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Show COMMENTS . One day last week President Nixon made a decision that t may be iar reaching in its re- u suits, it also brougnt a storm of protests from many peo- pie in high government plac- i es, memoers of both parties. Such a decision would be ex- f pected to bring protests from Democratic memoers oi Con- J gress, but not trom members 1 of JVir. Nixon's own party. The decision was to send members ot our armed forces in Vietnam Viet-nam into Cambodia to search out enemy gathering places and strongnoios. Now the President felt this was the thing to do; to be a way to hurry the end of the Vietnam War, and get our men home sooner. He did this, knowing it would be un- popular, and perhaps turn him into a one term president. But he took that risk in his belief be-lief that his move was the thing that had to be done. Whether he was right or wrong remains to be seen. Whetner it makes him a one-term one-term president also remains to be seen. Right now, it looks like he is in trouble. Now this takes my thoughts back 25 years to the time of another president, Harry S. Truman. In this year World War two was in its closing stages; at least we hoped it was. The European allies had gone down to defeat. Japan was tottering, but not out. President Truman knew what we faced in ending the war with complete victory. He realized how firmly entrenched en-trenched the Japanese army would be in its homeland, that victory would come to us at a high price in lives. Already we had seen this in our terrific losses as we start-to start-to regain lost lands; how heavy hea-vy the cost in lives.. The battle bat-tle for the Solomons, New guinea, Tarawa, Pelielu, Iwo Jima, where 3000 Americans lost their lives for a little dot in the Pacific; the Philippines and finally Okinawa. The Japanese Jap-anese didn't give up easily. Mr. Truman could envisage the loss of life if and when we stormed the home islands. But at this time America had developed a new weapon, the atom bomb. With its use those in command felt the war could be ended auicklv. with little loss of life to us, but at a horrible cost to Japan. The Decision was up to President Truman. What would be the repercussion to this nation, to him. He finaHy gave the word and Hiroshima and Nagasaki two big Japanese cities went up in smoke, civilian losses : soaring into the hundreds of j thousands. Japan surrendered surrender-ed and the Allies probably saved hundreds of thousands in casualties. Mr. Truman decision de-cision was probably one of the most-far-reaching in the history of the world. But he did it, and went on to see the war end, and was re-elected to another term, in KDit of overwhelming odds. Whether President Nixon is right or wrong has yet to be seen; We hope it is right. In our opinion what we have been doing for the past several years, has been wrong, and we don't believe the Presidents Presi-dents change in strategy can be any worse. Wo sure hope he is right. I Now we take this means to humbly apologize to the Lyle Halterman family for an error we let get by us last week. In a small item we stated that their son Sam had been home to attend the marriage of his sister to "some Adams" When I set the item, I didn't remember remem-ber the grooms name, intended intend-ed to find out and change the story. Somehow it got by us and we extend our humble apologies to all concerned. And now, our friend Jess Pickett calls to say that if and when my wife gives me permission to attend an X-rated X-rated movie, he wants me to take him with me. |