PAGE TWO
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
OCTOBER 10,1946
Don't Blame Me Alone For Waste On Alaskan Pipeline, Admiral Says
B FREDERICK C. OTHMAN
(United Press Staff Correspondent)
Washington. (UP)—There is a useless pipeline stretching 500 miles in the sub-Artic from one icy nowhere to another. It cost us $133,000,000. 'There's no chance of getting our money back.
There's no chance of getting our in the
mind of the navy was "
The secretary of the navy was against completing it. The secretary of war didn't think it was such a hot idea. Old curmudgeon Harold Ickes said it was plain silly. Oil experts said it wouldn't work.
Several legislators took a look at the pipe freezing in the Muskeg in 1943 and reported back to Harry S. Truman, then the senator from Missouri, that the pipeline was a colossal waste of money. Sen. Truman urged in a formal report that the string of pipe, already rusting, be abandoned while there still was a chance to save a few million dollars.
The chiefs of staff ignored all this. They ordered the pipeline finished. There it is today-all hands seem to agree-a monumental blunder of the war.
This is not exactly news. Ex-Senator Truman, who had moved up to a better job, announced a few weeks back from the White House that the Cain pipeline was a dead duck. We'd lost our money—enough to build at least 100 Liberty ships—but there wasn't much we could do about it. So why not forget it?
This seemed like a good idea to everybody, but Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, formerly one of the four chiefs of staff. He said the senate war investigating committee had tried to make him look like the villain. He demanded a hearing. He got it. Boy. Did he get it!
The lean, lanky admiral with the onion-bald head found himself being forced to tell the whole sorry story of the pipeline that was frozen so much of the time it carried in three years only one-twelfth the oil a single tanker could have ferried to Alaska.
He said he never knew that everybody else was calling the pipeline a phone. He never even saw the report of the U. S. naval attache in Ottawa, saying it was doomed to failure.
"My objection is that you took my name in vain in an unwarranted manner," the admiral said.
Seo, Harley M. Kilgore of W. Va, said he wished the chiefs of staff had taken the advice of the senators long ago, instead of trying to dress up their dead horse. The admiral said this was not the point. He said why blame him alone? The committee had blamed King because he signed some letters approving the project. He pointed out that he had signed in behalf of the four chiefs of staff: that it was a joint decision.
"You mean you want us to blame this mess on the whole bunch of you?" Senator Kilgore said. The ademical nodded.
"And why should I be singled out as having a blot on my record?" the red-faced admiral insisted.
"You think we should put a blot
"Including you?" demanded Senator Homer F. Ferguson of Mich.
on all of the chiefs of staff?" Senator Kilogre asked.
The admiral said that what he wanted. That was what he got. Now maybe we can forget it. The admiral has his apology. Or, come to think of it, has he?
Average American Family Down To 3.8 Members
Washington. (UP)—The average American family shrank to its smallest size in history during the war, and though returning servicemen are adding to its stature, it probably will never be the same, the census bureau reports.
Between 1940 and 1945, the size dropped from an average of 3.75 to 3.4 members. The bureau expects it to level off to about 3.6 by July, 1947, and graduate downward to 3.1 by 1980.
Two Easterners, One Westerner In Triplets
New Orleans (UP) — The Spurlock triplets will probably spend much time arguing whether it's better to be born east or west of the Mississippi.
Mrs. Benjamin O. Spurloek, 37, gave birth to one son—a "westerner"—in an ambulance on the Algiers, or west bank of the river here. Her other two sons, "easterners," appeared after her arrival at Hotel Dieu, New Orleans hospital on the east side.
(Medical authorities say no other triplets can make this statement).
U.S. May Make Loans To Germany
Washington. (UP)—The possibility of Reconstruction Finance corporation loans to stimulate trade between the United States and Germany was raised at the White House today.
The subject came up when reporters questioned White House press secretary Charles G. Ross on the current mission of George E. Allen, an RFC director, to Germany.
Allen is enroute to Germany with Howard C. Petersen, assistant secretary of war, and a group of treasury officials.
Ross said his understanding was that Allen was going to Germany to discuss the possibilities of developing foreign trade.
HERE'S THE BAND IN YOUR FUTURE . . .
JIMMY HOLYFIELD
I wouldn't stay in the water too long, sir— your car is due for a check-up at FRITZ CO. in half an hour.
If You Have
No One to
Remind You,
A Memorandum
Will Help to
Remind You
That Your Car
Should Be Checked
Regularly
Our Complete Car Service Includes
Lubrication
Car Washing
- Tire and Battery Service and
- Koolmotor Gas and Oil
Cities Service Products
EIGHTH & N.H.
PHONE 4
"The Big Neon Sign With the Fighting Jayhawk Perched on Top"
At Bell's - Carl's - Rock Chalk
TICKETS FOR
Sully Mason
AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Community Building, Saturday, Oct. 26 $1.50 PER TICKET
Sale Limited—First Come—First Served
"Wow! This job sure keeps me hopping!"
"BELIEVE me, fitting all the new dial and manual switch board equipment and long distance facilities into Bell System central offices all around the country is keeping me mighty busy!
"In a single big dial exchange there may be 4,000 miles of wire. I may have to solder 2,500,000 connections before everything's ready for you to dial a number.
"Besides installing this complex apparatus, I build it. That's part of my job as manufacturer for the Bell System.
"I also purchase all manner of things for the Bell Telephone Companies . . . and distribute these supplies to them along with the equipment I make.
"Ever since 1882, I've been helping to make our nation's telephone service the best in the world. Today...with the Bell System's construction program of more than $2,000,000,000 in full swing...I'm busier than ever."
"Remember my name . . . it's Western Electric."
Western Electric
A UNIT OF THE BELL
SYSTEM SINCE 1882