Thursday, February 16, 1950

The Charlotte News

Thursday, February 16, 1950

FOUR EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: The front page reports that the President hinted at an especially contentious press conference that he might still have in mind a special peace mission to Moscow at some future time, but nixed the idea of a Big Three conference between the U.S., Britain, and Russia. He said that he would not travel abroad to meet with Premier Stalin or any other head of state, but repeated that he would be willing to meet any leader in Washington at any time. The President had recently told Arthur Krock of the New York Times that had there not been a presidential campaign ongoing in 1948, he would have sent Chief Justice Fred Vinson to Moscow on a special mission to "straighten out" Stalin and other Russian leaders regarding American intentions and their persistent claims of American imperialism in Western Europe. He also said that it was not the time to press for a world federation.

The President was cross with reporters, saying that he did not like their attitude and that they ought cool off after they complained about the exclusive interview with Mr. Krock, in exception to the standard White House policy against such exclusivity. The President responded that he would see whomever he pleased and say what he pleased, would not be censored by anyone. He added, when asked whether he had deliberately omitted "damn" before saying that he would do as he pleased, that he had and they could insert it if they liked.

Radio news commentator Earl Godwin told the President that he believed the exclusive interview reflected on every news bureau chief and White House reporter who was not accorded the same access. The President said that it was nothing of the kind and refused to say whether there would be more such interviews in the future, leading to his comment that he would do as he pleased.

You do not need to read the news in 2017 regarding the querulous tête-à-tête between the "President" and individual members of the press corps this week. It's the same as that right here in 1950, the only difference being that Mr. Truman had been in the office now for nearly five years longer than only four weeks and had been elected by the people, not just by the electoral college, had been humble before and thus, in the minds of the public, was probably entitled to vent a little spleen now and again.

The present guy is just a bad actor, trying to appear as someone he is not, to appeal to the dopes and dopers who voted for him. And if he does not like that assessment, he can insert it where he wants.

The President told reporters that following the primaries, he planned a "non-political" campaign tour in support of Democrats for Congress. He again refused to declare whether he would be a candidate for re-election in 1952. The California Democratic vice-chairman, George Luckey, said that he thought, after sounding out the President on the prospect, that he was receptive to the idea. But the President said that Mr. Luckey had developed that idea on his own.

The House Rules Committee refused by a tie vote to allow the FEPC bill out of the Committee for action on the floor. Four Southern Democrats and two Republicans voted to pigeon-hole the bill for further study, as it had been delayed since the previous summer. Four Democrats and two Republicans also voted to send it to the floor. Proponents hoped to take advantage of the "calendar Wednesday" rule whereby a bill, despite being stuck in committee, could be debated for two hours before a floor vote. Southern Democrats, however, were hoping to be able to filibuster the measure long enough to block a vote on it, in which case it would have to await another four months for another such opportunity pursuant to the "calendar Wednesday" rule.

The Senate Agricultural Committee voted 6 to 2 to remove all Government price supports from Irish potatoes until rigid planting and marketing controls could be implemented. Senate Majority Leader Scott Lucas had sought the measure to place strictures on potato overproduction, which had led to the need for Government purchase and ultimate waste of tons of potatoes under the existing price-support program since the war. He estimated that the Government savings would amount to 50 billion dollars in 1950.

Congressman John Dingell of Michigan said that he wanted Congress to bring back the "nickel scuddle of suds" by reducing excise taxes on beer, liquor and wine.

Eleven men who had parachuted from a burning B-36 on Monday night during a flight from Alaska to Texas were rescued by a fishing boat from Ashdown and Princess Royal islands off the coast of British Columbia, but six of the crew remained missing. One of the survivors was in serious condition after he had landed in a tree on a cliff and was suspended upside down for ten hours in cold temperatures. The pilot of the craft had located him, cut him down and brought him to a level spot on the cliff, making a bed for him of pine boughs. Both of the man's legs were gangrenous.

There was still no progress in the coal negotiations between operators and John L. Lewis, and the President's personal observer refused to comment on whether Mr. Lewis had increased his demands. The coal strike began to spread to other affected industries.

The Communications Workers of America said they would ask New Jersey Governor Driscoll to seize telephone company properties, following a vote by 10,000 telephone operators in that state to strike on an, as yet, undesignated date.

In Midland, Mich., an explosion virtually blew apart a building at the Dow Chemical Co., reportedly killing five or six workers. The explosion occurred in the part of the plant which manufactured the emulsion for rubber-based paint.

In Waukesha, Wis., a two-year old girl was left orphaned after her parents and sister were killed in a car wreck in which she was also riding, but escaped serious injury. A service station attendant set up a five-gallon jug on the wreckage of the car to receive donations for the little girl, whose picture appears.

In Whitesburg, Ky., a miner was freed from a space about the size of a bathtub after being trapped for more than 24 hours. Rescuers worked to free another miner who was trapped with him.

In Danville, Va., George S. Harris, chairman of the Dan River Mills and founder of the Cotton Textile Institute, died of pneumonia and other complications in a hospital at age 69.

Some 8,000 persons were rendered homeless from flooding in East Louisiana and the lowlands of Mississippi. The winter's worst storm to hit New England claimed six lives, with snowfall measuring up to 15 inches in Western Massachusetts.

When will these elements ever learn to control themselves? We must wage a nationwide attack on them. Be vigilant and report to the proper authorities their whereabouts whenever you encounter even one wet raindrop on your back.

On the editorial page, "Benefits vs. Votes" tells of State Commissioner of Agriculture L. Y. Ballentine having reminded the Rotary Club in a talk during the week that the farmer usually received only a small portion of the retail price of his products. He said that a $50 wool suit would cost $44.50 if the sheep farmer gave away the wool. A $10 pair of leather shoes would cost $8.33 if the leather had no cost to the producer.

His point was that a lot of different parts of the economy depended on the success of farmers and so soil conservation would work to benefit all of those sectors, not just the farmers. The piece suggests that Congress bear that in mind as it sought to remedy the farm price-support program, rather than merely seeking to lure farm votes.

"Medicine and the People" tells of the medical profession generally avoiding newspaper publicity for its tendency to over stress individual accomplishments, allow for promotion of a doctor's interests over that of the profession, provide false hope, and intrude on a patient's privacy. But the story earlier in the week regarding the saving of an infant's life by surgery at Memorial Hospital in Charlotte, connecting its esophagus to its stomach to allow for passage of food, deserved special attention.

The reporter had to persuade the family and the doctors to allow the story to come forth to the public to serve as an example of medical progress.

It finds that similar miracles of modern medicine were being performed every day in Charlotte's hospitals and if made public would serve to inspire confidence in the field of medicine, more so than all of the propaganda of the AMA. It suggests, therefore, especially with medicine under scrutiny from the President's proposed compulsory health insurance program hanging in the balance, that the profession re-examine its traditional reticence regarding publicity for individual physicians.

"'Mr. Music' Steps Down" tells of David Ovens, president of the Community Concert Association, stepping down from the position after eighteen years of promoting good music for the city. It had not been easy, especially given the inadequate, barn-like Armory-Auditorium as a place of performance. The piece praises his dedication and finds that he well deserved the title "Mr. Music" for his efforts. Mr. Ovens, it informs, would continue as chairman of the special committee to study plans for a new auditorium.

The new auditorium, bearing the name of Mr. Ovens, would be opened in 1955, alongside the new Charlotte Coliseum.

"A Man's Home, Etc." tells of a Superior Court judge in California having recently held that it was not a trespass or violative of the right of privacy for a labor union to picket the home of an employer. The piece wonders, however, why a union would wish to be so annoying as to picket in front of a person's private residence, that it would accomplish little if anything beyond being annoying, not only to the employer but to neighbors as well. The editorial is against such tactics extending to the private residence of anyone.

A piece from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, titled "Campaign of Lies", tells of campaigns being orchestrated by Federal jobholders to convince constituents to put pressure on members of Congress not to authorize aspects of the reorganization recommended by the Hoover Commission to cut Government waste. An example was the effort to convince veterans that the reorganization of the V.A. would cut benefits, when those benefits were set by law and the proposed reorganization would save 70 million dollars without changing benefits. It explains in detail how these savings would occur and urges that veterans should join with the public in refuting this false campaign.

Bill Sharpe provides his weekly "Turpentine Drippings", humorous snippets from various newspapers around the state. A piece from the Goldsboro News-Argus tells of the origin of the name for "Slap-Out Crossroads", being that a store owner with a store nearby had once had the habit of telling customers when a particular item was not available, that he was "slap-out" of it.

The Roxboro Courier tells of a man who had given up smoking for a pack and a half of chewing gum consumed since January 1.

The Moore County News tells of a man who had sworn off drinking only to be lured back to tippling at the local tavern one night, got drunk, went home and besought his wife to kneel with him in prayer for salvation from death, as his doctor had said that he would die if he ever drank again, whereupon she did and prayed for her "drunk husband", to which he implored that she not inform the listener of his condition, rather that she claim he was sick.

The Lumberton Post predicts the untenable predicament of our current "President" in 2017. For instance: "If you like him, he's a conservative; if you don't, he's a fascist reactionary."

The Greensboro Daily News informs of the Winston-Salem Journal having quoted with approval UNC football star Charlie Justice's advice to young athletes, that they stay away from beer, wine, and liquor. But, it interjects, nothing was mentioned re cigarettes.

Drew Pearson tells of the big Democratic Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Washington this night—as also discussed by Marquis Childs—being a bigger banquet than that once given to Julius Caesar, in contrast to the recent GOP chicken supper. The fat cats who once backed the GOP had now turned to the Democrats, meaning that many of the guests would be persons who wanted their income tax cases fixed, were seeking favor on a Government contract, or wanted to influence the White House on a policy favorable to their position. Two tables seating ten guests each cost $2,000, and sometimes the investment was worth it.

The danger was that when any political party became too indebted to fat cats, it was headed for a fall. And when the Republicans would begin drawing substantial sums for $1 per plate chicken dinners, they would be headed for victory. But the recent GOP outing had only been superficial, and not been pleasing to the party bosses.

He provides some examples of persons who had benefited from past contributions to the Democrats through such dinners.

Senator William Langer wanted to join the Democratic Party for the Republican farm policy being unpopular in North Dakota and because he had always been independent of the GOP party organization in any event. But there was a block for the fact of the Democratic national committeeman from the state not wanting to share political patronage with Senator Langer.

The trial of IT&T manager Robert Vogeler for alleged spying was about to begin in Hungary after three months since his arrest, without benefit of counsel. The Premier of Hungary had already announced that Mr. Vogeler would receive a long sentence.

Robert C. Ruark tells of Captain William D. (Mudbank) Brown having been temporarily relieved of command of the U.S.S. Missouri for it having recently run aground in Norfolk, pending further investigation. He says that the investigation would surely find the captain "guilty of fammis of the afterskelter, with overtones of magnavox, which is Latin for an old naval phrase meaning: We don't pay our bigger brass to run no big ships on no shoals."

Mr. Ruark is willing to bet that he was a good captain but nevertheless was finished in his profession for the very public mishap involving the famed World War II ship on which the formal Japanese surrender was received on September 2, 1945.

His career was finished because the Navy had a tradition of placing absolute responsibility for the ship on the captain's shoulders. The end of his career would be used as an object lesson for all captains, regardless of extenuating circumstances.

He concludes that it was a good system because any captain, no matter how competent generally, who allowed his subordinates to ground a battlewagon in the mud of Hampton Roads had not earned his retroactive pay.

Marquis Childs tells of Democratic Jefferson-Jackson Day dinners taking place around the country to feed Congressional campaign coffers for the midterm elections. In Washington, 5,200 diners were paying $100 each to hear the President. In Boston, 1,600 were paying $50 each to see Vice-President Alben Barkley and his new wife, who had become the star attraction on the Democratic dinner circuit. In Los Angeles, 2,000 paid $50 each to hear Secretary of the Interior Oscar Chapman.

Democrats struck a noble pose regarding this type of fund-raising, compared to the fat cats who they claimed funded the Republicans. But the success of the dinners was the result of a party long entrenched in power, with many of the attendees likely being local officeholders or their relatives, as well as those seeking favors from the Government, such as contractors.

The Republicans, too, had used the technique to raise $48,000 at one dinner in New Jersey. The GOP had set a goal of raising 1.9 million dollars for the Congressional races. He ventures that if the newly adopted party principles did not wind up appealing to the party's major contributors, as it was intended to do, then the Republicans might have to turn to the dinner circuit for much more of its funding as well.

Framed Edition

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