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?lt? ffltnnklin ^r^ss anil Glht Migklnttits fflnt&nmn Entered at Post Office. Franklin, N. C., as second class matter Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press Franklin, N. C. Telephone 24 WEIMAR JONES .... BOB 8. SLOAN .... J. P. BRADY MRS ALLEN SILER . . . MRS. MARION BRYSON CARL P. C ABE . . . . . FRANK A. STARRETTE . . O. B. CRAWFORD . . . CHARLES E. WHTTTINGTON DAVID H. SUTTON . . . . Editor Advertising Manager . News Editor-Photographer Society Editor omce Manager Proofreader , . . Operator-Machinist Compositor Stereotyper Commercial Printer SUBSCRIPTION RATES Outside Macon Count* One Year Biz Months . Three Months Two Years . Three Years Inside Macon Count* $3.00 One Year . . 1.75 Six Months . 1.00 Three Months 5.25 Two Years 7.50 Three Years . $2 JO 1.75 1.00 4.25 6.00 Desk Work And Defense At the same press conference at which Defense Secretary Wilson last week precipitated a storm in the Senate by using the word "phony" about Con gressional appropriations for the Air Force, he stirred up a hornet's nest among the military by ordering officers doing desk work in Washington to wear civilian clothes instead of uniform. Saturday Mr. Wilson virtually apologized ty Congress and withdrew the order about civilian clothes. The significance of the incident, it seems to us, is not that Mr. Wilson once again has put his foot in his mouth ; that, after all, often is the mark of a man whose honesty outruns his diplomacy. Nor do we give a hang whether desk officers in Wash ington wear uniform or civvies. What is significant is the revelation that 11,000 officers are doing desk work in Washington alone. How many more are doing ditto at all the installa tions scattered over the United States? and at all the others throughout the world? And for each officer at a desk, how many enlisted men are en gaged in the same type of work? and how many clerks and secretaries hired from civilian life? We don't know the answers. But whatever the number may be, we find ourselves wondering if all this desk work is essential to national defense. We don't know the answer to that one, either. We'd feel a bit better about it, though, if we had an answer before we pay the next installment on our income tax. Business Changes, Too Use a Macon County stone for the setting, when you give your girl an engagement ring, we sug gested last week to young men of this county. We stressed the sentimental appropriateness of a local, as contrasted with an imported, stone. We still stress that. As a sort of postscript, though, we'd like to men tion the purely practical angle of such a custom. It would make possible at least two business oppor tunities here: the cutting of gems; and their retail sale. In the entire county, there is but one profession al gem cutter ? and he's in Highlands only a few ?weeks in the summer. He is reported to stay busy ? and to earn fat fees. And that a retail market could be developed for local stones that have been properly cut is indicat ed by the fact that once there was such a market here. Thirty or forty years ago, Dr. Frank T. Smith's drug store was only one of several busi ness houses that found the sale of local .stones profitable. Tito Turns In a speech in Moscow last week, Yugoslavia's Director Tito championed all the international pol icies supported by the Soviet Union, all the policies opposed by the United States. Back in 1948, Communist Yugoslavia split with Communist Russia. The U. S. State Department, taking a calculated risk, gambled that the split would be permanent ; so this country has cultivated Tito's friendship, as a means of bolstering its anti Russian alliances. Now Tito appears to have led Yugoslavia, vastly strengthened by U. S. dollars and U. S. technology, right back into the Soviet camp. Does that mean the United States should aban don all foreign aid? That does not necessarily fol low. Foreign aid, also a calculated risk, on the whole seems to have paid dividends, in a more stable, and therefore saner, world. Does it mean it was a mistake to seek an alliance with Yugoslavia because it has a socialistic ec onomic system? that we should avoid friendship with any socialistic government? Hardly; because if we should draw the line at socialism, we'd have to rule Great Britain off our list. What it does .seem to niean ? and it's high time the American government, regardless of party con trol, recognized it ? is that a democracy can never trust any dictatorship, whether the dictatorship be Communist or Fascist, whether it be in Asia or Europe or South America. For democracy and dic tatorship, by their very natures, are mutually op posed. We learned that in our dealings with Rus sia; now we've learned it with Yugoslavia; sooner or later, we'll learn it with Franco's Spain. A dictator will be our friend only so long as it suits his purposes ; ultimately, he will turn on us and seek to destroy us. He cannot afford to do otherwise. Because the very existence of freedom ? any freedom, anywhere, any time ? is the greatest of all threats to dictatorial power, wherever it may be and of whatever stripe. A Story With T wo Morals A little more than a year ago, the Franklin Music Study Club was formed. * The small group of organizers launched it only after long consideration and with some misgivings. Were there enough musicians in this community to make worth-while and varied programs possible? And was there sufficient love of good music to en able yet another organization to survive the com petition. Last Thursday evening's meeting gave emphatic answers to those questions. A higbly creditable program drew on the musical talents of more than a score of persons; and the guests bidden to this "open meeting" accepted with such near-unanimity that the hall was filled. ? The obvious moral, of course, is that we never know what we ? either as individuals or as a community ? can do till we try. Not quite so ob vious, but equally true: We usually underrate both the quantity and the quality of our human re sources. ? Letters Highlands And Medical Care A few days ago I finally summoned up courage to decide that I should go to the doctor for a much-put-off check-up. Since the physician I usually visit lives in another town, I started checking off mentally the things I would need to do: First, call for an appointment (and I hope that I was not entirely out of the notion of going by the time I could get one) ; second, make arrangements for a taxi to take me there; third, plan ahead in case I had to wait after appointment time and was extra late getting home; fourth ? well, by that time I was about ready to say, "To heck with a check-up, anyway", when it suddenly dawned on me just how foolish X was being. How impractical to be planning an eighty-mile trip to a doctor whose schedule was overrun already with patients in his own territory, when a seven-minute drive would take me to the Highlands Community Hospital build ing in which the private offices of our two newly-acquired doctors are now situated! Consequently, that afternoon found me in the waiting-room of one of those offices. Like a lot of people I know, I have always had a sort of dread of doctors and especially of ones I've never been to before. So when It came time for me to go in, I had the usual queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach ? but not for long. The quiet ineffusive manner and kindly interest of the doctor soon put me at my ease. The competent thoroughness of his examination revealed to me his conscientious desire to give to his work his utmost ability. Needness to say, I was pleased with my decision to visit one of our own doctors. This little incident started me to thinking. I wonder how many are doing exactly the same thing I was doing. Perhaps we Highlanders have grown so used to being without a doctor in past years that we fail to realize just how much it means to have one here. Our personal doctors in other towns have served us well over the years. They have a place in our hearts that none other will ever occupy, but in case of an emergency, when time is of sufch major importance, they are almost completely powerless to help us. The role of a year-around doctor in Highlands is not an easy one A lot of us don't have much money, so the fellow with a "get rich quick" idea needn't bother to unpack his bags. There will be times when his only compensation for a long trip in the middle of a stormy night may be only a grateful handclasp, and sometimes not even that. He will have to possess a great love and tolerance of human nature, 'cause we've got an awful lot of It up here. I may be wrong, but I believe these two young men rep resent the things we want in a doctor. We want someone whose character commands our respect, whose manner doesn't convey the impression that he believes himself better than we, who knows us when he sees us whether we are In overalls or our "Sunday best", who will answer our call for help if possible when we (eel It Is Imperative that he come, and, last but not least, we want him to be a person whom we can trust, confide In, and confess to. Folks, we have these two doctors ready to give us their supreme efforts in providing medical care for all of us. They are willing to stand or fall on their own merits. It is my be lief that it is not their Intention to be partial to or Influenc ed by any one group of people. However, they cannot solicit our patronage ? we must go to them of our own free will. Let's do ourselves a good turn and give them an opportunity to take care of us. By the way, have you been thinking you really should go for a check-up sometime Don't put it off any longer ? go tomorrow! MRS. HELEN H. COFFEE Highlands, N. C. Others' Opinions (Opinions expressed In this space ore not necessarily those _ _ of The Press. Editorials selected for reprinting here. In fact, - are chosen with a view to presenting a variety of viewpoints. They are, that Is, Just what the caption says ? OTHERS* Opinions.) Eisenhower Should Retire (Smithfield Herald) You can't help liking Dwlght David Eisenhower the man. He has many admirable qualities. And you can't help sym pathizing with him as he struggles with his problems of re covery from heart and stomach ailments. Mr. Eisenhower has given the United States many years of distinguished service under turbulent conditions, and he de serves peace and comfort in his declining years. The Presi dent ought to retire from the Presidency ? for his own good, for the good of his family, and for the good of the nation. That's Democratic Party talk, somebody will shout back. And certainly Democrats would like to see the chances of a Democratic victory enhanced this year by withdrawal of Eisen hower the strong vote-getter from the political scene. But forget partisan politics for a moment and examine some of the reasons why Mr. Eisenhower ought not to run for a second term. (D If President Eisenhower is elected to another term and serves the full term, he will become the first President to reach the age of 70 in the White House. The President's age takes on considerable significance in view of the erosion on the health of any President. (2) It would be wrong for Mr. Eisenhower to run again unless he had a good chance of serving the full second term, because in the words of a leading American "it is a very critical thing to change governments in this country at a time when it's unexpected." (3) A man in position to know the truth has said that "it would be idle to pretend" that Mr. Eisenhower's health "can be wholly restored to the excellent state in which the doctors believed it to be in mid-September" before the President suf fered the heart attack. Mr. Eisenhower's "future life must be carefully regulated to avoid excessive fatigue." Is this the reasoning of a Democratic partisan? The first reason was suggested in .May 1955, not by a Dem ocrat but by a Republican? President Eisenhower himself. He brought up the subject of his age and the "erosion" on any President's health. The second reason was suggested in January of this year, not by a Democrat but by a Republican ? President Eisenhower himself. The "leading American" quoted is Mr. Eisenhower. "It is a very critical thing to change governments in this country at a time when it's unexpected." The third reason was suggested at the first White House press conference after the heart attack, by President Eisen hower of course. The quoted phrases are the President's ex act words. The issue in the 1956 election ought not to be the man Eisenhower in poor health versus the Democratic Party. It ought to be the Republican Party versus the Democratic Party. Which party can offer the nation the best overall leadership? President Eisenhower himself has focused attention on the shortage of leadership in the Republican Party. On several occasions he has advised Republicans to develop leaders and not pin their hopes on a single man. Mr. Elsenhower talks much more sense than his Repub lican advisers. The difficulty is that he cannot divorce him self from the Republican Party, especially since as a physic ally weak President he has to depend excessively upon politic ally weak party men around him. STRICTLY PERSONAL By WEIMAR JONES Several recent incidents, un important in themselves, seem ed significant to me as pin pointing characteristics of the people of Macon County? their sense of humor, their attitudes, their stability, their neighborll ness, and their native capability and ingenuity. Mountain Humor: ? Coming up the post office steps, early one morning, I overheard this bit of conversation from across the street: Mrs. Charlie (Charles T.t Bradley, of the Oailey Grill, called to a salesman: "I want ten pounds of ham burgers." Salesman Roy Pendergrass, of the City Market, answered not with one of the conventional phrases: "Thank you!" or "O. K." or "Coming up, Mrs. Brad ley". Instead, with never a trace of a smile In his voice, he re plied: "What for?" ? ? ? Matter of Taste: ? This one happened at a meeting some time ago, attended chiefly by rural folk. A number of talks were made, and they included the usual number of amusing stories. Most Maconlans have a keen, quick sense of humor, and Continued on Pace Three ? VIEWS By BOB SLOAN As a rule, people are Inclined to believe what they want to, and to disbelieve the things that they do not like. Also, certain attributes are credited to certain people, particularly those in public life, and regard less of the record, people will hold to the fixation that they have. This applies even to as important a personage as the President of the United States. For example, most everyone felt that President Eisenhower would be most successful In the administration of the foreign policy of the country. This, In part, was attributed to the great number of contacts that he had had with the leaders of the foreign countries, and the fact that as commander in chief of the Allied force in World War II he had experience in getting the forces of the various countries to work to gether. Quotes from two leading news periodicals, which are labeled as being strongly pro-Eisen hower, indicate that all is not well with our foreign policy. Also, there is the indication that this, in part, is due to the fact that the President does nt>t take the lead in developing a policy. The following is quoted from "Time" magazine: "Why had the administration failed to frame the kind of world economic policy that makes sense not only of long-range foreign aid. but all the other economic tech niques and forces that the world's leading capitalist ? enterprise has to offer? Without a real world economic plan, and faced by a fast moving Communist economic offensive the Administration had dissipated its foreign-aid advant age, to the distress . of staunch foreign-aid friends in both parties. . That is another way of say ing that due to lack of good leadership and a good program we have wasted the advantages of good will abroad built up in the past. It should be remembered that this quote is from the publica tion of -Henry Luce whose wife is our Ambassadress to Italy. Having supported Eisenhower as strongly as he has in the Continued on Page Three ? i ? Do You Remember? (Looking backward through the files of The Press) 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK Invitations have been issued by Mr. and Mrs. William Nel son Allman to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of their wedding, on Friday, July 6, 1906, from 4 to 8 o'clock p. m. Farmers complain of getting behind with their farm work on account of too much wet weather. Cowee Section had a severe rain and wind storm Sunday evening. Franklin can spare a few suck-egg dogs and street loaf ers and not suffer financially. 25 YEARS AGO Mr. Lauren Foreman, who has been studying music in New York the past winter, joined his family at their summer home here on Wednesday. ? High lands item. Mrs. J. A. Cook, after spend ing several days here as the guest of Mrs. John B. Byrne, at the Orlando Apartments, re turned to her home in Athens, Ga., Saturday. Mrs. Alice .Murray, who has been here several days visiting her daughter, Mrs. George Johnston, returned to her home In Athens, Ga., Sunday. We are having fine growing weather with local thunder showers and hot weather. De spite the late cold, it looks as If there will be an abundance of berries and fruits. 10 YEARS AGO Forty-four names are on Ma con County's official list of soldiers dead in World War II, as complied by the War Depart ment. This list includes Army deaths only. Mrs. Floy Slier England, of Knoxvllle, spent the week-end Here with her aunt, Mrs. J. S. Sloan. The lectures which have been a feature of the Highlands Mu seum program, will be initiated for the 1946 season Sunday with a talk on India by Henry Wiss. ? Highlands item.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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