Milford chronicle., 1955-08-05
NO SCORE-YETi


In the light of what they know and can
surmise of the summit" proceedings in
Geneva, observers are generally agreed that
the accomplishments of the West were zero
or maybe little less. For one thing the
Western acceptance of the effulgence and
hospitality of the Russians and the general
participation in the palsy-walsy good fellow
ship over the vodka and victuals could well
be regarded by the hungry and heroic dis
ciples of resistance and freedom behind the
iron curtain as abandonment by their firmest
friends
But the score can not yet be tailed. The
one brilliant stroke of the conference, Presi-
dent Eisenhower's challenge to the Russians
remains unanswered. 1t is obvious that the
masters of the Kremlin see no advantage in
trading freedom of the skies and unlimited
photo reconnaissance with us, or swapping
of military "blueprints." They wond have
little to gain, while We would be in position
to unmask to the free world, the misery, the
horror, the weakness as well as the strength
of the fantastic Communist tyranny And
ii is equally obvious that the Reds, who have
been calling us "warmongers" would make
themselves ridiculous by refusing the Presi-
dents offer They would rather kick it
around till it gets lost.
At his first press conference after Geneva,
this unanswered sixty-four dollar question
came in, we thought for less than its deserv-
atomic energy installations in his proposal
for aerial reconnaissance, the President at
first hedged, with respect both to atomic and
industrial plants but finally said: 81 think
that Iwould allow these planes, properly in
spected, to fly over any particular area of
either country that they wanted to -
That there should have been any hesi-
fancy in President Eisenhowers answer, and
that he at first said that details would have
to be worked out" seems rather surprising
if it is true that his diplomatic bomb had
been discussed since last March, and since
Admiral Radford, chairman of the joint
chiefs of staff, and NATO's General Gruen-
ther were summoned to a conference with the
President the night before he made his offer
in Geneva.
We have caught the Reds off balance for
the first time : : and it would seem supreme
iy desirable to keep them that way. To do so,
We need only keep pressing for an answer to
the Eisenhower challenge. If we get an ans
wer we shall have won the Geneva world s
series, whether the Kremlin says "Da' or
.Nyet." If we are bluffed out of our answer,
we shall have lost-again.
SSo@SS
MR.. DOOLEY
Many older Americans will realize that
they have been missing something for years
when they read of the death of Finley p
Dunne's widow. Dunno, who died in 1886,
was the creator of Mr. Dooley. The sage OBJ
servations of that Irish saloonkeeper in Chi
cago swept America during the first 20 years
of the century He hit off the foibles of So
ciety and of political figures with equal wit
and venevolence. Theodore Rooseveit's ten
dency to overdramatize himself was satiriz-
ed in the name of his alleged "reminiscences
of the Spanish War, "Alone in Cubia." Those
whc have tried to undress in the upper berth
of sleeping car will understand it when
<ol1c l., Ill
you in confidence that, not ben' a contor-
zionist, the only thing | took off was me
hat"
Dunno wrote Dooley articles only occa-
sionally in his last 20 years, none at all to-
wards the end. He left no successor except
Will Rogers. With both gone there is no
humorous commentator of equal stature or
the American scene. Here is challenge.
SoNS
THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT
A number of authoritative surveys have
been made as to what will happen if, as pro-
posed, the minimum wage is again increased
anu, along with other provisions of the Fair
Labor Standards Act, is applied to retailing,
which is now exempt. All show that the in
crease in retail operating costs would be
heavy. In some cases they might actually be
more than Individual stores and chain stores
and chain systems now earn as profit
The trouble here is that the proposed
changes represent an attempt to artifcially
give groups of marginal workers large bene-
fits without any compensating increase in
their productivity, or their value to en-
plOyer and consumer. When that happens
one of two things, and probably both must
occur. Prices must rise-which means
new wave of imitation. And employers must
pare employment to the limit, thus reducing
the opportunity of people to get jobs and
learn the skills which bring greater respon-
sihility and hirhpr nav