The Panola Watchman (Carthage, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 12, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 30, 1977 Page: 4 of 22
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Tom, January SI, lf77
EDITORIALS * FEATURES
Between
The Lines
ts
l—’t M gnat to Bve to a neighborhood where you fed free to send next
Mr.« across the street Jorthe ooe item you find yourself without when
332sSSESS-* -
. Things caa feta little out of hand, though, and one of our neighbor* ran
f ^tu,ti00 «wnUy The borrowing in our neighborhood isn’t
reaUy that frequent, at least not from our house. When someone does
need something, we’re always anxious to let them have it if we have it
When our doorbell rang a night or so ago. we found Gaye and Bret
Jnnerson standing outside and thought they had come for a visit When
we noticed the egfi each of them had in their hands, we were puzzled. Not
■or long
iw Mlg
They quickly informed us that their mother, Kathy, needed to borrow
srss skestbs snaaMa-s
important was a great pleasure
We found out a day or so later that ours was the fifth or sixth house on
their route that day. Kathy had sent them somewhere else to inquire
about her missing ingredients but that neighbor had been away from
hm. Bret Just decided his mother really needed those items- he was
probably hungry and didn’t give up at the first obstacle He remarked to
ms mother, after returning from our house, that he sure was glad we had
been home because he didn’t want to have to go off the block in search of
the onion and tomato sauce. Kathy breathed a sigh of relief, too.
It wasn’t two days later when our doorbell rang again This time. Gaye
was there alone and informed Suzie that she needed some sugar for her
■other. "How much,” Suzie asked ”Oh, just a little bit." Gaye replied
m*<*e S'®** suspicious Surely Kathy would have requested a
specific amount. But she found a little jar, put some sugar in and sent
Gaye on her way. Ctiriousity ruled and we called to see if the litUe one had
•ctnally bam sent or just thought going next door to borrow was
iflfnmthiiMV fun
wniuuim iuii
When Kathy heard the question, she just broke up laughing She had not
sent Gaye up to our house, but she had planned to-not to borrow more.
bid to return that which she had borrowed. She had just returned from the
grocery store and had asked Gaye if she would like to return the onion and
can of tomato sauce to us. Gaye had been delighted
Kathy, however, got busy putting the rest of her groceries away and the
impatient youngsters decided not to wait While her mother was occupied
cans and boxes on kitchen shelves. Gaye was busy at our
house borrowing a little sugar instead of returning the things she was to
have done We all got a big laugh and Kathy got over her embarrassment
quickly.
•personal publicity at our expense
It’s pet peeve time again. Today's involves something very near and
dear to our hearts-our money I think it’s being used improperly by some
sf our state officials
In today’s mail. I received a thick packet of news releases from Fred
Head, a Texas congressman from Troup. Included were stories on seven
bills Mr. Head has introduced plus a short note explaining to editors that
he was sending the stories “rather than simply depending on AP or UP1
to get the news to you... ”
I view that »i«ied reason skeptically Each of the stories is laced with
the good representative's name and I view them more in terms of
publicity than anything else This isn’t the first time Mr. Head has sent
news releases out at state expense and I’m beginning to wonder what he’s
building up to~a higher office of some type? >
One of Mr. Head's news releases, so important that it couldn't be
trusted to AP and UPI. was the fact that he was one of the first in line to
file new bills for this session of the legislature Another was announcing
that he had introduced a bill to change Memorial Field in Austin to
Darrell Royal field Earth-shattering, aren't they
Thr people of Texas do need to be informed concerning the workings of
its legislature, b»jt I feel our state's newspapers do an adequate job While
our elected officials should have some freedom in communicating
directly with their constituents. I don’t feel they should be free, at state
expense, to blanket the state with their own publicity
Roy Blake, our representative to the Texas Legislature, wisely uses his
right to communicate with his constituents I don’t believe he sends news
releases to newspapers in other areas of the state, however
Tlie cost of writing, printing and mailing publicity releases must be
staggering. If every state official abuses the privilege, the bill would be
astronomical
I say the elected officals of the state should be allowed to communicate
only with their specific constituents at state expense The press will take
care of informing the general public concerning the general workings of
our state government I. for one don t want to contribute to Mr Head s
campaign through tax dollars spent on mailing publicity releases
A QUESTIONABLE EXECUTIVE SESSION
While on the subject of government, let me get a little closer to home
During the last Carthage City Commission meeting. Mayor John Cain
called for an executive session to discuss litigation I've learned since
then, however, that more was discussed than that.
In fact, much of the executive session was spent in further discussions
of the controversy surrounding a sewer line laid by the city across
property occupied by John Droptini That line, at least part of it, was not
placed on the easement rights way
I'm disappointed that the mayor and commissioners would circumvent
the public's right to know what it selected officials are dmr« In addition
mder the state's open meetings law. such activity is illegal
Then, after the executive session, the mayor quickly disposed of the
Droptini sewer line situation without giving commissioner* an
opportunity to say whether they wanted to vote on the matter or not
During the meeting, three commissioners voiced an opinion that the tine
should be moved back on the right of way. as requested by Mr Droptini
The mayor oppoood that action
When the executive M»Jton ended Mayor Cain announced that no
decisions had been made Yet Mr Droptini was obviously expected to
think the matter over and notify the city concerning some final decision
the following day His conversation with commissioners specifically the
mayor, before the regular meeting got underway again » proof of that
I dent think the privilege of executive session should be so abused I m
dhsppsintsd that the mayor allowed M and that commissionan went
•long with K The public has a right to know what its government is doing
Whsu the public is dimed that right we end up with situations hke
Will A- Weapons Be Acceptable?
Western nations, including U S
leader*, abhor the prospect of ever
using nuclear weapons. The
Hiroshima horror still is very
genuine
The only dear superiority the
West has through its North Atlantic
Treaty Organization forces facing a
steady Soviet buildup in Eastern
Europe is in nuclear weapons The
fear of Soviet adventure is
increasing
These two realities are beginning
to poae what soon may be a dilemma
for Gen Alexander Haig. NATO
commander, for NATO’s European
political leaders and for President
elect Jimmy Carter
The U.S. president, whoever he is.
is the only person who can say “yes”
to the use of atomic weapons.
As these conflicting realities
become more troublesome, two new
developments bring them to public
attention with a rush Here are the
developments:
1 The authoritative Jane's All the
World’s Aircraft says, in a new
analysis of U.S.-NATO air strength
vis-a-vis Soviet-Warsaw Pact capa-
bilities. “American air strength is
falling so far behind that of the
Soviet Union that the United States
may have to resort immediately to
nuclear weapons in the event of
war ”
2 West German Gen. Karl
Schnell. NATO commander in<hief
for Central Europe <under Haig),
says two categories of nuclear
w eapons should be used by the West
from the first day of any conflict
with the Communists
This statement from the man
commanding the area that would
take the brunt of any Soviet attack is
directly contrary to the NATO
"ftecible defense” strategy that
calls for use of nuclear weapons only
w hen conventional forces fail to hold
back the Red tide
Jane's editor. J.W.R. Taylor, savs
that America seriously underesti
mates the Soviet Backfire bomber
and the MIG-25 fighter He says
there is an urgent need for the
controversial U.S. B 1 bomber He
warns that U.S. preoccupation with
defense still is possible—before
nuclear carriers have been
destroyed and while a cohesive
and while Western forces still are
intact “It is necessary." he says,
"To accelerate and simplify the
process of authorizing use of nuclear
weapons’’
Schnell specifies two A wes pons
for early use-the atomic demolition
munition (ADM) and the Nike-
Hercules surface-to-air missile He
would take these two weapons out
of the category that requires U.S.
presidential approval and all the
slow-moving bureaucratic red tape
that goes with obtaining such
approval. The decision would be
made at a NATO headquarters
possessing instant communication
with the battlefront and expert
know ledge of the course of battle
The ADM would be used as
a means of blocking a Soviet
advance—destruction of ammuni-
tion and fuel stockpiles, bridges,
tunnels, other communications-
where conventional means were not
available or sufficient.
"At the beginning of a war," he
said, "the missiles could contribute
to repulsing massive air attacks on
NATJp installations" (the type
attacks Tyalor talks about in the
Jane's publication).
“These weapons should be used on
the first day of the war." Schnell
says, rather than too late or not at all
as would be the situation under the
present drawn-out authorization
procedure
He also claims that early use of
these nuclear weapons would not
mean an all out nuclear war “On
the contrary." he says, “such a use
of nuclear blocking' devices on the
very first day of a conflict could be
interpreted by the attacker as an
early and timely warning “
He says that proper tactics would
insure that use of the two weapons
he mentions would be entirely
defensive and they could be used “in
such a manner that they would
cause no losses among the civilian
population "
Schnell la the first military man to
raise the nuclear issue publicly, and
it is a frightening thought among
many of the West's leaders Jane's
Taylor, however, says that if
Western leaders do not consider the
German general's proposal they had
best consider something else equally
as effective.
The signs of Soviet buildup in
Europe are clear A switch in the
NATO “flexible response“-or, as
some call it, a “wait and see"
strategy—may be necessary.
Taylor's and Schnell'a words give
Presidentelect Carter an alterna-
tive that may be realistic in terms of
survival but extremely tough to
contemplate
nuclear missiles has enabled
Warsaw Pact forces to build up a
vast lead in other key weapons. The *
only answer, he says, may be use of
part of the vast American nuclear
arsenal at the staripf a conflict
Schnell gets more specific and
despite the uneasiness shown by his
West German superiors over his
somewhat revolutionary stance, in
an interview with the German
newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau,
he calls present Western nuclear
guidelines “obsolete ”
A NATO guideline entitled MC 14-3
states that nuclear weapons—auth
orized by the U.S President in every
case—are to be used when effective
defense by conventional means is no
longer possible
This is much too late. Schnell says
Use of nuclear weapons must be
decided on. he says, while a cohesive
f Panola Jfflatdpium
At Leisure Lodge,
we bellewe a nursing
home should be
a plaee to LIVES
Outoy 2y*«* Aommutratex
:OUNDEOlS72
(JAMES A. SMITH SR.
Publisher 1H3 WJ)
DORIS D. SMITH
Publisher
Jim stevens, tarter
Paul Palmer, Advertising Mgr.
l»MM MCk Ttoryto> M
mny to NMM eWMMMto
C* l<K Ito toll r*n*M Wr«x.
Ttoto WD
*to i it—to isnecwn mm
*to ctoractor *r r>p»i«i*to to
My MHW. hr* «r Illy* Ilto
•***> to«v lynn rt* UM«
nwiMtoi win to t>»toy
torrtetoe mm totoe totort* to
ton toWMhn to tto »MHitoi
PaytMt jo
Panola Ceunty Area
n.N year
EKe where in Texas
IS M year
Other States
II2.W year
•mere# ay wem sSSSS
man* m to* e*w toWn to
tltolii Ttoto, mu. mm
mi to cwrito mm s. urn
That s why we have bright
colors, large comfortable
rooms, plenty of good food
24-hour nursing care, friendly
paopte. and more nctivihes
•mn you can shake a stick at'
should be a place where
people want to come, and
that s the way it is whh meet
folks who live at Leisure Lodge
(Which is one reason why we
call Vie people who live here
guests, instead of patients.)
"to to
Leisure Lodge is approved by
the Texas State Welfare
Department, licensed by the
Texas State Department of
MealVi. and is a member of
tie Texas Nursing Home
Awocwbon And in spite of
the way our home may appear
to yoe. k doesn’t cost a penny
more to tea h*”e than at any
o*»ar nurs ng .ioma.
COME SE C* YOURSELF
We d love k ave you visit us
nnyMnei Fmo out how much
PUN living can be You! be
giad you cams'
%
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Stevens, Jim. The Panola Watchman (Carthage, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 12, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 30, 1977, newspaper, January 30, 1977; Carthage, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1055012/m1/4/: accessed June 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sammy Brown Library.