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University Daily Kansan Monday, February 7, 1953
Chiang's Islands- How Important?
Taipei, Formosa—U.P.) The islands off the China coast have been fought over for centuries by Chinese pirates and warlords.
Economically they are largely worthless rockpiles. But in the long, bitter China civil war they have assumed explosive significance.
The several island chains are strung out along 350 miles, from Amoy in the south to Haimen, in the north. All together there are thousands of these volcanic outcroppings. They are inhabited principally by tough Chinese fishermen and goatherders.
Constant high sea winds confound efforts to grow food on the islands and only the why grass on which the goats feed relieve their bleak aspect.
Most important of the string of islands are Quemoy, in the south; Tachen, at the far northern extreme of the chain, and Matsu, which is approximately half way between.
All three have in the past served as bases for Chinese smugglers and pirates. And from time to time in China's long and turbulent history they have served as springboards for operations either against the mainland or against Formosa.
Largest and most important from both Nationalist and Red China's viewpoint is Quemoy. It is the cork in Red China's important port of Amoy, in Fukien province. In Communist hands it would represent an important link in the coastal shipping lanes from Hongkong to Shanghai.
Quemoy is the most heavily defended of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's islands. But it also is the most vulnerable to amphibious assault. It lies only four miles off Amoy and a fleet of invasion junks would have little trouble navigating the calm, shallow waters.
Chiang has three divisions stationed there to guard Quemoy's fine invasion beaches and the relatively flat interior which would be suitable targets for airborne paratroop assault.
Tachen, the extreme northern anchor of Chiang's outpost line, is a Corregidor-like bastion which would be a hard nut for an invading force to crack. On it, the Nationalists have built an excellent network of roads and pillboxes, and hundreds of yards of reinforced concrete underground tunnels running from end to end of the island.
Its weakness is that it is dependent on sea supplies from Formosa. 250 miles to the south. Its distance from Formosa makes air cover difficult.
Matsu is similar to Tachen in its defenses. But it lies off the mainland ports of Santou and Fuchou. It is in a relatively good defensive position, since it is backed by the Pescadores and can be covered by land-based aircraft from Formosa itself.
It might prove one of the toughest problems for Communist invasion forces.
Other islands of some importance include Yishan, Peishan, Nanchi, Yingshu, Penhuan, and Wuchiu.
But these Nationalist-held rock piles are mere satellites to the "big three" and whoever holds Quemoy, Matsu, and Tachen will of necessity possess them as well.
The best way to get a good set of ulcers is to go to college—if you can afford it after stomach-trouble bills.
The pathetic thing about Monday is that everyone hates it and nobody is wide awake enough to pity it. It's just blue, boy, just blue
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
What will the historians be saying about former President Harry S. Truman 50 years from now? Will they agree that Mr. Truman's career was a success?
One Man's Opinion
Today the former President has passed 70. His work changed when he left the presidency, but not his approach to life or its problems. One must look back over Mr. Truman's 70 years to see the landmarks.
Although Mr. Truman's health is not as good as it was a year ago, because of a critical operation he underwent this summer, he says, "I'm feeling better every day."
Probably the turning point in Mr. Truman's life came when he entered politics with his election to the post of county judge. Mr. Truman has said that he was "just plain lucky" to be elected to that job . . . and maybe, he added, "I have always been sorta lucky."
Many say Mr. Truman's connection with Thomas J. Pendergast, Kansas City boss of the 30's, was the biggest mistake of the former president's career. No one knows exactly how close Boss Pendergast and Mr. Truman were, but Mr. Truman never denied that he was fond of Big Tom, and was loyal to him even to death. It is known that Big Tom had a lot to do with the election of Mr. Truman to the Senate.
"Now, this is the peg you've had so much trouble clearing."
But Mr. Truman kept the door wide open to opportunity, and soon the Missouri senator was lifted out of obscurity. Opportunity came in the form of a job—an important job. Mr. Truman was appointed chairman of the Senate War Investigation committee, which ultimately won him respect in many quarters during World War II.
President Roosevelt piled lavish praise on Mr. Truman and his committee for the excellent job they did during the critical war period.
In 1944 Mr. Truman journeyed to Chicago for the 1944 Democratic National convention, as chairman of the Missouri delegation. He recalls musingly that he asked his friends to help him avoid the nomination for vice president, but they all joined the opposition and he got the job.
Suddenly, with the death of President Roosevelt, Mr. Truman found himself heir to the toughest job in the world. But he faced up to it.
Soon after President Roosevelt's death, Mr. Truman made the decision to go ahead with the formative meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco. This was a big decision, the actual weight of which may not be determined for many years.
Then came the former president's momentous decision to drop the atomic bomb to end the war with Saddam. A man could have made such a decision.
Other decisions which the former President made which were momentous, and which can be a credit to his career were his signing of the Full Employment Act of 1946, the Greek-Kurikish aid program, the decision to defy Russia's blockade of Berlin with the airlift, and the decision to fight Communist aggression in Korea.
Let's hope the history books of the future don't emphasize Mr. Truman's occasional petty outbursts or his dubious connection with Big Tom Pendergast.
Mr. Truman is much more of a man than that. —Tom Lyons
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas Student Newspaper News Room, KU 251 Ad Room, KU376 Member of the Inland Daily Press association. Associated Collegiate Press association. Represented by the National Advertising Association. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year (add $1 a semester if in lawrence) Published at Lawrence University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods. Entered as second class matter. Sept. 17, 1910; atLawrence, Kan.
MIDDLE SCHOOL EDITOR
Editorial Editor  Gene Shank
Ed. Assistants: Elizabeth Wolgenthum,
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BUSINESS START
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Forecast: Snow and Warmer
Topcoats or Bathing Suits?
"Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."
When Mark Twain said this, he must have had Kansas in mind.
Complaints against the weather are common in all seasons here, but there is one thing to remember. If the present conditions aren't right, just wait five minutes, and they will change.
It isn't the weatherman's fault if he predicts a cold front will move in and the next day temperatures rise to the 90s.
He is the victim of Kansas' peculiarity of being situated in a great plains area, surrounded by mountain ranges on the east and west. There is no barrier in the north or south to break the air coming from these directions.
The cold air fronts traveling south from Canada push their way down through the south while the warmer air is traveling north from the South American countries. Kansas, lying in the middle of the United States, is in the position to catch the clashing of these two air fronts.
The warm air, upon meeting with the Canadian air, pushes the latter up, and the result will probably be rain, or almost anything.
Thus the Sunflower state is subject to immediate changes because of the clashing of the two fronts. No one can estimate exactly whether the day will be cold, warm, cloudy, or fair, for much depends on the speed and amount of the air traveling.
Go ahead and talk about the weather,but keep watching around you.
It may start to snow while you are complaining about the heat.
—Nancy Neville
"He's been hounding me all day for a ticket. He needs one more to finish papering his room."