Milford chronicle., 1958-01-31
WE ARE AT WAR


made in Washington in recent days was that
of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the man
who built the atomic submarine Nautilus.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Ser
vices Committee a few days ago, Rickover
revealed some of the things he has learned
in heading a development and pioneer re-
search group. And, commenting on the sit
uation confronting the United States and
the difficulties of avoiding typical govern
ment-mule bureaucracy in research and de-
velopment, projects-now so vital to u. s..
security-Rickover said this:
81 think we are kidding ourselves think
most of our people cannot understand that
we are actually at war. They don't under
stand it. They need to hear shells.
"They are not psychologically prepared
for the concept that you can have a war
where you don't have actual literal fighting,
and this is the trouble.
"Most people say they see it, but they
do not really act that way. | think every
body today in the military should be acting
should be doing things as if we really were
at war. We have got to learn ways of doing
things faster. | think it is almost too late
This is what | worry about
Exporting the difficulty of getting our
present-day military organization to carry
on successful development work, Rickover
says:
g. The military organization is not
set up to do development work. 1t is set up
mostly to do routine work. So, if anyone
comes in with new idea, the people in the
organization tend to make him conform to
the organization because conformity is pri-
zed.
"There is still too much conformance
rather than performance"
Rickover's comments speak for themsel-
yes. We thoroughly agree with what he says.
Congress, and the military establishment.
had better heed his words, and woe betide
those who do not, and who assume the re-
sponsibility for maintaining the present out
moded system.
FEBRUARY
The name February comes from the
Latin verb, "Februare", which means to
purify The Romans formerly held a festival
at which a goat was sacrificed, after which
the priests struck the hands of woman
with a strip of the skin of goat, which was
supposed to insure fertility and safe de-
livery.
In United States history February is no
table as month of birthday anniversaries.
The foremost birthday anniversary of the
month is that of George Washington the
founder of the country, whose reputation has
grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.
1t is also the month in which the birthday
anniversary of Abraham Lincoln falls Wash
ington's birthday comes on FEBRUARY 22nd
and Lincoln's on February 18th.
Other birthdays of interest include those
of Charles Dickens,swh was born February
7th, 1872 at Landport, England. The ami
versary of the chartering of the Boy Scouts
of America falls on February 9th. The char
tering took place on February 9Th, 1910.
The birthday of William Henry Har-
rson, ninth president of the United States,
comes on February 9th. Harrison was born
in Charles County, Virginia, on February
9Th, 1773.
An often-forgotten anniversary is that
of the Spanish peace treaty, the signing of
which, by the president, occurred on Feb
ruary 10th, 1899. BY that treaty Spain ceded
to the United States the Philippine Islands
and the Island of Guam in the Pacific, and
the island of Puerto Rico, in the Atlantic.
In consideration of payment of S20,000,000
Spain also agreed to withdraw from Cuba.
st. Valentines Day falls on February
18th. Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as
President of the Confederacy on February
18th, 1861. The Washington Monument was
dedicated on February 21st, 1885.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of
the most popular American poets of the
nineteenth century, was born February 9th,
1907 in Portland, Maine.
<SSoNS
THE WEATHER WAR
One of the wars which is now under
way, between the United States and the
Soviet Union, is the war to control the
weather. The actual fighting cannot be said
to have broken out, but it is known that
weather scientists in each country are hop
ing to unravel the secrets about the weather
first-and control it first.
Two main avenues of approach are now
known, and there may be many others. One
of the forms of human control might come
in the control of evaporation. If evaporation
could be controlled, then the amount of
precipitation could be controlled.
The nation which controls precipitation,
or which can deny it to the other, holds
powerful trump card in any prolonged con-
f1ict