Newspapers / The Pilot (Southern Pines, … / Jan. 7, 1965, edition 1 / Page 2
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I THE PILOT—Souths blina TH Southern Pines North Carolina “In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. 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 influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we will treat everybody alike.” — James Boyd, May 23, 1941. Looking Back: A Remarkable Year One Pilot reader was so impressed with last week’s review of Moore County pro gress during 1964 that he suggests the whole story be printed up in pamphlet form—for distribution out of the county and state—and tentative plans for such a project, with one or more sponsoring institutions or businesses, have begun. It was an impressive story—a year that included not only developments of inter est in the county but an extraordinary number, it seems, that have state-wide, or even wider, significance. We are thinking of such accomplish ments as the start of work on the Sand hills Community College, opening of the Penick Home for the Aging and Camp Easter in the Pines for handicapped Keep Public Meetings Public We note with some trepidation that the county commissioners foresee a “confer ence room” in their plans for expanded quarters on another floor of the court house in Carthage. We presume this to mean a meeting room separate from and closed off to whatever public meeting room the new quarters would have. Our concern is that such an accomodation might encourage the secret meetings to which all public officials seem to have a propensity. While we hesitate to condemn any in dividual or public body before the fact, there is ample evidence in past proceed ings of the commissioners that they oc casionally prefer to meet in private— even on the days of their regular month ly session. On several occasions, over the past years, visitors and the press, at the appointed hour of meeting, have been present and waiting in the regular meet ing room—and have remained waiting for varying lengths of time—only to learn that the board members have been con- Priority Zoning Projects We hope that Moore County’s legisla tors will place high on their action list at the coming session in Raleigh, the end ing of this county’s exemption from the law that permits municipalities to zone— that is, to control land use and develop ment—up to one mile outside their city limits. When this admirable legislation was adopted by the Assembly, about a decade ago, Moore County, along with others, was exempted from its provisions. As we recall what happened, residents of the area between Southern Pines and Aber deen appeared to think at that time— though without actual justification—that “outside” zoning would be the first step toward the town’s annexing a portion of the area within the city limits. Their bitter protests were sufficient to kill the proposal so far as Moore County was con cerned. Since then, residents of the Sandhills have had frequent occasion to regret that the town had no “outside” zoning power, as unsightly or unsuitable structures or commercial establishments have been set up in the perimeter areas of town, or as deterioration of certain sections, over which the town has had no control, has set in. We hope, also, that county officials will pursue and obtain legislative authoriza tion for county zoning proposals, design ed to control development in the area of Sandhills Community College and the three consolidated high schools of the county system and in certain suburban sections and other rural locations threat ened by blight of one sort or another. 'There is nothing dictatorial or arbi trary about either city or county zoning laws. Opportunity is provided in both laws for representation on boards from the areas involved, for public hearings and full consideration of all proposals and for appeal and review of actions that meet with disapproval. We have never yet heard of a com munity or area that regretted setting up a zoning system—but we hear frequent expressions of regret or of the need for action, where zoning is needed but does not exist. ‘Correction, Please’ “Correction, Please” is the name of a small publication issued by one of the so-called “extremist” groups, the John Birch Society. The editors apparently get their material, their copy, by searching the run-of-the-mill publications for what they term errors, generally to be found in statements about people or organiza tions which this group views with su spicion. Their terms for such are “Comsymps,” or outright “Reds.” And so, as might be expected, other run-of-the-mill editors occasionally cast an interested eye over these so-called “corrections” to see if they can’t, in their turn, find some “corrections.” For instance, here’s a quotation from a recent “Correction, Please,” bulletin that calls for correction—or at least for eluci dation. “The truth is that, in many of its monthly bulletins, the John Birch Socie ty’s management has repeatedly urged its members to stick strictly to the Socie ty’s massive educational program . . . “Even the Society’s action programs, such as the movement to impeach Earl Warren, are designed primarily for their educational value . . . . ” In other words, they don’t mean what they say? If the John Birch Society is to confine 1,964 — The! ear Of The Johnson Flood children, the elaborate Country Club of North Carolina development, location of the widely known Wayne Sabin Tennis Camp at Pinehurst and the moving here of the offices and plant of the internation al magazine, “Golf World.” These developments all share a certain flair, a certain novelty, that have drawn attention to the Sandhills and Moore County from far and wide, apart from other important projects on the list in last week’s story, whose impact was primarily within the county. It was a remarkable year, showing balanced progress in industry, business, education, agriculture, and recreation and resort activity. ^691 LN — '!. SN asi. / i a ! • WI ferring elsewhere in the courthouse, while those who came to meet with them cooled their heels. At the first meeting of the newly elect ed and reorganized board last month, the chairman called an “executive session” from which the press and public were excluded, though this is specifically for bidden not only by general state law which says that—when meeting at the regular appointed place and time—boards of commissioners should conduct open proceedings, but also by a special act of the General Assembly applying to Moore County, guaranteeing open meetings of the board. If the proposed conference room, there fore, will be a; place where the commissioners can gather informally at odd times to enjoy a cup of coffee or each other’s company—well and good. But if it is seen as a place to conduct either regular or special meetings, apart from the public or the press, it could be a threat to good government in Moore County. UNITED NATIONS REPORT Success In Peacekeeping Cited BY JAMES BOYD United Nations Correspondent Frequently under fire for its alleged shortcomings or failures, the United Nations often does not receive equal ly emphatic credit for its successes. Following is the first of two articles—the oth er to appear next week—on successful or potentially suc cessful UN peacekeeping operations. the Soviet Union delivering its 103rd Veto against a relatively mild United Kingdom - United States resolution presented De cember 21 which called for all parties concerned to cooperate fully with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization and asked that a report be made to the Secretary General, 31 March, 1965. itself purely to “educating” people, then it must take care who it “educates.” It is all very well to make extravagant and inflammatory statements to pep up a crowd of highly-keyed, excitable, irre sponsible ineffectives, eager to march with placards or join in shouting down speakers with whom they disagree; it is another thing to broadcast this “primari ly educational” matter over the nation to seep into the minds of the reckless, the discontented, the people with chips on their shoulders, the fanatics and those on the very edge of mental control and sanity. To these the cry: “Impeach Earl Warren!” spoken over the airwaves, writ ten in pamphlets, stated even on great billboards for all to see, act as a call to lawlessness. Their immediate response is: “Down with Justice! Down with the Law!” Too often, as has been pointed out many and many a time since President Kennedy’s death, it is not the actual wielders of the death weapons who are basically responsible, but those whose reckless language has set the fuse. They do not mean this, most of them. Most are well-intentioned, patriotic, as they see it, but they are woefully mis guided in the methods and the path they follow. Misguided, misled, they can do immense harm to the nation we believe ISRAEL-SYRIAN DISPUTE Ever since the partition of Isra el and Syria in 1949, there have been border incidents between the two countries. Luckily for the world, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization has been in the area to control the potentially explosive situa tion and keep the peace. In November, as so often be fore, near war broke out again between the two countries. This involved a dispute between Israel and Syria as to exactly where the border lay. Israel was in the process of constructing a new road and Syria claimed that part of it in fringed upon Syrian soil. Rather than take up the matter with the U. N., Syrian forces opened fire and in a few minutes a full scale conflict was in process. It took the U. N. Truce Supervision team two hours to get the situation un der control. The matter was then brought to the attention of the Security Council. The West and principally the United States deplored the quick recourse to the use of arms. Am bassador Stevenson said, “We are disappointed that the first shot fired from a rifle quickly es calated into fire on the spot and elsewhere by tanks, by artillery and, finally, by jet aircraft. We find it difficult to excuse the readiness with which the whole military operation was undertak- The Soviet Union vetoed this resolution on the grounds that “the draft resolution tried to put the victim of the aggression and the aggressor on the same foot ing” and that the Security Coun cil was “duty bound to declare categorically that it was firmly resolved to take the necessary measures to put an end to such acts of aggression by Israel.” But the real significance of the Soviet Veto is that if it were not for the presence of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the area, Israel and Syria would long ago have engaged in a war which could have easily exploded into an East-West conflict to not only disturb the peace of the Middle East but perhaps that of the whole world. The division would have been: the Soviet Union along with its bloc nations in support of the Arab States on one side and, on the other, the West—principally the United States and the NATO powers— in support of Israel. Luckily for the world, the United Nations is there, charged with keeping the peace whether or not the Soviet Union vetoes a resolution. AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION The Birch Society and ADA en.” At the opposite end of the pole was the Soviet Union, which sided with Syria and condemned the aggressive acts of Israel. This is in keeping with the Soviet position of many years which has unequivocally supported Syria and the Arab States in the hope of gaining a foothold into this rich area. This meeting of the Security Council ran true to form with (From The Smilhfield Her2dd) . . . Much was said during the campaign about “extremism.” One side denounced the John Birch Society. The opposite side countered by pointing a finger at ADA (Americans for Democratic Action). Many a voter tagged both the Birch Society and ADA as “extrem ist,” concluding that “one is as bad as another” or “they’re two of a kind.” The conclusion is not justi fied. There is an important distinction between the Birch Society and ADA. To miss it is to miss something fundamen tal about the American demo cratic system. Delusions The Birch Society thrives on hate and fear. . . Birchers cling to the false belief that Ameri ca is about to be subdued by an internal Communist con spiracy. Not only are they con vinced that classrooms, pul pits, and newspaper offices have been taken over by Com munists; they also have the delusion that Government pos itions are Communist ridden. The founder of the John Birch Society, Robert Welch, was moved to write a few years ago: “My firm, belief that The Public Speaking they sincerely love. Hazards Of Drinking By Teenagers Noted To the Editor: Boy plus girl plus alcohol equals a potentially explosive, disastrous, heart-breaking situa tion—fatal car wrecks, unwed mothers, unhappy marriages, mental illness, ad nauseam. The social acceptability of teenage drinking is probably a fait accompli. Nevertheless all ef fective, workable steps available should be taken to reverse the trend in the Sandhills. Parents or any adult responsible for ar ranging dances or other types of ^gatherings for young people should set high standards of be havior. Specious reasons are used to justify serving liquor at par ties attended by teenagers or per mitting others to bring liquor to such parties. No need to list them. All that is needed is to ask those giving such r,easons if they would feel the same way if a boy or girl had lost life or limb or reputation after one of their par ties because of alcohol’s well- known ability to lessen inhibi tions and lower natural safe guards to purity (one doesn’t hear that word very much any more, does one?) Let’s get off the fence and use our common sense! Dwight Eisenhower is a dedi cated, conscious agent of the Communist conspiracy is bas ed on an accumulation of de tailed evidence so extensive and so palpable that seems to put this conviction beyond any reasonable doubt.” Welch could make that charge. Of course he never could support the charge with evidence. No rational American believes Dwight Eisenhower ever was a dedicated Communist agent, . . Is It Fair? Is it fair to equate Ameri cans for Democratic Action with an organization of irra tional Americans led by a man who believes democracy is a “fraud?” Let’s take a look at ADA. Many Americans do not agree with ADA’s “liberal” or “socialistic” or “New Dealish” thinking. Many Americans want less Government plan ning than ADA proposes. But ADA is not “extremist” in the same sense that the John Birch Society is. The members of ADA are in telligent Americans and they are loyal Americans. They fav or Government programs that are sometimes termed “social istic,” but they are strongly anti-Communist. Indeed, ADA members have been among America’s most effective crit ics of Communism. ADA does not believe that democracy is a fraud. Its members have demonstrated their belief in democratic processes. They do not act in secret. They do not assassinate character. We do not have to agree with ADA policies. But in fair ness we do have to acknow ledge that ADA is true to dem ocratic traditions and has nev er been a subversive organiza tion. PAT VAN CAMP rRSDjHji lY 7, 1965 Grauj ■ Sand Th© Pecks Rfi. A Merry ChijHHs greeting of special delighv oanS today in the form of a long letter from Bill Peck—Dr. William Peck, U. S. Peace Corps, P. O. Box 700 Blan- tyre, Malawi, to accord Bill his proper address. (Malawi is in the former Nyasaland, alongside Northern Rhodesia.) An immediate note was dispatched to Dr. Peck, asking for permission to print the whole letter. There’s not a word in it critical of anybody or anything, but, recalling the incident of the Peace Corps worker who wrote a certain postcard home, it’s best to make sure. In the meantime, to give you a taste of what’s coming, (we hope), here is just a bit. The first part is a clipping from the Malawi paper enclosed in the Peck letter. Malawi, Friday, Dec. 18: “An elderly woman was beaten to death and several other people were injured by a gang of men who thought the old people were responsible for the lack of rain in the Kamwira village area near Lundu earlier this week. “It is understood that the men, worried about the lack of rain in their district, went around villages in the area blaming the old people for making magic to keep the rain away. In Kamwira village Agnes Dooko was so bad ly beaten that she died. And from the letter: “They were remanded in cus tody until December 30, to allow the Crown time to prepare its case and for defense of the accus ed persons to be arranged.” “You are doubtless wondering where we are and why. Maybe we don’t really know why we are here—except that this business of trotting about the world seems to get into the blood—but most certainly we know where we are, for we can read that in the local paper. Last week there were a couple of news items that told us explicitly: At Karonga, a village where I have some responsibili ties, a lion entered a house and was killed by villagers with bows and arrows; and at Lake Salima, a sort of resort on Lake Malawi, within driving distance of our home, the villagers killed two lions out of a large Pride of Lions, that had killed, many goats and a man—that, as I recall, was the order in which the depriva tions were listed. “Down the Shire River, which I frequently cross by ferry or canoe, a sorcerer turned himself into*-a, the woman he had been hired to do away with, tl.us posing a partic ularly knotty legal problem when the case came to court—So where in the world could we Pecks be but in Africa?” More to come, we hope. Quite a Trick! “POUND REHABILITA’TED” said a recert News and Observ er. And “’||''a'i!” said we. We knew everybody was get ting prettw^iberal, (Birchites etc. would sajy'pink) but it’s quite somethin^f Ezra Pound is be ing rehabil#ated. During hisTif54;:ne he dabbled in all sorts oc isms and ended up living in Italy and broadcasting Fascist propaganda to the United States and being indicted for treason. When he was brought back from jitaly in 1945 he was adjudged fco insane to stand trial and ^as put in a federal hospital wlere he died, not long I T. vv So now Ezra is being rehabili- tateq! Nov^ just how would you go about cloing that? And than we found that the Pound referred to in the N. & O. headline was the British, not the Ezra, variity. That’s jvhat you get for con centrating! on the headlines! He Saw Ipanger Kennedjfy: “We must end the arms racf; before the arms race human race.” ends the TR E PILOT Publishe d Every Thursday by THEfPILOT, Incorporaled Soulhe rn Pines. North Carolina 1941 Kathari ne Boyd C. Bene Gloria Mary -JAMES BOYD—1944 diet C. G. C ouncil Bessie ' 2. Smith Editor Associate Editor Advertising Advertising Mary ^cott Newton Business Fisher Business Ivelyn de Nissoff Socaety Composing Room Dixie J B. Ray, Michael Valen, Thornes Mattocks, J. E. Pate, Sr.. Chdjjjjpo Weatherspoon, Robert Cof Southern Pines BIGOTRY The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye; the more light you pour upon it, the more it will contract. —Oliver Wendell Holmes Second-class Postage paid at ^uthem Pines, N. C. Subscription Rales Moore County One ^"fear $400 7 lutside Moore County One F.'ear $9.00 F ^l^ber National Editorial Assn. I and N. C. Press Assn.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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