The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 4

4 DEC. 21, 1946. Dilemma for Byrnes Russia Stays in U. N. Had Come to U.

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BY DREW PEARSON. Washington Merry-Go-Round. WASHINGTON, D. Most important unwritten story of the recent United Nations meeting is that For NOVEMBER CIRCULATION, NET PAID. iDaily REGISTER AND TRIBUNE 364,803.

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conciliatory Russian overtones became apparent at committee meetings. Heart-to-IIeart Talk. At the council of foreign ministers, however, Molotov continued to talk tough. With a trivia of arguments over the Balkan treaties, he tried wea Jimmy Byrnes down. Finally, Byrnes took the bull by the horns, held a one-hour heart-to-heart talk with Molotov.

What Russia's No. 2 man really-wanted to know was where the U. JR. stood on revision of the veto. Byrnes reassured him.

Flatly he declared that the United States believed ss firmly in the rule of unanimity (veto) now as it did at San Franclco. Molotov wan elated. Dramatically, next day, he agreed to five American proposal on the prac treaties. Next day, also, Russian delegates fell in line at the general assembly. Since then, things have moved -swiftly.

For the first time since VJ-Day, the Russian have been acting as believers In, as well as members of, the United Nations. Other delegations have also sensed the change in the suspicious Russians. The Soviet delegation has been consistently outvoted for the past year. But after Molotov changed his tune, Russia won several victories of varying importance, even getting British empire support on at least two measures. The suspicious Russians now seem to have learned that the charter of the United Nations is a guarantee of fair treatment for countries which fairly play the game.

Invitation to Press. Most amazing proof of the new Russian attitude was Molotov's invitation to the press of the world to come to Moscow for the March foreign ministers conference and operate with the same freedom the press had in Paris and New York. It hasn't been announced, but the Russians have agreed to let the U. N. set up a Moscow office, through which it will be able to distribute information about other countries direct to the Russian people.

The Russians say they won't censor the literature or have any control over the U. N. officials picked to work in Moscow. Cold fact is that the Russians are still almost brutally suspicious, terribly sensitive. However, the ravages of war have given the Soviet Union an enormous job of reconstruction.

For this, peace is absolutely necessary together with outside loans and credits. To get them, the Russians know they have to play ball as genuine members of the family of leaving deputies to negotiate for him, without appearing to break up the council of foreign ministers. Can't Do Two Things. Yet if he stays to negotiate through the whole laborious business of the German and Austrian treaties, he cannot really perform the duties of the secretary of state. They can be performed only if he is in Washington most of the time, in close and direct consultation withthe State department, the War and Navy departments, the Baruch commission, the White House and congress.

Foreign policy cannot be made in a hotel in New York, much less in hotels in Paris and Moscow. Mr. Vandenberg has now reminded him that there is as yet no united national policy in very large areas of the world. The policy has still to be made. If Mr.

Byrnes does not make policy in Washington, where Senator Vandenberg expects to be, the policies made in Washington will not necessarily be the same policies at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. Bi-Partisan Basis Changed. The fact that the Republicans are now iie majority party in congress alters greatly the basis on which bipartisan agreement has ar worked. Until now the Republicans, in the person of Mr. Vandenberg, have supported Mr.

Byrnes actively in the field where they worked together, and have refrained from critical opposition elsewhere. This arrangement will not continue, and Mr. Vandenberg has served notice to that effect. Therefore, if Mr. Byrnes wants a.

united policy In the Far East, the Middle East, Latin America, and for Germany, he will have to spend much more of his time and energy making the policy that can unite the parties. No one else can do that. For the president does not now conduct our foreign relations. Some way needs to be found, therefore, which will be intelligible and acceptable to Mr. Bevin and M.

Molotov, by which Mr. Byrnes can be the secretary of state, and not in effect his own ambassador plenipotentiary. It was a grievous mistake when Wilson became his own negotiator, and yet Wilson was president and could at least give orders to the heads of departments. But Mr. Byrnes cannot do that.

He is only the head of one department, by no means the only one concerned with foreign relations. He alone can unify administration policy within itself and with congress. But he cannot do that by remote control and in the intervals of exhausting negotiation. (Copyright, 194 6.) BY WALTER LIPPMANN. WASHINGTON, D.

C. Senator Vandenberg says that from now on he cannot spend so much time abroad. He has too much to do in Washington. Moreover, three-quarters of the time of these conferences is devoted to "spade work" which need not be done by the top men. Now if the chairman of the foreign relations committee feels he must not be away from Washington for long periods, what about lippmann.

the secretary of state being away for long periods. If Mr. Vandenberg cannot afford to spend his time on spade work on procedure and details how can Mr. Byrnes afford it? Unity Not Complete. Mr.

Vandenberg went on to point out that the bi-partisan unity, which has worked so well, is as yet confined to support of the United Nations and the peace settlement in Europe. It does not as yet cover the Far East, Latin America, including Argentina, and Palestine, which means the Middle East. It covers in fact only the where Mr. Byrnes and Mr. Vandenberg have actually worked together.

The fields it does not cover--virtually the whole world except Central and Eastern Europe are those where foreign policy has been handled during Mr. Byrnes' absence sometimes by the president, sometimes by subordinates in the State department, sometimes by the Navy or the Army. Where Collaboration Exists. The.net of it is that while Mr. Van-denberg's relations with Mr.

Byrnes continue to be excellent, it is only on the subjects where they have worked intimately together, that collaboration is assured. No united policy has been worked out for Asia, for the Middle Cast, for Latin America, and in fact, though Mr. Vandenberg did not say so, for Germany and Europe as a whole. It Is hard to see how it is going to be worked out if Mr. Byrnes is in Moscow while Mr.

Vandenberg is in Washington. The dilemma Is awkward because Mr. Byrnes is so deeply committed to the idea of being himself the negotiator of the peace treaties. He hf. to go to Moscow because he has promised Mr.

Bevin and M. Molotov to go, and as things are now arranged, he could hardly go away from Moscow, jr Santa Needs Strong Back BY GEORGE GALLUP. Director, American Institute of Public Opinion. Santa may have a tough time get-ling down the chimney with the things people want for Christmas this year. In fact, he's going to have a mighty hard time just toting everything down from the North Pole.

This is brought to light in a nationwide survey asking people what they want Santa to bring them this Christmas. There are, of course, the usual highly personal, sometimes baffling wishes "A decimal locating slide rule a head that never aches a helicopter a divorce a peck on the cheek from a beautiful blonde." But the Number One item is fairly unwieldy to get in a sack AUTOMOBILES. Second on the list is something equally bulky for Santa to cart around on his back in any numbers a house or an apartment. Third on the list are clothes; fourth, household equipment refrigerators, stoves, furniture, rugs, etc. In taking the poll, the Institute had field reporters put this question to adults in all parts of U.

"If you had your choice, what present would you MOST like to have for Christmas?" Here is the list, in the order of the number of persons mentioning the item 1. Automobile. 2. House. S.

Clothes. 4. Household Equipment. 5. Permanent Peace.

6. Personal Health. 7. Money. 8.

Job security. There follows then a list of all kinds of things, watches, radios, pianos, tobacco, pipes, wives, babies, granddaughters, marriages, divorces, bottles of whisky, a trip to Europe, a nice bouquet of flowers, books, a bouncing baby boy, a few kind words from a husband, some good lumber for new floors, a musical jewelry box. Santa should take note of one important fact about the wishes of women, as contrasted to men: More women are interested in houses or apartments and in household things like furniture, refrigerators, washers, than are interested in cars. Automobiles occupy third place in the female list, alongside clothes. Letters From Readers Sunday DES MOINES REGISTER 475,862 In Des Daily ReBiatea and Tribune 111,958 Sunday Register 62,963 government during the last year.

Approximately 730 cities now are using the manager plan, first adopted in Staunton, in 1908. Most recent city to make the change is Hartford, where the voters approved the recommendations of a city charter commission, following a two years' study of various forms of local government. Hartford has operated under a "weak mayor" form of government, with a 20-man city council and five-man and seven-man commissions heading various city departments. Under the new charter, a nine-man council elected by the people will determine policies, which will be carried into effect by an expert in city management. The manager, directly responsible to the council, will supervise the various municipal heads.

He will be like a superintendent of an industrial organization carrying out the orders of a governing board. In many municipalities, the manager plSfn was fostered by various civic groups. But in a number of places the council members themselves initiated reorganization of the local administration. The mayor and commissioners of Whiteville, N. unanimously adopted a resolution favoring the council-manager plan.

In Shreve-port, which now has the commission plan, the mayor recommended the manager plan as "absolutely necessary." The majority of towns and cities are in desperate financial plight and are preparing appeals to their state legislature for more home rule and new sources of revenue. The accelerated trend toward the city manager plan indicates several municipalities wisely are starting out by placing their own administrative affairs in order. PAY-AS-YOU-RIDE FOR RAIL PASSENGERS. The Chesapeake Ohio Railway sparked apparently by Chairman Robert R. Young of its board, has been putting all kinds of burrs in the hide of the railroad industry in recent years to wake it up and force it to keep abreast of the times.

For instance, the C. O. asked publicly the heretical question a while back, "Why should transcontinental Pullman travelers be dumped out of their accommodations at Chicago, or St. Louis, or New Orleans, and have to transfer to other accommodations on another railroad, merely because the rail companies were too stodgy to make agreements for through-service?" And the C. crusade actually got something done about this.

Then it again took up the traveler's cause by protesting the archaic habit of holding reserved space, for people who never showed up, until it was too late to give- the space to somebody standing at the station and really wanting it. So it inaugurated a rule that if reserved space wasn't picked up by a certain time, it would simply bp sold to somebody else. And the C. O. did! Now it's on the rampage again.

Why should railroads make people stand in long lines in front of inadequate ticket windows anyway asks the C. O. Why shquldn't they be permitted to get aboard trains, as long ss there is space, and buy their tickets after they get sat down? Well, the Chesapeake fe Ohio is starting just such a "pay as you go" plan early in 1947. It says there is no reason why the railroad, rather than the passenger, shouldn't be put to trouble about this, if there must be trouble. And what's more, says the C.

if it can think of any other ideas about making rail travel "more sensible and enjoyable," it will try them too! All this may be very annoying to some other railroads at the moment, but we have a suspicion the whole industry will someday be grateful that one of its members had the spunk to challenge a lot of outworn practices. Did you ever notice how the fellow with the smallest mind is usually fhe one willing to give somebody a piece of it DAVENPORT DEMOCRAT. Don't marry a girl just because she looks sensible. A sensible girl has more sense than to look sensible. A SHTA JOURNAL.

"Man, in his soul, is peaceful and life-loving. Deep inside of him, he knows that he can live in security only by the force of law, and never by the law of force." Bernard M. Baruch, before the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission. eign Lummissar Aioiotov ana vice-Commissar Vishin-sky came to the United States prepared to pull Russia permanently out of the United Nations. Jimmy Byrnes and Sen.

Warren Austin are the men who saved the day. From secret sources they learned that a terrific battle was raging inside the Soviet politburo AUSTIN. regarding the value of the United Nations. The issue came to a head when Molotov flew back to Moscow just before the end of the Paris conference. When Molotov got back to Moscow, one politburo faction was convinced that Britain and the U.

S. were determined to use the United Nations as an instrument for forming an anti-Soviet united front. The politburo faction was convinced that dominant Wall Street forces planned to use some incident like Iran or Greece as an excuse for dropping atomic bombs on Russia. A Test With the Veto. Molotov and Stalin, however, disagreed with this extremist, belligerent view.

Finally, it was decided that the acid test would be the American attitude toward the veto. If the U. S. and Britain scrapped the veto power, it was decided during the secret debate, it would be the signal for the Russian delegation to walk out. Russia would be left in complete isolation.

It is also understood that during the politburo debates, Molotov decided to make a strong speech calling for world disarmament and calculated to test the genuine sincerity of the United States as a peaceful nation. If the United States ducked the disarmament issue, it was calculated that the U.S.S.R. would appear a peaceful nation, the U.S.A. as a warmonger. Delegates Confer.

Senator Austin, chief of the American delegation and a man who has shown increasing stature as a statesman, sensed the Russian fears almost at once. Result was that when Molotov made his bristling, though initial, talk to the general assembly, Austin called a hasty meeting of the American delegation. Result of the meeting was a split. Senator Vandenberg, Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas of California, Mrs. Roosevelt, and Chicago's Adlai Stevenson all urged Austin to call Russia's bluff and come out emphatically for disarmament.

However, Wall Street's John Foster Dulles' and Texas Tom Connally were not enthusiastic. Neither were some of the career advisers from the State department. In the end, when Austin, a hard-headed Vermonter, rose to talk, he refused to answer Molotov's bitter invective. Instead, he spoke cordially but effectively for disarmament. This was one of the most important speeches of the entire conference.

From that point on, the first slight drive and sectional opposition to parts of the foreign policy program. Hence these issues will provide the test: 1. An anticipated administration request for an emergency appropriation of between $200,000,000 and $400,000,000 to help feed Europe's hungry after UNRRA expires Dec. SI. 2.

President Truman's announced Intention to seek "liberalization" of United States immigration laws to provide for the admission of some of Europe's homelesM refugees. Also in the field of foreign issues confronting the new congress are the five Balkan peace treaties, but senate ratification only is required for them. Handicaps for Relief. Supporters of the relief appropriation, while confident of ultimate approval, privately acknowledge fear that an attempt will be made to spell out just where and how the money should be spent. To some degree, this would constitute an extension of State department policy calling for each contributing country to control its relief allocations rather than leaving the decision to an international agency like UNRRA.

But such an extension would shift the final say on United States relief from the administration to congress and inevitably provoke open debate on foreign policy issues which American diplomatic chiefs would prefer to settle quietly. Mr. Truman's decision to ask congress to lower the immigration bars temporarily was regarded on Capitol Hill as a 50-50 gamble. A Bill Drafted. Carrying the ball for the administration, Representative Sabath has drafted a bill to lump the admission quotas for the fiscal years 1947 and J.948, to permit their immediate use within a six month period.

POLITICAL REFUGEES WOULD BE GIVEN PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT. Some lawmakers say there is a strong possibility that such a measure, if it gets as far as the house floor, might be completely rewritten there to wipe out even present immigration quotas indefinitely. They add that this possibility would become probability in the event any substantial number of workers were unemployed at the time the legislation was pending. THE U. N.

PREPARES TO SETTLE ITS FIRST Within 24 hours after Russia agreed to a United Nations probe Of the Balkan dispute between Greece and her neighbors, it was reported that Yugoslavia was massing troops on the Greek bor-1 der. Some may jump thoughtlessly to the conclusion that this is a plain case of bad faith, with Yugoslav Dictator Tito getting ready to jump the gun on the United Nations investigating commission. But it isn't so. The troop massing happened (if at all) before the United Nations action. The Security Council acted just in time, therefore, and perhaps more wisely than it knew! The fact-finding commission will now certainly check whether or not Tito was massing troops.

Americans may be getting a little cynical about fact-finding committees, because we have had so many local, national, interna- tional that never led to effective action. Nevertheless, the Security Council's decision is a milestone. This is the first shooting dispute To be investigated on the spot by the U. and the first on-the-spot "investigation with great powers '-lined up behind both sets of It is also a case in which factfinding can be of real benefit. Both sides have freely charged the other with violent acts, mostly contradictory and ill All the old Balkan hard feelings based on centuries of conflict are there, plus new ideological con-Jlicts of right vs.

left, plus a sharp division among the great powers themselves. I Greece charges Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia with armed -aid to leftist Greek guerrilla bands still operating in the North. Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia Xharge Greece with atrocities and oppression against their nationals against Greek left-wingers. Russia, charges that Greece has aggressive, fascist government, "imposed on the Greek people by British occupation forces. Britain jtnd the United States charge that 'Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia Communist dictatorships imposed by Russian troops and Russian-sponsored Communist agents.

Out of this welter of charges And countercharges, the United Illations commission will have dif--ficulty in finding light, but it can tio well the one thing most needed Immediately. It can tell whether -one country is using force across Ihe border in another country. And with such a commission com-ling, even a tough Communist -activist like Marshal Tito will be -hesitant about getting caught in "open aggression. The 11-nation commission will Include all five big powers and the six smaller powers sitting on the Security Council in 1947. It will be accompanied by representatives of the four small patties to the d.pute.

It will merely report on the facts of the dispute to the 11-. ration Security Council. The coun- cil has the job of settling it, sub- ject to the Charter requirement for positive assent of all the Big Vivo powers. I Yet RuMia deliberately refrained from using It veto power against the resolution setting up the She refrained from a veto even though It means tearing a momentary gap in the "iron to let hostile and impar- tial outside investigators into Russian satellite countries. Russia did put up a fight against authorizing free travel by the commission in its satellite countries.

But when it saw most of the Se-' curity Council insisting, Russia an- nounced in advance that it would 'not veto and then voted I It was a Greek-Bulgarian shoot--ing dispute in- 1925 in which the League of Nations made its most brilliant success, stopping would have become a fullblown war by Council telegrams -and a couple of fact-finding commissions. The new Greek-Bulgarian-Alba-rian-Yugoslav dispute is harder, because both sides are backed by major powers. But in appointing the 1947 fact-finding commission, all the major powers acted (for once) as if they really do want a successful United Nations solution. CITY MANAGER PLAN CONTINUES GROWTH. In an effort to reduce inefficiency in municipal government, 79 "municipalities over the nation have adopted a city manager form of Relief and Refugees Two Big Issues a Challenge to the Republicans.

Plea for Correcting Wrongs of the World To the Edir: This century, 1900 A.D. to 2000 A.D., is going to go' down in history as the machjne age, the same as other periods of time have gone down in history as the stone age, the brass age, the iron age, and so on. Each time wars have been fought, and each time civilization has been put on a higher level by those who learned and those who worked with the knowledge that there was a power higher than Man that controlled the universe and controlled the welfare of man, and that only when Man was willing to work in accord with this power. The result of this is the different kinds of government that have come and gone, or are going, and will come and go, until the time the people all over the world learn this great Truth and also learn to work together regardless of their own particular belief or idea. The government of this great United States was and is one of these experiments.

We have had and must have confidence in it, but we also must hold to the things that the founders of this government had; namely, "all men are created And it is our duty to oe to it that they have an equal chance. ALWAYS CHANGE. There is no such thiii as remaining the same. We either go up or we go down, and to go up or forward has Been and must be the thing for which Man works. To learn to make use of these different things for the advancement of mankind and ever better conditions under which to live is our duty, and to neglect our duty only means that we or someone later must pay the penalty.

One thing we have learned the last few years is the value of food. Will we remember this, and will we do something about it? Will we say, "Oh, well, it won't happen Will we be efficient enough to make. the ever normal granary a world-wide setup so that in places where people are starving they will be helped from the places where they can't use the food that they have WHAT WILL OTHERS DO? With an increase in population of 12,000,000 to 14,000,000 which we will WHAT DO YOU THINK? Question: Do yon intend to marry a collcrjc graduate? (Interviews uhtMiitrd at Drake tmlvrrlt. Dean Williams, 21. of 1161 Twenty-third freshman: "I wouldn't object to marrying a college girl unless she was the career type.

I haven't thought much about it." His-; DEAN WILLIAMS. FOLLY SIMON. Polly Simon, 20, Parkersburg, "Yes. Now that I'm in college, a non-college man seems to have such a limited field of interests. Mine are broader than the non-college boys I know." Kfilh Law rencr.

21, Coon Rapids, freohir.an: "It may be a social advan-tue to nia.ry a college girl but I don't intend to. I already have plans. In my case lack of a college graduate wife is no disadvantage." KM III LAW Itfc.NC'K VFKf.K KAMA MIS. Verle Seamands, 25, Fort Dodge, freshman: "I'd prefer it, but I have nothing against a non-college girl. If I married a college girl she'd probably be more of a partner in attaining the success I hope to achieve." Mary Gouger, 21, of 1939 Franklin freshman: "I don't think it matters one way or the other." MAUV I.IIII.IK.

IMRUITTT. HAKK. Charlotte Hare, 3306 University junior: "Certainly. He'd be more on our since we're going through college ourselves. We'd have more in common.

Of course there are exceptions." Jy (These letters r.re from Des Moines Register readers. The views expressed may differ widely from The Register's own views. Letters must be addressed to the editor, not to third persons, and will be shortened if lack of space requires. Ynn must give your name and address, and they will be published with your letter. Contributors are limited to not more than one letter a month.

Poetry and verse are NOT accepted. Letters and their contents become the property of this newspaper and CANNOT BE RETURNED. Letters for publication should be addressed to the Open Forum Editor, Des Moines Register, Des Moines 4. Iowa.) likely have in this century, 1900 A.D. to 2000 A.D.

the end of this century will mark the end of the exporting of food from this country. Then what are the people who are and who have been looking to us for food going to do? Is it not time for us to realize what our duty to mankind all over the world is? In a few days, we will be celebrating the birthday of the greatest emancipator of all times and soon thereafter the beginning of another year. Let us take this thought and live up to it, and we shall go a long way in correcting the things that are wrong in the world. Ben Buck, R.F.D. No.

2, Grinnell, la. 1 GRANDPARENTS. To the Editor: In a news article in the Dec. 16 Register you say that Patricia Irene Wilcox has 11 living grandparents. Our daughter, Barbara Jean, who was born Nov.

10, has 12. They include her father's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ehmen of Grundy Center; Mrs. Ehmen's parents, Mr.

and Mrs. Ben Franken of Parkers-burg; and Mr. Ehmen's parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Ehmen I who are in British occupied Germany.

Her maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. John Hersey of New Hartford; Mrs. Hersey is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

W. W. Huismann who reside in Dumont; and Mr. Hersey'a parents are Mr. and Mrs.

Fred Hersey of New Hartford. Don't you think Barbara Jean's record is just a little better than Patricia's? Mrs. George Ehmen, Box 70, Holland, la. GOOD SAMA RITAN. To the Editor: The Good Samaritan for a shell-shocked world is at hand.

Frank D. Daley, Birmingham, la. like a clever jewel thief, leaves no clues. Then suddenly, as if she said, "Open Sesame," she produces a hoard of goodies that take your breath away! There before you, temptingly delicious, are luscious raisins, black currants, orange and citron peel, fragrant spices, plump dates, and the other ingredients that comprise her secret recipe. You stand by the table, drooling, as you dream of the moment when this delicious concoction will melt in your mouth.

Your insides smile at the thought and you pass a "remember me" glance at your mother. Then, your illusions shatter like a pane of glass against the impact of a baseball when your mother kindly announces, "This fruit cake will be just about perfect in three weeks!" BY ALEX II. SINGLETON. WASHINGTON, X. C.

UT A pair of high-priority issues INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AND IMMIGRATION will provide a quick showdown next year on the willingness of the Republican dominated congress to apply the principle of global co-operation to specific problems. Simultaneously, the final action on these two problems appears certain to affect the prestige of the United Nations among many foreign countries still acutely conscious of what happened here after World War I. Experience within U. N. councils has furnislled clearcut evidence that a number of the smaller nations are looking to the United States for their foreign policy cue.

Secretary of State Byrnes' policy of close consultation on foreign affairs with both parties In congress obviously has gone a long way toward eliminating an open break between the administration and the lawmakers such as that which developed under Woodrow Wilson. Twin Hazards. Still untested in peacetime, however, is the question whether the idea of international co-operation can survive the twin hazards of an economy Good Neighbors (Creston News-Advertiser.) The other day a story appeared In the News Advertiser telling of farmers gathering at a neighbor's place near Arispe for a lift with the corn husking. He had suffered a mishap in a fall, hence became handicapped just at the time when the rugged business of corn husking was at its peak. This is not an uncommon practice generally that of lending a hand to a neighbor here in Iowa.

But it sort of revives one's confidence in his fellow man when they join in little formal events of this kind. Here in a world that is frayed with international dickerings and a nation that is trying to make sense out of a struggle over personal power, little human sidelights such as a corn husking bee to help a neighbor are on the reassuring side. Maybe the world isn't such a bad place in which to live after all. The spirit of neigh-borliness lives in communities like this in Iowa. Mother's Christmas Fruit Cake (By Mary Ellen Kelly in the Cherokee Courier.) Men and women of the Intelligence Service are rigorously trained in the art of "covering of adopting an "I-know-nothing-atout-it" expression, and of hiding information in tho most secretive places.

Mothers don't have to be trained. They come by it naturally. Weeks and weeks before Christmas, they begin to hoard their precious material for the family fruit cake. But does anybody know about it? Not on your life! Not a word is said; not one hint is dropped; all is quiet on the kitchen front. The kids, with wary eyes, keep a sharp lookout for some slip that might lead them to mother's hiding place for her Christmas special.

But mother,.