340 sincethewarisnotoficiallyendedtorequisitionanddistri- butethemeat.Ofcourse,hedidneither,and,justasinthe maritimestrike,wasforcedtoreversehispolicyafewdays afterhavingafirmeditinthestrongestterms.Thusthemaximumdamagewasdone:thepublicgotneithersteaksnorcon- trolledprices,suferingallthedisadvantagesofbothafree andacontroledeconomy,withouteithertheautomaticad- justmentsoftheoneortheplanningoftheother. A Poundof T h e OPApsychologywas Stabilization,Please! wonderfullyexpressedby FederalPriceAdministrator PaulPorter,who,attheheightofthemeatfamine,told thepublicthat"obtainingsteaksnextweekortheweek thereafterwaslessimportantthanachievingstabilization fortheentireeconomy."Thecuriouslymetaphysicalcharacter ofthebureaucraticmentalityappearshere:insteadof a policy(stabilization)beingconceivedofasinstrumentalto materialisticgains(steaks),thelatteraresacrificedtothe former.Letdirectivesbecariedout,thoughtheheavensfall! Aweeklater,HaroldN.Cohen,OPAregionalenforcement executivefortheNewYorkarea,puthischief'sprincipleinto practice.Alocalsteelmanufacturerwiththatgumptionand ingenuitywhichusedtobeoneofthemostappealingtraitsof theAmericancharacterhadboughtaherdofsteersdirect fromaTexasranch.Heproposedtoslaughtertheseinhis ownplantandtomakeafreegiftofthemeattohisemployees.ButMr.Cohenforbadethefeastas"creatingapattern thatwoulddestroythehistoricandnormaldistributionof meat."Thatthehistoricandnormaldistributionofmeator anydistributionatall,forthatmaterhadbeenendedsome timeearlierwasafact-of-lifewithoutstandinginbureaucratic metaphysics."Theidea,accordingtoMr.Cohen,whotalked withofficialsinWashingtonbeforemakinghisstatement,is thatthesmallamountofmeatavailablecanbespreadaround mostequitablyifdistributionisconfinedtotraditionaltrade channels."Anothermetaphysicalyimproperfact-of-lifewas thatthetraditionaltradechannelswereatthemomentrefus- ingtodistributeanymeatatallinordertodestroytheOPA regulationswhichMessrs.PorterandCohenwereenforcing. Insomeways,SenatorTaftisagreatthinker. WellDone, In"TheStoryofCyprus"(August),Ipaid Thouetc. a tributetotheliblabstatesman,Arthur Creech-Jones,whoevolvedinlessthana yearfromanimpassionedtribuneoftheCypriotsintoan apologistfortheirBritishrulers;thediferencebeing,of course,thatin1945hewasinoppositionandin1946in power,asUnder-SecretaryofColoniesintheLaborgovern- ment.Mr.Creech-Jones'admirerswillbepleasedtoknowthat hisloyalservicewasrewarded,inlastmonth'scabinetreorgan- ization,withadvancementtopostofSecretaryofStatefor theColonies.Weldone,thougoodandfaithfulservant! NordidMr.Creech-Jonesforgethisoldfriendsafterhis promotion.Hehasannouncedthat"constitutionalreforms aimedatestablishingamoreliberalandprogressiveregimein theinternalaffairsofCyprusareunderconsideration." Specificaly,heproposestheeventualre-establishmentofa centrallegislature;i.e.,therestorationoftheimpotent,win- dow-dressingLegislativeCouncilwhichGladstonegavethe Cypriotsin1882andwhichwasabolishedafterthe1931re- bellion.Iftheyhumpthemselves,theLaboritesmaybeableto bringthemarchofprogressinCyprusuptothepointit hadreachedin1882. AReutersdispatchfromNicosiadatedOctober23suggests thattheseGreekslookwithafishyeyeontheBritishbearing gifts:"TheBritishplanwasrejected`categoricalyandwith BibliotecaGinoBianco polities indignation'tonightbytheEthnarchic(ChurchofCyprus) Council.Itopposed'anysolutionoftheCyprusquestionnot grantingnationallibertybyunionwithGreece,whichconsti- tutesouronlynationalclaimandaspiration'." TheBomb— Theprogressives'favoriteapologyfor Afterthoughts theatomicbombingofHiroshimaand Nagasakiwasthatitshortenedthewar andthussavedlives.Thiskindofreasoning,ofcourse,can beusedtojustifyalmostanyatrocity.Butitisbeginningto appear,inaddition,thatJapanwasbeaten before theatomic bombings,andthatherrulersknewthisandwerefranticaly tryingtomakepeace.TworecentstatementsbyhighU.S. militaryfiguresareinterestinginthisconnection: AdmiralHalsey,notpreciselyahumanitarian,said:"The firstatomicbombwasanunnecessaryexperiment.Itwasa mistakeevertodropit.Whydiscloseaweaponlikethattothe worldwhenitwasn'tnecessary?Thescientistshadthistoy andtheywantedtotryitout,sotheydroppedit. Itkileda lotofJaps,buttheJapshadputoutpeacefeelersthrough Russialongbefore."(APdispatch,Sept.9) AndAdmiralBlandy,whowasinchargeoftheBikinitests, saidthata"virilenation"wouldendurealotofatomicbombingevenafteritsmaincitiesweredestroyed."Icannotbe- lievethat itwouldsurrenderwhileitsfightingforceswere intactitsarmies,fleets,itsbombs,itslaunchingplatforms. Japanlosthermeansofresistancebeforetheatomicbomb wasdropped." THEHEAVYTHINKERSONGOERING'SSUICIDE GeneralH.H.Arnold:"Iexpectedsomethinglikethattohappen.The averageGermandoesnotwanttobehung." TheeditorsofPM:"WhenweheardofGoering'ssuicide,therewas acertaintendernessinallourheartsforCol.C.B.Andrus.Wesensed whathemustbefeelingovertheprematuredeathofhismaincharge." TheNuremburgNestor:"WASHINGTON,Oct.16—Byhissuicide, HermannGoeringlostanychancetobecomeaGermanmartyr,Justice RobertH.Jackson,whoprosecutedtheNo.2NaziinNuremburg,said today.Goering,throughhisself-inflicteddeathbypoisoninsteadofdying courageouslyonthegalows,dispeledthe'mythofNazibraveryand stoicismanddeepconviction',theSupremeCourtJusticeadded.(Add newsreport,samepaper:,samedate:"FirstsoundingsofGermanpublic opinionshowedthatGoering'sjudgementinchoosingsuchapsychological momentforsuicide. . .washavingtheefecthemightwellhavedesired. Allotheraspectsofthetrialandexecutionswerecompletelyovershadowed asthousandsofGermanschuckledoverthetrickhehadplayedonthe occupyingpowers,andoncemorethoughtofhimasahero.Goering's dramaticgestureindeathappearedtohavehelpedtheseGermansforget hiscrimes.") HUMANITARIANISMONTHEBORDER BritishforceshavedestroyednearlyadozenvillagesintheNorthwestern FrontierProvinceofIndiaaspunishmentfortherecentabductionby tribesmenofaBritishpoliticalagent. . .Theagentwasreleased,butthe British,whosaidcertainunspecifieddemandshadnotbeenmet,sentplanes andartillerytoattackthevilages. TheintentoftheBritish,itwassaid,wastodestroythevilagesofthe tribesmen—whosebuildingmaterialsareextremelyscarce—"tokeepthem busyandoutofmischiefforthenextfewmonths."(InLondon,theIndia Officesaid"thisisthemosthumanewayofteachingthem,sinceanexpeditionwouldmeanunnecessarylossof life.")Noticeisgivenbeforean atack,it issaid,buttwoorthreedeathshavebeenreportedbecauseof "themistakeofapilotwhobombedthewrongvilage."Compensationhas beenpaidandapologieshavebeenmadeforthedeaths,itwasexplained. —N.Y.HeraldTribune,Sept.12. LOCAL.BOYMAKESGOOD OnJuly24,SirWalterCitrine,K.B.E.,madehislastofficialappearance atmeetingsoftheGeneralCounciloftheTradesUnionCongress. . . SirWalter(whoonthefolowingdaytookhisseatintheHouseof PeersasBaronCitrineofWembley)hadbeenGeneralSecretaryofthe T.U.C.since1926. —proudreportinLabour,organoftheT.U.C.,forAugust.
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