Milford chronicle., 1953-07-17
Washington Letter
Pr0logue

PROLOGUE
The Junior Big Three policy con-
ference is now on in Washington,
as a substitution for the Big, Big
Three conversations that Ike and
Sir Winnie, and whoever France
might send to sit in, had planned
to have had in Bermuda, or aboard
HMS Vanguard until the
ghurchiIlian health was suddenly
and mysteriously impaired.
The current meetings Of Secretary
Of State John Foster Dulles,
Britain's Acting Foreign Secretary
Lord Salisbury and French Foreign
Minister Georges Bidault will ap4
parently discuss truce in Korea,
joint policy in Egypt, assistance to
the French in IndO-China and what
to do about Germany.
It would seem however, that Lord
Salisbury's primary job is to sell
Washington on switching the
Bermuda conference to London and
planting the idea that such a meet
ing will be the curtain-raiser for
Big Four pOw-w0w in the fall
between President Eisenhower, the
revived British Prime Minister
Premier Laniel of France and
Georgi Malenkov-if they can find
him.
If we are to credit the report Of
recent nine-hOur bridge game at
the White House, it would seem that
Ike can enter a game or an airplane
in the same spirit. Indicating that
Bermuda and London were, all the
same to him, the President remark
ed that when he gets into plane
it does not matter whether he
travels three hours or six.
But we hope he remembers that
in bridge the bidding can be pretty
important
ReprieVe
We've been fuming for years over
the quaint custom of our Congress
to knock off work when the weather
gets hot and stay home the rest of
the year if possible. But. this year,
perhaps it's just as well. Without
Senator Taft as Floor Leader in the
upper house, the administration S
strength, already deteriorating,
could run completely out of it's
shoes.
While the Senator is reported on
the mend after his exploratory
operation, he will hardly be in con-
dition to return to Washington
before adjournment. Having the
next five months free for conva-
lescence could put Mr.. Republican
back in fighting trim. Certainly
this will be the devout wish of all
Americans, regardless of their
political viewpoint.
Where Honor Is Due
Bronze busts of F. w Woolworth,
Marshall Field, John P. Wana-
maker and George Huntington
Hartford were unveiled in Chicago's
Merchandise Mart the other day,
hailing these men as the nations
outstanding "store-keepers", and
the first to be memOrialized in the
Anewly-dedicated Merchants of
America Hall of Fame"
The winners of this pOsthumOus
honor were selected by Americas s
top marketing authorities and
financial analysts from a panal of
ten nominees, which in turn, had
been chosen by today's best-known
merchandising executives.
We doubt that anyone will quibble
at the electors choice, since the
lasting significance Of this new Hall
of Fame is to remind us of the vital
work that every sincere merchant
everywhere has done, and is doing,
in building and maintaining this
nations economic leadership. And
we should be grateful indeed to the
Merchandise Mart, which has
nothing to sell but our American
free enterprise system, for turning
the spotlight on some long-neglect-
ed truths.
We have accepted mass prOduc-
tiOn as the peculiarly American
miracle that has lifted our living
standards above all others and
now at long last, we stop to realize
that it was our stOre-keepers who
kept it going by selling these
tremendous volumes of all manner
of goods d. +. by policing the quality
of these goods by continually
introducing us to new and better
things by developing and main
tanning honest and fair merchandise
ing practices, so that Americans
may shop without haggling, anC
merchants need not bite the coin
as is still done in older countries!
And as we honor the names Oi
WOoIworth, Field, Wanamaker, anC
Hartford, we see them as symbols
Of high-minded public service thai
is exemplified today by men we al
known our own community.
But What Are We Buying!
In spite of the Kremlin quarrels
and the purging Of Secret Police
Chief Beria, we think Mutual Secur
ity Director Harold Stassen il
undertaking the case when he says
we must expect. to live with the
Soviet threat for ten more years.
Mr.. Stassen offered this opinion
to the Senate Appropriations com
mittee as a warning against ending
the foreign aid program premature