The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, September 6, 1946 Page: 2 of 10
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the West Public Library.
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an s &sm»
Re-appraising
Washington Digest,
Courteous Japs Kow-Tow
To Victorious Americans
By EDWARD EMERINE
WNl’ Features
States, like men, should not
be judged by hearsay. If you
have been reading stale joke
books, or listening to radio
comics, you may have some
preconceived and erroneous ideas
about one ol the greatest of the 48
states. It is tune for you to re-ap-
praise Arkansas.
A few weeks ago I made an auto-
mobile trip through Arkansas, fol-
lowing the general course of U. S.
Highway No. 87 from Poplar Bluffs,
Mo., to Texarkana. We visited Com-
ing, Walnut Ridge, Newport,
Searcy, Little Rock, Arkadelphia
and other towns.
We saw fields of rice, com, cot-
ton and other staple crops on
land that was black and rich. We
heard the sharp ring of saws biting
into both soft and hard woods. We
heard factory whistles, too, and saw
hundreds of men carrying dinner
pails. Horses, mules and tractors
furnished power for farming,
while huge trucks hauled loads
of giant watermelons, fat cattle,
milk, oil, lumber, logs, poles, crates
of fruits and berries and other
products. Fruit trees were heavily
laden, the boughs bending low.
Progress is Evident.
We traveled over splendid paved
roads, across rich coastal plains
and through mountain scenery as
majestic as any traveler could ever
want. There were fine homes, big
bams and well-kept acres on either
side of the road. There was con-
struction everywhere, for Arkan-
sas is building new homes, stores,
garages and other structures. Steel,
cement, brick and bright new
lumber were going into those build-
ings. New homes, in every stage
of construction, were to be seen.
Some were near-mansions, while
others were simple structures.
Barns, sheds and fences were going
up too.
When we talked to the people of
Arkansas, we found them friendly,
courteous, intelligent. They smiled
easily, were proud of their state,
and sure of its future. Tourists who
had visited every part of the Ozark
and Ouachita forest and mountain
areas in the northwestern part of
the state as well as the lower coast-
al plains in the southeast had seen
just what we sa\\- — construction,
progress and resolute faith.
First settlers of Arkansas were
the Indians, the Quapaws who
lived south of the Arkansas river
and the Osages who lived north
of it. They called the land Akansa,
but somewhere along the way an
“r” was inserted and a final "s”
added. It is pronounced Ar-kan-
saw.
After discovery by De Soto in 1541,
Arkansas was tossed like a ball
between Spain and France. The few
people who came to the area were
soldiers and traders. There were
no fanners and few merchants. No
permanent settlements were made
except around military posts.
After the United States came into
possession of Louisiana territory,
including Arkansas, the country
was settled rapidly by Anglo-Saxon
oioneers.
Territory Formed.
In 1819, Arkansas was organized
as a separate territory, and the cap-
ital was moved from Arkansas
Post to Little Rock. (Incidentally,
Little Rock was so named because
of a ledge of rocks projecting into
the river and to distinguish it from
Big Rock, about three miles up
the river.) Population was about
14,000. It may be noted that Arkan-
NATIVE RESIDENT ... Ben
l.aney, governor of Arkansas,
is a native and life-long resident
of the state. He was born In a
small rural area of Ouachita
county called •‘Cooterneck.” Be-
fore his election as governor, he
was a school teacher, drag store
operator, oil man, agriculturist
and twice mayor of Camden. Vet-
eran of World War I, he is mar-
ried and has three children.
sas was a part of Louisiana from
1804 to 1812. and from 1812 to 1819
a part of Missouri. In 1836, Arkan-
sas became a state.
Arkansas is a great agricultural
state, with soil new and fertile.
Levees, ditches and canals have
redeemed alluvial lands along the
St. Francis, the Arkansas and Mis-
sissippi rivers. The state has an
almost inexhaustible timber supply,
with forests of pine and hard
woods covering nearly two-thirds of
the state. At Eureka. Heber and
Hot Springs, health-giving waters
have long been used.
Industries of Arkansas are de-
voted almost entirely to extracting
or proceasing products which orig-
inate within the state's boundaries.
There are 28 oil and gas producing
fields in six southern Arkansas
counties and 16 gas fields in five
western counties. Petroleum re-
serves are estimated at more than j
300 million barrels and reserves of
natural gas at over 1,000 billion
cubic feet.
Climate, scenic attractions,
recreational facilities and cura-
tive waters combine to bring
great numbers of tourists and
health seekers to Arkansas
each year. The state's most
widely known attraction Is Hot
Springs National park, contain-
ing 47 hot springs with temper-
atures up to 145 degrees.
Adjacent to Hot Springs are Lakes
Catherine and Hamilton with more
than 450 miles of shoreline. Annual
spring racing meets are held at Oak
Lawn jockey club. Golf is played
the year around.
The state's scenic highlands in-
clude two mountain groups, the
Ozarks and Ouachitas, both eas-
ily accessible. State parks provide
exceptional recreational facilities.
Sportsman's Paradise.
Arkansas’ duck shooting is na-
tionally famous. Rice fields in the
prairie section attract mallards dur-
ing the winter migration. Deer,
quail and turkey provide plenty of
hunting, and fishing may be en-
joyed in the numerous lakes and
streams. “Float fishing'' on the
White river and some of its tribu-
taries is a unique Arkansas pastime,
which is becoming increasingly pop-
ular with visitors.
“I am fully convinced that Arkan-
sas is destined to become one of
the great playgrounds of America."
said Franklin D. Roosevelt at
Booneville, Ark., when he visited
there in 1938.
And many of the rest of us who
have visited that state can heartily
endorse the late President’s words!
By BAUKHAGE
Nctrt Analyst and Commentator,
Baukhage
,-«JlSepliZ.
4 ** rfapfe®
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-Mn: «•
o.
De Soto's Futile Quest for Gold
Brought Exploration of Arkansas
CLASSIC STRICTURE . .
Originally occupied in 1838,
Arkansas’ old state bouse, now
converted into a war memorial
bedding. is one of the elastic
colonial buildings of the nation.
Arkansas was one of the earliest
of the Mississippi states to be ex-
plored. The first white man to
touch Arkansas soil was Her-
nando de Soto, the Spanish ex-
plorer who discovered the Missis-
sippi river. In May, 1541, he came
to a river so broad that he called
it, in Spanish, the Rio Grande, or
great river. The Indian name for
the stream, Meschacebe, “father
of waters," has come down to us,
however, as Mississippi. De Soto
crossed the river to the Arkansas
side.
For nearly a year, the last year
of hi* life, De Soto traveled over
what is now Arkansas, through a
vast wilderness inhabited by wild
animals and equally, wild savages.
Beginning near the mouth of the
White river, De Soto went up the
western shore of the Mississippi
beyond the mouth of the St. Francis
river, then journeyed southwest
until he came to the Arkansas riv-
er. There is a tradition that he was
defeated in a battle with the In-
diana near where Jacksunport now
stands, and that he was compelled
to turn north again.
Learning that there were moun-
tains to the northwest, he continued
toward northeast Arkansas where
he hoped to find gold, traveling
through swamps and dense for-
ests and crossing mountain streams.
Disappointed in not finding (old, he
WNU Service, 1816 Eye Street. N.W.,
Washington, D. C.
Recently, I had two experiences
which melded.
I ran into my colleague, Kenneth
Romney Jr., son of Kenneth Rom-
ney Sr., sergeant
at-arms of the
i house of repre-
j sentatives. Young
] Romney recently
i has taken up his
| duties in radio
i again after a be-
J lated discharge
| from the military
; service, the lat-
i ter part of which
j was spent with
I the ‘‘cloak and
I dagger" boys,
J the Office of
Strategic serv-
| ices.
Casually, he told me how he land-
ed in Shanghai. He had been serv-
ing in China. Shortly after V-J Day
he was ordered, along with some
hundred other American officers
and soldiers, to Shanghai. It was
known there were no Chinese troops
in the city. Shanghai had been in
Japanese hands since the beginning
of the war. The civilian population
had become none too co-operative.
Hence, the Americans (even the
“cloak and dagger" boys) arrived
in full battle dress.
Their plane landed, and little
brown men came forward toward
them. The Americans had their
rifles at "ready.” Some fired. But
the Japs, undeterred, came for-
ward, bowing deeply, smiling. It
was a Japanese ground force, ready
and anxious to service the Amer-
ican planes.
Later came Jap officers with a
whole fleet of limousines. The
Americans were guests, not con-
querors. The conquered enemy
were hosts—not just the conquered.
They offered to find accommoda-
tions and the trimmings. A little
confusing, the Americans thought,
but that was, after all, the Orient-
China, another world. . . .
Now the scene shifts to Washing-
ton again. I witness the meeting
j of a husband and wife. Plenty of
such meetings these days, still. It
, was touching. The man had dropped
out of the Far Eastern skies. It
; seemed only yesterday that 1 had
: heard he was in a city in the Neth-
! erlands Indies where the American
corporation he represented had one
of its great plants. He was the first
American to visit it since the terri-
tory had been won back from the
enemy.
But had it been won back?
When I heard his story, I won-
dered. It seems that when he
reached the gates of the American-
owned plant, he found a Japanese
•n guard. He identified himself. In
a few moments, a smiling and bow-
ing Japanese officer, still wearing
most of his uniform and speaking
understandable English, appeared.
They began a tour of the prop-
erty, the Jap most deferential but of-
fering no word of explanation or
apology for the fact that he, a late
enemy, was in charge and not in
jail. In fact, the Jap was very lo-
quacious on the subject of the ex-
cellent work that he and his helpers
had done to put the plant back into
1 repair and operation.
Editor's Note: While Winehell
is on vacation, Jack Lait is act-
ing as guest columnist.
Recriminations, Reflections—-
Ruthless, rapacious James
Caesar Petrillo seems hell-bent to
wreck the nightclubs of New York,
which cannot meet his latest de-
mands and live. . . . Petrillo hasn’t
been getting his name in the pa-
pers lately, and has apparently de-
cided to see to that. ... I have long
observed this egomaniac. . . . Hia
union, though in the AFL, is auton-
omous and he is its absolute duce.
, , . He defies economic laws as he
defies the nation’s laws, which ho
now is doing flagrantly and blat-
. antly — and he loves it; he love*
American^ opinion | thgt 8ensatjon 0f dictatorial arro-
gance: "Hah—I’m bigger than all
America. Nothing can touch Pet-
rillo. The world can't live without
music—and I own the music. I
have millions of dollars and don’t
account to anybody. My voiceless
fiddlers and drummers and horn-
blowers worship me. Congress
passes a special law just against
me—and that law I break. ... So
this is a republic. ... No king.. . .
What a laugh!” ,,
Meyer Davis, the society
maestro, wires me a lengthy
deleuse of James Caesar Pet-
rillo, who, he says, "has abso-
lutely no jurisdiction over pro-
posed raises In N. Y. night-
clubs." He adds, "There is too
much hooey about Petrillo, just
because he is colorful." If that'*
what’s the matter with Petril-
lo, I’m rotor-blind. I'm also
dumb. But I retain my sense
ol smell!
Next comes "News From Swed-
en,” a mimeographed collection of
featur-y paragraphs from the Amer-
lcan-Swedish News Exchange. I re-
call when the Swedish minister here
consulted me about the founding of
such a publicity bureau, back be-
fore we got into World War I.
The next Is one of the UAW-CIO
regular releases, and then the CIO
News, a 16-page weekly, printed, I
suppose, for their membership.
Then one of the valuable National
Opinion Research surveys put out
by the University of Denver. This
one is a poll of
on the Germans and Japs and how
we think they got that way.
More Business Weeks, and "Pro-
gram Information” from my own
American Broadcasting company. A
printed letter from the Payroll
Guarantee association with an en-
closure on "civilized cats, mice and
cheese." The American Feed Man-
ufacturers' association handout say-
ing the feed shortage is over.
General Motors sends me the
ninth in a series of production re-
ports. (What could have happened
to the other eight?)
The release from the National
Planning association announces that
Leon Henderson and the official
of a big corporation have been add-
ed to their board of trustees—and
if you want to know about the dis-
tribution of fats and oils by the de-
partment of agriculture, you can
have my copy of the second interim
report from the Committee on Small
Business pursuant to II. Res. 6i
Or Maybe You’d
Prefer Rail Loadings
Maybe you'd rather have freight
loadings of the week from the As-
The dynamic six-footer, Walter E.
Smith, is in towm again, third time
in two weeks he’s flown hither.
"I got a nap in the plane," he
sociation of American Railways, or tclls me ..j hadn-t ^ ^ bed in
turned south, passed over the Bos-
ton mountains, crossed the Arkan-
sas river near Dardanelle Rock, and i He showed my friend the various
came into the land of the Cayas. \ places where the buildings and ma-
Here, De Soto fell seriously ill, and j chinery had been damaged—evi-
a friendly Indian chief brought him I dence, he pointed out. smiling, of
to a lake of "very hot water” where
he was healed. This lake was
doubtless the now famous Hot
Springs.
On Ouachita river near the
springs, De Soto and his party found
salt which the Indians gathered and
sold to their neighbors. The ex-
plorers spent the winter of 1541, a
severe one. in an Indian village on
the Ouachita. De Soto's faithful in-
terpreter, Juan Ortiz, died. Dis-
heartened by not finding gold and
losing so many of his men. De Soto
resumed his journey south in the
spring of 1542. He followed the Oua-
chita to the Red river and then
went downstream to the Mississip-
pi. Exposure brought on a fever
and De Soto died, his survivors
burying him in the great river he
had discovered.
Spain profited little by the ex-
plorations of De Soto. Through her
negligence, the Mississippi valley
had remained unsettled for nearly
a century and a half. But while
Spain slept, the French were active.
After securing the lands bordering
on the St. Lawrence river, France
had pushed southward along the
Mississippi.
the excellent marksmanship of the
American air force. He dem-
onstrated with particular pride how
excellently the repair work had
been done, obviously expecting (and
receiving) well-deserved praise for
the technical skill the Japanese re-
pairmen had shown.
Very nice, of course.
But American industry still reaps
no benefit from that plant, and al-
though the Japanese gain no profit
therefrom, this American property
is still, literally, in the hands of the
enemy.
Loads of Mail
Commentator’s Lot
For one whole week, I saved all
the things that came to me by mail
which I hadn’t asked for—except
personal letters. 1 have just counted
them, and there are 233 separate
pieces' in all. The total number of
pages I am expected to read adds
up to nearly a thousand.
The one on top is "the back of
the book" from Omnibook. A col-
lection of amusing steriea. But Om-
nibook itself is better still and I be-
lieve I have every issue, begin-
ning with Vol. 1, No. 1.
perhaps you want to bid or the pur-
chase of 15 or fewer Landing Ship
Tank (LST) type vessels? Or per-
haps you’d prefer some all-wool
American flags, or a BK steel barge
for dry or liquid cargo? No? Well,
no harm in making the offer.
Next exhibit is "News From
France” from the French Informa-
tion service. I’ll admit I asked for
that, along with the attractive mag-
azine, “La Republique Francaise.”
Here’s the state department's
weekly bulletin which is Part Three
of that interesting series on the
present status of German youth. I
was planning to write' an article on
that subject myself, but they tell
me the magazines are overbought
on Germany. Won’t buy another
thing.
Just two pages of mimeographed
material from the "Friends of Finn-
ish Democracy." Cruel irony here.
Remember when it was ‘‘brave lit-
tle Finland"? Remember when
Finnish Minister Procope couldn't
go anywhere without being applaud-
ed? Finland paid her war debts!
She even managed not to duck aft-
er the war! Well, Finland's friends
are protesting now over the repara-
tions demanded by Russia . . , heav-
ier in proportion to population,
they say, than are any other na-
tion’s. To pay the reparations bill,
the statement claims, every man in
Finland would have to work eight
hours a day for seven years. It
would take four-fifths of Finland'*
normal exports.
Here’s a speech by Senator Taft
from his office, “not printed at gov-
ernment expense." Stuck together
is a news-print pamphlet called the
“Poll Tax Repealer," and that blast
from the Republican national com-
mittee on the President's budget
message. A very neat little book-
let (additional copies will be fur-
nished) by Standard Oil of New Jer-
sey, entitled "Steps to Security."
Now a tissue carbon labeled "Mid-
night Cry" with a series of Biblical
texts shrieking doom. Seven fa-
miliar bright yellow pages from the
National Highway Users associa-
tion, which is one of the real, hard-
working publicity bureaus. The
CIO's “Economic Outlook,” which
often has statements that can't be
overlooked.
Now we come to an attractive 12-
page tabloid newspaper, ’“The Pro-
gressive and LaFollette’s Maga-
zine." I am glad to note it is still
progressive, regardless of the
changes in the LaFoliette activities
and proclivities. The first page has
a nice cartoon of a garbage can
labeled "War contract scandals.”
Looks interesting, but WAIT A
MINUTE. I think they want me to
PAY for it. Here's a return card
saying "25 weeks’ subscription, $1.”
Oh dear. It must have gotten
into the wrong pile. I’m not going
to look any further. I might find
more of that kind.
! four days and nights." . . . Smith,
whose hair is pretty white, is only
40. But he does more things than
anyone I've ever known. . . . With-
in the year he has bought and con-
verted a Hollywood cafe into Tom
Breneman's, run the morning
breakfast broadcast there into a
national sensation, had it filmed
! for a feature; promoted rodeos,
| signed Gene Autrey for five year*
and will publish his biography;
bought a hotel and cabanas in
Palm Springs; tied up "Pappy”
Boyington for his book and picture
rights, and has a $150,000 Warner of-
fer on the latter; organized a com-
pany to publish a magazine devoted
to western movies; incorporated
a company to produce Nils T.
Grandlund's picture, "Rhythm
Ranch”; bought Chestertown, fa-
vorite in the Hambletonian. for
$40,000, highest price ever paid for
a trotter, to add to his large stable;
founded the association which con-
verted Santa Anita to trotting; con-
ducts the largest enterprise in the
West making aluminum furniture
and luggage. . . . And nobody can
play harder than he—or work half
: as hard.
Durorher, says Lew Parker,
sets as though he were fighting
Joe Louis, not St. Louis!
BARBS
by Baukhage
Four of the goats used in the
atom bomb test seem to have par-
tially recovered. There will be a
lot of human goats, if the bomb gets
into general use.
> • •
Pvt. Donald Callahan won a prize
offered by the army for an essay
j on "Why I Joined the Army." Part
j gJk •**- - ■*' -
j ol the prize
showgirls. la
was a
date with two
that why. Donald?
The secretary of state has a new
assistant in charge of research and
intelligence. The more he hag of
the latter, the less he needs at the
former.
• » •
The Army Times thinks Gen.
Omar Bradley may resign as VA
head. It’s not the work but the
words. He has
to suit
Li. Col., Gregory (Pappy) Boy-
lngton’s book is finished and in the
hands of the busy Walter E. Smith,
who seems to have about eight
hands. Not only will Smith publish,
but he’ll do the movie himself, as
an independent, perhaps as a road-
show entry. Admiral Nimitz has of-
fered Smith any fleet facilities re-
quired for the screen adaptation.
The title, first time announced any-
where, is "Where Are We Now?”
Even Stalin’s spies don’t know
— Margaret Truman's calls
from Missouri to Washington
are person-to-person — and the
person It Marvin Coles, counsel
ter the merchant marine!
Gwendolyn Stone ia a beautiful
and talented dancer.....She has
appeared in several west coast re-
vue creations and in films, includ-
ing “Night and Day.” ... No one
seeing her would imagine that she
is a deaf mute and has been since
childhood. . .. She picks up rhythms
with her feet, via vibrations. . . .
She takes direction and cues by un-
failing lip-reading.
/
Santa Fe Skyway ia carrying spe-
cialized cargoes, including perish-
ables. ... No schedules will be
made. . , . Flying personnel will be.
mostly veterans, 11 of whom have
signed on. . . . One plane has re-
frigeration equipment, which
weighs only 1 per cent of the gross
tonnage and can register 120 de-
grees below zero.
Marie Windsor, Utah beutah,
who took over Broadway via stage
and radio, is an outstander in
Hollywood. . . . Ben Bogeaus and
Case Robinson, who bought Hem-
ingway’s “Short and Happy Life at
Francis Macomber” for peanuts
($85,000 worth) are aiming at an ,
Oscar. ... Pat O’Brien is trying
to interest movie money in a screen
biography of his pal, Mayor Bill
O’Dwyer, Pat to play him. . , .
(With Abbott and Costello |' '
the role of two other guys
LaGuardia?)
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Webb, Leonard. The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, September 6, 1946, newspaper, September 6, 1946; West, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth590304/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=0: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting West Public Library.