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THE PILOT—Southern Pines, North Carolina FRIDAY. APRIL 23. 1954 North Carolina Southern Pines “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. Where there seems to be an occa sion 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. The Town Needs Full Representation At the last discussion meeting prior to the regular business meeting of the town council. Mayor Clark delivered himself of a few remarks on the ward election system. The mayor was against it. He said that in his opinion the divi sion of a town and representation by wards generally resulted in bad politics. Inevitably, he said, bribery and corruption crept in; there was too much opportunity and temptation for both. The mayor’s remarks were sparked by a sug gestion made by Councilman C. S. Patch that a ward system here might be preferable to the present setup, but, actually, Mr.. Patch made his suggestion, we believe, not so much because he. felt that the ward system was a superior type of electoral procedure as because he was looking for a way to assure West Southern Pines repre sentation on the council. It is indeed time that this came about. The special situation that exists here and in most parts of the South, where you have two areas closely allied yet whose integration is incom plete, presents a definite problem. Much as we like to think that there is complete understand ing between our two hilltops, there is no way of getting around the fact that someone who ac tually lives in West Southern Pines has a closer understanding of its need^ and desires than someone who doesn’t. It is 'important for the sake of the whole town and all the people that all town problems and affairs receive full con sideration and that means a West Southern Pines resident ought to be on the Council, but whether this end should be attained by changing the whole system that has worked so well here for so long, to a ward type of election is another question. It would assure the end desired, but is the means to be employed good for the town? Mr. Clark'does not think so and neither did Rev. Funderburk, a West Southern Pines man who was at the meeting at which the di^^ussion took place. Both felt that the council should continue as it is now, a bod; representing all the people. As Mr. Funderburk himself missed election to the town board by only five votes, his opinion is well worth listening to, and, we hasten to say, for plenty of other reasons, as well. There is still, inevitably, some tension surround ing an election between a Negro and White can didate. It would be good if that could be avoid ed. And sometimes the results are poor in that an inferior man gets elected simply because people vote their convictions as to justice—or injustice—^rather than as to qualifications. But except for those two objections the present sys tem would seem to be satisfactory, and we are of the opinion that the ward system is better suited to a large town than to a small and pretty uniform community such as this one. But there is this thought; the town is grow ing fast and it may very well be that the coun cil should be enlarged. That would most prob ably assure the election of a member from West Southern Pines, as well as dividing among more councilmen a responsibility that is yearly growing heavier, both points well worth con sideration. The Oppenheimer Case This Oppenheimer case is an extraordinary affair. It seems utterly fantastic to imagine that the man who had most to do with American possession of the bomb, with the early end of the war and the saving of countless American lives, should be suspected of disloyalty. Adding to the inexpressible irony is the fact that this investigation is being made by an administra tion that has, according to official announce ment, staked its defense policy on nuclear su periority, on the weapon that Dr. Oppenheimer created. The charges against the scientist have, o-f course, been made before and more than once. Each time, he has been cleared. This time the administration itself; ordered the investigation. The question inevitably occurs: why has this case been jreopened, and why now? A great many such questions can be answer ed, these days, by the one word: McCarthy, and it looks as if this were another. There are cer tainly strong grounds for believing that the Op penheimer case was reopened because Senator McCarthy had indicated that he was laying for the scientist, and the administration decideiG, in line with its policy of trying to take the ball away from the Senator, that it would get the jump on him. Certainly, it seems unlikely that there was, suddenly, a vital need to find out if Oppenheimer had ever been a Communist or if he had, as charged, delayed construction of the H-bomb because of sympathy with the Soviet cause, It looks as if the actions of the administration were still suspended in the grip of the Senator’s magnetic, control. It has more than once been suggested that Senator McCarthy is playing the Communist game; some have even said: consciously playing it. The idea evokes loud laughter from his ad mirers and it is probably fanciful. McCarthy plays nobody’s game but his own. But the fact is that again and again his words and actions give aid and comfort to the enemy. Consider this Oppenheimer affair. What could help the Communists .more than to have the United Buy A Book ... or Lots of Books ! We would be willing to bet that the bulletin board in Hayes Bookstore window, featuring the Finer Carolina contest, with special empha sis on the project for improving the West Southern Pines school library has attracted more passersby than any window show in a long time. It ought to. Not only is the project ah in triguing one, appealing to all who love children and schools and books—and who doesn’t—but the layout of photographs and text deserves ac claim in itseK as a professionally expert piece of work. The photographs by Valerie Nicholson are outstanding and the text brief and written with a punch that should open minds and pock- etbooks to support of this cause. Congratulations to Committee Chairman Lockie Parker and Li brarian Margaret York and those who helped them get up the display. As to. the proposal itself, to bring the West Southern Pines elementary library up at least to the minimum standard required by the state, few will find fault with it. When it is realized that the minimum is set at the low rate of only three books per pupil, and that West Southern Pines children, until this project started, had States debar frcm further service the man who knows more about nuclear fission than anyone else? What could more quickly create panic and loss of confidence here and abroad than to have this leading scientist accused of being a Soviet agent? ' The charges against Oppenheimer have been made by an ex-Cqmmunist, that is a point worth noting. As Elmer Davis said: “How long will these ex-Communists and ex-sympathizers abuse the patience of the vast majority which had sense enough never to be Communists or sympathizers at all?” As regards Oppenheimer’s reluctance to pro ceed with construction of the hydrogen bomb, it recalls the reaction of the scientists, Oppenheim er among them, after the Bikini explosion. Their horrorified dismay conveyed the menace of the bomb more strikingly than descriptive warn ings or photographs of the mushroom cloud. TTiey lost no time in forming an association to back the UN commission working for control Of the weapon they had invented. When Dr. Arthur Compton, the man who was responsible for first hiring Oppenheimer, was asked about the scientist’s reluctance to start the hydrogen bomb project, he said: “Op penheimer did not want the United States to make such a vastly destructive weapon capable of bringing death and suffering to so many people, nor did he want people to suspect the .U. S. contemplated its use,” and Dr. Compton added, “It’s an argument that any person sensi tive to human reaction must respect.” Senator McCarthy would not be sensitive to anyone’s reaction nOr would he have respect for such an argument, but there will be many, we believe, who will find it quite possible to understand that a man might be touched, in his youth, by the. idealism inherent in much of the Marxist creed, turning from it in revulsion, later, as he discovered its true nature, and that the same man might well wish to think long and hard before releasing to the uncertainties of human behavior a discovery whose full pow er to destroy is still unknown. The Public Speaking Praise For Bishop Sheil i To the Editor: I am very glad that you pub lished the fine, courageous words of Bishop Sheil of Chicago against Senator McCarthy and his meth ods in your editorial column last week. I was extremely proud, as I think many thousands—or may be millions — of Catholics were when Bishop Sheil spoke out so clearly and well, expressing what SO' many of us felt, and I was proud also to remember that it was Bishop Sheil who was the first of Catholic officialdom to speak out against Father Cough lin when he was making a spec tacle of himself on the political scene many years ago. ' It was especially important, I think, that someone of a bishop’s calibre speak out at this time since Archbishop Spellman had appeared, perhaps without mean ing to, to. give McCarthy his en dorsement and many took this to be the endorsement of the Catho lic church. Non-Catholics who have been taught from childhood that the Catholic church “plays politics” frequently do not understand religious faith can understand and applaud. Most sincerely, A CATHOLIC CITIZEN Southern Pines Why Fight McCarthy? To the Editor: I was quite surprised to read your criticism of Cardinal Spell man. Do you not think he has a right to his own personal opinion the same as /you? Why bring re ligion into it? We hear so much of the separa tion of Church and State, but at least two ministers have taken the liberty of making a political speech on this subject from their pulpits. Every one knows that it is only the Communist sympa thizers who are attacking Joe McCarthy, because he has uncov ered so many of their pets. Why all this talk of Schine? Did not Mrs. Roosevelt try to get a commission for her friend Joe Lash? The main question is who promoted a disloyal dentist and then gave him an honorable dis charge. Why not fight Communism in stead of Senator McCarthy? Let these things. As a lifelong Catho- /us be fair. lie, worshiping in great cathedrals and in small mission churches, I can truthfully say that I have never heard political talk from a pulpit nor from any priest except as any private citizen has a right to express an opinion. Never has there been any attempt to influ ence my viewpoint or vote, nor have I seen any signs of political activity on the part of a priest or bishop. However, our priests are high ly intelligent, well educated and strong-minded men, or they do not get to be priests in the first place. As such, they are bound to have opinions, and they have a right to do so. Frequently they differ with one another. The Church itself takes no stand on these controversial issues, but gives her priests full right to act and speak.- It was for this reason A. C. BUELL Southern Pines ‘A Grave Injustice’ To The Editor; Either you wrote or sanctioned the printing of that malicious, scurrilous attack on Cardinal Spellman in the article entitled: “A Position on Lies, Calumny and Deceit”. A grave injustice has been done to that magnificent person who stands second to none in this world in his charity and sense of fairness. * It is most unfortunate that “some, who saw the news photo graph of Senator McCarthy and Cardinal Spellman” etc. etc. did not also read the rest of the news item which quoted Cardinal Spell man as saying that he rarely at tended Communion Breakfasts— Father Coughlin was allowed to go to the lengths which he did, and was not stopped until he be gan to compromise his priestly position. Bishop Sheil spoke out when he felt impelled to do so, and he has, thank God, done so now again, in terms those of any his presence o-n that occasion was in tribute to the Chaplain of the New York Police Force who was retiring from office. The harm your editorial has done cannot be estimated—at least another article next week apolo gizing lor the slanderous attack Bingham. Governor-Sheriff Mr. Barry Bingham, owner and editor oJ^ the Louisville Courier- Journal, appeared to be a popular gentleman in the Sandhills when he appeared before the Pinehurst Forum last week. At least, the press felt that way. They did their best to get him into circulation as much as possible. The first run-off of this news paper showed Mr. Bingham’s pic ture on the front page. Under neath it was the caption “Gover nor Umstead” and over it the large headline: “Governor Calls For. . .” Somebody saw it and snatched out the Bingham cut just in time, replacing it with the Governor’s genial, screwed-up visage. The Sandhill Citizen, down the tracks, did better by Mr. Bing ham. Or worse,' whichever way you look at it. There he was again, on page 11 and underneath the Bingham pic ture, it said: “R. G. Frye” and “Candidate For Sheriff,” said the story. Too bad Mr. Bingham got de moted to sheriff, but he should understand that this is a post that stands for honor and esteem in Moore County. At least the Citi zen let Mr. Bingham run. No Billboards I When Mr. James Goodwin, owner of the Tree Farm near Car thage, as well as another up in Connecticut where he lives, was down here a few weeks ago, we had a sudden idea. “Could you by any chance,” we asked him,” be the Mr. Goodwin who owns a lot right beyond the town line at the northern entrance along Route 1?” “I could not,” he replied, “and why do you ask?” w:ell there he had us. We didn’t like to. tell him. But we were in for it. “Because that lot is where the great big ugly town billboard used to be. It was taken down, after a lot of fuss an^ struggle, and nd sooner was it down than the own er of the lot let the Shell Oil Company put another sign in its place just as big as the town sign.” Mr. Goodwin fixed us with a stem eye. “I’ll just have you know,” he said, “that I am the vice-president of the Connecticut Committee on Parks and Roadside Improvement. That couldn’t pos sibly have been my lot. I wouldn’t have anything to do with billboards.” So then we apoligized; cer tainly owed it to him. Colin Spencer Senior tells it that when he was a boy his fathej; was mighty strict with him about how he acted with trees. His fath er used to say: “Take care of trees,” and he made the command stick in a boy’s mind by adding: “If there’s a possum in the tree, go up and get him. Don’t cut down the tree.” The Obliging Fire Either the local Fire Depart ment is getting lazy and ladedah . . . and there will be some fplks to dispute that idea! . . or else the Seaboard Air Line is going in for obliging its customers in a big way. It seems last Saturday one of the Seaboard’s big yellow Diesels developed a burning pain in its in terior and the cry went up: “Bring the old soda bicarb, quick! That is, we mean the Southern Pines Fire Department!” The siren wailed loud and long but there was a hitch. The truck couldn’t get at the engine, where it stood. So the big purring Diesel calmly slid itself down the track to the Mass. Ave. crossing where the fire truck, fuUy manned and all set for action, was waiting. Mighty handy idea, the firemen said. But agreed they couldn’t al ways count on the fire go-ing to meet the fire department. on Cardinal Spellman might help a little—I feel that is due your subscribers. ' Yours truly, (Mrs. M. F.) Eleanor C. Tompkins Point Four Moves Down The Column (By Frank S. Ketcham in “Christianity and Crisis”—contin ued from last week). I Colleges and Universities within | in policy is one to be guarded the United States, and we have against, there is no such require less than half that minimum, it will be readily understood that this project represents not only a drastic need for school requirements, but something of infinite potentialities in the cul tural development of the children. That those who will benefit from it most have a keen appreciation of its value has already been clearly demonstrated in the response from pa rents and teachers of the West Southern Pines school. A generous sum of money to buy books has already been raised, with the pledge of more to come. ’This is the right way for it to be, but this project, like the others, calls for the united support of all the peO'ple. The Finer Car olina scheme is a town scheme, not be be divi ded up into sections, but appealing to all and requiring, for its successful completion, the help of all. From a human interest angle, perhaps the West Southern Pines school project has the greatest appeal o^f the five selected. With the need dramatically evident in empty shelves and eager little readers, waiting for the books to come, it ought not to be necessary to repeat the call: buy a book; fill the .shelves! Possible Weakening Effect On the other hand a feeling that __ shared by many, including I may say myself, is that, by the abolishment of technical assist ance as a separate entity, the door is open to a possible weak ening of its position as a contin uing program. Should the perils of communist aggression be allevia ted, programs intended for secur ity are likely to be eliminated and along with them technical assist ance to underdeveloped areas. Also, the combination of techni cal assistance with economic as sistance, the latter including large amounts of special emergency as sistance for such areas as Formosa and Indo-China where the com munist threat is immediate, cre ates the false impression that technical assistance is much more expensive than it actually is, an impression which could have un fortunate repercussions in an economy-minded Congress. The reorganization of the pro gram was accompanied by a re duction in staff. Over the ■objec tions of the administration. Con gress appropriated $14,000,000 less for administrative purposes in the O. A. than its constituent agen cies received in the preceding year; moreover, the appropriation act contained stipulations requir ing a reduction in personnel, par ticularly in the higher paid posi tions. As a result, a 30 per cent cut was made. There is no gainsaying the fact that through this retrenchp,. nf a great many able employees were lost to Point Four -^- employees who were thoro’^^hly imbued with its objectives and philosophy. The presentyprogram contem plates expanded use of nongov ernment agencies in the conduct of technical assistance. This pro posal has been widely interpre ted as indicative of a lack of inter est in Point Four on the part Of the administration and an inten tion to abandon it as a responsibil ity of government. The charge is serious, but is it supported by the record? In his speech of November 12, 1953, before the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Univer sities, Mr. Stassen explained the decision to enlist a larger measure of their support: Land-Grant College Participation “We have. . ^re'viewed the ■man lier in which our Government had a relationship in the gro'wth and development of the Land-Grant projected the unfolding develop ment within the United States with all the allowances for the great differences to the problem that exists in the less developed areas of the world and the way in which the United States should exercise leadership, technical, economic, and cultural in the dec ade ahead. “We are prepared to enter into new, broad, longterm contracts with the land-grant colleges in the United States in relationship to specific underdeveloped countries and the educational institutions within those countries. We are prepared on the basis of three- year contracts to set agreed ob jectives of accomplishments, to set broad outlines of the method of program. . . In discussing his program with the writer, Mr. Stassen expressed himself as eager to translate con ditions in the underdeveloped countries into the same conditions which were present when the United States made its own tech nical and social progress and he believes that the land-grant col leges, as well as other private in stitutions, have much to offer. He feels that non-government agen cies can do a better job in many areas of technical assistance be cause they are in a position to de velop a people-to-people relation ship, rather than a government- to-government relationship, and also, because there will be less suspicion of a milit^,./y'iSr foreign policy angle. In my opinion, the activities of F. O. A. thus far do not support the theory that it is abandoning Point Four. While plar^ for the negotiation of additional contracts with private agencies are being pressed, there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of government technicians assigned to field work. This increase in technicians is in itself an accom plishment, in view of the extreme difficulty commented on by the International Development Ad visory Board and others, of ob taining well qualified personnel for assignment to underdeveloped areas. Technical Assistance And Need A conviction which the church es have repeatedly expressed and which has been voiced most re cently by the I. D. A. B. is that technical assistance should never be conditioned upon the recipient countries’ participation in military or defense support operations. It'is A Bird Ah-hem . .. anybody got a nest of blue-headed vireos on their place? W« just wondered. Because we’ve got one. Or what the Southern Pines Bird Club, via Miss Louise Haynes, secretary, thinks is one. They hope, says she, that they have “diagnosed the old nest of the driveway correctly.” As if there was any doubt. Not in our minds, that is. Why, we ment at present. All of the agree ments include stipulations that the recipient nations wiU endeav or to promote international un derstanding and good will, main tain world peace, and mutually work to eliminate causes of inter national tension. Many agree ments do contain promises as to mutual security where aid spe cifically related to mutual securi ty is being furnished. But a nation does not have to agree to partici-. pate in programs which promote collective security in orde:^' to re ceive technical assistsmee from the United States. There are na tions which are presently receiv ing a large measure of assistance from* our government without commitments of a military natiure. The technical assistance pro gram is basically one of mutual advantage to the United States and to the participating nations. It is to our advantage to aid the peoples of the underdeveloped areas which are stiU a part of the free world, to furnish leadership in connection with their social and technical advancement, in or der that they may not become vic tims of communist propaganda and in that way contribute to a movement which is abhorrent to our democratic institutions. Only in this broad sense are technical assistance projects inevitably re lated to questions of security. It is my feeling that the Eisen hower administration, i. e., the executive branch of the govern ment, is sincere in its efforts to continue the technical assistance program. Well informed sources indicate strongly, however, that the legislative branch does not share in this enthusiasm for Point Four. The program just managed to come through the last Congress in the face of serious opposition and some reduction in appropri ations. Strenuous efforts to trim the budget estimate which the President sent to Congress on January 21, 1954, are definitely in prospect. Under the circum stances, the American churches can be of great assistance to the administration in its efforts to carry out one of the great practi cal and humanitarian movements of our time by laying before the Congress their concern about Point Four and supporting the President, and others who are re sponsible therefor, in obtaining sufficient appropriations to do the job. Direct representations to Congressmen and Senators should or defense support operauons. While the possibility Of a change ] be made forcefully and soon. The PILOT Published Every Friday by THE PILOT. Incorporated Southern Pines, North Carolina 1941—JAMES BOYD—1944 have been watching that red headed vireo using that old nest for years and yeeirs and years. Of course, it ‘was always easy to identify because of its very bright head. You couldn’t miss such a gay spot of color. We have always said that these blue-eyed vireos were one of the most attractive birds of the Sandhills. And so friendly and gregarious. The flocks whistle and whirl into our hollies now and then, their red eyes just matching the ber ries. Their song is rather like a chewink. .. or is it towhee? Hard to tell them apart, unless you hear them say “chewink” or “towhee”. (And then there’s one that says “teacher, teacher”, as they tell it. But we won’t go into that.) We think there is a yellow-tail ed thrush about the place, too, and maybe an, or a, ouzel, water ouzel. There’s something that ducks and bobbles in the birdbath, bowing in front of the little St. Francis most reverently. It could be an ouzel. And then it could not. And there’s a Virginia Creeper. You can see it almost any day, going up the brick wall. That’s the bird, according to Tory Peterson, that goes down the trunks of pines head first, shouting: “Yank, yank!” The reverse of the rebel yell, we take it. Maybe he should be reported to Senator McCarthy for subversive noises. It’s a won der he gets away with it in the Old No'rth State. Well, we do hope the Bird Club enjoyed themselves in our woods and will come again and tell us more about the veery’s nest along the driveway. Katharine Boyd Editor C. Benedict News Editor Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr. C. G. Council Advertising Mary Scott Newton Business Bessie Cameron Smith Society Composing Room Lochamy McLean, Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen, Jasper Swearingen Subscription Rates: One Year $4. 6 mos. $2; 3 mos. $1 Entered at the Postoffiee sd South ern Pines, N. C„ as second dass mail matter Member National Editorial Assn, and N. C. Press Assn.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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April 23, 1954, edition 1
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