davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1934-12-28

Hitler Youth" While, according to
these stories, the new purge" is justi-
fed by its authors as crusade against
immortality and abnormalities within
the party ranks, the anti-Nazis in the
Saar contend that Immortality charges
are a mere pretext and that the real
purpose of the sanguinary drive Is to
crush a new revolt against Hitlerism
by subleaders. Another anti-Nazi ver-
sion asserts that 230 have been put to
death and 5000 to 1000 arrested in
Berlin alone.
In the case of countries which i'm
pose iron censorship of news, it Is diff
ficult for the outside world to assess
the importance of reports like those
now trickling out of Germany. Reich
officials make prompt denial of new
purge although it is admitted that
there has recently been renewed &C
tivity in the form of raids of resorts
frequented by a certain type of de-
generates and persons suspected of
subversive political moves, including
monarchical propaganda.
Recrudescence of purge" reports in
the Saar is frankly viewed with alarm
at Berlin. The June 80 affair turned
away from the German cause many
thousands of Saar voters who were
prepared to support it, despite their
antipathy to Hitlerism. Another
purge" at this time, it is admitted on
all hands, might cause a sufficient
switch in sentiment at the eleventh
hour to decide the plebiscite against
Germany, hitherto regarded as an
easy victor in the forthcoming poll.
Evening star., 1934-12-28

effective. would have cleared the
streets and roads of the Capital of the
contributors to the appalling record
of death and manning that now gives
Washington its unenviable prominence.
Had the rules and the laws gov
erning traffic in the District been so
framed and enforced in court as to
deny the right to operate motor cars
after conviction Of their violation, Of
ficer Sinclair would have been more
than merely "hard-boiled cop" on
wheels, in the eyes of the now terri
fed members of this community. He
would now have been hero, giving
himself, even to the point of death,
for the protection of life.
Perhaps this latest fatality will
cause revision of the laws and regu-
lations to the end that rule breaking
drivers will be deprived of the means
of destruction which they are now
permitted to employ.
Evening star., 1934-12-28
Bridges Are Proposed as
Means of Traffic Safety
To the Editor of The Star.

To the Editor Of The Star:
The mounting toll of traffic deaths
shows clearly that better remedy than
the Tightening of regulations should
now be adopted.
InaSmuch as automobiles have now
become on our streets very much like
the gondolas of the Venetian canals.
why not adopt here the system Of
bridges which has contributed to the
architectural fame Of the city Of the
DGges?
Nothing uglier can be imagined than
the sight OF endless lines OF automo-
biles, whether they are in motion or
at a Standstill. Anything that would
break the monotony of such an eye
sore ought to be welcome; but if added
to that We could at one stroke solve
the problem of traffic itself and that
of street crossing, and Furthermore
enhance what is left-very little, alas !!
of street beauty, then it should Ger
tainly be considered.
II may be objected that the stair
ways leading to the elevated trains of
New York City are not very eSthetic,
but this is only minor objection as
truly artistic ges-Venetian style
could easily be erected at street cross
ings, with enough clearance for the
highest and uglieSt red-painted mod
ern truck.
These bridges could be erected cross
wise in the middle of city blocks where
traffic is heavy, and lengthWise at the
end of the blocks, thus preventing
croWding. Such Venetian bridges would
permit an almost constant going of
automobile traffic. thus solving the
angle OF congestion. also additional
value would be obtained through tenn
porary shelter against rain, snow and
even heat which would doubtless be
welcome by the public. This plan
would give chance both to the auto
mobile driver and to the pedestrian.
Furthermore, it would also give tenn
porary employment to many men. and
the expense could be easily borne
through Federal and city cooperation
even if some form of additional tax
had to be resorted to.
When pne considers that the year
1884 has witnessed more than l30
deaths and hundreds of serious in
juries caused by automobile traffic in
Washington alone. the Capital of the
greatest civilized Nation in the world
today, one is necessarily led to con-
clude the same as did Cicero, when
denouncing the apathy of the Roman
Senate: "Qusque quandem?"
HENRY BURR.
Evening star., 1934-12-28

Mr.. Cooke began life as reporter,
later was an apprentice in the Cramp
Shipyards, and wound up as a Journey
man machinist The Spanish-Ameri-
can War found him an assistant en-
gineer in the Navy. During the World
War he was chairman of the storage
section of the War Industries Board.
Afterward Mr.. Cooke became eSecu-
tive assistant to the chairman OF the
Shipping Board. He has served Phil
adelphia as director of public works,
studied collegiate administrative meth
DDS for the Carnegie Foundation, was
the director of PennsylVania's giant
power survey. and is a trustee of the
Power Authority of New York State.
One Of the Republican lame ducks
whom some prominent Democrats
would like to see retained in Govern
nent service is Representative Fred A.
Britten of Illinois. or Admiral Brit
ten, as Vice President Garner duhs
him in token of the Illinoisan's long
congressional service ON behalf OF the
Navy. There are two important va
cancies to which, under the law, Re-
publicans must be appointed-one
each on the Reconstruction Finance
Corp. and the Federal Trade Commits
sion. Britten is honorably mentioned
in connection with both posts and
certain influential New Dealers are
prepared to give him their backing,
if and when the President calls for
the names of deserving Republicans.
Meantime the Chicagoan is consider
ing business propositions In ms nome
town.
IF this were Great Britain instead
of the U. S. A., Republicans IN the
new Congress would be entitled 10 cail
themselves the Presidents loyal op-
position." because Of G. o. P. inten-
tions to abstain from blind hostility
to New Deal measures. Senator NC
Nary of Oregon and Representative
Smell of New York, respective minority
leaders in Senate and House. are un-
derstood to be in agreement that II Is
neither politically practical nor pa
triotic to adopt dog-in-the- manager
tactics. Mr.. Smell says: Il have
hitherto supported all recovery and
relief measures that were obviously in
the public interest, and shall continue
to do so. l believe this is the attitude
of most Republicans. My idea IS that
we should scrutinize each admlnlStra-
ton proposal on its merits, accorolng
support where deserved and offering
opposition whenever justified" Mean
time Republican leadership is deter
mined to fight for the party's proper
quota of committee assignments. 1t
expects the Democrats to play the
game in this respect as fairly as the
Republicans say they did when the
donkey was in the wilderness.
Copyright l934.l
Evening star., 1934-12-28
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.

F. ii. c.
The Happy New Year soon will claim
its place
And set the world once more a differ
ent pace
Yet, as New Deal regulates the game,
The things We seek are pretty much
the same.
We must have Faith when honest
hearts draw near
And bid us follow them without fear.
We must have Hope to make a future
plain
Which Charity can help us to attain.
Rewards are hard to make in measure
fair,
And punishments are easy to prepare.
AS We progress in Utopian scheme,
It's Charity that still must reign
supreme.
Evening star., 1934-12-28
A Friend of the Arctic Speaks.

From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
Vilhjalmur Stefansson, explorer Of
frozen lands, may know much and he
may know very little of military mat
ters as they refer either to offense or
defense among nations. 1t must be
conceded, however, that he does know
a great deal about the ArCtiCS that re-
mains sealed to other minds. For that
reason his reference in Pittsburgh the
other day of the value of Alaska as a
military base in case of war with an
Asiatic power must command atten-
ton. especially so when it is generally
known that some of our war games Of
the air were based on Alaska during
the last year.
Mr.. Stefansson told a Pittsburgh
group that America will find a new
frontier in the Arctics, an economic
empire in time of peace and fortifi-
cation in time of war. In case of war
with a neighbor across the Pacific, he
said, Alaska. not Hawaii, is our natu-
raj base" Toxic being twice the dis
tance from Honolulu it is from Alaska.
The man who has spent so much of his
life in the Arctic added that there is
a great kindness in the ice, that though
one cannot sail through it, it is great
convenience for the landing of plane,
and we all know this has been proved
many times in inland Alaska, where
plane service is employed widely dur
ing the period of ice and snow in
Winter, and falls to its lowest state
during the short Summer
OF course Mr. Stefansson views the
Arctics as many of us cannot. 1t Is
a matter of association and, possibly,
the knowledge and assurance that as
sociation encourages. Those who read
his Friendly Arctic" of a dozen years
ago and who thoroughly enjoyed the
reading in front of a cozy fire will
readily understand how this hardy
son of frozen places would wave aside
difficulties that would be sufhcient TO
halt most of us, although that wide
difference might and probably would
have little effect in Encouragement of
military and naval air forces that may
be just about as apt in meeting hard
ships as is Mr.. Stefansson.
Evening star., 1934-12-28
The Hard Boiled Traffic Cop.

Raymond " Sinclair was the hard
boiled cop" of the traffic squad, the
nemesis of violators of the rules and
laws written for the protection of the
public. He gained his reputation by
persistent pursuit of speeders and
others who Haunted the regulations.
He was cordially disliked by the
rule breaking drivers. Now he is
dead, in the line of duty, smashed
down while pursuing racing machine
as he sought to pass car the driver
of which, not knowing of his pres
ence, turned suddenly into his path.
Sinclair's death Is the one hundred
and thirty third of this waning calen-
dar year in the District of Columbia.
1t is to be hoped that it will be the
last one for 1884 But that hope is
faint, for three days remain, and at
the rate now set another or perhaps
more fatalities will be recorded before
the New Year arrives. A shameful
condition!
In the course of his service on the
traffic squad Officer Sinclair caused
the arrest of many hundreds of rule
breakers. In 1895 alone he turned in
1892 tickets and all but thirteen OF
these resulted in convictions in court.
But what of that? These convictions
did not abate the evil of reckless driv-
ing, rule-breaking, dangerous turning
and other forms of motor misconduct
that contribute to the shocking total
which makes Washington stand out
as one of the most, If not the most,
dangerous city in the country.
Ofiicer Sinclair did his duty. He
was true to his task. The District
owes him tribute as q man who was
unafraid, who tried to make the dan
gerous drivers respect the law, and
who, If the laws themselves were more
Evening star., 1934-12-28
Intelligence Needed in
Solving Traffic Problem
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
In your able Eleven Points Hath
December" editorial Of December %,
1884, you ask the rhetorical question:
why was not this war, this in
tensive campaign, launched on the
first day OF January, 1934?"
The answer is obvious. The whole
District of Columbia Commission and
police force were engaged in bear
batting" the automobile owners of
the District, rather than reason
able consideration of traffic con-
trol-and they still are.
I venture that not one of the
years fatalities was due to parked
automobile, yet I saw daily able
bodied police writing out tags and
sticking them on parked cars, be-
| cause they were not shifted about
hourly. OF course, the shifting creates
traffic congestion, with a CORE
spending risk for somebody. But the
ticket produced a revenue, and the
Commissioners evidently had their
eye on the cash, not the safety of
the people of the District. This syS-
OCill, VI COulo hCAo OiA abAoC VA
| process.
Now, the able corporation counsel
will draft a law to make the auto
mobile owner liable, even when
another violates the law with bor-
, roWed car. The maximum fine for
parking overtime" is $500 Will the
automobile owner stand for this? 1t
will probably stick until somebody
takes it to court and then, ! fore
cast this novel suggestion will be
branded as a violation of private
| rights that is not, and cannot by
any fiat of the District of Columbia
Commission, be made the law. In
the meantime the auto owners will be
| mulcted, until somebody is willing
| TO spend a few days and couple
of hundred dollars to show up a
/ racket.
/ am ready to fully cooperate to
| increase safety on the streets; SO
! are most motorists. but ! would like
| to see the intelligence of a wooden
Indian applied to the problem, and
/ have not seen it in Washington
recently.
I, for one, intend to see that each
ticket means trial in court If all
| other motorists would do the same
there would be some discriminate
used in issuing tickets, and perhaps
| the Commissioners would learn to dis
criminate between what is a common
sense law, and what is asinine In
the meantime I reverently pray for
the time when those who are to
govern the District are elected by
the people of the District and are
required to be residents of the Dis
/ trict. HERBERT S. WARD
Evening star., 1934-12-28
Another. .Nazi Purge?

With only fortnight of electioneer-
ing left before the plehiscite in the
Saar on January l3, the campaign
which is to end in a determination of
the basins future political status is
winding up in a blaze of sensational
charges designed to influence the
voting against Germany. Anti-Nazis
claim that the Hitlerites have staged
another blood purge" on the model
of events that occurred in Berlin,
Munich and elsewhere on June 80 last
and that this time one hundred have
been killed and 1000 arrested in
q furious drive against the Schultz
Staffel picked Nazi guards and the
Evening star., 1934-12-28
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES e, TRACEWELL.


is isolated, the old boys are chasing
and fighting each other. Usually one
or two are kept back in the thick
plant growth.
Probably there Is one much worse
of, as result of the brawling, than
the other This second fish imme-
diately begins private war of his
own against the very badly used one.
y 4
It may be realized that actually
there Is no pleasure in keeping such
creatures, unless one is absolutely in
different to sickness and death
But the very basis of tropical fish
keeping is acute awareness of in
juries. The attempt to keep these
small creatures in good health, and
therefore happy, as the fish mind
goes, is at the bottom of every en-
thusiaSt worth his salt.
His entire activities. as lobbyist
are built on good care. The beginner
usually thinks there is little to this,
that all one has to d. = dump the
nShes IN water, b : he finds
out his mistake V month.
The beauty of this EoJ.y, as of all
worthwhile hobbies, is that there is
always something to be learned, al
ways some problem coming up to de-
mand the best activities of the inquir-
ing mind.
1t may be believed, however, that
these good activities are often wasted
in caring for certain fishes after they
nave proved themselves little nuis-
ances.
However much of lobbyist one
may become, one good thing about
these creatures is that it is impossible
to become very much attached to
any one individual.
With certain exceptions, every fish
of a given species is as much like
every other one of the species as so
many peas in pods.
While one may regret the passing
of certain ones, still their loss is not
felt as with the higher creatures.
This makes it possible for one to
give away, or otherwise dispose Of,
those fishes which in any way consti-
tute themselves nuisances.
"OtherWise dispose Of Of course,
does not mean the destruction OF the
animals.
No one who likes fishes can do that.
Nor would such a person advocate
the releasing of the fishes in local
waters, even in the Summer, as We
have seen done.
This latter simply means their
death when Autumn and Winter
comes.
Exposing them in the air for few
minutes, of course, would do the
trick, but such method is unthink-
able except to the cruel.
The best way is to find some one
who would like them.
This is not easy, always, even II
one happens TO know many persons
interested in the home aquarium.
Just the right one must be found.
There are any number of perfectly
good reasons why an individual fish
fan" may got want to accept the
gift of some perfectly good nuisances!
He NAV know about them just as
much as you do. He may know even
more about them, as strange as that
may sound.
Inc JnlIS 10 40, tllell, Is W Keep
on, and not give up the search Just
because the first man tried was onto
you and your precious nuisances.
No doubt in time you will find some
one on whom you can unload, and
then he will have the pleasure of
wrestling with new plscatorlal
problem.
Since this is half the fun of
amateur fish keeping, you really are
doing him a big service, as we'll as
one for yourself and that portion of
the human mind which finds interest
in fishes in the home aquarium.
Evening star., 1934-12-28
Summary of Causes
OF Traffic Dangers

To the Editor of The STAR
Hardly an issue of your paper ap-
pears without giving some frightful
mounting carnage taken in our city
by automobiles We have had educa-
tional campaigns, traffic conferences
and now comes the latest, Van Duzer
to Fly Over the City Seeking Street
Safety Key" and still casualties in
crease daily. Now I am speaking as
a pedestrian and a motorist as 1 OBJ
serve some of the contributing causes.
We all know it is traveSty to say
that the pedestrians must cross on
the proper light" His only chance
was taken away with the inaugura-
ton of the universal left turn. Give
the pedestrian a light. Cut out the
amber light
When there we're fewer cars in our
city it was a strict violation to park
car within 40 feet of the building
line. Now the motorists park to and
beyond the crosswalk, obstructing the
view both to the pedestrian and driver.
A trap!
Again it was customary to make all
turns around a button or semiphore.
This neceSsitated the motorist to slow
down to negotiate this turn, safety
factor both for the pedestrian and mo-
toriSt Now it is speed up and trim
the corners.
The question was asked some time
ago through your columns where did
the signal light have its inception and
the answer was given from the rail
roads" The railroad engineer leans
out Of the right cab window, giving
him a full vision at all times. Not SO
with the motorist. We drive from the
left side of the car and the lights are
on the right, and if the traffic is
heavy, especially with truck, or bus
in front of the driver, the signals are
hidden from view and it Just becomes
blind driving for the motorist. This
is common occurrence when bus is
stopping at the curb. There is no way
to tell if the bus driver is stopping for
a red light or is just taking on or dis
charging passengers. I am expert
encing this difficulty daily while driv-
ing to and from work on Rhode Island
avenue. The lights should be on the
left or center of street.
Again this is the only city where
one can purchase a car for few dol
lars without any Government inspec-
ton; park it in front Of your neigh
Evening star., 1934-12-28

The controversy between the Ten
neSsee Valley Authority and the util-
tiles companies is debated in the
newspapers with differing opinions as
TO the course that should be followed
by the Government. The utilHies
through the Edison Electric Institute,
asked for a friendly test in court of
the constitutionality Of the T. V. A.
out the Federal Power Commission re-
piled unfavorably.
1T does not follow" according to
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that
there will not be a court test, but
if it comes, it will not be of the
friendly variety. After all. the i'm
portant thing is net whether court
action is friendly or unfriendly. If
the power people think they have a
case that will stand on its own merits
they will doubtless go ahead with it
and the preliminaries will make no
difference to the nine men who must
ultimately pass upon the issue
Perhaps" suggests the Richmond
News Leader, the President is de-
termined to bring the power COM
panies to terms here and now. If
this be his plan, all of us can under
stand why the Administration has de-
clined to cooperate in an early judi
cia, test of the constitutionality of
the law under which the T. V. A. is
operating. and We can see how he
may be playing on the fears OF the
utility operators. Manifestly, how
ever, there is a time limit for these
maneuvers.> Utility companies are so
articulated in the industrial organ
ism that trepidation on the part OF
their owners is barrier to the re-
turn of business confidence. The
sooner the President is able to state
the terms of power-peace, the earl
ier the next stage in the industrial
recovery"
Going to the merits of the con-
troverSy, the New Haven Journal
Courier states that the basic New
Deal concept looks to a utilities yard
stick, by which private rates can be
measured for their fairness, yet the
T. V. A purposes seem to go much
beyond the yardstick premise"
With the assertion that President
Roosevelt is not out to destroy the
utilities, but he is determined to do
what he can to protect the public from
abuses" the Kansas City Star offers
the Judgment: People widely recog-
nize the dangers involved in the eX-
tension of government into private
business. But they have been in
censed by the arrogance of certain gas
and electric utilities. by their desper-
ate fights against reasonable public
regulation, by the disclosures of the
maneuvers of insiders to enrich them
selves at the public's expense. Public
ownership is favored only when there
is no other protection against intoler-
able conditions. 1t is up. to the utili-
ties themselves to determine the ex-
tent to which they will have to face
public ownership competition"
Legitimate investments" declares
the Sacramento Bee, ARE not endan-
gered by the Government program.
But if watered securities are in jeop-
ardy, the private utilities have only
themselves to blame"
The substance of the Power Com
missions reply, issued through Chair
man Frank McNinch, is given by the
Charlotte IN. c. Observer in these
words: 1T was predicated upon the