Milford chronicle., 1961-10-20

would prefer a try, even II 1t falleu, raIheI
than no real try at all
BETTER TV PROGRAMS
TelevisiOn programs are IN tne SAME
category these days as the weather. Every
one is calling for better programs Dut no.
body is doing much about 1t.
The Chairman of the Federal Commun-
ications Commission has made himself hlgh-
ly unpopular with many radio and televlS-
ion people by blasting the level OF programs
offered the public.
Psychologists have said the deluge OF
crime, sex, alcohol and violence has had, ana
is. having, a determental effect on young
viewers Many others have expressed DIS
NAV at the moronic level of scripts, and fax
ed comedy which is passed off on the view
ing public, replete with canned laughter
Altogether, it is sad fare for the Am
erican people. The latest protest comes from
The District of Columbia Congress of Par
ents and Teachers (PTA) which has en-
dorsed the effort of the FEC Chairman to
''put on the arwaves suitable programs for
the American home and family.
Unfortunately there is no one IN the
country with the power to improve the lever
of telecasting The FEC has very limited
power in this field and there are only three
televiSiOn networks.
The networks have become wederS OF
tremendous power in the past few years
and criticism from the clergy, from the FEC
Chairman, from juvenile court judges, from
PSYCHOLOGISTS and from others has moved
them very little.
We do not allow obscene publications or
pictures to be shown in our communities
and we need regulation of televiSiOn fare
to a far greater degree because the adver-
tisers come into virtually every home with
their programs
In boasting to the world about the free
enterprise system we must not lose sight OF
the fact that it is not yet perfect. Capital
ism, or commerciaism contains faults and
can contain excesses and abuses. The only
way we can be sure of the triumph of capi-
talsm over communism is to make certain
we continue to perfect capitalism and inn
prove it and enjoy it while shaping it to
serve the best interests of the people.
GERMANY is THE PRIZE
AS the United States pursues its foreign
policy, and attempts to settle the artificial
Berlin "crisis" with the Soviets short of
war, we must keep in mind that the real
plum at stake here is the allegiance of Ger
many and West Germans.
Germany is the most powerful ally on
the European continent. For over ten years
the West German Government and people
have stood solidly with the United States
and the West There were two major rea-
sons for this
First, the West offered aid and advance
ment Second, the West sided with West
Germany in its nOn-recognition of the mil
itarily imposed East German Government,
refusing to accept that regime and calling
for free elections in all Germany
The Russians are now out to stamp per
manent' on the East German Government.
Russia still UNDERSTANDABLE fearful of a re-
armed and reunited Germany, places great
Importance on its attempts to fnaize the
Oder-Neisse line as the bOundry between
East Germany and Poland.
Free Germans have placed their hopes
in the West, quite probably, as much be-
cause of a natural desire to accomplish re-
unificatiOn as because of the democracy
which the West has given them. This is the
cardinal sentiment overlooked by those who
fail to understand the grave risk to be TAX
en- by accepting" East Germany.
Already some Germans are talking of
being "sold out" Some maj jor West German
newspapers reacted to General Lucius
Clays recent remarks, to the effect that we
must admit that two Germanys exist with
alarm and great emotiOnaism Why? Be
cause the West German longs inevitably for
a restoration of German territory and re-
unifcatiOn.
Germany is among the most nationalist
of nations. The people naturally long for
unifcaton; they naturally hope for the
eventual return Of territory stolen by the
communists in the East. Nothing can change
these sentiments.
If Nikita Khrushchev energies from the
present "crisis" with West Berlin still free
(Which will be the case), but having accom-
plished his goal of forcing the West, and
the world, to accept the partition of Ger
many as permanent and weakening the tie
between the West and West Germany, by
creating division and mistrust between
them, he will have achieved more than some
perceive.