The Charlotte News
Saturday, August 23, 1958
ONE EDITORIAL
Site Ed. Note: The front page reports from Taipei, Formosa, that Communist Chinese guns had poured more than 50,000 shells onto the islands of Quemoy and Little Quemoy in a two-hour bombardment this date. Defense Ministry spokesman Liu Hoh-Tu told reporters that it was five times heavier than the previous largest bombardment of the Quemoys, on June 4, 1957, when 9,395 rounds had been fired at Quemoy. He gave no estimates of damage or casualties to the Nationalist Chinese defenders, indicating that the shelling, which had been returned by the Nationalists, had come from Amoy and the mainland and had stopped abruptly at 8:30 p.m. Reports of heavy bombardment had raised concern that it might be a prelude to invasion of Formosa, more than 100 miles across Formosa Strait from the bulwark islands. It had been noted, however, that there were no reports that Communist Chinese planes, presently based within easy range, had taken part in the bombardment. Official sources said that the Communist guns from the nearby island fortress of Amoy and from the mainland had begun firing at 6:30 p.m. and that the Nationalist artillery had replied vigorously. Details of the bombardment were still incomplete. Earlier, the Defense Ministry had confirmed the opening of the barrage and said that it had ended after two hours. Maybe this was the reason for the noontime blast to the sanctum of our inner ear, striking our tympanum with a searing fury the likes of which we had never previously experienced. We shall have to investigate further this invasion, perhaps report it to the FBI to determine what Commie prompted it. They say it's atop the pharmacy a block away and that it regards the missile guidance systems which they build not too far from our new residence. We think we might wish to move soon. Having lived for over five and a half years 40 miles away from Fort Bragg was one thing... This new post to which we have been assigned as sentinel is going to require greater vigilance night and day.
The U.S., Britain and France prodded Russia this date to resume diplomatic talks in Moscow regarding a possible summit meeting. The State Department said that U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Llewellyn Thompson handed a new note to the Soviet Foreign Ministry in Moscow the previous day, indicating that identical notes had been delivered by the British and French embassies in Moscow. The messages called for a Soviet reply on Western Big Three requests of nearly two months earlier to get the pre-summit diplomatic talks started again. Technically, the Big Three messages replied to a Soviet note of July 15, proposing an East-West treaty of friendship. But the text of the U.S. reply, made public by the State Department, had brushed aside that latter Soviet note with "no comment". The U.S. said that the question of a friendship treaty was just the kind of thing which could be explored at a meeting of the heads of state. The U.S. said that the West was anxious to swap views with Russia on a friendship treaty, but believed that it was a topic to be included in a discussion at a summit meeting. The note said: "The preparatory discussions in Moscow are at a standstill. The United States Government believes that the first thing to be done, before the proposals of either party are discussed, is to resolve this question." The ambassadors of the U.S., Britain and France had met separately with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko three or four times in Moscow to discuss procedures, including a possible agenda, which could lead to a summit conference. Mr. Gromyko had suddenly broken off those talks on June 16 by accusing the West of stalling and publishing the pertinent correspondence up to that point. The Big Three had sent a note to Mr. Gromyko on July 1, suggesting that the diplomatic talks resume, but no Soviet reply had thus far been received. U.S. officials said that no pressure for a Soviet reply had been exerted until this date because it appeared possible that a summit conference might take place within the U.N. Security Council during the recent Middle East crisis, but Russia had finally balked at that idea. Two things had happened since then to encourage Western officials to believe that the time might be ripe for resumption of the pre-summit discussions, Russia's agreement to the Arab-proposed formula at the U.N. to settle the Middle East crisis, and acceptance by Soviet scientists at Geneva during the current week of a proposed worldwide system of monitoring stations to prevent any surreptitious nuclear weapons tests.
In Bonn, West Germany, Iceland's ambassador to West Germany said this date that his country was ready to discuss the possibility of allowing quota fishing inside the new 12-mile limit, to avoid withdrawal from NATO, as Iceland had previously threatened over the controversy.
In Beirut, Lebanon, a military spokesman said this date that a rebel sniper had shot an American soldier, wounding him in the shoulder but that his condition was not regarded as serious.
Also in Beirut, it was reported that a helicopter carrying Maj. General Paul Adams, commander of American land forces in the country, had crashed into the sea from an altitude of 800 feet this date, but that the General had escaped with only minor injuries.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, an Army information chief said that Indonesia had bought light weapons from seven countries, both from the East and West, for its 200,000-man army.
In Bergen, Norway, the U.S. atomic-powered submarine Skate had anchored this date on its first visit to any port since it had crossed beneath the polar ice cap. Norway's second largest city appeared unperturbed by a foreign controversy as to whether nuclear-powered vessels were safe in heavily populated areas. Norway's Defense Minister and Naval chief, plus U.S. Ambassador Francis Willis were present to greet the submarine, which would depart the following day for Oslo. Britain had joined Denmark in saying that such vessels should be kept away from large cities because a collision or similar accident might endanger the populations. But U.S. Rear Admiral Hyman Rickover, who had built the only atomic submarines afloat, said that they were designed to avoid all possible accidents, including collisions. The argument had been initiated by Denmark the prior Thursday, refusing to allow the Skate to visit Copenhagen for fear of a collision or similar accident. A Naval source called the Danish claim utter nonsense, a viewpoint also expressed by some Copenhagen newspapers. Two health inspectors from the Norwegian Directorate of Public Health had been standing by to contact Skate's health officer before the submarine got close to land, a planned action prior to Denmark's statement. Denmark had canceled the visit on recommendations of its atomic energy commission, which said that nuclear reactors ought be kept away from large concentrations of people. Officials of the British atomic energy commission, which had the world's most advanced program for peacetime applications of nuclear power, agreed. The British said that the same safety rules applied to nuclear submarines as to nuclear power stations on land, which were located in rural areas. The British Admiralty explained that the U.S.S. Nautilus had visited the small channel port of Portland, England, the previous week, instead of a larger British harbor because of the desire to keep such vessels away from major cities. The Nautilus was presently heading for New York City on what might be a record undersea voyage. When it would arrive on Monday, it was scheduled to sail up the Hudson River to mid-Manhattan and then go back down the river and around Manhattan Island to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, thus passing through most of one of the world's busiest ports and largest concentrations of people.
In Detroit, it was reported that disputes primarily regarding overtime assignments and grievance procedures had fostered a rash of automobile industry strikes which had idled about 5,500 workers this date and threatened production of the new 1959 model cars. Strikes had been called during the week at six plants of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in three states, two of which had been settled the previous day, a UAW walkout over production standards at G.M.'s Fisher Body plant in Mansfield, O., and an hours-long walkout at G.M.'s Packard Electric Division plant at Warren, O. G.M. was the target of another UAW dispute at its Buick engine plant in Flint, Mich., where 1,400 workers had walked out. The union charged that shop committeemen were not allowed enough time to handle grievances.
Elmer, that is to say "Ralph
Because we have fallen behind, no further summary of either the front page or editorial page will be provided for this date, with the summaries to be sporadic until we catch up.
Her
Framed Edition
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