WEDNESDAY,
"Everyone in Southern Oregon
d i. Ti TVIhiin"
Published Dally except Saturday by
33 North Fir St- Ph. 77a-HUl
t. ntiT nil III Oltiil Vrfitn
HERB CHEV Advertising Manamr
GERALD T LATHAM, Bui. Mm
ERIC W ALLEN JBh Mnit. Editor
EARL H ADAMS, city Editor
HARRY CHIPMAN. Telej Editor
RICHARD JEWETT, Sporte Editor
OLIVE SI ARCHEH women'e Edltoi
DALE ER1CKSON, Circulation Mm
Entered as second class matter
Mcdford. Oregon under Act of
March 3. 1897
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
By Mali in Aavancti
Dally and Sunday 1 year ill
w,A Cmriiu R mnm III
.00
0.00
Dallv and Sunday 3 moi. 3.011
.00
lift
Sunday Only One year ao
Slnslo Copy (Mailed)
Du --nrriBr Anri MntrjT HOUte
200
'altu nnri UnnHnv -1 vear 121
.00
7a
Daily and Sunday 1 mo. K
500
Carrlei and Vendors Copy 10c
Official Paper of City of Medford
Official Paper of Jacksun County
United Presa International
S ull Leased Wire
U. P. 1. Telephoto Newsplctures
"MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU"
Of CIRCULATIONS
Advertising BipreiientaUve:
NELSON ROBERTS i ASSOC1-
caso Detroit, San Francisco, Los
Angelas aeawie, i-uw-m
Denver.
NIWSPAPIt
runiiHim
ASSOCIATION
NATION A I fDITOIIAl
ASftbCtVATlrfN
3 UJ
Memner California Newspaper
Publlsheri AssoclaUon
Flight o' Time
Mcdford and Jackson County
History from trie files of The
Mall Tribune 10. 20, 30, 40
and SO yean ago.
10 YEARS AGO
Dec. 4, 1953 (Friday)
Donald Hansen, Medford law
yer, has been named chairman
of the January March of Dimes
campaign.
Motorists driving in mountain
areas surrounding the Rogue
valley today required chains as
heavy snowfalls were reported.
20 YEARS AGO
Dec. 4, 1943 (Saturday)
Karl Janouch, supervisor of
Rogue River National Forest,
leaves for Portland to attend re
gional conference.
From Arthur Perry's "Ye
Smudge Pot" column: "The
rM. nirla nova Rtnrted their
annual campaign for a White
Christmas, iney never learn.
They should come out for a
balmy, sunny Yuletlde and take
a chance on getting a record
snow."
30 YEARS AGO
Dec. 4, 1933 (Monday)
Estimated 20 places In Jack
son County selling liquor as pro
hibition ends; situation expect
ed to be ended shortly as Ore
gon's Knox law slated to go Into
effect.
Transient relief station to be
located in Medford under fed
eral relief program.
40 YEARS AGO
Dec. 4, 1923 (Tuesday)
School census shows total of
3.453 school ace children In
Medford School District.
Hilt, Calif., man, fined $100
for possession of pint of moon
shine, vows, "I will never stick
my nose in Medford again."
50 YEARS AGO
Dec. 4, 1913 (Thursday)
Tho Revelers Clllh fllvM Med
ford's first formal party of the
season at the Natatorium build
ing. County Court fixes Jackson
County levy for 1914 at 15 mills
What's Your I.Q.7
Nine or ten correct it superior;
seven or eight is escellent; five or
six is good.
1. Molly Pitcher was famous
in which of these activities:
woman suffrage, war, stage,
medicine?
2. Is the larger portion of an
ocean liner above or below the
watcrline?
3. What is the capital of the
Dominion of Canada?
4. How many stars are there
in the Big Dipper?
5. What great document was
signed in the reign of King John
of England, in the year 1215?
6. ISoiiike B. Ilickenlooper
represents which slata in, the
U. S. Senate?
7. For what purpose was the
great Spanish Armada assem
bled? 8. Is ermine a species of bea
ver, muskrat, weasel, or squir
rel? 8. What is a yellow hammer?
10. Which is the longest bone
in the human body?
Answers: 1. War. 2. Below.
.3. Otlaua. 4. Seven. 5. Magna
(haila. 0. lima. 7. Invasion of
England. 8. Weasel. 9. A bird
10. Femur.
NAMED TO GROUP
SALEM (Ul'l) -House Speak
er Clarence Barton Tuesday
named Rep. Hay Dooley, D-Port-
land, to the Interim Committee
on State Buildings and lnstltu
tions.
4 A
DECEMBER 4, 1903
Champions
One of the attributes
aDiuty to accept and, with poised confidence,
face challenges.
Of such quality are the Phoenix High School
football Pirates. Great were the expectations of
them early in the fall.
The gridiron season wa3 just two games old
when the Buccaneers were advanced to No. 1
position in the Class A-2 rating polls. Said
Phoenix Head Coach Jack Woodward at that
time: "All we can do is keep it as a challenge
and try to stay up there every week."
II'EEK BY week the Pirates resolutely, re-
sourcefully and successfully met that chal
lenge. Last Saturday, by defeating the Royals
of Portland's North Catholic High, 13-0, the
Pirates completed a 12-game season unbeaten
and untied. Now they rule as Oregon cham
pions in their class.
Well-coached and well-drilled in the requi
sites of winning football and spurred by a core
of veterans, the Buccaneers overran their op
position with sharp and precise execution. One
writer termed their manner businesslike and
brusque. Their defense was tremendous, per
mitting only one touchdown during the entire
fall. It was yielded, perhaps condescendingly,
to probably the weakest adversary Phoenix met.
Hats off to an A No. 1 ball club and to its
coaches of same caliber. Southern Oregon is
proud of you. Congratulations, champs. R.D.J.
Firearms Regulation
Right to Bear Arms. A well regulated militia, being neces
sary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to
keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Amendment II,
Constitution of the United States of America.
Over a considerable
engaged in a friendly argument with a friend
over the "right to bear arms," arguing that re
strictive measures would violate the Constitu
tion, while he argued that present measures make
weapons too readily available to fools and idiots
or madmen.
The argument has intensified, of course, since
the assassination of President Kennedy through
the use of a mail-order rifle, purchased under a
false name. Indeed, the argument is heated, and
nation-wide.
We still maintain,
abiding citizen should
weapons. But the right to do so, we now admit,
should be subject to control.
A RIGHT implies a responsibility. Surely no
" responsible citizen wishincr to own a fire
arm for hunting or target-shooting would be
averse to laws requiring the registration of fire-
aims.
Such laws, under which every firearm of any
design would be known
ities, and, if used in the commission of a crime,
be readily identifiable as to ownership, would do
much to deter crime. A concomitant, of course,
would be stiff penalties for non-registration.
Ihus law-abiding citizens would have free
access to firearms for
would, while not barred,
them, particularly if dealers were required to
record and report each
would be more hazardous than it now is.
COME PROPOSALS have been made to pro.
J hibit the ownership
oppose, not only because
tive, but because they would ban legitimate use
of weapons while permitting criminals and the
unscrupulous to obtain and use them (they'll
always find a way, even to making their own).
Remember the prohibition of alcohol. It
didn't work. Neither would a prohibition against
the private ownership of
We do not favor an
course, would require a
CHOULD such regulatory laws be federal?
We're of two minds. A federal statute
would undoubtedly be
But we can't get out
a sneaking thought that
individual citizens might just might have
to take up arms against a government which has
become dictatorial and no longer subject to con
trol by the ballot. Let that clay never come!
But if it does, a federal firearms control
statute would be a potent weapon against an
aroused citizenry determined to defend its rights
and freedoms.
WRITER in the
another point :
"(Police) are not Infallible or omnipresent, however deter
mined they are to protect citizens from criminal violence. A
firearm can be used for self-defense as well as recreation, and
depriving citizens of this protection cannot be justified even by
the brutal murder of their Chief Executive by a gun.
"A twisted, demented mind bent on a course of insane
violence will usually find a way to carry it out. This depress
ing reality is no reason to penalize a huge segment of law
abiding, normal, firearm-owning Americans. "
The most lethal weapon in America today
is the automobile, but we do not ban its owner
ship. We regulate it and probably not well
enough.
The danger is not from a gun or an auto
mobile; it is from the man behind the trigger
or the wheel. E. A.
P. S. For the record (and for AEJ's grati
fication), this is a reversal of our previous posi
tion, in an editorial of April 29, 1962. E. A.
of a champion is the
period of time, we have
however, that no law-
be forbidden to own
to appropriate author
legitimate use: criminals
find it hard to come by
sale. And illegal use
of firearms. These we
they are unduly restnc
guns.
outright ban which, of
Constitutional change
more effective.
of the back of our head
the time may come when
New York Times makes
Long Shadow
H
...Communications...
Lttr. a ftli Erlitne mutt hoar the
the use of a pen name or initial for
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 the case.
Great Relief
To the Editor: Congratula
tions. It has been a great relief,
for the past week, not to find a
single one of the usual violent,
hate letters in Communications.
This column, which was once so
enjoyable, had become so filled
with that kind of letters that it
had become almost unreadable,
except to the few who thrive on
hate, violence and subversion.
Please, may we keen the
"Communications" column for
the exchange of sane, friendlv
expression, which I am sure is
the wish of the vast majority of
your readers?
I cannot believe that our fore
fathers who assured us freedom
of the press intended that it be
given over for the nreachment
of subversion, hait- and incen
tive to violence.
(Name on file)
Medford.
Gifts for "Children"
To the Editor: This vear an
appeal is being made to inter
ested persons and service or
ganizations who wish to say
Merry Christmas" to mentally
retarded children at Oregon
rairvicw Home in Salem. Per
sons wishing to donate presents
before the Dec. 15 deadline are
asked to contact Mrs. Harry
Daudl, chairman, Fairvicw
committee, Phone 482-0853 in
Ashland. In Medford, Mrs. R.
Minear, 773-1277. Gifts received
will be taken to Fnirview by the
committee.
At Fairview there a;e nearly
3,000 residents of all ages, so
any gift would be suitable if
harmless m nature. Gifts may
be left unwrapped or wrapped,
indicating on the package what
tne article is: age. sex. or size
of the person who might bene
fit. Wrapping material would
also be appreciated.
Many of the "Children" at
Fairview will otherwise remain
forgotten this Christmas, but
they are also the ones who will
show you the truest apprecia
tion for your thoughts!
Bill Williams
News Editor,
Jackson ARC
8111 Park SI.
Medford.
Common Decency
To Ihe Editor: On the day of
President Kennedy's death, I
happened to be in Sacramento,
Calif., and heard the news over
Ihe radio in my vehicle. Later
on in the afternoon, while on
my way back to Oregon, it cume
to my attention that a few sta
tions I was picking up on the
radio, were playing regular mus
ical programs. One station in
Stockton, Calif., was playing
music, especially disrespectful
to the events of the morning
just past. This prompted me to
do a little dial spinning, and
unci out just how many radio
stations were guilty of disre
spectful nrnei-jiniminp .-il a limn
when, if not earn ing news or
n
commentary concerning our
President's death, the very least
to be expected would be music I
approriatc for the moment, and
by music I don't mean rock and
roll or western tear jerkers.
I'm glad that I could locate
only a few stations on the dial
that were thoughtless enough tO:S,Kler' an outdoors sportsman, or
allow thmselves to fall to such
a low.
The following morning. I was
surprised and disgusted to find day '(. 7- when world
out that, what had once boon ,nmwl sk"'r - photographer
U'--,-,n Mill.,.- r,r.w..n,c hie OA.
one oi my tavorue rau.o sta- " ; " Tf flow and immediately death sets
lions, here in the vallev was one i mi""ie nun -ian Moods oi . .. . .-. . .
of the guilty ones. There can be I Skiing" at the Medford Senior "" ,0 that " 15 seL"
absolutely no excuse for such High School audtoium , wh
programming at that lime. I 1 1 . excellent ''n Uhese three combined life-lines
Nearly all the radio stations, Sun alley last winter and can , ,g a rt,necion of Ultimate
large or small in the lountrv, personally recommend it as the ! mree n( f.., s irj, As
did their part in keeping the most spectacular ski film 1 have ' vitv miic!,ns e s boodh on
people informed of the events ever seen . earth, it also is the means ol
surrounding the assassination! Those attending the film WH stabilizing glucose for the ceilu
and when any new information ; enjoy a program packed withiar blood of His Spirit iso to
was slow in coming, the major-1 plenty of beautiful scenery in ) steak . 1 believe glucose to be
uy nau uie common uecency hi
least to carry music or com
ments proper for the time.
I would hesitate before ever
turning my radio dial to a few
stations that I know of now,
that are guilty of what 1 be-
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD.
ni im anil ajdraii of ihe writer,
publication is permissible. The Mail
lieve to be either ignorance,
consideration, or both.
G. L. Murray
P.O. Box 904
Central Point, Ore..
Worth Saving,
Worth Paying For
To the Editor: As my thoughts
reflect on the tragic events of
our nation in recent days, I am
compelled to express my views
on young American High School
students. I am truly thankful for
the privilege to work with them
during their most formative
age.
The news of Jack Kennedy's
tragic death was taken with a
great deal of emotionalism
characteristic of these young
people. Also, I noticed a dignity
and quiet reserve that is basic
in these young Americans. I
was asked to speak to the stu
dents to quiet their emotions in
this unpleasant hour, but l re
frained, feeling it was best to
allow them a chance to meet
this problem in their own man
ner and time. Within two hours,
students had returned to their
studies but with quiet sombre
dignity. They had also decided
to cancel the dance and festi'i
tics for that evening. This is
only one of the many occasions
where I have had good fortune
to see these young people in
action and reaction.
We are now in the throes of
austerity in this great state of
Oregon. Education has the ac
claim as one area where "Big
Slashes" are needed. Maybe so.
It depends largely on whether
you are talking about the pro
tection of your pocketbook, or
concern for the education of the
most precious commodity of our
state, our youth. No one con
demns tlie "taxpayer" (aren't
we all?) for being vigilant in
the protection of tax dollars.
We welcome it, if you are well
informed and are sincere enough
to express an honest opinion.
Many fine speeches and writ
ings have been expressed since
Nov. 22, a day of infamy. All
opinions seem to urge reason.
soberness, rededication, and tol
erance in our future acts and
decisions. If we believe in these
terms and arc going to practice
their attributes. I suggest we
think very seriously about "cut
ting back" in the important
task of educating our youth.
The enormous task of educa
tion, urgency in time and of
great numbers taught, will not
permit our high schools to be
come mere citadels of love and
understanding. But having been
in this business for 15 years, I
cherish a hope that I have had
some effect on these young
citizens in molding wholesome
morals, instilling respect for
discipline, encouraging a sense
of fair play, ana motivating di
rection to a more fruitful life.
1 believe these young Ameri
cans are worth saving : I believe
i lne-v nre worm Paving for
o;..l c T I
Richard F. Traytor.
Principal
Eagle Point High School
Eagle Point, Ore.
Film Praised
To the Editor: If vou are a
i " '".'"
type motion pictures, vou are
in (or a rare treat this Satur-
uni cuiur, ihm ami uiriuus am-
ins, wim me worms oesi per-1 fuel that ferments emotion
forming on precipitous slopes j (electro-motion) which is the
here and in Europe, comedy, j basis for ALL diversified ex
and hair-raising competitive ac-1 pression, the yeast of leaven of
tion. Life.
An excellent evening's enter-1 In or threefold cellular Spir,lt
OREGON
Irony: Betancourt Lives, Kennedy Dies
As Venezuela Turns Democratic Corner
By
PHIL NEWSOM
UPI foreign News
Analyst
Impossible to perceive at the
time, there was tragic irony in
President Kennedy's greeting
upon the occasion last Feb. 19
of Venezuelan president nomu
lo Betancourt's state visit to
Washington.
"You represent all that we
admire in a political leader,"
Kennedy said.
He was addressing a man
who had survived three assas
sination attempts and still was
to survive a fourth in a nation
which was the No. 1 target of
Castro communism's attempt to
destroy democracy in Latin
America.
Yet 10 months later, it was
President Kennedy, leader of
althouoh under certain circumstances
Tribune reserves the right to edit
tainment, sponsored by Rogue
Snowmen.
Wally Iverson
1316 Queen Anne Ave.
Medford.
Unknown Benefactor
To the Editor: Do you believe
in Santa Claus? I had a few
doubts about him, but he came
to our house the other day,
even though it was a little ear
ly. It happened like this.
A man from a local appliance
company came to our back
door and told me he had an
electric dishwasher for me. I
told him he must be mistaken
because we hadn't bought one,
but he assured me it was paid
for and he had our name and
address. I told him he could
leave it, but I was almost cer
tain there had been some mis
take. When my husband came home
from work, he was as surprised
as I was, so we called the ap
pliance company and they told
us it had been given to us by
person or persons wishing to re
main anonymous.
We have no idea who gave
us such a nice gift, but it cer
tainly warmed our hearts. Not
knowing the donors we can
only ask God's blessing for
them. Since we have a family
of eight children, there is no
question that the dishwasher
will be used a great deal.
I hope the donor reads this
and knows what a welcome
gift it is. 1 only wish we could
somehow show our appreciation.
So you see, Santa Claus came
to our house.
Mrs. Perry V. Rayburn
243 N. Ivy St.,
Medford.
Animal Welfare
To the Editor: All during the
year, our friends of the press
have helped us:
To promote animal welfare
. . . public safety . . . child
protective services.
Countless millions have read
about the PATSY AWARDS . . .
BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK
. . . PET CARE ... all major
activities of The American Hu
mane Association and its more
than 600 local oranizations.
Thank you for helping.
And, while it is impossible to
send a "personal" thank you
note, this letter does bring with
it sincere wishes for a Happy
Holiday Season and a wonderful
New Year.
The American Humane
Association,
Rutherford T. Phillips
Executive Director,
P.O. Box 1266-CP
Denver, Colo.
Parent Spirit
To the Editor: After reading
Lydia Burnham's doubt about
Spirit Life, I was prompted to
write, although it is barely pos
sible to comprehend God's
greatness.
If man would forget about
his earth-bound body and rea
lize that all intelligence is first
in Spirit form. Our brain is the
special upper room that is to be
furnished, to house the heart
(senses), soul (emotion), mind
I (thouphtsl. agreeing as one in
our earthly house. I believe our
spirit and blood are synopsis,
not only that they work to
gether, but alike in design of
structure. In fact, I believe
blood, water (modified) and
spirit agree in one. Stop their
i tne MA1.S 1 AY. the food or
the world's free nations, who
was himself to fall victim to an
assassin's bullet.
This week Venezuela turned
an important corner.
Despite terrorist threats,
more than three million Vene
zuelans turned out in free elec
tions to name Betancourt's suc
cessor. It was an important tri
umph for Betancourt who has
been determined that first, free
elections be held, and second,
that next March he should turn
his office peacefully over to the
man wno won.
Important Victory
It ws an important victory,
too, for the Venezuelan people
ana tor tne Venezuelan military
who successfully had resisted
tne temptation to seize the
reins of government and thus
provide the terrorists with proof
that democracy in Latin Ameri
ca would not work.
Now a new test involving the
whole of Latin America is at
hand.
Only a few weeks prior to Be
tancourt's Washington visit,
Communist Cuba itself had
made clear the importance it
attached to Venezuela.
In a Havana rally marking
the fifth anniversary of the ov
erthrow of Venezuelan dictator
Perez Jimenez. Cuban Commu
nist leader Bias Roca declared
that the Venezuelan rebels are
not alone and that we will
continue giving them our back
ing every day." And he added:
"When they achieve their full
independence and make them
selves owners of the great rich
es in oil, aluminum and every
thing their earth imprisons,
then all of America shall burn.
The whole of America shall li
berate itself once and for all
from the ominous Yankee im
perialist yoke."
Clear Intent
In Rocas' words were clear
Intent.
Yet within the Organization
of American States, from whose
councils Cuba already had been
banned, there remained doubt.
Words, they said, were not wea
pons.
Brazil, Bolivia, Chile. Uru
guay and Mexico continued to
maintain relations with the Cas
tro regime, refusing to join oth
er American states in a diplo
matic and economic blockade of
Cuba.
The Castro regime itself de
nied vehemently that it has giv
en other than moral support to
tne Venezuelan terrorists.
This week, from a cache of
arms discovered on a Venezue
lan beach, Venezuela presents
evidence to the contrary.
Venezuela, backed by the
United States, will demand that
the OAS unite against Cuba un
der the Treaty of Rio which
also is known as the Treaty of
Keciprocal Assistance.
The answer should be over
whelming hemispheric solidari
ty. Unfortunately, past perfor
mance permits no such encour
aging outcome.
after death, I believe, we feed
and communicate by the radia-
tional warmth of emotion only,
including senses of heart and
mind, of thought transmission.
Our Spirit's ability to maneu
ver, then, lies in the field of vi
brational gravitation. Since
emotional life is of a spirit na
ture, it has to be specific or per
sonal. To deny God is to deny
emotional life exists. Faith,
courage and love, three bul
warks of our spirit emotion. To
me, the greatest attribute of His
Spirit is non-favoritism, which
proves the Purity of His Love.
His Spirit is a realm of pefec
tion. If it were not true it would
show up in His creation, that is
why it never changes. Our
Spirit appears to be imperfect;
not so, in the sense that it was
created to be recreated.
Man has always sometimes
wanted to go searching for the
Parent Spirit, not knowing it is
found in our own stable. As the
earth's ground is broken for
crops, so must one's own ways
be broken. This is not a viola
tion as it is in compliance with
the law of Life. Out of seeming
ly dirt comes food and beauty
from the main stalk.
Helen Prevo
222 W. Jackson St.
Medford.
Heaven
To the Editor: It is second
nature with me to be constantly
thinking of Heaven, where 1 ex
pect to meet all the good people
of Jackson County after Judg
ment Day. Our years on earth
are extremely limited, though
I shall try to reach the age of
100 years, even plus. Thereaft
er, we are to dwell in Heaven
for all Eternity a mighty
long time.
i wonder whether Heaven has
a sky which is brightly colored
all the time, with no storm
clouds, and not even a moon
of its own. It might be a little
difficult at first trying to sleep
in all that brightness, but it
won't bother me. as I can fall
asleep anytime of the dav or
night, it is a gilt. ' .
If a newspaper should be pub
lished L'p Yonder, it will in all
likelihood be patterned after the
Mail Tribune with its most in
teresting Communications col
umns, without the gripes, how
ever. See you there some day.
David Frisch
P. O. Box 2292
White City, Ore.
Strictly
Personal
By Sidney J. Harris
(c) rield Enterprise. Inc.
CALL IT FASCISM
It's a interesting peculiarity of our social order that while the
term "Communist" is flung around frequently and often care
lessly, its opposite number, "Fascist" is hardly used at all.
In Europe, this is not the case. People have no hesitancy in
speaking of the right-wing radicals as "Fascists," for this is what
they are. To speak of them as "extreme conservatives" is a
foolish contradiction in terms.
And it seems quite plain to me that there are many more
Fascists and Fascist sympathizers in the United States than
there are Communists and their sympathizers unless, of course,
you care to adopt the Fascist line and suggest that everyone
who favors staying in the UN and retaining Social Security is a
Red fellow-traveler.
We seem to be so exercised about Communist influence in
this country, which is negligible, both in numbers and in ap
peal to the American temper. Yet, year by year, one sees a
Fascist spirit rising among the people,, although It Is called by
many other and softer names, and has even achieved a certain
dubious respectability in some circles.
There is no reason why there shouldn't be a Fascist move
ment in this country; nearly every nation has one. But it should
be called by its right name, and it should be willing to accept
the consequences of its position, as the Fascist parties do
elsewhere.
It has no business masquerading as "Americanism" or
"conservatism" or "patriotism," when its whole philosophy of
man is based on a hate-filled exclusiveness that would shock
and affront the conservative American patriots who founded
this country.
What is distressing about this movement is the tacit or open
support given to it by men who genuinely think of themselves
as "conservatives," and who do not understand the implications
of right-wing radicalism any more than the German industrialists
understood what would happen to them when Hitler swept into
power with their support.
Just as Communism always begins with an appeal to "hu
manity" and "equality" and ends with inhuman despotism, so
does Fascism always begin with an appeal to "nationalism" and
"individualism," and ends with a military collectivism far worse
than the disease it purports to cure.
These twin evils are the mirror-image of one another. It
would be the supreme irony if, in rejecting the blandishments
of Communism, we fell hysterically into the arms of Fascism
disguised (as always) as Defender of the Faith.
Everything Is
Back To Normal
By Arthur Hoppe
WASHINGTON - I had been
talking to an English friend.
"I wonder," he had said un
easily, "If you Americans are
really fit to lead the world?"
I thought about it as I walked
up past the White House in the
soft evening. The sidewalk in
front, which had been roped off
and guarded all week, was now
open again to the public a sign
we were returning to normalcy
after the days of hatred and
fear and killing.
And there they were.
There were 12 of them in two
groups. Six were tall, solid
young men in the neat brown
uniforms, boots and swastika
armbands of the American
Nazi Party. The blood red let
tering on the placards thev car
ried read: "WIPE OUT THE
RED ASSASSINS."
Farther up the sidewalk, six
other young men nondescriptly
dressed, also marched militantly
back and forth under similar
placards. A girl in a raincoat
handed out leaflets saying in
huge black letters: "INVADE
CUBA NOW. CLEAN OUT THE
RED CUBAN KILLERS."
The leader of the Nazis, Cap
tain Seth Ryan, was eager to
talk. There s so many com
mies we're going to need gas
chambers," he said, relish
creeping into his tone of supe
riority.
The head of the other group
was a pale, blonde, 28-year-old
bookeeper named Alan Welch.
His voice was more tentative,
not quite so sure. "No," he said,
"I'm not a Bircher. A couple
of the others are. But we're
mostly just Americans who say
Tnrlerstand It's a lot of women's organizations working together
for a h-ltrr community could he pretty formidable!"
it's time we wiped out these
Red rats."
We stood for a few moments
there, in front of the White
House, talking in the fading
light. Didn't he think, I asked
him, that there had been
enough hatred and voilence? His
lips tightened. "What's to keep
them from assassinating our
new President?" he said.
I walked on, feeling sad and
thinking of my English friend's
uneasy question. And yet, I
thought, that we could tolerate
these people marching up and
down in front of the White House
at a time like this, preaching
hatred and violence, was per
haps evidence of our faith in
democracy, of faith in our
selves. A policeman stopped me. He
was round and red-faced, glow
ing with reassuring normalcy.
"Who are those nuts?" he
asked.
I told him and he shook his
head with that new disgust
many now feel toward the radi
cals from either side. It worried
me. I wanted to say that while
we must condemn hatred and vi
olence, we shouldn't condemn
political radicalism. For it stim
ulates us to think.
But that was too complicated
a thought, too personal, to tell
a stranger. And I just said
maybe these marchers were a
penalty we had to pay for de
mocracy. "They're too much of a pen
alty," he said, his eyes hard
and angry. "We ought to wipe
them out."
And 1 walked on, wondering
more than ever if we Americans
are really fit to lead the world.