davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1934-09-04

textile workers, however, calls for an
immense sum. and it is to be doubted
II the means are available from such
sources to permit a long continuance.
II the strikers go on the dole auto
matically as unemployed persons. sub
sisting on Government allotments,
then assuredly the Government, as
Administrator Hopkins expresses 1t, is
underwriting the strike. It remains
TO be seen how this can be avoided
If it is the purpose Of the relief ad-
not to supply the "sinews
of war" in the form of strike main
funds. Obviously the prob
lem Of the administrator Is o dificult
one. Short Of a complete change Of
policy 1t will be necessary for the re-
lief administration to discriminate in
its bounty between those who are
willing to work but can find no jobs
and those who of their own choice or
at the orders of their representatives
quit their jobs.
Evening star., 1934-09-04
Charges Mexico With
Religious Persecution
To the Editor of The star:

TO the Editor OF The Star:
There seems to be q deliberate
conspiracy to keep from the American
people the true facts regarding Mex
leo. A religious persecution of Chris
tianity Is today raging In that un-
happy country. In q few weeks the
teaching Of religion in any state or
private institution will be prohibited
and no religious body, Catholic or
Protestant, will be allowed to estab-
nsh or maintain school of any kind.
In the State of Coahuila the number
of priests has been reduced from IS
to 9, for a population of 436, ,425-one
priest for every $1,000 people. In
the state Of Hidalgo, Bishop Altami-
rano Of Tulancingo was arrested be-
cause the people in a town in his
diocese manifested their joy of re-
ceiving him on a visit by erecting
floral arches in the streets. The
Bishop of Zacatecas has been ar
rested for appearing on the streets
in his caSSock. Two more churches
have been seized in Mexico City.
Gales and the atheistic revolution
ary party hate religion Of any sort
Catholic or Protestant. AL Christian
forces in this country, together with
our Jewish friends, should join hands
in loudly protesting this inhuman and
barbarous persecution Of a defenseless
people. JOHN j. O'CONNOR.
Evening star., 1934-09-04

that won the championship Of the
American League last year would sug-
gest that the jinx picked out a shin
ing mark for its hostility this season.
Every team has its share of misfor-
tune in the course Of the weeks of
contest. Yet rarely has 50 persistent
sequence Of misfortunes ever be-
fallen q major league organization,
especially one at the beginning con-
sidered qualified for renewed cham
pionship. washington's hope is that
the jinx, sated of its success in wreck
ing a seasons play at the Capital, will
now pass on to other fields, though,
of course, nobody wishes i'll luck to
the Nationals competitors. All that
is asked is q fair distribution of vista
tions and not a concentration upon
any single luckless outfit.
Evening star., 1934-09-04
Protests the Sad State
Neglect at Fort Steve
To the Editor of The Star:

Az ING 1ulLOr OF Ine star.
AS resident and taxpayer of [
city for over nifty years. persona
visited old Fort Stevens of by-gol
days and found the same In We:
bad condition. Broken bottles, tras
and old papers abound In this plac
where Lincoln himself once stoc
under fire in defense Of the Capital Z
our Nation.
noticed markers "U. S. p" ind.
eating it belongs to the Government
Also the boulder on which Is inscribed
Here Lincoln stood under fire IN
1866" Evidently there must have
been some cannon balls on the -four
corners of this boulder at one time
or another. but these have been carried
away as souvenirs of visits to this
hallowed spot.
The War Department should pui
this lovely spot in order, and, II need
be, collect some old mortars and guns
and put them In the breastworks as
in the past, with o fence around 1t.
Thousands Of visitors then would want
to 60 and see this place. I, as O
citizen and q lover Of things Of by
gone days, do hereby ask others of our
citizens to compel this work TO bc
done at an early date. Let us per
petuate this place as hallowed grour
for Lincoln'S sake!
FRANK c. HE'LL.
Evening star., 1934-09-04
Profit Motive Given
WashingtOn's O. X.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.

FROM the LOUISVILLE Courier-Journal.
The statement by Daniel Roper,
Secretary of Commerce, that the
Roosevelt administration believes in
just profits for management and cap
ital" as well as proper wages for labor
should go far toward assuaging the
fears of some timid business interests.
Considerable loose talk has been in
dulged in about removing the profit
motive" in business before recovery
can come about, but capital is lust
as much entitled to its wages as labor.
Secretary Roper's statement also
should reassure those who may have
feared that the Federal Government
is likely, under President Roosevelt's
guidance, to take a large part of the
private business of the Nation under
its wing or enter into competition
with legitimate industrial activities in
any serious way.
Private enterprise" said the Sec
retary, SIS getting back on its own
feet, and more and more Is exerting
its own initiative and Is able to re-
lieve the Federal Government of re-
sponsibilities which under normal
conditions belong to business"
The statement of Mr.. Roper shows
that the administration at Washing
ton understands that without private
capital private initiative would be
helpless, and that without capital
great enterprises giving employment
to millions would never have been
developed.
Evening star., 1934-09-04
How Folks ON the Eastern Shore
Of Maryland Regard the New Deal

from their wet clothes to dry ragged
shirt and tattered overalls and haul
ing their 800 or so clans, for which
they have spent q weary and miser-
able day, several miles to where they
can beg a clam buyer to give them
40 cents a hundred for them. !
would like to see some Of these swivel
chair economists spend few drizzly
nights Grabbing trot line" and at
daybreak haul their barrel Of crabs
several miles and get S1.50 for them.
Just go down to any Washington f1sh
market and see what you have to pay
for clans and crabs to prove the
monstrous injustice of the thing.
I asked one farmer what he
thought Of the New Deal. His answer
was both amusing and enlightening:
We'll, sir" said he, "h the New
Deal was something alive, like dog,
I would be fer the farmers buyin' q
half interest in 1t, like Howard Hick-
man done with Jim Traders dog.
Jim had a mean little fice dog that
had took dislike to Howard. Seems
like every time Howard went down to
DAoo4CJ bildS neb1C
flee was there, and about the time
Howard got busy swappin' lies with
the crowd the little cuss would sneak
up and bite himself a sample morsel
outen the calf Of Howard's leig.
Howard finally commenced to git real
annoyed after his laigs got so they
looked like he had been a-black-
berryin' with no pants on. One day
Howard asked Jim to sell him the
fee and Jim laughed at him and re-
fused. At last Howard said, Jim,
I'll give you dollar for Just half Of
the little varmint.' Jim winked at
the crowd and said, All right, How
ard The dollar was passed over and
Howard got fer home. He come back
in few minutes with his gun and
when the flee run at him Howard
shot his head plumb of. When Jim
complained, Howard said, 'Aw, shut
up! I bought half of him, an If I
wanted to shoot my half it haint no.
bodys damned business but mine"
S. H. MUMFORD.
Evening star., 1934-09-04
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

other grassy areas means nothing at
all.
Appearance is everything, however,
in a home lawn.
Beauty is what a lawn Is grown for.
after all. The utility Of it is entirely
secondary to its appearance.
Not only is q good lawn an attrac-
tive thing in itself, it also adds i'm
mensely to the appearance Of the
home, the neighborhood and thence
the entire community.
A good lawn is the first civic duty.
The lack Of adequate lawn along
the north side Of the new Govern
ment buildings along Pennsylvania
avenue is to be deplored by all persons
interested in the best appearance Of
things.
These huge structures demanded
many feet Of lawn area to set them on
properly, but many Of them have only
few feet, a poor strip Of grass, thereby
throwing them almost on the sidewalk.
This tends to make Pennsylvania
avenue q sort Of alley In comparison
Will IlAC dl1o atCAAAC "a 0RCAA oRbAS
which ultimately will stretch from the
Washington Monument to the Capitol.
A lawn, to be good, must be good
all over.
That Is why 1t is essential to reseed
from time to time.
Give the lawn a good cutting, then
good raking with a soft rake, such
as the flexible bamboo.
This will reveal all the bad spots,
and it is these spots which receive first
attention. After them come the thin
areas, places which cannot be called
spots in any sense, but where the grass
is thinner than one would like 1t to be.
Never use spade.
Just ruffie up the earth q bit, so
that the seed can get some hold.
There is no necessity to dig.
Throw in the seed generously, the
more the better, at least two to four
times as much as you think necessary.
This overseeing is necessary, for
a certain amount of it will not ger
inmate, even in the best mixture, and
the birds will get large percentage.
IlcIl Wdlk bIllo oCCo oOWA WAtk4 tAiC
feet, firming carefully.
Then springle good grade of bone
meal lightly over the surface, not too
thickly.
Then sprinkle with water, also light
ly. This is one place where typical
"sprinkling" is useful.
X y y
A good grade of seed will begin to
show blades within three days, and in
four weeks, or six at most, there
should be a good stand Of real grass
in the seeded places.
If the weather is what the gardener
likes to call normal" with an ade-
quate rain every week, there will be
no occasion to use the hose, but if such
rains fail, recourse must be had to it.
Lawns reseeded at this time should
be given plenty of water, but care must
be taken not to wash out the seed.
Cutting may proceed as normally,
but the clippings should be permitted
to remain, rather than disturb the
seed and new grass.
One is very foolish to use cheap seed
for Autumn sowing. At any time q
poor grade Of seed Is poor policy,
but it is particularly waste Of money
now, when there remains so little time
for growth. What growth there Ii
must be sturdy before Winter comes.
Evening star., 1934-09-04
What Is Wrong With
Drivers Around ID. c.?
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
Recently I returned from two
week vacation In the Finger Lakes
region of New York Since have
driven cars in all kinds of towns from
Chicago to New Orleans and from
Portland, Me, to Seattle and San
Francisco, I have developed quite an
interest in drivers and the many
ways they unconsciously show their
likes and dislikes. And every time
drive back to Washington, D. c.,
invariably have the same disconcert-
ing experiences. So pronounced were
they this time that I'm recounting
them here, not because they are un-
usual, but because I am convinced
they are quite common.
On this last trip travelled some
i,000-odd miles, 300 of which was
outside the metropolitan area sur
rounding Washington, D. c., and
mostly In smaller towns or the country.
Not once was the right-of way usurped
from me, not once did o car dart into
the highway 20 close as TO cause me to
more than slow UP, and all cars
travelled on the right side Of the road.
It was real Joy to drive up there.
But when ! drew near to Wash
ington, well, there was . tremendous
difference. I'll not recount the numer-
Gus violations Of common road decency
I saw. I'm sure many others have
seen them, too.
Just after entering Pennsylvania
from New York I drew up behind a
car, unmistakably Q taxicab from
Washington, d. G. presumed he
was returning here and followed him
for 10.l miles In order to see what
our taxi drivers do in the open coun-
try. He was driving only about As
miles per hour, which was not excess
sive under the conditions. But prac-
tically all the time he was either in
the center or on the left side Of the
road, except when meeting another
car or when making O right turn.
He invariably straddled the white
line on all curves to the left, and when
meeting cars pulled to the right barely
enough to allow them to pass. Was
he an exception? I think not.
What Is wrong with drivers in and
around Washington? Just plain self
ishness! ! am told this Is Traffic
Courtesy week" Our motto should
not be "be nice to the other fellow.
That doesn't get supporters in this
day and age. But when we learn to
keep in place" on the road we will
remove many Of the hazards from
Washington trafiic and will then have
city into which visitors will not be
afraid to bring their cars.
Sincerely, L. H. JAMES.
Evening star., 1934-09-04
Four Million Illiterates.
From the Newark Evening News.

From the Newark Evening News.
From its earliest days this country
has put a premium on education.
It's school system has been its pride.
1t has none Of the caste inheritance
that considers only favored groups
entitled to education. A certain
amount is made compulsory for every
one of school age. Its intention is
that every one shall be able at least
to read and write. Despite all this
it has over 100000 illiterates and
Col. Howe, secretary to the Presi-
dent, has estimated that there are
100000 more who are near litter
ateS."
The percentage of illiteracy has
been reduced from 1873 per cent in
1890 to 4.3 per cent in 1880. Credit
able as that showing is, it is even
better than it appears. The 40
years cover the period of our greatest
immigration, which, until the illit-
eracy test was applied, let in many
from countries which did not have
our educational standards and oppor-
tunities. Still 100000 illiterates and
0,OOO,OO near 1lliterateS" are out of
harmony with our ideas of what a
civilized nation should be.
The situation is not due to a lack
OF teachers. We have more than our
school system can absorb. Thou
sands are out of employment. As in
other phases of the current situa-
ton, the plenty is not distributed
where it is needed So it Is pro-
posed to make a national war on
illiteracy' major undertaking of the
Federal Emergency Relief Administpa-
ton. Employment is to be provided
10000 or more teachers now out of
work.
Returns on the outlay cannot be
measured in figures and need not be.
In a democracy, where the people
are sovereign, illiteracy is an
anomaly and menace.
Evening star., 1934-09-04

Park areas throughout the National
Capital have been reseeded to grass
recently.
Home owners we'll may initiate this
governmental activity. for there are
few private lawns which will not be
the better for little extra grass seed
sown in them now.
There is no dispute about the ad-
visibility of late August and early
September sowing.
Good seed will send blades above
the earth in four to six weeks, de-
pending upon weather conditions SO
there is plenty of time before frost
Still, the work should be done at
once, if it is to be done at all.
The ONCE of National Capital Parks
set a good example and the rest OF
us should profit by it.
1t is not at all necessary to tear ur
a lawn, in order to strengthen and
freshen it with new green, by the
planting Of seed.
Even mediocre grass plots will have
plenty of good grass in them.
The common fault of most home
swards is that they simply are moi
thick enough.
Experts have advocated TOR many
years the building up of very thick
turf, not only as a thing of beauty
and utility, but also because such a
turf diScourages the growth of weeds
Ordinarily we forget that a lawn is
after all, simply plot of earth given
over to plants of certain TYPE. e.,
various grasses.
The fact that a human being in
tends this plot for certain plants does
not preclude other types of plant life
from attempting to set themselves up
in the same area, or should we say
arena?
Every lawn is an arena in which a
veritable battle takes place between
the wanted grasses and the unwanted
weeds.
There are certain grasses, indeed,
which are little more than weeds. in
the sense that they are unmanagable
in the home lawn.
X " n X
The easiest way to get the sort of
lawn one wants is to crowd out un-
wanted grasses with the desirable
varieties.
This is like 50 much advice-much
easier said than done, Of course.
The best way to do 1t, however, Is
to keep on sowing the good kinds, as
often as twice year, in early Spring
and early Fall.
Seize every opportunity, and this
means seize every bare spot.
Sow seed In the bare spots and let
the good spots take care of them
selves.
The idea Of letting the grass go
to seed itself, and thereby self-sow, is
a fallacious one in the home lawn.
This procedure only means trouble
for the householder. If it were a good
system, the park officials would adopt
it, because off-hand it would seem to
be less costly.
Permitting lawns to go to seed not
only is ugly in itself, but demands
more labor in the subsequent cutting
and causes the grass at the surface Of
the earth to turn an ugly brown, owing
to the cutting of of the light by the
higher blades.
1t must be remembered that in Ma
ture the appearance OF meadows and
Evening star., 1934-09-04
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor OF The star:
I have just returned from q visit
to my folks on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland. The conditions I observed
among the farmers of that section fill
me with mixed emotions. Many of
them will not realize enough on their
potatoes to pay their fertilizer bills.
And the vegetables for which we peo-
pie here in Washington pay prices
suggestive of some rare tropical deli
cacy are drug on the market down
there. saw a farmer sell 61s bushels
Of potatoes for 10 cents-and they
were good potatoes. Not 10 cents a
bushel. I mean 70 cents for the e12
bushels. Many of them who dug
their potatoes late cannot even get
an offer on them.
If one-thousandth part of the
money the Government is paying out
to the big wheat and cotton growers
for not planting acreage was used to
devise and operate an equitable system
of distribution of foodstuffs from the
producer to the consumer, what a
boon it would be to the millions in
these two classes! The poor devil
who raises the food gets practically
nothing for it and we poor devils who
buy it here in the city are gouged
numerically for it. Here is a real
opportunity for the brain trusters to
show the country that they can do
something besides draw their salaries
and look wise.
Many of the farmers in the section
to which refer have, in desperation
gone into the bay" That is, they
have taken up claiming and crab
bing to try to get little money with
which to buy the necessities they can
not raise and to pay the doctor, the
druggist, etc. I would love to see
some Of the New Deal officials wading
around in Chincoteague Bay in water
up to their armpits, famed by chilly
northeast wind, while they pulled a
clam rake over the muddy bottom
bringing up one clam at time I
say would like to see these big-sal-
aried, theoretical wise guys with blue
lips and chattering teeth changing
Evening star., 1934-09-04
AS to Comparison
Of u. S. With Canada

To the Editor Of The Star:
The statements Of Alexander Sidney
Lanier in q letter in The Star of
August 81 seem to raise an important
point, viz: What does the growth Of
socialism In this country mean to
him, personally? His outline Of the
situation existing In this country at
the present time is 30 bitter that
I marvel that he continues to live
in 1t. Maybe he In one OF those
business men or manufacturers who
have been so harassed and bedeviled
Gas he puts it, by governmental
bureaucrats, union labor, restrictive
laws and excessive taxation that
there is no peace, profit or satisfac-
ton in trying to do business in these
United States, and that he has de-
cided to move to Canada, lock, stock
and barrel, and. by example, u trying
to induce others to do the same.
The reasons he gives are good; II
true. He says the general average
of intelligence Is higher there. the
people are more homogeneous (that
Is, they all have the same ideas,
presumably coinciding with his), the
laws are comparatively few (and also
intelligent) and the men in public
life are Of o high order and more
nearly statesmen than mere politicians.
I do not know what basis he has
for the statement about the higher
intelligence In Canada, nor am in
formed as to Canadian law, but 1t is
obvious that conditions can be made
much simpler In q country Of $4,000, 900
than in q country Of 10000, 900. The
enforcement Of the law Ii bound to
be easier In O country Of large area
with o small and scattered population
and only one large city. Mr.. Lanier
further infers by comparison that life
and property are not safe in this
country. That means that we are
living In q state Of anarchy. He
certainly Is viewing with alarm" from
q political standpoint.
Finally he states that the assur-
ance of the election (where does he
get that?) of Upton Sinclair as Gov
ernor Of California Is an unmis-
taxable indication of the drift of the
country to extreme socialism or boil
shevism (the two are synonymous to
him). It is hardly necessary to deny
that statement, but he seems to imply
that such men as Mr.. Sinclair have
no right to be elected. If that is
his idea of free country, I am
glad that he received the nomination
and hope he is elected. for that rea-
son among others.
He closes with q prayer, God Save
the Commonwealth" Maybe he means
the wealth of capital. His statements
do not show a regard for the common
veal, only for a restricted class. Well,
I hope to take . vacation in Quebec
next Summer.
WILLIAM p. THOMAS, Jr.