davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1934-06-08

ranged, all in anticipation Of the work
itself. With perfect coordination
between horse power and man power
the bridge was moved by fraction
of an inch at a time. steadily, smoothly
and with only occasional interruptions
to correct the alignment as one sec
ton moved slightly faster than
another.
This operation was a combination
of old and modern methods. The
moving of structures intact has been
accomplished for many years, some
times large buildings fully occupied.
In earlier days, as now, rollers were
used, but they were of wood and not
of steel, as in this latest work. Both
men and horses were employed, as
yesterday. Engine power is less de-
pendable. In this case the major
problem lay in the height and slen-
derness of the structure. The danger
was that the sliding bases might sag
and cause a disturbance of equi-
librium, with the result of a fall. So
well had the preparatory work been
done, however, that there was yester-
day no approach to the margin of
safety.
Evening star., 1934-06-08
Vandalism Wholesale.

The municipal authorities OF New
York City have ordered the restora-
ton of nearly three hundred public
monuments, statues and other me-
MORALS damaged by vandals. Neces-
sarily, the expense will be consid-
erable and the work will be tedious.
And unless a different attitude of
mind can be cultivated among the
people it will be only question OF
time until another program of repair
will have to be initiated.
Vandalism appears to be habit.
There are individuals at large who
simply cannot resist the temptation
to smash things. Psychologists have
a name for their peculiar mental Of
Fiction. They bracket them with IA
natical iconoclasts. anarchists and ter
rorists. They are willful and delib-
crate wreckers, prompted by patho-
logic compulsion to violence against
helpless objects. And their case gen.
orally is beyond the reach of medical
science. They are not subject to cure.
But they are amenable to the re-
sistance of an aroused opposition.
Their mischief can be prevented by
vigilance on the part Of their neigh
bors. The difflculty. in the circum-
stances arises from the unwillingness
of average men and women to exert
themselves in defense OF public prop
erty. A hundred people will stand
idly by while one malicious youngster
makes a target of the monument of
national hero. Such a spectacle has
been witnessed-and it was not ter
minated until fortnight bystander
waxing momentarily militant, seized
the offender by a convenient ear and
led him of to merited exile.
1t requires frequent repetition that
public property is public RESPONSE
bility. Every citizen should share the
burden. Tolerance of vandalism is an
indictment of society. Only a nation
careless of its fate would be capable
of allowing the piecemeal destruction
of the fruits of its courage, its sense
of grateful appreciation and its artis-
tic genius. Monuments, theoretically.
are raised to stand forever. The ex-
perience of New York indicates that
their term of existence is pitifully
brief unless they are constantly
guarded.
Evening star., 1934-06-08
We Should Pay for
Recovery as We Go
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
1t seems TO be a human tendency
to defer as long as possible meeting
q bad situation squarely. To put off
as long as possible the day of reckon
ing In an effort to find an easy way
out seems to be the procedure groups
of people as well as individuals choose
to follow.
A better attitude could not be
adopted on the part of Congress than
that which one commentator urges, as
follows: There Is no use beguiling
ourselves. After all the exploits of the
new deal there are upward of 10000
900 idle men and women. There Is
no prospect that all of these men and
women will be returned to jobs within
the year. There Is agreement among
those with the best information that
unemployment relief will be needed, in
substantial sums, for several years.
and perhaps indefinitely. This means
that the haves must share with the
have nots. And when that obliga-
tion is before US, the course Of reason
Is to stand squarely up to 1t and not
dodge through a labyrinth of debt
whose end we cannot see. We have
a bill to pay. 1t cannot be escaped,
though it can be reduced. Let us
stand up to the bill and pay 1t on
the NALL"
If this country. through its Con-
gress. Is to continue making vast ap-
preparations. it should not 20 on
pyramiding its debt, but make pro-
visions for paying for same as in
CURED. This, furthermore, will serve
as a test as to the wisdom Of many
projects. PAUL D. BOONE.
Evening star., 1934-06-08
Slow Police Work
AT an Accident
To the Editor Of TIE Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
What is wrong with our police
force? Certainly something Is sadly
amiss. We hear q lot of how quickly
an cficer can reach the scene of
trouble In his police car. All well and
good. But did you ever hear anything
about their efficiency when they get
there? Well, If you didn't, here's
something.
June 6, about 9 pm, a man was hit
by street car at Eighth and Kennedy
streets northwest. He was hit so hard
that heard the impact half q block
away. Bleeding profusely from the
head, he was carried to a nearby street
corner and seated on a box. A police
ambulance was called and it came
promptly enough. But when the
officers arrived they got out Of the
car like two dandies going for a stroll
on the boardwalk, even though in
formed a man had been injured, and
made their way to the injured man.
And when they got there, do you think
they offered aid? No. they wanted all
the facts first. Who was hit, how. and
why? Nonchalantly one of the officers
reached in his pocket for a pencil.
But, alas and alack, he had no pencil.
An indignant spectator handed him
his. Slowly and meticulously the off,
Ger iotted down the facts; all the while
the man was seated there bleeding pro-
fusely. Meanwhile five other officers
came up; they, too, stood around like
spectators at crap game. But pres
emily one got a brilliant idea. did
some one have first aid kit?" One
ofhcer asked another and he asked the
next. Finally, after about minutes,
one was produced. A bandage was
unrolled and the injured mans head
was tied. All told, the man had stood
there about IS minutes while the men
engaged in this senseless camaraderie.
Why should that be? Why couldn't
that man have been taken Immediately
to the hospital instead of being left
there bleeding while the officers gath
cred facts? II information was so
important. why didn't one of the other
officers remain at the scene and gather
facts while the rest took the man to
the hospital? Heaven knows there
WcIc cilOuku pDuCcIicu al tIle scene.
And they could easily have attended
to the matter.
hope this matter will come 10 the
attention of the police chief and that
he will take steps to instruct his men
and prevent repetition of such an
occurrence. 1t is performance that
does no one credit.
When a man is injured with his
head cracked open and bleeding like
a stuck hog it seems to me the logical
thing TO do is 10 take him to a hos
pital right away, where aid can be
rendered him. And that such incon-
sequential matters as names, addresses,
witnesses and all, can wait. With that
I think no one can disagree.
We pride ourselves on our speedy
radio service. we point with Joy to
our fast police cars. But what good
are they if we are going to put slow
motion policemen in them?
j. AMBROSE.
Evening star., 1934-06-08
Socialism and the
New Deal Measures
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
Controversy wakes warm over the
question. "Is the New Deal Socialism,"
The Christian Century holds that it
is not socialism because 1t does not
involve government ownership of
business. Definitions OF socialism are
many and varied, but that given by
the Standard Dictionary would appear
to be reasonably accurate. This de-
fines socialism as involving 'the COL
lective ownership of land and capi-
tai" but it also defines socialism as
the public collective management Of
all industries" And this last defini-
ton fits exactly the program of the
N. r. A. and the A. A. A.
Henry George. in Progress and
Poverty" accurately describes the two
extremes as follows: The anarchists
seem to US like men who would try
to get along without heads. and the
Socialists like men who would try
to rule the wonderfully complex and
delicate relations of their frames by
conscious will" An authority on
economics, Arthur Twining Hadley. in
1896 stated the case as follows: In
ciety is better governed by allowing
individuals. as far as possible. to gov
ern themselves. In modern economics
We have seen that society is made
richer by allowing individuals. as far
as possible. freedom to get rich in
their own ways"
These sentiments of Woodrow Will
son are In refreshing contrast to those
of DR.. Tugwell and his associates at
Washington. Said the ex-President,
Il do not want to live under a
philanthropy I do not want to be
taken care Of by the Government,
either directly or by any instruments
through which the Government is
acting"
The conflict between State socialism
and the democracy Of Thomas Jeffer-
son and Henry George is irreconcila-
BILE. The attempt to combine them
is doomed to failure
HENRY WARE ALLEN.
Wichita, Kans.
Evening star., 1934-06-08

colorful luminaries of similar ilk
we're among his best customers.
Doubtless a genuine thrill perambu-
lated up and down his spine when
he beheld such a paragon of distinc-
ton as Jimmy Walker entering his
doors. He was what In another age
might have been styled a "tuft-
hunter" One Of his most valued
possessions was a cigarette case
signed by Tammany Young, the gate
crasher. Another was the autographed
photograph of Harry prince MichaeD
RomanofI, from whom Tammany
might have taken lessons in the art
of pretending.
But La Hiff must have found his
pastime a costly pleasure. He Is
supposed to have had the largest
collection of "phoney" checks In
existence,
Evening star., 1934-06-08
The Bridge Moving.

Yesterdays operation at the CAL
vert street crossing of Rock Creek
was performed with entire success.
The old bridge was moved from its
original station to a point eighty feet
to the south and there it will be
anchored to permit the resumption
of street car and ordinary traffic
within a few hours. The suspension
of traffic over the bridge neceSSi-
tated emergency arrangements, which
worked satisfactorily. imposing only
slight delays upon the thousands of
passengers who rely upon this line of
cars for their daily travel. Altogether
1t was good job.
The moving of such mass intact
was regarded by the engineers in
charge as merely routine work. but to
those who watched it and the far
greater number who followed the pro-
ceedings by the proxy of print and
radio it was an astonishing perform
ance. The structure is an old one, of
dubious character as regards security.
Its replacement by masonry bridge,
long advocated, was required. for that
reason primarily, though the viaduct
had become inadequate to care for
the greatly increased volume of traffic
and larger structure, az we'll as a
stronger. was needed.
The most painstaking, detailed
preparations were required for this
shift. Foundations had to be laid
and tracks established. motive power
had to be provided, numerous details
Of supplementary connections ar
Evening star., 1934-06-08
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

| for 3 dozen fine blooms. Many small
garden contained no more peory bios
SONS, yet the gardener prides himself
very much upon them. No, the plants
themselves are worth more, both in
themselves and as display. When 1t
comes to real garden satisfaction, the
plant itself Is the real thing, and de-
serves more thought, IN that regard,
than the average person Is going to
| give it.
Most of the best flowers, and all OF
the commanding ones, bloom for
about two weeks.
Now, two weeks is a small period
OF time, out Of Summer.
Two weeks Is not very long.
But the foliage, the beautiful
green, the habit of growth, the plant
itself. is with the gardener: all the
season through.
It. therefore. deserves a larger
place In his attention and estimation
than commonly he gives 1t.
What do you see, after all, In the
great estates of those persons who are
able to garden without thought Of
| cost?
You see banking of trees. ever
greens, plants. for mass effects.
You see blossoms In mass effects,
of course, and a succession of bloom
but the true effect, we believe, is
achieved there by the groupings
themselves. with enough perspective
to enable the beholder to grasp them
all as groups, as masses which arrest
| the eye and command the intellec-
| tual attention.
Bold sweeps Of roadside help in the
effect which such places secure. There
is something here greater, grander,
than mere prettiness of bright flow-
ers. Solidly, behind each coloration,
| lies the universal color-green.
1t does not seem that any one can
ever praise green too much.
It is an eternal verify of color.
| 1t is the basic tint, the true divine
shade, and not gold.
Green won the rhapsody Of Whit
man, Americas not yet understood
poet.
He valued it in the grass blade.
in the pastures. the fields, the long
roll Of fine lawns.
To him the temporal grass was a
reminder of eternal things.
world without grass would be a
world OF glarlng snow or equally glar-
ing concrete, of harsh outlines and
unrelieved shadows. Of straight lines,
Egyptian symbols.
The very love which somehow crea
ton manages TO show. despite all the
| cruelty, would be unthinkable without
green.
Green is the great harmonizer.
White flowers, or blue ones, are
advised in paintings, to make other
colors more beautiful, by way of con-
trast, but the true equalizer is the
beautiful greenery Of the grass. the
shrubs. the evergreens, the leaves of
all the growing things.
So SURPRISING are the grand bios
SONS of the various peonies that the
gardener tends to forget that the
stalks and leaves are surprising, too.
There is no better shrub" in a
garden than the peony bush. after
it has bloomed. All Summer long it
will be a thing of quiet beauty to
those who have the gift Of apprecia-
ton of such things
Surely 1t is a gift.
Thousands of people live and die
without once appreciating the peony
bush at its true worth. They have
appreciated political tactics, but not
! the peony bush.
Evening star., 1934-06-08
SHOOTING STARS.
BY puuANDER JOHNSON.

Advice.
My Uncle Jim remarked My son.
Polonius has told us
The things that should be said and
done
As various cares enfold us,
To his good talk III add one thought,
Sometimes you've got tc dicker.
But when in trading you are caught
Don't try to be 'slicker.'
"Polonius said To your own self
Be true Then folks who seek to
rule you
Unfairly you'll put on the shelf,
Because they cannot fool you.
OF worthy friendships you will be
A chooser and a picker.
If to this maxim you'll agree,
Don't try to be 'slicker.'"
Evening star., 1934-06-08
Repeal of Platt Amendment
Hailed With Wide Approval

Following so closely upon the with
drawal Of American marines from
Nicaragua" says the Texarkana Ga
zette, after many years of armed oc-
cupation in that Central American
republic. the treaty is new evidence
of the good faith of the United States
Government in its declarations Of
friendship for those nations south of
the Rio Grande, and will do more to
restore Americans to persona grata
status in those regions than anything
that has transpired in many years"
The Cuban situation" comments
the New York Sun, 'is one to be
handled with an eye single TO the
present and future necessities Of the
United States. The perils Of tornor-
row, not the memories of the past de-
serve the attention of the authorities
in Washington"
Evening star., 1934-06-08

While the majority Of the American
press voices approval to the repeal Of
the Platt amendment, which gave the
United States power to intervene in
Cuba, some editors still cling to the
idea that the Monroe Doctrine is
needed to guard against foreign in
trigue. The favorable comments en-
phasize the Roosevelt good -neighbor
policy as one which represents a def
mite pan-American principle and hold
that the change in relations with Cuba
is likely to be effective in furthering
cooperation among these nations.
1T is almost outside the annals of
history for one nation to release VOL
unfairly a powerful hold it might have
on another" says the Salt Lake Des-
eret News. while the st. Paul Pioneer
Press observes that the relations
among the Americas should be enter
ing a new era" The Philadelphia
Evening Bulletin AYERS that "in the
abrogation of this mandate there is
much to be gained, little. If anything,
lost" The Long Beach (Calif.) Press
Telegram declares: This discarding
of any implied duty under the Monroe
Doctrine for the United States to act
as policeman for the American conti-
nents is grateful to Latin American
sensibilities. which always have been
offended by q big-brother attitude to-
ward Latin America by the United
States"
The Importance Of this action in the
development of the "good-neighbor'
spirit in pan-American relations is
stressed by the Roanoke world-News,
the Boston Transcript, the Winston
Salem Journal, the New York Times
and the Nashville Banner. while the
Providence Bulletin states: THE
Roosevelt administration has displayed
genuine friendship for Cuba. The
present good relationship existing be-
tween the two countries the radicals
would upset, by terroristic methods, to
further their own hi-jacking policy.
The conspiracy, We venture to suggest,
will not succeed"
"Ostensibly, Cuba will now cut
loose" remarks the Reno Evening Ga
zette. from this country,s apron
strings. Henceforth her people, back
ward culturally and incompetent polit-
ically, will be expected to maintain an
orderly government and protect the
lives and property of aliens. That they
will do this no sane person believes.
Beyond doubt there will be other oc-
caSions when this country viii have
to send military forces to the island
to protect Its nationals, but until this
occurs the island will be able to pose
as q completely. independent nation,
which will flatter its politicians and
perhaps mollify some of the other
Latin American nations who have al
ways viewed the Platt amendment as
an act of aggression by this country"
Cuban partisans who do not like
the present government" suggests the
Chicago Tribune, may try the effect
Of outrages against Americans to make
the government lose face In Wash
ington. The United States has adopted
the policy of speaking soft and low.
The big stick is on the upper shelf
and q frown from any other American
country Is regarded as q deserved re-
proach. The altruism Is well meant,
but 1t may not work. Human nature
seems to have its domain south OF
the American borders to deny that the
smaller fellows are always good and
the big fellow Is always bad"
Evening star., 1934-06-08
Celebrity Collector.

Some men collect stamps, others
coins, still others old masters or rare
first editions. Billy La Hiff, differ
ing from all of these, made 1t his spe-
cialty to collect celebrities. He was a
New York restaurant proprietor, and
his cafe was a meeting place for writ
ers, painters, actors, musicians, poll
ticians, sportsmen and their friends.
In the course of years of ardent and
purposeful catering to the appetites
and thirsts of patrons the owner of
the establishment more or less natu-
rally came to have a speaking &C
quaintance with a great number of
the outstanding characters of the
Broadway world.
La Hiff died yesterday, sardonically
enough victim of an intestinal all
ment. Obituary notices In the metro
politan press tell of his climb to emf
nence in his profession. Successfully
busboy, oyster opener, waiter. bar
tender wine steward at the old Wal
dorf-Astoria, then assistant manager
of Churchill's, he finally acquired in.
dependence as the: presiding genius of
his own institution. Meanwhile,
through the whole sequence of three
decades, he was indulging his hobby,
assiduously cultivating cordial rela-
tions with the famous and the near
famous men and women of his time
His final success was unqueStioned.
The day arrived when he could boast
that he knew a hundred thousand
celebrities well enough to call them
by their first names.
Diamond Jim Brady and Bet-you-
a-million Gates were on his list.
Tex Rickard, Jack Dempsey, Jack
Kearns, Jim Corbett, Jack Sharkey,
Dick Garfield, Bud Fisher, Rudy
Vallee, Paul Whiteman, John McCor-
mack, Maurice Chevalier. Harry Rich
man, George M. Cohan and other
Evening star., 1934-06-08
L Basic Change of Policy.

Following rather closely on the heels
of the Presidents executive order OF
May 26, which relieved local service
industries from the price, liking and
trade practice provisions of the ma
tional codes, the N. r. A. has an
nounced as its new policy the elimi-
nation of price-fixing from future
codes. except during certain emer-
gencies, and the gradual removal of
such provisions from the codes already
in existence.
This change of policy is basic. Re-
peated criticism of the codes has been
made by such agencies as the Con-
sumers' Advisory Board. the Darrow
board and other groups and indi-
viduals representative more of the
consumers than of industry and busi-
ness, on the ground that price-fixing
agreements tend toward monopolistic
practices directly opposed to the
other efforts by the administration to
increase purchasing power, Large
profits, it has been said, have in some
cases resulted from the price, fixing
provisions lifting prices beyond the
reach of farm and wage-earner con-
sumers.
On the other hand one of the rea-
sons that led to ready acceptance Of
codes of fair competition by many of
the industries was the accompanying
privilege of price fixing and price
maintenance, which served to offset
such increased costs as were caused
by the wage and hour provisions of
the codes. Throwing the price fixing
agreements out of codes now written
may mean new battles for the N. r
A, although opinion differs among
observers whether industry as a whole
will adapt itself to the new policy or
attempt to resist it.
If price fixing, with its inevitable
tendency toward monopolistic prac-
tices, was necessary element in
starting prices on rise. as part ol
recovery, the danger all along has beer
that once the rise began the new price
levels would be beyond the reach OF
wage-earner consumers, removed. a;
! they were, from the usually governing
forces of competition. With indica'
tions that recovery is under way
there should be a gradual lessening OF
emergency price-boosting and price
maintaining stimulants. The new pol
icy of N r. A.. is enunciated through
a memorandum, instead of an order
and is apparently to be applied gradu-
ally to the important industries al
ready under codes, preventing tht
complexities of a sudden, sharp re-
versal of practice.
The step will remove one basis oi
sharp criticism of N. r. A. codes as
neglectful of consumer interests. II
remains now to be seen whether fair
competition existence Of which
in any form is so picturesquely doubted
by the frankly cynical Mr.. Darrow-is
possible without the power to agree or
such an important element in compe-
tition as minimum prices. The point
has already been made, with appar-
entity telling effect, that competition
is not fair to the consuming public
when prices are fixed by the COM
petitors.