PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 1950
The Editorial Page—
The Problem
What should be the extent of our circle of "friends" who are to help us combat communism in the world?
This is a difficult question to answer. We would like to make that circle as large as possible; however, we believe the recent "warming up" of our state department toward Franco Spain is stretching the circle a bit too far. What possible advantage is there in recognizing a government that most thinking Americans have held in contempt since the beginning of World War II?
The Democrats won't object to a pseudo-friendship because they don't want to attack he administration, which changed the policy. The Republican are reluctant to bring up objections because this is an election year and they don't want to alienate the Roman Catholics, who are supporting Franco. The liberals and others normally concerned are silent because they are worn out from the attacks on all anti-France groups by the strong pressure group supporting the recognition of Spain.
The argument goes that Franco is strongly anti-communist. This is probably true, but the man hasn't lost much love on democracy either. It doesn't seem possible that the U.S. is so badly in need of allies that she has to ask fascist Spain to join her in a cause for freedom. Our "need" for Spain's help approaches the humorous—but not quite. We aren't sure which way we would have to look in a fight with Franco on our side.
It appears we are picking up a strange bedfellow by default and not because we like him. It seems that now is the time for a little more insight and moral courage than we normally show. Whatever the temporary disadvantage to some, we should all object to any support of the Franco regime.
Why, if not for help, are we changing our attitude toward Spain? There are some good answers to this question in Washington, where politics too often has precedence over principles. The facts indicate that political groups don't want to handle the Spain question right now.
We don't like the Spanish fascists and, unlike the Russians, we don't have to get along with them—so why flirt with them?
-Harrison Madden.
The problem is touchy—what should be our attitude toward spain and Franco? But we can settle back in our padded chairs and rest assured that it is being tackled with fury and gusto by our greatest private emissary—Colonel Robert R. McCormick.
The Solution
The publisher of the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (the Chicago Tribune) has taken it upon himself to visit Spain in his converted B-17 and iron things out. And the Colonel succeeded in creating a social blunder of uncertain consequences.
Upon arriving in Spain the Colonel's plane was met by Franco's various and assorted henchmen who were immediately stunned into silence. They stood by nervously choking down their huzzas and muttering Spanish swear words to themselves. The reason: the Colonel's plane was emblazoned with a Portuguese flag, and the red, yellow and purple flag of the old Spanish Republic.
The Colonel's beam faded when he was informed of his faux pas, and at once with shaken dignity he ordered the proper banner to be painted on the plane. Still shaken, McCormick later called Franco "the greatest European general of our times."
Rest easy, children, our problem is in capable hands—the Spanish are now just as confused as we. —W.F.S.
How much more meaningful this word is than the expression "mercy killing." The latter phrase has a cold, harsh sound and does not express the idea as well as the former word.
'Sweet Death'
Death is sweet to a person suffering from an incurable disease and he should have a legal and moral right to desire it. If you doubt it take a walk through a cancer ward someday and ask the patients whether they would request a quick end to their torments if given the chance. Can you honestly doubt that a majority would answer in the affirmative?
Euthanasia comes from two Greek words which mean "sweet death."
Yet it will be argued that man has no right to take his own or another human life. "God, alone, has the power over life, and death," says the executioner as he snuffs out the life of a criminal. "Thou shalt not kill," say the ministers as they thank God for a victory in a battle wherein thousands of humans have killed each other unmercifully.
But when society is called upon to allow one human being to be released from his unending suffering, it piously and righteously says, "Man must not tamper with God's right over life and death!"
A singing man is a happy man, according to an 84-year-old choir baritone, and we wonder just how to explain Sinatra's plight with his wife Nancy.
And this is called justice. —John Bannigan.
Rodney Nipnap says that the trouble with Sinatra is that he was just recovering from his vocal-tiff with Bing Crosby and then along came Gary Crosby.
New Posts Found For Navy Officers Who Fought B-36
Washington—(U.P.)Many of the navy officers who were prominent in the past year's battles over the B-36 and unification have been transferred to new posts or are on their way to retirement, a survey has showed.
The question of whether reprisals were taken against them by the defense department is something members of congress are debating. But at a minimum, there have been remarkable coincidences.
The congressmen are interested mainly in learning whether any naval officers were punished for testifying against unification policies and the air force B-36 superbomber. Their chief concern has been the ouster of Adm. Louis E. Denfeld as chief of naval operations after he supported the "Rebels."
But the navy shakeup has affected a number of other officers who were linked with B-36 and/or unification criticism, including some who did not testify before congress.
An unpublicized case is that of Cmdr. Thomas D. Davies, the young aviator and engineer who holds the world's distance record of 11,236 miles in a neptune patrol bomber.
Commander Davies was a faithaired boy around navy headquarters—until a court of inquiry investigated the celebrated "anonymous" document attacking the capabilities of the B-36.
The court's findings have not been made public. But Commander Davies recently was transferred to the naval air station at Sand Point, Seattle, Wash., for a job that is minor compared with the assignments he had here. He was for a time under Cedric R. Worth, who was assistant to Dan A. Kimball, an undersecretary, after admitting that he wrote the "anonymous" document.
Another unpublicized shift was that of Capt. Lerov C. Simpler, a Pacific war ace who headed the navy's aviation information section here. He told the court of inquiry that the air force was getting all the headlines and that he agreed with Mr. Worth that no plane could be as good as the B-36 was said to be. He now is assigned to the Atlantic fleet as an information officer in the forthcoming joint maneuvers in the Caribbean.
The cases of Capt. John G. Crommelin and Vice Adm. Gerald F. Bogan are well known, Captain Crommelin, a member of the staff of the joint chiefs of staff, blasted unification as a cloak for Prussian general staff methods. He now is an air officer on the staff of Vice Adm. George D. Murray, commander of the Western sea frontier.
Admiral Bogan, who commanded the first task fleet in the Pacific, wrote a "confidential" letter to Francis P. Matthews.
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navy secretary, attacking unification policies. Captain Crommelin was a public. Admiral Bogan is slated as post, but he may retire instead.
Admiral Denfeld was offered the command of U.S. naval forces in Europe after his ouster. But he has elected to retire instead.
Business Manager Bob Day
Adv. Manager James Shriver
Nat. Adv. Mgr Robert Honold
Cir. Mgr Dorothy Hogan
Classified Adv. Mgr Forrest Bellus
Promotion Mgr Charles Reiner
Adm. William H. P. Blandy, Atlantic fleet commander, and Adm. Thomas C. Kincaid, Eastern sea frontier commander, are going to retire.
One of the men who testified at the congressional hearings has been promoted, Capt. Arleigh Burke, a Pacific hero who headed "operation 23." a navy group credited with being the nerve center of the anti-umification fight, has been elevated to the rank of rear admiral.
Indianapolis, Ind. — (U.P.)—Police reporters here covered a fire story without getting up from their chairs. The blaze was just outside the door to the press room. It started from a lighted cigarette.
One more development that may have a bearing is the recent trans- Cross to Admiral Radford's headquarters as a public relations officer.
News Comes To Reporter
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Kansan's Bandage Confuses Police
Guthrie, Okla.—(U.P.) — A bullet punctured auto and a wounded stranger don't necessarily add up to criminal doings, the Guthrie police department found out today.
Officers discovered a parked car with three bullet holes in it. They also learned a soldier had checked into a hotel with one of his hands outside.
The car turned out to belong to a Texas man who explained that the Snyder, Texas, police chief fired at him 10 days ago.
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"He was shooting at somebody else," the Texan said. "It was all a mistake."
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The soldier, a Kansan, said he had never seen the car before and didn't know the Texan. "My hand." he said. "Oh, I broke a finger the other day."
Birmingham-(U.P)-Striking coal miners at suburban Mineral Springs spent their idle time clearing four acres of ground for a school area community playground. They built streets, barbecue pits, swings, tables, benches, sand piles and horseshoe pitching courts.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day, July 4, 1826.
These Strikers Keep Busy
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