Quad-City Times from Davenport, Iowa • 18

Nixon Undercuts Political Foes 7Imes DEMOCRAT Founded 185S An Independent Newspaper By James Henry B. Hook Publisher Forrest Kilmer, Editor Tom L. Williams, General Manager A Ron Loreruen Associate Editor William W'undram Managing Editor Features Tuesday, Aug. 17, 1971 "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." THOMAS JEFFERSON Full Steam Ahead (C) Washington Star WASHINGTON President Nixon has taken the advice of some of his severest political critics, and while it will be weeks or months before the outcome is known, he seems to have blunted the most cutting issue in the forthcoming presidential campaign. That is the most obvious political effect of the President's Sunday night surprise package of a wage-price freeze, international dollar devaluation, and an array of tax and budget incentives designed to restore confidence in the American economy.

The real political effect depends on whether the President's new economic game plan works better than the one he just discarded. Almost all of the President's potential opponents, and many of his allies, had argued that an economy afflicted by both chronic inflation and stagnation, and international loss of confidence in the dollar as a most favored currency, would be the decisive factor in any Nixon defeat next year. That has not changed. If the President's decisive actions do not work, his political future will remain endangered. But the very fact that the actions were decisive will work in the President's favor, in domestic political effect and probably in world opinion as well.

Parallel Move In that sense, Nixon's move paralleled his recent announcement that he would visit Communist China. In a single statement he reversed long-standing U.S. foreign policy, and the immediate reaction was highly favorable. Later it became clear that the forging of a new policy toward China would be painstaking and difficult, and fraught with the possibility of failure. In that case, too, many of Nixon's political opponents had already announced their desire to open more friendly relations with China, and some had attempted to visit there.

WITH THE CHANGING- OF THE GUARD Thus, in the period of one month the President has placed himself in the position of co-opting the ground of such opponents as Sens. Edmund S. Muskie and Edward M. Kennedy, two Democrat senators who rate strongly in the presidential popularity polls and who now share positions similar to Nixon on both the recognition of China and the need for a wage-price freeze. To varying degrees, he has adopted the positions of such traditional opponents as a relative conservative like George Meany, head of the AFL-CIO, and a liberal like John Kenneth Galbraith, the Harvard economist who has become a frequent Kd YV, Johnson Circulation Director Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa order at the time of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution.

Nixon conceivably could have beaten his critics to the punch if he had heeded warnings voiced early this year. In February Allen P. Stults, vice chairman of the American Bankers called for imposition of a total freeze on all incomes corporate, public, and individual and deep slashes in non-productive federal spending. He said he thought it would take a year of enforced wage and price stability to permit effective implementation of monetary and fiscal policy. "During the last six months of 1970 when the government said it was waging all-out war on inflation, the federal spending deficit shot up to $16.6 billion, more than double the deficit of the prior period.

"Inflation can be commenced only by governments," he said. "Once started it accelerates on the fuel of price and wage increases. Once released the genie is not forced back into the bottle by stopping the rubbing which caused it to come out." That is why the President's steps cut federal spending in conjunction with his other measures are so important. He has ordered a $4.7 billion cut such outgo, including a reduction 5 per cent in government personnel and a 10 per cent slash in foreign aid. Even more stringent cutbacks should be considered, now that a $25 billion deficit is impending for fiscal 1972.

Another slant on Nixon's moves comes from the fact that he is now seeing eye to eye with Rep. Wilbur Mills, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. They have been working at cross-purposes a time when both should be hauling on the same rope. Mills may not be calling the shots, but he and the captain should be on the same bridge. Champ? time but in this country it never has attained the status of football, basketball or baseball or bridge.

Russians have dominated in chess part because the Soviet government subsidizes players. About four million Russians play chess in organized competition. Only about 24,000 play in rated tournaments in this country. If Bobby Fischer can win the world championship, interest in chess this country probably will gain considerably. At any rate Fischer has done nobly thus far and merits more accolades than he has received in his own country.

Those Readers Write Doyle TO BE 1,1, hi spokesman for the most liberal quarter in the Democrat party. In the four days before Nixon's announcement, a procession of potential Democrat candidates appeared at an AFL-CIO state convention in Dallas, and each laid his heaviest emphasis on economic questions in attacking Nixon. Muskie used the Dallas convention to unveil a four-point economic plan that included establishment of a wage-price guideline board, a less decisive action than that taken Sunday by Nixon. Sen. Henry M.

Jackson, who has staked his potential presidential campaign on a belief that the economy would tion to the world until too late at night for most of this newspaper's press run. But the sheer fact that the weekend reappraisal of economic policies took' place in the dramatic form it did shows that the administration was no longer so calmly confident as it had been saying publicly. If it had been, Mr. Nixon might have gone ahead with merely the peacemaking appointment announced for 4 p.m. last Friday with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Arthur F.

Burns. Instead, he hustled the whole "quadriad" into the Maryland mountains, where he could be cloistered as well with Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Paul W. Mc-Cracken, Treasury Secretary John B. Con-nally and Budget Chief George P. Shultz.

The precise perspectives each man In Rome By Art Buchwald Doney's and the waiter couldn't have been nicer." So what? Some waiters are nice. What does that prove?" "Nothing, except HE picked up the check." She was getting impossible, and the next afternoon I was afraid to come back to the room. The smile was waiting for me. know," I said. "You went to Bulgaria and the salesman gave you a diamond necklace as a free souvenir from Rome." "Nothing that dramatic," she said.

"But a taxi driver asked me to go dancing with him tonight." "Wait a minute! You don't speak Italian. How do you know he asked you to go dancing tonight?" "He held up his hands as if he was GRIN AND BEAR IT overshadow Vietnam as an issue, told the Dallas convention that Nixon should "scrap his economic game plan." Nixon did so last night. Neither Muskie nor Jackson had any immediate comment after the President's speech. One who did respond, quickly but negatively, was Sen. George McGovern, the only announced Democrat candidate.

He gave some indication of the criti-f cism Nixon can expect from dissident congressmen when Congress returns Sept. McGovern did not criticize the wage-price freeze, except to suggest that it should have been taken by President Johnson four years ago. McGovern did criticize the floating of the dollar in currency markets as "a back, door devaluation" unworthy of a great nation. McGovern said Nixon's approach to creating new jobs, an accelerated investment tax credit of 10 per cent for one year and 5 per cent after that "looks like another handout to big business, which will only trickle down slowly to the working man and woman and will not reach the small businessman and farmer at all." Weak Point McGovern's comments showed the greatest vulnerability of the President's announced plans: Congress must go along with about half the measures if the effect is to be as decisive as Nixon would have it. In Nixon's favor is the fact that Congress will not return to work for three more weeks.

In the meantime, the President's action to stabilize the dollar will have worked its effect on the international money markets. The effectiveness of that action, as well as the wage-price freeze, can then be looked at on the basis of three weeks' experience. If the initial response of the stock markets and the business community is good, Nixon's chances of gaining favorable congressional action for the rest of the program will be excellent. Past attempts at such drastic economic steps have come at times of war or great depression, and Congress has responded quickly and favorably. Nixon is testing his will against a Congress of the opposite party, at a time when the emergency of the situation is less evident if no less real.

brought may never be fully known, but the-developments which disturbed them probably included these: The heat from the Democratic presidential hopefuls reached the searing point in the last few days. Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota called Nixon economic policies "quack remedies," and George S. McGovern of South Dakota called them "candy-coated nonsense." Sen.

William Proxmire of Wisconsin called it a "terrible crying shame" that so many people are out of work. Sen. Edmund S. Muskie of Maine noted the 1968 Nixon campaign promise "that we would not have to choose between inflation and unemployment" and gave the dagger an extra twist: "They have made many promises, but that one they have kept. We have ended up with holding somebody in them, and he hummed a waltz." What's so great about that?" "The cab was moving while he did it." There was nothing I could say to that, so I tried to walk out of the room.

"I think you're absolutely terrible," she said. "Everyone has been so nice, and all you want to do is to throw cold water on me. You American men just don't know how to appreciate a woman." "Is that so?" I said. "Well, it so happens I have a cousin who went up to a girl on Fifth Avenue in New York and told her she had the most beautiful figure he had ever seen, and he's now doing 20 years in Sing Sing. Ever since then I've kept my thoughts to myself." BY L1CHTY Drama At Camp David This is no time for snap judgments on President Nixon's new strategy to protect the dollar and improve economic conditions within the United States.

The President has access to the best brains in the country and he has used them. Unfortunately, the experts do not all agree on what should be done, and he has had to scrap one "do nothing to rock the boat" approach in favor of standing up and grabbing for the helm. That's what you do, though, when your craft seems caught in a whirlpool and the passengers on all sides are shouting about the roar of rapids ahead. Since we're all afloat with the President, the best thing to do now is voluntarily man our respective stations and try to make the extraordinary measures work. If they don't, we can expect harsher treatment on the foredeck.

The President's initial orders seem clear enough: Freeze all wages, prices and rents for 90 days, possibly longer; hasten by a year higher person-al income tax exemptions, raise the price of imported goods by 10 per cent, reduce auto prices by some $200, and end the government's policy of buying gold for $35 an ounce. Nevertheless a multitude of questions regarding each aspect of the plan must be answered within the next few days and in some instances the Congress must act, too. The President is now on a course which has been urged for months. History will decide whether he has been at fault in giving the "steady-as-you-go" theory too much of a chance. That concept in any case dates back to President Johnson's belief that America could produce both "guns and butter" during the escalation of the Vietnam war.

The application of controls, and guidelines for the economy would seem to have been in World Chess Probably relatively few Americans have heard of Bobby Fischer but then a great many of them obviously aren't interested in chess. The 28 year old Fischer, representing the United States in world chess competition, won 12 straight games against a pair of chessmasters in the preliminaries, Mark Taimanov, a Russian, and Bent Larsen of Denmark. If Fischer can defeat another Russian next spring he then will face the reigning world champion, Boris Spassky, for top world honors. In Russia chess is a national pas 1 100 Years Ago Davis and Camp, proprietors of the National Marble Works in Davenport had begun the erection of a new building to be used for their business as a warehouse and workshop. It was located on 3rd Street between Perry and Rock Island streets and was to be a two-story brick structure.

50 Yenrs Ago A new attendance record was set at the Mississippi Valley Fair as an estimated 35,000 passed through the turnstiles there. Locust Street from Five Points to the fair entrance was a continuous double line of 1 i I Alt to in of at in in Were Marilyn The Days Scheer Hall Of Fame Editor: The attempts to initiate a fitting memorial to "Bix" lead me to wonder why a sort of Davenport or Scott County Hall of Fame could not be provided either at the downtown area or at the cultural center at Twelfth and Division Streets. Our city has many fine gifts from some of its wealthier citizens to perpetuate their memories, and it might be appropriate to give less moneyed folk a chance to show their regard for the city and to have their names preserved for future generations. Picture then an edifice dedicated to all citizens whose industry, faith and courage made Davenport the tine city it is. The entry hall would be called the Hall of Donors, containing names of givers of money, in brass or bronze, with provisions made for future givers to cover future nominees and any improvements or repair necessary.

Inside the main room or rooms would be sections, alcoves or niches where a statue, bust, portrait or photograph of the honoree would be accompanied by a concise resume of the high points of his or her career and such memorabilia as might be obtained. Since Davenport is blessed with so many outstanding individuals, selection of candidates must be done carefully to avoid or minimize possibilities of slight or disappointment. Robert H. Sass 517 Waverly Road Davenport 52804 Illegal Action Editor: The federal government has no constitutional right to engage itself in the financing Of day care centers with the taxpayers' money, this would be an illegal action, which only encourages the further breakdown of the family relationship. An article in the paper mentions that the Soviet Union has day care centers, but it doesn't mention that Red China also has day care centers.

Except in Red China the children are taken from the family at an early age, only to live with the parents on weekends. In your words these are the "occasional sleepovers if the family situation calls for it." Only in Russia and Red China a "family situation" isn't a two-week vacation. I hope the administration cannot so corrupt the nation that families are forced to break up in order to survive. Eugene K. Fletcher 1509 Golden Valley Drive Bcttcndorf, Iowa 52722 Html en Editor: I don't think taxpayers' funds should be used to establish day care centers.

Taxation for schools is enough of a burden on taxpayers who have no children in schools. Parents should support their own children. Some elderly persons need additional tax dollars too. K. L.

Davis 204 W. 16th St. Davenport Gail Hamilton Editor: A copy of an old postcard on page 30, Aug. 11. 1971, caught mv eve and on reading it I found the name of Gail My father was named Gail Hamilton and I have not seen him since I was 6 or 7 I was wondering if there was someone who might know about him.

I and my brother and sister often have wondered if he were still alive. Merna Hamilton Tolman 547 2nd Ave. South Clinton, Iowa 52732 Wall Street Journal: It wasn't supposed to be like this in the Nixon administration. Only the cleaning woman would keep the lights on late in the Treasury. The President wouldn't summon top economic officials back from vacations for hastily scheduled weekend huddles in the seclusion of his Camp David, retreat.

Newsmen could know they would never be called to the White House late on a balmy summer night to learn about the newest thrust of economic policy. Yet all the things that weren't supposed to happen in an orderly, low-profile administration were happening over this weekend. The domestic and international economic decisions were to be big ones, according to advance inklings. Unfortunately, they weren't to be ready for presenta An American (When Art Buchwald lived in Europe, he discovered Italian men can make life very miserable for American husbands. That's why he moved back to the United States.) ROME The big mistake was taking my wife to Rome in the first place.

Any American husband in his right mind should know better than to bring his spouse to Italy, particularly for the first 4ime. But I underestimated the Italians, which is kind of hard to do. It all started when my wife came back to the Excelsior Hotel from a shop-Ejflg trip to the Via Condotti. She had a big grin on her face. "What's so funny?" I wanted to know.

"Three Italians flirted with me on the street today," she said, pleased with herself. "Well, don't let it go to your head," I warned her. "They flirt with everybody." "Don't be too sure," she said. "Besides, the Roman men make you feel like you're really a woman." "I make you feel like you're a woman, too." I said anerilv. "Did you ever call me blue eyes?" she wanted to know.

"No, and for a very simple reason. You don't have blue eyes." "That's not the point. Even if they lie, they do it beautifully. I think Italian men are wonderful." I decided to drop the subject before I really lost my temper. But the next day, after another shopping tour, there she stood with the same smile on her face.

"Okav," I said, "what happened today?" "A traffic policeman stopped all the traffic on the Via Vencto so I could cross the street." "Big deal," I said. "It so happens that traffic policemen are supposed to stop traffic so people can cross the street. That's their job." "When the light is green?" she asked. "Then, as I crossed, he tipped his hat and all the cars were blowing their horns. It's" never happened to me in any other city." "Of course, it hasn't.

In most cities traffic cops are trying to save people's lives." I said. "So he tipped his hat. He was just looking for an opportunity to take it off. Those helmets can get very hot, you know." "Don't be so smart." she said. "If you want further proof that Italian men really care, this morning I ordered a coffee at autos from 10 a.m.

on. Seats in the grandstand were sold out by 1 p.m. 25 Years Ago The Hoi Island City Council expected to receive reports soon on recommended improvements to the water works department costing nearly $1 million upon completion of a survey being made by a Chicago engineering firm. The recommendations were expected to provide for improvements costing between $500,000 and not including a proposed $180,000 water softening unit. City officials intended to erect a million gallon elevated water tank on the site of the former Horace Mann school as part of the project.

This photograph of the former Purity Oats plant, Rockingham Road, Davenport now Ralston Purina Co. comes from Victor Ott, home on vacation from California at 1203 Pershing Ave, Davenport. The picture was taken about 1920 and the firemen were just practicing, says Ott. (Send your old-time pictures to Marilyn Scheer, care of the Times-Democrat. Their safe return is assured.) And it our movement doesn't forge ahead our organization will lose its purpose and we'll be back where we itarted fixing dinner for a husbandl" 4.