The Charlotte News
Monday, October 25, 1948
THREE EDITORIALS
Site Ed. Note: The front page reports that Andrei Vishinsky, on behalf of the Soviet Union, vetoed the six "neutral" nation resolution to refer the Berlin crisis to a Big Four conference for settlement of the German questions after removal of the Berlin blockade and an agreement, to go into effect thereafter, that the Russian mark would be the sole currency for Berlin. The Western powers had accepted these terms. Mr. Vishinsky said the main Russian objection was that the blockade first would be lifted and then only discussion would occur on the currency issue. He advocated that the August 30 Moscow agreement be implemented, providing for simultaneous lifting of the blockade and establishment of the Russian mark as the currency of Berlin. But in Berlin, during negotiation of details of the August 30 agreement, Soviet military occupation zone commander Vassily Sokolovsky had sought to introduce a provision whereby Russia would be given control of the airlift, causing negotiations to fail.
In Paris, talks began between the five Western European Union nations anent military alliance with the United States and Canada—to become NATO the following spring. They were also debating a proposal for a Western European parliament which would have consultative powers. Britain was said to be in support of this position, advanced by France and Belgium.
A U.N. spokesman said that violence had broken out along the northern frontier between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli forces counter-attacked, claiming that the Arabs had broken the U.N.-ordered truce by attacking. The Arabs had cut the Israeli supply route to the northern settlements by capturing the height of Sheikh Abbab.
In France, the police had occupied half the key northern coal minefields, struck for three weeks, making about 15 arrests in the process. The French Interior Minister said that they were there to prevent destruction of national wealth, not to interfere with the strike.
The President was en route to Chicago for a speech this night. The previous night, he declared his support for the original November 26, 1947 U.N. partition plan for Palestine, subject only to changes approved by Israel. He also had asked for study of approval of Israel's request for a loan.
Herbert Brownell, Governor Dewey's campaign manager, accused the President of playing politics with the Palestine crisis.
Governor Dewey was also headed to Chicago for a speech.
A report by Charles Barrett from Atlanta indicates that Republicans enjoyed greater support among Southern newspapers than in many years, though not capturing the majority of support. Governor Strom Thurmond received support from newspapers in mid-sized and smaller towns.
The News joined the Charlotte Observer, St. Petersburg Evening Independent, Hodding Carter's Greenville (Miss.) Delta Democrat-Times, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot and Ledger Dispatch, the Chattanooga Times and News-Free Press, the Roanoke Times and World News, and the Dothan (Ala.) Eagle, in endorsing Governor Dewey.
The Louisville Courier-Journal was one of the President's chief Southern supporters, finding that his shortcomings had been unduly magnified while ignoring his achievements.
In Eau Claire, Wisc., a manhunt was on for the slayer of a young couple shot to death after the young woman had been raped. The two, ages 18 and 17, had been out on an afternoon hike the previous day.
In Raleigh, the N.A.A.C.P. chapter of North Carolina planned a march on the State Capitol to ask the Legislature to pass a state version of the Fair Employment Practices legislation, abolish discriminatory laws and include blacks in policy-making bodies of the State.
Tom Fesperman of The News tells of the visit to Charlotte for Navy Day by Captain Robert Quackenbush, chief of photography for the Navy, who had coordinated the photographic work in the 1946-47 Byrd expedition to the Antarctic. He would give several talks while in the city and re-acquaint with an old Navy friend who had kicked mud in his eyes.
In a straw poll taken by The News, Governor Dewey led the President 13 to 8, with Governor Thurmond coming in third at six votes. Samples of the respondents' reasons for so voting are provided. Examples: 1) Courthouse clerk: "I'm a full-fledged Democrat and that does not mean States' Righter. Need I say more?" 2) Courthouse clerk: "It's a mess. Truman's not worth a cuss. Dewey's no better. I just think I won't vote." 3) Police clerk: "If they'd take all the candidates and stuff them in a bag and pitch them in the ocean, I'd consider voting." 4) Clerk: "I've never voted Republican before. I voted for Al Smith in '28. But this time I'm going to vote for Dewey."
The election is over. Twenty-seven people in Charlotte, chosen strategically and scientifically to be representative of a cross-section of the entire nation, have spoken.
On the editorial page, "Senator to Constable Ticket" endorses for the Senate race in North Carolina former Governor J. Melville Broughton, for the gubernatorial race, Kerr Scott, and for the local Congressional race, incumbent Hamilton Jones, all Democrats. It says that until the Republicans could form a viable party in the state, there was no real choice for able leadership other than in the Democratic Party, even though there would be a Republican administration and Congress in all likelihood. It finds those latter prospects all the more reason for sticking with the Democrats in the South, despite the fact that the newspaper had already endorsed the Dewey-Warren ticket.
"The Legion and Pensions" tells of the American Legion convention just ended in Miami having been reportedly the best behaved in Legion history. The Legion endorsed universal military training and a strong defense, then voted to favor another pension plan which would add billions to the defense budget.
The piece believes the notion that everyone who had worn a uniform should receive a pension to be dangerous. It advocates that the Legion instead direct its attention to getting benefits for the veterans who really deserved help.
"G. O. Doggett, Good Citizen" tells of the death at 82 of Mr. Doggett, a native of Greenville, S.C., who had been a resident of Charlotte for 51 years, directing Doggett Lumber Co. and participating in many civic activities contributory to the advance of the community, including a stint on the City Council for two years in the latter Twenties.
A piece from the Winston-Salem Journal, titled "The Farm Revolution Is at Hand", praises the "Miracle Day" in Charlotte, during which a 120-acre farm owned by two veterans, which had suffered from soil depletion for decades, was replenished by the efforts of over a hundred volunteers and 300 pieces of donated farm equipment before 60,000 spectators gathered to view the soil conservation techniques in action. Many of the farmers present believed the transformation to have been nothing short of miraculous.
It ventures that the average farmer suffered from a lack of such miraculous equipment as that at the disposal of the workers on the Kelly farm, but that such exiguity could be remedied through sharing of equipment.
Drew Pearson discusses the campaign for the Senate from New Mexico of former Ambassador to China Patrick Hurley, also former Secretary of War in the Hoover Administration. His opponent was popular former Secretary of Agriculture and former Congressman Clinton Anderson, leading in the polls.
Mr. Pearson explains Mr. Hurley's extensive past political baggage, including his receipt of the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action on November 11, 1918, the last day of World War I. Mr. Hurley was a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps and was supposed to stay behind the lines, but had moved up to the front during the last hour before the Armistice to be a sightseer. Two years later, he enjoyed enough political pull to use that morning excursion as an excuse to get the Silver Star, then made a part of his resume.
Mr. Anderson would be elected.
Marquis Childs tells of the
indication that HUAC was next going to direct its attention to the
threat of "'subversive'" activities within the
universities, starting first with Columbia. As General Eisenhower was
its new president, anything coming from that investigation would be
sure to generate publicity. Mr. Childs recommends that the members of
HUAC peruse the General's installation address in which he had
supported the unfettered right to teach political doctrines
considered evil. Just as a medical student had the duty to study
cancer, the political scientist must study those systems considered
inimical to democracy. The members would find in the General a
courageous champion of academic freedom
He ventures that the Committee might find on the faculty some member tending toward the radical left, but such an individual or two would not be representative of the great body of the faculty.
Fear and suspicion were poisoning the lives of many Americans who never had the slightest thought of disloyalty. Recently, former OPA director Paul Porter had proposed that the President appoint a special commission to consider the dangers of political demagoguery in abolishing freedom under the pretense of protecting security. He believed General Eisenhower ought be named chairman of such a body.
With a new Republican administration in January, posits Mr. Childs, suspicions ought be allayed, but President Dewey nevertheless might face pressure from within his party to clean out suspected Communists from the Government. Such a commission as proposed by Mr. Porter might issue findings to quiet hysteria and act as a bulwark against such pressure.
James Marlow tells of the election being big news in the country while Premier Stalin had said that he viewed Democrats and Republicans alike, differing only in the details. Most people overseas only were interested in how the election would impact foreign policy, and that had long ago been settled on a bipartisan basis.
Those in England or France had little or no interest in such domestic issues as the future of Taft-Hartley and the minimum wage in America, both major themes in the campaign.
A letter writer commends the newspaper for its editorial of October 21 endorsing Governor Dewey for the presidency.
A letter from the Young Democratic Clubs of America declares war on "The Charlotte (Republican) News" for the same stance.
A letter writer, while expressing his understanding of the endorsement by the newspaper of Governor Dewey, states his support for the President because, for his "smallness", he had to consult others, whereas Governor Dewey wanted to ride three horses at once, as a "little Napoleon".
A letter from a "Deweycrat" takes issue with the Drew Pearson column of October 14, in which he had questioned why Governor Dewey did not serve in World War II when he was not in public office in December, 1941 at the time of Pearl Harbor. The writer believes Mr. Dewey's crime-busting career as the Manhattan District Attorney and as a special prosecutor prior to that time constituted adequate service to the nation.
A
letter from the executive
vice-president of the Institute of Scrap Iron & Steel, Inc.,
comments favorably on "A Grim Jest" of October 12,
suggesting that the financial columnist who had posited that the
scrap iron dealers had better pray for war was off the mark, given the inevitable outcome
Pray for rain
Framed Edition
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