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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1962)
Matter of Fact lei New York HeraJd THE MUSHROOM CELLARS Washington Even today, remarkably few people have frasped what a horrendously narrow squeak the United States had in the Cuban affair. M All depended, as is well known, on the Oct. 14 U-2 flight, which brought back the first solid Almp evidence of the Soviet missile emplacements in Cuba. If the aaviet anti-airaraft missiles In Cuba had been made oper ational on schedule, there can be little doubt that this U-2 would has'e been shot down, like the later U-2 on Oct. 27. The still unexplained mis carriage in the Soviet plan for Cuba must be taken as proof of Justice Felix Frank further's rule that "God takes care of little children, drunkards, and the United States of America." Even so, this was only half the story. 'THE story's other half con cerns the American gov ernment itself. To begin with, it must be recalled that there was a soild consensus among the American policy-makers that the Soviets would never cmplace offensive missiles in Cuba. Few governmental forecasts have been made with so much positivencss as this wholly wrong forecast. The atmosphere of false confidence generated by this forecast almost certainly had a role, in turn, in a change in the 'U-2 surveillance pattern which was ordered at the be ginning of September. At that time, the schedule of U-2 flights over Cuba was in creased from two to four per month. But the U-2s were also directed to survey new areas, and to avoid the previously-surveyed ateas where large numbers of anti-aircraft missiles had already been seen. This was because it was thought the A-A missiles might be ready for use at that time, and it was desired to avoid a world commotion soout "another U-2 incident over Cuba." By the end of September, however, refugee reports about the emplace ment of offensive missiles in Cuba had become uncomfort ably circumstantial. IT WAS clear, furthermore, that if offensive missiles were being emplaced any where, they were to be found in the areas protected by A-A missiles which had, indeed, been put into Cuba for just that purpose. Hence the orders for the U-25s were changed a second time, to provide surveillance of the A-A protected areas. After delays owing to bad weather, this change of orders produced the historic U12 flight on Oct. 14. Such is the other half of the story of the narrow squeak. It has a double moral. In the first place, to be blunt about it, Soviet pur poses in Cuba were better measured by the crass, un tutored instincts of 'he "great rancid American people" (to use the late Frank Kent's awful phrase) than by the learned consensus of the gov ernmental experts. And in the second place, these crass popular instincts played a most useful role. As will be remembered, public feeling about the Cu ban problem had become very strong and vocal by the end of September. Hence the government's policy-makers were uncomfortably aware that the consequences at home would be exery bit as disastrous as the came quences abroad, if they were taken by surprise by the sud den appearance of Soviet mis siles in Cuba. WHAT uncomfortable aware- j 1 ncss. one can hardly doubt, helped to tip the bal- : ance in favor of the crucial i second change in the U-2 sur veillance patterns. j Otherwise, one may rcas- ; onably suspect, the argument within the government would have been won by the seem ingly logical question: "We know they're not going to put offensive missiles into Cuba anyway, so why risk a U12 incident?'' In that event the surveil lance pattern would not have been changed, and the So viets would have achieved their intended surprise. These two morals are worth underlining, at this I time, because of their bear- : Ing on the directive enforc- j ing total news-control at the Pentagon, which the Prcsi- dent and Secreary of Defense . Robert McNamara have just decided to continue in force, i As pointed out in a previous report In this space, the worst vice of this directive is to dc- prive the United States of its main protection against bad Secretaries of Defense who may lurke in our future. U' Li By Joseph Alsop Tribune Syndicate makers against public debate and public pressure. Consider what would have happened to the defense program if Charles E. Wilson and Neil McElroy had been complete ly protected from any pres sure except pressure from the Budget Bureau. That is how to gauge this deepest vice in the news-control directive. Yet the Cuban experience suggests another vice. The truth is that even when the government is led by brilliant men like McNamara. instead of by men like Wilson and McElroy, the caves of the policy-makers still too strong ly resemble mushroom cel lars. The danger is airless ness, in other words, and this airlessness can be loo easily fatal, unless the caves are regularly ventilated by the winds of national debate. No policy-maker likes this kind of ventilation. Yet de bate, based on information, is the strength of every free society, just as swiftness of maneuver, based on secrecy, is the strength of every un free society. And by news control, the strength of our society is directly attacked. Two Receive Life Prison Sentences Portland-(VPIl-Two men re ceived life prison sentences here Monday in separate cir cuit courts. Guitar player Lloyd Wes ley Allen, 25, was sentenced after pleading guilty to sec ond degree murder in the death of Portland restaurant owner Willard Glover. Charles Knowles Thompson received his life term after being found guilty of second degree murder in the shooting of his estarnged wife, Sandra. Both men were arrested March 24, after the separate slayings occurred within a few hours of each other. MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE, Reclamation Officials Check From Sunday's Flood; Reservoirs Up Surveys of storm damage in the Rogue valley contin ued today as crews worked overtime to clear debris and repair washed out roads. Two men from the bureau of reclamation district office in Boise, Idaho, and une en gineer from the Portland of fice of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were surveying the storm damage. They are Gerald Kirkpatrick, Boise, flood study section, and Car los Randolph, Portland, irri gation division engineer. Henry Stewart, Portland. Army Engineers, estimated the Rogue basin project would have reduced the crest at Grants Pass by five feci if it had been in before the storm. Walt Hoffbuhr, Talent Ir rigation district manager, said that Howard Prairie lake had a reading Monday of 36, S00 acre feet, showing a rise of more than one foot during the storm. Emigrant Up Six Fttt Hoffbuhr said storm drain age caused Emigrant lake to rise six feet. The lake had been shut off early Sunday. Some estimated that this re duced the peak of the flood through Bear creek by 50 per cent. Torrents of water from Em igrant, Hill and Samson creeks main tributaries into Emigrant lake, poured in 4, 000 acre feet al 5.000 cubic feet per second. Normal in flow is 25 cubis feet per sec ond. Observers reported that wa ter surging through Bear creek Sunday at 15.000 cubic feet per second was much fast er than during the 1955 storm. Bank Damage All irrigation districts re ported considerable bank damage with the flood water going over the top of ditches and cutting out the earth bank behind. Southern Pacific railroad company officials said that MEDFORD. OREGON service on the branch line between Tolo and White City is not expected to be restored for several days. Some 2,000 feet of track was washed out on this branch line, accord ing to George Joyce, train master. Two engines and 25 track men worked throughout Sun day and part of Monday re pairing the main line track that was washed out near the Elk Lumber company and one-quarter of a mile south of Mcdford near Phoenix. The washouts near the lum ber company were two of 50 feet each. Joyce said that more than 350 cubic yards of gravel have been brought in for the washouts. At least that much more will be need ed to repair the branch line washout, he noted. On Train Delaytd Only one freight was de layed for an hour Sunday be fore it proceeded south. Traf fic will be slower, Joyce said, until the new bed has been allowed to settle. Every emergency has a lighter side. Sunday several boys sailed a three-masted schooner in the swirling wa ters of South Holly St. while another patiently fished near by. Picturesque small foun tains were noted throughout Medford at manholes, where pressure in the storm sewers was sufficient to cause water to bubble up through the holes in the cover. In some areas at the height of the flooding storm sewers, flowing at capacity forced the covers off of some of the manholes, making driving hazardous. Residents Help When families in the Eagle Point area started retrieving personal belongings from Lit tle Butte creek, a freezer was four It had been swept to the bottom of the creek from the basement of the Dick Wal lis residence. You'll How SAVINGS GROW at FIRST FEDERAL This schedule shows how weekly savings accumulate, based upon our current rate of 4 a year on savings, with earnings added to the account and compounded twice yearly. Begin the Habit Now You'll find it both pleasant and profitable to join First Federal's fast-growing family of investors. You'll like the friendly, neigh borly, personal service at First Federal's at tractive new home at Sixth and Grape streets. C.I In all areas residents join ed the crews asisting in sand bagging buildings and to di vert water. i Low water pressure in Medford Sunday afternoon necessitated shutting off the water to 400 to 500 residents for about one half hour. The break was located in one of the five mains which cross beneath the creek channel. The 18-inch main was clos ed off al both ends and re pairs will not be undertaken until next spring. Repairs are expected to be expensive Bob Lee, city water superinten dent, said and an accurate appraisal of the damage can not be made until waters in Bear creek clear and sub side. Even with the heavy rains, Ihe amount of chlorine add ed lo the Medford water sup ply was cut in half Monday. Lee said that it was possible due to some special parts re cently purchased for the city's chlorinater. The chlorine was reduced to one pound per 20,000,000 pounds of water. Surface Water Detected Last month, when surface water was detected in the city's water supply at Big Butte springs, chlorine was added to the water. When ever the presence of bacteria is discovered in water, Lee said, state health regulations make it mandatory that chlo rine be used to destroy them and purify the water. During the height of Sun day's flood, Medford city fire men received almost 100 calls concerning flooded base ments. Triey reported no alarms of consequence during the time when five bridges across Bear creek were clos ed. They did not respond to the flooded basement calls except at the home of Joe P. Lippert, 400 North Ivy St., where a sump pump was smoking. There they discon nected wiring. At the home of Ernest Wal- Saving EARN COMPLETE Your First Federal Kcsunt Ii INSURED UP TO $10,000.00 AGAINST LOSS OF ANY KIND through th. Federal Savings It Lean Iniur.nca Corporation, n agency of th. U. S. Government. This Hindi behind Firs! Federal's sound, progressive business minegement and adminil trition. Your savings are readily available If you need Ihem; they help to build your community while entrusted to ui. 201 W. 6th Damage lin, 2109 East Main St., they used a smoke ejector lo re move fumes from a gasoline powered pump. They discon nected wiring to a water heater al the Doran Real Estate office. 511 South Riv erside ave. Water had sub merged the heater. Persons Evacuated Throughout the Sunday flood Red Cross and Civil Defense volunteers assisted persons evacuated from their homes. Some 100 families, driven from their homes by high water, returned home or to relatives by Monday. Canteens were set up al Eagle Point, Rogue River and Roxy Ann Granges and the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Shady Cove. Coffee and food was also served at some of the schools. In Medford food was served at the Red Cross chapter house on Haw thorne ave. All Jackson county sher iff's deputy reserves were called to assist in flooded areas. ALAN MOWBRAY FINED Los Angeles -IUPI- Actor Alan Mowbray, 66, was fined $150 in municipal courl Mon day alter pleading guilty to being under the influence of an intoxicating beverage. Mowbray, who was arresled Aug. 15. is noted for a long series of character roles in movies spanning three dec ade!". Per 0 Annum JVir CHRISTMAS XjZJXlJT CARDS " j - V ' ' Name May Ba Imprinted ... ., '.,...".!., $1.75 for 25 Cardi Snoop f -J ,06.os ,7 r- --J 362-54 TT L' 108.23 7i--j 6S-J5 s,Tr- -. "f--- 2l-3a ,7l 53Q-33 ,07 3 Yn T Ij 3aW s7, I J 6 62 4 r7-hll' 96'3 a,7r-uJ164o- 22530 r- -7 B38-00 ,t T I ' -jL 39 iso 6i ' rT- l6s&.i3 ---Xj 05h2757j 2a74Tr - PROTECTION and LOAN ASSOCIATION of MEDFORD Street, Medford, Oregon Funds Released for Condon Air Station Washington - HOT - Oregon Sen. Wayne Morse and Rep. Al Ullman said today the Air Force is releasing $335,000 lo the Army Engineers to proceed with construction of electrical emergen y power facilities at Condon Air Force station. Pope Confined To Apartments Vatican City - flTIi - Pope John XX 1 1 1 remained confin ed to his Vatican apartments today, resting and recovering from the first serious illness of his life. The pontiff, stricken with anemia and stomach trouble believed to be a bleeding ulcer-was showing increasing improvement but doctors urg ed him to "take it easy" for the rest of the week so he would be in the best possible condition for what could be a tiring week end. The 81-year-old Pope Is scheduled to attend the cere monies closing the first ses sion of the Ecumenical Coun cil on Saturday and the canon ization of three saints on Sun day. Both are to be held in St. Peter's Basilica. High Vatican sources said Pope John probably would be able to resume an almost-normal schedule next week. He fell ill a week ago today. rise Robert F. Kyle, Manager TUESDAY. DECEMBER 4. I!)ti2 IFire Breaks Out in Titan Missile Silo Tucson, Ariz. - lUPU - Fire broke out in a Titan missile silo Monday and was quickly controlled although 30 work ers were treated for smoke in- halation. Only two workers were I hospitalized. They were re ported in good condition lo- I day. I The brief fire in the silo 23 miles southeast of here was I caused by a short circuit in j an electrical panel of the main power source about 35 feet I below the surface. Maj. Ken neth Ingram, security officer I at Davis-Monthan Air Force i base, said most of the work lers affected by fumes were working below that level. Counsel With . . . Mr. Insurance Fred Brennan F. R. Brennan, C.I... MEDFORD INSURANCE Agency PHONE 773 7343 27 North Holly Street A 5 Portlander President Of Boating Clubs Salem Bert Cooper, Portland, president commo dore of the Tyce Yacht club, was elected president of tha Oregon Federation of Be it 3 clubs at a meeting here Sun day. Extra Work Made Easy! RENT Adding Machine Typewriter Calculator VOIGHT'S 8th & Grape 772-4100 FOR ALL YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS, SELECT A CERTIFIED INSURANCE AGENT. QUALIFIED There ate Two Qualified Insurance Agents at f . 1 ' ' WHY JZK NOT- uy "Merry ChrtJtm" with First Federal Savings Ac count for your children. Help them to get the saving habit and build early lor fu ture security. EWS-CONTROL equals1 N protection for the policy-1
