Page TWO
THE PILOT—Soutliern Pines. North Carolina
THURSDAY. JULY 12. 1356
Southern Pines
ILOT
North Carolina
“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.
Warmer Interest in the Cold War
The term “cold war”—certainly one of the
most brilliant creations of modem terminology
—^has been heard so often and in so many con
notations that it is entering the ranks of the
cliche and, true to its name, is received by the
public much more coldly than it was in the
early post-war years.
Only the most informed and astute, it ap
pears, keep up a warm interest in the cold war
—that multi-faceted diplomatic and economic
effort being carried on by the free and the un
free worlds. . , I •»( I ■ : r
Yet the cold war interest of most of us wami-
ed with the recent anti-Soviet riots in Poland.
While rioting appears more in the category of
active (“hot”) conflict than in the economic
or ideational spheres, what happened in Poland
—along with other evidence of cracks in the
Commxmist front—can be fairly interpreted as
progress in the complex and expensive under
taking that we can the cold war.
Weakening of the Communist hold on satel
lite nations, pointed out by Secretary Dulles,
received dramatic confirmation by the events in
Poland only a short while later. And the Sen
ate voted to allocate more than four and a half
bUlion dollars to foreign aid—^which is four
hundred million less than was requested by the
President, but at the same time was a major
recovery of the more than seven hundred mil
lion which had been lopped off the proposal in
the House. Then, late last week, a Senate-House
conference committee reached a compromise
agreement of four billion, 14 million dollars for
foreign aid.
Seldom, in the post-war years, has the out
look in the “cold war” been more optimistic
than at the present time. It behooves us not to
let our interest flag and to realize again that
billions are not too much to spend to extend
the influence of the free world by peaceful
means.
Think We’ll Keep Our Door Locked
Shocking criminal actions—indicating that
lawlessness can flare up in the most peaceful
and imexpected places—claimed interest on
both the national and local scenes last week.
The Weinberger kidnaping, in which an in
fant was taken from his carriage on the terrace
of his parents’ home in a good residential neigh
borhood of Westbury, N. Y., was the national
case.
Locally, a woman was slugged into uncon
sciousness and her pocketbook robbed as she
sat in her home in an ordinarily quiet residen
tial section of Southern Pines.
Residents of law-abiding communities like
Southern Pines and peaceful suburban neigh
borhoods like that in Westbury grow trustful
and, in the light of what happened, one must
say careless. In such places, years can go by
without an incident of violence: or a major
crime. It is good to feel secure, to trust one’s
neighbors. And then comes something like the
kidnaping or slugging. It’s incredible, but it
happened. And it could have been any of us,
apparently secure and trustful, who might have
been the victim.
We know persons who have lived a lifetime
and have never locked a door in their homes.
We know young people who sometimes leave
young children or babies alone and unattended
in a home while running an errand or visiting
briefly with friends. We all know countless
things that are done or not done that could be
disastrous. But nothing ever happensr— not in
a peaceful community like Southern Pines or
a pleasant suburban development like West
bury. Nothing ever happens tmtil . . it does.
Think we’ll keep a door locked when alone
or engrossed at home. And, if there is a baby
in our charge, we won’t let it out of our sight.
And we think we’ll be less scornful when
knowing cynics taunt us with assertions of the
unperfectibility of mankind.
Born Too Late
Pity the modem man whose pleasures are
outpaced by the civilization in which he lives.
This sentiment comes to mind as we read
that an SBI agent showed up prior to a pro
posed North Carolina “coon on a log” contest,
bearing an opinion of the attorney general to
the effect that such an event would violate laws
against cruelty to animals.
The contest—in which dogs swim to an an
chored. log and vie with each other to be the
first to bring to shore a coon on the log—
was not held: a triumph for civilization and a
disappointment to the folks who were plan
ning to witness the spectacle.
/ This incident shows the futility of not going
along with the times; or, if you’U have it that
way, the fretful frustration of being bom too
late. A htmdred or two hundred years ago,
there would have been no such interruption
In many a frontier-conimunity, a law that pre
vented such a contest would have been consid
ered lunacy; and, if there had been such a law,
chances are there wouldn’t have been an officer
to enforce it.
All this is not to defend coon on a log
contests which we consider not only cruel but
silly. It simply shows how values and customs
change over the years and how rnany of us now
alive on this earth might have been happier
in another time, age or way of life than the
one into which we happen to have been bom.
This is a futUe form of yearning, because
when we are born is one personal event about
which we can do nothing'. But meditation along
this line is useful in illuminating character—
oirr own and others’. We may be more tolerant
of some transgressors if they are viewed not
just as plain immoral, but only somewhat be
hind the times.
Boys, Flags and Patriotism
The house in which we grew up had, on the
broad solid plank railing of a small secOnd-
story balcony, an angled metal flagpole holder
that we can see as clearly as the typewriter on
which this is being written.
We had to wait quite a number of years be
fore acquiring the strength and stability to
stand on the balcony, holding the flagpole with
flag attached, and then lean out so that the
butt of the flagpole could be slipped back into
the metal holder that held it firmly from morn
ing to sunset on the Fourth of July and other
designated national holidays.
We remember the slightly musty smell of the
heavy flag material, the acrid scent of sun on
the tin roof, the awkward weight of the flagpole
extended in straining young arms and the re
lief and pride when it was firmly fixed and
fluttering.
Was the sum total of what we felt patriotism?
Perhaps it was. Anyway it was a good feeling
and, when we left the big old house, where the
flagpole holder had been affixed by Grandfather
some half century even before that time, we
walked down a street (pockets full of firecrack
ers, and whopping “torpedoes” into the sidewalk
every few steps) on which every house display
ed a flag, big or small, high or low. You
wouldn’t have had any doubt whatever that it
was Independence Day. '
Now, in Southern Pines, a gentleman teUs us
he rode all over town on the Fourth of July
and saw only eight flags displayed, not count
ing the tpwn’s flags that are regularly put out
on holidays in the business section.
We don’t believe that people are less patriotic
than they used to be, but they certainly don’t
show it like they used to. And it could be that,
after a few generations in which outward dis
plays of patriotism faded away, some of the
ardor of the quality itself might be lost.
The nation is not in danger 'because only
eight flags were displayed in Southern Pines on
the Fourth of July. Nowadays, it appears that
everybody has to go somewhere on the Foxurth
and we suppose they don’t like to leave flags
out—or, in the rush of getting off on an excur
sion, they forget to put them out in the first
place. But did anybody ever hear of a flag be
ing stolen? Would somebody who cared enough
about a flag to have one be the kind of person
who would steal it?
Whatever the reason that flags were not dis
played, it is too bad the flag custom is passing.
There are boys, this year and every year, who
should not be denied the thrill and pride in
putting out the flag. They should be able to
put up the flag, go out to the street and turn
around and admire their handiwork. They
should be able to say to themselves, in that
happy moment: “That’s my house and that’s
my country’s flag.” And they should be able to
walk down a street that is lined with flags:
“This is my town and everybody’s got the flag
out.”
To every boy those things should not be de
nied.
THE PRIME SECRET
“It is the prime secret of the Open Road that
you are to pass nothing upon this earth. As you
travel, many things both great and small will
come to your attention; you are to regard it all
with open eyes and a heart of simplicity. Be
lieve that everything belongs somewhere; each
thing has its fitting and luminous place within
this mosaic of human life.” —^David Grayson
ON PROTECTION
“Make me prosperous in my job and I will
take care of myself in my other relations. How
much of the history of tariff legislation^ for
instance, can be written in those words?’*
—Judge Learned Hand
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Slimmer Showers
'Sleeping Tar Heels' (4)
N. C. Assault Crime Rate 431%
Higher Than Average In Nation
The recently published
booklet, "Sleeping Tar-Heels,"
by Dr. Roma S. Cheek, a
Duke University professor, is
attracting state-wide atten
tion with its exposure of
many economic and govern
mental shortcomings in
North Carolina. Aroused
citizen interest in these prob
lems and a revision of the *
state constitution are urged
by Dr. Cheek as first steps in
bettering the state's standing
in many fields. Below is the
fourth excerpt The Pilot has
taken from the booklet.
(Sources of all quotations are
cited in the original, but are
omitted here.)
In the area of crime North
Carolina is the highest of all the
forty eight states in aggravated
assault crimes—its crime rate in
this classification being 431 per
cent greater than the average for
the nation as a whole. Also North
Carolina crimes of murder and
non-negligent manslaughter are
229 per cent higher than for the
nation as a whole.
It is common knowledge and a
matter of court, FBI and SBI rec
ord that dangerous and complete
ly ruthless syndicated criminal
rackets have operated and do
operate in North Carolina.
During the 1955 General As-
senibly one of the biggest gamb
ling racket lobbies received a sur
prise setback by one legislator,
whose naive and unusual expos-
lues so threw them off balance
that they were unable to recoup
their forces and get through their
intended legislation. However,
they will undoubtedly lay a more
thorough groundwork for success
in the 1957 session.
Civic Effort Failed
“Sleeping Tar-Heels” should
wake up not only in those towns
where syndicated crime operates
but also in other North Carolina
cities, towns and rural areas
where local crime rings are so
powerful that they are able to
keep out any competition and
the accepted slogan becomes “Lo
cal Crimie for Local Criminals.”
For example, the author partic
ipated some time ago in a civic
effort by some of the women’s
clubs in a North Carolina city to
get some procedures started
which would clean up the gamb
ling, bootlegging, prostitution
and Other rackets in that particu
lar city. The press cooperated
but when the issue of investiga
tion came to a test before the lo
cal governing body that body
voted to investigate the protest
ing organizations.
A resolution for the investiga
tion of crime by an independent
“blue ribbon” grand jury was not
even seriously considered by
these supposedly responsible of
ficials, even though such a jury
had been made legally available
to it.
Delayed community reaction to
such amazing indifference on the
part of its officials began to cause
lemibarrassment. An official re
quest was made to the State Bu
reau of Investigation to investi
gate. However, the requesting
letter, which was never made
public, neatly tied the hands of
the SBI in advance by specifying
that it was to investigate only
syndicated crime. Local criminal
rackets were so powerful that
they had kept out the outsiders
and the SBI found no evidences
of national and international
crime. The words national and
international crimes were not
used in the public release and
the citizens were informed that
there was no crime.
'Whitewash' Exposed
This ridiculous “whitewash”
and protection of “local crime for
local criminals” was fortunately
exposed a few weeks later when
the city chief of police publicly
named the head of the bootleg
ging racket who was soon after
arrested by the Federal Govern
ment and sent to prison for fail
ure to buy federal stamps. The
“numbers racket king” was also
arrested by the Federal govern
ment, convicted, and sent to fed
eral prison for income tax eva
sion.
“Tar-Heels” asleep to the dan
gers of crime and criminal rack
ets in jthe , state often become
aroused enough to concern them
selves about juvenile delin
quency. "Were they to awaken to
their responsibilities they would
realize that there are basically no
problem children—children are
simply reacting normally to prob
lem environments.
Juvenile delinquency often be
comes the “scapegoat” in the
criminal environment created by
adults and tolerated by the major
ity of inert citizens who do not
care to look beneath the surface or
“stick their necks out” in order to
give their children a decent com
munity in which to live.
Antiquated Framework
In its overall governmental
patterns North Carolina is oper
ating within antiquated, costly,
and unduly complicated frame
work and procedures. An illustra
tion of what is happening in the
governmental area while “Tar-
Heels” sleep is the “Topsy-like
growth and operation of the ad
ministrative branch of state gov
ernment.”
For example, most of the offi
cials and agencies of the admin
istrative branch of state govern
ment function without being di
rectly responsible to the Gover
nor, to the Legislature or to the
people but are responsible only to
the pressure groups which crea
ted them. North Carolina now
has in its administrative branch
of government 178 governmental
units having separate statutory
basis and set up in 49 different
ways. Since no provision for re
moval of officials is provided by
law for 138 of these governmental
units they cannot be considered
as being currently responsible to
any higher authority for their ac
tions and are without any over
all supervision.
There have been no basic revi
sions in North Carolina’s tax
structure since the depression
year of 1932 and yet there have
been great economic, social, and
technological changes in the last
twenty-four years.
(To be continued)
Crains of Sand
Any Southerner knows that the
most maligned thing in the world
is the Southern accent.
To the TV comedian from New
York, there is only one Southern nr*
accent, and it cons’ists of pure ^
saccharine: “Honeh chile, duz you-
awl wahn meant in you-awlz joo-
lip?” This is how everybody in
the South supposedly talks, and
from Richmond to Houston all one
has to do is to talk like an almost
dead automobile battery and one
will be to the maim?r bbni,
The facts are that there are as
many Southern accents as there
are Southern States. Not only do ♦
Southerners in different States
have different ways of speaking,
but as every Southerner knows,
within the same State accents are
likely to vary widely.
Not even the drawl is common
to all Southern accents. There are
Southern dialects in which the
words are not wafted slowly into
the air, but pronounced rather
quickly and melodiously. Anyone ^
who ever has visited Charleston, ™
S. C., knows that the drawl is
simply not spoken there. A
Charleston accent is unmistakable,
but it is not a drawl.
It is, a kind of musical sing-song
affair, in which the vowels
achieve strange intonations.
'Writing in the Charleston News
and Courier, “Lord Ashley Coop
er” has compiled a dictionary of
Charlestonese “for the use of tour- ^
ists visiting the Holy City.” Here
with is a fair sampling:
Abode—Wooden plank.
A boot—Approximately.
Air—^What you hear with.
Bare—A beverage made from
malt and hops.
Bull—Nickname for William.
Coat—^Where they got that
judge an’ aU.
Cup—Place for housing hens. ^
Des Moines—They belong to me. ^
Faints—^A barricade of wood,
brick or stone.
Flow—'What you stand on in a
house.
Frustrate—Tops; initial ranking.
Go it!—An animal that eats tin
cans and smells bad.
Hail—The abode of integration-
ists and other evil spirits.
Halo—Greeting similar to “how
do you do.” See “Higher.” ^
Harmony—Cooked grits.
Hawsers—Quadrupeds that eat
hay.
Higher—See “Halo.”
Hone—Something on an auto
that you blow.
Mow—^An additional quantity.
Packing—Maneuvering an auto
to the curb.
Pain—What you sign a check
with.
Poach-—A verandah. ^
Police—Term of polite request. ^
(A person desiring to maneuver a
car to the curb might ask a poo-
leeceman, “Cane .1 police pack
hair?” to which the pooleeceman
would doubtless respon, “No, yo’
cane not.”)
Rum—An enclosed space within
a building.
Sex—One less than seven, two
less than ate, three less than
noine. ^
DEPARTMENT OF NOSTALGIA
And What Did He Get?
A thief has stolen a 1922 Ford
touring car “in excellent mechan
ical shape” used as an ad by a St.
Louis filling station. To parody a
ditty:
He stole an old Ford
And what did he get?
Well—he got an equipage with:
seats as comfortable as benches
in a depot waiting room; top as
weatherproof as a town-square
bandstand in a blizzard; motor as
quiet as the neighbor’s power
lawn mower at 7 a. m.; a vehicle
which mi^t be helped over the
hump by a 50-pound push on the
low-gear pedal, backed up a steep
hill if the gas in the under-seat
tank runs low and which boils
over any grade a mile long with
the mercury around 90.
Punishment enough. Nostalgic
rememberers of the Tin Lizzie
don’t say so. Perhaps an unmer
ited reward. For he got also a
benzine buggy which could be
cranked if the battery went dead
—one which could be started in
Arctic weather by crank and bat
tery if boiling water were poured
over the carburetor and manifold,
and if one rear wheel were jack
ed up; a chariot for which One
once could replace a fan belt for
a quarter and piston rings, a cyl
inder at a time, for $2.65.
Best of all, he got a horseless
surrey \which didn’t come com
plete, e;ven replete. He can still
add a foot throttle, a water pump,
a vapor fuel saver, a speedome
ter, a rfiotormeter, a magnetic
horn and real glass in the back
Curtain.
Oh undeserving malefactor!
Tide—Weary.
Tin—A number.
Fo’ mo’ dan
sex.
Toyed—Something that ebbs
and flows off the Bottry.
Traffic—Something stupendous,
like a movie that is beyond colos
sal or epic.
Yawl—^Mode of address used by
N’Yawkers when visiting in
South.
Anyone who has listened in
Charleston can attest to the accu
racy of most of Lord Ashley’s pro
nunciation pronouncements. How
ever, his final definition is regret
tably in error. “Yawl” is quite
genuinely Charlestonian: we have
heard too many Charlestonians
use it. It means “you-plural,” just
as “you-all” means “you-plural.”
It is never used for “you-singu-
lar,” and it fills what is elsewhere
a gap in the English language.
Charlestonians no less than oth
er Southerners frequently use
“yawl” and we wonder whether
Lord Ashley Cooper of the
Charleston News and Courier
doesn’t come from New Jersey or
some other cheaper-by-the-dozen
place, the way he fails to recog
nize its authenticity.
The PILOT
Published Every Thursday by
THE PILOT, Incorporated
Southern Pines, North Carolina
1941—JAMES BOYD—1944
Katharine Boyd Editor
C. Benedict ...—Associate Editor
'Vance Derby News Editor
Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr.
C. G. Coimcil Advertising
Mary Scott Newton Business
Bessie Cameron Smith Society
Composing Room
Lochamy McLean, Dixie B. Ray,
Michael Valen, Jasper Swearingen
Thomas Mattocks.
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