Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 27, 1963)
J "' S A THURttUAt. JUNE 21. 1J MDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON AleiLfliioini ChaiifD -'Shelters Ah effeirose ot CoinrfLiinieiririt By CORDON W. SCHUXTZ United Pint International Anchorage, Alaska -IIP&- A tiny island in a cluster around Attu at the tip of the Aleutian chain shelteri an integral part of the air defense of the North American continent. The island is Shemya. It houses gigantic Air Force ra dars and other technical eqiup ment that military authorities regard as "top secret." It is one of the closest U. S. mili tary installations on American soil to Russia. Shemya is more than 1,300 miles from the nearest U. S. Air Force installation In the Alaskan Air Command at King Salmon. And It was from King Salmon that U. S. fight er planes streaked Into the sky when a Russian plane flew over Alaska territory on March IS. Another Russian plane the same day flew over waters regarded "out of bounds" for Soviet planes. , Both Russian planes may have been scouting Shemya. The Air Force eays very little about Shemya. Officials of the Alaskan Command at Elmendorf Air Force base are touchy on the subject. Quer ies are greeted coldly. ' No Women There is little on the Island other than the Air Force sta tion, Its highly-secret equip ment, Air Force and Army personnel and d8 or two. There are no women. Although the strategic mechanisms on Shemya today are wrapped in military se crecy, the island has a history that started 20 years ago in the bitter Aleutian campaign of World War II. Japanese surveyors had staked the island for a bomber base. A short distance away Japanese troops held the is land of Attu for 11 months in 'what waa the first enemy invasion on American soil since the war of 1812. In January, 1943, the war councils on both sides pln pointed Shemya at strategic. Your Money's Worth By SYIVIA PORTER Crrltlit, Hill Syndlcf. Inc. WHAT PUBLIC THINKS OF LAWYERS Almost four out of ten Americans have no legal protection or service whatsoever. Among us who are users, many think of lawyers only for the "must" services-accidents, damage suits, divorce. Few think of a lawyer as the guardian of the individual's right and at offering services in the areas of taxes, real estate, business advice. - ' In general reputation, lawyers rate substantially below most other professions. The person who uses a lawyer actu ally has a lower opinion of the ethical standard! of the pro fession than the person who doet not use one. A majority of lawyers themselves believe they overcharge us in certain fields-particularly when feet depend on results (contingent fees) and in personal Injury cases. The public not only feels the tame way about these feet, but also is highly dissatisfied with the way most lawyers present bills for services rendered: ' ' There's a shocking lack of confidence among large num bers about the possibility of getting a fair trial in the courts, opinion of traffic courts is abysmally low and the Individual who has direct knowledge of the court! has lest confidence in them than the person whose knowledge It restricted to TV, movies, newspapers, radio. " f' ' Most lawyers think the best way io build a practice it through extra-practice activities (getting around and : meeting people), but the fact Is two-thirds of us choose , . a 2 'it strictly on the batit ol his general reputation for capability and honesty. ' Only 35 per cent of us believe lawyers ar honest and truly dedicated to their profession. Theso are some of the startling findings of the most com prehensive, probing study ever undertaken of any profession -in tills case, the legal profession. The survey was initiated by the Missouri Bar almost three yean ago, was conducted among over 5,000 Individuals in the population-balanced state of Missouri, was financed by the Pren-Hall Foundation, is released today by Prentice-Hall and will be the basis for a textbook in the future. ' The legal profession will be pleasod by few of the find ings. Yet, the very criticism, based on so exhaustive a study, can make a major contribution to the legal profession s economic future and to the protection or the public. The blunt truth Is that for 25 years, the economic posi tion of the legal profession has been declining in comparison with other professions. There has been growing awareness that this has been due to the fact that millions who should be using legal services are not doing so and the millions of us who do use lawyers do not use them to the extent we should. Now this survey pinpoints the reasons-the public's ignorance of services law yers perform, distrust of fees and courts, etc. Of course, the aim of the Missouri Bar-Prentice-Hall study Is to prod the organized profession Into corrective measures.' Among its specific recommendations are these: The Code of Ethics governing the profession must be clarified and the lawyer educated to the extent to which he may go in giving up a "complete legal check-up" and to which he may ethically volunteer advice. Lawyers must recognise that when they criticise an opposing counsel, a Judge or ury, they are downgrading thtir entire profession in a client's mind. This criticism explains why users of lawyers have less respect for the profession than non-utert. Lawyers should discuss fees with us at the earliest op portunity, should itemize their bills in detail. Fee schedules should be developed and encouraged and an effort should be made to achieve some degree of uniformity on tees on a state-wide basis. The organized Bar should put strong emphasis on im provement of jury trial and court procedures and Improve ment of traffic courts should be a prime objective. Many of this survey's conclusions will defy long-held assumptions of the legal profession, but, say the authors, "That has been the purpose: to separate facts from assump tions so that action programs ran be taken" to Improve prac tices of and our attitude toward the profession, and thus to Improve the profession's economic status. . . I V'i ."aV 1 NOSE TO NOSE-Scolt Dunbar, 9. meets Rajah the panther now to nose at the Baltimore, Md., too, after he won a contest to name the animal. Although the panther is yet a baby, it is separated from Scott by glass. ' (UP1) I It was 1,800 miles from An chorage in one direction and the same from Tokyo in the other. The time of occupation was approaching on a collision course. Then suddenly it was averted. See Task Force A few miles short of their destination a Japanese Shem ya task force was discovered by a U. S. plane flying a scouting mission. The lone plane circled the convoy with out a shot being fired from either side and observed an unaccountable about-face. Apparently the Japanese wanted their Shemya move to be a surprise and, when it was discovered, they w i t h drew. Meanwhile, the battle for Attu took place. After nearly every Japanese soldier was killed the American forces were sent to Shemya. ' Battle-weary infantry men and engineers were to secure the Island In the event enemy troops were present. Some Japanese survey stakes were found but the Japanese were not there. Part of Shcmya's value to the military Is in its level topography. There isn't a hill higher than 500 feet above sea level. Because of the relative ly level terrain the island is called a stationary flattop. Planes can get on and off in a variety of foul weather with out running the risk of smash ing into unseen mountains. Develop Base Using the Japanese survey stakes as guides Army engi neers covered the landscape with buildings and roads for a modern airbase operation. Over 1,000 structures went up, linked by a road net 80 miles long. The island is about 4'; miles square. Angry seas all but frustrat ed the best efforts of the Army engineers to build docks. Piling was ripped from the ocean floor in the coves and inlets and draped helter skelter around the island. But the docks had to be replaced quickly so the island could be supplied. . V-J day and peace quickly eclipsed the importance of Shemya. The base was man ned by troops in diminishing numbers for several years. - Most military forces had moved out in 1949 and Shem ya was used as a refueling stop by Northwest Orient Air lines on flights between An chorage and Tokyo. Shemya's strategic value was apparent ly gone. But the military became in terested in the old base in a relatively recent phase of the cold war. In 1957, Shemya was re surveyed for a listening post and a warning station. The advent of nuclear-tipped mis siles spelled renewed signifi cance under Russia's cold shoulder. Army engineers came back to construct again and in the following year work was fe verish. This time steel and concrete instead of wood was used to fashion a dock braced against the enraged Bering sea when it is whipped into frenzied whitecaps by 150-mile-an-hour gales. Two heavily reinforced ra dars the size of outdoor movie screens were erected in po- diums of concrete. Because of the winds, the roots of the antennas were twice the bulk of the superstructures. Shemya has made the tran sition from the air age of World War II to the space age in five years. The airplana still is the workhorse for the island, however, and heavy transports roar in daily. They carry critical materials, much of which is classified secret. But they also carry fresh fruits and vegetables that can't be raised at Shemya be cause the temperature ex tremes range from 17 to 60 below zero. Despite its supply problems, Shemya is once again a stra tegic pinpoint in the web of America's air defense. m JI OPEN MONDAY and FRIDAY 'TIL 9 P.M. 3 DAYS ONLY Big Values on Sears Camping Economical Outside Frame Umbrella Tents Check Seart low Price With Sewn-in Floor. Regular 69.98 Sets up in jiffy, provides plenty of "elbow room" inside. 6.74-oz. drill in green color. Nylon screening in 3 win dows and zipper door. 9x11 -ft. base. 2 aluminum awning poles included. CM M THIN as. . . mix .1 fiuu w v. io in .1 VHrX1 11 J TXT I 11 J j K n m a I iw 6T)88 Plastic A 9x11 Air Mattress 433 Sears Price I Ea. Full 72x27-in. size. Push pull plastic valve for inflat ing. Pillow attached. SAVE $10 12-ft. Semi-Vee Aluminum Fishing Boats Sears Lew Delivered Price Recular 64.98 9x9 Umbrella Tent . . . Now 5588 Sears Sleeping Bags Keep 1 You Snug 'n Warm $8 Check Seart low Price. Water Resistant Covert 112 Aluminum construction throughout . . . weighs only 87 pounds. Foam flotation under seats for added safety. Takes motors to 7'j HP. Lightweight Steel Camp Stools 3 -1 b. Dacron polyester filling- Tightly quilted throughout to prevent filler shifting. Full length 100-in. separating zipper. Canopy head cover. Vinyl coated bottom keeps you dry. . Seart Price 1" b I. Ea. I S NO MONEY DOWN ON SEARS EASY PAYMENT PLAN Rust-resistant grey enamel ed finish. Double-stitched canvas teat. 15-in. high. Elgin 7i2-HP Outboard Motors with Auto-Bail Sears Price 245 Smallest and lightest motor available in this category 5.2 lbs. per HP. Weediest prop. Twist-grip speed con trol, full gear shift. Remote fuel tank. At Sears! Our Newest and Dest Fence! Larger Corner Posts and Line Posts Give Extra Strength and Rigidity Phone for n FKEE ESTIMATE Call 773-6661 Beautiful and Long-Lasting David Bradley CHAIN LINK FENCING BEST Quality ... Our ultimate in rugged good looks and lasting protection) Heavy tension bars, tension bands and extra tie wires for greater rigidity. Deluxe-style post and loop caps. Terminal posts and gates are extra. Also Other Styles of Lawn and Field Fencing Available As Low As,:. J UN. FT. INSTALLED No Money Down On Seart Modernising Credit Plan FERTILIZE NOW...! SAVE 83' A BAG New 16-16-8 Plant Food for Lawns ami" Gardens Regularly 4.49 Check Sears low Price. A Pull 40-Pound Bag, $80 Supplies essential foods for all types of lawns and plants. Balanced formula produces fast growth and vigorous root systems. High nitrogen content for rich, green color. 40 lbs. covers 4000 sq. ft. Shop at Sears and Save Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your .Money Hack VJ, CI? ADC S01 E. JACKSON ST. IN MEDFORD PHONE 773-6661 PLENTY OF FREE PARKING STORE HOURS ' TUES., WEB., THURS., SAT. MON., FRI., ' 9:30 A.M. TO 5:30 P.M. 9:30 A.M. TO 9 P.M.
