drawn battles.
A guerrilla movement docs
not make progress by fighting
drawn battles or when t h e
masses of the peasantry are
protected from guerrilla in
timidation. And this is whv
what is happening in Vinh
Binh province may turn out
to be the start of something
very big if Major Thao
and Captain Savage are only
right.
not quack. I. Napoleon. 9,
War of 1112. 10. Heller.
5