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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1955)
v:;: EDITORIALS RUSSIANS TO VISIT U. S. The Eisenhower Administration has decided to admit a group of Russian farmers to the United States for the pur pose of visiting our agricultural areas. The Russians, beset with many agricul tural problems, have already evidenced a keen desire to enter into an agricultural exchange program. That program would include a visit to the U.S.S.R. by a number of American farmers. Likewise, a group of Russian farmers will be allowed to enter the United States, beginning their tour of agricultural region.1, in Iowa. The Russian visit was first suggested by an Iowa newspaper. This decibel has been widely attribut ed to President Eisenhower himself, who feels that nothing but good can come from a visit of Russian farmers to the United States. We agree with the President. In fact, we disagreed with an Administration decision not too long ago to bar from this country Russian students who wanted to participate in an exchang2 program. We believe that the more Russians that come into the United States, the better the impression of our country will be among Russians. Those who learn the truth can at least go back and tell their friends, even if they will not be allowed to write freely about their trip. No doubt the reason for Russian eager ness to visit the U. S. farm belt at this time iR the plight of Russian agriculture. We have no apprehension that the visit to the United States by a group of Rus sian farmers will reveal any particular U. S. agricultural secrets. In fact, this country has no agricultural secrets only hard work, progressive farm prac tices, and individual freedom and initia tive. If the Russians would match our system, they would have to include these freedoms and if they ever do that, we will have accomplished something very significant in the field of foreign relations. SQUIRRELS AND PUTTING GREENS Although President Dwight D. Eisen hower has denied having ordered de portation proceedings against White House lawn squirrels, the fact that the squirrels haTve been shipped away has stirred the opposition of a surprising number of Americans. For some reason, many citizens feel that the squirrels on the White House lawn should be left there. The tempest, started when it was revealed that the squirrels were playing hob with te flit ting greens used by President Eisenhower. Somebody in the White House got the idea that the squirrels should be removed, and trapping boxes were put out, squirrel families broken up, and many squirrels shipped to the country. Such a small thing, if it is a small thing, would not arouse the ire of any one, White House officials thought. How ever, the reverse soon become apparent. It was recalled that President Truman had appointed a five-year-old boy to be come official squirrel-feeder, and it is al so remembered that the Roosevelts had encouraged the squirrels. ? The issue came up at the White House when Bernard Baruch visited President Eisenhower recently and he asked about the squirrels. The President replied that the first he had heard about the opera tion to remove the squirrels was when he read it in the papers. Nevertheless, squirrel families were being broken up and squir rels removed a far cry from the days when President Roosevelt was in office, when vitamins were put out on the White House lawn to improve the squirrels' coats. It is strange but true that anything af fecting animals can often have reper cussons which are entirely unexpected. THOUGH'1 ?OR TODAY .Y;v. no never, did nature say one thing cud leisdom say another. Edimind Burke The Plattsmouth Journal Official County and City Paper ESTABLISHED IN 1SS1 Published Semi Weekly, Mondays "and Thursdays, at 410 Main Streei, Plattsmouth. Cass County, Neh. "Three Times Winner Ak-Sar-Ben Plaques foi "OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE" 1949 1951 1952 "Honorable Mention" 1953 Presented Nebraska Press Association "GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD" flrjt in 1952 Second in 1951 and 1953 (In Cities Over 2.000 Population) RONALD R. FURSE Editor and Publisher WM. L. MURDOCK News Editor SOPHIA M. WOLEVER Society Editor VERN WATERMAN Advertising uiMMi thioaui tuooam Entered at the Tost Office at PlaUsmouth. Nebraska as second class mail matter in accordance ywth the Act of Congress of March 3. 1879 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, 20 cents for two weeks. Furse's A quick look through the bra ads has us about convinced that honesty is not the bust policv. Local kid says he likes his new step father fine. Says the stepfather takes him swimming every day, turns him loose in the middle of the lake and lets him swim back. Only tough part about it, he says, is getting out of the sack. -k Flipper Fanny, our dainty little con tour twister, leaves nothing to a man's imagination and everything to his self control. It's easier to get ulcers from what's eat ing vou lhan from what you eat. It has taken 100 years of baseball to learn all those names to call an umpire. A lot of old fools hereabout are feel ing young again which is a sure sign of spring. This ought to be a good year for Yan kee maidens see where the frost got most of the Georgia peaches. We are not planning a garden this spring. The only ones to suffer, however, will be our neighbor's chickens. A small boy here says greatest trouble with parents is that you get them when they are so old it's pretty hard to change their habits. Whether it be a cat or a dog, or a prob lem of squirrels, the American people sometimes get their backs up over ani mal affairs. President Eisenhower is too popular to worry about votes on most issues, but on this issue, he and his White House staff should hasten to make amends with the American people who have a peculiar affinity for Mr. Bushytail of 1600 Pennyslvania Avenue and they want him left alone. Down Fresh Flashesl Memory Lane yr YEARS AGO -U Miss Mary Alice Ault of Platts mouth won the county written spelling contest but Charles Stutt of Avoca defeated her to become county oral champion. . . Lloyd Ranney, an instructor in Weeping Water school system, resigned and moved to a farm near Alvo. . .Plattsmouth's li brary would celebrate its 50 anniversary on Nov. 1, 1936, a series of articles in the Journal noted. . .Miss Florence West of Eagle was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Nebraska. . ."The Max well House," an airplane being built by three enterprising Elmwood young men was nearintr completion with tryouts near. . . .Tom Kriskey was chosen football cap tain for 1935 and Jack Forbes basketball captain by members ot the Piatt Platts mouth teams. Ow First consignment of steel for a new wagon and auto bridge across the Platte river north of Plattsmouth, arrived on the scene. . .A- lady hobo arrived by railroad car rods at Plattsmouth and sought a free meal and gathered a small amount of alms . . .The machine shop was set to clash with the blacksmith shop in baseball at BREX at Plattsmouth as the freight car department also geared for action. . .Friends surprised Fond and Kenneth Trively on their 14th birthday. . .Badges oi merit were presented Edward Patterson, Joe Buttery, George Perry and Lloyd Frady for their excellent work in Scouting, during a Boy Scout In vestiture at Plattsmouth. . .The name of Judge James T. Begley of the second ju dicial district, was one of those on the list from which Governor McMullen would appoint a supreme court justice. criie Washington Merry-Go -Round By DREW PEARSON (Copyright, 1955, by the Bell Syndicate. Inc.) DREW PEARSON SAYS: NAVY TURNS DOWN GIFT OF FDR'S OLD SAILING SLOOP; ECONOMY MINDED IKEITES SAY SLOOP WOULD COST $600 TO REPAIR; LABOR DEPARTMENT INVOKES TOP SECRECY ON WAGE-LAW VI OLATIONS. Washington When Armand Hammer, the collector of Black Angus and Kinji Farouk's Egyptian trophies, acquired Campobello, old homestead of Franklin D. Roosevelt, he also acquired some of the late President's prized possessions. Campobello is the summer home in Nova Scotia where FDR's mother took her family for years and where the late Presi dent was stricken with polio after he dived into cold Canadian water following an ex hausting set of tennis. One of the late President's most prized possessions at Campobello was a sloop which he sailed through Nova Scotia waters as a young man. This was how he first acquired the nautical experience Unbeatable which he later used as assistant Secretary of the Navy. Roosevelt cherished the sloop and kept it long after his illness, plus the press of presidential duties, made it impassible for him to sail it. When Hammer bought the Campobello estate from Elliott Roosevelt (who incidentally sold it over the heads of other mem bers of the family) Hammer gave the sloop to FDR's eldest son, Congressman James Roosevelt. And Congressman Roosevelt offered the sloop to the Secre tary of the Navy, Charles Thom as, as a gift to the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. "It occurs to me that the sloop might be of value to the mid shipmen," Jimmy said, "Not only in their training, but perhaps sentimentally as having once been used by a former assistant Secretary of the Navy." But the Navy, which FDR lov ed and which he helped to build up to be the most powerful in the world, turned the gift down. Secretary of the Navy Thomas didn't even bother to reply per sonally. He sent word through his aide that the sloop would cost $600 to repair and the economy-minded Eisenhower Administration couldn't afford the money. MERRY-GO-ROUND Colleagues are twitting the Senate s oldest bachelor. 87-year-old Theodore Francis Green of Rhode Island, about his "newest love," Mrs. Carter Glass, widow of the late Sen ator from Virginia. Senator Green, who looks as if he would surpass all-time records for age in the Senate, still walks three miles to work every morning, but complains the doctors want him to quit wrestling once his fav orite exercise. . . .Another great walker is Justice William O. Douglas, who walks about 15 to 20 miles every Sunday. Last week he started at 34th street in Georgetown, walked up the C and O canal, 17 miles in ex actly five hours and 40 minutes ... .In wartime, if the infantry makes 20 miles a day, it's really traveling. . . .Senator and Mrs. Fulbright of Arkansas are one couple who lock as if they really enjoy dancing together. . . . I See By The Papers By Bill "Rarely in the realm of small city journalism is there a time when an abstract idea is the purpose of an entire edition," says the Bellevue Press. The idea behind the Press' April 1 edition was the ninth birthday of the Strategic Air Command just across the way. Also reports the Press, which found room for some other news, District Judge John Dierks ! called a grand jury in Sarpy i county on a petition bearing 86 names asking for it. Purpose j not clearly specified yet. mm Grass fires were bothering the Humboldt fire department which made three runs last week on I grass and trash flames, says the ! Standard. j Michael Schmal, a member of I the Fairbury police force for nine I years, resigned and took a job I with the board of public works 1 at a lower salary, says the Jour ! nal. Eight sows and 30 to 40 pigs I burned to death at the Paul ; Dainton farm two miles north I west of Broken Bow, says the i Custer County Chief. Suffer I ing total damage of about $3, 000, Dainton surmised that a hog jumped into the feedway and 1 became entangled in the wiring. knocking heat lamps into the bedding, catching the hoghouse on fire. ijf sfc if Blair business men visiting their school got a shock when : Supt. Glenn A. Lundstrom an nounced that Blair school build- , ings will again be overcrowded though a new school building ! has just been built and addi ' tions made to two others, says 1 the Pilot-Tribune. ' Curtis has $5,034.38 collected in their drive for a swimming Combination Congratulations to the Youngs town Vindicator for cracking open the peculiar Bethlehem Steel deal by which $6,000,000 of employees" pension money was used in a maneuver to ac quire Youngstown Steel and Tube. Shush! It's Secret! The Defense Department isn't the only place which suddenly invokes top-level secrecy on dust-covered information the public and the taxpayers have a right to know about. While Defense officials were suddenly and belatedly stamp ing "top secret" on General MacArthur's 10-year-old war papers after he claimed he had n't wanted Russian help in de feating Japan, the Labor De partment was doing the same thing with another set of papers. Quite recently the Labor De partment announced that it had blacklisted 20 contractors from getting government contracts because they had violated the Davis-Bacon Act. This requires Government contractors to pay prevailing wages in the area where they're working, and Secretary of Labor Mitchell made a braggadocio announce ment that Eisenhower was pro tecting labor by cracking down on 20 contractors who cut wages. However, when this column wanted the dates when the crackdowns started, the Labor Department, hitherto seeking publicity, suddenly shut up like a clam. These dates, it was stated, were super-duper-ultra top secret. Reason for the secrecy was simple. The crack-downs against wage-cutters actually started under Harry Truman and be cause the new Republican Ad ministration was trying to take credit for what began as early as the administration of the late Maurice Tobin, Secretary of Labor under Truman. Politics vs. Common Sense Caught in the same predic ament as the Defense Depart ment regarding the MacArthur papers, the Labor Department went to unusual lengths to hush up the dates when the black listing of government contract ors actually started. , At first John Leslie, Labor Murdock pool, says the Enterprise. Con struction of the pool will start this year. "Most every week we are asked to give front page space to some project which the sponsors feel is a "worthy project," says the Wymore Arbor-State. "We realize that whether it's 4 H kids selling cookies, some club holding a bake sale, or one of the numerous sup pers to support one thing or another, that those who are giving their time and ef forts to the cause feel it is a worthy project. "However, a newspaper has but one thing to sell, and that is publicity ... If you charge, we charge." Sumner friends and neighbors raised $900 to send 14-year-old Kay Reier to Rochester, Minn., ' for medical treatment, says the Dawson County Herald. Here's why the family needed help: Mrs. Reier has had two major operations; Mr. Reier broke his back when he fell from a hay stack; 11 -year-old son Johnny had an appendectomy and Jer ry, 10, had rheumatic fever, leav ing him with a heart ailment. Arnold voters turned down a $255,000 bond issue to construct a new grade school building though the state fire marshall depressed his thumbs on the present structure in several re spects, says the Custer County Chief. Purchase of five acres of land adjoining Papillions baseball field was approved at $500 per acre by the Chamber of Com merce for a riding club and horse show arena, says the Pa pillion Times. Department press spokesman, said that the dates were pub lic information. After all, no war secrets were involved. Proceed ings against a builder, he indi cated, are like a court prosecu tion or an immigration hearing. Mr. Leslie, however, was naive. He was applying common sense, not politics, to his job. Very quickly his superiors re versed him. Stuart Rothman, Labor solicitor, and one of the top men under Secretary Mitch ell, emphatically said "No!" "I dont consider these dates public information," he said in reply to a request from this col umn. "Why?" "It would be unfair to the parties involved." "How would that be? We al ready have the names of the contractors andl the dates when they were blacklisted. You pub lished that yourself. All we want is the date when the wage viola tion occurred. " "That is not public informa tion." "In just what way would it be unfair?" "I have nothing more to say. The information is not public." Note Amazing part of this head-in-sand policy is that Rothman didn't seem to know that Labor-Union executives who lodged the protests with the Labor Department have kept the dates when the wage viola tions occurred. They were all pre -Eisenhower,. ::': Capitol News By Melvin Paul Statehouse Correspondent The Nebraska Press Association LINCOLN Battle lines were forming this week in the Ne braska Legislature for the great debate that comes about every session whether to broaden the tax base. The only difference this time is that there is a slim chance the Legislature may adopt eith er a sales tax or a combination sales and income tax. The first big step came when the Revenue Committee sent to the floor of the Legislature a combination sales and income tax bill LB 510. Debate is not expected to start until after the senators return from a four day Easter recess. But already there was a "now or never" tension on the part of both the advocates and the opponents of broaden ing the tax base. The way the Revenue Com mittee took action meant that the Legislature may get two shots at the question. That is because the committee held in reserve LB 400, a measure call ing for a 2 per cent sales tax alone. So if LB 510 runs into trouble on the floor LB 400 can be pull ed out of the hip pocket. Bill's Contents If ever a bill was tailor made to appeal to as many different interests as possible, LB 510 is it. Only an adamant foe of any effort to broaden the tax base could fail to find something he liked in it. The only catch may be that features that appeal to one group may alienate others more. That was the chance sponsors took in writing the combination measures. What does the measure con tain? LB 510 in its original form ; was a graduated state income tax based on the Iowa law It ( would tax the citizen at the rate i of about 5 per cent of what he Vs in federal income taxes He may take this flat 5 per cent rate or he may fill out a long form which will bring him es sentially to the same figure Reason for the long form op i tion is that the bill would have been unconstitutional if it de pended on a federal law alone Next a 2 per cent retail sales tax on all items costing more , than 21 cents was added to the I bill. This was simply combining the contents of LB 400 into LB 510. Exempted in this version are beer, liquor, cigarets, and ' seed and fertilizer used in farm production. But then the committee went to work. It exempted several items such as tickets to amuse ments and athletic events, local ' telephone and telegraph service, ; and materials sucu as sugar used i in processing food products. But the major item exempted by committee amendment was ; food (except meals at public eating places. This item cut $7 million from the exoected revenue but it might be the straw that breaks the cam., back of the opponents. All told the combination bill is expected to bring in about $37 I million a year. Under terms of the bill this money must first be used to replace the tax on property that supports state government (about $15 million a year.) Next it will replace spec ial state levies (another $10 mil lion a yean. The third slice will go to the counties on the basis of what one mill tax levy on their assessed valuation would bring. Finally any money left will go to the schools. The Chances If either bill passes, it Drob- ably will be by the slimmest of margins. Some groups such as labor unions may be happier with the combination than with a straight sales tax. The exemp tion of food should make the bill more palatable to them also. On the other hand, high in come groups and corporations won't like the income tax provis ions. If they see that one bill or the other is inevitable, they ( Continued on Page 8j THE PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL PAGE TWO Section B Thursday, April 7, 1955 By Stanley James. Journal Washington Reporter WASHINGTON. April 7, The aays tick by and reports in Washington continue to indi cate a Chinese Communist at tack on the Matsu Islands in the near future. The reports could be wrong, but the Chinese have "come through" on past occasions when such reports, and their own announcements, her alded action. As this is written, the great debate in Washington continues on TJ S. Policy in the Formosa! area. Canada clarified her po-1 sition in the last few days by announcing she would not get ; involved in military operations; over the offshore islands. Can-1 ada's position was that they be longed to the mainland Chinese government. Both British and French lead ers are increasing the pressure on President Eisenhower to an nounce a definite policy on the -ossibility of a defense of the islands by the United States. So ' far, U. S. policy is unclear, we might or we might not fight back if the Reds attack them. Secretary of State Dulles has said we would fight back if they are attacked as part of an as- 1 suit against Formosa. But he has ' also said we were not committed to defend them. As the days run out, and the j attack on them impends, Senate j Democrats are expressing dis satisfaction with the uncertain ty of our foreign policy. And the nationalist wing of the Re publican party is expressing dis, satisfaction that we don't get i tough over the islands. This G. O. P. group is eager to fight over the islands which the British, French and Canadians think should go to Red China. President Eisenhower finds himself squarely on the spot as: the sands run lower and lower ! in the glass. By the time you read this, he might have spoken out in frank language. Mean- j while, the question of a Big Four conference has come rapidly to j the fore. Mr. Eisenhower thinks such a meeting might be a way to curb the increasing international ten sion building up in the Formosa Strait. But he dosen't have in mind including Red China in such a meeting. The Russians do, although Marshall Bulganin ' skirted that issue when- he re cently announced that Russia took a positive approach to Mr.! Eisenhower's hints in favor of! a Big Four meet. Whether the brighter pros pect of a Big Four meeting and its arrangement, will come m time to affect the developing i crisis off China's coast is a good i question. Ratification of the Paris Agreements by the French ; Senate helped prospects for such a meeting immeasurably and 1 Washington is now fast prepar-; ing to rush equipment and aid to a sovereign West Germany. But the United States is stand ing almost alone in its position cn the offshore islands. The : Communists have long been striving to separate this coun-! try from its major allies and on this issue they have done it. If i we fight over the Matsu Islands, we will fight alone. Advocates of such a course point out that we did most of the fighting in Korea, even though we were sup- posed to have allies. An they say we should not I hesitate to use tactical atomic weapons on China, should a! clash occur. Usually Democrats advocate a more cautious policy' in a situation which might end up with us fighting the1 Chinese for some time to come. And there is no assurance that I WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE VVesfern Sonisvc. HORIZONTAL 1.4 Depicted songster 8 Encountered 12 Age 13 Thin drees material 14 Night before an event 15 Hostelry 16 Moving 17 Extinct bird 18 Prickly plant 20 Dark and '"loomy 22 i. rftter sound 23 Whirlwind 24 Midday JJ6 Scope 29 For examnle (ab.) SO Former Russian ruler 31 Soothsayer 54 Symbol for samarium 35 Half (prefix; 36 Scottish sheepfolds 38 Half-em 39 Mystic syllable 40 He is a 44 Ke sings - songs on the radio 48 Unusual 49 Title of courtesy 51 Note in Guide's scale 52 Garden implertient 53 Effigy 54 Edge 55 Aged 56 Small candl? 57 Distress sigr.al VERTICAL 1 Check 2 Sea eaglo 3 Yellow' (comb form ) 4 Grandpcrcr.'.i 5 Misplace 6 Ignited 7 Ancient Greek city 8 Roman emperor 0 Associated Individuals 20 Bacchanals' cy 11 Rip )2 . ML, JUJIIUM. -a I . r " -ct .iiinii d. &. Russia will not give the Chinese tactical atomic weapons to use against us, and encourage such a clash in which Russia would not be involved, and, therefore, not weakened. It is a hotly debated and vital foreign policy question which is rapidly headed for a showdown. The tragedy is that there has not been nonpartisan support behind a united foreign policy, one our allies would have sup ported. As prospects now stand, there is a better than fifty-fifty chance that a clash over Matsu will occur, and if ,the United States gets involved in these is lands only a few miles from the Chinese coast, she will get in volved alone, without the aid of allies. Such is the pressing na ture of talks and diplomatic cor respondence on this crisis, how ever, that new developments could be announced before you i2ad this. Reaif-y Transfers Wilored Meyers & Doris to Wil lard J. and Marvel Wipf WD 3-19-55 L. 1 & 2 B. 130 Weeping Water. $6,200. Knud Jensen & Agnes to John Robinson and Margaret WD 2-25-55 L. 11 and n 13 L. 11 B. S7 Weeping Water. $500. Thomas S. Solomon Sheriff to Floyd and Mary Colbert ShD 5-19-55 Pt. L. 12 B. 161 Platts mouth $5.00. Thomas S Solomon Sheriff to Floyd and Mary Colbert ShD 3-19-54 Pt, L. 13 B. 151 Platts mouth. $3.03. Floyd Colbert & Mary to Law rence Chappell 3-17-55 Pt. L. 12 & 13 B. 151 Plattsmouth. $1X3. Richard and Shirley Winn to Blodgett and Krajacic WD 1-11-55 L. 12 B. 3 V. View. $1.00 Elmer E. Refshauge and Catherine to Harry E. G. Kasten and Amanda WD 3-14-55 NE1-NE'-i 19-12-9. $1.00. Albert Young and Winifred June to Kenneth Trivaly WD 4-6-54 Und a Int. L 4, 5. 6 B. 12 Gownsend'd Add. Plattsmouth. $1.00. Louie Allgayer and Janice to Louie Allgayer and Janice WD 3-il-55 NNWUNW1 & SWi4 NWU 16-10-12. $1.00. Murl R. and Ethel Muenchau to Robert E. and Mable Walker WD 3-10-55 L. 11, 12, 13 B 28 Eagle. $1.00 Amerlia N. Balfour to Kent E. Balfour WD 3-24-55 SM-SE 32-10-13. $1.00 Velma Frances Youngquist to Clarence H. Stohlman WD 3-18-55 L. 695 & 696 Louisville. $1.00. Blodgett and Krajacic to Glenn F. Kaffenberger and Del oma WD 3-15-55 L. 16 B. 3 Valley View. $1.00. ATOMIC TEST The largest atomic device test ed in the 1955 nuclear series ex ploded recently with a predawn brilliance that was seen by ob servers in five nearby Western states. More than 100 planes Air Force, Navy, and Marines took part in the test, with 66 of them coordinating in a simulat ed attack mission on the attack area CAMPERS CARELESS The Interior Department ha;; reported that campers caused more fires in national park areas in 1954 than in any previous year except 1952. Of the 304 fires in the park areas, 212 were man-caused and ninety-two fires were caused by lightning. Subscribe to The Journal NOW- Here's the Armver 19 Light brown 21 Castle ditch 24 Promontory 25 Molding 27 Facility 28 Weapons - 32 Rectified 33 Circle 36 Tier 37 Glowing coals 40 London district 41 Heathen deity 42 Eject 43 Incarnation of Vishnu 4 Confine 45 Sheaf 46 Hodgepodge 47 Sweet potatoes 50 Flounder HJosi I!aivri3 5T1 5 TMloro! lj apNtTTs WfB N3nv Ml Bp X3M S5p M Aja, L3 n t oTa vftTa yM Fi ?. -p imnni.il ?H - 57" "