Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / April 17, 1971, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
-188 CAROLINA TMSS IATUIDAY, APWL 17, IW 2A EDITORIALS Tktf It Mi| Be Ike lad In an interview with the press, Pre sident Nixon has said that the war in Viet Nam is ending, and added,"fa fact, I seriously doubt if we will ever have another war. This is probably the very last one." If this statement is to have a chance of proving true, the United States must end the war in Viet Nam while retaining a position of honor and strength. If this is to happen, it is imperative that the moral force of world opinion be brought to bear to compel humane treatment of U. S. prisoners of war, held under diabolically cruel condi tions in the stockades and peniten tiaries of North Viet Nam. The Reader's Digest, in its April issue, lias sought to mobilize public opinion and generate an upsurging public protest in the form of millions of signed statements to be delivered through the American Red Cross to\ the government of North Viet Nam. The Digest article, entitled "Inside tlur Prisons of Hanoi," should be read by every American. It is a report of actual POW conditions as described by some of the men who have been released and by informed sources in Washington. Saigon and Paris. It de scribes such conditions as prisoners being caged or tethered like animals so that villagers could file past to A Shadow Of The Future One of the great development stories in the realm of industry and business in the United States is that of natural gas. In just IS years, the industry had expanded from a $5 billion enterprise to a $46 billion industry supplying natural gas to over 42 million customers. The American Gas Association has projected de mand to 1990 and predicts the addi tion of 22 million customers and a growth in sales of 157 percent by that time, in terms of jobs, investment, community growth and consumer convenience and comfort, the impor tance to the nation of an enterprise of this size should not be under estimated. But, there is another side to these bright predictions. Following a Su preme Court decision of 1954, federal regulation has resulted in the setting, of unrealistically low prices for na tural gas at the wellhead. The purpose was to protect the consumer, but the result lias been just the opposite. 'Let me out it dp* way.. .it ain't th' welcome teuton. hnbv!' strike them or urinate on their bodies. It speaks of constant hunger, steady weight loss, nausea and fever. It describes the horror and hopeless ness of the "Hanoi Hilton", an old French penitentiary,in which prisoners are kept in tiny cement-walled, heavi ly-barred cellsandsleep on cement slabs or rough boards stretched across sawhorses. Progressive starvation, iso lation from other human contact, the numbing cold, lack of medical care for wounds, as well as illnesses or injuries contracted during captivity, are part of the picture. The Geneva Conventions, to which Hanoi is a signatory, "... require re patriation of the sick and wounded, as well as the release or transfer to a neutral nation of men whose long confinement jeopardizes their health." Hanoi continues to break every rule in the book by its treatment of the 781 men captured and missing in North Viet Nam. Also, Viet Cong and communist forces in South Viet Nam and Laos have failed to even identify almost 800 other Americans captured or missing in these areas. As the Digest article points out, some of the POW's have already died, others ( face almost certain death unless their treatment is drastically improved. With the incentive to search for new reserves reduced, available supplies of natural gas have not kept up with consumption, and the day of reckon ing is here. As the president of the American Gas Association has observ ed, "....For the future we are hopeful that our main problem - - falling ex ploration - - will be overcome by real istic wellhead prices ... if this is not done, the industry will find it impos sible to maintain its recent rate of ad vance. This can only be to the detri ment of our present and potential customers." It is imperative that the federal go vernment adopt a consistent, long range, national energy policy. Rea sonable and consistent encourage ment must be given to those who must invest the huge sums of money required to develop the energy sources needed to supply a growing popula tion and the fast expanding needs of our technologically-based civilization. To Learn Who You Are... A Threat to the Nation's Security? A HOOVER MEMORANDUM, A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL NOVEMBER 4J97C, SAID IN PART, DATED MARCH 29*, SAID IN PART, INCREASED DISORDERS INVOLVING WITH RARE EXCEPTIONS, THE BLACK STUDENTS POSE A DEFINITE PROTEST OF BLACK STUDENTS THREAT TO THE NATION'S STABILITY HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH THEIR AND SECURITY. PERSONAL PLACE IN THE RAYS OF HOPE PRECEDENT TO BUILD ON An example of the constructive approach that should be taken In striking a balance between environmental Idealism and the needs of over 200 billion living, breathing, garbage-creat ing people In the United States has been demon strated by a major segment of the U. S. pes ticide Industry. Members of the Western Agri cultural Chemicals Association have unani mously urged state licensing of anyone who makes recommendations on pesticide use. This action represents another step in the long time efforts of the Industry to promote proper use of the chemicals that have become so es sential to the agricultural Industry and to food and fiber production. The licensing proposal would cover everyone who makes recommenda tions, including not only pesticide salesmen but processor and handler fieldmen, applicators, consultants and probably public agency per sonnel. Everyone would be required to pass a comprehensive test on state and federal laws and regulations and one or more tests cover ing technical knowledge and qualifications. This proposal Is intended for adoption in California and would be operated by the state's agricul ture department. But, it obviously sets a pre cedent that could lead to a more intelligent approach to the question of, pesticide use-- an approach based on the realities of exis tence instead of on a wave of potentially sui cidal, "banpresticides" emotionalism. The ability of the U. S. to produce food in a ratio of one farmer to more than 45 people depends utterly on a highly-advanced, finely balanced agricultural technology. Pesticides are an irreplaceable component of that technol ogy at the present time. CRIMES AGAINST U. S. WAR PRISONERS . Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable John H. Chafee, in the course of an address, told of the "incredibly brave men" who flew their armed helicopters deep into North Viet Nam to seize a prisoner of war compound only 20 miles from Hanoi. While the prisoners had been removed, the mission in spite of . . most extensive and sophisticated air defense systems in the world. , ." was carried out without the loss of a single man. More than anything else, this action showed the lengths to which tnis country will go to res cue U. S. citizens from the living hell of North" Vietnamese prison camps. The mission, which some "sophisticated" observers have derided as a political gesture of some kind, has helped to arouse world opinion against Hanoi's daily violations of the Geneva Convention that was drawn upmorethan2oyearsagoforthe specific purpose of protecting prisoners of war. Hanoi Is violating the Convention in every detail. One prisoner tells of how he was force to sit on ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS Most of the forecasts for the decade of the 1970's are now in, and most of them pre-' diet another decade of growth such as that which occurred during the 1960'5. Whether in fact, there will be such growth is the subject of an interesting article in Fortune magazine, entitled "The U. S. Economy In An Age Of Uncertainty," authored by Mr. Charles E. Silberman. The article delves into the many factors be sides population growth and economics that seem almost sure to affect the tide of growth-- one way or the other. The tone of the Fortune piece is not so much pessimistic as Investiga tive of possibilities. As Mr. Silberman writes, ". . .it should be understood that Fortune is not taking a turn toward pessimism; is quite possible that the standard forecast of 4.1 to 4.3 percent a year growth in GNP (gross na ional product) during the Seventies will turn out to be too low rather than too high. The point Is not that the outlook has become gloomy but that it has become uncertain." Mr. Silberman goes into some of the reasons why uncertainty may be the theme of the Seventies rather than assumed growth—rea sons that lie outside the province of economic prophesy as practiced today. Mr. Silber man refers, for example, to ". . .the ap parent weakening of 'the Protestant ethic' with Its emphasis on hard work, self-reli ance, and self-denial, and the growth of new attitudes toward 'work and life, . He enu merates a number of these attltudes--the revolution and attitude toward sex, the grow ing emphasis on Immediate rather than de ferred gratification, and the general question ing of authority, tradition, and custom which includes a growing search for meaning and purpose In our lives. The shift in values has become most evident In growing pre occupation with the quality of life and the en vironment. Writes Mr. Sllberman, "Obvious ly, the growth of newer, more hedonistic at titudes toward work and life could adversely a narrow stool without moving for four days until he lost consciousness and fell off. In the 22 months he was a prisoner, he lost al most 70 pounds on the two meals of pumpkin soup, pig fat, bread and water he received each day. As Secretary of the Navy Chafee com ments, . .in all the modern history of man's inhumanity of man, there is no example of cruel - er or more Inhuman treatment thain that being dealt to our prisoners of war and their fami lies by the North Vietnamese." The U. S. helicopter raid failed to recover prisoners but, nevertheless, succeeded In stir ring the consciences of many Americans and of other people throughout the world to an aware ness of clmes that are a negation of Chrlstlar civilization. MEETING NEEDS AND DESIRES The biggest problem in the United States, with respect to nutrition, is not how to get e nough to eat, but what to eat. This was one of the revelations of the White House Confer ence on Food, Nutrition and Health that stimu lated the massive Nutrition Awareness program now being participated In by virtually all seg ments of the food production and distribution Industry. The program is dedicated to teaching normally healthy people how to eftt a balanced diet and also produce the types and quality of foods most desired by consumers, Long ago, public taste caused meal producers, for example, to turn away from the practice of producing the fattest possible animals. Those who urge the development of meat animals with less fat reveal what a spokesman for the meat Industry terms, . .and appalling lack of knowledge, or unwillingness to acknowledge, the tremendous strides made by the livestock and meat Industry in the scientific develop ment of cattle, hogs and sheep that produce meat with less fat, fewer calories and more protein." The spokesman added, "Our in dustry will continue to modify its beef, pork, lamb and sausage foods to fit the combined de sires and needs of America. .." What those needs or desires will turn out to be In the future have yet to be determined, but the meat industry like every other segment of the U. S. food Industry will continue with the task of producing and making available to A mericans the finest food In the world. PROBLEM OF MONOPOLY At the moment, soaring wages have passed the point of "keeping up" with Inflation. In some areas, they have become an Inflationary force of their own. Mr. Fred H, Sexauer, an expert in the field of marketing cooperatives and a long-time observer of the business scene, suggests that the monopolistic powers of labor unions should be brought under control just as were the monopolistic abuses of large In* dustry 50 or 60 years ago. affect the growth of productivity and of the labor force." Another Imponderable factor In future growth of the country that can hardly be measured by economic based on the past, is the effect of "nonmarket public decision mak ing "—in other words, government interven tion In areas that have heretofore.been consi dered private responsibilities. Government's economic role Is expanding not only In environ mental matters but In housing subsidies', sub sidies to develop new home-building techno logies, subsidies to underwrite a "national growth policy" for the development of "new towns" as well as older cities and subsidies for education, welfare reform and so on. When government decision making takes the place of Individual decision making by millions of consumers acting Independently In the market place, the possibility of conflicts between groups becomes greater and business uncer tainty Increases. As Fortune points out, "De fense contractors, who depend on decisions made by government (and not on decisions made In the marketplace), have alternated between feast and famine for years; now civilian Industries may face similar problems." Another Imponderable factor Is the possl blllty of social disorder that could throw all economic prophesy ,of growth into disarray.. Still another element that has yet to be calcu lated In the economic outlook Is the cost of antipollution measures. Billions of dollar a must be spent to curb pollution—billions that will not Increase productivity but will become an added charge to consumers. ~ Fortune concludes, "In the face of all these uncertainties, It seems quite foolhardy«to at tempt a single projection for the Seventies... Perhaps the economy will continue to operate and grow much as It has in the recent past. But looking ahead to 1980, all we can say Is that any such 'normal' growth Is Just one of a num ber of possibilities." THE CAROLINIAN TAKING A CLOSER LOOK By JOHN MYERS And the people screamed "Give! Give us better homes. Give us food, Give us better clothes. And they screamed "Why should we have to work so hard. Give us more. Give us government checks. Give us aid for our children. GiVe us help with our farms. Give us bonus bonds. Give!" And the government gave. It gave food stamps. It gave clothing allotments. It gave better homes with lower rent. It gave day cere centers. It gave govern ment checks. It gave land subsidies. It did not stop with the poor. It gave to the middle class and the rich, only it changed the name from welfare to sub sidies and allotments and dividends. '■ i' ; 1 And it took. It took from the rich. It took from the wealthy. It took from the middle class. It took from everyone to give to everyone. Every time it gave, it gained. Every time it gave money, it gained control. It grew with control by giving. The people had dropped the last three words from the cry "Give us a chance" and remained with only one word, "give." They had replaced words like earned with ones like received. The people complained, not because of how little they made, but because of how little the govern ment gave them. They never noticed the enveloping cloud around their country. The move the government gave 1 , the more rules and regulations it put on them. It gave the people all they needed to live, including the rules under which they were allowed to live, until it was too late that the people realized what they had done to them selves and cried, in vain, "Give us freedom." National Hotline FCC Causes Ax IM»trll>ut«l HranUrke »«r»p*|wr> by Diggs Datrooth WASHINGTON—The American Civil Liberties Union, which is sometimes accused of being overly naive in its quest to establish principles, was given the old heave-ho one day last week U) Trentofl, N.J. The ACLU offered its services in defense of one accused of being a'Ku Kin* Klaflr'cMtfs BortW* Thfeonly hooker, the ACLU lawyer happened to be William Wright, associate dean of Rutgers University and a prominent black cltixen of Plain field, N.J. Martz said "Thanks, but no thanks." He will be defended by a lawyer supplied by the Imperial Wizard of the Klan. There won't be any doubt about his race.... When the Black Caucus emerged from its session with President Nixon for its press conference the following morning, the group was delighted to present Rev. Walter Fauntroy, who has swelled the number to 13 since his election as District Delegate. Fountroy is expected to add much to the active young minds circulating among the group. RIGHT ON BROTHER: Since the Black Caucus ex cursion to the White House it has been deluged with bids for speaking engagement. The requests were great at first, but now they have trebled over the last few days. Top sought after speakers are Missouri's Bill Clay, Cali fornia's Ron Dellums and New York's Shirley Chisholm. . . . The almost immediate naming by President Nixon of a skills training center in memory of Whitney Young, Jr., in his native Kentucky was a timely move. Labor and HEW will finance the facility to the tune of $l.B mil lion a year for the training of some 500 youngsters in Louisville up to the college level. Whitney Young, Sr., was at the White House to accept on behalf of the fam ily. . . . Since the death of Leon Jordan in Kansas City, the Freedom Party, which Jordan help found and headed has been under solid attack. Whites, sensing a weak link in the chain since Jordan was assasinated, have been trying to sew seeds of discord among Kansas City's black voters. Members of the Freedom Party, now under black businessman Bruce Watkins have dug in and are fighting back. Look for more blacks to walk through on this election. SHUCKING 'ND JIVIN': Members of the black pub lishers meeting in Atlanta th!s June have started to really function under their new executive director Sherm Bris coe. Last month, youngsters gathered in three sections of the country in an NNPA press seminar. The conven tion bids fair to be just as lively and innovative. . . . Newsmen around the country are yet retactlng to the fatal heart attack of Cliff McKay in Puerto Rico last week. Cliff, editor of the Afro-American for 17 years was on vacation from his job with the city of Baltimore. . . . Keneth O. Wilson, top ad vp with the Afro-Chain was In New Orleans this week on business. His lovely wife, Jean was with him. ... The chairman of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights who was In hot water a year ago for his questionable views, let loose a blast at Curt Flood because of what Curt says in his new book. Richard Cham'er, a Moberiy lawyer, stirred up once again a petition movement by the state NAACP to oust him from the governor appointed post. Since the hassle a year ago. Chamier has been moving around the state visiting editors and leaders and generally trying to mend his fences. €h* Camilla Cim t& Published every Saturday ut Durham, N. C. l>y United Publishers, Inc. L. E. AUSTIN, Publisher-Editor CLAKENCE BONXETTE Business Manager MILTON BERNARD AUSTIN .... Circulation Manager J. ELWtXJD CAlt'l'Elt . Advertising MTi|fT Sceond Class t'oitaso Paid at Durham, N. C. 97702 SUBSCRIPTION RATES United Statea and Canada 1 Year 98.00 United States and Canada ...... 1 Years 911.00 Foreign Countries 1 Year 97JJ0 Single Cony , t .„.,.. '. .90 Osnts Principal Office located at 438 last Pettigrav Street, Durham, North Carolina 27703 P * -
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 17, 1971, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75