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Show Joseph Section Tliursdu A .March Morning, G, 1969 AI-o- p Nixon Assembles Page 16 Excellent Team Near Brink in Vietnam The new Communist iu offensive South Vietnam is deliberately provocative and, as President Nixon said, may be a untechnical violation of the halt to led the bombing derstandings that and the current peace talks in Paris. Mr. Nixon expressed his deep concern about the situation when he told his tele- vised press conference Tuesday night that the United States will not tolerate increased attacks cm the cities of South Vietnam. But he would not define the possible nature of the American response except to say that it would he "appropriate. If the Communists really want to end the tyar, they will heed the President's warning. For the bombing halt was contingent upon reciprocal restraint by the other side. And when the other side refuses to fulfill the implied bargain, it must be prepared to accept the consequences. What the consequences might be is a matter of surmise A resumption of the WASHINGTON The President has now returned from a muted but successful European trip. He has also been in office just a month and a half. So bombing is an obvious answer. But while Mr. Nixon said the matter had been given some thought, he refused to go into specifics. It is, however, a decision Mr. Nixon is probably reluctant to make, remembering how Stop the Bombing! became the rallying cry, both in this country and maybe it is worth trying to answer the mildly puzzled question many people tend to ask reporters nowadays, "Hows abroad, of critics of President Johnsons conduct of a war that caused his political downfall. Yet escalation of the war, in one way or another, may well become inevitable unless the Communists abandon their present course. The Communists are not only making war on civilians by shelling the cities, they are using tanks in major assaults on American ground forces. Meanwhile, the Paris talks are deadlocked with no break in sight. Piesident Nixon is moving with quiet deliberation. But the fact he voiced his warning of appropriate response twice during Tuesday's press conference emphasizes the gravity of the situation. doing? To begin win the must critically imperunt fact, it is all only clear that the now President has assembled one of the ablest administrations of recent decades, There are the usual payoffs, of course, and the usual dim figures in the usual dim job. William But the people in the key posts Rogers at State, Melvin R. Laird at Defense, John Mitchell at the Justice Department and are all. in one way Robert Finch at HEW or another, men of exceptional ability. A question mark still hangs over Secretay of the Treasury David Kennedy, who has said nothing and done nothing anyone could judge him by; but the business world says he will end by standing with the others above listed. Flood Problems Once Attain. ' o For many years almost as long as people can remany young or middle-agethe State of Utah, Salt Lake member d City and Salt Lake County have been considering what almost all agree is a problem" along the Wasatch Front due to periodic flooding. Fortunately, some work has been done in flood prevention. But an almost annual complaint appears concerning the Jordan River. And almost annually there are consultations with the Army Corps of Engineers on deepening and widening the river bed to handle the influx of water should there be a heavy runoff from melting snow in the spring. This week, a meeting was called to discuss the recurrent problem. And as has been done so many times, there was a request made for a "survey of the Jordan River problem. Similar surveys have e border clash is nothof out the ordinarj'. There must have ing been hundreds of them over the years. But it is out of the ordinary for the Russians to announce that one has taken place. And that is what they did over the weekend. Just why, no one in the West leally knows, though it is possible Moscow wants to build up a case against Peking as an aggressor and thus justify the reported buildup of Soviet military forces in the Far East. According to Moscow, Communist Chinese troops attacked a Soviet border post on an island in the Ussuri River which separates Russias Maritime Territory from Manchuria. In the Peking version, Soviet troops are accused of landing on the island which is claimed by both countries. Since the river constantly thangts course, there are ample grounds for continual dispute. Czarist Russia began taking over territory in the area early in the 19th century, and China has never forgotten that it was the loser. The issue clouded relations even when the two countries were closely associated. After their ideological falling out a few years back, the dispute was revived with added intensity. Great ProThen came Mao letarian Cultural Revolution and the serious disruption of central control over China's outlying provinces. Thus the Russians might be building up their forces so as to be able to move in if the Chinese state showed signs of breaking up. Or they might be taking out insurance against the possibility of Chinese provin-cia- l leaders, whipped up by the strong theme of the Cultural Revo Sovict-Chines- Soviet-Chine- Tse-tung- anti-Sovi- 's se been done for many years, and each one shows that a river which can contain only of water can hard800 to 900 second-fee- t from Salt Lake the runoff contain ly sewers storm high water peduring Citys riods, let alone the outflow from Utah Lake and the Provo area. Officials are doing what they can with the facilities they have to prov'e storage space in reservoirs for the expected heavy runoff this spring due to snow pack estimated at least twice that in an average year. But that leaves the heavy snowpack below the reservoirs at lower levels still to be accounted for. It is time to stop having more surveys and turn the surveys into action. For without action, the surveys may be washed down the drain along with sizeable portions of communities along the Wasatch Front. lution, launching ail offensive on their own initiative. At any rate, tensions along the Ussuri River have increased, a fact Moscow obviously wants the rest of the world to know. But with tensions in Europe also increasing due to Moscows Czechoslovak and Berlin policies, it seems likely border clashes will remain that and nothing more. Unless, of course, Peking has other ideas. Soviet-Chine- se The Home Stretch With the backing of President Nixon and a favorable report from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the nuclear nonproliferation treaty is expected to be ratified some time this month. The treaty was signed in July after four years of negotiation and sent to the Senate a few days later. Then came the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia, and many senators argued ratification of the treaty at that time might give the impression the United States wasnt much disturbed by Soviet violations of international law. Candidate Nixon took a similar stand, but gave the treaty his blessing after he became President. The pact is supposed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to nations not already possessing them. It has also been described as a league of haves against "havenots, which is not correct since two "haves, France and Communist China, refused to sign and are thus free to spread nuclear weapons wherever they choose. That reduces the effectiviness of the treaty. However, in an imperfect world, it is better to settle for the possible instead of the ultimate. Moreover. American and Soviet ratification could be a first step toward genuine negotiation on arms control. Hill Vaughan's The 15- - scienihe whiz who says rite his autobiography has the your memoire out of the way ear-ol- d early when you excuses for. dont have anything to make The Washington, D.C., meirouolitan aie.t booms to eighth place in population. The town was smart enough to invest eaily in government as our No. 1 growth industry. executive we know says he worried about conflicts of interest among his employes. He just wishes they'd show some interest of any kind. One business i- -n The Public Forum t satisfactory type of razor for as.ro-naut- s is being sought. Apparently its as difficult to shave in space as 'n a family with five children and one bathroom. A It is imperative that man should get to the moon. Unless, of course, the Russians do u first, in which case it doesnt matter. By Our Readers al Blind Faith Editor, Tribune: With high hopes I voted Republican. I also favored the surtax to curb the inflation. I even fell for the line that large cuts in government spending would follow'. How blind can I get? As we submit our tax returns tnis year inflation curbing surtax, with the we can at least feel good with the knowledge after all that it is all for a good cause senators have got to live too and how else can we hope to attract top quality men to the job? Statements like this coming from the ranks of the Republicans? Of course the surtax was put in effect during the Democratic administration, but how in the world can we ever expect the current administration to cut it off while they are handing out raises to themselves and other government workers, costing billions of taxpayer dolla. If this isn't the cornerstone to a long and skyhigh inflation spurt I'll eat my next year's income tax return. How long are we taxpayers going to sit complacently on our hands and watch the wizards of Washington continually steal from our pockets through waste, corruption and uncalled for pay and fringe benefit increases for themselves? May I suggest next time, honorable gentlemen of the Congress, that you include a clause to the effect that your pay increase does not take effect until the day following or are you not each individuals reelection sporting enough to give us this chance for survival? K. E. BROWN MKassuniptions Editor, Tribune: Florence Wilson (Forum, Feb. 19), in her rebuttal to my letter favoring liberalization of Utahs sterilization and abortion laws, unfortunately assumes (1) that the Judeo - Christian tradition, irremedially corrupted as it is by sectarianism, has had no influence on our lawr; (2) that the existence of a law proves it good, or just, or true, or right, etc.; (3) that churches (religious sects) exist as moral guides; (4) that because religious sects exist, whatever they favor or do is good, or just, or true, or right. Though these assumptions are common, none of them is warranted. Her reliance on these assumptions has obviously caused her to miss the main issue. If a church (sect) wishes to influence the conscience of its members in matters w'hich pertain to each individual separately, and which neither benefit nor harm any other individual, it has everj' right to do so. But for that sect (or well meaning member of that sect) to incorporate or seek to incorporate such sectarian influence into a legal code which affects those other chan its members and thereby make criminals of those who do not subscribe to such sectarian influence, is for that sect to commit an immoral act. Perhaps wed all be better off as human beings if we could form our consciences free from that superstitious nonsense perpetuated into law by the churches. LESTER EMMETT Bi" Difference Orbiting Paragraphs lie is going to w right idea. Let Equals Kennedy Group then, if sheer ability is the real test, the N.xon Administration comes close to equaling the brilliant governing group assembled by President Kennedy. The difference lies in the obvious lack of any moral compulsion to "do great things and say great things, at any rate right off the bat. Here one should note, however, that the President obviously wants nothing less than to have his new team doing great things and saying great things right off the bat. lie wants, in fact, to go slow and lower the decibel count. So far, he has shown great adroitness in doing so. Next, tw'o notes are in order on the new administration's inner relationships. In addition to choosing exceptional men for the key Cabinet posts, Nixon has brought equally exceptional men into the White House itself Drs. Henry Kissinger, Arthur Bums and Daniel P. Moynihan, to name the obvious On average, Russia Keeps an Fyn on China A is: which Nixon really Editor, Tribune: I have read with interest and in some cases disgust, the comments of various groups and individual citizens of Utah complaining mostly about taxes and the inherent burdens imposed thereby. To date however, I have not lead one word of complaint from the veterans of this state or how they feel about being left out of tax relief. Having served this great country of ours, as a regular member of the U.S. Marine Corps for over 30 years, I realize more each day I spend in Utah that the serviceman is indeed the forgotten man in all respects here. The one big difference between the serviceman and the civilian is the serviceman must take an oath which states In part that he will defend his country against all enemies both foreign and domestic, even to give his life if need be. For this he draws a mediocre salary and the promise of retirement or retainer pay at the end of 20 or 30 years. This retainer pay serves a double purpose, it also commits the individual accepting it to immediate recall to active duty, should his branch of service need his skills. For thjs reason at least a part of this retirement or retainer pay should be tax exempt. In Utah, no exemptions are provided for the retired serviceman. Many older retirees are living on fixed incomes and find it hard if not impossible to obtain work of any kind, because of our age and lack of civilian skills peculiar to the state of Utah. 1 read recenJy that Colorado exempts from taxation the first $2,000 of retired pay. California exempts the first $1,000 and provides the retiree with income credit in the same amounts as that of the federal government. Finally, when I think about the awful statistics of the Vietnamese conflict, I wonder what the men returning to Utah feel toward Ihe state taxation of themselves and their families. R. W. HINES Cedar City lull Did They Mean? Editor, Tribune: George Romney and Gov. Rampton raised questions with their comments at the prayer breakfast as quoted in The Salt Lake Tribune. Is it really true that there is no greater need in this country than to teach our religious origins? How about the need for rational humanitarisnism, responsibility, thinking and love? And just what are our religious origins? The widespread attitude of the early settlers that a few heathens should not be allowed to stand in the way of living room for civilized Christians? Or the Puritan ethic that led some individuals to attempt to control the personal lives of their neighbors? Or would our religious origins be closely akin i r thp religious thinkine of such influential Americans as Ben Franklin, George Thomas Thomas Jefferson, Washington, ? Paine, Ralph W. Emerson, Henry David Somehow, I dont believe thats what Mr. Romney had in mind. If you doubt me, read their writings again and draw your own conclusions., Next question: What on earth does he mean by agnostic neutralism that prevents the teaching of democracy? Could he mean that agnostics dont understand, love and teach their children the ideals of democracy? Then Gov. Rampton says government leaders should seek divine guidance in making important decisions. What divinity do you suppose he has in mind? It cant be the same as mine because mine doesnt talk back to me. My ancestors started emigrating around 1670. Their relig;n doesnt interest me at all. MRS. HELEN S. LEE Tho-teau- Needed Crowbar Latter-da- Saints. y e. Work IS Hours Doily Before the European trip, for instance, Dr. Kissinger and his assistants worked an average of 16 hours a day, seven days a week, on papers pulling together all the pertinent facts on every conceivable question that might perhaps arise in any of the places to be visited. Doing just that is what Dr. Kissinger conceives his job to be. And he is far too wise & man to try to go into competition with Secretary of State Rogers, who happens to be the Presidents closest personal friend. The talk about crossed wires is therefore likely to be disproved by events. There has been a surprising absence of talk, however, about another very real inner phenomenon of this administration. This is the use the President constantly makes of his attorney general as a special adviser on all sorts of matters of domestic policy, often well beyond the Justice Department's range. As to what all these very able people will eventually do with their new power and authority, r.o one can say in detail as vet. Cooly Tough-Minde- J But in a general way, it is safe to predict that they will be coolly tough-mindefor this is the other main characteristic, besides obviously ability, that one can discern in all of them. The tough-minde- d stances on Vietnam, on national defense, on dealing with the Soviet Union, are already beginning to emerge. There is not and there will not be tough talk. Yet the broad trend of foreign and defense policy is beginning to be clear, even though everyone has carefully avoided being too explicit about it. On the domestic front, meanwhile, there will no doubt be balancing gestures. To name a symbolic one, John Paton Davies, with his security clearance belatedly restored by the Johnson administration, may well be named to the State Department's China advisory panel by the Nixon Adminis-tratioIt would be a shrewd as well as just thing to do. But on all the big issues, from social welfare to the recurrent violence in the schools is and universities, cool once again likely to be the note struck. We seem to have entered a period when will be good politics. n. Editor, Tribune: My goal to stand aloof from controversy is shattered. Even though I have no children in school, I cannot remain silent but must stand up and be counted with regard to the released time high school seminary program of the Church of Jesus Christ of ones. This has caused a lot of loose talk about crossed wires, especially in the area of foreign affairs. But the new President demands more meticulous personal staff work, before making any move at all, than any big, impersonal government department could possibly pro-id- tough-mindedne- ss tough-mindedne- Being a natural born citizen of the United States, proud and protective of this heritage of freedom for all, I feel it is high time that the state of Utah start abiding by the federal Constitution with regard to complete separation of church and state, including public schools, which are supported by tax money. A church which is spending $2 million to buy two radio stations in California, which owns ether radio and television stations, newspapers, stock in the Los Angeles Times, large blocks of valuable real estate including farms and cattle ranches, and various business enterprises, surely should not have to depend on public schools to spread and teach its doctrincsCertainly on my salary I could not hope to dollar fight what must be a multi-billio- n power structure, but surely in the state of Utah there should be enough concerned people to get the released time matter before the U.S. Supreme Court if this is the kind of crowbar needed. Activiiy in politics and at the polls are places where unified effort would count. Men and women who place first their duty as public servants to all the people should be elected instead of those incapable, afraid or unwilling to think for themselves and who act only as puppets for the church. The Craut Cartoon - MRS. IRIS LEIN The last time I saw Paris . , |