PACE. J
HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falll. Oregon
Monday. April 29, ISM
EDSON IN WASHINGTON . . .
Laos Proves Reds Won't Keep Promises
Nondefense Spending
. What's the cause of the present national
debt, the further increase in that debt that is
certain to occur this year, and the present
level of taxation?
" This is not so simple-minded a question
a; it may seem. A common answer is to at
tribute it to the cost of national defense, in
an era when weapons are almost unbelievably
expensive. And it is true that national de
fense accounts for roughly half of the total
federal budget, and is still on the upswing.
; But proportionately, defense has not
been the principal villain of the play. Since
1952 defense spending has risen 26 per cent,
or $11 billion a year. But nondefense spend
ing, in the same period, has risen 104 per
cfctit, or $22 billion a year, precisely twice as
nfiich in dollar terms.
Moreover, federal spending for nondc
fdjise purposes, which are in prospect, will
rfce on a wide variety of fronts. A partial list
iilcludcs land, water and power projects; rec
reational facilities; fish and wildlife pro
grams; urban rdnewal; public housing; rural
electrification and telephone loans. And this
is oy no means the end.
Public assistance will run to $3 billion
next year, as against $2 billion in 1980 a
jump of precisely 50 per cent. It will cost
more, so far as one can see now, to support
Congress, the judiciary, the Internal Revenue
Service, veteran's services in sum, just
(Pasadena Star-News)
Many intelligent newspaper readers who
cultivate an enlightened interest in world
affairs often do not read very far down, we
suspect, into stories on negotiations with the
Soviet Union on such matters as a ban on nu
clear testing or disarmament in general.
They are discouraged from detailed pe
rusal of such accounts, no doubt, by the prev
alence of such statements:
"The participants said later that the ex
change of views had been useful."
"Talks apparently will continue despite
the lack of progress."
"The (fill in) dispute will enter its Ih
year next with the two sides still talking and
still deadlocked."
"But this will be an exercise in subtle-
IN WASHINGTON
By RALPH de TOLhDANO
It is Defense Secretary McNa
mara's unfortunate conviction Uiat
if Congress understood his aims,
he would not be involved In his
present difficulties. But it is pre
cisely because men on Capitol
Hill, who have a wklc knowledge
of military mutters, realize where
Mr. McNamara is cuing (but be
has run into so much trouble.
The Mier(icial debate may be
over the TKX contract or the
cancellation of the Skybolt missile
or the Administration's refusal to
use appropriated funds to develop
a B-70 bomber. But beyond and
behind this, there is real opposi
tion and great concern over Sec
retary McNamara's concept o(
how the Tent anon should be
run.
What Mr. McNamara would
like to impose on our military
system Is an American modifica
tion of Hie German General Stall
system. This would mean a sin
gle High Command instead ol
three competing services. Alrea
dy. Secretary McNamara has be
gun tile downgrading of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, the liquidation
o( tlie Air Perec, and the reduc
tion of tlw Navy to a kind ol
marine and submarine artillery.
The argument advanced f o r
this total "unification" is one
of "economy." Bui this, to any
military expert (in or out of uni
form', is nonsense. The only
economy one can achieve in de
fense mailers is to make sure
that the services get a dollar's
worlh of military hardware for
every dollar spent and In pro
curement, this Administration has
been extremely lax in making
sure that competitive bidding and
contract enforcement s q u e e i e
waste out of costs.
It is, of course, true Uiat "com
monality" of weapons the big
Justification for merging the serv
iceswould reduce defense spend
ing. It Is also true that tlte Ford
Motor Company, Mr. McNamara's
former business home, could save
considerably on re tooling, pro
duction costs, etc., by scrapping
all but one of the models and
Patient Diplomacy
McNamara's Ideas Poor
makes of cars it manufactures.
It would probjbly go out of busi
ness, too.
The U.S. Army undoubtedly
saved a good many dollars by
ils suppression of the air power
doctrines of General Billy Milchell
and ils strangulation of what
was then a subordinate flying
corps. But in a period of na
tional emergency, the nation had
lo start from scratch, at a far
higher cost, and the experience
of World War II showed Ihal
American air power had lo be
lodged In a separate service if it
was to operate effectively.
Secretary McNamara objects
because "each of the three serv
ices has a different concept of
what kind of wars we should he
prepared to firht." He wants it
all neatly tied up into one pack
age, "one defense policy." That
the Soviet t'nion or any other
enemy might not agree with that
"one defense policy" does not
seem to enter Mr. McNamara's
mind.
The German General Staff, in
two wars, worked out a single
military policy, guaranteed In
bring victory quickly and ellicienl
ly before Allied economic might
and maiqiower preponderance
could be brought into play. On
paper it was all very tidy and
had the Kaiser or tlie Fuehrer
been able to use the as yet twin
vented computer, the plans would
have been tidier still.
But warfare is not an exact
science. All the malhematic.il cal
isthenics of tlie bright Joung men
who now dominate the Pentagon
can be meaningless if only be
cause the one great variable in
the equation remains unknown,
namely what the nalurr of future
military conflict will be. In (lie
long run, it will I the decisions
of the men in command and
the flexibility of our weapons sys
tems which will determine the
course of any war lo come
It is the rivalry of tlie three
services and the differences in
concept among them which gives
the V S. aremed services their
flexibility. Ami it is tlie men in
Real Villain
about everything the government does, plans
to do, and wants to do. Areas where cost re
ductions are planned are almost as scarce as
hen's teeth, and that is the basic problem that
surrounds Mr.-Kennedy's mired-down plan
for tax reductions.
It is the most obvious of truisms to sav
that all of us would like to pay less in taxes.
Yet the administration-program has not found
the response that was anticipated, either with
in or without Congress.
The "Why" of that is not difficult to dis
cover. For one thing, .some of the changes
in tax policy the alleged "reforms"
that are part of the package have met with the
stiffest kind of opposition. There has been
determined objection to the proposal that
tax deductions for such costs as mortgage
interest and contributions to charity be
strictly limited.
On a broader base than this, tabulations
show that the proposed cuts in individual in
come taxes would amount to relatively little
for the average family. There is a feeling, in
major business circles that a tax program
which would substantially spur the economy
must be more favorable in its attitude toward
the investment community.
On a still broader base, there is a fear
that tax cuts without reductions in govern
ment spending would be dangerous and un
sound. And there is the real rub.
tics, for the formal Soviet position has not
changed."
"Soviet intentions at this stage are the
subject of continuing speculation, but the
White House door will remain open for furth
er discussions."
"Moscow was informed that it had of
fered an unacceptable proposal."
"There is no desire to arouse false hopes
at this time, but every effort will be made to
keep the channels of communication clear."
The talks drone on, but useful progress
seems to be unheard of. Nevertheless, we
arc full of admiration, and even incredulity,
for the patience of the diplomats who keep
going over the same old ground. ... We may
conclude that they also serve who only sit
and orate.
uniform who make the command
decisions. Secretary McNamara
has already compromised that
flexibility. And he has steadily
reduced our generals and admir
als lo (he status of messenger
hoys.
No one questions the priority of
civilian over military authority
in the running of the Delcnse F.s
tablishment. But in the past.
Hie civilian authority has operat
ed according to rules set down
by experience and Congressional
mandate. Willi Ihc best of inten
tions, Mr. McNamara is scrap
ping all of his.
QUESTIONS
AND
ANSWERS
D Iltiw smart Is porimisr?
A They are far more intelligent
than fisli'and more so than manv
kinds of mammals. Their intelli
gence is higher than a dog's and
possibly equal lo a chimpanzee's.
Q-Whlch Is the largest cut dla
ntond In the world?
A The Cullman I. called the
Great Star of Africa with a weight
of WO :o carats. It is in the col
lection of Britain's crown jewels.
9 Ho strong are gale winds?
A Winds from 31 In M miles
per hour are c lasted as near
gale, (rom 39 to 46 as gale,
from 47 to 54 as strong gale.
Q In reference to the moon
what Is meant by perigee and apo
gee? A-Each month lite moon is
said to be in perigee when near
est to earth and in apogee when
farthest, away.
0 What tvpe of plants are
called halophvtes?
A Those which can grow in
salty soil where most plants die
Kxamples are asuragus and
mangrove.
By PKTKR EDSON
Washington C'orrcsiondent
Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
WASHINGTON (NEAi Re
sumption of civil war in Laos
will give a lot of people another
chance to say "We told you so."
The moral is that it's impossible
to make a deal with thtf Rus
sians or any other Communists
Letters To The
Hopeful
Reing one of the many citizens
looking on the community with
renewed hope for future advance
ment as a result of the success
ful hospital drive. I hope our
school situation can he solved w ith
equal success.
As a community, we realize that
only with adequate hospital and
educational opportunities can we
hope to attract large industries to
choose our locale.
I read with dismay the bigoted
thinking expressed by a future
candidate for the school board.
His expressed opinions inferred
that by retreating instead of mov
ing forward would we solve our
problems. 1 fail to see how the
elimination of self-supported ex
tracurricular sports will alleviate
the crowded classroom or could
come under the heading of expen
sive entertainment.
On the contrary, thinking on the
national level stresses more em
phasis on activities thai embrace
a larger number of participants.
Physical fitness and character
building are tlie proven results.
I admit a strong personal aver
sion to his remarks on skiing.
Hodgepodge
ACROSS
1 Degenerate
in idleness
5' Purl of the
Antilles"
9 Insane
12rssaR in the
brim
IS Individuals
14 Hail!
15 Supreme
17 Pasture
18 Protective
fnliase
!9 Manaeer
2t Mr. Gardner
2.1 Disencumber
24 Musical
direction
27 Deities
:i!-t (it!
.12 Fastened
.14 Interstice
.Irt Guarantee
.17 Diversities
.IS Diah
39 Pace
41 Smalt child
42 Convulsive sigh
44 Mine entrance
41 Housekeepers
49 Walti
53 Ase
54 Opponent!
55 Noise
S7Ala-.
SS Border on
50 Consume
so Remove
1 Plover
DOWN
1 Tears
2 Western Itale
.1 Curds ot whey
4 Bailer
s Dove a rati
5 rw
7 TsHltod
trail flner
9 Akard
10 Asseverate
1 1 Deoejsed
I 12 li U I IS 16 17 18 I 19 110 III
16 lT" w
is Ft 20
1 l ?i u "n53
iriTTT f''in r I'I'r5" 3o"3i
32 33 jj l"
36 J37
35 n35"- t2T
i2 43 '"tU 45
To" 17" 443 J47" io" IT"
56 57 ""58
53 60 6l
with any expectation they will
keep their promises.
So why did the U.S. get booby
trapped? It may be granted that almost
a year's relative peace in Laos
has been gained since the ccase
lii'e and the Geneva accord guar
anteeing neutrality went into ef
fect and U.S. military advisers
"But You Promised!'
V
My son. a I960 graduate of KUHS.
found upon entering an out of
slate university that a majority
of competitive skiers are from
high schools with a strong four
year training program. Recogniz
ing tlie lag of such a program in
this state, our two universities
have started, this year, to render
a small amount of support to their
ski teams.
I would like to quote a para
graph from the Oregon Stale Uni
versity paper in regard to a Feb
ruary ski meet that involved 24
college teams consisting of 125
of the Northwest's best competi
tive skiers.
"Oregon State's impressive
demonstration of raw potential de
mands an opportunity for future
development. Over 10 million
Americans have made skiing one
of the fastest growing participant
sports in the United States. Ore
gon Slate cannot afford lo pass
up Ibis opportunity for representa
tion." The local ski club activities at
Klamath Union High School have
been entirely self-supporting. Such
unsubstantiated remarks by our
misinformed candidate can only
prove detrimental to their efforts.
tiwf to Previous: Pimle
IS Absorption
20 Broader
22 Mineral veins
24 Mender
25 Sumalran
squirrel threw
2 Helper
2S Rescued
10 Hrrad spread
SI Nuisance
31 Caprice
.is River currents
40 Pendent
ornament
4.1 Perforated
45 Turkic
tribesman
44 Native of Media
47 Operatic aolo
4 Firn
10 V.:V.:ci
mountain
51 Shank
52 Rnval Italian
familv name
5S Ar.jer
IR'Eli-IA'ylSt lEH-'AITIEISI
IC1A 5frlil,ft"gA'M.pl1
were withdrawn. This, however,
is not the whole ease on which
American policy on Laos is built.
When President Kennedy took
office, he had three choices on
Laos.
The first was to abandon the
country and let the Communists
take it over.
The second was military inter-
Editor
Surely we can afford to support
our school budget and attempt In
move forward in our thinking in
order to provide our children w ilh
the same opportunities enjoyed in
other communities.
Mrs. VV. R. Schmidt.
2071 Lakcshore Drive.
HairCurler
For those of us who do not
get a chance to visit the local
beauty parlor as much as we
should, required reading some
evening soon is Senate Rill No.
1211. This hill contains paragraphs
which will curl your hair.
Those sage predictors at the
public hearings on zoning in Jan
uary, who lestified "these ordi
nances and laws w ill get more re
strictive and dictatorial" are now
batting 1000. And so soon!
Tlie only consolation I have from
reading S.R. 129 is that the power
Is concentrated here at home,
where I can at least exert my
protest and vote maybe. Is this
going to be enough? '
I resent that dedicated group
of citizens on the local, state and
national level known as the "or
ganization for the dismantling and
disposal of rights." Rut no more!
My solemn vow for lfjrtf-lwm is
to enlighten myself on local Is
sues. My days of being protected, cod
dled and slightly confused by this
dedicated group are over. The
price has been too high. I will
make my presence known and I
will step up and vote!
Jtianita Kline.
2106 Madison St.
QUESTIONS
AND
ANSWERS
9 llnw old Is the verse begin
ning "Thirty dais hath Septem
ber, April. June, and November?"
A The origin of the verse is
lost in antiquity. Tlie year 1570
marks its first appearance in
English literature when Richard
(.radon included it in an almanac.
9 What was the era of "shirt
sleeve diplomacy?"
A Prior to World War I. Sec
retary of Slate William Jennincs
Rryan. the "Great Commoner."
dispensed with traditional formali
ties. Q Is the President romtnait-drr-in-rhief
of (he Toast Guard?
A Only in time of war.
t Did human Hie evolve en
Ihe American continent?
A There is no evidence of
this.
Q What dste has been pro
posed as a new federal legal holt
div? A Sept. 17, to be known as
"O.isutution Dav "
vention in which U.S. troops
would take part in a long and dif
ficult jungle and mountain guer
rilla action to drive the Reds out
of Laos.
The United States was already
involved in military support of
South Viet Nam against Commu
nist infiltration from North Vict
Nam. This operation is still far
from successful.
That left only the third alterna
tive, which was to seek a political
solution.
And when Russia's Nikita Khru
shchev agreed with Kennedy at
their Vienna meeting that Laos
should he a neutral, independent
country, it looked like an nut. It
was a risk. Hut it was worth tak
ingto gain time if no more.
Roving Ambassador Averell
Harriman was assigned to the job.
After 15 months of negotiations,
the Geneva accord guaranteeing
the neutrality of Laos was signed
by 14 free world. Communist and
neutral nations on July 23, 1962.
Hut now, as Undersecretary of
State for Political Affairs, Har
riman has had to return to Eur
ope to try to salvage Laotian
neutrality.
Russia and the United States
blame each other for the break
down. The chain of events leading up
to the new crisis apparently be
gan when Prince Souphanouvong's
Pathct Lao Communists in north
ern Laos attempted to take over
the neutralist forces of his half
brother. Premier Prince Souvan
na Phouma.
Col. Kelsana Vongsonavanh.
commander of neutralist forces in
the central Plain of Jars, was
murdered in February after he
had ordered arrest of Palhet Lao
I!
Dy SYDNEY J. HARRIS
"Whenever I see or hear the
word 'spiritual.' it makes me
grit my lecth." said a friend of
mine, who teaches philosophy in a
nearby college. "It's become the
favorite word of people who don't
even understand what it means."
I quite agreed with him. The
word "spiritual." used in its pop
ular sense, has come to mean the
opposite of "physical." Anything
that is "spiritual" is good, is
silive, is virtuous, is desir
able, is loftier than the merely
physical.
This is not only nonsense it is
dangerous nonsense. Just as physi
cal things can be either good or
bad, so spiritual things can be
either good or had. The word it
self is quite neutral, and has no
intrinsic value.
Indeed, as C. S. Iwis pointed
out in his book. "Christian Re
havior." some years ago: "The
sins of the flesh are bad. but
Ihey arc die least bad of all
sins. VII the worst pleasures are
purely spiritual: the pleasure of
putting otlier people in the wrong,
of bossing and patronizing and
spoiling sport, and back-biting:
tlie pleasures of power, of ha
tred "
Most of the evil in the world has
been generated on tlie spiritual
level: a power-driven and hate
obsessed man like Hitler had no
interest in physical pursuits: he
was as abstemious as a monk,
and as dedicated to the diabolic
(which is a spiritual thing' as the
monk is to the divine.
The people who create tlie mis
chief and Ihe sorrow in the world
arc not the libertines and the
drinkers and the wastrels; they
are pathetic people who create,
at Ihe most, private tragedy. The
vast public tragedies are created
hy tlie men who are dominated
by some perverse spiritual drive
hy pride, by anger, by hostility,
hy envy.
True spirituality is as rare as
BERHTS WORLD
I j Mtt '
(17
'ifrl r
"AccnrJing It Ben ,. ,, Tif got at rare iitttse
found enly in tborifint,' chlire unJer tht tit of
thru.-' '
supporters, who had shot down a
U.S. foreign aid supply plane,
killing four Americans. Pathet Lao
prevented the arrests.
All this year there has been
intermittent raiding by the Pathet
Lao against neutralist forces in
the Plain of Jars. Reports indi
cate that fewer than 100 men are
involved in each of these forays.
But Ihey have the impact of ma
jor battles.
The Pathet Lao are believed to
number about 20.000 troops plus
an unknown number of North Viet
namese who, in violation of the
Geneva accord, were not with
drawn after the coalition govern
ment was set up.
Neutralist forces are supposed
to number only about 2.500 under
U.S. Army-trained Captain (now
General! Kong Le. He had led
a revolt against loyalist forces
under Prince Phoumi Nosavan. a
former premier with pro-western
sympathies.
His army of about 60.000 men is
still in the rich and most populous
Mekong valley area of southern
Laos. They have not been de
mobilized because there has been
no move for unification of the
three armed forces under the co
alition. If Undersecretary Harriman's
diplomacy in Europe fails to ef
fect a peaceful solution of the
new Laotian crisis and a military
solution seems inevitable, General
Phoumi's army is an ace in the
hole for Ihe West.
U.S. troops have now been or
dered to Thailand. The U.S. Sev
enth Fleet has been ordered to
the Gulf of Siam.
This puts the situation right
back where it was when tlie Ge
neva Accord negotiations began.
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
true bestiality in human beings.
And those few who achieve it are
those who arc terribly aware of
the perils of spirituality who
know, as the Romans warned us,
that a corruption of the best be
comes Uie worst. Which is why.
to quote Lewis again, "Of all
had men. the bad religious man
is the worst."
Unlike mosl other religions,
both Judaism and Christianity ac
cept the goodness of physical
tilings, and do not dismiss them
as delusions or devices of the
devil. And those who despise the
physical too often use tlicir "spir
ituality" as a bludgeon for punish
ing the weak, while they I h e m
sclvcs revel in the pleasures of
pride, of power, of exactly those
"spiritual" qualities Uiat define
the nature of their enemy, the
devil.
Al
manac
By United Press International
Today is Monday. April 29. the
linth day of lmv) with 24S more
lo follow.
The monn is approaching its
first quarter.
The morning stars are Venus
and Saturn.
The evening stars arc Mercury
and Mars.
On (his day in history:
In 1862. New Orleans, gateway
to the Mississippi River and once
a stronghold of the Confederacy,
fell to Union forces.
In isn. Gideon Sundhack of Ho
boken. N .1., was granted a patent
for the "zipper."
In 11145. American soldiers lib
erated 32,000 Nazi prisoners al
llachau, the oldest and worst of
the Nazi concentration camps.
In 1945. the bodies of Italian
dictator Mussolini and his com
panions, executed by partisans Ihe
'lay before, were hung in a public
square of Milan.