The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, May 14, 1948, Image 2
THE NEWBERRY SUN, NEWBERRY. S. C.
Washington Di&est^
Case of the Nazi Reception,
Or Misleading Propaganda
By BAUKHAGE
New* Analyst and Commentator
WASHINGTON—Last month there was a memorandum on
my desk from the department of the army addressed to “all
former war correspondents, subject: Army Day, 1948.” It sug
gested that perhaps I had a war story that stood out in my mind
that I would like to relate as an Army Day feature. The memo
randum didn’t state which war was preferred, if any, but I sup
posed that it didn’t matter so long as it wasn’t the next one.
I reported the landing on the Normandy beaches, the Battle of the
Bulge and many of the other Important events of the last war—from a
microphone in Washington; my connection with World War 1 was less
vicarious; my experiences during earlier conflicts such as San Juan,
Gettysburg, Chapultepec, Yorktown and Hastings are a little hazy.
Therefore I decided that the de
partment of the army might permit
; me to relate an ad-
| venture which pro-
;s vided a little com-
! edy relief in 1939,
| in the nervous in-
iterlude, known as
I the “phony war,”
I before the real
I storm broke. It
■ went something
(like this:
It happened at
i Wesermuende, the
| German air and
1 naval base, shorUy
after Britain and France had de
clared war on Germany. American
correspondents still had consider
able freedom, and I had managed to
wrangle permission to interview the
first British fliers shot down by the
Germans. I did, but that isn’t this
story.
For aU the careful German prepa
rations for war, there was stiU a
certain amount of confusion in the
office of propaganda under the high
ly efficient father of lies. Dr. Goeb-
bels, but I managed to get the use
of a German army transport plane
to fly me (with a German radio
man) from Berlin to Wesermuende.
he war was roaring westward
Into Poland and the great Tem-
pelhof airfield In Berlin was all
but deserted when we arrived be
fore dawn and were escorted with
alacrity, and not a little wonder
ment, to our transport which al
ready was warming up. We had
been up aU night and my coUeague
Immediately feU asleep on a pile
of parachute equipment. As soon
as dawn broke, I busied myself
watching the anti-aircraft batteries
In the fields surrounding Berlin,
Jim pits in fields surrounded by
complacent, cud - chewing cows
who were, like the rest of the be
mused population, unaware of
what the Fuehrer was about to
bring down on them.
For some reason we flew low, al
most scratching our wings on the
church steeples. At last my com
panion awoke. We were approach
ing the airfield. It was a Uvely spot.
As we drew nearer, we could see a
detachment of marines which came
to attention as we approached. A
half dozen staff cars were drawn up
in a semi-circle, balanced by blue
jackets and ground personnel of the
air force.
“We’re lucky," my companion re
marked, “some big brass must be
coming, we’ll see a parade.’ No
other plane was visible though, as
we circled a couple of times over
the docks, thick with ships including
the long-lost Europa, back on her
dash from Murmansk. Finally we
landed a couple of yards from the
military formation which by now
was drawn up at attention. We were
a little embarrassed, for we were in
plain sight of the imposing array,
and were afraid we might suddenly
bump into the visiting dignitary—
and we were hatless and unshaven.
I let my companion go ahead. There
was no place to go, however, but
in the direction of the naval de
tachment and their commanding of
ficer. It later developed he was the
commander of the base, a tall, slim,
correct naval officer, perhaps a little
nervous, though we were too nervous
ourselves to realize it at the mo-
We advanced, Uke pupa ap
proaching a porcupine. A com
mand rang ont. The troops snapped
to present arms, the officer sa
luted and drew a manuscript from
his tunic, something new to me in
military procedure—ail I could
think of was a painting of General
Washington reading a message to
his troops (and I always had
thought that was a flight of the
artist’s fancy).
The officer began reading—it was
a message of welcome all right.
Finally, my companion (he was half-
English, which may explain his
fortitude) interrupted: “There must
be some mistake. We are two radio
correspondents. ”
The commander bowed, looked
abashed, glanced over our heads
toward the plane.
“But where are the other gentle
men?” he wanted to know.
“There are just two of us.” we
replied.
"But the minister of propaganda?
Who is representing him? We were
notified by the department—a spe
cial plane—the truck for the bag-
gage—”
We explained briefly, and waited
for the skies to fall. They didn’t.
The officer continued his speech
without even dropping his monocle
—just to be sure—editing It slightly
to make it apply as he went. There
was no question that he thought
we were going to be, certainly
OUGHT to be Goebbels.
The formation melted away, the
truck which had been requested to
transport sound equipment started
to load, all but one of the staff cars
slunk away. There was only one Ad
face, the airforce commander’s, and
he felt not embarrassment, but rage.
This was a purely military field and
I had held up the German war effort
for half a morning, thus contributing
my bit to Allied victory even before
America was in the war.
For the rest, the only significant
memory, except for my interview
with those British boys, was the
questioning by the German officers.
Obviously they didn’t share the com
placent assurance of victory of the
Nazi higher-ups—they remembered
World War L
Today the greatest danger to the
peace is the possibility that the will,
the purpose, the power of the United
States will not be understood in time
by the Russian command—that they
will fail to recognize the risk of
self-annihilation they are taking in
their "cold war,” as the Kaiser and
Hitler failed to realize it.
• • •
Roses, But Never
A Spray of Yew
There are many good garden
books, and I for one had about come
to the conclusion that the final word
on gardening had been written, when
along came the Woman's Home Com
panion Garden Book (P. F. Collier
and Son corporation, publisher.
New York City) with many new
angles. Edited by John C. Wister,
director of the Arthur Hoyt Scott
horticultural foundation, Swarthmore
college, this book speaks with au
thority.
“It is correct,” it states on page
472, “to speak of narcissus, and also
correct to use the English term daf
fodil for all species and varieties of
narcissus. There is confusion about
this, a popular impression being that
daffodils are the yellow kind, and
narcissus the white kinds. There also
has been confusion about the name
jonquil. All the daffodils of the jon
quil group are distinguished by their
narrow, garlic-like foliage and by
their characteristic bright yellow
color, which is the same shade
throughout the flower.”
All of this interested me mightily
as 1 had just been studying a
photograph of a clump of narcissus
in a popular magazine’s “name
this picture” contest. The leaves
on the plant shown were broad,
though the answer given by the
editor was “jonquil.” Obviously,
even contest editors may err.
The narcissus discussion is a sam
ple of Editor Wister’s directness in
this new garden book and there is
more like it on every page.
Not the least interesting writing
in this book is the foreward by the
well-loved Liberty Hyde Bailey, dean
of all gardeners, whose accomplish
ments need no eulogy here.
Another intriguing feature is the
discussion and diagramming of va
rious geographic areas according to
their geological and climatic condi
tions. Most of us have been frost
bitten too often for comfort by blind
ly following the usual maps.
Additional data and measuring
qualities have been added to long-
established material in making a
broader and yet more personal pre
sentation of his problems to the
gardener in any given section of the
United States and Canada. The net
result is the clarification of many
heretofore-vague statements.
It would be unfair to other ex
cellent books to say that this is the
best garden book yet published.
In some ways it excels alt others,
but still there are other volumes
which may contain more informa
tion on specific subjects.
Perhaps the way to size up this
1.000-page volume is to say that re
gardless of whatever other garden
ing books you own, you need this
one too if you seek fresh angles on
your favorite hobby.
With its fine cover and paper stock,
its 24 photographic pages in full
color, its 56 pages of black and
white illustrations and more than
100 how-to-do-it pictures, the Wom
an's Home Companion Garden Book
is completely satisfying.
FAVORITE SON...California’a
Gov. Earl Varren called for a
rock-bound domestic policy to
gave the nation from moral and
economic bankruptcy in his first
nationwide radio address as a
favorite son candidate fpr
Republican presidential nomina
tion.
FELLER AND FRIEND...Mrs. Wallace
Graham, wife of President Tru
man* s personal physician, gives
the President’s dispossessed
pup, Feller, a grooming In pre
paration for a dog show. The
Grahams took over care of
Feller when somebody dldn’t want
the dog in the White House.
WEDDED BLISS...Berharr Me-
Fadden, health faddist who Is
spry as a two-year-old at 80,
drinks a rousing toast in carrot
Juice to his new bride, the
former Mrs. Jonnle Lee, 42-year-
old grandmother. McFadden flies
his own plane, runs for gover-
of Florida.
COINED...Phyllis Broltman of
New York Is holding the two new
coins struck by the Philippine
Islands to honor Gen. Douglas
MacArthur. They are the peso
and the 50-centavo. Both bear
the legend. ’Defender and lib
erator of the Philippines.'
it Phillips
BOMB TO END ALL BOMBS...Secretary of the Army Kenneth Royall
(left) cranes his neck to look up In the direction of the tall
fins of a giant 43,000-pound bomb which attracted his attention
during a visit to Aberdeen, Md., proving grounds. The big bomb
recently was given a drop test (unarmed) at Muroc dry lake.
Calif., from a converted B-29. With Royall are Maj. Gen. Everett
S. Hughes, chief of ordnance, and Maj. Gen. A. D. Quinton, Jr.,
(right) commanding the proving grounds.
i y
,P*Si
BULBOUS NOTE OF THANKS... Dutch bulb-growers are blooming
with appreciation for the Marshall plan. This is just one of
many designs that have sprung up throughout Holland, where the
bulb-growers have designed in flowers words of appreciation for
the passage of the American aid to Europe program. Word of
appreciation here is ‘dollars,’ which speaks volumes.
COLUMBIA BASIN SIPHON... Near Adrian. Wash., steel workers
weave web of heavy reinforcing bars around which will be poured
concrete for Crab creek inverted siphons which will convev
Columbia basin irrigation water across Dry Coulee to reclaim
eastern Washington sagebrush land. Twenty-five feet in diameter
and 4,500 feet long, it wiH be world’s largest monolithic
concrete pipeline.
TRUMAN AND HIS DOG
Somebody asked President Truman
I the other day what had become of
Feller, the cocker spaniel pup pre-
| sented to him last winter. “Oh, he’s
around," answered the President,
I admitting under pressure that the
I pooch was still non-resident at the
| White House and in charge of the
presidential physician. Dr. Graham,
over at his place. This is bound to
cost Harry more votes.
*
A dog, especially a puppy, is
good publicity. Affection for one
warms the public heart. It gives
the human touch to a man and to
a situation. But Harry seems about
as close to this pup as he does to
Hank Wallace.
*
After a single day’s blast of pub
licity when the dog arrived at the
White House as a gift. Feller fell
out of the news. It later developed
that, not being housebroken, the
pooch had been turned over to Dr.
Graham. And now, months later, the
animal is still an outsider. Mr. Tru
man’s campaign backers had better
look into this.
* —
Any reputation a man may have
built lip for big-heartedness, au
thority and an ability to cope with
major problems is shattered when
the impression spreads that home
breaking a pup is too big for him.
*
We warn the Democratic na
tional committee that all is lost
unless it immediately takes action.
The Republicans may circulate a
photo of a sad-looking presidential
pooch, alone and desolate, under
the caption “When a Feller Needs
a Friend.”
*
Harry should adopt a more heart
warming dog policy at once. (Has
he a pup policy? Is he for tolerance
when it comes to housebreaking a
hound? What is his doghouse prob
lem, short term and long range? W»
pause for a reply.)
•
Better have the doctor bring the
pooch back to the White House,
Harry. He must be fairly well broken
by this time. If not it might be a
good idea to keep the dog and fire
Dr. Graham.
• • •
EXTINCT...This evil-looking
thing Is a meseabrlornls, giant
•terror bird’ which existed
eight to 20 million years ago
In South America and which has
been reconstructed at Chicago’s
natural history museum.
WORLD MOVES TO IKE’S DOOR. ..All kinds of people have scratched
their heads Industriously In an effort to«flnd any latent
symbolism In this picture of a moving man carrying a globe in
to the New York home which Gen. Dwight D. Elsenhower and his
wife will occupy when he assumes his duties as president of
Columbia university. But, withal. It remains just’a picture of
a man carrying a globe into Ike s new abode.
THE COUNTRY EDITOR SAYS:
Ezra Cooper and family had a
quiet dinner last night to cele
brate the third anniversary of
their application for a new auto.
Clint Crockett is talking so
much against everything that’s
always been considered dear to
America that he may run for the
presidency.
Removal of a Landmark
To these eyes the destruction of
the Charlie Schwab mansion, long
a landmark on Riverside drive. New
York, and stared at by countless
visitors to the big town- for more
than half a century, is a sad sight.
To us the Schwab place was the Riv
erside drive of yesterday ... we
can remember gazing at it from the
top of a bus as a boy . . . and won
dering how long it would take us
to make Charles Schwab, the steel
king, move over and make way for
us to eclipse him as a wonderboy.
*
As it crumbles into dust something
of New York goes with it, including
the spirit of an era when a man
wasn't hated because he had made
money, when people smiled at the
mansions of the rich and when a
well-built house was not a novelty.
The more you watch the wreckers
struggling to tear down the Schwab
place the more you appreciate the
fact that the builders of yesterday
never did it with a few stray nails.
• • •
Vanishing Americanisms
“What makes everything so quiet
and peaceful around here?”
•
“He wouldn’t dare do that; It
would violate a treaty.”
“Let’s go out to dinner twlco
this week.”
' •
“Waiter, that was a fine dinner;
here’s 50 cents for yourself.”
“This round is on the house.”
*
•‘Charley, fill up those platters
•n the free lunch counter!”
• • •
“LAZY young man wants easy job,
high pay, Y 229 Herald Tribune”—
Advertisement.
*
Would $150 a week to water our
century plant be okay?
* • •
CAN YOU REMEMBER:
Away back when a man could af
ford a yacht even if he had only a
million or two?
An old-fashioned American was a
fellow who thought nothing should
cost more than five times what it
was worth.
* * •
ERP is now a fact, and we shall
find out not only whether money
talks, but whether it has radio ap
peal
Military Bigwigs Battle
A propos the current row
between the air forces and the
army-navy, it is interesting to recall
that in 1940 the army asked congress
for only six Flying Fortresses. This
was one year after war broke in
Europe, yet the army still didn’t see
the need of planes.
And had it not been for Congress
man Ross Collins of Mississippi who
demanded more planes, the army
would have been worse prepared
than it was.
Today, President Truman—an ex
artilleryman—is siding with Secre
tary Forrestal’s navy and ground
forces, while congress—as in 1940—
is siding with the air force.
Backstage battling between For-
restal and Air Secretary Symington
has been even more vitriolic than
most people realize. Here is part
of the repartee during a locked-door
session of the senate armed services
committee between the air secretary
and the man who is supposed to be
his boss:
SYMINGTON — “The air force
for three years has said it needed
the 70-group program in peacetime
and it has never deviated because
of the strategic aspect of the 70
groups. We asked this year what
we asked for in 1947 and 1948.”
FORRESTAL—“You have to ex
ercise some judgment between ex
tremes. There is a middle ground
for judgment which, as I say, I
have to rely on the joint chiefs of
staff to furnish me with, and they
are going to have a very hard
wrestling match to do it.”
In addition to the 70 regular
groups, the air force is asking for
27 groups for air national guard, 34
groups for air reserve, 22 squad
rons for such activities as recon
naissance, air weather and air com
munications. The increase from 55
to 70 groups will mean a correspond
ing increase from 364,000 to 453,000
men by the end of 1949.
If the 70-group program is ap
proved, the air force plans on adding
1,512 airplanes in fiscal year 1949.
The big increase would be in bomber
strength. Under the 55-group pro
gram, the air force would be limited
to 480 bombers; under the 70-group
program, this would be increased to
720 bombers.
“That Is roughly a 50 per cent in
crease in our striking force,” Gen.
"Touhy” Spaatz told the senators.
“The plane we would like to con
tinue to build,” added Symington,
“is a modification of the B-29.”
He pointed out that the first B-29
had a bomb load of 2,000 pounds,
whereas the present bomb load is
10,000 pounds. The original range
was 3,93b miles, the present range
is 4,100 miles and the expected range
is 6,945 miles. However, the B-29
already has been flown more than
5,000 statute miles with 10,000 pounds
of bombs, Symington disclosed.
* * •
Air Force Maneuvers
IN MANEUVERS OVER GREAT
BRITAIN, the air force has demon
strated its ability to slip a bombing
mission of B-29 Superfortresses
through the equivalent of Russia’s
defenses.
Lt. Gen. Curtis Le May, air force
chief in Enrope, arranged with the
Royal Air Force to send a mock
mission against Britain’s tight in-
tercepter and radar net. Because
of long experience during the war,
the British net is supposed to be
the most efficient in the world.
However, the B-29s not only broke
through to their target, but most of
them never were detected.
Secret of the American success
was altitude. The big Forts flew in
at ceiling of 35,000 feet
As a result of the maneuvers, air
force strategists are convinced that
the "iron curtain" around the Soviet
could never stop a high-flying mis
sion of B-29s, especially since Rus
sia’s defenses are stretched out over
thousands of miles, compared to the
relatively small area defended by
Britain.
Note—The joint British-American
maneuvers were pulled off by Gen
eral Le May without orders from
Washington.
• • •
MacArthur’s Triumphal Tour
GENERAL MacARTHUR’S
BOOSTERS are trying to find a way
to revive their hero’s battered Popu
larity. Despite the drubbing Mac
Arthur received in California, Wis
consin and Nebraska, Congressman
A. L. Miller of Nebraska says:
“MacArthur did not quit at Bataan,
and he is still a very live candidate
now. I am amazed that anyone
should count the general out.”
Next move being urged by Mac
Arthur'* friends is his immediate
return to the United States for a
hero’s ovation. If MacArthur flies
to California and makes a tri
umphal, cross-country, rear-plat
form train trip to Washington, with
a speech to a joint session of con
gress, they claim his political ap
peal would be revived.
Other public observers believ*
MacArthur might wind up with as
many boos as cheers on such a tour.
In addition, it would just about ruin
his work as commander of occu
pied Japan.
Progress hi Drying Grain
Results of experiments in ch
eal drying of seed grain, using
eium chloride as the drying age
Justify further investigations of f
method, according to ths U. S.
partment of agriculture. h
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