The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 38

CIS CHANDUl. VMsLsX ROBERT D. NELSON tttcutlrs Vice President nd General Miaist ILIiAM F. THOMAS Editor KAHBOM CRAY OTIS. IBSM917 HAISY CIANDLEa.

I91MS44 normal aureus. 1944-19 CHARLES CHASE, Vice President Production 8.0BERT LOBDELL, Vice Prident Adraiuistration-Genertl Counsel BiaiARD S. ROBINSON, Vice President Assistant to the Publisher VANCE STICKELL, Vice President Sale JAMES BASSETT, Associate Editor JAMES BELLOWS, Associate Editor ANTHONY DAY, Editor of the Editorial Page ROBERT J. DONOVAN, Associate Editor FRANK P. HAVEN, Managing Editor 6 Part FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 1 4, 1 972 McGovern Choice 1 1 1 V): TBI from the floated list of possibilities, required the same general approach to domestic affairs and the war in Vietnam.

McGovern's choice also says something about the Democrats' 1972 view of the world, and of the electorate: neither man has had practical experience in foreign affairs. The Democrats' nominee is also playing the odds of the Electoral College, and here Eagleton may be of some crucial help. Missouri has 12 electoral votes; Mr. Nixon took the state by only 20,000 in 1968. Eagleton, only 42, has a reputation in Missouri and in the Senate for intelligence, diligence, ambition and decency.

He is said to be a good cam-, paigner, suited to. television. Beyond this, the 1 Democrats in Miami Beach can hardly know much more about him than the country as a whole, which knows next to nothing. Both will be looking to see what kind of candidate he will be, what kind of Vice President he would be and, most important of all, what kind of President he would make if it came to that Once Edward M. Kennedy said no, George Mc-f Govern decided to pick his running mate from a list of men who are definitely not household words.

Kennedy would have brought instant national strength to the McGovern ticket; any of the others could only complement McGovern where, in political terms, McGovern is weak. Such, in political terms, is McGoverh's choice, Thomas F. Eagleton of Missouri. Eagleton is, as McGovern is not, Catholic, urban, an ally of organized labor. McGovern talks in the flat prairie of the upper Missouri Basin; Eagleton, from the lower reaches of the same basin, speaks in softer accents that, if not wholly Southern, are definitely Border State.

Regional differences don't count as much as they used to in American politics, but they still count And, as a counterweight to Mr. Nixon's "law and order" position, Eagleton brings to his ticket his long record as district attorney of St. Louis and attorney general of Missouri. So in the traditional point-counterpoint approach to the choice of a ticket, McGovern did reasonably "well in the terms he set for himself, which to judge Letters to The Times 'Don't Volunteer' Is Still the Motto whole concept of all-volunteer armed forces at this time in the nation's history is unsatisfying. The flaws in the scheme that have been evident all along remain, and as the time draws nearer when the selective service law is due to expire those flaws become more obtrusive.

The central premise of the all-volunteer plan is that money and other benefits will persuade enough men to enlist so that no man need be called into service against his will. This premise fails to take account of several key requisites: the need not just for uniformed bodies, but for men with the capability of learning complex technological skills; and the need for an adequate reserve force which up to now has been met by young men who had completed a few years of military service or who chose the reserves as an alternative to being drafted for regular service. The evidence so far is that the all-volunteer approach won't work on a practical level. On a moral level it is not a question of whether it will work, but whether it is sound for the country. There is simply no escaping the fact that the all-volunteer plan would essentially involve the well-off hiring the poor of the country to provide for what is supposed to be the common defense.

It is not the sons of the rich and the middle class who will be induced into service by good pay, it is the unskilled, the un-- schooled, the deprived who will be most affected. That would be bad for the armed forces, and bad for the nation. The only plausible alternative is a new draft law, equitably written and administered, that would apportion the responsibility for our national security without regard to wealth or class. The Pentagon, not surprisingly, is running into serious problems in its effort to fill the ranks of the military with volunteers. Several of the services right now are below authorized strength as a result of reduced draft calls and insufficient voluntary enlistments.

The Army has a deficit of 40,000 men, the Navy of 10,000, the Army Reserves and National Guard 48,000. Service chiefs are concerned over the quality of enlistees, and fear that a further lowering of standards may be necessary to assure adequate manpower. Next June 30 will see the expiration of the draft law. From that time on, unless the law is extended, the armed forces will have to rely entirely on volunteers. To prepare the way Congress has already approved unprecedentedly high pay scales for the services; annual pay for a recruit now exceeds $5,200.

It is klso likely that. before the year is out Congress will vote a bonus bill that would give another $3,000 a year to men who sign up as infantrymen, tankers or artillerists. Servicemen with criti-. cal technical skills could get a bonus of up to Money certainly will be an inducement for some volunteers and for some men already in service to extend their enlistments. But the military will be competing and particularly for men with above-average intelligence against a civilian economy with ever increasing pay scales.

Some Pentagon planners admit they are banking on a high civilian unemployment rate to drive men into the services. That thinking may be realistic, but it's neither practically nor morally satisfying. Indeed, the den people. You and most of the country have forgotten the genoci-dal attitude that was taken against the Indians. Or the attitude toward the Chinese who were brought over only to work as the white man's slaves to build our railroads; the Mexican-Americans whox were and still are oppressed throughout the Southwest; the Irish who rotted in the Eastern cities in the white "ghettos." I could mention more people such as the Puerto Ricans, Jews, but I really don't have to, do BOB CUNNINGHAM San Dimas Constitutional Rights What a pity it is that The Times doesn't show the same concern in protecting our constitutional rights under the Second Amendment (right to keep and bear arms) as it does under the First Amendment (freedom of the press).

Could it be that the shoe is on the other foot now? JOHN F. FORWARD II Palos Verdes Reagan, Connally Trips In learning salesmanship, one of the first rules is that a personal call is worth 1,000 letters or phone calls. Confidence and communication are established. Therefore, even though President Nixon has already visited all over the world, his wise decision in sending Gov. Reagan and former Treasury Secretary Connally to call on various countries were excellent choices.

Both are well known, mature, articulate, firm but humorous, good family men and represent true America being native born. 1 MRS. J. CASEY Los Angeles Typhoid and Typhus In 3Tour article (July 3) dealing in part with water pollution in Mexica-li and Calexico, you confused typhoid and typhus. The diseases are not the same.

Typhoid is carried by fecal matter and is a matter of concern to border health officials. Typhus, on the other hand, is an epidemic disease spread by lice, fleas and similar organisms, and has nothing to do with water pollution. DAVID B. HANSON Irvint Congressman Schmitz and the 'Soggy (Center' Wrapped in his John Birch Society suit, Rep. John.

Schmitz's article in The Times Opinion Section (July 9) is an arrogant one, and appalling. Maybe if he had shed the suit, he would have been renominated. What kind of an America would we have if the only way for us to go would be the left or right? The "soggy center" is far from "soggy." The majority of us make compromises so that people of varied backgrounds and interests can live and work together. The alternatives Schmitz offers are fascism or communism. I'll take an evolving center, which-takes what's best from all sources-including the extremes and moves ahead.

ii HYMAN H. HAVES Lo8 Angeles I wish all politicians had the philosophy of John G. Schmitz as ex-f pressed in his article. S.F.BROWN Sunnymead I It wasn't necessary for Schmitz to go on at such great length to defend his self-titled duty performance. He eliminated himself as a representative in Congress from Orange County by declaring his lack of respect for the President of the United States.

There was no "change of position on the issues" involved. When he made it known that he had severed relations with the White House because Mr. Nixon announced his intention to journey to China as one of the steps he would take in the interests of a decade of world peace, John Schmitz made it clear that he didn't have the stature to be in the big leagues. ERIC A. EGGE Balboa As a lifelong Republican and a constituent of John G.

Schmitz from the beginning of his political career, his article was of interest for I have often opposed him on the issues. Although I actively campaigned for his opponent, I concur with Schmitz' that it is unfortunate his defeat was based on the power and prestige of our President and not on the issues. This is one of the few times Schmitz and I agree. GRACE BRIGGS South Laguna Capsulized Commercialism search was the revelation that there was a much larger than expected number of aged Jews who were very I am writing this letter to emphasize the fact that the belief that most old-Jews are rich or well-off is a myth. Like many other myths such as the ones that most Italo-Americans have Mafia connections, most black Americans are lazy they are hard to lay to rest and continue to bemuse and confound us.

JOSEPH ANDRIOLA San Diego Watermelon Hoax' The "watermelon assault joke" 1 was definitely in very bad taste especially for a white policeman in the black community. No wonder the black community feels hostile toward white policemen. BETTY WILLIAMS Los Angeles The "practical joke" played by the police about the man getting "hit with a watermelon" was in very poor taste. Would it have been so funny if they said that an Italian was hit with a big pizza, a Jew with a wad of money, a Chicano with a huge taco or an Irishman with a keg of whiskey? WALTER LISTER Los Angeles The officers' superiors obviously agreed with the lack of respect shown to minorities because they were cautioned with a pat on the shoulder not to let this happen again. Ironically, if a citizen had turned in such a report he would have been arrested for making a false report.

JEAN TARKER. Inglewood Democratic Telethon I understand that they just had a telethon for the Democrats. I hope they find a cure. DAVID KOENIGSBERG Woodland Hills Young Delegates With all the hilarity coming out of the Democratic National Convention, including the definite lack of organization in the Ohio delegation, it distresses me that Interlandl should choose to attack the appearance and life styles of the young delegates in his "cartoon" (July 11). For more years than I care to remember, the youth of this nation have been lambasted for not working within the system to achieve their ends.

Now, when many of them have chosen to work within one of the largest political machines in the nation, they are portrayed as long-haired, bearded pot head3 with peace symbols. Surely the young delegates deserve better than this. CINDY L. ANDREWS Los Angele3 Downtrodden People I'd like to take issue with your editorial July 4) "Our Self-Evident Truths." It stated that millions of oppressed people came to America and that our nation "attested to the worth and dignity of every human beiiig except the black slaves." You have an attitude that pretty general, ia our country. Only the blacks art mentioned as downtrod cision of the Apollo 15 crew to smuggle specially stamped envelopes aboard the command module in a scheme that earned more than $150,000 and had a potential to pick up $600,000.

We are told that the three astronauts recognized their error after one-fourth of the envelopes were sold, and they then determined to break the agreement that would have created a trust fund for their children. NASA has now impounded the remaining envelopes and reprimanded the crew. We don't know who will 1 keep the $150,000. The integrity of American society depends on strict enforcement of the principle that positions of trust and confidence shall not be exploited for private gain. There are legal provisions for the businessman who abuses inside information.

The principle must also be protected in public life from the smallest city hall to the most extravagant adventure in outer space. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has, from the first "A-Okay," been adroit in communicating its own chosen image for the American astronauts even if the profile projected a share of fiction with the evident heroics of space and lunar exploration. "If only it was really like that," Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin Jr. said a few months ago, recalling how he reacted to the officially sanctioned account of a lunar expedition in a national magazine. Aldrin was aboard Apollo 11, first to the moon.

In an age of contrived situations, consumer manipulation and feverish promotion, it was perhaps unavoidable that the hucksters would intrude, would translate the genius and courage of moon walks into endorsements for wrist watches, cameras and all the gear that worked, that ghost writers would speak for men more interested in exploration than story telling. But this atmosphere cannot excuse the secret de Myths Bob George Boris Richard Daflr hwM Dk. I 1H1 Uf INISt ANO DITORIAL OFFICII T)m Mirrt Swar Lm Ant, California Mwii ptitm i CI.MI4 A r-wii CMANCt COUNTY OFFICES 1171 ItrnfiOTW Av Cull Mm pmm M-nil On June 19 you published an Item headlined, "High Rate of Poverty Among Jewish Aged Noted in Survey." In essence it summarized a research report by the American Jewish Committee, which found a "surprising" amount of poverty among old Jews. Well, I am not surprised. In 196S while I was a professor of social work at the University of Arizona I made a study of the characteristics of persons who applied for various services at the three family counseling centers in Tucson: Family Service Catholic Social Service, and Jewish Family Service Agency.

One of the "by-products" of this re- Our man Fischer isn't doing well so far against their man Spassky. Fischer forfeited the second game, but he ran into trouble immediately in the opening contest of the world championship chess match after Spassky't 56th move. But Fischer actually blew It on the 29th move the evening before, initiating a maneuver comparable to kicking Mayor Richard Daley out of the Democratic National Convention. A little background is necessary to understand how things went The Democrats decided after the 1968 convention to reform their party rules to bring more blacks, kids and women Into the electoral process. Spassky opened with P-Q4, which was not unexpected, and Fischer adopted the standard Nimzo-Indian Defense.

It looked as though they were heading toward a routine draw. Ddey didn't tak the new rules very seriously. In fact, he didn't take them at all. "I was bom in the cradle of democracy in the stockyards," he said, with his genius for the nonsequitur. But then on the 29th move, Spassky offered what is known as a "poisoned" pawn.

If Fischer took it his bishop probably would be trapped. Fischer took it Gasps swept through the onlookers. Had Fischer miscalculated or was he displaying great courage, rising to Spassky's dare and throwing away a sure draw for a speculative attack? Gasps swept through the Democratic National Convention as the McGovern forces accepted the "poisoned" pawn thrust upon them and gave Daley the old heave-ho. Had McGovern miscalculated cr was he boldly risking the bishop of Chicago? Fischer has many chances to recoup. The match could last 24 games.

McGovern has until Nov. 7 to recover from his Miami victory. Any questions? DOMIITIC BUREAU! WnMiflM One Fwvnvtvtnia Aw, ah Lawrtnc. outmu tecranwaM Da Cao-4 Boo.h Tom Vf, turMu cni. FranciK Flaial.

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