Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 6

COUWfMOST, Camd-in, N. Saturday, Spltmtr 14, 155 Emm.iHi 1875 The Brass Ring ONE FIGHT GOD ENDORSE5 How to Produce Scientists People Back New Schools; School Cost Discrepancies As an indication of the need for now schools and the way we are moving to meet it in South Jersey, one day's editions of Th Courier-Post this week told of for U. S. 'k. xk TJp WAfc A GOOD WARFARE; Holding faith, and a good yy-- CONSCIENCE.

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HAROLD A. STRETCH, rrWMMl-IUr JANE A. STRETCH. Editor JAMKB M. O'NEILL, XrrruUv Editor riHISCMrTIOM RATFJl lf Ctnm 11 Mill ffciiaU Ul nl CtHHltn i4 mniatnniil-i rr.kr4 hf CsmAtn I'm Illkn-Om rn, $7.50 Mnnlhi, ll.Slh Mnnlhi, 2.2S On Month, lit la Nw l-rwr, D.l.oir,, MrtJ DuuiH af Clmobii imI Ntw Ink.

LlHoWr In V. A. nr Mmw Om Vhi, I1S.U0 Oh Moaih 11.00, TM Im limf. Tcfcpione WOodlawn 3-6000 tfrrrj Srtmmi Omm Muur at fW (, (Mm, IV. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1955 We Dedicate a Memorial To the Four Chaplains On Sunday a memorial fountain isbeirtjf dedicated at National Memorial Park near Washington, D.

to four Americans who figured in one of the most heroic and inspiring incidents of World War II, or indeed of any war in which Americans have given their lives. The men were the Four Chaplains-Rev. John P. Washington, a Catholic priest; Alexander D. Goode, a rabbi; Clark V.

Poling and George L. Fox, Protestant ministers on the transport Dorchester when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Greenland on Feb. 3, 1943, with 906 men aboard. The story of how the Four Chaplains gave their life preservers to men who had none, how they stood on deck aim in arm, praying as the Dorchester sank, is familiar to all of us and will live forever in the hearts of future generations as it does in ours. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends," reads the Biblical quotation engraved on, the memorial to the four chaplains.

No men ever exemplified those words more fully. a A short time ago the National Council of Churches announced that more Americans than ever in our history belong to churches. Total membership is nearly 97,500,000, about 60 percent of our population. Comparative figures are 49 percent in 1940 and only 16 percent 100 years ago. Interest in religion, as gauged by church membership, is rising faster than th population.

The gain of 2,640,000 from 1954 to 1955 is one of 2.8 percent as against a 1.7 percent increase in population. It is shared by all the major faiths. Most authorities agree that the rising tide of church membership reflects a search for a rock of certainty amid the bewilderments and awesome perils of our times. As never before, people seem to be searching for guidance and peace of mind, to be seeking and finding the faith that only religion can give them The faith that the Four Chaplains so Vital Question Robert S. Allen is concluding his vacation.

Ho will resume his column in this paper on Monday. In the meanwhile, his column today is written by Dr. Alan T. Waterman, noted director of the National Science Foundation, who discusses an urgently serious educational problem and the answer to 1U By dr. Alan t.

watersian Washington, Sept. 24 One of the questions that I am most frequently asked as director of the National Science Foundation is whether there is a shortage of scientists, engineers, and other technically trained persons. In the past Americans did not worry about such problems. They assumed that somehow there would be enough physicians, law. yers, ministers, teachers, scientific engineers, and other professional people to meet all needs.

Quite recently, however, it has become apparent that as a nation we are dependent in a special sort of way upon scientists and engineers. We are living in a technological age and our whole economy, including national defense, requires trained scientists and engineers for its maintenance and progress. Good scientists and engineers cannot however, be turned out at some predetermined rate In accordance with official decree. This is not the American way. Furthermore, science is an art as well as a profession and requires persons with special aptitudes and creative flair, just as the arts require persons with special talents.

Artistic people may occasionally do great creative work with little formal training, but scientists must have many years of formal training at least seven for a good research scientist and five or six for engineers. The question then arises: Is a sufficient number of boys and girls with aptitude for science and technical work coming up through our school system and receiving the special training that will enable them to maintain the technology on which we depend? The Federal Government has a vital interest in the answer to this question because it concerns the national welfare. If the answer is "no," how-ever, the solution rests with each state and local community. Educational Crisis The quality and numbers of our scientists and technologists of the future depend very vitally upon the quality of the schools and teaching in our individual communities. This Is axiomatic for leaders in other fields, too, of course, but the training that scientists and engineers require is highly complex and technical Unless boys and girls with special aptitudes for science receive good training in mathematics in the secondary schools, and unless their high school science teach-, ers are capable ot inspiring and stimulating thera to careers in science, many potentially fine scientists will be lost to society.

In the National Science Foundation we are constantly being told that the boys and girls who should be studying science and engineering in the colleges and universities are unable to do so because their high school training in mathematics is either inadequate or altogether lacking. The United States is presently facing a real crisis in education. College enrollments, which have been down since the peak years of the early '50s, are due for a sharp upturn as our schools begin to be affected by the high birth rates of the '40s. College enrollments, which will be around 2,500,000 in the fall of this year, will climb until they reach an estimated total of about 3,700,000 in 1965. But as enrollments are increas Voice of plans for construction in three communities not far from Camden.

In Runnemede, the Board of Education ordered architects' plans drawn for an 8-ciassroom elementary school. In addition, the building is to have a large "all-purpose" room. The new school is necessitated, according to board President Charles Watson, by overcrowding in Runnemede'e two present schools. Esti-v mated cost of the new structure will be about $200,000. After plans for it are completed, a bond issue will have to be submitted to the voters at a referendum.

Thus the building, Watson says, cannot be ready for use before the latter part of the 1956-57 school year. On the same evening the Runnemede board was acting, residents of nearby Audubon turned out in rather good numbers for a special school election to approve or reject a $670,000 bond issue. The bonds were to finance construction of a new 8-room junior high school adjoining Audubon's present high school, and also to remodel, renovate and expand the present building. A new gymnasium to accommodate both senior and junior high school students was included in the plans. Despite the substantial sum of money involved, the voters gave the bond issue their approval by the overwhelming majority of 1119 to 164.

Dr. F. Herbert Owens, president of the Board of Education, hailed the, "heavy turnout, proving the fine interest Audubon residents have in the educational system," and called the favorable vote "the realization of a 15-year-old dream." The same night saw another special school election in seven municipalities in southern Burlington County. The question to be voted on was creation of a regional high school district and building of a regional high school. Municipalities involved were Mt.

Laurel, Medford, Shamong, Medford Lakes, Tabernacle, Evesham and Southampton, none of which have high schools of their own. All of them gave one-sided majorities in favor of the proposition, the total vote being 1413 to 97 for it. 'Tentative plans for the new regional school call for a building to accommodate 1000 pupils, costing about $2,000,000. Several months will elapse even before architects' plans can be prepared and a site selected, yet the seven municipalities have given what amounts to an advance vote of confidence to the project. One reason, no doubt, is that schools in the towns now accepting tuition pupils from the seven municipalities have given notice they will soon refuse to accept them due to their own schools being overcrowded.

This one day's news regarding new school constntction in one relatively small area of South Jersey leaves no conclusion possible except that the voters realize the necessity for it and are willing to tax themselves to provide it for their children. This is true even though they knoiv, as in the case of Audubon, that it may mean as much as $5 per year additional taxes for every $1000 of assessed valuation on their property. Another and less clear point relative to the new school situation is why there seems to be such a great discrepancy in school construction costs from one place to another. For example, here we have an S-room school planned in Runnemede at a cost of only $200,000 as against another 8-room school in -Audubon (plus, to be sure, changes and enlargements to an existing one), at an estimated cost of $670,000. Such discrepancies are to be seen all over the state from district to district where new construction is going on, and they are not always easy to explain.

In 'the case of Audubon, what to outsiders might seem like a high-cost program must have been satisfactorily ex-plained to the voters, judging by their landslide approval of it. ing, the number of graduates ll dccrcasinc From the peak year of 1950, when 434,000 bachelor degreei were awarded, the number has declined by nenrly 50 percent In 1955, only 294,000 such de grccs were awarded. The sltua tion with respect to Ph.D. de. grees is similar, except that the peak was reached in 1954, when 8900 Ph.Ds.

were awarded, and the downward trend is expected to continue until about 1958, when an estimated 5400 higher degrees will be awarded. The disturbing aspect Is that from these declining numbers of graduates must come all our professional leadership, Including our teachers, for the years that lie ahead! What can be done about thti situation? The Federal Govern ment through the U. S. Offlct of Education, National Scienca Foundation, and other agencies, can help. The National Science Founda.

tion awards each year about 750 graduate fellowships In the sciences. We are also working in various ways improve the teaching of science. The past three summers have held summer institutes for college teachers of mathematics and science, in which teachers from small schools away from tha research centers have the opportunity to leam from outstanding men about the latest advances In their fields. Recently we have expanded this program to Include high school teachers, and we art planning a greatly enlarged program in this area for the future. Loral Responsibility By far the greatest share of responsibility for education in all fields, however, rests at state and local levels.

Each community and each citizen has a responsibility to see that its schools are up to standard and the teachers are properly qualified. In order to teach any subject well, a person must hava a thorough knowledge of that sub-joct himself, but this is especially true in science and mathematics, where the information ta be communicated is so technical As I see it, there are three things that each community must be willing to do for its teachers: 1. It must be willing to pay teachers a fair living wage so that they will not be attracted away from teaching by the higher salaries paid in industry. 2. It must accord teachers tha prestige and dignity to which the teaching profession is entitled, so that the teacher is not merely the scapegoat for every defect the local school system, 3.

Teachers of science anj mathematics should perindicaftv hava time off for their own tntifi-lectual refreshment so that they are able to keep nwsonabiy abreast of current developments in their field. If we are to maintain ta health and vigor of America) technology, it is not enough tn turn out scientists and engineers in given numbers. The thing that counts in science, as in almost everything else is tha quality-Hot numbers alone. For progress in science, on really creative scientist filled with ideas and enthusiasm, is worth any number of mediocre people, however well trained they may be technically. Scientists and engineers are best utilized when they are reinforced by adequate numbers of technicians, so that their abilities are not wasted on tasks which can ba done by those with lesser skills.

One of the surprising facts that emerged from a recent study was that in the United States the small liberal arts colleges, rather than the large universities and technical schools, are most effective In the production ot scientists. nerve. MomenU after he was sworn in, he made his first decisionto go ahead with plans for the United Nations charter conference at San Francisco. While he was a whole-souled1 supporter of the lata Franklin D. Roosevelt's foreign and domestic policies, the new President enough his own man to decide he would eventually make changes because he felt some policies were badly administered.

Perhaps the strongest early Instance of Mr. Truman's nerve was his handling of Russian Foreign Minister Molotov on his arrival for the U. N. conference. Mr.

Truman chided Molotov for Russia's failure to keep its Yalta agreement on a compromise government for postwar Poland. Said' Molotov: "I have never been talked to like that in my life." "Carry out your agreements and you won't get talked to like that" was the reply. Yes, these first chapters of the Truman story have a high dramatic content They cover a time when he had the compassionate support of a whole nation. More controversial episodes are yet to unfold. Lessons in English Words often misused: It is better to say, "He feels somewhat discouraged," instead of, "Ha leels kind of discouraged." Often mispronounced: Harbinger.

Pronounce har-bln-jer, a as in far, accent first syllable. Often misspelled: Venal (capable of being bribed). Venial (trivial; excusable; pardonable). Synonyms: Obsequious, obedient, attentive, deferential, servile, slavish. Today'f word: Deciduous shedding or falling off seasonably or at maturity.

"In autumn, deciduous trees lose their leaves. nobly and selflessly demonstrated as the icy waters of the Atlantic engulfed them on that gray February morning. We may well believe that the Four Chaplains' supreme sacrifice is reflected in the gains religion has since made among their countrymen, and that their story will be a force for good for all time to come. Truman Memoirs Have High Dramatic Content By BRUCE BIOSSAT NEA Servtca EDITOR'S FUND FOR REPUBLIC To the Editor: While I do not always agree with the views of the American Legion, I think the facts bear out its case against the Fund for the Republic. A simple study of the projects backed and prompted by this group will show that in about 90 percent of the cases they are the same projects or causes endorsed by the ADA and the CIO.

Further inquiry will show that a great many of the people directing the fund formerly served in either or both of the two aforementioned groups. Common sense would seem to indicate that such persons would not be capable of makin; an Impartial search for truth in the fields of antisubversive activity and its effect on civil rights. From the past actions and speeches of prominent fund members it is painfully clear that they have preconceived ideas on the subjects they are supposed to investigate, and that their so-called reports are merely propaganda disguised as impartial findings. Only the most gullible would consider as unbiased the so-called findings of a group that so closely follows the political line of the ADA and the CIO. As to the belief that it is illogical to think that foundation money could be used for purposes inimical to the national-welfare, you ought to read old newspaper reports on a certain Mr.

Alger Hiss, who held high position in one of the great foundations. It is sad, but true, that high position is no guaranty that knaves and fools cannot reach such heights. The American Legion joins many1 of us Americans who are no longer impressed by the pontiflcations of so-called experts and important academic figures who use their high-sounding appointments to belittle the native common sense of the public. T. J.

M. MISSED BOAT To the Editor: It was just recently that I read a newspaper editorial wherein former Prime Minister Churchill accused us and stated that "Our American friends" frustrated the plan of Field Marshal Montgomery to take Berlin ahead of the Russians. There is absolutely no doubt that this contributed to many of the free world's problems and present difficulties. "Yours truly" doubts that there is anyone around today that would deny that the greatest blunder pulled in World War II was our refusal to take Berlin before the Russians, and to pull back our troops from their forward lines which extended into Czechoslovakia. In addition, there is no doubt that the division of Berlin, the division of Germany, the capture of Poland and Czechoslovakia, the Baltic states, the Balkan states, the division of Austria, all resulted from allowing the Russians to take Berlin before the Allies.

Former Prime Minister Churchill has accused our late President Roosevelt of having made the decision which handed eastern Europe over to the "Bolsheviks." In those days we were not merely friendly to the Russians at a time when they were showing their open distrust for us, and at which time we were bending over backwards to show and prove our good faith. We have been charged with having opened the gate to western Europe for the Russians, we have been charged with having given the Russians the keys to China and the conquest of Asia, and we forgot that once the Russians were in we would never get them out. The aftermath of the Yalta agreement in World War II is a warning of what we should not do, and that is that we should not Rive away territory of other people which does not belong to us as happened in the case of Germany, the Kurile Islands, the dual control of the Manchurian railroad, and the division of Korea, none of which belonged to MAIL BAG Mail Bag Rules Letters to the Mail Bag should not exceed 200 words in length and should be wit-ten on one side ot the paper. To receive consideration they must be signed with author's full name and address. The Courier-Post assumes no responsibility for the views expressed in the Mail Bag and reserves the right to publish or reject any letter or portion thereof as it sees fit us.

The United States had authority to this and it was similar to giving away your next door neighbor's property without any deed same. The Yalta agreement just five years after having been approved and signed at Yalta resulted in many thousands of young American men winding up their short careers in the mud of some Korean rice paddle or in the deserted and rugged mountains of Korea close to 7000 miles front home. Thus, the Yalta agreement and the aftermath of same has warned us of the blunder we pulled in World War II. It has warned us not to let our guard down at any time. Mr.

Churchill has warned us of the blunder we pulled in World War II, he has pointed out as to how we "missed the boat to Berlin," and he has 'pointed out how we lost the peace after winning World War II. Thus, he has given us Americans some food for future thought Russia's territorial gains and the advancement of Communism throughout Europe and Asia has verified that "We missed the boat to Berlin" in World War II. STANLEY E. SLUZALIS 1171 Whitman ave. CALL FOR TALENT To the Editor: The American Legion Auxiliary, Brooklawn Memorial Unit 72 Juniors, are sponsoring a community talent show including the following talents: Singing, dancing, acrobats, pantomime, musical Instruments and baton twirling.

All children are welcome. The first rehearsal will be held Oct 1 at 2 p. m. at the Brook-lawn Legion home. The date of the show will be announced later.

JOAN BROWNLOW, Publicity Chairman HENRY RECUPERATING To the Editor: I would like to thank everyone everywhere for being so kind to my son, Henry Wytupeck, while he was In Cooper Hospital for 15 months. He received scores of cards and letters. Everyone was wonderful to him. Henry came home on Aug. 17 this year and is coming along very nicely.

Ha has a new leg and is walking very well with it. I would like to thank the Cooper Hospital doctors and nurses for doing wonders with Henry. Also I would like to thank Jake Wei-ner and his- column, Life Hereabouts, and The Courier-Post for writing about Henry. Henry was the little boy who was nearly electrocuted when he fell on a transformer in Delair a year ago May 15 and suffered severe burns and the Ioks of a leg, also of his left thumb. MRS1.

MARIAN WYTUPECK Delaware Township Famous Fables Open: One day on the Senate floor, former Sen. Tom Connally of Texas was engaged in a heated debate with a long-winded colleague. Although his opponent was unfamiliar with the topic under discussion, he still had plenty of irrelevant remarks to mRke about it. Finally Connally lost patience. "You would make a good legislator," he snapped, "if you approached things with an open mind instead of an open mouth." The Press AUTO ACCIDENT CLAIMS The Newark News says: Filing of automobile accident claims under the state's unsatisfied claim and judgment fund law has been permissible since April 1.

That is, of course, too short a time to draw conclusions as to the law's effectiveness. However, Motor Vehicle Director Gassert's report on the first four months is not without significance. Within the four month Mr. Gassert told the New Jersey Association of Insurance Agents at Atlantic City, 1262 claims had been filed as the result of accidents involving uninsured drivers. Only three had been disposed of by the end of August two by settlement and one by court judgment but doubtless with more experience the processing pace can be improved.

Payments In the three cases totaled less than $1000. That is a pretty low average and tends to dispel the sour, predictions about sustaining the solvency of the judgment fund that now amounts to $3,200,000. Obviously a much higher average settlement rate would not imperil the fund to replenish which motorists may be assessed $1 yearly. On the basis of police records, the filed claims constituted only 34 percent of the accidents in which noninsured cars figured. That might be accounted for In-part by many victims being unfamiliar with the protection afforded them by the state.

The law, for instance, requires that unless physically incapacitated a claimant must file within 30 days. Also, doubtless to escape the severe penalties of the companion statute, known as the auto responsibility law, not a few uninsured motorists put up the necessary collateral to insure reimbursement for damages they may have caused. As compared to compulsory insurance, which the casualty companies oppose, the worth of the judgment law and the responsibility law will be determined by' the extent to which they promote voluntary insurance. A Motor Vehicle Division compilation shows that in 1954 18.6 percent of licensed car owners in the state were uninsured. That is too high a percentage.

THE VOLKSWAGEN: BACK TO HENRY FORD The Baltimore San says: The Volkswagen is a funny little car of German manufacture. Like the Model of sainted it inspires jokes. But the Volkswagen 'is not a joking matter. In the United States more Volkswagens were sold last year than all other foreign cars combined. Now it is confirmed that the German Volkswagen works has bought an assembly plant in New Brunswick, J.

In invading the American market the Volkswagen people are counting on the vitality of the idea that put this country on wheels in the first place. The Volkswagen is cheap, and highly standardized. Engine is simple and rugged, hard to get out of order and easy to repair. And it doesn't go out of style, because the Volkswagen people don't fool with annual models. Not long ago the Volkswagen, came off the German assembly lines, and it was substantially the, same car as the first one.

Finally, the Volkswagen people believe in passing along to their customers some of the benefits of lowered production costs, whereas American car manufacturers believe in passing them along to the UAW. All this was Henry Ford's Idea, way back before automobiles became the victims of high style. It will be interesting to see whether his basic idea reliable transportation at minimum first cost and upkeep still has any vitality. Too Lax or Too Harsh? An unlicensed driver who, state police testified, led them on a 95-mile-an-hour chase through Clayton at 3 o'clock in the morning, has been fined a total of $150 $100 for speeding and $50 for driving without a license. The owner of the car he was operating also was fined $50 for permitting its use by an unlicensed driver.

On top of the fines, the driver was sentenced to a year in jail by Municipal Judge Alampi of Clayton, and he will be denied a driver's license and car registration privileges for a year if the judge's recommendation is followed, as it doubtless will be. The jail sentence was suspended by the judge, however, and while a year in jail for an offense in which nobody was actually injured might seem excessive, there will also be critics who will say the circumstances in this case were enough as to warrant at least a short term not suspended. Judges have no easy time of it in trying to allot proper run'phment in cases like this one. At least a suspended sentence gives notice to a driver that he'd better not be caught in a similar offense, if he doesn't want to be compelled to serve it. Seldom in our history have we been treated to the memoirs of a top public figure in the early aftermath of his career.

But now we have the beginnings of former President Harry Truman's personal story less than three years after he left the White House. As we read these words, we must remember that this is not history. It is one man's version of history. It Is important and interesting because the man was involved in the making of events. But even the most objective-minded man is bound to present those events in a light reasonably favorable to him.

And Mr. Truman never has been noted for balanced objectivity. Nevertheless, within the limitations thus posed, the former President's account of his first days in office is a fascinating document We are Indebted to Life magazine for its initial publication. Inevitably, human sympathies go out to Mr. Truman for the way in which he was catapulted suddenly onto centerstage while a great world war was raging.

A month earlier, as Vice President, he had complained he did not, have enough to do. As of April 12, 1945, he had too much to do, and he did not know how to do- it He was frightened, as his utterances of the time indicated frankly. He was shockingly uninformed about the key aspects of the great war effort. It was grave evidence of the weaknesses of a system which had kept a Vice President an outsider as vital decisions were being made. For example, not until the day after he took office did he learn, in a private aside from Secretary of War Stlmson, that a huge secret project development of tha atomic bomb was under way.

But for all his fright and bewilderment Mr. Truman had News Good and Not So Good It is good to hear from Executive Director Costello of the Port Authority that "total cost of the Walt Whitman Bridge, including land acquisition, will be under the $90,000,000 originally estimated." Even though that is a great deal more money than the Benjamin Franklin Bridge cost, the cost of everything has gone up in proportion in the intervening 30 years. It is a sign of good management and prudent planning when a project like this can be completed at less than the estimates, and it doesn't happen often. Accompanying this piece of good news from the Authority comes a mildly disappointing one. The report of the engineers on their mass transportation survey of travel habits in the metropolitan area, undertaken with a view toward the establishment of a South Jersey rapid transit system, was to have been submitted by Oct.

19. But due to "a distortion of travel patterns" during the 1954 Thanksgiving-Christmas season which threw the study two months behind schedule, the engineers have, asked and been granted permission to withhold their report until Jan. 1. Transit supporters have been eagerly awaiting the report and hoping it will be favorable. Now they will have to undergo a longer period of uncertainty.

Superhighway Safety August was the sixth month of the 12 during which the Garden State Parkway has been in operation that passed without a fatality on it. This record was chalked up despite the fact that more than vehicles paid tolls for use of the coastal highway during the month. Only seven fatalities took place on the Parkway in its first year of full operation, though tolls were collected from more than 27,000,000 vehicles during that time. This good showing merits a vote of thanks to the designers of the Parkway and to those operating and policing it. It is a matter for pride that New Jersey's superhighways are building up a safety -mrd euperior-to those of almost any other state.

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