The Salt Lake TribuneWednesday Morning, October 22, 1952Established April 15, 1871. Issued every morning by The Salt Lake Tribune Publishing Co., Salt Lake City, Utah Blunders in Foreign Policy Are an IssueWith the election less than two weeks sway, it seems to us that many of the issues of this campaign have been at last sufficiently clarified to permit some sober examination and discussion.One of the major issues of the campaign is foreign policy.There have been extravagant statements made relative to the foreign policy issue on both sides. Republicans have accused the Roosevelt Truman administrations of deliberately selling much of the world down the river into Communist slavery. Democrats have claimed that, save for skillful Democratic direction of foreign policy in Europe and Asia, the whole world, except for this hemisphere, today would be under the Russian Communist heel.We do not fully agree with either position.Nevertheless we feel confident that the great majority of Americans are not satisfied with the results of American foreign policy.In 1945, largely as the result of a great outpouring of American blood and wealth, we won a great victory over the forces of tyranny and aggression in the world. Yet in the seven years since, we have seen that victory largely nullified. Great areas of Europe which we wrested from one kind of despotism are today in the grip of another despotism every bit as vicious and as dangerous. And so with great areas of Asia.We have lost through diplomacy much that we thought we were winning on the field of battle.Now it may well be said that few seven years ago foresaw such a disastrous turn of affairs that it is easy now, on the basis of hindsight, to criticize. Yet the Democratic administrations were in the position of political55 Years of MotoringThe first automobile known to have been brought to Utah was an 1897 Locomobile, a 5 horsepower vehicle which made 12 miles per hour.Back in 1900 gasoline was cheap. It cost only 5 cents a gallon. But automobiles in those days made only about three miles to the gallon and, of course, there were no federal or state gasoline taxes.86 a tube an additional 20TIn 1901 an adventurous Easterner tried to drive through Utah. He gave up when he couldn't get up the long hill south of Scipio, and traded his 1898 automobile for a horse and buggy, continuing on by that means to Los Angeles.That same year two cars made the trip from Salt Lake City to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The trip took 11 days.These interesting facts about the early days of motoring in Utah are contained in a recent issue of Contact, semi-monthly publication of the Utah Highway Patrol.Perhaps less interesting, but more significant from the standpoint of the traffic problem, is the amazing growth in number of vehicles, fuel consumption and traffic. fatalities in UtahIn 1910 there were 1, 334 vehicles registered in the state. In 1920 there were 43, 530. In 1938 registrations first went over the 100, 000 mark and last year there were 271, 359 registrations.First record of motor fuel consumption was in 1923, when 17, 809, 081 gallons were used. This year it is anticipated fuel consumption will exceed a quarter of a billion gallons..First record of fatalities was in 1910, when seven persons were killed. There were 51 deaths in 1920. Fatalities went over the 100 mark in 1928, over the 200 mark first in 1937.We've had some bad years since 220 killed in 1948, 207 killed last year, 202 killed to date this year.It isn't a good record, but Contact points out that if we had continued to pile up deaths at the old rate per 1, 000 vehicles registered, we would have had a really staggering toll of death. For instance, the 1910 death rate was 5. 25 per 1, 000 vehicles, which would have given us a death toll of 1, 424 last year on the basis of 271, 359 registrations. If we had killed people at the 1937 rate of 1. 54 per 1, 000 vehicles, we would have had 415 deaths last year. Furthermore, it should be remembered that mileage traveled per vehicle has increased sharply through the years.We aren't doing as well as we should on traffic safety. But we might be doing a lot worse.Cover for Nimrods TooFirst day deer hunters in Utah were reportedly rather disappointed. Although no exact figures are available, it was believed 25 per cent fewer of the estimated 125, 000 hunters made their kill on the opening day than under normal circumstances.The reasons were simple. Mild weather permitted the deer to stay at high altitudes, harder for hunters to get to. Even if hunters reached the areas where the deer were, they found so much foliage still on trees and brush it was difficult to find the quarry.There's only one good thing to be said for that. While the foliage hid the animals, it apparently also hid the hunters for first day reports revealed not a single fatal hunting victim (although five woundings).Of course, the deer season has only started. There is plenty of time before the Oct. 31 deadline for frost to strip trees and bushes of leaves, snow to drive the deer down from the hills, hunters to increase the percentage of kill. And that latter, unfortunately, probably applies not only to deer, but to humans as well.power and therefore of responsibility. The administration which claims credit for that which is good during its regime cannot deny responsibility for that which is bad. And while the Democrats admittedly did not create the Russian menace, it is certain that they were slow in recognizing or combating it.Much. that the Democrats have done in the field of foreign policy has been good. But there have been also some terrible blunders.It is impossible to cite chapter and verse on all the blunders. One can mention the surrender of democratic Czechoslovakia to the Russians after its liberation by U. S. forces. Or the unwise decision to establish a jointly occupied Berlin as an island in the midst of Russian held German territory. Our vacillating policy in China, so frequently helpful to the Communists there, has been often and justly assailed because it helped to put this great nation of 460 million people, so long friendly to America, behind the Russian iron curtain. We have blundered in our support of reactionary and domineering British and French policies in many parts of the world, thus contributing to the rise of nationalistic feelings and to the unrest which everywhere plays into the hands of the Communists.In the minds of many Americans, Korea undoubtedly typifies our foreign policy failure. Inevitable though the decision to intervene was in June of 1950, that inevitability was a direct result of administration blunders earlier in withdrawing American forces from Korea and in Acheson's announcement to the world practically inviting Communist aggression by placing Korea outside of America's strategic defense line in the Far East.Today, nearly two and a half years after we went back into Korea, we are caught in a frustrating trap from which the administration can find no way out.No impartial observer can reach any other conclusion than that the Truman administration's foreign policy record is replete with instances of indecision and bad judgment, at best; internal pro-Communist sabotaging at worst. The record is not one to which the Democrats can point with pride.There is good reason to believe that a change of administration will lead to correction of many of these past mistakes and to re establishment of America prestige in the world. Many Americans undoubtedly will vote Nov. 4 for that change.Dont Neglect Your RightsThere are a great many Americans who cant vote.Washington, D. C., has a population of 802, 179, making it the nation's ninth largest city, yet its residents have no voice in the selection of a president or even of the men who run their municipality. Their citizenship extends only to taxes and military service.The territories of Alaska and Hawaii are nearly as bad off. Territorial residents, however, can vote for local officials (the governors are appointed) and for lawmakers, although they are barred from participating in national elections.The Alaskans, Hawaiians and Washingtonians don't like the situation at all and have been campaigning for years for a change. They want the right to vote.Here in Utah every citizen, except those convicted of certain crimes or suffering insanity, has the right to vote. The sad fact, though, is that too many neglect to use that right. Blame apathy, ignorance, forgetfulness or what have you, but a right that is prized where it does not exist often is neglected at home. And in Utah the finger of suspicion might be pointed at those who can vote and don't.The good citizen will vote Nov. 4. But before he can do so he must qualify by registering. Two registration days remain, Oct. 28 and 29. If you are not now on the voting rolls get there then.Remember, and Pull OverThree youths were injured early Tuesday morning when their convertible was struck broadside by & fire truck racing to answer an alarm. Reportedly, the youths car failed to stop as the fire engine, siren shrieking and red spotlights flashing, approached the busy intersection of 5th South and 13th East.This was both actually and potentially a serious accident. It could have marred Salt Lake City's excellent traffic death record to date this year by adding three new fatalities to the list. In fact, the three occupants of the convertible were not too badly injured, but damage was heavythe convertible a total loss, the fire truck damaged to the extent of $1, 000, and a third vehicle innocently involved in the smashup damaged 400 worth.But that isnt really the worst aspect of such a mishap. Such an accident prevents a lire truck from reaching the scene of a fire. In this particular case the alarm was false. But it might just as easily have been a home which caught fire in the middle of the night, with children trapped in upstairs bedrooms. Thus an accident, caused by failure of a motorist to keep out of the way of a fire engine, could cost the lives of innocent people and result in unnecessarily heavy home fire loss.Remember that next time you see a speeding fire truck and pull over.It's all sort of vague to us now what we did before there was TV to sit and stare at. It must be that we just sat.Police in Ohio pick up a dazed figure wandering the streets in night attire. Escaping from strange bedfellows, perhaps, in this highly political year.