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ffita Jfirnttklin attit (Eltc Highlands iHarmtirut Entered at Poet Office, Franklin, N. C., as second class matter Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press Franklin. N. C. Telephone 24 WEIMAR JONES Editor BOB 8. SLOAN . ... t Business Manager J P. BRADY News Editor MRS EDWARD CRAWFORD . Office Manager CARL P. CABE Mechanical Superintendent FRANK A. 8TARRETTE Shop Superintendent DAVID H. SUTTON l Stereotyper CHARLES K. WH1TT1NOTON Pressman SUBSCRIPTION RATES l/UTBira MACON UOUHTT 5ne Year $3.00 mx Months 1.79 Iferee Months . . 1.00 iBiiiw MAtun v/uumi One Year . 7T~. . 7 . . $2750 Six Months . . I 1.75 Three Months 1.00 MARCH 10, 1955 Driveways And Highways This newspaper has great sympathy for whoever holds the post of division highway commissioner. Undoubtedly there never is enough money to do what the commissioner himself considers necessary, much less what the people of the division want done. There undoubtedly are many more entirely legitimate demands for immediate action than it is possible for the commissioner to comply with. Un doubtedly, too, there must be many unreasonable and quite impossible demands. Commissioner Harry Buchanan, we are sure, is all-too familiar with this situation. But Mr. Buch anan must know, too, that the people of Macon County have been both reasonable and patient. _ They were reasonable enough to be willing to divert $450,000, temporarily, from the Georgia road project to speed completion of the Dillsboro road. And though they have been unable to understand why the Dillsboro road was let in two sections, at widely spaced intervals, so that its construction has taken about twice as long as otherwise would have been necessary, surely Mr. Buchanan must have been impressed by the patience of Macon Count v people during the nearly four years they have been cut off from the east. Now they face the prospect of having the road to the Georgia line ? though the distance is much less, and though it is all in one county ? let in two sections, at widely spaced intervals, so that they will be cut off to the south twice as long as otherwise would be necessarv ! Suppose a Macon County man, having decided to build a driveway from the road to his house, should build it in two sections. Suppose he should hire a builder to come in and grade half of it, then wait for the filled-in places to settle, then pave it ; and then, having finished half of it, go out and hire another builder to repeat the proc ess on the other half. If a Macon County man should do that, instead of building the driveway all at once, Mr. Buchanan, as one experienced in road building, Would say such a man was foolish indeed. Macon County has had its "driveway" to the east built that way. They've learned by sad ex perience just how foolish it is. Can Mr. Buchanan blame them if they protest against having the same mistake made a second time? Aren't they being entirely reasonable in in sisting that this short stretch of road between Franklin and the Georgia line be built in one link, all at the same time? Navy Color Line When the American carrier Midway visited South Africa sometime ago, it called for quite a bit of official explaining, reports Columnist Drew Pearson. The Negro press, in particular, had to be placated. The reason why explanations were in order : In South Africa, racial segregation is practiced. And, according to Mr. Pearson, it is the .strict pol icy of the Navy to steer clear of segregated areas. Since when? and why? What, in the name of all that makes sense, has racial segregation to do with where the Navy's ships go into port? It is one thing to demand for the Negro all his rights. To have this, or any other, minority influ encing Navy policy is a horse of a very different color. I A Warning It may he snowing and freezing, of course, by the time this issue of The Press reaches its readers. Besides, it's too early to do much boasting yet. I But here's a warning: If the weather stays as warm, for another week or two, as it has been the last fortnight, and as it is as this is written, then we are going to do a bit of boasting. Because, as every reader of The Press must re member, the Groundhog saw his shadow when he came out February 2 (if he really did come out that day!), thus predicting six more weeks of win ter ; but he did not see it when he came out Feb ruary 14! If the weather stays like it is now, we're going to be sorely tempted to say "I told you so"; to say that February 14 has been proved to be the real Groundhog Day ? by the weather itself! Others' Opinions CRAZY (The Gosport, U. S. N. A. S., Pensacola, Fla.) A bachelor Is a fellow who is crazy to get married ? and knows It. ? . ?BARE, GRACELESS . . (Chapel Hill News Leader) "A city does not have to be ugly", says Weimar Jones, ed itor of The Franklin Press, who with Mrs. Jones has been having a visit to the deep South. It would be a good deed to furnish Jones with a loud speaker by which he could shout this to the bare, graceless, and horribly commercialized little towns which have succeeded the stately and shaded old South ern towns of a former day. A GOOD COMPANION (Asheville Citizen) When Burlington Industries Inc. acquired controlling interest in Goodall-Southern Co. last summer Western North Carolina put a second rivet in its bond of friendship with a progressive, civic-minded industry that is North Carolina's native pride. Burlington again has proved the case at Hot Springs. Through Goodall-Sanford it is buying up the stock of two Madison County companies formed to finance building of the original plant at a cost of more than one million dollars. No small sacrifice was made by some Madison residents to bring an industry into their neighborhood. Burlington will as sume this indebtedness. The gesture is good business but it is also magnanimous. It is typical of how this giant integrated textile firm operates in the broad area of human relations. Burlington is establishing itself in Franklin. It is to be hoped that this second Western North Carolina enterprise in Hot Springs can be fitted into the world's largest textile complex of its kind. The fact that Madison residents committed them selves without qualm or quibble to bringing an industry into an industrially starved county is the earnest of a good part nership for anybody who will follow it up. NATIONAL H CIUB WICK MARCH ? 5-13 * . . ?*?; Poetry Editor EDITH DEADERICK ERSKINE Weavervllle, North Carolina THE ,SNOW Old Mother Goose has been picking her geese and bits of white, fluffy down fell down, down. They covered our county and little town until we found a white velvet carpet all over the ground. ( Marlon, N. C. ANNIE G. LITTLE STRICTLY PERSONAL By WEIMAR JONES It's interesting to watch a public afficial hold a press con ference. It often has occurred to me that it must be quite an ordeal for him. For reporters have a way of asking penetrating and some times embarrassing questions. And the person being ques tioned has no way Of knowing what question will be next. Furthermore, because he doesn't know what questions are going to be asked, he has to an swer "off the cuff"; that is, he doesn't have the opportun ity, as he has in preparing a speech, to plan just what he is gpin<5 to say, and consider just how the words will sound. Fin ally, if he declines to ariswer a question that can sometimes be more damning than even the wors. answer he might give. I've seen some half a dozen North Carolina governors in ac tion at press conferences, and last Friday I had an opportun ity to watch Governor Luther ? Continued on Back Page An Editorial ARE WE MEN OR MURDERERS? From The Saturday Rzview (Reprinted by Permission) OOMETHINO happened not ^ long ago that made no head lines and was hardly even re ported. In fact, it was all but lost in the flurry over Formosa, But it was as Important as any single event in the past ten years. What happened was that the United States Government quietly repudiated its historic position under which heads of enemy governments at the end of the last war were killed or punished for the crime of war. Without benefit of national de bate or a vote of Congress or even an explanation to the American people, the United States reversed itself on the principle of world law under which we had earlier declared that not nations but individuals make war and are therefore to be held accountable for war. Before fixing our gaze on the incredible historic liability we have just incurred, let us re view the background. Almost as significant as victory itself in World War II was the procla mation of a new principle, in vesting sovereignty in the com munity of nations as a whole. Under this principle it was de creed that war was a crime by individuals against the world community. Accordingly, emin ent Jurists from the victorious nations came together in a Four-Power Tribunal to define the principles of world law under which Individuals were to be tried. Hundreds of political and military leaders from the Axis powers were arraigned, tried, sentenced, and punished. The Indictment drawn up against the Inner Nazi circle, for example, charged twenty two men with (1) participating In a conspiracy to commit crime against the peace and against humanity, (2) planning and executing a war of aggres sion, (3) violating the rules of warfare by mistreatment of ci vilians and prisoners of war, (4) murdering and enslaving people because of race, relig ion, or political belief. The Tribunal condemned twelve hlgb-raaUag Nads to death by hanging. Seven were sentenced to long prison terras; three were set Iree. Subsequent ly, acting under these prece dents, and with prosecutors from the Allied nations, other trials were held. The final score was 456 death sentences and 1,112 convictions with les ser penalties. In Japan, acting under the same legal sanctions, the United States tried twenty eight Japanese war leaders, ex ecuting seven and imprisoning eighteen. Supreme Court Justice Rob ert H. Jackson, who headed the American staff of jurists par ticipating In the Nuremberg trials, made It clear that this country was not using the forms of legality as a cloak for vengeance. Even though there was no government of the whole to represent the human community, the community ex isted and possessed certain basic rights. When these rights were violated It became the re sponsibility of that community not only to protect itself but to Invoke the mechanism of legal ity at Its disposal against the criminals. Ihdlviduals who op erated or governed aggressive nations could not escape re sponsibility by pretending to be merely the agents of those na tions. Their decisions were the ones that led to the crimes. Seldom in human history had there been anything as epochal as the definition and applica tion of these principles. In es sence, they laid down the basis for world law. They also made Implicit the need to create a constitutional basis for the com munity of nations in order to enable it to deal with world criminals before and not after the damage was done. In any event, we had made certain spe cific commitments to basic legal and moral principle from which we could not depart without be coming world criminals our selves. For if the decisions that were to send more than a thou sand human beings to their death were to be undone, we would stand condemned under the very statutes we Invoked to condemn others. To repeat, the big challenge after the Nuremberg trials was to Incorporate its basic provis ion* Into the Charter and struc ture of the United Nations, which was vested with the re sponsibility for keeping world law and order. This meant that the Nuremberg principles would have to be codified and given the full machinery of imple mentation. Since aggression did not disappear with the end of World War II and since, in deed, it became essential to cre ate within the shortest possible time the adequate means to safeguard world peace, the prin ciples of the Nuremberg Trials offered a magnificently prepar ed ground on which to build. If a human community did in fact exist, and If there were threats to the community, then Nuremberg represented both a mandate and a fixed need. However, the work of drafting a code based on the Nuremberg principles went slowly in the councils of the United Nations. Finally, the Issue recently came before the General Assembly of the United Nations and a pre liminary decision had to be made. It was at this point that the United States opposed the arguments of the representa tive from the Netherlands. On November 17, 1954, Charles H. Mahoney, U. S. Representative, explained the American posi tion. There was nothing am biguous about our statement, nothing which would enable us to avoid the condemnation of history. What we said, In so many words, was that the Unit ed States Government did not wish to subject Its citizens to "those regular and continuing processes of Investigation, pros ecution, and trial by interna tional agencies which would be necessary for real enforcement of an International criminal code." We also said officially that "the project for a code of crimes under International law In today's world Is Imprac tical and Inappropriate." Impractical? Is It more prac tical to wait until a billion hu man lives are expunged before we decide that something ought to be done about the principle of Individual responsibility? Is it practical to construct an elaborate legal mechanism in the name of Justice and then to turn away from it when It falls to serve our purpose? Inappro priate? Is there anything more Inappropriate than to be gmilty of a double aUndard la Um eyes of history, seeking immun ity from the very legality we solemnly Impose upon others? There Is an equally Important question that concerns Supreme Court Justice Jackson and the able corps of American jurists who worked with him at Nu remberg. Have we by our ac tion before the United Nations converted them into murderers? If the legal basis of their work is to be dissolved, what status are they to occupy In history? Ever since the United Na tions was founded, American delegates to the United Nations have chafed under the frequent use of the veto by Soviet Rus sia In the Security Council. But not once have we reminded the world that we ourselves propos ed the veto. Nor have we our selves proposed that the veto be replaced with binding obli gations ? on us as well as everyone else. Similarly, we have made dramatic postures against aggressors and world criminals but when the hard question of Individual respon sibility actually comes up we ourselves have run for cover. Most perplexing of all Is the presumption of our Delegation in saying that the American people are not ready far the measures that are an organic part of world law and there fore world security. Has the question been put to our peo ple? Has there been a national debate? How does the Delega tion know? Is it possible that the Amer ican Delegation to the U.N. Is more concerned over the prob able attacks by certain Sena tors who fear world commit ments than they are over the moral and historic significance of their reversal of Nuremberg? It Is undoubtedly true that some Senators will shout to the skies against the creation of a higher sovereignty. That Is their right. But It is also the right and privilege of the Govern ment to take the fight to the people. The American Delegation to the U.N. has put the American people on the spot. Whether we get off It or not depends on whether the American people will allow their name to be used lightly in the world, even by their own government. News Making As It Looks To A MacoA^te ? By BOK SLOAN Properly this column, this week, should be named Random Thoughts On Various Current Topics. I think that Governor Hodges did a very good job the other day on straightening out the issues involved in the tax prob lem before the General As sembly of North Carolina. Cer tainly, if we want to continue to improve our public services in the way of better schools and roads, better care for the men tally sick, and encouragement of industry to come to North Carolina, we are going to have to pay for it. To obtain the money to pay for the furnish ing of these services, the state must levy taxes, if any person can suggest some other feasible way to finance the operation of these various functions let them suggest it. Bo the problem is this in a nutshell. Either we raise more money through taxes or we have sorrier schools and roads. If we decide we want to maintain our schools and roads on at least as good or better standards and that we should do the same for other state services shall we obtain the money by Increasing the taxes on the basic necessities or shall we first try to raise enough money by levying a tax on vari ous items which people do not have to have. The people of North Carolina should decide and let their representatives know. First, do we want to con tinue to improve our various public services, second, do we want to pay for it by a tax on the bread and milk we eat, or the tobacco we smoke? That is what the Governor of North Carolina asked the1 people of his state to decide ? a fair question, I think. # ? * Sunday night, I heard Dr. Billy Graham being interview ed by a bunch of sharp re porters on a Meet the Press program. During the program, Dr. Graham expressed a thought which I think all churches would do well to pon der. In the course of the inter view, Dr. Graham was asked how we would reconcile the re cent rapid growth in church membership in this country and the fact that there is a still in creasing number of crimes and other acts that are indications of immoral living on the part of our citizenry. Whereupon, the youthful evangelist replied that he felt that one of the main problems of churches in Amer ? Continued on Last Page Do You Remember? (Looking backward through the files of The Press) 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK Oscar Moore, of Birmingham, Ala., arrived here last week for a visit to his mother and other relatives. Mrs. W. H. Hlgglns returned home Friday evening from a visit of a few weeks to her brother, Harry O. Slier, at Mat lock, Wash. W. E. Sanders reported kill ing a copperhead snake 27 in. long at Mr. R. L. Porter's place at Silver Birch last Saturday. 25 TEARS AGO The home of Mr. L. W. Rice was slightly damaged by fire Sunday morning. ? Highlands item. Mr. T. W. Porter left last week on a business trip of three weeks to points in Flor ida. He carried several hun dred dollars to advertise Frank lin to the Floridlans. The Study Club met at the home of Mrs. W. A. Rogers on Monday. Eleven members were present. After the business ses sion, Miss Helen Burch review ed Rohaag's "Giants in the Earth". 10 TEARS AGO Mr. and Mrs. Stacey C. Rus sell returned to "Homewoods" Monday from a vacation visit In Orlando, Fla., Thomasville, Qa.. and Anderson, 8. C.? High lands Item. Mrs. J. K. Hunter and small son, Johnny, who have been spending several weeks with Mrs. Hunter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Zeb W. Conley, have re turned to their home In Holly oak, Del. Robert L. Cunningham, son of Mr. and Mrs. Newton Cun ningham, of Akron, Ohio, Is spending several week* In franklin with relatives.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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March 10, 1955, edition 1
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