Newspapers / The Pilot (Southern Pines, … / Jan. 21, 1965, edition 1 / Page 2
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THE PILOT—Southern Pines, North Carolina THURSDAY, JANUARY 21,1965 Pines Pilot ■LOT North Carolina School Of Hard Knocks • ■''•vV.r no changes are contemplated. We will try to keep this a good to make a little money for all concerned. Wherever there seems to be our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we will like.” — James Boyd, May 23, 1941. Promising Business Potential It was a surprise to us to learn, at Monday night’s meeting of the Southern Pines Merchants Council, that a listing of some 220 businesses in the immediate Southern Pines area has been compiled by the Council, in making up a local business directory. We would not have thought there were nearly that many. These businesses add up to a potential ly powerful force in the community’s commercial life—a force that could, if organized, be applied for the advance ment of all business here and for pro gress in other phases of the town’s life as well. Such an organization is what the Merchants Council is working for—and we wish them all possible success in their efforts which, if effective, might lead to formation of a full-fledged Chamber of Commerce. With only a dozen or so of the more than 200 firms represented at Monday night’s meeting (see news story else;- where in the paper today), the Merchants Council seenned a long way from its goal, even on a cold night when many auto mobiles in the area remained snowbound. Yet leaders in the group are hopeful of attaining far wider interest, once the business community sees the potential value of becoming organized. It has been shown, over and over again in other towns and cities, that well or ganized, cooperating businesses can work wonders in helping themslves and help ing their community. There’s no reason to think the same thing wouldn’t happen here. ui6H£^ ;ouc55 fflj The Spirit That Op ens Doors Today’s cartoon makes a point that has been receiving attention in the state’s press and which, as work begins on con struction of the two-year Sandhills Com munity College here, has particular sig nificance in this area. As public and private junior (two-year) colleges increase in number and expand in size, it is clear that the senior, four- year colleges face special problems in absorbing the many transfer students than can be expected to apply for admit tance to the third year of the senior in- situtions after completing a two-yeax academic course in the junior colleges. 'The concern in this as yet largely un tested situation is how the four-year col leges can organize their programs to handle large numbers of third-year en trants and also whether the two-year schools can adequately prepare their students to meet the standards set in the first two years of the senior colleges. Only time can provide definite answ ers—yet we are optimistic. Given the background of North Car olina’s soaring interest in and support of education in the past decade, most notab ly in the recent four years of the Sanford administration, it seems unlikely, at this stage, that problems occasioned by this deep interest can’t be solved or that the people, through the General Assembly, will not continue to make available the funds to do what has to be done. A key item, as we see it, will be making the salaries at community and junior colleges sufficiently attractive to draw competent faculties. While it’s obvious that Harvard professors are not going to resign to join the staff of the Sandhills Community College, we feel that there is in this community college undertaking, everywhere, an atmosphere of experi ment, of blazing new trails, of a new pattern of academic life close to the peo ple, that may have a special appeal to persons of ability and of devotion to education. Another point was brought out here recently at a meeting of friends of Camp bell College, a private, four-year school m neighboring Harnett County. This was that private colleges will be asked to absorb their share of the door-knocking young people in the cartoon and that help to these institutions, through dona tions and bequests, enabling them to expand their facilities and programs, will also be an important factor in assuring that doors will open to the knocking. Moore County’s overwhelming support e ^ million bond issue that made bandhills Community College possible is a measure of this area’s commitment to education. We feel that the spirit of this commitment will continue to be main tained, here and throughout the state. As everybody knows, from experience endeavor, that is the spirit that opens doors. f !'‘v - ■ «’• .v;.;,!;'. • •'•'i A BRITISH VIEWPOINT ON VIETNAM Is U. S. Power Extended Too Far? in Infant Mortality Battle Not Yet Won In an article by a physician associated with the National Foundation-March of Dimes, some startling information is re vealed; 10 nations have a lower infant mortality rate than the United States— despite the fact that this coimtry has the best trained physicians, the most medical schools, more hospital beds and probably more pre-natal clinics than any other nation. An accompanying table shows that the Netherlands and Sweden, each with a rate of 15.1 deaths under one year old per 1,000 live births, lead the world in lowness of infant mortality. Following in order of rank are Norway, Finland, Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Swit zerland, United Kingdom, Ireland—and then the United States with a 25.3 rate. The figures are for the latest available year, 1962. A comparative table shows the figures for 1950, indicating an impressive lower ing of the infant mortality rate in the nations listed, world-wide, between then and 1962. But there is a notable change of rank over the 12 years. While Sweden led the list in 1950, as in 1962, its rate dropped from 21 deaths to the 15.3 listed for 1962. The U. S., on the other hand, declined from a rank of sixth lowest in 1950 to a rank of 11th lowest in 1962r— that is, from a rate of 29.2 deaths in the former year to 25.3 in the latter. Ob viously, the story told by these figures is that the other nations listed, for the most part, have been lowering their in fant death rate at a faster pace than has the United States. In attempting to fix a reason for this lag in the U. S., the National Foundation physician points out that, at any given time, in the United States, “we estimate that some two million women are preg nant. Of these, about 500,000 belong to that hardcore, lower socio-economic group who turn a deaf ear to prenatal advice and refuse to attend prenatal clinics because, they say, they don’t con sider pregnancy as being sick.” And the physican goes on to report that these women—often more worried about rent money, food money or their husband’s job than they are about pregnancy—say they don t have the time, money or transportation to attend a clinic or see a doctor. All of which, from our limited experi- matters, rings true. The March of Dimes article concludes: infant mortality rate remains shocking and frightening, that tragedy IS no justification for doing nothing to improve it. The time is W overdue fS us to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We most certainly can make our prenatal clinics more inviting and less wearing Se\hem mothers who should This subject has a particular signific ance in Moore County—indeed the quo tation above reads like a playback of what was being said right here in the county 30 years ago, when an impressive demonstration of exactly the points made by the National Foundation was carried out over the ensuing two decades and is still continuing. We are thinking, of course, of the Moore County Maternal Welfare Committee whose work in training midwives, spon- sormg clinics, getting people to clinics and backing public health workers sent this county’s once-disgraceful maternal and mfant mortality rate down, down, down oyer the course of years—a magni ficent demonstration that something can be done when there is wide public con cern, when capable, vigorous people volunteer their services and when a pro gram operates close to the persons it is ^signed to aid, taking into consideration their limitations, shortcomings, obstinacv and reluctance. ^ Surely, we can be thankful that, here and everywhere, the infant and maternal death rates have declined so extensive ly—but the National Foundation’s revela- tions bring home the continuing needs in this field and the responsibility of all good citizens to help assure that public health and welfare agencies —^^^ose workers are closest to the group that needs advice and help—are given ade quate funds and staff to make their efforts continually more effective. From The Manchesler Guardian For four centuries, white men were acquiring empires in Asia, wider still and wider. Then in little more than a decade, those empires melted away; the alien rulers departed. The ebb is still not quite complete. European governors remain in Soviet Asia, Macao and half of Timor, in Aden, and Hongkong; foreign sol diers are still stationed in those places, in some other British and United States bases—and Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Fed eration of South Arabia. Historical movements are not irreversible. Nevertheless, the tribulations of the British and US Governments in Southern Asia look very much like the conclu ding stages of the retreat of Eu rope and its transatlantic exten sion. Indeed, the two Powers themselves say they want to withdraw as soon as it is safe to do so. The parallels between the lost French war and the losing Amer ican war in Vietnam grow more striking every day. True, Ameri cans themselves believe in a fun damental distinction; the French were in Indochina as colonialists, whereas they are there at the in vitation of the legitimate Gov ernment, to defend it against sub version. But the difference is not so clear in the jungles and rice- fields, particularly under a show er of napalm; moreover, several “legitimate” Governments, both in Vietnam and in Laos, have been been overthrown without any attempt by the US forces to stop it. On the contrary. Two U.S. Views The Americans’ argument also involves the corollary that if the Government of South Vietnam ceases to' invoke their protection they will depart forthwith. One Government or other in Saigon may in fact do so some day, and that might be the best way out. But then a further argument is adduced: US forces are in South east Asia to contain communism, and specifically Chinese commu nism. This, it is urged, is an in eluctable American interest, whatever a particular Govern ment in Saigon thinks about it. Withdraw American power from the peninsula, and the countries will fall to communism like a row of dominoes. United States administrations over the past 10 years may have helped to make this true, by in sisting on it. Most rulers, in South-east Asia, as elsewhere, prefer to be on the winning side. But they do not want to be dis placed by Communists; nor, probably do most of their fellow- countrymen want to live under The American Dream The radio commentator, Lawrence Spivak, was recently asked by a woman speaker, a beginner in the field of broadcasting, to give her some advice. He gave it in three word's; “Copy Mrs. Roosevelt.” He went on: “To my mind, Eleanor Roosvelt was the most finished, the most winning speaker over the air that I have ever listened to. She had dignity with warmth, natural ease and charm that was delightful. Even if they disagreed violently with what she said, people kept on listening. She was persuasive, but never dictatorial, never argumentative. Though she could light into things and people, she was always serene, never abusive.” Said Spivak: “You can’t do better than to keep in mind Eleanor Roosevelt’s remarkable talks over the air.” The item that follows is from one of these remarkable talks. It is on a subject that was, perhaps, dearer to Mrs. Roosevelt’s heart than any other; No single individual, of course, and no single group has an exclusive claim to the American Dream. But we all have, I think, a single vision of what it is, not merely as a hope and an aspiration but as a way of life, which we can come ever closer to attaining in its ideal form if we keep shining and unsullied our purpose and our belief in its essential value. Perhaps the new frontier today is something more than the new revolution in textiles and methods and speed and goods. It is the frontier of men’s minds. But we cannot cast an enduring light on other men’s minds imless the light in our own minds burns with a hard unquenchable flame. The American Dream is never entirely realized. If many of our yoxmg people have lost the excitement of the early settlers who had a country to explore and develop, it is because no one remembers to tell them that the world has never been so challenging, so exciting; the fields of adventure and new fields to conquer have never been so limitless. There is still unfinished business at home, but there is the most tremendous adventure in bringing the peoples of the world to an under standing of the American Dream. I say to the yoimg: Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security imless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; imless you can choose a challenge instead of a competence. —ELEANOR ROOSEVELT Communist rule. Burmese governments have been fighting Communist insur gents for sixteen years, and have probably got on all the better (certainly better than the Viet namese) because they have had no American help; this was a struggle for the Burmese alone. Prince Sihanouk has even man aged to keep Cambodia non- Communist in active hostility to the Unite^H^ptes. One of tbe main lessons of Vietnam surely is that even the most powerful nation in the world cannot save a country from communism, or any other “ism,” if most of the people there do not share its ardour. The Chinese will no doubt learn the same lesson in reverse, if they succeed the French and the Americans as overlords of Viet nam. But even if the toppling dom ino theory is true, that does not win the Vietnamese war. As President Kennedy once hinted, there are limits to a great na tion’s power if it is extended too far. Now the United States is learning, as we and the French learned, that it probably does not extend on to the Asian main land. And, for all the idealism behind the American operation, there is no reason in history why it should. "We, loo. . ." We, too, it is true, are also fighting an anachronistic battle in South-east Asia. The circum stances are different: we are no;t intervening in a civil war, but coming to the aid of an ally un der foreign attack. But the same principles apply. We have no more permanent place in South east Asia than the Americans. True, President Sukarno is mak ing it as hard as he can for us to withdraw, by persisting in threat ening to destroy a federation we are committed to defend. But ultimately the salvation of Malaysia depends on Malaysians, not us. They may find it in Map- hilindo, the union of Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, which the Governments of all these countries have accepted as an aspiration, although President Sukarno, by his confrontation, has also put the realisation of this ideal many years back. Even much less ambitious hopes of peaceful coexistence, necessary as it is, seem vain so long as President Sukarno re mains ruler of Indonesia. But while he has delayed the Euro pean withdrawal from Asia in one corner of the continent, even he will not be able to stop it, and for all the sound and fury along the Strait of Malacca, the phrase “east of Suez,” so often on the lips of British ministers, has an oddly and disquietingly old- fashioned sound. Foul Shot The Squirrel took his revenge on our dog Tuffet Sunday. She keeps up a running battle with him and his children and guards the birds’ feeding place. The squirrels sit up above in the rosevine waiting for a chance. Sunday they got it. Tuffet was out there in the sunshine and the fluffy deep snow. She guarded one side of the table for a while; then she walked around to the other and took her stand. The drooping vines above were heavily laden with snow. The squirrel watched, then very quietly, very gently, he edged out onto the vine, testing each footstep. He got himself well out; below Tuffet maintain ed her noble stance in blissful ig norance. Suddenly the Squirrel made a jump, up and down, hard. There was a WOOF, THUMP— and down it came, a perfect ava lanche. In an instant Tuffet was a snowdog, a furious, humiliated snowdog; with a black and white crooked tail sticking out at one end. Hot Whale Whales are warm-blooded fish, but did you ever hear of a hot whale? Well, there was one in the news a few weeks ago. Somebody caught a whale off the coast of Oregon and some body, somehow, suspected that it was radioactive. They—^these un known fishermen—sent some of the whale to be tested and the scientists said; yes, the whale was hot. A straight-forward report, seemingly, and yet so many ques tions unanswered. How come the whale was suspected? Did it give off sparks, like a “hot” wire? Did the folks who sighted the dead whale and hooked onto it, just happen to have a Geiger counter along, and did somebody say; “Just for kicks, let’s see if he’s hot?” And then he was? Or is it routine now for every body who fishes off that coast where the wastes from the Han ford atomic plant on the Colum bia River wash down into the sea, to keep Geiger counters han dy? Just in case? It’s a strange new world and not altogether pleasant. Basic Necessity “What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable plan et to put it on?” —THOREAU That Foreign Aid: Pills Or Planning? From India comes the welcome news that her Sacred Cows are going in for Planned Parenthood. This progressive step is not be ing taken exactly under their own power. It’s due to the com bined efforts of Dr. Frank Parker and the Indian Ministiy of Food and Agriculture. It seems that when Dr. Parker —he’s our Lockie Parker’s broth er, now living in Washington— was in India heading the work with the Indian villages under the World Health Organization, he became gravely concerned over the cows. Because they were sacred beasts according to the Hindu, religion, they could not be slaughtered or eaten and the elderly among them or the unfit were allowed to go wander ing aimlessly about the land at their own sweet will. 'They ate up, says Dr. Parker, enormous quantities of India’s scarce food. India even ran a few Old Cows’ Homes for the tired ladies. With the population explosion a daily topic. Dr. P. read about a new kind of successful contracep tive and thought: if women can use them why not cows? That was the start. India’s cows are now being suitably equipped—a certain number—for a life more care free and happier than ever; on their own, for once, with no pesky, ricketty, forlorn little calves bawling beliind them. “All very well,” says a skep tic, “but I wonder what the Papal Bull will have to say about it.” THE PILOT Published Every Thursday by THE PILOT, Incorporated Southern Pines, North Carolina 1941—JAMES BOYD—1944 BEWILDERED No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the mul titude, without finally getting be wildered as to which may be the true. —Nathaniel Hawthorne Katharine Boyd Editor C. Benedict Associate Editor C. G. Council Advertising Bessie C. Smith Advertising Mary Scott Newton Business Gloria Fisher Business Mary Evelyn de Nissoff Society Composing Room Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen, Thomas Mattocks, J. E. Pate, Sr„ Charles Weatherspoon, Robert Coffin. Subscription Rates Moore County One Year $4.00 Outside Moore County One Year $5.00 Second-class Postage paid at Southern Pines, N. C. Member National Editorial Assn, and N. C. Press Assn.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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Jan. 21, 1965, edition 1
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