Ukiah Daily Journal from Ukiah, California • Page 5

Merry-go-round HHH labels rivals 'mushy' Ity.l.U'K ANDKItSON WASHINGTON Hubert Humphrey is secretly worried about the Democratic Party's attitudes toward foreign policy and national security. He acknowledges that his own thinking is "too hard" but believes most of his party rivals are "mushy." His views are outlined in a startlingly frank memo that was never intended to be read outside his office. On the security issue, he informed his campaign associates: "I'm worried about the Democratic Party and its spokesmen. (Senator Henry) Jackson take a hard line and I think too hard. "The rest of them take a line that is more like drawing a stick through a muddy ditch; the line disappears it simply is mushy it has no context and is a retreat from reality.

"I have been an advocate of arms control, but I am not an advocate of weakness. Nevertheless, I'm afraid that the votes that I'm compelled to make in the Senate, because the choices are very poor, make me apt to be weak on security. cannot on the one hand be an exponent of the industrial- military complex, and I am not and will not be. But I do not want to be a weakness and unilateral disarmament. "Therefore, I've simply got to find someone or several people that can help me in designing the broad outlines of a new American foreign policy, backed up with adequate military strength that will give us a program of national security and permit us to engage in international negotiations without fear or frustration.

Ma Bell's Hanky Panky A $350 million hike in New York's telephone bills has led to charge of hanky panky between, the Federal Price Commission and the Bell System. The case began last summer when New York's phones were so fouled up that we found our calls to London, Vietnam and Nairobi got through faster than those to Manhattan. To improve the service, the state public service commission gave American Telephone and Telegraph, known fondly as "Mother Bell," a temporary $190 million rate increase. The phone company quickly acted to make the temporary increase permanent and to hit up New York's telephone users for another $160 million, for a total increase of $350 million. The state commission approved the increase on January 17, exactly the same day the federal commission put into effect new stringent rules on utility rate increases.

Clearly, the increase should have come under the new tough rules. But two days later, Ma Bell's tanned, talented troubleshooter, Hervey Froehlich, brought a document-laden team of telephone officials into a secret meeting with the Price Commission's utilities chief, Edgar Skinner. As Froehlich later told us, his aim was "to explain the urgent need for higher rates" in New York. But no telephone users, who will have to pay the higher bills, were invited to the meeting. It took the Price Commission only two days to go through the mountain of documents and rule that Mother Bell's increase came under the lax pre-Jan.

17 rules. Then Skinner, without telling the public, called the persuasive Froehlich to give him the glad tidings. Now the two men are in hot dispute over how far Skinner told the Bell System it could go. Froehlich swears to us that Skinner said the rates could go into effect as soon as the state commission okayed the detailed tariff sheets. But Skinner told us: "I don't know where he got that! That's quite a bit off!" In any event, Skinner's concern came too late.

The telephone company disregarded the required ten-day waiting period and jacked up the rates in New York without even filing the tariff sheets. This brought such howls from New York congressmen and that the Price Commission is now moving hesitantly toward rolling back $ltiu million of the increase. But the New York congressional delegation, as Rep. Ogden Reid, has put it in a private letter, remains "shocked and outraged." He has asked Sen. William Proxmire, to air the case before his Joint Economics Committee.

"The responsible officials on the Price Commission are guilty, at the very least, of gross impropriety," Reid wrote to Proxmire. The New York congressman, citing Froehlich's alleged "urgent need" for a rate hike, commented caustically: "The general public (was) not afforded a similar opportunity to explain their urgent need for price restraint." Footnote: We spoke at length with both Froehlich and Skinner who denied any impropriety. But Skinner, commenting on the absence of public-interest observers at the secret meeting, said: "My staff and I might have been amiss." Wednesday, March 8, 1972 Three-day lull in ends ItltKAKIINKi GROUND Taking part in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new tourist information offve to be operated by the Lake County the Clearlake Chambers of Commerce in Clearlake Highlands recently were, from left, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Ingles, who manage the property on which the office is being built; Bob Polglase, president of the Clearlake Chamber, and Bruce Lang, president of the Lake County Chamber.

The 12x2 ()-foot office will be located next to the Standard Station on Lakeshore Blvd. in Clearlake Highlands on property housing the Lake County Mobile Home Sales. Funds for the new office are being provided by the Lake County Chamber, with the office staffing being handled by the Clearlake Chamber. The new office is expected to open in early April. je air wa ARTHUR IIIGBKK fjAIGON American lighter-bombers attacked a North Vietnamese antiaircraft site 20 miles north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Tuesday and eight-engine B52s resumed bombing in South Vietnam, ending a three-day layoff.

The U.S. Command said Tuesday 's "protective reaction" strike marked the seventh straight day such raids have been conducted. It was the 87th such strike so far this year- more than were flown in 1969 and 1970. Following a policy announced Monday, the Command refused to say how many planes participated in the strike on grounds the information could help the Communists prepare a counter-attack. A military spokesman said the strike was carried out by F4 Phantoms flying escort for an unarmed RF4 reconnaissance plane after Communist gunners opened fire on the unarmed aircraft.

No American aircraft were damaged and the results of the Save on our luxurious bath towels. And take your pick of floral prints, geometries, and solids galore! Bath towel Reg. 1.75. Our big, thirsty cotton terry towels will dress-up any bathroom. They come in a wide range of patterns and solids that you can match or coordinate.

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Six of the attacks were in the area of the abandoned U.S. base at Khe Sanh, three were in the vicinity of the A Shau Valley and one was northwest of Pleiku in the Central Highlands. The raids marked a renewal of the American air offensive, which has been steadily increasing despite the pullout of American ground troops. The Command spokesman said U.S. fighter-bombers also flew 20 strafing runs Tuesday.

He said 18 of the missions were in the Khe Sanh and A Shau areas and two in the Central Highlands. The U.S. Command also refused to comment onjCommu- nist charges of wide-scale bombing in southern North Vietnam, which apparently would be a violation of the policy formulated by then President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and carried through by President Nixon. 1 UkiaVi Daily Chess buffs invited to join club Beginners at chess and those advanced in the game are all invited to join members of the newly formed Ukiah Chess Club at 8 p.m. Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church.

The new club is affilliated with the Central California Chess Association and the U.S. Chess Federation Chess is enjoying a new period of popularity, perhaps stimulated by the forthcoming world title match between Fischer (USi and Spassky (USSR). The local club was formed to further the rapid growth in popularity in the game, according to Jack Alan Baskerville, president. MEN A HEALTHY MAN ISA HAPPY MAN CALL Michelle's Figure Salon Health Club 462-9442 Save for just 3 days, Looks to delight every little girl. Short to midi, nautical to pinafore.

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