davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
Two.Storied Streets Proposed

Renewed demonstration of the fact
that the city of Washington has been
outgrown by its street users is af-
forded by the report submitted TO
Senator Capper, chairman of the
Senate District committee, by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, comprising the findings
of an expert employed by the COM
mission to study conditions here.
The investigator notes that while
trafic congestion is now acute in
Washington. an increase of such
volume may be expected as to point
to the necessity of a broad scheme of
reorganization. and he proposes three
genera methods to be considered for
handling the traffic volume of the
future. These proposals are, first, a
new arrangement of existing transit
lines and the differentiation of street
use; second, establishment of an
extensive system of one-way streets;
third, double decking of certain
streets. particularly in the area
bounded generally by F, B, Fifteenth
and Ninth streets
1t is undeniahie that this city is
at the point of congestion which de-
mands remedial action. II is plain
to any observer that despite the al
most ideal layout of thoroughfares
Washington's business has become
congested to a degree that requires
relief The widening of certain of
the streets of this city has afforded
some aid. Adoption of the bus as a
means of urban transportation has
lessened the congestion on the street
ear lines and avoided the necessity
Of laying down new lines of traffic
But the buses themselves add to
the trafic congestion. The parking
problem has become acute. The
through way of even the widened
streets is restricted by standing cars
In practically none of the downtown
streets. where the traffic Is heaviest
is a full use of the thoroughfare pos
eible, a strip from six 10 twelve fee
in width being cut off on either side
by standing vehicles.
The double decking of the streets
of Washington suggested In this re-
port lie hardly to be considered as
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
A Vile Traffic.

The District Commissioners are
studying the law to determine their
powers in the matter OF regulating
the sale of periodicals and other
publications in this city to prevent
the circulation of obscene, salacious
and immoral prints. There is some
doubt as to their authority in this
matter. IL may be necessary to
secure from Congress legislation
specifically placing under regulation
the vendors of printed materials. per-
haps under license which may be
revoked in case of an abuse of the
privilege.
1t is possible at present only to
prosecute a dealer for the offense Of
vending obscene and immoral matter.
Recently a case was made in Police
Court on this charge, the dealer
acknowledging his offense and taking
his punishment. While he will prob
ably hereafter conform to the law in
respect to salacious and debasing
prints, there Is no guarantee of a
cleanup in consequence of this ex-
ample and cases must be made in
dividually as offenders are caught
either in the act of dispensing this
demoralizing stuff or in possession of
it when their premises are searched
under warrant.
A licensing law. II properly framed
would give the authorities power to
ban from further activity any dealer
who sells improper material. 1t is
| known that there Is trafic in the
most abqminable prints and publica'
tons in this city, with children as
purchasers. There is no adequate
! punishment for such an offense, but
at the least a dealer who engages In
this vile trade should be barred from
further pursuit Of O. line Of business
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

feasible solution of the problem,
however acute 1t may be. Subways
are not proposed by the commission's
expert investigator, though they have
heretofore been considered as pos
sible means of relief. Such subways
have been advocated in the past for
the use of car lines, but inasmuch
as feeling prevails that eventually
the tracked lines OF transit may be
completely displaced by BUSES this
plan has lost In favor and appears
now to be regarded as needless. Yet
II Is evident from the commissions
investigators study that the super
fetal area of the streets is not suf-
fieient for the traffic of the future,
and he proposes an airway rather
than subway method of granting
additional space.
1t would be far preferable to go
underground than overhead in search
of more travel space, great as the
cost and inconvenience of tunneling
might be. The double -decked street
would be darkened and actually OBJ
structed by the structure of the ele-
waited roadway. The city would be
disfigured permanently.
AS for the rerouting of transit
lines 1t must he borne in mind that
new track lines are distinctly out OF
harmony with the trend of transpor-
tation development, Betterments
may be possible in the routing of the
cars on existing lines. These
changes could be effected best
through the consolidation of the two
traction systems under a single own
ership and operation. That is alto
gether likely to come soon. 1t is
probable that attention will be con-
centrated upon this method with the
possibility of clearance of the
streets for a, fuller use by moving
vehicles rather than upon any change
of levels. an expedient of heavy cost
and doubtful effectiveness.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
STIRRING THE CITY.
81. Matthew Kxi.l0 "All the city was
moved. eAyink. Who is thia?fh

The most complex thing in our
modern life is the city. Within it's
confines are generated those forces
that largely make or unmake the
principles and ideals of the Nation
While the Broad country. side still
holds a conspicuous place in main
tanning the wholesome life of our
people, it, too. Is more and more af.
fected by what goes on in the streets
of the city. 1t would he quite safe
to say that our ever.increasing metro.
politan centers generate and set for.
ward that determining factor In our
corporate life which we call public
opinion. The worlds history largely
revolves about it's great centers. To
address ourselves to- municipal prob
lens means very largely to solve the
less complex problems of the open
countryside.
When Jesus walked among men He
seemed to be irresistibly drawn to the
capital of His nation. Repeatedly
He went up to Jerusalem beginning
with His memorable visit when He
accompanied Joseph and Mary. His
mother, in His early youth. When
the time for His active and aggressive
ministry came 1T was again to sJerli-
salem He turned, and. indeed. ii was
IN f1lS attempt TO cleanse the temple
precincts of their nefarious practices
that He incurred the lasting hatred
Of the ruling powers. During the
closing days of His life, in spite of
earnest protests from His disciples.
He set His face to go up to Jeru.
salem" Full well He knew what was
to be the issue of this visit but He
would close His mighty ministry in
the very center in which He had
begun It.. This last visit Is touched
with pathos and tragedy Entering
the gates of the capital at time
when great throngs were on it's
streets, He was loudly hailed as the
coming liberator. Wholly misunder-
standing the purport of His ministry,
the people seemed to see in Him one
who was to restore the early splendors
Of the kingdom. Apart from the
ruling classes He was passionatelX
claimed as a deliverer. AS He pro-
ceeded through the streets with their
crowded throngs "all the city was
moved. saying: who is this?' It
seemed little short of triumphal
entry and for the moment It ap-
peared as Il an uprising of the people
was to result IN breaking the shackles
that bound them to Rome. 1t proved
to be but superficial and shallow
response to One whose words and
deeds had for the moment caught
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
A Strange Hint From London.

There is a cryptic hint of something
very mysterious in report just re.
ceived from London Of an attack
made by a band of men upon a noted
explorer In the course of motor trip
in England. The news story in its de-
tails would seem to describe an ordi'
nary hold-up on the road, the motoring
party being stopped and asked to go
to the aid of seriously injured per-
son. and then assaulted. But the prin-
cipal victim of the outrage is quoted
as saying: Something very serious
took place; what happened was so seri-
GUS that every motor car was stopped
throughout the whole of southern Eng.
land"
This suggests the use of strange
force such as novelists have described
in their "thriliers" as a future de.
velopment of science. The idea of a
radio control of mechanism cutting
off all power has been played with by
the fiction writer's. Strange rays have
been exploited. The hint given by the
explorer after his painful experience
in an English lane OF power-control-
ling force may be the product of an
upset imagination induced by excite.
ment. But there Is enough in the sug-
gestion to set England agog with won.
der.
Radio is not vet measured as to its
potentialities. Much has been done
toward guiding small craft by means
of the etheric waves and power has
been transmitted to motors at con.
siderable distance from the source of
energy. It is not beyond the realm of
possibility that a radio wave can be
employed to throw motors out of
commission. To deny such thing Is
to refute the experiences of the past
few years, during which wonders have
been worked that short time earlier
would have seemed supssnormal.
1t is with feeling q some uneasi-
ness that one contemplates the pos
sibility of a malevolent influence
utilizing a giant force for the stop
page of all mechanical motion over
wide radius. Paralysis Of the transpor-
tation power, complete stoppage of COM
munication, perhaps the turning of of
all illumination after nightfall would
lie within the range of this malevo'
lent influence. II this strange hint
from London is anything more than
the vagary of an excited man it may
he the first note of an astounding de-
velopment of this character.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
IRRESPONSIBLE Criticism.

- no responsible quarter is there
= DISPOSITION to deny the right OF
members of Congress to criticize the
foreign policies Of the Government.
The same indisputable right runs to
the press and to individual private
citizens. The right holds even in
time of war, though criticism gener'
ally is tempered then by the force of
public opinion. In times of peace
proper criticism of foreign policies is
as necessary to national welfare as is
criticism of domestic policies. 1t
would be a time of peril to liberty IL
tne Government undertook to silence
Congress or the press or the voice
Of the people.
But 1t does not follow that because
this right of criticism exists, exercise
of the right may not be harmful to
American interests abroad and embar-
RAISING to those in authority who
have the sole responsibility for our
intercourse with other nations. At
the best, knowledge of our form of
government Is meager among other
peoples, and among backward peoples
such knowledge may be assumed not
to exist at all. When distinguished
member of the Senate or of the House
of Representatives expresses his views
on subject of foreign policy there
are necessarily but a few in any
foreign country. even in official life,
who are able to grasp the fact that
HIS voice is not that of an authentic
spokesman for the American Govern
ment. 1t may often happen, there.
fore, that diplomatic adjustments are
made more difficult by the utterances
of personages who under our form Of
government are utterly without re-
sponsibility for the protection Of
American interests abroad.
1t probably is true that most critics,
both chronic and occasional, are
moved by sincerely patriotic impulses,
but the difficulty is that their informa-
ton frequently is not as good as their
intentions. For this members of Con
gress have less excuse than possibly
have the press and individual citizens,
Even when It is not regarded as com.
patable with the public interest" to
lay facts officially before the Congress.
individual members of the Senate and
! House seldom have any difficulty in
informing themselves. at the State De-
partment as to conditions in any
given situation. ~.
If after Senator or Representative
has taken the trouble to inform him.
self at official sources he still feels it
his duty to criticize the policy of the
Government. he is not properly cen.
surable for the discharge of that duty.
1t is criticism which is uniformed as
well as irresponsible to which excep-
ton properly may be taken. Crit
cism, if 1t is to serve a useful purpose,
must be constructive. 1t is difficult
to conceive of constructive. criticism
being founded upon misinformation or
lack of information.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16

under cover of which he may sur
reptitiously vend these debaTns prints
and pictures.
1t is an outrage upon the pubic
decency that such traffic should
exist. Specification of the nature OF
these materials is impossible. They
can only be described as Of the most
shocking character, and they are not
only within the reach Of the young
people of Washington. but are actually
thrust upon them by vendors who
have no computations about polluting
them for the sake of few pennies of
profit. Whatever authority the Com
missioners require to put an end to
this vfllainous trade should be granted
promptly by Congress upon request.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
MEN AND AFFAIRS
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

Some crude and cruel person in
Washington has just made an inter
esting discovery. He has learned
there are just three nations in the
world that are not included in the
League of Nations. The three are
Mexico. Soviet Russia and the United
States of America.
This is a rather interesting CO
incidence, inasmuch as the United
States of America, through Mr..
Kellogg, Secretary of State, openly is
accusing Mexico and Soviet Russia of
plotting against the United States.
Soviet Russia, If State Department
reports are to he trusted, Is using
Mexico. or planning to use Mexico, or
hopes to use Mexico. as a base for
operations against the United States
or against the influence of the United
States in the Western Hemisphere.
There is more or less of q haze
about the whole proceedings, but it is
claimed Europe is having at least a
smile a the thought of the United
States being embroiled with her sister
states outside the League Europe
would do just that. There has even
been a suggestion from overseas that
birds of feather flock together. but
these jbes and bits of lampoonery
will have no effect upon the deter
minati of the present administra-
ton to have nothing to do with the
League or with the World Court.
F'ifty.six nations are listed az mem
bers of the League, although Brazil
and Spain have resigned. Neither
resignation can be accepted or become
effective until the expiration of two
years, and the council of the League
has hoped that both nations will re-
consider. Argentina also once re-
signed from the League. but has taken
steps to re-enter and is regarded as
member.
X X
Senator Borah, opposed bitterly to
the League Of Nations, has been the
omen friend of Soviet Russia for a
number of years and has fought In
vain to have the Soviet recognized by
the United States, In the present in
stance Mr.. Borah thinks the state De
partment is drawing entirely err
roneous deductions from Soviet mani
festos and Soviet craftsmanship.
Senator Borah hates the rafting OF
sabers He was largely instrumental
in bringing about the Washington
arms conference of 1921 and is de
sirous of obtaining further disarma
ment of the world. The senior Sen
ator from Idaho thinks the State De
partment's recent acts in Nicaragua
and Mexico are tantamount to threats
of war, and he believes far more could
be accomplished by peaceful pene
tration.
All of Washington is wondering just
how to reconcile diplomatic demon
strations of force with executive
declarations of mo more money fol
| naval construction" and "a minimum
of appropriation for the Army" but
| no one believes actual force will bt
necessary in any direction. And, in
| asmuch az none of the nations in
volved in the present disputes, will
| the exception of Nicaragua. is mem
| Der of the League of Nations. no en-
| tanglements from that source are Il
| he q nticinatnd The cOnatitufed GOV
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
Shocking Reforms in Turkey.

Kemal Pasha. greatly as he may
he admired as leader of men and an
efficient administrator, seems bent
upon taking much of the color out
of life in the Near East by his re-
form methods. The project of Con
stantinople. acting doubtless under or
ders from Angora. has Just proclaimed
ban against advertisements or any
other form of public announcements
containing mistakes in spelling or
grammar. He has also ordered shop
keepers to simplify their signs and
to confine them strictly to explicit
tatements.
Travellers in the Near East will re-
gret this limitation upon the magma
tive powers OF the merchants. Even
though they cannot read the language,
they are greatly edited by translations
furnished them by guides and friends
The hyperbole Of the Oriental vendors
is one of the joys OF life in that land
No prosaic straight.to-the.p point procla'
nation of wares and services for them.
Poetical elaboration is the very breath
of trade in the Moslem realm. And
as for misspelling. it may be asked II
the Near Eastern tradesman Is any
more liberal than are some or his
Western brethren in business? Or
biography Is not rigidly respected in
this country In trade proclamations'
photographic oddities appear In type
and paint on all sides, some of them
deliberate, some unintentional. For
example, the good old simple word
shop" has almost been displaced by
a longer and clumsier title. There are
other examples.
Cutting down the extravaganza Of
sign language in Turkey may have
it's serious consequences. 1t may lead
to the banning OF all bartering, to the
establishment of the fixed price
principle. That would be shocking
departure from age-old custom. For
arguments over prices are part OF the
Joy of shopping in those lands. Buy
ing goods is an adventure, not mere
transaction; colorful, vivid expert.
ence and not a cold. blooded trade. Let
Kemal mind his step in these changes
lest he go too far. His passion for
truth may cause him more trouble
than any foreign complication.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
EVERYDAY RELIGION
BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D, Ii. D.,
Bishop Of Washington.

the Imagination of the multitude. 1t
was but a passing wave of popular
favor that was presently to lapse
into violent demands for His execu-
ton. AS Phillip Brooks said. Each
man according to his own nature
answered to the coming of Christ.
From that eyentful day down to
the present the ideals of life that
Jesus came to interpret and inculcate
have been brought to the multitude
in our throngifg city streets. Now
and again, under the impulse OF some
spectacular and thrilling movement.
the imagination of the people has
been challenged and a superficial re-
Spouse been given to His claims.
Periodically, we witness a rising tide
of favor for this supreme personality
and His teachings. only to see 1t dis
sipated and destroyed by the worlds
chilling cynicism or it's cold tndit-
ference The very sWiftneSs of the
citys currents and the excess of color
in it's life, together with its sharp
competitions and struggle for exist
ence. check it's response to the higher
claims of Christ's ministry. and render
it immune to His great appeal.
In spite of these conditions more
and more His gospel of life must be
brought to bear upon the surging
problems that confront us on every
hand In 40 place is loneliness more
manifest than in the crowded streets
of the city. In no place does vice
display itself more arrogantly. and
In no place does selfishness reign so
supreme. Notwithstanding it's glanl-
our and it's appeal to the senses,
the city witnesses to establishment
and to despair as we'll as to those
hard and severe classifications that
divide and segregate IT'S peoples into
groups and classes. The forces It
generates are largely divisive. =" 1t
needs that which shall touch its life
with freshened enthusiasm and com
pei it's scattered elements to find their
unity in some supreme ideal If Jesus
sought the congested 'haunts of men
in Jerusalem. shall we not believe He
is seeking again today to reach the
hearts of men and to bring solution
to the problems that vex and distress
them?
If our cities are to be rendered
clean and wholesome, If our children
are to be guaranteed those things
that make for their health and hap
piness, then His presence must again
he heralded, He precepts honored,
and His word obeyed. His message
is eternaly new and His conquerfng
love still wooes With irresistible
power He is the hope of our world
today.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
INCREASING USE OF COTTON
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

sands of yards of goods or hundreds
of pounds of yarn dyed up in color
combinations that have suddenly gone
out Of style. and mobility of stock is
achieved. With the undyed fabric in
his warehouse the manufacturer can
always dye up quickly and cheaply
any portion of his stock to meet the
overchanging and often unpredictable
demands of fashion.
Merchants are said to find one vir.
tue in the new fabric. virtue that
recommends it to them most highly,
aside from the appeal 1t is making to
shoppers, which evidences its market
ability-that is, celanese fabrics do
not deteriorate on the shelves. A
merchant can carry his stock almost
indefinitely, knowing that it will not
become shopworn and fit only for the
bargain counter