Evening star., 1949-05-04
HE Thinks Air Fefee
Claims Tea Mach

Te th. Eatsst es Tas ss~
Eow that Mr. SsiiiYan-an6 may his
shadow never grow Smalier-hRs stood up
and pointed out the KEY men In what would
have been q raxxie-daxxle hidden ball play
and the Secretary Of Defense has picked him
self up. busted himself OF and assured us
that what he really called vas q straight
line buck. let's no back and take q look ai
what really started the play.
There doesn't seem TO be any reason for
doubling that the Air Force has used the
uniflcation of the armed services as an ex-
euse for Q most astounding and cynical power
grab.
There Is nothing surprising about the fact
that the little brother service should make
grab for q big piece Of the family pie. Ges-
lures like that are TO be expected Of the
young and brash. What really Is surprising.
however Is that he should be allowed 10 get
away without having his knuckles raped.
No one seems to recall q miraculous gadget
that was peddled to the American taxpayer
like snake oil during the late ls3os and
early l940s. II was called the Noroen bomb
sight and we were all assured. with the
utmost solemnity and to the aceompani
ment OF scarcely muted chants OF self praise
from the great choir Of publicity boys in
the wings. that once we equipped our planes
with 1t, our military troubles were over.
Every paper and magazine in the country
went completely starry-eyed at the thought
of fresh-faced young pilots sitting in planes
10 900 and $4,000 feet in the air and drop
ping bombs unerringly. into barrels, Pic
lures were broadcast everywhere. showing
mysterious giZmos covered with dark cloth
and guarded by stern young men with big
chins-for the Norden sight was so magically
potent and precious that in the hands Of
apapv II wnuid he n unfhink ahle threat
to all America.
And we all know what happened, Did
any one ever hear anything about the Nor
den bomb sight when the chips were on the
table? Not If I recall correctly. When We
were in a situation where every one had TO
hit or get of the lot. the gadget was tossed
where 1t should have been tossed in the
first place. and We got down to the business
of fighting with all three services working
more or less side by side and, on the whole,
successfully. =
say on the whole for a perfectly good
reason. Now that the Air Force has ret up
the old snake oil stand again and tuned up
the choir this time with the bland land un-
challenged statement that it can bomb hell
out Of anything in any part OF the world
right away quick. we might we'll recall just
one of many things that happened during
the late war; After the Japanese had been
chivvied for three years. and when their air
force had been torn to shreds tby Navy and
Marine Corps air. by the way the Air Force.
operating from splendid fields with its most
up-to-date planes could not neutralize one
small island that was astride its path to
Japan. 1t could not fight its own battle
The Marine Corps, supported by the Navy,
had TO take Two Jima TO protect the planes
OF the Air Force. and all the blasting. dew
astating. bombing and raining Of destruction
that the Air Force had been able to per-
petrate upon that one little island had
not weakened 1t one iota.
There is a complete irony about the whole
operation that should make us feel Just a
little cynical now. as the medicine show
Communism and Socialism
Both Aim at Revolution
To the Editor Of The Star:
In regard to the proposed health insur-
ance law that would bring our Nation nearer
to socialism, when I asked the editor of
Socialist magazine the difference between
Socialist and Communists, the reply was:
I'VE are both working for a change OF
Government but along different lines. So
cailists are trying to change the Government
without bloodshed. while the Communists
are trying to make conditions in this coun-
bloody revolution to change the Govern
ment." asked a Communist the same
question and he replied I'VE are all work
ing for change Of Government. Well
have socialism first and then communism.
Communism is the highest development of
socialism. Russia Is a glorious example OF
socialism developed into communism"
You have been there. perhaps?" I said.
mo, but we know all about It,"
suggested. "As you believed that con-
ditions in Russia are so much better than
in the United States. / wonder that you
don't 60 and live there"
"Oh, no. We shall have the very same
conditions here he replied.
When do you expect to overthrow this
Government" I asked.
I'VE don't know that; IL might be years,
1t might be tomorrow"
DO you expect 10 overthrow the Canadian
government at the same time?" We hope
to- was his reply. OBSERVER.
Radio i'm Buses
Objected to as Harassing
To the Editor OF The Star:
Relative to the installation of radios on
Capital Transit Co. buses. 1t seems timely to
raise few pertinent points. II Is my under
standing from conversations with officials
OF the Public Utilities Commission that only
II bus radios have been installed and that
for the present, no more are being installed
until public reaction has been further tested.
The PUG Is taking no action, one way or the
other. In other words. the Capital Transit
Ta cirnrlv IN doinc y,eifker with ysoy