The Berkshire Eagle from Pittsfield, Massachusetts • 18

Looking Back 18 The Berkshire Eagle, Tuesday, July 18, 1972 rromises, promises mm uoserver The new politics rears its head on the home front By Russell Baker The Ipllfljp Eagle Published every day except Sundays and holidays by the EAGLE PUBLISHING COMPANY 33 Eagle Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 01201 i SO Years Ago Hie five-year-old school-planning committee, meeting at City Hall, voted to recommend to the City Council the purchase of the Plunkett, Holland and Zander properties at the comer of East and Second streets as a site for the proposed new high school building. Matthew Kearney resigned "his position as instructor at the Pitts-, field Golf Club at Pontoosuc Lake. Mr. Keamey was employed for a few years as assistant instructor at the Country Club before taking the position at the new club. WASHINGTON IT WAS, wonderful for Sweeney returning home to the whole" darned after the rigors of Miami Beach, but the't family mood was disappointingly politi-" cal.

They had sat through too many dawns, watching Sissy Farenthold beins- nominated for the vice-presidency Editorials Remember the United Nations? hster'-" to Ohio pass. "I nt the car, and I want it rights now. Tere young twister aweeney-ot -words of greeting, "and if I don't, get only argument seems to involve how fast to do it The reasons aren't hard to fathom. The decline of the U.N.'s stock in Washington has been directly proportional to the decline in Washington's power to dominate U.N. policy.

That power was at its apex in 1950, when the United States was able to make a 25 Years Ago Scoring a smashing upset after entering the contest at the last minute, Jack B. Rabiner, past commander of the Pittsfield post was elected Berkshire County and executive com-mitteeman of the Massachusetts Department of the American Legion. A longtime active Legion worker, Mr. Rabiner was local advertising manager of The Berkshire Eagle. Plunkett Memorial Hospital in Adams was the first general hospital in Berkshire County to offer a free ray of the heart and lungs as a routine laboratory examination to all adult patients admitted to that hospital beginning Aug.

1, it was announced by Miss Vera Dean, superintendent 10 Years Ago For most of the past 25 years it has been customary for the authorized spokesmen of both major parties to picture the United Nations as a cornerstone of American foreign policy. While the sincerity of these testimonials sometimes seemed questionable, the declaration that the U.N. is "the world's best hope for peace" was nonetheless accepted as part of our political dogma. But not any longer. The mask is off.

American support for the U.N. has plummeted during the past two years. Political conservatives no long-er feel any need to conceal their disdain for the organization, and liberal establishment no longer comes vigorously to its defense. Bipartisan support has eroded into bipartisan indifference. This unhappy fact provided the text for an ecumenical sermon delivered at a Baptist Church in Beverly Sunday by Congressman Robert F.

Drinan, the priest-politician who headed the Massachusetts delegation at Miami last week. As an ardent McGov-ern supporter, Father Drinan was generally well satisfied with the convention's performance. But he noted, more in sorrow than in anger, that in all the torrent of oratory and debate that emanated from the convention hall, there was not one mention of the United Nations. It's a reasonably safe bet that the Republican convention won't do any better. Indeed the Nixon administration doesn't even bother to pay lip-service to the U.N.

anymore. The President and Congress alike are currently committed to the goal of reducing this nation's financial contributions to the world organization, and the conrsa Trie Torrington Register unilateral decision to send troops to Korea in the U.N.'s name. It started declining soon afterwards as more and more third-world nations attained membership, and as Cold War fears abated. It reached a nadir last fall when a majority -of U.N. members -finally overrode American objections to the ouster of Taiwan from the Chinese seat.

There are a lot of things wrong with the U.N., of course. But its basic weaknesses are not much different today than they were a decade ago. As far as the United States is concerned, the real change in the organization is that it is no longer automatically willing to ratify American policies. And this in turn puts us in the same position of ill-concealed distaste that the Soviet bloc was in during the two decades that the shoe was on. the other foot This attitude may be understandable enough.

Certainly we are not alone in trying to use the U.N. to advance our own foreign policy interests. But as the nation that was most responsible for bringing the organization into being, we owe it something better than a growing indifference that can only further its present impotence. The U.N.'s faults are not beyond remedy. And the plain fact remains that it is the only game in town.

A large step in Pittsfield's urban-renewal program was taken as the Federal Housing and Home Finance Agency approved a $186,023 grant for drawing detailed plans of the 59-acre Jubilee project Robert C. Ruete of Lenox, formerly with General Electric Co. in Pittsfield, joined me Elastimold division of Elastic Stop Nut Corp. of America at Hackettstown, NJ. Gov.

Volpe announced the appointment of Pittsfield Councilman Donald G. Butler to the advisory board of Berkshire Community College. Letters to the Editor Backward school-site leadership Notes and Footnotes pius money tor a iuu Tans oi gas, i am going to walk out of this family and not play the elder son any more." "What's wrong with the Md?" Sweeneyl' asked his wife. "Have you been letting him read about Bobby Fischer's carry-'1-" ings-on at the chess championship? i "Buster can't tell the castled position --on the king's side from the Nimzo-Indian-- Defense," Sweeney's wife said. "Ever since he saw how politicians behave when; they don't get their way, tie's been sulk-.

ing around here like a candidate for President of the United States." i zr. BUSTER was impatient with 'mis dflly-J" dallying. If he were to puU 'out of the family and run on an independent he told Sweeney, Sweeney would not my" lose an tocomejtax exemption, but would also acquire a nasty reputation in the neighborhood for treating his children badly. What would happen to the family then? he demanded. It was already showing signs of old age.

Youth had passed it by. The coaii--'-tion that Sweeney had built in the 1940s'-' with the present Mrs. Sweeney would -need young strength and energy to sus- tain it beyond another four years, Buster pointed out His walkout could very well leave the famOy easy victims for Internal Revenue, the medical profession and other such vultures. Mrs. Sweeney explained in whispers.

that Buster was copying the strategy he had seen George McGovern use to as- himself of the nomination. since he read McGovern's threat to walk out on the party if he wasn't nominated," Mrs. Sweeney said, has insisted on having his way, -or else." i SWEENEY SAID when you thought -about it you had to adnrire that tough-ness in Buster. It had a great quality of newness about it, he said, and if he, Sweeney, could write he would Hke to write a powerful magazine article it in which he would call it "the "Come across with that car," snarled Birster. Sweeney was about to hand him the cr keys when Margo, BusSer's sister and his senior by two years, growled, "Just a minute, there.

Just a minute. To- night I get the car. If I don't I am going to quit driving mother to the ket on Saturdays, and you all know what that means." They all knew what that meant. Mrr. Sweeney couldn't drive.

Sweeney, haici "A-, to drive on. supermarket parking lots on Saturdays, and Buster spent his Sai---days in mysteriously private ways. Margo, they knew, was the only perron who could deliver the groceries for the Sweeneys, and without the groceries it was hard to see how the Sweeneys could survive. "She learned this from watching Mayor Daley's behavior at the convention," Mrs. Sweeney whispered to Swee- ney.

"Margo knows that without her, thei family hasn't a chance of carrying the, i. groceries." "We'll compromise," an- 5, frounced. "Buster will get the car for two hours, then Margo will get the car tor two hours." MARGO SAID she wanted nothing to do with compromises because it was dis- -honorable to compromise a position that was as morally right as hers. She walked -out while Sweeney looked about for a tet -evision camera on which he couM specu-late about possibly luring her back to the Finding none, Sweeney did 4he Other natural thing arid announced that he wos: -going out for a drink while Mrs. Sweeney prepared his dinner.

"You can go out (or a drink Jf you want to," Mrs. Sweeney whispered to suffer. There must be .4 acres of land around the "Jail." Yes, houses will have to be taken and these families must be provided with at least the same if not better homes. It will be difficult for these families, but many more families must be considered. -The shortsightedness of the county commissioners one year ago is unfortunate (I can't believe that this was the first time that the idea of using the property for a community school was presented to them or they should have thought of it sooner).

The cost of construction escalates each day and minute that we procrastinate the inevitable. With all of the publicity, concerning Sheriff Courtney's -exemplary programs for residents of the House of Correction, it is sad mat "our leaders" have not worked to provide a new "House" in which the sheriff and his deputies and Mrs. Clark and others can "do their good things" for our citizens who have gotten themselves in trouble. Please, let's forget the dollars (they'll only get bigger as years go by). Let's think about our neighbors, our friends, our citizens, and most importantly, our children.

To the Editor Of THE EAGLE: Readers of The Eagle will not be surprised to learn that, as many of us have been aware for sometime, The Eagle again has slanted the news or has, by omission, given an erroneous impression. "More than a year ago, the jail property was the Community School Commission's first choice for a Morningside school Eagle, July 15. At least five years ago, Pittsfield residents who were concerned about a community school in Morningside discussed the possibility of the "Jail," and spoke of their idea to "leaders" of the community. Would that our "leaders," which include United Community Services (excuse me, the United Way of Berkshire County), had had the courage then to speak out and fight for what they should have known (with any practicality and vision) was the only, or one of the few, possible locations for a community school, that is, if they really cared for the children of the area. Let's not make the Rice School area a busing-problem area as we have made other areas through lack of foresight and courage to lead.

Why ask for a waiver? With not enough land surrounding the school it is tiie children who will A working summit To the Editor of THE EAGLE: The recent Moscow summit and subsequent nuclear agreement is the first major step toward ending the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The two world leaders reached this agreement through their patient dedication and determination. The old ideologies of both nations were set aside in favor of achieving the realistic hopes of peace and prosperity for all mankind. Both President Nixon and Secretary Brezhnev demonstrated personal courage and constructive intelligence in achieving this good beginning. The accords reached in Moscow spell out clearly the things for which the common people of the world have hoped and prayed.

This has been a monumental victory for all people in the cause of relaxation of international tension and safeguarding the conditions an4 opportunities of world peace. The three years of hard work leading to this and other agreements can be met by all men with exceptional satisfaction and relief realizing the anger and tension between many nations today. The year 1972 (with the Moscow and Peking meetings) will be marked as a milestone ir the long and difficult quest for peaceful development and better relations among all nations. The three world powers who took rart have now realized their obligation, not only to themselves, but to the rest of the world in ending isolationism and aggressive confrontation. A bridge has been built in Moscow and over it the nations of the world can carry the materials to develop a world of peaceful, progressive and rewarding coexistence.

BARTON MAHONEY 82 Henry Ave. Pittsfield MARY ENGLAND East Street Lenox er to a point where only a brush-off would let delegation business proceed. There were, too, instances of TV concentration on trivia and non-news that blotted out coverage of vital convention business. Only one of the three big networks, for instance, gave attention to the podium for the full speech of the Steelworkers leader, I. W.

Abel, who delivered what turned out to be about the strongest convention statement against Senator Mc-Govern. But the clearest indication of TV influence on the convention was the pulling and hauling as to whether such highlights as the McGovern acceptance speech could be scheduled during "prime time," the premidnight hours when most television viewers might still be out of bed. It plainly was in the interest of the networks. Yet on this, the convention wisely went its own pace, though saddening the McGovern campaigners eager for every bit of favorable exposure for their man. With more than $20 million committed to televising the two conventions this year, and reportedly less than half of that covered by revenue from commercials, the TV industry can be expected to call or try to call many of the shots in its own favor.

An investment of that size has to be taken seriously. So does the responsibility of being fair and thorough in handling the essential processes of American political democracy. The TV spectacular at Miami Beach For capturing the sights and sounds of big events and the more spectacular, the better television long ago demonstrated its vivid superiority over newspapers. Last week's performance from Miami Beach by the three major national TV networks was no exception in providing a dramatic substitute for personal presence. Indeed, as often happens with various other types of reporting also, there were times when broad TV coverage and interpretive comment made happenings at the Democratic National Convention more comprehensible to viewers than to those on the scene.

At the same time, there were new indications that television has become such a part of the convention process as to create its own new pressures and tensions and even begin to raise questions about undesirable media influence. For 1972, fortunately, there was nothing to compare with the 1968 street rioting in Chicago and the Democratic tumult in the convention ball, during both of which TV men and journalists alike got rough treatment On the other hand, last week there were such incidents as the one in which fiie Rev. Robert F. Drinan, head of the Massachusetts deleption, seemingly was heckled by a persistently questioning, over-zealous NBC report 'Red Fox' revisited Hanoi crawl To tie Editor of THE EAOLE: After the Democratic party standard bearer, the left-leaning defeatist, McGovern, learns the new swim stroke (the Hanoi crawl), maybe he'll take up water skiing at Haiphong harbor. WALTER CARD 23 Tower Road Dalton Democratic unity? him, tun a you don take me mm you, and we don't eat dinner afterwards et the Flaming Caligula Steak Chop IT' AMONG THE half-legends which we've rather half-doubted is the one about Capt.

John Brown, an officer in the militia, who in 1878 became smitten with one Miss Susan Baker. Part of the attraction may have been the fact that the lady owned Baker Tavern, Which stood on Greylock Road, Lanesboro. This was no impetuous, prime-of -life affair. Miss Baker was 81 at the time, and me captain was a youthful 69. The lady may have suspected her suitor's motives, and rejected his proposals.

Piqued, be carved these words on a sandstone boulder in her field: "Capt. John M. Brown born at Stafford Hill Cheshire October the 1, 1809 enscribed upon this rock April the 9th 1878. May God Bless Susan and all her baren land and when She get to heaven I hope She'l find a Man." Miss Baker died four years after the carving, and the rejected captain planned to add an inscription" on the rock, but never did. However, Mrs.

Dean Newton Sr. of Bailey Road still has the paper with the second verse, written in the captain's own hand: "'Now Susan has gone to her long last Home. It makes, me sad, it makes me moan, It gives me a mighty shock when I view this rock, to find that I'm alone." For the record, Miss Baker was the richest woman in town; her "baren" land contained fine marble, and the mountain west of it bore valuablejtimber. And it was said she wasn't half as anxious to find a man as the captain was to acquire her land. Well, last week we talked with Warren Newton of Lanesboro who says the ancient boulder still rests in the meadow, and the carvings madeby the Jilted captain still are' legible.

It's quite near the well-known Baker's Cave, also called Baker's Quarry. This is a tunnel 10 feet wide and 140 feet long, and is regarded as quite beautiful by cave experts, whose word we will take. Crawling underground to check it isn't appealing to us. Baker's Cave, we would add, no doubt was known in the "courting" days of Susan and the captain. Visitors have carved their names and dates on thejnarble walls, or marked them in smoke.

Several go back to or" 30 years before the wooing. We hasten to add that neither of theirs appears. AGES AGO; Longfellow, wrote consolingly of old age thus: "For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress, And as the evening twilight fades awayThe sky is filled with stars, invisible by day." WHO REMEMBERS when a "pagoda" stood in front of the County Courthouse and was used for weekly summer con-- certs by local bands? Expenses were paid by the city. RICHARD y. HAPPEL House, you get nothing to eat from my kitchen for the rest of the month." Sweeney was aghast "You learned that from watching George Meany threat- -en to starve McGovern's campaign be-cause he couldn't have way," Swee- ney said.

"In the new politics," Mrs. Sweeney replied, "even eappy old moms can -t, threaten not to play." Sweeney is switching to Nixon. 1W1 New York Timet Newt Service- To the Editor of THE KAOLE: Sally Begley's review of "Red Fox" by Charles G. D. Roberts Eagle, July IS was most interesting to me, inasmuch as I knew intimately not only that book but many others by Sir Charles.

It was probably in the 1920s that my father made available to me many books about wild animals and the woods by Charles G. D. Roberts and I enjoyed them immensely. After those books, came others by Sir Charles, dealing with the primordial earth a history of Canada, and inimitable books about the Acadian country: "A Sister to Evangeline," "A Forge in the Forest," "By the Marshes of Minas" and others. After several removals, I have only one book of his left: "The Vagrant of Time," a book of poems.

I enjoyed his serial stories in the old Youth's Companion a now defunct weekly whose acquaintance I made about 1921. Sir Charles's brother, Theodore Good-ridge Roberts, also wrote good stories of adventure and the outdoors and they, too, appeared in mat magazine. GERARD CHAPMAN 32 Oak St Great Barrington Cleaner air needed To the Editor of THS KAOLE: "Relatively stringent" standards on pollution "In Brief July 1 are vital in urban areas where people literally choke on available air. Are they less needed where (when the sun shines) you can see for miles? As one recently moved to the Berkshires from an area where sulphur guidelines have been eased, I urge you to press for more stringent regulations on interstate air conservation standards and to jealously guard Massachusetts's "relatively stringent" regulations. The Eagle might help us all by publishing the decisions made to the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area which have led to "most of the pollution recorded in the Berk- ttBTtS." JOHN 29 Theresa Ter.

Lee fans probably aren't turned off by the absence of a tent, but young first-timers can't "be expected to get the real feel of things when there's no-Big Top. At that the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers show did well to ceta-plete one performance and most of the second before Sunday evening's storm. A Happiness is having the machine that replaced you decide that the man who bought it should he fired. Burlington Free Press Drive-m banking was invented, so they say, so cars could go in and see their real owners. Parade lighter Side Diagnosis A doctor, filling in for another doctor To the Editor of THE EAGLE: Remo Del Gallo, chairman of the Pittsfield Democratic Committee predicts Eagle July 11 that the "regular Democrats" are going to strongly support Sen.

McGovern in the presidential campaign, but as a member of the Democratic City Committee, I take issue. As the father of two sons presently serving in the U.S. Navy and having a son-in-law in the National Guard, I refuse to be grouped with those who will support a candidate who favors granting amnesty to draft dodgers and defectors. There are addition-, al reasons for not supporting Sen. McGovern 'i candidacy: His plan for a 36,500 Tninirm'Hi annual income for family of four.

(Where did her McGovern, obtain this figure? This amount would be inadequate for many families). 2. He is well known for voting anti-labor. 3. His views on marijuana frighten me.

4. Why does he advocate begging the Norm Vietnamese to release our POWs? (I have voted in presidential elections since Harry Truman was President and have never seen our President turn to an enemy and beg.) The Democratic party has always been compassionate and understanding and indeed the party of the poor, but we now have a bad candidate. I know I am going to give leu support and effort to the McGovern campaign than Richard J. Daley, and I don't think he's going to do much. I suggest we try the next four years without a President THOMAS COUGHLIN 155 West Housatonie St.

Pittsfteld To the Editor of THE EAGLE: The call for party unity by the chairman of the Pittsfield Democratic City Committee, Remo Del Gallo, is not only most but is a good indication of the solidarity and Intelligent attitude of the Democratic party regulars everywhere. Although Democrats, in primaries and in conventions, take a most practical and aggressive view of democracy in action, unity is invariably the order of. the day in the final elections. The rise of Sen. McGovern from obscurity a few months ago to his overwhelming victory at the Democratic National Convention is a tribute to his organ, izational genius as well as to the superb strategy' of his aides and the untiring devotion of his workers.

Sen. McGovern's brilliant sue cesses at the primaries as well as his amazing surge of popularity at the convention were achieved despite a desperate co-. alition of all bis rivals assisted by the news media. Certainly the cries of "too honest" and the charges that he would bring the party down to defeat were too absurd to merit a reply. The news media and the public should and must re-evaluate their opinion of the senator.

Ob- viously, his ability as a campaigner has been underrated. We must no longer underestimate Sen. McGovern's chances for victory, his ability, nor his many virtues. He offers 'the vot ing public a true alternative to the present administration. CARL J.

CH1ARETTO 68 Dartmouth St. Pittsfield on vexation, attempted to acquaint himself better with the patients by reading their files. He was puzzled by the word "IWIK" which kept cropping up throughout the numerous diagnoses. When the first doctor returned, 'he was asked. Is mis some hew medical term I haven't heard about?" "Oh, no," the doc, "Those are Initials meaning wish I kneVr Wall Street Journal.

In Brief Despite the traffic and parking snarls of the weekend, there is cause for rejoicing that the great cultural lodestone of Tanglewood is showing a more powerful attraction than ever. Since the weather has been blamed for everything bad this summer, fairness requires that it be given its share of the credit for the new attendance record. Another factor, of course, was the final appearance, Saturday night, of William Steinberg as music director of the 'Boston Symphony Though there may have been a slight audience overlap, there also was a record turnout of 3,800 at the nearby Lenox Arts Center earlier in the evening obviously drawn by singer Pete Seeger, and less obviously causing management embarrassment over the difficulty handling crowds in the area Fortunately, there wont be much interference with music lovers when the motorcycle "Olympics" comes to the Berkshires. It may bring 350 com-tetitors but in the fall, 'and not till next year; Sinc3 three 200-mile routes -re brn" cV't-d fr six-day; in-terraticnal affair, its impact may be falrl well dispersed though scarcely still life l37 CL welcome on the quiet trails, and back" roads the.riders wiu use tircus.