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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1951)
n a M ol w tl SI G w EDITORIALS NOT A GOOD SIGN Preliminary figures from the Census Bureau indicate that the number of farms in the United States is growing smaller, which is not the sign of the prosperous agriculture necessary to the national well being. Let nobody be fooled about these fig ures. They mean that the smaller farmers are being ground to pieces in the battle of mechanization and high prices. It is not a good sign for the social welfare of the nation, or Nebraska. There is a growing tendency in this day and generation to forget the funda mental importance of the farmer in the welfare of the nation. It is to be expected that metropolitan residents, unfamiliar with the conditions that exist, get the idea that the government is coddling American farmers but it is somewhat tra gic that some people, in places like Platts mouth, have developed the same opinion. With soil erosion cutting down the number of fertile acres in this country, it is vitally important that we maintain a strong and prosperous agriculture. It can not be don if the people who grow our -feeds, food and fibre are to be relegated to an inferior economic status. Moreover, one should not overlook the fact that ag riculture today is an enterprise that re quires capital and that it is no longer pos sible for anybody to make a living out of the soil without intelligent training and adequate equipment. It might take a few years of semi famine to make the people of this country understand just how important agriculture is to the welfare of the nation and its peo ple. We hope that no such tragedy looms ahead but, just because we have had bum per crops for years, there is no certainty that the same good fortune will continue indefinitely. "nEALITY OF BEING POOR" I The variety of human nature is illus trated by Alexander Munsell, who, twen ty years ago, had an inherited fortune of more than one million dollars. He gave it away to find a "great peace," living in Spartan simplicity. Mr. Munsell said that "extreme wea lth is certain to distort one's point of view." He considered the money a shell, making him spineless, and, to strengthen his backbone, got rid of the shell "to ex perience the reality of being poor." A few years ago, his mother died, leaving him something over half a milHon dollars. No public announcement has been made but his friends and relatives expect him to keep the money. As one of them said: "After four or five years of be ing hungry," one realizes "what people who have to work for a living never can forget." The example of Mr. Munsell, regard less of what else it may reveal, demonstra tes that he is a man of intelligent mind, somewhat bent on being independent in life and the search for truth. Educated at Harvard University, "he served in World War I but was unhappy living in luxury without labor. Friends say he does not drink, smoke or eat meat. He has devoted himself to his books and the education of a stepdaughter, while doing occasional acts of charity. TARZAN" BOMB IN USE One of the new weapons that is be ing used in North Korea is a radio-controlled "Tarzan" bomb, weighing 12,000 pounds. The Far East Air Force releases the information that the projectile has been dropped "successfully in limited numbers" with bridges as the principal targets. The bombs, steered through a radio sender in the plane, with a receiver in the missile itself, smashed several bridges close to the Manchurian border. Its blast hurled girders as far as 150 feet. - THOUGHT FOR TODAY Being myself no stranger to suffering, I have learned 'to relieve the sufferings of others. . Virgil The Plattsmouth Journal Official County and City Paper ESTABLISHED IX 1SS1 Awarded Ak-Sar-Ben Plaque For "Outstanding Community Service in 1950" Published semi-weekly, Mondays and Thursdays, at 409.413 Main Street. Plattsmouth, Cass County. Nebr. RONALD R. FURSE Publisher HARRY J. CANE ..: Editor FRANK H. SMITH . News Reporter Helen E. Heinrich & Donna L. Meisinger Society - Bookkeeping: & Circulation issocaron, , SSSOCUB Entered at the Tost Office at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, s second clans mail matter in accordance with the Xct of Congress f March 3. J879. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $3.50 per year in Cass and adjoining counties. $4.00 per year elsewhere, in advance, by mail outside the city of Platts mouth. By carrier in Plattsmouth.v-20 cents- for two weeks. ; A m. n W 9 Mk Furse's Fresh Flashes The best way to stay sober is by nix ing drinks. Flipper Fanny, our dainty little con tour twister, says the most rude and vul gar man she has ever met is the one who stares at her figure when she's doing her best to display it. . A youth in a nearby town has receiv ed notice from the library that his card will be cancelled unless he returns the li brarian he took out Ist week. We caught a neighbor kid of ours holding his cat by the tail and shaking the livin' daylights out of it. He said he heard his dad say the other night there was $3.00 in the kitty and he was trying to get it out. This inflation is a wonderful thing to strengthen a man's muscles. After 10 years of the thing we can now lift $12 worth of groceries with one hand. It seems private enterprise and in dividual initiative in this country is being discouraged. A fellow was fined $50 and costs here the other day for making his own car license plate. They say the real art of living includ es the nearly lost art of loafing. We have no way of knowing, but money will probably be as tight next year. We're beginning to get uneasy. It's about time our neighbors got in their gar den if we're to get any fresh vegetables this year. Business right now is phenomenal but it should pick up this fall. DOWN MEMORY LANE OA YEARS AGO CM Local school authorities received no tice that The Platter, P.H.S. paper had advanced from third to second place ra ting by the National Scholastic Press Association . . . Supt. R. E. Bailey was speaker at the meeting of the Otoe Coun ty School Men's Club at Dunbar; his topic "Watchman, What of the Hour." . . . Miss Kathleen Troop was elected to. a position on the school faculty at Nebraska City . . . Garland McCleary secured firsts for the Plattsmouth Team in the triple ath letic meet at Glenwood . . . Large group of residents attended the unveiling' of local store windows, a crowning feature of Bargain Wednesdays sponsored by the merchants of Plattsmouth. I A YEARS AGO 1U Miss Helene Perry, of the high school faculty, speaker at the Rotary club lunch eon, gave an interesting talk on the mo tion picture industry, taking the historic outlines of the industry from its earliest inception to the present time. L. S. DeVoe as program chairman, in absence of R. I. Rea ... Cass County convention of the American Legion Auxiliary was held at the Legion Building; Mrs. Hall Pollard of Nehawka, was named county chairman . . .-Bill Gayer, Class of 1942 P.H.S., was named captain of the football team and Donald Martin was named to the basket ball captaincy at the annual "sports" party held at the Gym . . . Ralph Hilt Jr. was selected by the American Legion and Donald Martin by the Junior Chamber of Commerce to represent Plattsmouth at the summers session of Boy's State at Lin (Copyright. 1949. By the Bell Syndicate. Inc.) DREW PEARSON SAYS: REAL IS SUE IN MACARTHUR-TRUMAN CONTROVERSY IS CIVILIAN OR MILITARY RULE; TAFT'S FA THER, WHEN PRESIDENT, KEPT MILITARY IN THEIR PLACE; EUR OPEAN NATIONS WHICH ONCE SUFFERED FROM MILITARY DIC TATORSHIPS ARE WATCHING U. -S. A'. (Ed. Note Today's column takes the form of a letter from Drew Pearson to Sen. Robert A. Taft on the MacArthur Truman controversy.) April 14, 1951 Honorable Robert A. Taft U. S. Senate Washington, D. C. Dear Senator Taft: When your father was President of the United States, my late father-in-law a general and a military man all his life, had about the same opinion of him that Douglas MacArthur has of the president occupant of the White House. In fact, your father, whom history records as hav ing done a fine job as Secretary of JiVar, incurred the wrath of many military men, because he-both .kept within his budget and kept the military in their place. He fully gnyped the fundamental fact around which our Constitution is writ ten that ours is a civilian government, iii LAFF OF y nTlll "vfi P JLr -U ' I BOY I iff r " "What About Retirement Benefits?" ' which the military take orders from civilians. He even carried it out so conscientiously that, when your father was Secretary of War and used to come to the White House, Teddy Roosevelt would jokingly tell Mrs. Roose velt to put awav the carvine knife for fear my father-in-law. a cousin and aide of T.R.. might use it against Taft. I mention this because you. of all Senate leaders, are in a position to grasp and under stand the serious issue which faces the country today in the MacArthur-Truman controver sy. I mention it because the eas iest thing in the world today is to join the wolf pack and kick Harry Truman in the pants. You. however, have not attain ed your present position by tak ing the easy way. And you. in view of your father's record, in view of your own record as a champion of the Constitution, can better un derstand this fundamental, is sue than any other man I know. Take Off The Uniform That issue is the Constitution of the United States which provides that, if a general wants to run the government, lie must take off his uniform and be come a civilian like the rest of us. He cannot have the perquis ites and protection of the uni form and give orders to the White House too. Furthermore, you cannot have a general who has been running for president and who may still have political ambitions over ruling the President of the Uni ted States. That also is implicit in the Constitution. As far as president Truman is concerned, my personal feelings toward him are about the same as yours. He has castigated me just as much as he has you. But there is a difference between respect for the office of Presid ent and respect for the man. The former is something which must not be soiled or sullied by unfair Senate debate. And the office of President carries with it not only the power but the ob ligation, under the Constitution, to remove a general who chal lenges the Constitution. People are easily confused these days, but you qan help to prevent their confusion. And white it might be popular and even healthy to impeach Harry Truman, do it on the grounds of corruption in his administra tion. There you might be on solid ground. Don't do it on an issue for which your father and every other President has kept the torch of civilian government burning The principle that no soldier can overrule a civilian elected by the people. Or. if you will, impeach the president on the ground that his policy is wrong. Impeach him on the issue of failure in China. It might be healthy if you or Senator Wherry introduced a resolution embodying the exact terms of the MacArthur letter to Joe Martin, and let the Sen ate debate it debate the bomb ing of Chinese bases, the land ing of Chiang Kai-Shek's troops on the mainland and the full probabilities and objectives of war with China. This is an important, vital question upon which we should have full debate, upon which the public should be fully in formed. I hope such a resolu tion will be introduced. But do not. I urge, confuse the-issue by challenging the basic principle of our Constitu tion in regard to civilian rule. Europe Watches U.S.A. I have just returned from a trip 'through Europe. And I can report that you cannot tra vel abroad these days without sensing how vital is the issue now before our country. Many of, the European nations have been through the struggle be tween military and civilian rule. They, have seen the elected par liaments of Italy and Germany weaken. They have seen the people shaken in their confi dence of the democratic sys tem, confused by unfair debate turn to military dictatorships. It is out of such confusion, when nations have weak civilian leaders and strong military lea THE WEEK ders, that dictatorships spring. In my opinion our country today faces a most dangerous crisis. Tempers are running high. We do not have a strong man in the White House. We do have a strong military man, who has sought to be in the White House. Now. it is easy to jump on an unpopular president as your family well remembers. It is easy to jump on him and to muddy up public opinion with confusing issues such as the so-called Ballinger scandals which led to the overwhelming defeat of your father, and which history later proved not to have been scandals after all. It is also easy to fool the pub lic with a lot of phony flag waving on an issue which your father and no other president worth his salt would have stood for namely, permitting a gen eral to thumb his nose at the civilian branch of the govern ment and get away with it. But the times today are too dangerous. And it is in days such as these, when we do not have the most astute brains in or around the White House, that we need leadership - and courage such as yours outside the White House to keep us on an even keel. Respectfully Yours. Drew Pearson aqk Dorothea Keil Journal Correspondent Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Wenzel had as their Sunday dinner euests. Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Wen zel and family and Mrs. Tina Butt. Mr. and Mrs. Jake Frohlich who have been recuperating from their recent illnesses at the home of their son. Frank were able to return to their home last week end. liable Entertain Eagle W.S.C.S. Wednesday Mrs. Hallie Stewart and Mrs Ray Wall entertained the Wo man's Society of Christian Ser vice at the home of Mrs. H. N Erskine Jr. on Wednesday af ternoon of last week. Kuffle Mr. and Mrs. Hilbert Andersen and Frank Anderson of Waverly spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Nelson. Mr. and Mrs. Lance elites en tertained at dinner last Sun day, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Froh lien and family. Mr. and Mrs. Valley Trumble and Mrs. Rosa Caddv spent Sunday in Elmwood with Mr. and Mrs. Wellington Dennis and family. Miss Jennie Gerhard return ed home on Tuesday of this week from Lincoln where she had made a two weeks visit with her sister. Mrs. Otellia Moore. Kasle Friends Honor Mrs. R. C. Wenzel A group of friends gathered at the R. C. Wenzel home on Monday evening of this week and helped Mrs. Wenzel cele brate her birthday. A fine lunch was served and the evening was spent at cards. LETTER BOX The Plattsmouth1 'Journal Mr. R. R. Furse: The Eight and Forty and the American Legion Auxiliary wish to express their sincere thanks for the publicity given the free chest X-ray survey held in Plattsmouth March 22 through March 31st. They were sponsor ing this survey and the articles you published helped so -much in getting the public to take ad vantage o: tnis iree cnesi A-ray. Mrs. Tom Walling, Chairman Chapeau Eight and Forty Mrs. Chas. Janccck, Co-Chairman . Pres. Amer. Legion Aux. WW nilRMA! isms Common subject of conversa tion on nearly every street cor ner here this week has been the MacArthur dismissal, relieved of his command for what is termed "insubordination" by President Truman, commander-in-chief of all our armed forces. This writer has been asked by at least 300 persons what we thought of the action. Frankly, our first thoughts followed about the same channel as all the rest of our 150 million Amer icans. But why any person should think a country publish er is any better equipped with mentality than an average lay man is beyond our powers of reasoning. One thing we have learned in our too many years trying to publish a newspaper, is not to let our emotions stam pede straight thinking. The average editor probably follows the same routine as this writer. His blood will boil at about the same temperature as the man on the street, but after mixing in a few verbal battles, he soon learns to put on his hat and go for a nice long walk be fore he sits down to a type writer and expresses his views on controversial subjects. Eas iest way to avoid criticism is to keep out of the mess altogether, or go along with what you think is the majority regardless of what you actually believe. We've seen a large number of "indispensible" men come and go in our time. In a perusal of American history, we've read of numerous occasions when every calamity in the book was pre dicted all because one man took a walk, was assassinated, died a natural death, or was pushed downstairs. None of them have ever come true. Other men stepped into the picture and all of us must confess, in spite of all wailing to the contrary, the United States has continued to grow and prosper to become the greatest free nation this world has ever known. It all simmers down to this. In 1948 Harry Truman was elect ed president by a majority vote, whether a lot of us liked it or not. Our constitution says the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and with advice of his cabinet members is director of foreign policy. Whether that policy is right or wrong is beside the point. Any person, be he in the military or otherwise, who disagrees open ly and becomes a controversial figure can no longer be a mem ber of the teaml He has to go and MacArthuowent. There has never been a more critical" time in our history than tne present. Never a period when it is essential for unity among us to paste in our hat the old Ben Franklin axiom "We all hang together, or we'll all hang ; separately." The present is no time to grind political axes or for politicians to stir up the emotions of our people. Personally, we are, and have been, a great admirer of Mac Arthur, but right now this whole controversy smells strangely of politics, the opening gun for a slam-bang presidential cam paign in 1952 with two five-star generals battling it out for the nomination. General MacArthur is a great showman, but his belief in what our foreign policy should be could be as wrong as several of his other predictions. Only a few months ago he said the Chi nese would not come into the Korean war if we took a walk to the Yalu river but some 5,000 dead American youth and the greatest military disaster in his tory proved him wrong. In No vember he told the "boys" they would all be home for Christ mas, but he-failed to state which Christmas. None of us are in fallible. Don't get us wrong we're not upholding our present foreign policy or administration. We thing it is time for some new faces in and around the White House, but we do not intend to be victimized by a group of poli ticians whose mmd regarding what is best for our country and me as an individual changes as often as Nebraskas weather. Right now MacArthur is out and Ridgeway is in we'll settle for that for the present. We have no argument with the thinking of many of our legislators, but we do believe it about time to clarify Nebraska's gambling laws following killing in committee of the move for a constitutional amendment on parimutuel betting legalized in the state. We carry no animos ity toward the galloping ponies, but are of the opinion that fra ternal organizations, church groups and some others are placed at a disadvantage when you can lay two to five bucks on a horse s nose but stm can t play a little friendly bingo for a dishpan or skillet to help keep a roof on the house of the Lord. RRF The "mute swan" isn't, really mute. It has a low, almbst- in audible call. : , : J. Howard Davis INSURANCE Soennichsen .Building Phone 264 Plattsmouth. UUllmlL. THE PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, ttdt-WfiEKLY JOURNAL PAGE FOUR Monday, April 18, 1051 Funeral Services Held Saturday for Wm. B. Livingston Funeral services for Wm. B. Livingston, who died at an Oma ha hospital Wednesday, were held at Sattler Funeral Chapel Saturday with Rev. D. V. Her rick officiating. Mrs. Max Adams and Mrs. Harry Nielsen sang, accompa nied at the organ by Mrs. Rob ert Cole. Pallbearers were Jack Vallery, Robert Vallery, Gary Hild, James Richardson, Thomas Liv ingston and Perry Dingman. Burial was at Horning cemetery. A native of Cass county, Mr. Livingston was born in the Mynard community December 20, 1870. He had lived in the same neighborhood during his entire lifetime. He was married December 18, 1890 to Ellen Gil mour. She died in 1945. Mr. Livingston was a member of the United Brethren church of Mynard. Surviving are six daughters, Mrs. John Vallery and Mrs. My ron Wiles of Plattsmouth, Mrs. J. D. Rising of Westwood, Calif., Mrs. Hugo Heyn of Omaha, Mrs. Henry Hild and Miss Grace Livingston, Plattsmouth; three sons, John of California, Rich ard of Louisville and Towner of Jefferson, la.; two nephews, one niece, 20 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. Obituary Of Frank Sitzman Monday morning, April 9, 1951, at 1:05 a. m., Frank Steven Sitz man, second son of the late Har ry Sitzman and Catherine End ers Sitzman, died after an ill ness of several years. With him at the time were his wife and several children. He was born December 24, 1879 at St. Meinrad, Indiana. At the age of five he accompanied his parents and brothers to eastern Nebraska where he lived until 1920, moving then to Im perial in western Nebraska. H lived in California from 1941 until 1946, when he returned to Plattsmouth. He had been in ill health for several years and had been bedfast for 16 months. WM. S. WETENKAMP Real Estate and Insurance Office South Sixth St. Res. Phone 5176 25 Ff.r STALWART V'. Garden Hose $3.10 Has Maxivolume couplings; rugged corrugated rubber cover; guaranteed two years. Strong, Flexible Teeth Broom Rakes 69c Patented chain spacer adds to the strength and flexibility of the strong wire teeth. 5-foot handle. HERB FREEBURG, Owner 506 Main 3t ; Plattsmouth He was married to Clara Beil on October 26, 1901, at Platts mouth. They were the parents of 12 children, three sons and nine daughters. He was a mem ber of the Catholic church. The three sons. Steven, Rob ert and Richard of Plattsmouth and eight daughters, Hazti Farmer, Minnie Draper, Goldie Weiss of Imperial, Freda Clary of Humansville Mo., Laurina Christenham, Clarice Campbell Leora Hobbs of Plattsmouth, and Frances Draper, address un known, survive. One daughter, Ruth, preceded him in death. Also surviving are a brother, William, of Plattsmouth, and one sister, Harriet L. Sitzman, a teacher in Omaha public schools, 13 grandchildren and three great grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends. Two brothers, Paul and Ed ward preceded him in death. Funeral services were held at St. John's church Wednesday morning, April 11. Burial was at Lewiston cemetery. Pallbearers were Dennis J. O Leary, Charles Henderson, Gene Van Weinsburg of Omaha, Adolph Koubek, Frank K. Kou bek and Frank Libershal of Plattsmouth. Eagle Charles Garlits Honored At Dinner Mr. and Mrs. Charlits of Lin coln, Mr. and Mrs. John Doty of Palmyra and Mr. and Mrs. Dick Schwegman were enter tained at dinner on Tuesday of this week at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Nelson, honor ing Mr. Garlits. whose birthday anniversary occurred that day. Kaple Mrs. Albert Frohlich of Lin coln spent Sunday in Eagle. 5000 ' S for PROMPT EFFICIENT ELECTRICAL WIRING At Prices You'll Be Glad to ray Free Estimates HUDSON i ELECTRIC Plattsmouth, Nebr. . ft: Your Choice of Hand Garden Tools 21c Each Transplanting trowels, hand cultivators and garden trowels at a sensational low price buy now! 'Artisan' Rakes $2.05 Strong steel head hot 15 curved teeth. Round ' bow. 5-foot handle. ' Blue Grass Seed Lawn Mixtures Fertilizers Gardeners Supplies - T :