NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
ASSOCIATION
ASS o C I ATlOfV
Published f >tr? Thursdat al Rwlord, N.C. 28376
IH#. Elwood Avcnur
Subscription Kales In Ad?ance
Per ^ ear?S8.U0 6 Months?$4.25 3 Months?S2.25
PAl I DICKSON
HENR\ L. Bl I E
BILl LINDAl ..
LOl IS H. KK.I I MAS, JK
Publisher
. . Editor
Production Supervisor
Associate Editor
MRS. PAl 1 DICKSON
SAM C . MORRIS.
Societs Editor
Contributing Editor
Second Class Postage al Raeford, N.C.
USPS 388-260)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1982
Hoping with Habib
No more complicated and difficult an operation can be imagined
than the evacuation of some 6,000 PLO fighters from west Beirut.
Yet US special envoy Philip Habib appears to be doing the
impossible of putting a plan together and gaining its acceptance by
Israel and the Arab countries. If his tireless diplomacy succeeds, he
will manage to spare Beirut a final Israeli assault that would take an
even higher toll in lives and devastation. He will also restore
credibility to United States leadership in the Middle East and put
the Reagan administration squarely in the middle of what will be a
new urgency to find a solution to the Palestinian problem.
Everyone must ardently hope and pray that he succeeds. Indeed
he has accomplished much already. The Arab states, which have
been conspicuous by thier lack of support and sympathy for their
Palestinian client, have begun to rally around. A number have
agreed to provide a refuge to the PLO guerrillas. Israel has accepted
the evacuation plan "in principle." So far. so good.
But it is only prudent to recognize the diplomatic pitfalls in the
operational details yet to be worked out. The Begin government
demands a list of names of the PLO fighters. It also insists that most
of the guerrillas pull out before multinational peacekeeping forces
take up their positions (so that the latter do not become a shield for
the PLO). Either of these issues could easily provide the pretext for
unravelling the plan.
Even the countries of destination are not firmly in place. The US
would like Egypt to be a participant, clearly because it would be a
moderating influence on the PLO and because Egypt would then be
closely involved. But President Mubarak reportedly is insisting on a
price ? linking departure of the PLO with a US commitment to
Palestinian self-determination, a demand which is not unreasonable.
Obviously it will take a tremendous amount of good will on all
sides to conclude the plan and bring it to fruition. It will take an
even greater effort and determination to move forward the peace
process if and when the PLO is dispersed. Brute force has prevailed
for the moment. There is no doubt that Israel's unrelenting military
pressure has persuaded the weakened PLO to agree to leave.
(Perhaps quiet US assurances not to drop the Palestinian question
also played a role.) But Israeli force will not wipe out Palestinian
nationalism, which Israel's invasion of Lebanon can only enhance,
nor destroy the Palestinian national movement.
Washington's immediate task is to get the PLO out and save what
is left of Beirut. There is now some optimism that that can be
accomplished ? a tribute to Mr. Habib's skills. The harder task will
be to look beyond Beirut with a vision of a larger and permanent
peace. Christian Science Monitor
The Braves will battle back
This has not been the best times for the Atlanta Braves. In less
than two weeks, they dropped from first place, nine games ahead of
the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National
League West, to second place. It was one of the most spectacular
crashes in the recent history of baseball.
Now, of course, people with 20/20 hindsight are saying it was
inevitable. No pitching, they say. The Braves were doing it with
mirrors.
But we predict that the collapse will prove temporary. All teams
hit their bad streaks, and in baseball, it seems, they are often hard to
break. In other sports ? particularly football ? teams can often
charge out of slumps by simply playing harder. But baseball is
largely a game of finesse. It can be counterproductive for a batter to
swing harder or for a pitcher to try for a little more velocity.
So you try to relax and stave off panic and just allow yourself to
find the groove again. The Braves will do it. With Horner and
Murphy, Hubbard and Ramirez, steady Chris Chambliss and Neikro
and Bedrosian, it's only a matter of time until America's Team
battles back.
Depend on it. ?Charlotte Observer
Rancher on
vacation
m
*1r
'Don't shoot, it's one of ours!'
Browsing in the files
of The News-Journal
25 years ago
Thursday, August 15, 19S7
At a called meeting of the board
of commissioners of the Town of
Raeford on Tuesday the resignation
of Robert Weaver was accepted and
Charles Morrison was employed to
fill the vacancy.
* * ?
Arnold Artemus McKay, retired
professor and diplomat and ac
complished writer, died suddenly
Thursday at the home of his sister,
Mrs. Etta McKay Gillis, just east of
Raeford where he had made his
home for several years.
? * ?
The strength ceiling which has
applied to National Guard units for
over two months has been lifted.
Captain Edwin D. Newton, com
mander of Company A, 130th Tank
Battalion, said this week.
* * *
From Rockftsh News:
The older men need not fear for
the future of the Nail Keg Club for
there are a lot of youngsters coming
on to take their places should they
for any reason have to drop out.
Harold Brock, Harrison Berry and
Larry English were holding a lively
session in front of Wood's store
Sunday, with crates substituting for
Nail Kegs.
? * *
Sheriff D.H. Hodgin served
papers on members of the Hoke
County Agricultural and Stabili
zation Committee yesterday re
quiring their appearance in Hoke
County Superior Court before
Judge Malcolm B. Seawell to show
cause why relief demanded in a
complaint filed by David Garner of
Little River Township should not
be granted.
15 years ago
Thurtday, August 17, 1967
Federal officials have recom
mended major integration of Hoke
County schools if the county is to
continue sales - factory compliance
with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
? ? *
The Hoke alligator incident ap
parently is closed as far as state
wildlife officials are concerned, and
nobody appears likely to be prose
cuted for killing the creature.
* ? *
Funeral services for Daniel Mar
tin McKeithan, 10. who drowned
Friday near Leland were conducted
Sunday at 3 p.m. at Raeford
Presbyterian Church by the Rev.
Douglas Kelly.
? ? ?
In less than two weeks another
Hoke-Scotland County fair will be
in session here. More than $400 is
being offered in prizes by the
sponsoring Raeford Jaycees.
? * *
A former Hawk Eye High School
baseball star. Durant Cooper, has
compiled the best won-lost record
of the year in the Class A Midwest
League.
? ? *
Lightning wreaked havoc in at
least two places here last week,
striking a church and a home
whose owners were away on vaca
tion.
* ? *
A new club for horsemen, The
Trail Riding Club of Hoke County,
has been formed here with about 30
charter members.
Puppy Creek Philosopher
Dear editor:
I've been thinking about the
proposed Constitutional Amend
ment to prohibit the government
from having a deficit.
As I understand it, if the
Amendment were ratified by the
states, it'd thereafter be Uncon
stitutional for Washington to spend
i more than it takes in.
However, there's a catch to it.
The Amendment says the govern
ment couldn't spend more than it
takes in unless three-fifths of
Congress says it's all right this
time. And this time and the next
time and the next time.
A second previso says Congress
can over-spend if there's a war on.
! This requires some thought. For
example, the Viet Nam conflict
lasted for yean but there never was
a formal declaration of war. So,
before Congress could finance such
an undertaking, would it be neces
sary to go to the Supreme Court to
And out if we were at War? Artd
what if the Court ruled 5 to 4 that
we weren't?
Now as for requiring three-fifths
of Congress to say we need to spend
more money than we've got in order
to abide by the Constitution, that
provision needs to be re-worded. It
should say that the Amendment
applies only in off-years, not in
election years. In an election year.
Congress will be allowed to spend
whatever it takes to get re-elected.
Even if the proposed Amend
ment passes Congress and is sub
mitted to the states, it'd be three or
four years at the earliest before it
could take effect.
In other words, Washington
would have at least three years of
grace, which may explain why it's
racing to beat the deadline by
running up the biggest deficit in the
history of the world. It's like a fat
man vowing to irrevocably tie
himself down to a strict diet three
years hence, provided he can
over-eat in the meantime.
I guess this is the first time in
history anybody has proposed a
Constitutional Amendment making
Congress have more backbone than
its got.
Yours faithfully,
J.A.
CLIFF BLUE ...
People & Issues
BALANCED BUDGET?...By a
vote of 69 to 31 the U.S. Senate
passed a proposed Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution that would
call for a balanced budget.
However, the U.S. House of
Representatives is yet to approve.
First, two thirds of both Houses
of Congress shall adopt the pro
posed constitutional amendment
and three-fourths of the several
states shall adopt the proposed
amendment before it shall become
law.
The Amendment faces an uphill
battle in the house where it appears
to have less support than in the
Senate. Even if the bill prevails in
the House, supports and critics
doubt that it will be embraced by
the necessary 38 states for ratifica
tion.
If adopted, the Amendment
would require a balanced budget
unless three-fifths of both Houses
voted for a deficit. The fear is that
in time of war or a national calami
ty, such as the Great Depression of
the 1930's a hardship might be
created that would force Congress
to find ways to avoid obeying the
law.
I am strong for a balanced,
budget, and 1 am not against the
proposed Amendment, but fear it
might be easily avoided by law.
Three fifths of both the House
and Senate could over-rule the
balanced budget provision and
continue piling up a great debt for
un born people to pay.
PROPOSAI 1 have long ad
vocated a balanced budget unless
we have a real crisis such as the
great depression of the 1930's or in
time of war.
1 feel that we need strong
citizens in the House and Senate
who will face up to a balanced
budget. However, I realize that
getting the nation on a balanced
budget takes much more than
barber-shop talk.
1 would suggest that Congress
reduce all expenditures of the
government, where legal to do so,
by approximately 20 percent!
You would not need to reduce
the government force by 20 percent
as we would expect the great ma
jority of government employees to
remain on for. as a whole, govern
ment employees receive a highei
wage than do most civilian workers
For every government employe*
who left their job, I would feel thai
a person of equal ability would b<
willing to fill the place.
1 feel that tax-paying citizen*
would much prefer this method o
providing a balanced budget thai (
raising taxes for the purpose ol
balancing the budget.
This year the Federal govern
ment will be spending more than
$100 billion more dollars than tax
payers pay in.
It is my feeling that if a balanced
budget is adopted by the Congresi
and the necessary number ol
states, that Congress and the Presi
dent will find a way to get around
the "balanced budget," if tht t
amendment is adopted.
I think that amendment is in
reality a "face saving" method foi
the U.S. Senators and Con
gressmen to get around balancing
the budget during the next few
years. I don't think it is a real
statesmanship "conscience" that is
causing the activity in Washington
for a balanced budget.
If it were, they would balance "
the budget this year rather than
load down the budget a hundred
billion dollars for future genera
tions to wrestle with.
If they can't face the situation
that confronts us this year, how
can we expect to meet it head-on in
future years?
It is not only Federal govern
ment that is weighted down with
personnel and generous retirement .
benefits. "
State and county positions don't
go vacant for the lack of ap
plicants. We understand that today
there is an over-supply of school
teachers, ready for assignments.
Federal government jobs on an
average can be filled by qualified
municipal, county and state per
sonnel without much trouble
because the salaries are above (
those in the private sector.
Unless something is done pretty
soon, it will be rather late to think
about a balanced budget. Then the
nation will find itself in worse
shape than when the bottom fell
out in FDR's lap in 1933!
Letter To The Editor
Editor.
The News-Journal
It's time to balance the scales.
The weeping and wailing pumped
out by the establishment media
regarding innocent victims would
cause one to assume that Prime
Minister Begin is Attila the Hun
reincarnated. Actually, he'd make
a fine secretary of defense in
President Reagan's cabinet. On the
other hand, and come to think of it.
I remember when it was known as
the secretary of war and we had
never lost one. Since it's changed to
secretary of defense, we've never
won one. Purely coincidental. 1
suppose. Anyway, it's clear that
Begin wants no part of that.
His crime is that he. with the
consent of his cabinet, has decided
that the primary responsibility of
government is to protect the lives of
its citizens. After the United Na
tions and western nations had
repeatedly ignored the slaughter of
scores of innocent Israeli citizens by
PLO terrorists. Israel finally de
cided to take decisive action. It is to
be commended for doing so.
Soviet backed PLO criminals
clearly do not represent the Pales
tinian people and understandably
no other action will give them
sanctuary. Israeli troops were
joyously welcomed as liberators |
when they knifed into Lebanon.
They uncovered vast quantities of
arms that obviously were designed
for offensive purposes. Also found
was a highly sophisticated inter
national terrorist training center
with target countries listed in
cluding the United States.
We had better understand that
those tough Israeli troops, under
superb leadership, are fighting for
our women and children. Terrorist
bombs are quite indiscriminate.
Lynn Batson
5521 Wrightsville Avenue
Wilmington. N.C. 28403
The Upper Room
Read Galatians 3:11-14; 23-29
By grace you have been saved
through faith; and this is not your
own doing, It is the gift of God.
-Ephesians 2:8 i RSV)
A young woman complained that
although she felt challenged to be a
Christian, she could not bear the
thought of having to live by a set of
rules. "I would find that terribly
inhibiting," she said. "There would
be nothing liberating about it."
That young woman was abso
lutely right in her fear, but totally
wrong in her conception of the
Christian life. The Christian life is
our human response in word and
deed to the love of God revealed in
Jesus Christ.
This does not mean that moral
codes have no value. They do, but
they only tell us how to behave.
They offer no power to motivate our
behavior.
Paul acknowledged his debt to
the moral code in the law of Moses,
but he said it had only exposed his
moral inadequacy and had driven
him to Christ. Christians through
the ages have had a similar
experience. They have found it true
that "the just shall live by faith."
PRAYER: We give thanks, O God,
for Your gift of newness of life In
Christ. By Your grace revealed In
Him, the chains that bind can be
broken. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THEDAY
Let us live in the glorious liberty
God offers.
Arthur Preston (Australia)
ONLY THE NEWSPAPER brings
you complete election newt
. . . sidelights, background, is
sues . . . the before and after
news, complete with tabula
tiont for study on how your fo
vorites won ? or lost