Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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6 •1 THE NEWBERRY SUN. NEWBERRY, s. C. Washington Digests Diary Doesn't Have to Tell Earth-Shaking Occurrences By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator WASHINGTON.—The nation, and particularly the nation’s capital, where we are highly national and international-con scious, is suffering as never before from the result of memories, good and bad. The Roosevelt epoch produced a rash of remi niscences—200 books about FDR, 32 of them just since his death. Currently we have with us the Churchill war memoirs, as they are called, although when I was young and read "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes,’’ I thought a memoir was something printed after a man’s death. Of course Sherlock came back, so I suppose that legitimizes the termi nology. Winston Churchill was a great diary-keeper, .as was his fellow- countryman, Samuel Pepys, whose stuff was so hot that the British government still hasn't released aU of it. Frank lin Roosevelt never kept a diary. His sec- r e t a r y of the treasury made up for this lack. Henry Morgen- thau assembled 900 volumes of about 350 pages each, totaling about 80 million words. The task must have kept three stenographers a day working in relays. He had the diaries bound, some said at government expense, although I daresay he paid for it in the end. His was a lazy method. He didn’t have to depend on his memory. He had a dictograph In his office, and every word spoken in the supposed sanctity of his chamber in the treasury, overlooking the wide sweep of lawn and park that flows down to the Potomac, was duly tran scribed. When the news of this epic achievement became public a terrible howl resulted and some of the volumes were returned to the government archives. What a man! I wonder if diary-keepers are normal. I would hate to admit to a psychologist that I have kept a diary for years, even decades. I still keep one. I don’t know how long ago I started, but I still have one slim, green volume, dated 1904, In my possession. The year 1904— that was just 15 years after another entry, not in my diary, but in my father’s (diary-keeping is congeni tal) which stated "fine boy arrived 5 p. m.’’ I may say the "fine’’ is the natural exaggeration of a proud parent who didn’t know what he was in for. At any rate, if diary-keeping is used against me; I have two outs —hardly anything, even of mild in terest, is or will be recorded on the faded pages of my journals, and secondly, because I write such a vile hand that I can decipher only a few lines here and there myself. My mother should have most of the blame for my bad handwriting, just as she is to blame for the fact that I can write at all. She was herself a writer and, unique as it was in those good old days, she possessed a typewriter, a stubby little affair, affectionately known as “the Blick.” Of course it was quite improper to expose a child of pre-school age to a typewriter. It was not my mother’s fault. Back in the ’90s, same of us weren’t vaccinat ed for anything but smallpox. I was too young to understand that at the time, and since typewriters were as rare as porcelain bath tubs in a city of 20,000, who could guess their evil influence? I sup pose I oughtn’t to accuse my par ents because I became thorough ly inured to the use of the type writer long before I could balance a pencil, and this fact did my handwriting no good. At that time what was called ‘‘Spencerian’’ still was taught in the schools of New York state, but very few mastered it even without the curlicues and shading of earlier days. And just as I was getting so I could make the wobbly "M’s” and the terrible "q’s”, along came a new Pharoah to my scholastic Egypt and introduced the "verti cal system.” That was probably where my uneducation really began. I unlearned the Spencerian all right, but I was never able to go vertical. Nothing Important Is Ever Entered But to get back to diary-keeping, at least my diary-keeping. The illegibility of the entries in my diaries isn’t really as important as the unimportance of their contents. Let me illustrate from one with a worn leather cover which I have at hand. It is dated 1914, a good year for a diary, but a bad diary for the world. The record of war days should have been chronicled dramatically as the beginning of the end of an epoch, an epoch which breathed its last in the midst of another war. But did my record do thgt? Let’s look at June 29, 1914. Do we find the entry: ‘‘YESTER- D A Y ARCHDUKE FERDINAND WAS ASSASSINATED AT SARAJE VO?” We do not. We find this: Juin 29. Lundi S. Pierre, S. Paul Bought Berlitz Greek Rustem Bey (The book was purchased in Paris, where the year’s record began. The entry was made in Washington.) While the ancient throne of Haps- burg was receiving the blood bath that was to sweep a half dozen rulers into oblivion I was buying a Berlitz textbook for the purpose of studying some foreign language —I have no idea which one except that it was one I never learned. Rustem Bey, I remember was the Turkish ambassador whom I had to interview. In all justice, it may not be en tirely the fault of my diary-mak ing that I didn’t record the assas sination of the archduke. Nobody In America took the tragedy very seriously. At that time few Amer icans expected much else from Europe’s royal families but as sassinations or less respectable peccadillos. I ought to have known better than that since I had been helping cover the French foreign office for the two years preceding. But I had been drenched with war talk over there and had shaken it off when I returned. Europe almost imme diately shrank into a dreamy do main of picture-book memory with no connection whatever with my work-a-day world. Later on, to be sure, there is evi dence that I, on second thought, felt I hadn’t done my diary justice insofar as Ferdinand was con cerned. But I always was feeling that way about my diary and never doing anything about it. This, as I said, keeps my diaries from having the slightest value other than to exude a somewhat conscious-stricken odor and re mind me that the good young days were no better than those bad old ones insofar as my habits and con duct were concerned, for an honest diary certainly has to be well edit ed to conceal one’s true character. You note in its pages some high resolve or noble undertaking which was more important to you at the moment of recording than the open ing of the Panama canal or the re sult of a presidential election. In a short year you read it over and are utterly unable to recall the slightest thing about the events chronicled. Sometimes my old diaries, even though they record no event of great historical significance, sound quite timely. For example on Oc tober 3, 1914: •’Not much doing. I don’t seem to be able to save my money.” . . . October 8: "The Belgian secretary appears, we consume quantities of beer and tells me his life story — a bore, but business.” (just the weary routine of the hard-working reporter) Fortunately my space is running out. Nothing is more interesting to writ* or read about than oneself. Nothing is less interesting to anyone else. But I wish to prove my point, namely, that no matter how impor tant diary-keeping may have been for the Churchills, the Marco Polos or the Plutarchs, and perhaps therefore as harmful as important, mine was neither. And I marvel that any news man, press or radio, who lives in the midst of alarms, who “war there” when most things hap pened and told all in breathless detail via the copy-desk or micro phone to millions of wide-eyed readers or listeners would ever think of writing it down after ward. Note for instance a recent diary entry for June 5, 1947, which a brittle clipping of even date de clares not only vibrantly but with perfect inexactitude "may go down in history as the day of the begin ning of the real peace after World War II.” (Lest you have forgotten, that was the day Secretary of State George C. Marshall proposed at Harvard university a new approach to European rehabilitation which later became the Marshall plan, then E.R.P. and finally the eco nomic cooperation administration.) Note my diary for that date: "A meeting of the Association of Radio News Analysts. Kalten- born to dinner.” RECOVERY... Cni ted Auto iitorters President Walter Reather, shown here with his daughter Linda, has been released froa • Detroit hospital after re covering from a shotgun, blast that alaost cost bin his life. Mystery still shrouds the atteapt on his life, and the assailant, who shot Reutber in his hone, never has been caught. MAT, JESSE NOT LAID IN HIS OlAVE?... Claialng he is the original Jesse Janes, the slightly tarnished Missouri Robin Hood of the 1870s, Frank Dalton of Centerville, Tex., .cane out of his hide out cabin on advice of his lawyer, who told bin the ’heat’ ought to be off by now. That wasn* t Jesse Jaaes that Bob Ford shot in the back in 1882, says Dalton; it was Charlie Bigelow. Now living in Lawton, Tex.. Dalton is shown blowing out the candle on Jesse’s 100th birthday cake. RB>LACEME»T...Jacob A. Malik, Russian deputy foreign nlnls- ter, is scheduled to repl ace Andrei Gromyko as Soviet dele gate to the U.N. Gromyko, apparently called hone for conferences with the Moscow heads of state, probably will not return to the D.S. Malik is an expert on Korean and Far Eastern affairs. CONVENTIONEERS... Denocratio executive connlttee has naned Alben W. Barkley (left), senate minority leader, as keynote speaker of the July national convention, and recommended Sam Rayburn (right), house Democratic leader, as per manent chairman. WARRIOR...This lethal looking legionnaire is typical of the type of fighting men that make up the Arab Legion of King Ab dullah, Trans-Jordan monarch. The Arab Legion is said to have been in action against the Jews of Israel, but such reports so far are unconfirmed. CONGRESSIONAL PRESSURE... Every year Republican and Democratic congressmen play what is laughingly known as a ball game for the benefit of charity. Rep . Tom G. Ab erne thy (Den., Miss.) will remember this year s melee for a long time. He is the one being sat on at first base by the obviously weighty Rep. Jaaes p. Scboblick (Rep., Pa.) who moves the indicator to 295 pounds every time he steps on a scale. SOME HORSES ARE GOOD M0THBI& ..Laying aside such stale and un profitable Jokes as ‘This horse certainly was foaled when she had twin colts Instead of the usual one,' the fact- remains that she did have twins—an unusual event among equines. She is ‘Arkansas Lady.* a Tennessee walking horse, and is owned by R.J. Cunningham of the Hereford Manor stock farms near Zellenople, Pa. The twins will be exhibited at the Allegheny county Xsir in September. COEDUCATION...Miss Helen Maude Cam, 62-year-old lecturer in medieval English history at Cambridge university, will assume duties as a full pro fessor at Harvard university— first woman ever to bold (hat rank at Harvard. PARKING PROBLEM SOLVED... This is one of them mirages,’ said the cop on the beat as be rounded the,corner of East 33rd street from Third avenue in New York. And he walked slowly and majes tically toward it. But it didn’t fade. It stayed there—a bantam-sl»d car parked coziiy on the sidewalk, snuggled up next to a building. The cop closed his eyes, counted to 10, and Men the car was still there he parked a ticket on It. Veterans Lose Again W AR VETERANS GOT AN OTHER KICK In the pants the other day when 23 vice presi dents of steel companies vetoed the allocation of 60,000 tons of steel for prefabricated housing. This means that veteran cooperatives, formed to finance prefabricated housing developments, will have to fold up or go in for the more ex pensive conventional houses, which most veterans can’t afford. The 23 steel vice-presidents are members of a so-called steel prod ucts advisory committee to Com merce Secretary Charles Sawyer which passes on volunteer steel al locations under a law passed by congress last year. However, the committee functions more like a little “supreme court” in determin ing who can buy steel. Also, it does more dictating than advising, apparently, for the com merce department had okayed the 60,000-ton allocation, a third of what the prefab industry requested for new low-cost homes. The steel moguls pointed out that prefabricated houses require four times as much steel as con ventional homes built of wood, brick, et cetera. This explanation, however, is small comfort to war veterans and others who cannot afford conventional dwellings. American Veterans committee has made a vigorous protest to con gress about the steel magnates’ ac tion. « * * Psychological Warfare U. S. DEFENSE CHIEFS haven’t said so publicly, but one reason they have been so energetic in urg ing heavy rearmament is the fear of another Pearl Harbor. Vividly remembering how General Mar shall was out horseback riding the morning of Pearl Harbor, they don’t want to be caught again. This is understandable. However, there is another kind of Pearl Harbor which may hit the U. S. this time. And U. S. defense chiefs will be just as guilty of ne glect if they are caught napping. The most important, neglected chapter of war-prevention today is psychological warfare. Yon can call this propaganda, softening- the-enemy-from-the-rear or Just plain winning friends. But the real fact is that this job of sell ing ideas, of making the people of another country believe in yon, of winning the Russian people over to the U. S., has become al most the most important phase of modern peace and modern war fare. Actually it boils down to the art of making it difficult for the 14 men in the Kremlin to declare war by persuading the Russian people that they themselves don’t want war. At present, the Kremlin can take Russia into war overnight and the people have nothing to say about it. An A-l man. George Allen, has taken over this division, but he Is still short of cash and barely had a chance to get started. • • • Truman Wants No Advice REMINISCING WITH FRIENDS RECENTLY, Mayor David Law rence of Pittsburgh, who is Demo cratic national committeeman from Pennsylvania, uncorked the follow- fhg barbed comments: “Back in the days when I used to call on Franklin Roosevelt, he always made a point of asking me: ‘How are things going in Pennsyl vania? What are they saying about me?’ "F. D. R. always wanted to know the score, especially about any trends in public opinion. But Harry Truman, while I admire his honesty and sincerity, never asks us questions like that. It isn’t that he isn’t interested, but he depends too much on a little clique of White Honse advisers to tell him what’s going on in the country. And more often than not he gets bum advice. "When the Democratic national committee had its last meeting in Washington, we expected Chairman Howard McGrath to invite us to get our problems off our chests when we called on the President. We thought that would be the first order of business, as it used to be in the old days. But neither Mc Grath nor the President made a move to ask us. Finally, some of us spoke up on our own. "Yes, there’s a big change at the White House,” concluded Mayor Lawrence, “and I doubt that it’s helping the party.” * * * Marines Paint Houses THE MARINE CORPS has a great record—from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. But in Washington marine brass- hats seem to think that enlisted men are to be used on such un heroic jobs as bartending and housecleaning. Recently it was a new kind of war. The marines were sent over the top as housepa inters. For 12 hours a day they painted the house of the assistant com manding general. Special Delivery Letter: Dear Eric Johnston: You could have knocked me over with a gangster scenario when 1 read in the paper that you were not only chairman of the National Con ference on Family Life in- America but that at its Washington meeting you made an impassioned speech calling on everybody to rally and fight for the protection of Amer ican family life and to keep the young on the right paths. This was because I was urder the impression you were also the top man in the movie industry, the one fellow in the country in a swell position to protect the home and to keep the kids from getting too many films blueprinting murder and crime techniques. But this must be some other Johnston and I am glad I realized the mistake. I hate to go off half-cocked. « WeU, your fine speech certainly roused me and when yon told (he delegates from aU over the coun try in a straight from the shoul der talk that the protection of the American home was a paramount issue of the day I felt like cheer ing. « You appealed to the National Conference on American Family Life to find ways to help the family strengthen itself and you stirred fathers and mothers everywhere by your deep interest. • There is no greater threat to the American home and to the future of this nation than the present alarming crime trend among chil dren. In one day the papers car ried the story of three 12-year-olds who waylaid and shot a citizen in the back; of a half dozen school children who riddled a teacher's home with bullets from Win chesters, and of an 11-year-old child ‘‘shot by six boys who mistook him for a member of a rival gang.” • Where do the kids get such Ideas? The idea of getting armed to the teeth and doing some bumping off is not natural to any child and it is not taught in any home, Mr. Johnston. Everybody is with you in your realization of the despair and sorrow felt around American firesides as snch things go on and we are so glad yon see the situation so clearly. • * Will you forward a copy of your speech to the Eric Johnston who has that big job in Hollywood and who could do so much so easily to protect the fireside and keep the kids from learning criminal ways? Yonrs truly Elmer. p.S.—Where do yon speak next and could yon arrange to get the other Eric on the same platform? * • • Real Estate Opportunities ARE YOU A VET?—Did you fight for your country? Come to Larceny Heights and fight for an unwarped door. These homes offered at $10,- 000 are worth every other dollar of it. All ready to step into if you have a fast eye for weak floors and open trapdoors. Bring your own plumb ing and have fun. • SACRIFICE—Country home; I paid $18,000 for this and will sell for $36,000 to a fast buyer and a slow thinker. Not much to look at but it was built at a time when nails were used. * COME TO IIORNSWOGGLE ACRES! The Gyppem Holding corporation; we sell it and yon hold it. These are the novelty homes of the year; no stairways; it’s ail done by ladders. The ce ment we are pouring on these Jobs will guarantee you an excit ing ontdoor life for years, $25,000, with only two walls missing. * VISIT IT TODAY! These $22,000 Cape Cod homes will not last long. Built by Garrison Pluett, famous designer of baby chick brooders and mice traps. , Live in one of these little places and you will know what Valley Forge was like. We have skimped on nothing in order to give you half what you need at twice what it is worth. * FOR SALE—A two-car garage with a house attached; garage has everything required for mod ern living; house has everything required by the easily satisfied. Hardware, bolts and fixtures by Great Eastern Trinket corpora tion. A few left unfortunately at $17,500. * CO-OPERATIVE—Put $25,000 in to one of our co-operative apart ments and share the headaches with the other owners all under one roof. Pay no rent; just assess ments, legal fees, repair bills, et cetera. A hectic life or your money refunded. What are we saying? * TO RENT — De luxe Quonset, but perfect for any young couple accustomed to privations. Will pnt in a melon crate as a spare bed room for $500 extra. EVER SO GAY For gala occasions, gala aprons, of course! Easy needlework—vari ety too. Simple sewing, and each of these thrifty-cut aprons takes % yd. Flowers to crochet and embrqider. Pattern 520; embroidery transfer; cutting charts; crochet directions. • • • Send 20c (in coins) for each pat tern to: Senior Cirrle Needlecraft Dept. 564 W. Randolph St. Chicago 80, 111. Enclose 20 cents tdr pattern. No 1 Name Address_ Refinishing Refrigerators Kitchen refrigerators can be fin ished with two brush coats of quick- drying enamel of any desired color. However, it is advised by experts in finishing that the job be done with a spray gun by a man who special* izes in such work. In either case, surface of the refrigerator must be absolutely clean and free from any trace of greasy film which might impair adhesion of the new finish. W//y MM msu IM/WKS ? Try //ea/t/>fu/ Temon /n lYctfo— The juice of a lemon in a glass of water, when taken first thing on aris ing, is all that most people need to insure prompt, normal elimination. No more harsh laxatives that irritate the digestive tract and impair nutri tion ! Lemon in water is good for you! Generations of Amaricans have taken lemons for health—and generations of doctors have recemmended them. They are rich in vitamin C; supply valuable amounts of Bi and P. They alkalinize; aid digestion. Not too sharp or sour, lemon in water has a refreshing tang —clears the mouth, wakes you up. It’s not sl purgative —simply helps your sys tem regulate itself. Try it 10 days. USE CALIFORNIA SUNKIST UMONS I I I I GIVES when cold miseries strikr FAST RELIEF SRRAYs WITH One ounce plus soap makes 6 gallons of ef fective aphid- spray. .£ — Dovble-cfuty tnseeff* cidei Kill* by contocfft kill* by fumes. Destroy* plant lice but spar** beneficial insect*, fasti* on original factory-sealed com tainers to insure full strength* TOBACCO BY-PRODUCTS ft CHEMICAL CORPORATION Nicotine Specialists Since 1883 LOUISVILLE 2, KENTUCKY LOOk FOR' THE LtAF'ON THE PACKAGE Watch Your Kidneys/ Help Them Cleanse the Blood of Harmful Body Waste Your kidneva are constantly filtering waate matter from the blood stream. 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