Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, December 18, 1963, Image 4

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Medford mail tribune., December 18, 1963, Image 4

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Newspaper Page Text-4 eVlyHs WEDNESDAY, "Everyone tn Southern Oregon z I. Tfc.. Mail TViV,,,r,r' Published Dally except Saturday by MEDFORD PRINTING CO. 33 Noh jyr?r!1'hiI'7:1-1! "" RORFRT W R.UHL. Editor HERB GREV Advertising Manager GERALD T LATHAM. Bui. Mgr ERIC w ALLEN JR., Mm. Editor KARL H ADAMS, City Editor HARRY PMIPMAN. Tetea Editor RICHARD JEWETT, Sporll Editor OLIVE STARCHEH Women'. Edltoi DALE ER1CKUON, Circulation Mgr An Tnrtin.nrlent NawsnaDRl Entered a tecond class matter at Medford Oregon, under rsci 01 March 3. 1897 SUBSCRIPTION RATES n Mail In Ariinnra Daily and Sunday 1 year 118 On Daily and Sunday 6 mm 10.00 Dailv and Sunday 3 mol. 8.01) Sunday Only One year 15.00 Single Copy (Mailed) JOo By Carrier And Motor Route. iJally and Sunday 1 year 21.00 Dally and Sunday 1 mo. 1.71 Sunday Only 1 mo. 30c Carrier and Vendora Copy JOo Official Paper of City of Medford Official Paper of Jackson County United Presa International lull Leased Wire ITP 1, Telephoto Newsplcturea "MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS Advertising Representative: NELSON ROBERTS & ASSOCI ATES OOlces In New Vork. Chi cago Detroit. San Francisco. Los Angel" Seattle. Portland Denver. NATION A l Member California Newspaper Fubllihera Association Flight o' Time Medford and Jackson County History from tn files of Th Mall Tribune; 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 yean ago. FLIGHT 0 TIME Stdg . . . 10 YEARS AGO Dec. 18, 11)53 (Friday) Grcenlease, kidnap-killers, die in Missouri gas chamber 81 days after incident. Jackson County jail escapee is caught in San Diego, Calif. 20 YEARS AGO Dec. 18, 1043 (Saturday) Jackson County tax collec tions for 1043-44 total $912,293.4R, or 75.1 per cent listed on the current tax rolls. From Arthur Perry's "Ye Smudge Pot" column: "Every body bore up well under the fog. It was the only riisagree- ablcness in a long lime not caused by bureaucratic tinker ing. Furthermore, cussing of the same was not listed as giv ing aid and comfort to the foe. 30 YEARS AGO Dec. 18, 19.13 (Monday) Appraisal of Medford Irriga tion District completed and sent to Washington, D.C.; Gold Hill, Eagle Point and Rogue River Districts' appraisal expected to be completed soon. County Judge Earl B. Day calls for a complete reorganiza tion of the tax program. 10 YEARS AGO Pre. IS. 1IO (TiicsiIhj) Free city auto park leased to Morrirk's Inn, as transients look advantage of the municipal hospitality. Red Bluff, Calif., man claims he has a cure for blight. 50 YEARS A(iO Pre. IS, 1913 (Thursday) "Ragging" continues at the dances despite protests of police and preachers. Railroads show a 10 per cent gain in earnings the past year. Whal's Your I.Q.7 Nine or ten correct is suporlar; seven or eight is esccllent; tlva or sit is good. 1. Scvcnly per cenl of our Iron ore comes from which stale'.' 2 What was Ihe name of the temporary residence used by PiTsidenl Truman while the While House was undergoing rccoiiMniilion? 3 What dues Hip given name "Christine" moan? I. From which of Ihekr lan guages is Hie name "F.li.abelh" derived Greek, Hebrew, or Teutonic? 5. The f, lined movie actor, who was known as "the man of a thousand faces," was L C ? 6 W hat is Ihe principal ingre dirnt of snuff? 7. To Europeans a gymnasium Is what? 8. Does the wind blow spirally In a hurricane, cyclone, or tor nado? 9. Should crabs he rooked alive? in U'mrt n,,.,n L',tihl n,wl 4 A VSJaisociation ED TOR AL 1 Pawn are' terms' applying to' parts not arriving, and all the other cosily nui what game? jsanccs and inconveniences which occur w hen the .Answer,: I. Minnrsnla. J.l plailOS (lotl't land. lllair lliillvr. ,1. Ilrlnnging lo (hrisl. 4. Ilehrrw. 5. I.on ( hanry. A. Tobacco. 7. Pre paratory nrlimil. 8, All three. 8. Yes. 111. Chess. DECEMBER 18, 13 Duncan's Freshman Year Conpressman Robert in his office for less than he has made an impact, both in Washington and in the Fourth District of Oregon (as well as else where) far above the run-of-the-mill freshman Representative. After several months of discreet (and wise) silence, during which he felt his way around, looked, listened and questioned, and satisfied himself as to the channels of power and author ity, he has begun to speak out. And he has made himself heard, despite the old saw that says junior Congressmen should be barely seen and heard not at all. LIE HAS established his lines of communica- tion, not only in the Capital, but to his home district. When he accomplishes something, he lets his constituents know about it as he should. He was, of course, fortunate in his committee assignments agriculture and interior, both vitally important to the Fourth District again unexpectedly good for a freshman. But he has made intelligent use of them and, without being pushy or overtly aggressive, has made himself a respected member. We recently chatted whose business takes them to Washington Ire quently, and who are intimately acquainted with the workings of Congress. They agreed that Duncan is fast becoming one of the most effee tive members of the Mouse. IN ADDITION to legislative accomplishments, Duncan has shown courage. Recently he voted against a cotton subsidy bill which was strongly supported by His opposition was reasoned and sound, but it still took intestinal iortitude, not only to vote against the bill in the face of the possible resent ment or powertul members with great seniority, but also to speak out vigorously against it. He not only does his "homework" on legis lation, but also keeps up the public-service ac tivities which are so important a part of a Con gressman's role. A letter printed on this page recently testified to the fact that his efforts obtained Social Se curity payments to which a constituent was en titled, but which had been held up in red tape. Her gratitude (and her letters to several editors telling of it) is worth its weight in gold, politi cally. But dozens and scores of such chores are done quietly, with no thought of reward. A CONGRESSMAN'S job is roughly divided ' into three parts: 1. Being of service to constituents. 2. Bird-dogging legislation of importance to his own district. 3. Keeping abreast of and familiar with the vast torrent of legislation which may have no direct application to his own district, but is of vital import to the nation as a whole. On the basis of evidence so far, Bob Duncan has gone a long way in learning all three parts of his job in the 11 months he has been work ing at it. E. A. Alternate Airport Needed The past several weeks have furnished us with ample evidence that what this county needs is an airport which could serve as an alternate landing place when the Mod ford airport is fogged in. The airlines must be out thousands upon thou sands of dollars in bussing passengers to Klam ath Falls or elsewhere and back again. Last Sunday, Medford My Lines' mornintr north taken to Klamath. The enplaned, flew directly although it was invisible beneath the fog) and then on north. Two hours were lost. WHO CAN estimate the amount of business ' which was delayed or cancelled on that onp tl iv -.lnno-' nrl mnlliiiK-ihw In-ili.i nnmUni onettayaioni . .nti muni n, this in the mm be Ol IOggy Clays, sometmies tor weeks oil end, and Olte can only conclude Medford airilOll bv foe I .' S 1 here IS a movement aiKl improve the Ashland be Usable hv airliners s sh , n I'.?, , .1 , sunshine lai more than Wo do not believe it of the city of Ashland to Mi, ..U ,,f il,.. i.,,1 ,.- ,.i II ... :i l l iMuen ol the needed sums would he available . , , , , ll'om the iedetal government on a matching basis. ' " ' " ' 1 N ADDITION. It OCCUI'S it occurs g()eilimeiu is Hot nrre. luodiord lor years has carried the cost ol the county's major airport, although it serves a wide area. Air traffic is today a major source of income for the entire community, and anything which; would keep it going would benefit the entire' community. Perhaps a port district is the answer, but in any event, neither Ashland nor .Medford1 should boar the entire cost. Surely, Ashland would benefit. Hut so would j Medford. So would business. So would each ! individual who has seen mail slowed, appoint-1 . . ! I.I,' II I i 1 . . . mollis misseii, relatives noiavoii. orders canoe J his area needs an oi Handling airline iraine, siiiands ; trine best available. And the sooner the . 1 1 i , . B. Duncan has served a year now, but already with a couple of men leaders in his own party. passengers on United and smith ohmcs were north hound passengers to Medford (and over it, that the closure of the 1 W eosliiuv nli'iilv " ' t null, under loot lo expand airiMirt SO that II COU d The shl;mil field is in "on kuls ""'''' nn B'non b , 11 , y'i if i "Vhlankols - The inside story of the Meillord held is. wb.u .., on when ihe sun's is the Sole resnollSlhilltV ' undertake such a chore. ! to US that tile enimlV to us that lite coiinlv W 1 I 11 o tl t responsilulltv led auiliar airport capable , , , tut ich bettor. IS BUY CHRISTMAS . SEALS 'lie's got to go he's beginning ...Communications... Letters to the Editor must bear the the use of a pen name or initial for publication is permissible. The Mail Tribune reserves the right to edit 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 tha views of the paper; in tact the contrary is often the eaia. Mule in a Box Car To the Editor: When the old Brush car arrived in Ashland on the Southern Pacific, we couldn't get it out of the box car, so I wrote a letter to the Brush Company, I asked them how they got Ihe darn car off the assembly line and into the box-car. They answered my let ter and told me they dragged it in with a mule. I wrote right back and told them to come out to Oregon, take their Brush car and send me the muic. I told them I ain't never had no trouble pullin' a mule in a box car or gettin' one out, and I wished I could say the same thing for your car. Everett Acklin Ashland, Ore. Who Will Rise Up? To the Editor: Permit me lo preface a few thoughts by a very revealing quote of an ar ticle read lately, the title o( this is, "Motion Pictures Purvey Filth. It is the conviction of many Christians that the movies are herding a whole generation of youth toward hell. It is not news when genuine Christians oppose the movies, but it is news when such men as HendriK Van Loon and others speak out pointedly against the immoral suggestiveness of the screen. Louis Bauman quotes Mr. Van Loon as saying, "The moving picture producers are a group of money chasers who are turn ing an entire race of youngsters into hysterical psychopaths whose ears and eyes must for ever be glued to something that can only be described by a single word, 'ignoble'." Mr. Bauman also quotes inci- ford Buton, who is editor of the Hollywood Spectator: l n e screen is a menace to the glow ing population. It aims its prod ucts at those whose low tastes makes them impervious to the u earitv of pornography, pas sion masquerading as love; dis cussions of the double standard, and other unlovely aspects of modern civilization. The produc ers of motion pictures purvey filth for the sole purpose of reaping profits. They have delv ed into Ihe garbage cans of our social structure and extract from them as story material , nvnrvillinp thai slinks." V'X we have ever soon, was adver- fed in early September by one of the community s drive - in theaters. Are we wrong to sus- peel tliat such was purposely planned to catch our young poo- pie and make harlots and whoremongers of them in a wholosal(1 m:mne,? i;o,rs w01.d snvs it is a shame even to sPcak 11,0 lhinR's A'm ,hcm in s'ivt. bill this glaring tiling , ,,1-tiscd in Ihe onen in U- most suggestive language j possible to employ. Quote: 'lO.-i K""1' '!'" - lhe moon s come "p. a" .l'"101' s col -..s,,.h funn-os of both sexes nemm , al""K mflamatory Ian-; guage' Who could see it " "l'o- -''''', .. . "v . .mi,, i, ,i, , v . ,,,,,,1 , ,, . You missed Ihe ad" See ilnve- in ads for Sept. fi, IW:t. in M.T. If the aih ertiscmcut showed so much, how much did the show show'.' Think of putting such rot before children's eyes, or any one's (or lhat mailer! Who will rise up with me against this duly flagrant wick edness, this hellish disgrace? 11 11, liulman Route 4, Box illRA Medford Spoken EmI To the Editor Thanks (or out' excellent editorials lately, .il.sii (or the many good com munications. "Common Sensi by Mr. Ellis, and "Time To Mrs. Duncan were ex-1 Go" bv cellenl. and many more contain food for thought. Mrs Ellis Is ' so t ight we must guide chil-, ilren by Ihe example we lne. -,,,.4 II,a n..)e .. n ! J,' I""" "" " "S i" '' She says' "He, Ihe Pu.idrnt. MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. fo identify himself with the role!' name and address of the writer, was just a man". I have heard this over radio and T.V. by people that should know heller. I wonder if these people con sider our flag "just a rag," or do they teach the children it is the emblem of our nation, of which each individual is a part for good or evil. A top labor leader on T.V. equated our President with one of his truck drivers. I doubt it many of his truckers would so equate themselves. They are too fine a lot of men, they and our police are the finest men on our highways, and the latter is not "just a man." His uniform makes him different, he repre sents the people of the state he serves. The same is true of our President. He is TOP MAN, chosen by the nation. As to "his lime lo go," I must agree, yet I do not believe in fatalism. Mrs. Duncan's article on this was excellent. When we go, depends on three things the Lord and His work of good, Satan and his work of evil, and most of all our works. To which side are vt contributing? Our President was a great soldier with little fear. This made him a prime target for Satan and evil. Like Christ He loved and gave his life trying to help the people that killed him. Sure, one pulled the trigger, but the evil spoken over radio and T.V. is like gasoline on fore to sick minds. The remedy? Our President died frying in find it. There should be some way lo stop the slanderous, libelous, false accu sations against our top leaders. Such incite evil and anarchy, making them prime targets for Ihe sick minds. We do not elect them for that purpose. F. E. Beverly 112 Geneva St. Medford Retirement Center Questions Tn the Editor: Since I believe (he attached letter is of in terest tn a great many people in this area, I thought you might want tn use it in Ihe Communications section of your newspaper. L. E. Chantry, B35 Park St., Ashland, Ore. Federal Housing and Home finance Agency. c f ' . ,. , . Uoar f"rs: lM'om an IKle lne Ashland Tidings of Dec. 5' llHi:! ' learned (hat a local church plans to go ahead with 11 ",",,m l"m" ' " '" .ty village if they can obtain financial assistance from the le101''11 Rovernment. As an apartment house owner and hpnvv tav n:ivnr I am wondering' about a 'number of things in connection with such a P"jc-t. Has an accurate survey been ,:,,i i .),.., i),, n,o .,- ,s rpanv IU,w,.r.' This vear proximately KM new rental units nave nccn or are iicing null ... a.m i a ,., in .-,.-,!, mi ill. .-i i - unit dm i in, m huilding is under construction (nl. r,,Tv ppp0. (if (,,ur units tthk'!l 1 understand have boon I n , ,, , e , (i u ii hi u,rn i rented. ! Since much Ihe same rental situation exists in Medford and surrounding areas, 1 would sug gest that the Jackson County Property Owners Rental Asso ciation or some other reliable group be requested to make an impartial survey of vacancies in the whole area. II would he enlightening to expenditures o( know w hat rale of interest the I 1 earnestly implore you follow church will be required to pay I citizens and voters for your own if the loan is granted. Will it ; good and for the future well receive moncv at a lower rate being of our state remember of interest than other apart ment owners, whose high taxes help make the loan possible'' It is generally understood that church property is not taxed. It would he interesting lo know what taxes, if any. the church , will pay on this renter. According lo circulars issued in regard In Ihe proposed Inn- lit, Cill,n lhfl,A tinc n.,1 t M m I".' """ , r to he a great deal of interest OREGON Does De Gaulle Mean Business in Common Market Threat? If So, He May Lose Much I!! By PHIL NEWSOM L'PI Kmnsn News Analyst The qucslion before France's Common Market partners now is, does President Charles de Gaulle mean business or is he kidding? On the basis of the record established by "Le Grand Charles," it must be assumed that he does mean business and that he will carry out a threat to wreck the six-nation European Economic Commu nity unless it reaches agree ment on a common farm policy by New Year's eve. although under certain circumstances shown by prospective tenants. If their plans materialize, it appears there may be as many vacancies as in some retire ment renters already built. I have been informed that in some areas of Ihe United States, contrary lo common belief, an excess of single house and mul tiple dwelling units have heen built. Owners are offering such inducements as free rent and payment of moving costs to fill vacancies. May I repeat, there seems to be a question of the need of the Trinity Village project and also the advisability of a church going into active business com petition when there appears to be sufficient private capital and enterprise to take care of such construction, which construction is perhaps already being over expanded. I.. E. Chantry, 6.15 Park St., Ashland, Ore. Campaign Donom To the Editor: I am reason ably certain your readers par ticularly those tax-duped, lax- poor citizens in the state of Ore gon will be interested in ex cerpts from a recently published article from the Greater Oregon newspaper, published in Albany, Ore. "Proponents of the Legis lature's ill-fated revenue pro gram in the special election last Oct. 15 spent 10 limes as much as Ihe opponenls. A report Thursday (Dec. 12) by Secretary of Slate Howell Appling shows proponents spent $47,186 to the opponents $4,239. The vote was 3'2 to 1 against the measure. The largest personal contribu tion to the campaign came Irom Dr. Arthur S. Flemming, presi dent of the University of Oregon. Flemming spent $2,:)8 of his own money in a letter writing campaign thai blanketed the stale.. The Oregon Education As sociation. Portland, contributed $24,52:1 of the total of $28,781 spent by Ihe citizens committee for a YES vole on Measure No. I. Oregon AFL-CIO put $1,0(10 into this total, and $500 each came from Georgia - Pacific Corp. and Ihe Oregon Stale Em ployees Association. The Save Our Students committee collect- ot ami nnnl l.l IIIH Of lllic amolm( 07R c(ime from nifih. pr c(ucatjon students contribut- Trefimd 5 " ttolll noimauy be leiunaca. Note: There are many more businesses and private donors listed which for lack of space cannot be enumerated here. "Expenditure of $:i.ti:U was re- hv lhp a,mmlUcP for Kconomv' am) Equitable Taxa- tion of which the chairman was j, Francvl Howard. Albanv and r',....,lliL- n.c,n,,,. ,,Mi.:h.i,- who sparked Ihe referendum drive. Howard listed onlv $1.0UI in contributions, and the secre- tarv of stale's office said he ; ,.. m. , i ..... ap-lnorl. Contributors lo this com - millee included Ihe White Sol- l emon .eague. uma no, mini, ..., .i. n..,.,. i dull mr i i-pn it-i , i in iihiiw, Im.W. Other opposing organia- lions listing Ihe same amount fur contributions and rxprnili- Hi nt nfi nmniiii (i c.'ir i are ' Committee for Economy ami Equitable Taxation, Lane Coiin lv, SI16; Klamath I ouiuy lax- pavers League, $103: and Ihe inings oi me a mine win mr . Committee for a Moderate and In this country, e re quite cor Beneficial Tax Program, $129. lam that an American dollar The Multnomah County Citizens will buy MOKE of the good Committer for Economy and things of life than a Russian Equitable Taxation , reported , ruble will buy. contributions totaling $59 and : Still, the figures are interest ami keen uppermost in our niuiils the names of those leg latins and other ollicials who tried to cram thai monstrous and unneccss.irv adililion.il lax legislation down our Ihioais last Oct. 15. REMEMBER there's a primary election com ing up in fne months. .lohn .1. Muii'iv TJj Mountain View Place Grants Pass. Ore. trance, West Germany, Italy, ( resentment he himself stirred Tho MA.hnrlsnrlc Rolrrinm anllact 1-iniiirv uiKnn U nnlnnrl The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg now are working in their modernistic headquar ters at Brussels, Belgium At the moment, their chances ' " Oaulle may bo that his i Bvt EFTA now has been re of success seem remote, with 1 slan(! aRais Britain could vived and if the Common Mar final resulls having a stroiiR 'oaci l" nls "wn isolation. .),, shoud cipse its mem- bearing not only upon Ihe fu - ture of Europe but upon the ap- proximately $1 billion worth of agricultural goods sold annual ly to Common Market nations by the United States as well. Failure at Brussels also most automatically would doom the chances for success of the so- j cauecj "Kennedy round" of ne- gotiations next May at which it is hoped for across - the - board tariff cuts of 50 per cent. This would come under the "General Agreements for Tariff and Trade," otherwise known as GATT. Crux of the problem at Bins- sels is the French demand for immediate agreement on price regulations for beef, veal, dairy produce and rice to the bene fit of French farmers and at a loss for the German farmers. Also involved is De Gaulle's concept of the Common Market as an inward looking, protec tionist grouping and the oppos ing belief held by West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard that Ihe oullook should he global in Ihe concept also held by the late President Kennedy. Ironically for De Gaulle, some of the resistance he now is meeting is an oulgrowlh of In the Day's News By FRANK JENKINS From Moscow: The Soviet parliament re ceived for formal approval an unprecedented $212.3 BILLION peacetime budget for the next two years that emphasized bread and butter instead of guns. Premier Khrushchev looked nn approvingly in the Grand Kremlin Palace as Defense Min ister Vasily Garbuzov read out the figures, lopping off $liliB mil lion from defense spending for the next year. At the same time, $27.1 billion was allocated to the nation's failing agriculture over the next two years and the green light was given to a chemistry indus try build-up which will supply the farms with fertilizer and also satisfy GROWING DE MANDS FOR MORE CONSUM ER GOODS. 'PHIS IS the interesting part -- of the slory: President Kroosh and his ad visers appear to be coming to the conclusion that it just might be SAFER FOR THEM to spend less for guns (and atom bombs) with which to conquer the world for Communism and more for butter (and also for STEAKS and better houses and better clothing and more automobiles and the other things that go to make up the GOOD LIFE that the people of the Western world seem to he having in much greater abundance than the peo ple of the U.S.S.R.). That, if true, could be highly significant. SOME INTERESTING figures: The present estimated pop ulation of the United States is about 1R8.000.0o0. The present estimated pop ulation of Ihe U.S.S.R. is about 220,000,000. rpHE ANTICIPATED federal A budget of the U. S. for the next fiscal year is in the neigh borhood of $100 billion. The anticipated budget of the U.S.S.R. for Ihe nexl year, ac cording to this morning's dis patches from Moscow, will be about $100 billion. 'HICH IS lo say: '' The per capita federal lax in Ihe V. S. for the next fiscal year will be about $530. The per capita tax in the I I'.S.S R. for Ihe 'next fiscal year will be about $4112. rrilKSE figures, ol course, ' don't mean much. The value of an American dol lar depends entirely on how much of Ihe necessities and Ihe good things of life a dollar will buy. the value of a Russian ruble i which in foreign exchange is worth about $1.11) depends en tirely on how much of the good ing. AND . . . -v It's VERY interesting to learn that Mr. Kroosh is aware that there are OKOWINC, PE- MANOS KOH MORE CONSL'M- Elt HOOPS among Ihe Russian people and thai it might be cll lo so handle the Russian com- omy lhat il will he POSSIBLE for the common, ordinary Rus sian people to get more of the consumer goods thai make life mine pleasant That could be highly signifi last January when he vetoed Bntish membership in t h e Common Market. And a still greater irony for l iseiore maKing nor Din to en- 'PI " common niarisei, oni- nm iinu lusieieu a group caueo. the European Free Trade As I sociation ( Er- 1 A). Its mem- bership included Britain. Nor way, Sweden, Denmark, Portu gal, Switzerland and Austria. It had been expected that, with British entry into the Christmas Season 8ossoms in Salem SALEM (UP!) -The Christ mas season blossomed in Sa lem Tuesday. A 30-foot decorated tree was erected in the Capitol Rotunda, a nativity scene was in place in the Capitol Mall, greenery decorated the front of the state house, and offices inside sprout ed seasonal decorations. Espionage Has Its Fringe Benefits By Arthur Hoppe Ah, espionage! Ah, lo be a spy! What an exotic, dramatic, heart - thrilling way of life, di vorced forever from the hum drum common herd. And I see where our spies are demanding an improved pension program. With earlier retirement, higher annuities and increased sever ance pay. Which is the way it goes these days. The Central Intelligence Agen cy, which is in charge of our spies, has been busily engaged I ob b y i n g the necessary bill through Congress. And I'm for it. Although CIA officials are very secretive as to why we n,ed higher fringe benefits for our spies, I assume we vc been having a recruitment problem. And we've got to meet the com petition. SCENE: A secret basement room off the Champs Elysces in a secret foreign country. The CIA Deputy Personnel Manager, Mr. DC-8, who lookes like Peter Lorre, is s.ited at a secret green baize table. There is a secret knock on Ihe secret door and Miss Malta Houri, who looks like that slender vampire lady in the Charles Addams cartoons, enters. DC-8 (whispering): Ahh, you have come. MISS HOURI (whispering): Yess, DC-8: I need not tell you how important this is to us. Tran sylvania, the unnamed country f r which you work, has literally scores of secret secrets. Em ploying you as a double-double agent would be a masterly stroke. With your help, we might even be able to capiure the in famous Dr. Nu and squelch SQUNCH forever. Tell me, will you come over to our side? MISS HOURI: Well, your of Strictly Personal By Sidney J. Harris (c) Field Enterprise. Inc. THE MEANING OF WORDS Every writer who is in command of his craft knows that them are very few real synonyms in the language. Words that seem lo be synonymous usually have fine discriminations and shadings of meaning and it is in the skilled use of such shadings that a writer makes his best effect. But the question of synonyms is much more than a matter o( literary style: it also has a great deal to do with the substation of what is written. The greatest stumbling-block lo verbal com munication is in Ihe field of "definition" a word that means ono thing to the writer may mean different things In different readers. Large abstract words are the trickiest of all; and the common esl of these words are the hardest to pin down love, justice, free (iom, and so on. Most quarrels about these concepts are really quarrels about the meanings of the words themselves. w One of Ihe best ways lo avoid, or at least In diminish, such areas of confusion and disagreement is to consciously Iry at all limes lo use key words lhat have no synonyms and c an be understood in only one way. I'nfortnnalely. most such word" are trivial onrs: Ihe important suhjrrls are dealt wilh in wonts lhat are slippery and niany-laceled. If. for instance, I say thai I have a "hankering" fur cheese, Ihere is no mistaking what I mean. A "hankering" is nnl a yearning or a deep longing or a burning desire; it has a small hut definite range of meaning and It has no exact synonym. .No other word would do as well in its place. But when I speak of "faith" in God or some doctrine, then I am immediately plunged into verbal chaos. How does "faiih" differ from "belief"? And both of them from "con viction"? When we say, in common speech, that we "believe" something, we could usually just as accurately say "think" or "assume" or "judge" or "guess" or "opine" or "estimate." or any oilier of a handful of other verbs of approximate meaning. In his recent book. "Belief and nent German theological scholar, in simply discriminating between "belief and all the other worili lhat pass for it. He tries to attain the most rigorous and precise definition of Ihe word, so lhat it stands (without a synonym) for a specific altitude of mind This is hard work, and tedious, but without it, no argument ran be -oined. much less any agreement reached indeed, wo would not even know what we are disagreeing about. Semantic clarity is not the solution to any basic ronltnversy; hut it must be the starling point, for wp can never reach Ihe sams answers if we are, unknowingly, asking efferent qucslion.. Common Market, this Grouping I nnnM I l ! would die and its members fol- low Britain into the Common j Market either as full or asso- i cialed members. hcrs could bp px.DW,eri , make a headlong rush for EFTA. Excluded would be tha troublesome De Gaulle. EFTA has the same tariff re duction goals as the Common Market, but with no political implications and with no al tempt to set up common tariff barriers against non-members. Under the Common Market, Western Europe has soared to unprecedented heights of pros perity. Internal tariffs among ihe six have been reduced 40 per cent and internal trade has jumped 100 per cent. Gross na- tional product has increased nearly ?5 per cent. France has benefitted as much as the others and has as much to lose. It may he that De Gaulle has bitten off moia than he can chew. fer of a GS-lfi rating with a pa scale of $17,398 and four weeks paid vacation is all right. But what about your retirement plan? A girl has to look ahead, you know. DC-8: If our new bill passes, you'll be able to retire after 20 years of spying at 40 per cent full pay, I'm proud to sav. MISS HOURI: Promises, promises. Besides, the unnamed country of Mauritania is now offering 52 per cent annuities after only 17 years. DC-8: True, but you're over looking our Comprehensiva Group Welfare Program. Here, this brochure will explain il. See? You will receive a $2,0o0 triple - indemnity life insurance poiicy with convertible features; 16 sick days a year; and a pre paid medical plan with full ma ternity benefits, an item which should not be ignored by onn in the type of work you do, if 1 mav say so. MISS HOURI: Yes, Tran sylvania does offer only 50 per cent maternity benefits. And I like your sick leave features. You see, I'm allergic to micro film and every time I swallo-v some, I'm under the weatb-r for a week. All right, I'll sis". DC-8: Grand! And now 'f you'll jusl fill out these 37 em ployment forms, we'll begin processing them immediately. And you should hear from us in oh, about two months. And from then on, Miss Houri, you can look forward lo a stable, secure future in espionage. Well, as I say, Dial's Ihe way It goes these days. Each man has to make the choice be. tween dull, old security and ex citing, dashing adventure. And all thai bothers me is that morn ; d more we're all making tha same choice. Faith," Josef Pieper. the Ptni- spends the first several chapter? 1 o O