The Nome Nugget

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING?

It was first said of World War I that the U.S. didn't win we bought it. But now, on the heels of General Mark Clark's offer of $100,000 and political refuge to the first Red pilot who delivers a Russian-built MIG-15 to the U.N. forces in Korea, and $50,000 apiece to those who follow, the old "silver bullet" strategy comes to the fore again.

From time to time since the Chinese Reds took a hand in Korea, some "old China hand" has suggested buying the Chinese Commies off, just as they had previously bought large numbers of Chiang Kai-Shek's Nationalist troops. Andrew Tully, writing in the Scripps-Howard papers says Maj. Gen. Claire Chennault, the famous former boss of the "Flying Tigers," thinks $100 apiece ought to do it. Doing a little figuring on the back of an old income tax form, Tully comes up with the news that we could buy the million Chinese Reds committed in Korea for four million dollars less than the present cost of a week's fighting.

As of this writing, the first Red MIG pilot is still to be reported as checked in, but it is agreed among the experts that the Clark offer has brought consternation to the Commie air command, with the flyers so busy watching each other they can't keep their minds on their business.

Nor has there been any indication from Washington that Gen. Douglas MacArthur's letter to Sen. Harry Byrd, containing his up-to-date blueprint "to bring the Korean struggle to an end without further bloodshed" is likely to change "the lack of will for victory."

So, perhaps, if we're not going to win the war, we'd better buy it . . . but not on time payments.