The Charlotte News
Friday, May 11, 1951
FOUR EDITORIALS
Site Ed. Note: The front page reports, via Russell Brines, that Communist forces had gathered in the central Korean no-man's land and north of Seoul, apparently preparing for a new two-pronged offensive against the former South Korean capital. North Koreans assembled twenty miles north of Seoul between Uijongbu and Munsan while Chinese troops moved south of the 38th parallel on the central front to join 1,500 Chinese troops already present near Kapyong, an area which had been a no-man's land for more than a week. Allied and enemy patrols probed each other's lines while allied planes hit the enemy buildup.
On the eastern front, South Korean troops made a bayonet charge, driving the enemy from dug-in positions near Inje.
Both houses of Congress passed the bill introduced the previous day to extend V.A. benefits to veterans of the Korean war after such a veteran had been denied treatment for throat cancer at a V.A. hospital in Arizona based on the notion that Korea had not been declared a war. The President was expected shortly to sign the bill.
Secretary of Defense Marshall was called back for a fifth straight day of questioning before the joint Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, inquiring into the firing of General MacArthur and Far Eastern defense policy. Senator Bourke Hickenlooper told reporters that he planned to probe more deeply into the potential danger from the policy followed by the Administration with regard to Western Europe, on the premise that it could provoke war with Russia more readily than the policy advocated for the Far East by General MacArthur.
The previous day, Secretary Marshall had said that the country was firmly opposed to recognition of Communist China and of turning over Formosa to the Communists. At the close of the session, the Secretary had read a letter from Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Lovett to Secretary of State Acheson on March 31, stating that the question of Formosa and Chinese Communist membership in the U.N. would be fit topics for consideration in determining the basic terms of settlement for Korea.
Governor Thomas Dewey, speaking at the annual New York State Republican Committee dinner, urged imposition of a trade embargo by all free nations against Communist China. He said that he did not mean an embargo of only steel, rubber or military equipment but one on any goods of any kind. He also wanted Communist China barred forever from U.N. membership and said that the Truman Administration policy on the Far East was "weak-kneed and wobbling". He supported General MacArthur's plan for greater support of the Chinese Nationalists but did not endorse the General's desire to bomb Chinese bases and imposition of a naval blockade on its ports.
The RNC backed away from endorsement of the MacArthur policy on Korea and the Far East as they chose Chicago, a stronghold for Senator Taft, as the site for the July 21, 1952 nominating convention. The Republican leadership on the committee said that they thought it would be better to wait until the heat was off before making a decision on whether to endorse the MacArthur policy—maybe in 1959.
White House aide Donald Dawson showed flashes of anger in his testimony the previous day to the Senate Banking subcommittee regarding his alleged greasing of wheels for some to obtain RFC loans. Questioning dealt with loans and issues covered with prior witnesses and Mr. Dawson's receipt from a Florida hotel, recipient of a since repaid 1.5 million dollar RFC loan, of free accommodations for him and his family. Mr. Dawson said that he had done nothing improper but would not do it again.
James Moran, close associate of former New York City Mayor William O'Dwyer, now Ambassador to Mexico, was sentenced to five years in prison for perjury before the Kefauver committee.
In Pamplona, Spain, 20,000 workers warned the Government that the three-day old general strike would continue against the high cost of living until their demands were met. They demanded increased food rations and serious efforts to lower prices, pay for all workers during the strike and no reprisals, and immediate release of 300 workers arrested because of the strike and fighting with police. It was the first time since strikes had begun in Barcelona on March 10 that striking workers had presented specific demands for resolution of the dispute.
In Panama City, Panama's police army and public opinion produced a new President following four days of riots in which at least twelve persons had been killed and hundreds wounded. Deposed President Arnulfo Arias was taken to jail and was replaced by Alcibades Arosemena. Strongman Police Chief Col. Jose Antonio Ramon, however, remained in power. He had been responsible for the rise to power of President Arias in 1949 and also removed him the previous day after the public supported the National Assembly's impeachment.
Such is the way the average Trumpie wants America to be run, except, of course, when their boy is in the White House.
The Office of Price Stabilization issued an order for barber shops, beauty salons, laundries, parking lots and other such small and personal service businesses to post ceiling prices. Little or no change was ordered in the price ceilings themselves.
In Westerly, R.I., three 21-year old women were charged with forcing a man at knifepoint to submit to their amorous advances in the back of his car. The young man from Providence, also 21, said that the young women had hitchhiked with him from Providence as he departed for Narrangansett Bay to go fishing. When he stopped the car in Narrangansett to let the women out, one drew a knife and another took over the wheel, driving the car to a lonely road in Charlestown, each then taking turns with him as another held the knife in his back. They then robbed him of $10 and drove him into Pawcatuck, Connecticut, stopping at a drug store where they ordered him to buy them some peroxide for their hair, whereupon the man was able to obtain a telephone and call police—no doubt before they also forced him to apply the bleach. Two, said the police, were "very attractive". The third one probably was the reason for the knife. They pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct and lewd and lascivious conduct. They all apparently lived in Fall River, Mass.—home of Lizzie Borden.
Look on the bright side, young man. They only charged $3.33 apiece for your services and $3.34 for the ugly one, plus the cost of the peroxide. And it supplies a reverse story on the old saw about the traveling salesman from Nantucket.
On the editorial page, "On Casting Stones" tells of the President during the week having dismayed of the tendency of the country to relax every time there was a lull in hostilities, by implication placing the blame for the attitude on the American people. The piece agrees to an extent but also finds the Administration partially responsible for the roller-coaster mass psychology as the President had repeatedly eschewed the Pentagon's worst predictions and instead embraced a message of optimism and imminent peace. The reductions in draft calls and slowed production, along with gaiety in Washington and the unwillingness of the Administration to deny itself luxuries of peacetime had contributed to this relaxation of the public mood.
It finds that dynamic leadership was also missing, with no adequate explanation provided of the purpose of the Korean war, resulting in the people not being able to comprehend the Korean war in its proper historical and global context. It concludes that were the Administration setting the example by more resolute, determined leadership, with "steely self-denial", the people would more likely follow suit.
That Truman guy, he oughtta be ridin' 'round in a Studebaker, shouldn't he? ra'er 'an 'at Cadillac or whatever it i'. MacArthur McCarthy, he deserve one.
"A Note of Hope—For a Change" comments on General Ridgway's hopeful message in praise of the fighting forces and stating that the action might well one day be recorded as the instance when the forces of freedom stopped the forces of tyranny and enslavement, communicated to ground commander Lt. General James Van Fleet. It finds the combatants setting a good example for the non-combatants on the home front debating the war. It thinks the leadership of the nation could stand to emulate the example being set by the fighting men in Korea.
"Attention, Senator Russell" tells of the New York City Federation of Women's Clubs meeting in New York recently and first drafting a resolution to condemn the firing of General MacArthur but then changing it to protest of the manner of his removal. But then the violent debate on the resolution was suddenly cut short by the arrival of Jimmy Durante, who played the piano as the women stamped their feet "in rhythm instead of rage".
The piece suggests that someone book
Mr. Durante
"Tempest in a Wastebasket" tells of a Florida State Representative sponsoring legislation to investigate the Tampa Tribune for "violent attacks upon public officials", undermining confidence in officials. He had even called it the same tactics used by Communist subversives. The Tribune had written against the purchase of luxurious wastebaskets for the State Supreme Court.
The piece finds such tactics also used by members of both major political parties and that if given the choice, most people would keep their newspaper in deference to a State legislator. "Imagine having a public official deposited on your doorstep each day!"
A piece from the Winston-Salem Journal, titled "Charlotte's Rank as Air Center", tells of the Baltimore Evening Sun complaining that Baltimore, sixth in population nationally with 940,000 people, had been passed over as an air hub in favor of Charlotte, with only 133,000 people and ranked 25th in population. The piece states that other factors beyond population determined the position, such as strategic location within an important region and local interest in promoting airport facilities.
Winston-Salem, as had Charlotte, it says, had an active civic group promoting the Twin City as such a potential air hub.
It eventually came up short with a relatively small airport, with Greensboro taking the prize.
A piece from the Durham Morning Herald examines the attitudes of Senators Clyde Hoey and Willis Smith regarding Far Eastern policy as a guide to voters in the future. Senator Hoey believed that the President was in accord with the Constitution in standing for civilian control of the military when he fired General MacArthur. While Senator Smith stood four-square for civilian control of the military, he stopped short with General MacArthur, saying that he had received 500 letters saying the General should have been given more consideration. The piece finds the Senator inferentially therefore to endorse occasional insubordination.
On Far Eastern policy, Senator Hoey believed a big war would be the result of General MacArthur's policy. Senator Smith said he was against intervention in Korea at the start and found it understandable why the Administration would seek to limit the war, but also believed that now that the country was engaged in it and in peril from intervention by the Chinese and potentially the Russians, it should bomb the Chinese supply bases, as advocated by General MacArthur. The piece concludes that Senator Smith's "smorgasbord offers something for everybody".
A piece from the Manchester (England) Guardian provides an excerpt from its "Country Diary" anent the damson blossom in Westmorland, a popular attraction in the area. The piece offers a bit of local vernacular on the subject while commenting that a few days earlier it had been possible, given the unusually rough winter, to ski for several miles along the summits of England's peaks and that snow might still reside on north-facing slopes until as late as June.
The Reverend Vivian T. Pomeroy of Milton, Mass., tells of feeling sorry for a person he saw on television, as, according to the poet, "Fame is half disfame," especially in the political world, similar to the pillory of earlier times but on a grander scale. He quotes from Carl Sandburg's multi-volume set on Abraham Lincoln, that Mr. Lincoln had said, when asked how it felt to be President, that it was like being ridden out of town on a rail, and if it wasn't for the honor of it, he would as soon walk. Rev. Pomeroy thus concludes that people should be grateful that they are not famous.
Drew Pearson recommends to the new tax enforcer, J.B. Dunlap, taking a look at the returns of Erminio John Capone, brother of deceased gangster Al. His $20,000 and more reported annually had come, he declared, from "miscellaneous sources". He had told the Kefauver committee that he prepared his own returns and kept a running account of his winnings from day to day, computing the total balance in his head.
Democratic Congressman Ed Gossett of Texas had led the fight to limit the number of public housing units for the coming fiscal year to 5,000, when the President had recommended approval for 75,000. The reduction had virtually wiped out the public housing program, that for which real estate lobbyists had been advocating.
Joseph Alsop, in Paris, informs that despite the optimistic talk about NATO, it would take another year to eighteen months before General Eisenhower would have aircraft and tanks in sufficient numbers to do the job of defending Western Europe against potential Communist aggression, and would take two to three years before the region was really secure.
The German question first had to be resolved. The Rhine as a defense line was considered a poor stopgap, but to draw a line nearer the Elbe meant German participation in the defense. The French objectionists to German rearmament would have to decide between inadequate defense and having Germany as an equal partner.
Second was the problem of air-ground balance. General Eisenhower's subordinates believed that the the smaller the ground force was, the larger the supporting air force should be, a different concept from the one-to-one ratio favored by the Pentagon. Under the Eisenhower view, the relatively small Western European ground force would need to be supplemented by overwhelming air power.
Third was the issue of manpower. France and several other NATO nations followed the pre-World War I formula of training, which would mean training for 18 months to two or three years. France would also need to let some of the professional troops in Indo-China come home to train the younger troops, while also replacing the troops in Indo-China.
Fourth was the issue of facilities. Even the headquarters from which General Juin and Norstad were to command the main European ground and air forces were not yet ready. Air bases were needed from Turkey to Cyprus and Tripoli, around to France.
There were other problems, such the Mediterranean issue which he had already explored.
He concludes that General Eisenhower did not yet have the tools necessary to do the job and even when he got them, the job would take a long time to complete.
Robert C. Ruark tells of General MacArthur having advocated winning the Korean war the traditional way, "no holds barred, all-out, hit-em-with-the bar-stool." Mr. Ruark personally believes the approach to be correct.
But the President, Secretary Marshall and General Bradley all believed that it was wrong, advocating instead a limited war of attrition, or what Mr. Ruark calls a "part-time, wages-and-hours sort of war".
Both sides seemed equally positive of their position. Both claimed their position would prevent world war three. The MacArthur side claimed that the Administration view would make the country a pushover for Russia while the Administration side contended that a larger effort would bleed the country dry, making it a sitting duck for Communist aggression.
All he knew was what he read in the newspapers and based on that, he would stick his hatpin through his race card and hope for the best.
A pome appears from the Atlanta Journal, "In Which Comment Is Made Concerning Guys Who Hang Around The Candler Building On Windy Days:
"The more the breeze
The more one sees."
Drink a Coke
to cool
The cockles, else the doc 'll
Be forced to more fees
For the fool faked free
Of his jockal, as in Pawcatuck.
Framed Edition
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