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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1963)
PAGE-CA HERALD AND NEWS, Klamalh Falls, Ore. Tuesday, December IT, 196J THE GLOBAL VIEW. How Cultural Are Cultural Exchanges? Alliance Of Equals It is no one nation's fault that the busi ness of having and keeping allies in the West C seems steadily more difficult. Holding together in tight formation a peacetime alliance of free countries is a :iard matter at best. Free peoples seldom get stirred by military concerns until they are in war or gravely threatened by it. If the urgency is great enough, even a standoffish President De Gaulle of France will commit his full support. He did so in ; the Cuban crisis of October 1962. ; But urgency is not a mood easily main tained when the threat is less than extreme. ; We and our allies are all relatively prospcr- '. otls. We do not believe war is close at hand. We believe that nuclear war is something both the West and the Soviet Union seek to avoid. This being so, we and our friends abroad can indulge the luxury of asserting our dif ferences. There is always some of this, even in war. The cleavages grow sharper as crisis ; recedes. i De Gaulle's strident nationalism shows ; itself in all but the direst calamities. It is ; hard to believe that in most conditions he 5 would be much different whether U.S. pol icy were made by President Johnson, Sen. Barry Goldwater, the Americans for Dcmo- cratic Action or the John Birch Society. We here in America also see varying and conflicting pressures at work in the field of alliances. Some would like to bolster NATO. Others would have us cut adrift. Others, evidently including Goldwater, often suggest action like a blockade of Cuba which could well have the effect of splitting us off. Even among those who want the al liance strong there is frequently serious dis enchantment over the behavior of allies. An administration official once said privately: "You learn in the White House that America's friends are often only slightly less troublesome than its enemies." But the Western Europeans generally feel the same about us. Right now they are said to be particularly indifferent toward some of our policies. We may be close to the hard question: Do we want this alliance or do we not? Would the dissolving of it serve us, or the Communist world? The Reds have tried to destroy it from the start. If we make this inquiry and determine that we still want the alliance, then perhaps we ought to discover a new maturity in which we recognize once and for all that allies are not bosom companions but mutual ly useful associates whose policies and atti tudes may never coincide on more than a few vital points. Peeping Tom Season '. ' ; ' We've come again to the time of the : year when Peeping Toms are in their prime. These are the Toms who leave their ' cars In the driveways or on streets overnight and they have a habit of dashing out in tlic morning, scrape off Just enough frost and ice from the windshield, side windows and rear . glass to chart a course to the office. They're good drivers. Take their word ; for it. They can see more through a six inch square section of the ice-covered wind : shield than Barney Oldfield could sea on the race track. No use bothering to scrape off all of the ice just enough to navigate. That's enough! Just run the ice scraper over the back window sufficiently to catch a glance of the car behind, No use taking the scraper and running it all over the glass. Only thing a good driver has to watch for is to see that reckless driver is too close behind before making a sharp turn into the driveway back of the office. Even if the Peeping Tom could buy a periscope to help them see bettor through the scrapecl-off area, they wouldn't need It. Just ask them! Police in some areas around the coun try are cracking down on Peeping Toms, and well they might, for they just think they can see to drive a car, good as they say they are. Of course, these Toms could place an old newspaper or cardboard over the wind shield at night before retiring, But why bother? It's easy to scrape off a little Ice to see through especially for good drivers as all Peeping Toms say they are. IN WASHINGTON . . . Barry's Hopes Not Dead !ly RALPH de TOLF.DANO In the name of "political realism," the pundit have boon aying (hut Son. 11a r r y Goldwater's chances for tho Republican nomination have ; been badly damaged by tlic ac ; cession to the Presidency of I Lyndon Johnson. The true po ' litical realists, after studying the form sheets feel otherwise. However the pundits m a y pundit, there are certain hard facts to he considered: 1. Mr. Goldwater would be hurt only if President Johnson were the conservative the pun dits say lie is. 2. Mr. Goldwater would le hurt If President Johnson back watered on the Kennedy pro gram. Hut Mr. Johnson will .push with far more vigor for jcdernl aid to education (rnn idored dead by Mr. Kennedy', Medicare (about which Mr. Kennedy had strong pullUcal reservations), a punitive civil rights law, and a tax cut. Just days after his call lor "frugality," the White House began leaking stories of a new budget in excess of $100 billion, which would balloon the feder al deficit and call for a sub stantial escalation of (he debt ceiling. 3. It is said that lite new administration will deprive the Republicans of the South, which Is pre'iimed to be Sena tor Uuiuwater s major base. The facta: By February or March, when widespread racial disturbances begin again. President Johnson will find himself In precisely the posi tion of his predecessor. He is wise enough to know that these demonstrations have made his civil rights legislation highly unpopular among rank-aml-lilc Democrats in the North. Hut lx cause a Democrat in office is irresistibly tugged to the Lc!t, he will continue to press (or the tin-Constitutional measure proposed hy House and Senate Democrats. It is, moreover, nn easy and inaccurato simplification to say Uiat Senator Goldwater's major base is the South. He is tremendously strong there, but no evidence except the word of the pundits has been presented to show that he has lost any significant ground. He is, more, over, equally strong in most of the M i d w e s t, the Mountain States, and some of (lie Pacific Northwest. He also has a good deal of hidden strength in the so-called industrial states. t. Tlwso who now seek to di minish .Mr. Goldwater point to a supposed suing to Richard Nixon. This makes good news paper copy. But Mr. Nixon is still unpopular with a substan tial number of those people who do Ilic actual nominating. What's more, he knows that Ik1 cannot Ret Uie nomination un less ho goes Into the primaries and this he will not do. Former aides, still close to him, are certain Uiat he does not intend to nuke any overt effort for the Presidential nom ination. This means that Sena tor Goldwater will go Into the Republican convention with a sizable number of votes, Gov. .Nelson Rockefeller with a very small number of delegates, and a flock of "favorite sons" will sharo the rest. Gov. George liomney's chances were badly singed by the Michigan legisla ture which rejected out of hand his fiscal program. Gov. Wil liam Scraulon of Pennsylvania has neither the machine nor Uie mass base. This will leave Harry Gold water still the front-runner hy a long lead. In the days of the "smoke-filled room," the east ern Republican kingmakers, who snatched the nomination from tlic late Sen. Robert A. Talt, might have been able to wrap it up for Mr. Nixon. Hut the 14 convention will be lipped from stem to stern if this is attempted. In an open convention. Mr. Nixon won't have a chance. Since it is still a sound rule of politics that you can't beat someone with no one, this will leave Senator Goldwater with out any real challenge. Tliere is only one way in which (lie Goldwater candidacy can be blocked, and that is by a heavily - financed primary campaign to put over a nt face. Summing up, tlien: It is easy enough to talk alxxit the tem per of (he country. But political reality deals with concrete facts and concrete evidence. Until the anti Goldwater opposition finds a candidate to stop him, he'll contuiue to roll along. So far that candidate has not been found, and every passing day leaves less time for the all-important build up he must gel. Wendell Willkie. the last "dark horse." had his campaign rolling at high gear some 18 months before Uie convention. By LEON DE.VNEV Newspaper Enterprise Analyst NEW YORK (NEA) The State Department has decided, however reluctantly, to con tinue negotiations with Russia for a new cultural exchange program. The talks were suspended in November after the Soviet se cret police arrested Prof. Fred erick Barglioorn on the usual flimsy charge of espionage. To be sure, even while the Yale scholar was held incom municado in Moscow, an unof ficial delegation of Russian cul tural "tourists" roamed the United States in an effort to gain friends and influence Americans. In the State Department's view, cultural exchanges might benefit the West since they will expose visiting Russian schol ars and artists to the free atmosphere of American institu tions. However, a check by specialists of Moscow's latest 16-member delegation revealed that a majority of the emis saries were seasoned Commu nist party members whose mis sion in America was anything but cultural. Two of them, writers Boris Polevoi and Aron Vergelis, are also believed to be veterans of the Russian secret police. Boris Polevoi is no stranger here. After his first visit in 1953 he printed a volume of "impressions" in Russian en titled "American Diaries," which was full of slander and fantasy but contained few ob jective facts. Truth is no part of a Red in tellectual's baggage, and Pole voi is no exception. During his 1935 tour he was asked at a press conference about the fate of the famous Jewish - Russian poet Lev Kvitko. "Kvitko is well and happy," Polevoi replied. "I saw him be fore my departure for America 'Tis the Season to Be Jolly -: t: V ,7r--- v' .'i;r,";g - . :' .,2-i.,v,.'lUTT'fi Letters To The Editor Use Of Sirens In recent weeks I have no ticed something I believe should be called to the attention of all citizens in and around Klamath Falls. This is the frequent "prac tice" usage of Civil Defense si rens. It is my opinion that many people do not know ahead of lime that they are going to be set off. And if they ever were set off in an actual emergency, these people would pay little or no attention to them. This is what happened during the war in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. When Uie warning si rens were set off, few people knew what was happening. We are lucky to have these sirens in case of a real emer gency, but I believe this is the only time they should be used. Or if they are used at any oili er time, it should be very well publicized as to when and why. I hopo you will be of the same opinion as I, and that you will call tills to the attention of others. Pat O'Tonle, 70S Jelfersnn St. Almanac Hy United Press International Today Is Tuesday, Dec. 17. the 351st day of 1963 with H to follow. The moon is approaching its first quarter. Tile evening stars are Jupi ter, Saturn and Venus. On this day in history: In 1903, Orville ami Wilber Wright niiKlo tlw first success ful airplane flight in history when they soared over the sjnd dunes at Kitty Hawk, N C. In 1925. Gen. William 'Billy 1 Mitchell was found guilty by a court martial and sentenced to suspension from tlw Army for five years. Twenty years later the Senate voted overwhelming ly to outer on him posthu mously the Congressional Med.il of Honor. In 1939. (lie Natti vessel Graf Six- was scuttled off the coast of Uruguay, following express orders to the crew from Adolf Hitler. In 'Xu. tlie Air Force suc cessfully launched (lie fust At las intercontinental tiallistic mu-sile at Cape Canaveral. Via. A thought (or tlie day Tlie Roman orator Cicero said: "Tlie short period of life is long enough for living well and honorably." Tax Complaint ' After all our voting against the referral 60 million tax hike, Oct. 15, there are still a few ,diehard high spenders. Take OEA which approves new tax move to support a sales tax ear marked for education. They, with Mr. Hatfield, went all out before Oct. 15 spending school money for a "Yes" vote. If schools were so pressed for money why spend all this mon ey for advertising etc. Just why should we have sales tax, anoth er tax on us. They could do as California has when a state gets a sales tax. then the counties can also add three or (our cents. All this adds up and the taxpayer is tlie goat. Some give the excuse it will bring revenue from the people out of state. This is ridiculous. Why should people travel our state when they have state tax es at home. How many realize the thousands of people who do their trading and Christmas shopping in Medford, Klamath and Lakeview every year and groceries and appliances every day. Vancouver gets its share, too, from Washington. They trade in Oregon because we don't have a sales tax. Of course, the very (xxiple who spent their money lor a yes vote on the 60 million dollar lax hike are the very ones who want more taxes now. If the taxpayer will get togeth er and lubhy on their own. lliey won't have as free a hand in getting more laxes through Con gress. I can't understand, after Sec retary of Slate Howell Appling Jr. told the House Tax Com mittee, Nov. 19. of Higher Edu cation's poor fiscal practices and gave a preview of a 10 month audit of higher education system. He said the audit turned up these main "areas of concern." Research: because of faulty accounting procedures, lederal or private grant sources have not been sufficiently tapped tor money. Instead, costs that were chargeable to other sources have been paid from state funds intended (or the gen eral college system. Salaries: some salaries of re searchers have been improperly augmented in violation of both teileral and state directives. Bond sinking fund: "All" reve nues from buildings that pay (or themselves are supposed to be returned to this fund, but this has not been done. For example. Oregon Slate University Book stores, lnc . paid a $37,841 rent al to tlie Memorial Union last year. Tlie money was not re turned (o the bond fund. And money has been taken from the fund fur construction and land purchases. (Appling said an Attorney General's opinion has been re quested. That opinion was writ ten in this paper.) No more at tention was paid to it by the high spenders in Salem than the above report by Secretary of Stale. How can Higher Education he trusted when it can't balance its hooks on use of tax money for what it is intended? Oregon seems to be afflicted with this disease. Take Mr. Halfield, as a gov ernor, he has cost Oregon more tax money than any governor we have elected. Guards indeed on his home, when he is visit ing Rockefeller, and if not there, campaigning around over the country at taxpayers' expense. Ball games. Palm Springs to rest, etc., not to mention a spe cial hired attorney for $15,000 a year again at the taxpayers' ex pense. I didn't notice him cutting his salary $22,500 or $7,500 tax free expense account or most of the others of whom we elect to take care of our affairs at Sa lem. And just think our highest paid school man receiving $26. 500 per year, while the student tuition is being raised to where they can't pay it. hence the great dropout we hear of. why'.' It's these high spenders who are working so hard to rai.-e our taxes, add a sales lax no one wants, so they can have more money to throw around. Why, Mr. Editor, we elect and send people to Salem and Washington. DC, to handle our affairs, we must work tor a liv ing. Most of us can't be run ning to see that these people take care of our business to the best of their ability and look at what we gel. School children could do a belter job ol keeping books than our higher education spenders do. I believe anyone could do a better job at Salem than the people we elect to do tlie job lor us, including Mr. Hatfield I hope people think of this each lime we vole on lax Ixxisls and when we elect new people in Salem. Mrs B. J. Squires. 2804 Soulh Sixth SI. BARBS There's something nostal;.c about an elderly person watcn ing kids w aoc home from school loaded down with books. In today's country traffic the question is not "Why did the chicken cross the road." Kit how? and he asked me to convey his best regards to his friends." Some weeks later Moscow announced that "the poet Lev Kvitko" was executed in Au gust, 1952. He was one of 600 Jewish writers murdered by Stalin. Kvitko had been dead more than three years on the day Po levoi brought his "best re gards" to friends in America. The Kremlin's "cultural" emissary told this writer re cently in New York that he was "misunderstood." But, unhap pily for Polevoi, he told a sim ilar story about the dead Kvit ko to the American novelist Howard Fast who subsequently printed it in his biography "The Naked God." Fast has since quarreled with the Commu nists. But in 1955 he was a Sta lin Prize winner. Polevoi's friend and a shining literary light in the Red world. Equally unsavory among Moscow's recent cultural emis saries is Aron Vergelis, editor of the only Yiddish - language publication in Russia. Even before Vergelis landed on United Slates soil the Syn agogue Council of America warned Americans not to fa 1 1 into the trap "of one, of the architects of the destruction of Judaism" in Russia. Vergelis was also charged with having been a "participant" in the purge of Jewish writers under Stalin's rule. Some of Russia's cultural delegates, like the young poet Robert Rozhdestvenski, are un doubtedly honest and able practitioners of their arl. But they are generally a minority among the emissaries and are never permitted to travel unes corted or mingle freely with Americans. Of what value, then, are cul tural exchange programs if Moscow continues to send lo the U.S. diehard Communists disguised as cultural emis saries? 1( culture means the refine ment of manners, morals and civilization, even Foggy Bot tom's optimists would find it difficult lo think of two candi dates less likely to fit the defi nition than Boris Polevoi and Aron Vergelis. WASHINGTON REPORT Labor Rackets File Tells About Gibbons By FULTON LEWIS JR. WASHINGTON The files of the old Senate Labor Rackets Committee contain the slory of Harold Gibbons, the silver haired egghead now boomed as the man to lead a "moral cru sade" against Jimmy Hoffa. Gibbons, considered to be the number two man in the Inter national Brotherhood of Team sters, has submitted his resig nation, effective Jan. 1, and has persuaded several Hoffa aides lo join in the walkout. The New York Times has quoted "in formed sources" lo the effect that Gibbons may be the man who can fight, and whip. Hoffa. What does this mean to the trucker forced to fork over his monthly dues to the Internation al? Very little. Tlie McClellan Committee learned that Gibbons, for all his intellectual preten sions, had a record as unsavory as that of Hoffa's. According to Captain Thomas Mnran o( the St. Louis police de partment. Gibbons was respon sible (or more trouble lhan any oilier union leader in that strongly organized city. Said Mo ran: "Practically every union Gibbons has been connected with has had one incident after another of violence and disturb ance on the picket lines." A Teamster rank-and - filer, James M. Ford, spoke out against Gibbons at a meeting of Local 638, St. Louis. Ejected from Hie meeting hall, Ford was set upon by thugs. He was sent to the hospital with his front teeth knocked out, a frac tured cheek bone, a punctured lung and his nose and several ribs broken. Gibbons was schooled in picket-line violence in the old Con gress of Industrial Organiza tions. He rose quickly within those ranks and bought his way into the Teamsters in 1949 us ing seventy-eight thousand dol lars in union funds according lo McClellan committee testimo ny. It was then that Gibbons head of the United Distribution Workers left the CIO taking his 3.000 SI. Louis niemliers with him. He went lo Dave Beck asking to join the Teamsters. Gibbons got together with a local Teamster leader Lawr ence J. Camie who controlled the 2,500 members of Local 688. In a straight business transac tion Camie sold his local to Gibbons. Camie's membership had no say in the matter. The two unions "merge d" with Gibbons as president. Ca mie was paid $36,360 out of lo cal funds as "severance funds." Another $42,000 was given to Ca mie aides who "resigned." Gibbons' power in Midwest Teamster circles mushroomed after his $78,000 coup. Early in 1958 he rigged an election to win Hie presidency of the St. Louis Joint Teamsters Council. McClellan Committee investi gators dug up Hie fact that Gibbons guaranteed election by importing six carnival foremen from Tampa Fla. and naming them trustees of a St. Louis Lo cal. On Jan. 15 two days after leaving Florida the six "trus tees" cast their ballots for Gib bons giving him victory. They returned to Florida the next day each richer by $150 from the Teamster treasury. Not only had the six been im ported for (he express purpose of voting Gibbons in but not one o( Hie group had paid dues steadily (or the two years that the Teamslcr constitution re quires (or a man to vote. By the end of 1958 Gibbons held myriad positions in the Teamster hierarchy: executive assistant to Hoffa; international vice president: secretary-treasurer of the 12-state Central Con ference of Teamsters: director of the national warehouse divi sion of the Teamsters: presi dent o( the Missouri-Kansas Con (erencc of the Teamsters; presi dent of the St. Louis Joint Teamsters Council and last but not least president of Ware house Local 688. Gibbons still runs the Missouri-Kansas conference of the Teamsters. He remains a vice president despite his resignation as Hoffa's executive assistant. A member of the 15-man execu tive board Gibbons is in a good spot from which to strike out against Hoffa. BERRY'S WORLD its i . And anyone slowing up this tommlttee is coin, to get a gayel on the head ..." 4
