DAILY NEBRASKAN
FRIDAY, MAUCH 2i, 1939
TWO
NU soldiers
lick 'enemy'
Cornhusker battery
uses 75 mm guns
By Bob Rupp.
After 25 minutes of intense,
close range warfare, the Corn
husker field company of dauntless
infantrymen, supported by the
Cornhusker battery of crack ar
tillery cannoneers, succeeded in
driving off the "enemy forces" ap
proaching; along- the road behind
the new athletic field.
The "enemy" was spotted from
the air by the air observer air
plane which was cruising above
the parade grounds at 3,000 feet.
Just as the last of the 2,100
It. O. T. C. cadets had passed in re
view before the reviewing stand
in front of Bessey hall, word came
down from the air observer that
"enemy" troops were approaching
at Compass 5,800, 4,000; which
means from a northwesterly direc
tion and about 4,000 yards away.
Battery mobilizes.
The Cornhusker battery was
called out and mobilized with a
speed that would make any artil
leryman's heart swell with pride.
The four French 75 mm. guns
were brought forward and unlim
bered in front of Bessey. Trails
were dropped and the guns swung
into action almost immediately.
Communications were established
with the plane at the gun position
and the guns were laid by com
mands and data sent down from
the observer in the plane.
After ten minutes of rapid fire
by the guns, the main forces of
the "enemy" were routed. Then,
under the protecting fire of the
artillery, the infantry swung into
action. They advanced, by running
a few steps and "hitting the dirt"
as an "enemy" shell whined over.
Straight into the teeth of the fire
of the "enemy's" advance guard
they moved.
Enemy routed.
Thus, amid the roar of cannon
and the steady crack, crack, of
rifles, the scattered remains oi me
"enemy" forces turned tail and ran
for cover as the huge crowd, along
with members of the Nebraska
Fress association, for whom the
parade was given, saw the first
sham battle staged on the Univer
sity of Nebraska campus in many
a year.
Except for the massacre of the
"enemy," the only casualties were
those suffered by infantrymen hit
in the back of the neck by paper
wads from the blank" cartridges.
Policy--
(Continued from Page 1)
autocracy and autocracy is un
American. Moreover, no one man
is capable of governing this vast
and varied country."
Observing that he had seen
seven presidents come and go, Es
sary noted that there were only
two presidents, Theodore Roose
velt and Calvin Coolidge, ever to
go out of office with the satisfac
tion of leaving a job well done. In
discussing Franklin D. Roosevelt,
he characterized the president as
"a colossal opportunist" and a "re
lentless, ruthless fighter".
Dealing with the ever present
question, "Will Roosevelt seek a
third term?", the Baltimore Sun
writer gave as his opinion that
F. D. R. would object, not on po
litical grounds, but because of the
wear and tear upon him, in body,
in eoul, and in spirit. However,
Essary qualified, he could envision
the president interpreting con
gressional defeats of White House
policies aa a challenge and re
sponding to it with a fight for a
third term. Arbitrary settlement
of the third term question, he em
phasized, is impossible.
The idea of divine or inspired
origin of the United States Con
stitution was debunked by the Sun
correspondent, who termed the
document "a mars of compro
mises". Clarifying hla remarks by
showing that there is no govern
ment of law but government by
men, who make, interpret and en
force laws. Essary went on to
point out that three presidents of
the United Statea have deliber
ately and Justifiably violated it,
because "they had good common
sense". The specific instances men
tioned were the occasions of Jef
ferson's Louisiana Purchase, Lin
coln's Emancipation Proclamation,
and Franklin D. Roosevelt's bank
closure immediately following his
Inauguration. Further proof that
government is by men and not law,
and that a law does not govern by
mere declaration, were instances
cited wherein the Supreme Court
reversed itself three and four times
on the same exact decisions.
Stirring chapters of state's
history found in early papers
Nebraska Historical society maintains files
of pioneer journals telling ambitions of editors
BY EDWIN WITTENBERG
Nebraska has a past a past of
Indian massacres, of drouth and
flood, of theft and murder; but
also a past of courageous pioneer
ing, of close-knit co-operation, of
overflowing harvests.
Historians of that pavst and of
the present are Nebraska's legions
of newspapermen, thru the medi
um of the more than 1,500 news
papers that have existed at one
time or another since the Nebras
ka Palladium made its first ap
pearance on July 15, 1854.
On the shelves of the state his
torical society at the capitol build
ing are 20,000 bound books of
newspapers containing the day by
day history of the state. In direct
contrast to each other are the
yellowed and cracked pages of the
Palladium, the first paper, and the
freshly printed sheets of moat of
the state's present 46 newspapers
of all kinds, flowing daily into the
society's files.
Make great improvements.
Comparing the papers of the
late 1800's with those of today
Henry Allen Brainerd, state his
torian, in "The Nebraska Press"
points out that only 13 of the early
papers have survived. He writes.
"Now (June 1, 1933) we have
about 430 newspapers ... so
greatly improved over the pioneer
press as to merit of editorials,
news and other advancements that
they stand in the place that will be
among the leading newspapers of
the country."
The papers, old and new, in the
collection of the state historical
society form an invaluable source
of material. Here, the inquisitive
reader can browse for hours over
the events of Nebraska' pioneer
days.
lie can look thru the worn pages
of the Nebraska City News, sec
ond paper to be established and
represented today by the News
Press which can justly lay claim
to being the oldest newspaper now
published in the state. The old
News was first printed in Sidney,
la., in the fall of 1854, only a
short time after the Palladium. In
1855, it came under the editorship
of J. Sterling Morton and was
published by him until the time
of his death. The Press part of the
title is the result of a merger with
the People's Press in 1874.
Furnas founds Nebraska Farmer.
Or the reader can flip over the
pages of the first issue of the first
agricultural journal, the Nebraska
Farmer of October, 1859, pub
lished by Robert Furnas. Furnas
also established the Brownville
Advertiser, the fifth newspaper of
the state, later merged with the
Farmer. Furnas deserves mention
as a prominent pioneer. He insti
gated the establishment of the
state board of agriculture and
served as governor. He devoted a
great deal of effort toward the
improvement of agriculture.
Also on file is the Omaha Ar
row, established by Joseph John
son, a Mormon. He was a colorful
figure, who later started the
Huntsman's Echo at Wood River
Center, (now Lexington) and went
"The City of Hospitality"
OMAHA
invites
The Nebraska Press Association
Convention
1940
Omaha Chamber of Commerce
1707 WOW Buildinc,
on to play a prominent part in
Utah journalism.
National capitol to Kearney.
In the pages of the Kearney
Central Star, later changed to the
Star of Empire, one can read of
Editor Moses Sydenham's ambi
tious dream of moving the na
tion s capital to the center of the
nation at the site of old Fort
Kearney. Serious interest was
aroused in the project and Syden
ham went so far as to plan a
national railroad system radiating
in all directions from Kearney.
Among those old-timers was Ed
ward Rosrwator who put out the
first issue of the Omaha Daily
Bee in the summer of 1871. Rose-
water was a Union telegraph oper
ator during the Civil war and
transmitted the Emancipation Proc
lamation from the war department
in Washington to the armies in
the field. He moved to Omaha in
18C3 at the request of Edward
Creighton to become Omaha man
ager of the Pacific Telegraph
company and correspondent for
several large papers.
Nebraskian first in Omaha.
The Bee was not the first news
paper printed in Omaha by a long
shot, though. That honor goes to
the Omaha Nebraskian, first is
sued Jan. 17, 1855. The editor was
Bird B. Chapman, a territorial
delegate to congress. It was chief
ly a political paper.
following in 1856 was the Ne
braska Democrat, published At
Omaha by Hadley D. Johnson.
Johnson printed his paper on the
old press of the Palladium which
he sold to the Florence Courrier in
the same year that he boutlit it.
Evidently many of the papers of
that time were more or less
transitory.
The Capital city couldn't have
had its first paper much sooner
than it did, for Charles H. Gere
started the Nebraska Common
wealth in Lincoln, Sept. 7, 1867,
less than a month after the legis
lature, in a turbulent session,
moved the capital from Omaha to
its present location (April 14,
1867). The Commonwealth became
the Nebraska State Journal in
1869. A history of Lincoln, printed
in 1889, says ". . . 1882 found the
State Journal company in their
handsome and spacious new build
ing at P and Ninth streets."
Female journalists were a rarity
in the Nebraska of that time, yet
they existed. The first known
newspaper woman in the state was
Maggie Eberhart who, in 1879, be
came the editor and senior partner
of the Platte Valley Independent,
forerunner of the present Grand
Island Independent "Pen Sketches
of Nebraskans" (1871) tells us
that this Irish editress "advocates
sound republican doctrine."
In the words of Miss Martha
Turner, newspaper librarian, and
daughter of M. A. Turner, an
early editor of the Columbus Her
ald, "Those pioneer editors were
often brilliant men who had an ad
venturous strain. Once they got
out here, they were too poor to
go back, bo they stuck it out and
built up the state."
for
Sigma Delta Chi
edits NPA issue
Members of Sigma Delta Chi,
men's professional journalism fra
ternity, are in charge of the Ne
braska Press Association edition
of the Daily Nebraskan, official
N. U. campus newspaper.
Officers of the journalism fra
ternity are: Morriss Lipp, North
riatte, president; Ed Steeves, Lin
coln, vice president; Merrill Eng
lund, Tckkamah, secretary; and
Dick deBrown, Lincoln, treasurer.
Prof. Gayle C. Walker is faculty
sponsor.
Scribes
(Continued from Page 1)
Norris' secretary in Washington,
D.C.
From 1906 to 1915, Charles C.
Johns of the Wood River Sunbeam
kept association records. Asa D.
Scott served from 1916 to 1918.
Ole D. Buck of the Harvard Cour
ier served from 1918 to 1931, when
he died. His daughter, Naomi, was
appointed to fill out his place for
the rest of the year. Park Keyes
wrote minutes from 1931 to 1933,
and Minder, serving since 1935,
seems likely to retain his office
for years to come. The complete
list of all who have been secre
taries of the Nebraska State Press
association follows:
M. H. Clark Omaha Nebraskan
1864 W. H. H. Waters, Peoples PreM,
Nebraska City.
1870 J. M. Haves, Fremont Tribune.
1873, 187S,, 1877. 1879, John A. Mac
MiiMihy, riatt!.mmith HernM.
1874 J. H. Peake, North Platte Ener
prme. 1876 Fred Nve Fremont Tribune.
1878 1880 H. M. Wells, Crete Union.
1881 A. E. Cady, Nebraska Farmer.
relied heavily upon newspaper advertis
ing to help it surmount the difficulties of
the past year. It will rely heavily upon
newspaper advertising during 1939.
We are thoroughly convinced of the value
of daily and weekly newspapers in pre
senting our message. The Fourth Estate
has not lost its power, according to our
view. It is a more vital factor in our lives
today than at any time in historyl
Lincoln Telephone
A 41 (UlUdfVU VVII IT
A HANDCLASP
FOR THE PRESSMAN
Business makes news. The newsmen help
business. The press has given information
necessary to intelligent business operation;
it has sold merchandise and service; it has
aided civic and charitable enterprises.
The Chamber of Commerce is the repre
sentative of Lincoln business, Urge and small.
It offers a warm handclasp to the Nebraska
Press Association. May the 1939 Lincoln
convention be enlightening and enjoyable.
Lincoln is proud to be j our host.
oCincoln
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
II. F. MeCULLA
President
M. Drum, Nebnmka Far-
1888 H. M. Buahnell, Plattsmouth Her-
1887 1888 Frank O. Blmmona,
porter.
Seward R.
1890 Mentor A. Brown, Kearney Huh
1891 1893 Rosa L. Hammond, Fremont
Tiilmne. k
1894 W. C. Chapman, Crete Vidette
189. W. K. Dayton, York Republican.
1896 1903 Fletcher N. Merwin, Beaver
01 y Tnhune.
1904 W. G. Purcell, Custer County
Chief, Broken Bow.
19115 Will M. Miuipin, Commoner. T.in.
coin.
1906 1915 Charles C. Johns Wood Rivet
Sunbeam.
1916 1918 Asa P. Scott, Edpiar Sun
191.8 1931 Ole D. Ruck, Harvard Courier.
1931 1933 Park Keyes, secretary-treasurer.
1934 Vernon Stanford. Oklahoma.
1935 Fred Minder, The .Lancaster Coun
ty Times, Havelock.
NPA Session--
(Continued from Page 1)
Circulation," by Floyd L. Hocken
hull of Chicago. Mr. Hockenhull
is publisher of Circulation Man
agement. Resolutions will also be
heard Saturday morning along
with a general discussion on "My
Best 1938 Idea."
Adjournment of the convention
comes at noon with luncheons for
the board of directors and daily
ad-managers. The latter will be in
parlor C at the Lincoln.
To veteran A. B. Wood and
W. C. Wood, father and son, pub
lishers of the Gering Courier, go
the honors due those who traveled
farthest to the convention. They
drove 490 miles and were among
the first to register Thursday aft
ernoon. Field Manager Fred Min
der estimated Thursday evening
that nt least 200 would participate
in Friday's activities and added
that the number might be closer to
300. There are 330 members of the
association.
and Telegraph Co.
am - "
HARRY J. KRUSZ
General Manager
1882 1883 O.
mer.
-4.