The Charlotte News

Friday, September 2, 1949

FOUR EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: The front page reports that Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin was insisting on calling "slot machine king" Frank Costello to testify before the Senate Investigating subcommittee examining influence peddling in procurement of Government contracts. The Senator had linked Mr. Costello to Phil Kastel and William Helis as partners in a liquor firm and had asked General Harry Vaughan whether he had received any campaign contributions from them. The General said that he knew nothing of any such contribution from a liquor firm but had received between $2,000 and $3,000 from Mr. Helis in 1946, presumably collected from Greek Americans friendly to the Democrats.

The hearings were in recess for about a month. Before the recess, Jess Larson, new head of the General Services Administration, assured that the middle man in Government contracting was on the way out. Unethical firms would be blacklisted and Federal employees warned about accepting favors.

In York, Maine, Supreme Court Justice Wiley Rutledge, 55, was reported near death after lapsing into a coma at a local hospital. Justice Rutledge would die on September 10, the second death on the Court in two months, Justice Frank Murphy having died July 19 and been replaced by Attorney General Tom Clark. Former Senator and Federal Appeals Court Judge Sherman Minton would be appointed to replace Justice Rutledge.

Preliminary fact-finding officials of the U.S., Britain, and Canada were expected to issue this date a six-point plan for resolving the British financial crisis, in advance of the arrival the following week of Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin and Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Stafford Cripps to engage in talks with U.S. Cabinet officials. The recommended points included reduction of further British purchases from the U.S. and increasing purchases in non-dollar areas, streamlining American customs rules to encourage more British exporters to send goods to the U.S., easing provisions of the 1946 U.S. loan to Britain to permit slowing of British purchases of American goods, boosting American purchases of British tin and rubber, increasing American economic help to Southeast Asian members of the British commonwealth to ease their demands on Britain's dollar supply, and calling a new tariff-cutting conference during 1950 to reduce duties on British exports to the U.S. The steps were considered stopgap measures to ease the drain of dollars from dwindling British reserves.

Overall, it was believed that the British had to increase production through reduction of production costs, enabling competition on the world market. No mention had been made thus far regarding devaluation of the British pound, favored by American officials.

More than 45,000 East Germans took advantage of the Soviet relaxation of border restrictions on Peace Day, the tenth anniversary of the end of the war, and went to West Germany to buy food, clothing, and liquor. Most had returned to the Eastern sector by nightfall.

In Canton, China, Acting Nationalist President Li Tsung-Jen, in an address marking the four-year anniversary of end of the war, appealed for joint efforts from all peace-loving peoples of the world against the Communists, who had pushed into Kwangtung Province in which Canton, the provisional capital, was located.

In Tokyo, landslides and floods in the wake of the typhoon which had hit the area increased the death toll to 95, with an estimated 417 injured and 49 missing. More than 50,000 were homeless in the Tokyo-Yokohama area.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Lucas predicted that the nation's employment would climb to 60 million during the fall following a recent adjustment in business leading to a decline in employment, resulting in four million unemployed.

In Alexandria, Va., a Federal District Court ruled that racial segregation did not violate the Constitution or any acts of Congress, dismissing five counts of a civil suit brought by a black woman who was refused service at the Washington National Airport dining room and coffee shop on February 17, 1947. Judge Albert V. Bryan left standing one count which alleged that the operators of the restaurant had not provided the plaintiff equal facilities to those of white patrons. After the incident in question, the Civil Aeronautics Administration issued a regulation the previous December ending segregation at the airport.

In Washington, a Navy court-martial deliberated the fate of a sailor who claimed that he had not deserted his ship in Italy in July, 1947 but was shanghaied into the French Foreign Legion where he spent sixteen grueling months, including service in the war against the Vietnamese in French Indo-China. He claimed to have escaped from Indo-China in October, 1948. Another soldier who had been abducted into the Legion supported his story of being whipped with a leather belt in North Africa by his captors and said that he had seen men have their eyes popped out for not signing a paper to join the Legion. The man, who claimed that he was kidnaped after drinking too much, had been an Army combat veteran of the war and then enlisted in the Navy after the war.

Near Asheboro, N.C., law enforcement officers raided a liquor still and found large quantities of mash, a tubful of whiskey, three men and a drunk pike swimming around in the nearby spiked creek, jumping a yard high out of the water. The officers fired five shots and missed, finally hit the pike in the head with a stick and caught it in a bucket. That fish ought sue for excessive use of force.

In Charlotte, leaders of the Davidson College development program extended the drive beyond late October, its original termination date, with its goal of 2.5 million dollars still in need of $700,000. They said that the campaign might have to extend into 1950.

In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, German composer Richard Strauss had suffered a relapse of his heart illness and his life was said to be in danger. Mr. Strauss would die September 8.

Art Everett of the Associated Press tells of the remains of a primitive group of hunters, connected to the nomadic Yuma, disappeared centuries earlier, who had roamed the American West probably five to twelve thousand years before the birth of Christ, having been discovered near Cody, Wyoming, at Sage Creek. The disclosure was made by Dr. Loren Eiseley of the University of Pennsylvania.

Tools, weapons, and food remains were discovered preserved beneath ten inches of desert sand. The extensive nature of the deposit, Dr. Eiseley said, could enable anthropologists to fix more precisely the dates during which the Yuma roamed the prairies in search of bison. Bison bones had been discovered at the site but no human remains. It was believed that the Yuma roamed the same general area as the Folsom Man, who was believed to have lived about 15,000 years earlier, but in distinct cultures.

On the editorial page, "U.S. Stake in Foreign Aid" urges readers to read the article on the page from Joseph C. Harsch regarding the British economic crisis and its potential repercussions to the U.S. economy through curtailing of export markets. Mr. Harsch stressed that subsidizing foreign economies had been a way to keep the U.S. economy thriving through exports of surpluses which otherwise would rot in warehouses. While re-examining foreign aid, it urges, the country had to be mindful of these adverse consequences by reducing it.

"Vaughan Keeps His Job" finds that General Vaughan had brought considerable embarrassment to the President and had disgraced his uniform, but nevertheless, the President was retaining him as his military aide. Such was consistent with the President's loyalty to friends, both admirable and damaging.

There was speculation that the President would wait awhile and then relieve General Vaughan of his current duties. As long as the General continued to perform duties only as a military aide to the President, it was of no particular concern to the country what kind of person he was and, given the controversy, it was likely that in the future, the General would so confine himself.

"An Overdue Improvement" tells of simplification of the application process for obtaining a job through the State Employment Security Commission.

"World Without Drums" finds a statement once made by George Bernard Shaw that he would give anything to play the drum to be a confession of willingness to throw away gifted talent. It had heard the drums of thunderous tympani, of the "frenetic skin-assassination" of Gene Krupa, as well the "rattle rappings of Boy Scouts".

It would be content not to hear drums at all, finds it would then be a peaceful word.

Maybe you need to get your hammer, anvil and tympanum examined and adjusted.

Like, you are so square, daddy. Drums are where the action is, the sticks deliver the licks, the bouncing suspense mounts, the climax delivered in tribal tracks of musical syntax, and the payoff made under the shade of the percussive fray.

A piece from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, titled "For Research 'Chest'", favors setting up a Community Chest-type drive nationwide for medical research charities and then having the proceeds distributed on research and treatment according to need. The scare tactics surrounding polio had caused its charity to take the lion's share of proceeds when many types of polio were not crippling.

Robert S. Allen, substituting for vacationing Drew Pearson, tells of the State Department being worried regarding relations with Brazil after it had turned down a loan of 200 million dollars from the Export-Import Bank, charging that they were being strong-armed to accept it. Brazil owed several hundred million dollars to U.S. businesses and banks for purchases of supplies and equipment during the previous year. Payment had been slow because, according to Brazil, they had a dollar shortage resulting from decreased exports to the U.S. They claimed that if they received a 40 million dollar loan to develop their mining resources they could quickly expand their economy and repay the debt. But the Export-Import Bank refused to consider it unless Brazil accepted the 200 million dollar loan. That had led to bitter feeling in Brazil, charging "Yankee imperialism". It was alleged that New York banks had pushed the Export-Import Bank to make the larger loan so that Brazil could pay off its commercial debts.

Defense Secretary Louis Johnson and former Secretary of War Harry Woodring had made amends over their feud, which originated when Mr. Johnson was Mr. Woodring's assistant before the war and the two had argued regarding rearmament and intervention in the war, Mr. Johnson favoring both while Mr. Woodring opposed both. But when Mr. Johnson had been appointed to the post in March, Mr. Woodring complimented him and they had greeted one another warmly at the recent American Legion convention.

Former DNC chairman Gael Sullivan, presently head of the Theater Owners of America, was organizing a national film festival for October to encourage producers to release their best films that month.

Senator Lister Hill of Alabama was receiving praise for having gotten the President's public power program passed. Alabama Power & Light Co. had been one of the principal opponents.

Joseph C. Harsch, writing in the Christian Science Monitor, as mentioned by the above editorial, discusses the British economic crisis regarding its gold-dollar reserve shortage in terms of the hurt to America which would eventually come from Britain's inability to buy American exports, especially grains, tobacco, and cotton, which, otherwise, would be piling up as surplus in warehouses.

The U.S. had provided in loans, gifts, and subsidies to Europe between one and five billion dollars per year for about 35 years, since the beginning of World War I in 1914. But it was through that money that Britain and the other countries had been able to afford U.S. exports. If it were cut off, then that export trade would dry up and America's economy would be impacted adversely. Either the resultant surpluses could be destroyed or U.S. tariffs lowered so that imports could be bought more cheaply to provide dollars abroad to purchase American exports.

So, to remedy Britain's situation, it would have to restrict its imports of American goods, already being done, meaning also that its standard of living would be lowered. But in the process, America's economy would also be harmed.

Robert C. Ruark discusses General Harry Vaughan, to whom he deliberately refers as "Mr." because he believes that he had not lived up to the uniform he wore and had cheapened the title of "General" for all military men who had to work to achieve it rather than acquiring it by virtue of being a friend to the President.

While he had likely not done anything illegal in his involvement in influence peddling by doing favors for old friends, his behavior would be considered outrageous were he a regular member of the armed forces. He was a "bad joke" to honest military men.

He suggests creation of a job for him such as "high chamberlain of the pool parlor".

He says that it was probably correct, as the President had urged, not to judge him on the evidence thus far presented in the Senate investigation of influence peddling, and he refrains from judging him as a man. But as a general, he finds him severely wanting. He concludes that if he was fit to wear the uniform of a general, then Milton Berle should become Secretary of State and Mr. Ruark was Marie of Romania.

The "Better English" answers was to be maybe not yet but soon: "She is bad cold."; ir-revoke-able; reproof; an ambuscade by the facile princeps.

A letter is reprinted from the Louisville Courier-Journal from one Frank Sullivan of Sarasota Springs, N.Y., coming to the defense of zinnias, being attacked by the New York Herald Tribune. He tells of a zinnia in his garden which had eaten other flowers, including a dahlia, and other zinnias. Birds had also disappeared, as did the cats, leaving behind a tell-tale sign of a cat's tail in the vicinity of the cannibalistic zinnia.

One afternoon as he passed the zinnia, it reached out and grabbed him by the coat sleeve, forcing him to jump to safety. With that, he used a weed killer against the assaultive plant. It did no good.

Finally, he contacted a friend with a stout orchid and they held a contest in the barn between the two plants. The orchid won, but had been suffering from acute indigestion since the bout. He had bet a thousand dollars on the match and lost, but at least there was now peace in his garden.

A letter writer praises the editorial regarding the controversy between Governor Kerr Scott and N.C. Speaker of the House K. C. Ramsey, encloses a poem he had written regarding the matter.

A letter writer expresses appreciation for the piece by Jack Gould of the New York Times regarding giveaway programs, believes he was correct in noting that no consideration was in fact provided by the listener of the show in tuning in to participate potentially in a contest, thereby increasing the advertising revenue of the program, thus not subject to the Federal law banning lotteries which gave away prizes for consideration by the participants. The Supreme Court, in 1954, would agree.

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