Page TWO
THE PILOT—Southern Pines, North Carolina
THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1962
Southern Pines ' North Carolina
“In taking over The Pilot no changes are conieiiipiated. We will try to keep this a good
paper. We will try to make a little money for all concerned. Wherever there seems to be
an occasion to use our inlluence for the public good we wUl try to do it. And we wuj
treat everybody alike.’’—James Boyd, May 23. 1941.
Lowering the Campaign Level
The A. Paul Kitchin who won his first
Congressional nomination in 1956 by ex
ploitation of Rep. C. B. Deane’s refusal
to sign the “Southern Manifesto” is the
same A. Paul Kitchin who last week in
jected a race issue into the current 8th
District Democratic primary campaign.
Mr. Kitchin’s office put out a press re
lease quoting the Congressman as follows:
“I am convinced that elements of the
National Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People are opposing my
candidacy.”
That’s all he said—a little pebble of a
statement dropped into the waters of the
8th District, to send small waves of dis
trust, suspicion and racial antagonism
rolling outward to make their influence
felt in those quarters where response
could be expected.
Coupled with the NAACP statement
was another, also a masterpiece of guard
ed innuendo: the press release said that
Mr. Kitchin was “convinced that the
hierarchy of organized labor was oppos
ing him” in the primary.
'* Note that the Congressman did not say
Negroes were against him, or even the
NAACP, but “elements of the NAACP,”
whatever that may mean. Nor did he say
that all working people or even all or
ganized labor opposed him, but the
“hierarchy of organized labor,” a term
that is also meaningless. There was no
documentation for either charge.
A few days later, when the Congress
man was questioned about his NAACP
and labor statements, he could reply that
he would welcome Negro andl la1x)r sup
port.
But the implication remained that
villainous “elements” of the NAACP
and the “hierarchy” of labor somehow
are against Kitchin while virtuous Ne
groes and union members would be the
ones who might vote for him.
Kitchin’s challenger, John P. Kennedy
made the most sensible reply possible
to this sly finagling with a racial topic.
“I do not believe anyone feels this
question is an issue,” he said.
As to the labor charge, Kennedy point
ed out that he wants support from all
groups, has made no promise to any
group and that opposition to Kitchin by
working people should be no surprise to
anyone since the Congressman led a
fight against the President’s minimum
wage bill in Congress.
Mr. Kitchin is an expert at raising
fraudulent issues—and the pity of it is
that many of his supporters promote and
stake the success of his campaign on such
issues, even while many of these sup
porters know the issues to be false.
During the 1956 campaign, many lead-
Hole in Van Allen’s Belt
Is it okay to monkey with the Van
Allen Belt?
If anybody had asked that question
before April 30, it’s a fair guess the reply
would have been a “Come again?” But
on that date Walter Sullivan, bright star
in the galaxy of New York Times re
porters, came out with an article that
centered around the Van Allen Belt. It
was entitled: “H-Tests May Wipe Out
Radiation Belt,” and that’s just what this
newly-discovered space creature is: a
belt of radioactive particles engirdling
the world at a comparatively low altitude.
It was discovered by Dr. Robert A. Van
Allen, during research carried on in con
nection with the International Geophys
ical Year project.
Since the Sullivan article, it is likely
the Van Allen Belt has become part of
the scientific vocabulary airily tossed
about by this one and that, when the dis
cussion turns to the testing and the possi
bly grim connection which the Times
writer points out between the two. For
the point of the article is that these tests
of high altitude H-bomb explosions will
shoot up into the encircling belt causing
a vast hole, or break, in the ring down
which will pour a flood of highly-charged
particles of radioactive material. Because
the belt is circling the turning earth so
fast, it is thought most of these will fly
off into outer space, but not all will.
Some will be caught in the gravitational
pull of the world and will descend into
the ocean or onto the land.
“It is anticipated,” writes Sullivan,
that this type of fall-out will not cause
any hazard to human life outside the
testing area.”
But if no serious har^ is anticipat
ed from fall-out, there r^hains, without
doubt, a greater and more dangerous un
certainty. In these explosions, the scien
tists agree, the belt will suffer extensive
deterioration; it will be./'contorted.” It
will take many years, som% scientists be
lieve more than a hundred, before the
belt can regain its original content, before
its circling, swirling shape can be re
stored. Is this good or bad? It is held by
some that the belt is caused by cosmic
rays or is, perhaps, a protective shield
against these deadly emissions from the
sun. What happens if this testing blows
a hole in it through which the rays could
penetrate the atmosphere? Or is this belt
some kind of unknown factor in the
Life cycle? Again, what happens if it is
reduced in size, “contorted,” as the re
port suggests?
There have been no answers to such
questions. And how could there be? It
is only too evident that nobody knows
them. But since the news that such an
experiment was to be made was released
by the Atomic Energy Commission there
have been plenty of strongly unfavorable
comments. They have come from the
highest scientific sources, from men
whose right to speak on such a subject
cannot be questioned.
The purpose of this experiment is said
to be to discover what effect such tinker
ing with the Van Allen Belt will have on
radio signals, perhaps a way to black out
enemy communications. On the other
hand, there is an air of irresponsibility
about this affair that is frightening many
people and, as is evident, not only the
laymen.
A particularly grisly tone is lent to the
Sullivan article in the writer’s description
of some by-play that occurred when the
H-bomb tests were being planned. It
appears that two scientists from the Uni
versity of Minnesota thought up the idea
of exploding the bomb in the radioactive
belt which had been discovered by their
colleague. Van Allen, a short time before.
Sullivan quotes their report: “It might
be amusing to end the Geophysical Year
by destroying some of the radiation field
discovered in the Geophysical Year.”
Amusing? It takes such men to choose
such a word. Surely here is a degree of
monkeying with the imknown forces
‘mat A Party! Here, Take Care Of Thfer
ers in the Kitchin camp, as well as no
doubt the candidate himself, knew that
the Southern Manifesto, pledging its
signers to use all legal means to oppose
the Supreme Court’s school segregation
decision of 1954, was so much window
dressing; that the Supreme Court decision
was valid and would remain valid; and
that a pretense of opposition was foolish
and dangerous by raising false hopes, by
creating national disunity and by offer
ing an opportunity for communist pro
paganda against the United States amorig
the great numbers of colored people in
the world.
Likewise, now, Kitchin’s NAACP and
labor charges are equally fraudulent. It
is widely known that the NAACP is a
legal, not a political organization, and
that its purpose is to initiate and support
court action on behalf of civil rights, not
to endorse or oppose candidates. Also it
is widely known that the inclusive term
“organized labor” includes persons em
bodying both the best and the worst
in American life, with millions of union
members—just ordinary people, not
devils incarnate—between the two ex
tremes. Yet, no matter how he may dis
claim it, the terms “NAACP” had “orga
nized labor” are spoken by Kitchin with
the implication—and the knowledge that
numerous unsophisticated persoiis in the
district will assume this implication—
that some sort of diabolic force is aligned
against him. And aligned, by inference—
though he was careful not to say this—
on behalf of his opponent.
That apparently intelligent men —
Kitchin and his supporters — would
choose the course of racial agitation in
1956 was shocking. That they would
again inject a racial issue six years later
is incredible. Public understanding of the
national and international implications
of race and politics has vastly increased.
Civic groups and individuals have urged
that race be renounced as a topic of
political exploitation. Yet the responsi
bility incumbent on men of good will in
this change of mental climate, especial
ly in North Carolina, seems to have been
lost on Mr. Kitchin and his supporters.
Mr. Kitchin has underestimated the
morality and intelligence of his electo
rate, many of whom have matured poli
tically, even if the Congressman has not,
in the past six years. His race and labor
issues are likely to backfire.
Certainly the people of the 8th Dis
trict can be thankful that there is
onposing Mr. Kitchin a candidate, John
P. Kennedy, who is campaigning on a
higher level. While there is much else to
recommend Mr. Kennedy, the soundness
and integrity of his campaign tactics will
go far in appealing to many voters.
n
bQMkmoHei^
V
.*
GBnUISBOEO DAILY HIW8
POUTICAL FABLE FROM THE PAST-
‘Send Old Puzzler To Washington^
outer space that should cause
Edward Teller himself to pause.
of
even
In the days when James Boyd
was publishing The Pilot, a cer
tain character nam.sd Hugh Dave
MacWhirr used to amble into the
office now and then, for a bit of
chat. (That he came via the edi
tor’s mind is purely incidental.)
Pearls of wisdom and acid com
ments on local folks, on dogs, on
politics, on anything and every^
thing going on ’ around Moore
County fell from Mr. Hugh Dave’s
tobacco-stained lips. In a preface
to the small book containing some
of Mr. MacWhirr’s remarks, Edi-
ter Bioyd claimed that any editor
is glad to have such a subscriber
as Mr. Hugh Dave, “to tackle
such issues as the Pilot weakly
prefers to dodge.”
One of this aforesaid sub
scriber’s pet exasperations was
’The Government. With the elec
tion drawing close, this seems an
appropriate time to call on Mr.
MacWhirr once more and reprint
on.9 of his rambling dialogues
dealing with this serious subject.
Send The Dogs To
Washington
“Now there is a dog,” Mr.
Hugh Dave’s voice roused us up
from the copy we were reading
“that ought to be in the govern
ment.”
“Why, hello, Mr. Hugh Dave,”
we said. “Didn’t know you were
in town.” We looked where he
was pointing a long finger out
the office window in which Jack-
son, the office dog was bristling
and muttering to himself. “Jack-
son,” we said. “No sir, we can’t
agree that Jackson ought to be
in the government. He oughtn’t
even to be in this office. Drives
subscribers away by smelling
their legs.”
“Why sir,” Mr. Hugh Dave said,
“I was not speaking about your
fyce. 'There are always fyce dogs
enough in any government. I was
speaking about my dog.” he clear
ed his throat impressively, “my
fox-dog, Old Puzzler.”
Looking again, we saw the
grave serene face and long tan
ears of Old Puzzler on the front
seat of Mr. MacWhirr’s model T.
“Well, he surely looks like he
hart sense,” we admitted.
“He has it,” Mr. Hugh Dave
said, “and he spreads it around.
When I brought him down from
Alamance as a pup,” Mr. Mac-
Whirr said, “the Possum Bottom
section was not noted for its fox
drtps. The best of them were pot-
lickers and from there they grad
ed down to yard dogs and fyces.”
“Well, sir,” Mr. Hugh Dave
said, “the very first year Old
Puzzler made his name. He was
a strikedog, he was a trailer, he
was a driver; and he was a death-
ketch dog to boot. And what
has been the consequence?” Mr.
DARKNESS
To consider mankind other
wise than brethren, to think
favors are peculiar to one
nation and exclude others,
plainly supposes a darkness
in the understanding.
—John Woolman
Hugh Dave’s hand fell on our
shoulder. “Why now it’s got so
them Surry county fellows that
used to pester the foxhunters in
Chatham and Alamance so bad,
why now they come all the way
to Possum Bottom to do their dog
stealing. There’s where the repu
tation of our fox dogs stands
now..” He gripped our shoulder.
“And all on account of Old Puz
zler,” he said proudly. “Why the
other night before I dropped off
to sleep, I counted up seventy-
nine Old Puzzler pups that I
know about which is hunting
within ten miles of my place.”
Mr. Hugh Dave waved his
hand at the window. “There he
is,” he said.
Odl Puzzler must have heard.
He turned his high domed head
and his tail swung up and waved
against the back of tbs seat with
The Public Speaking
Thoughts Noted on County
Pledge to Moore Memorial
To the Editor:
Maybe it would be helpful to
set down some thoughts concern
ing the gift, or rather moral
pledge by the county commission
ers of $45,000 to Moore'Memori
al Hospital.
1. Whether or not it is legal
must be decided by our capable
county attorney.
2. We have two excellent hos
pitals in Moore County. 'What is
given to one should be given to
the other. This would obligate
the county commissioners in the
amount of $90,000.
3. Ws are fortunate in our
county, in contrast to surround
ing counties, in that our hospitals
have been supported and have
thrived through private donations
rather than through public taxa
tion.
4. Will public taxation vitiate
some will to give of individual
supporters?
DONALD D. KENNEDY
Southern Pines.
Finds Kitchin's Actions
Difficult to Understand
To the Editor:
I am having a great deal of dif
ficulty in understanding some of
the actions of Rep. A. Paul Kitch
in in his efforts to win the 8th
District Democratic Primary May
26.
First of all, he made the public
statement that he did not believe
it to be a Congressman’s duty to
assist in bringing industry into
his District. Then, after much de
lay and undoubtedly to the relief
of his shocked supporters, he ac
cused the press of “omitting” one
word, which would slightly
change the meaning, from his
statement.
Secondly, he led the fight in
the House against the President’s
minimum wage bill—and then he
bemoans the lack of interest
shown in him by working people.
Next, when he first ran for
Congress, he waged a successful
whisper campaign against Rep.
C. B. Deane, the best friend the
8th District had ever known, for
Mr. Deane’s refusal to sign the
so-called “Southern Manifesto.”
Now he is seeking the support of
those he “used” to win six years
ago.
Mr. Kitchin has based his cam
paign thus far on his being a
“Champion of the People,” yet an
editorial appearing in last week’s
Pilot (“while Kitchin Slept”)
clearly indicates the opposite. He
doesn’t even vote the wishes of
the majority in his own district—
which, as 8th District representa
tive, he is supposed to do.
This district drastically needs
in Washington a representative
who would keep in touch with
his district and would have genu
ine interest in its problems.
Such a man is John P. Kenne
dy who is opposing Mr. Kitchin in
the Democratic primary, Satur
day, May 26.
FRANCES N. FRAZIER
Southern Pines
Bird Club Opposed
To Spraying Program
To the Editor:
The Southern Pines Bird Club
wishes to congratulate you on
your editorial against the Town’s
insecticide spraying program, in
a recent Pilot.
The club is very strongly op
posed to spraying, as it has
caused the death of many birds.
According to statistics, if a robin
eats ten worms in the vicinity of
a sprayed area where the ground
is contaminated, he dies.
Insect-loving birds have nothing
to eat if insects are killed by
spray. The balance of nature is
upset. Birds would take care of
the bugs themselves when their
numbers are normal.
Hoping an opinion from the
Bird Club may help the good
cause!
LOUISE M. HAYNES
Secretary,
Southern Pines Bird Club
friendly dignity.
“Send him to Washington,” Mr.
Hugh Dave said; “As a good ex
ample. The government is always
busy about political programs
and economies and social some
things. And all the while the
ablest folks are dying out and the
folks that can’t take care of them
selves are breeding up.”
Mr. Hugh Dave wagged a fin
ger between our nose and the
copy on the desk. “Shucks, boys,
let them look at Old Puzzler.
Maybe then they’ll remember
what our granddaddies knew
good and well; that the bed rock
of any government is the people
in it.”
“Mr. Hugh Dave,” we asked,
“What can we do about it?”
“Nobody knows yet,” he said,
“not even me. But, son, we’d bet
ter start thinking.”
Grains of Sand
You Mean Frank Graham?
Must be the (Jreensboro AP man
is mighty new to his job. Under
the non-committal headline:
“A&T Speaker” we learn that “a
United Nations mediator” is due
to address the graduating class of
A&T College on June 2. This
mediator, says t’ e AP, “has roots
in North Carolina.”
Oh? Well, isn’t that nice. And
“he is UN representative for
India and Pakistan”—this starts
to have a familiar ring: who IS
this mediator and UN representa
tive, anyway?
So then it comes out: none oth
er than Dr. Frank P. Graham.
Just the most illustrious past-
president of the University of
North Carolina and a former
North Carolina Senator. Oh, yes:
and “Dr. Frank” to just about
every other Tarheel in the stale
or out of it.
Wise up, AP!
Isn't That Nice!
To our shame we confess we
didn’t know Moore County’s John
Lang, Jr., was deputy secretary
of the Air Force.
John appeared in Raleigh Sat
urday with Governor Sanford
and the big brass in the person
of State Adjutant General Claude
T. Bowers. And the Mayor of Ra
leigh was there and other digni
taries and more than 60 Air Force
reserve officers, all gathered to
hear the deputy secretary tell
about the Air Reserve re
covery program. (About how
they’ll help in a nuclear attack,
for instance.)
And in all this news not a word
to say that John’s from Carthage.
Tut!
An Outrage!
The Height of Political Exas
peration: Quote from a leading
county attorney at the Demo
cratic meeting in Carthage Satur
day on hearing how few people
had registered:
“It’s an outrage! I don’t care if
they vote Republican, if they’ll
just register and 'VOTE!”
Like A Diamond In The Sky—
The Littlest Star was spotted
last week.
Dr. William J. Lutyens, of the
University of Minnesota, discov
ered it. Though when you say
“discovered” it’s pretty different
from what you think. He didn’t
just look up and see it there. Dr.
L. found the Littlest Star by com
paring photographic plates taken
eleven years apart through the
200-inch Hale telescope on Mount
Palomar in California. (Give us
another eleven years and we just
might be able to explain that.)
The Littlest Star is a “white
dwarf” star. (Because it’s so small
and shines with a very white
light? Right.)
Little Star, you sound a bit
lonesome way off up there. Cheer
up. At least nobody’s going to
shoot at you. There are some ad
vantages in being small. And it’s
our prophecy that, one of these
days, some wonderful Rogers-and-
Hammerstein magicians will put
you in a song. Wait around and
see!
Or were you really discovered
and immortalized in verse long
ago?
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky.”
Was that you?
And then there was the Bos
tonian version:
“Scintillate, scintillate, globule
vivific.
Fain would I fathom thy nature
specific.
Loftily poised in ether capacious.
Strongly re.sembling a gem car
bonaceous.”
The PILOT
Published Every Thursday by
THE PILOT. Incorporated
Southern Pines, North Carolina
1941—JAMES BOYD—1944
Katharine Boyd Editor-
C. Benedict Associate Editor-
Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr.
C. G. Council Advertising
Mary Scott Newton Business.
Mary Evelyn de Nissoff Society
Composing Room
Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen,
Thomas Mattocks, J. E. Pate, Sr.,
Charles Weatherspoon and John-
E. Lewis.
Subscription Rates
Moore County
One Year $4.00’
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Southern Pines, N. C.
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and N: C; Press Assn.