OCR Text |
Show Paga Two FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1961 THE SALT LAKE TIMES ieltlnd tlte JdeadiineA r Even as the Soviet Union is brandishing its threat of an-other Korean style war over Laos and as American service-men prepared to shed blood to defend the embattled jungle kingdom if war occurred, the spectre of a graver problem can be seen in Washington the past week. For its part, the Kennedy Ad-ministration followed a praise-worthy but no less awkward pol-icy in this columnist's opinion, by continuing to offer Moscow both the sword and olive branch Military strategists tell us that this is one of the worst possible wages to wage war. Diplomats admit that war's postwar objec-tives should be kept constantly in the forefront of the actual fighting. Moralists tell us that war, if fought, must constantly have a lofty end in view if we are not to debase ourselves in waging it. The Korean war, through the Communist strategy to muddy our objectives and our own in-decision which assisted them, be-came one of this country's most during the crisis over Laos. Both the President and our allies through the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, continued to warn the Communists of the Western determination to resist aggression. But at the same time there was no real mobilization of public opinion to convince the American people that aggression and a major war threat really frustrating experiences and to many still remains a "pointless war" regardless of the purposes for which it was fought. It is not accidental, nor com-pletely without some justifica-tion, that the frustrations of the Korean war helped produce Mc-Carthyis- m, since the late Sena-tor's belligerent Cold War pro-gram was at least clear cut. occurred in L.aos. This is one of the major dif-ficulties in attempting to steer a course between peace or war, in carrying both the sword and olive branch in the American eagle's talons, in speaking softly and carrying a big stick, and it is something to which adminis-tration policymakers might give overdue attention. So long as the Communist . threat is disguished, subtle, im-precise, unclear, wavering and flexible, so, too, of necessity may American policy be meeting it. As frustrating as it is, it is also unrealistic to pretend that the U. S. should launch an all out attack on the Soviets to get a war "over with" each time that Moscow probes and tests the West. - We must, of course, be pre-pared to wage big war if it comes and perhaps even be pre-pared to actually engage Com-munist military power in small "brush fire" areeas if it comes to that and is unavoidable. And because we must first, of necessity, exhaust every avenue of peaceful diplomacy before en-gaging in bloodshed, the Free World must often appear to waver between a firm and flexi-ble policy in meeting Red prob-ing of our defenses and inten-tions. While the U.S. and the world weigh whether an East - West showdown should or should not be staged over such key areas as Laos, Berlin, the Congo or Cuba, the Soviets win a substantial psy-chological victory as a result of this very hesitation, delay and indecision. For while all other alternative avenues are first explored, UN Nor does it seem coincidental to this columnist that as the Cold War grows even more frustrating and complex, that such groups as the ultra conservative John Birch Society should begin to stir once again. To many, it seems that whatr ever their proposed methods, the John Birchers are at least pro-posing clearcut answers to a clearcut Communist threat. The groups and their dedicated indi-viduals are ignoring the finite complexities of the Cold War and rallying at least those fol-lowing them with an unmistak-'abl- e program of bold anti-Communis- m. They are not concerned with Spirits of Camp David, Co-existen- ce or even the pressures of Afro-Asia- n world opinion or the threat of the alphabetical bombs. In many ways, their program reminds one of the old old, "I've made up my mind; don't bother me with the facts." But it is use-less and dangerous to deny that they are at least providing a clear cut reply, acceptable to many uneasy Americans, in meeting a Communist threat that grows graver every hour we ignore it. Communist zigzag diplomacy is hardly accidental. One key element of Soviet strategy has always been to confuse and de-moralize the West before engag-ing in military conflict. In this, they are now in many ways dan-gerously close to succeeding. U. S. confusion over what its policy should best be in such terribly vital areas of the world as Cuba, the Congo, Laos, and Berlin merely emphasizes the fact and is reminiscent of our confusion during the Korea War. intervention weighed and joint allied consultations pursued, it seems that the peoples of the Free World then begin as ask themselves whether the issue at hand is really worth a war? The result is that even as we gird for possibl war on the one hand, we appear to demoralize our psychological willingness to wage it on the other. Consequently, if peaceful ef-forts to head off a war in Laos, over Cuba or any other area, should fail, the American people and the West would enter into conflict with the worst possible preparation for it. This is what happened to the US in Korea when, although the "initial Communist onslaught and the U.S. reaction to it were swift, the failure to frame or clearcut American ob-jectives, announce led to frustration and indecision in waging the war. The John Birchers, Barry Goldwaters, Lincoln Rockwells, "Preventive Warriors," ex fol-lowers of the late McCarthyism, and the growing number of other ultra nationalists group are in the , process of developing their answers to the Communist chal-lenge. It is unwise in this columnist's opinion's to either smear or ignore the Cold War frustrations and uneasiness they reflect. It would be easy to smear, but bet-ter yet that some deep thought be given to a framing of clearcut Cold War objetcives the Admin-istration could sell to the coun-try and which the Free World could offer the world at large. The Four Freedoms of Church-ill and FDR rallied the world in the darkest hours of World War II. The West could use a similar idea again. Twenty-Si- x Unions Back Santa Fe In Battle For Road Santa Fe Railway has the sup-port of the 26 Western Pacific railroad union organizations in its contest with Southern Pacific for control of the Western Pa-cific Railroad. This came through the filing by the Association of Western Pacific general chairmen of a petition to the Interstate Com-merce Commission which fully "supports the application of Santa Fe" and "opposes the ap-plication of Southern Pacific." The Association represents the 26 Western Pacific union or-ganizations comprising 93 per cent of all Western Pacific em-ployees. W. L. Phipps, chairman of the association of Western Pacific general chairmen, signed the pe-tition. Leo E. Sievert, Santa Fe Vice President at San Francisco, in announcing the support, noted that the Western Pacific union employees have endorsed the stand taken earlier by Western Pacific management. Mr. Sievert added. "This ac-tion by the Western Pacific em-ployees adds significant strength to the support received by Santa Fe from labor and other organi-zations. For example, the AFL-CI- O Labor Council of Fresno, Madera, King and Merced coun-ties have formally intervened in suport of the Santa Fe applica-tion." The Association's petition of intervention to the ICC made the following points: 1. The brotherhood employees are dependent for their liveli-hood upon the continuation by Western Pacific of aggressive competitive rail service in the area served by Western Pacific. 2. The employees are members of the communities served by Western Pacific and have an in-terest in the growth and well-bein- g of such communities: 3. Control by Santa Fe will contribute to adequate transpor-tation service: (a) by assuring continuation of aggressive com-petition, and (b) preserving and fostering gateways and routes so that increased traffic demands of the future can be met. 4. Control by Southern Pacific would result in the elimination of competition and the return of monopoly in the area now served by Western Pacific. 5. Control by Southern Pa-cific will adversely affect West-ern Pacific employees in the mat-ter of employment opportunities, 6. Control by Southern Pacific will adversely affect the well-bein- g of the communities where Western Pacific employees now reside. This action by the Association brings to more than 110 the number of civic, governmental, labor, agricultural and other or-ganizations which have formally endorsed the Santa Fe position. New Process Holds Foods Promise A new process of food preser-vation developed in Scotland and called accelerated freeze drying will have great impact on the food industry, predicts James Stewart-Gordo- n in a Reader's Digest article, "Something New in Groceries Instant Every-thing." Unlike World War II dehydra-tion methods, it does not turn food into gray powder. The food retains 95 to 100 per cent of its original flavor, and when put in water resumes its original shape. Dried foods can be shipped and stored at less cost than the fresh or frozen foods. The new process makes it possible to store fresh food in any climate with out refrigeration and for a vir-tually unlimited length of time. "You might say it is the greatest break through in food preservation since the invention of the tin can," says Dr. Rex Barnell of the British Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. General Foods and Armour are constructing or converting factories to use the new process or variations of it in the U. S. In New York state, General Foods is building a plant to make instant baby foods. Armour, al-ready preparing steaks for U.S. Army field rations, is getting ready to market freeze dried hamburger and other meat prod-ucts for the housewife. , One firm for the past four years has been selling its dehy-drated shrimp to hospitals, res-taurants and schools, and will shortly put it in supermarkets. Wilson is now marketing dehy-drated beef .and chicken which, packed in polyethylene bags, are sold to sportsmen and hunters for complete instant meals. I UOM I MORE . Otf K-4A0R-E ill!here Ws V F AlHheJiimel THE NEW I KM 1230 On Every Radio jLbg World's " BOURBOK WHISKEY Wm hJJ4lKfJll 1 Qinrp t |