davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Stockholders of the
Telephone MONOPOLY

From the Wall Street journal.
Assuming the correctness of a Federal
Communications Commission examiner's
testimony that per cent of the Amer
!can Telephone g. Telegraph Co. stock
holders own so per cent of it's stock, what
does it mean? The company has up
ward of 650,000 stockholders. The
examiners discovery means that a little
group of $4,000 insiders can 60 into a
huddle whenever the $4,000 choose to
do so and agree to put something over
on the remaining $4,000. If half q
dozen dictators or autocratS or oligarchs
in a single enterprise are Objectionable,
$4,000 of them are just $500 times as
Objectionable. These figures are only
approximate, of course; it's the principle
of the thing that counts.
Another discovery of the examiner Is
that holdings Of the companys stock
are not distributed over the country In
proportion to its service lines or the
collection Of its revenues. Close to "a
per cent Of its shares, he finds, are held
within about 800 miles Of New York City.
n this Is true, there can be no denial
Of the fact that the older portions of
the United States have financed out
OF their accumulated savings the extern
sion and development OF telephone serv-
Ice throughout the interior and over the
Western marches. where local need of
service was greater than local means
Of supplying u.
From . certain paint Of view there
must be something heinous about that
since n n iust the process nv which
Industry. transportation end utilities
have been spreadins throughout ths
Evening star., 1936-09-12
High Dash of Late Model
Cars Cause of Accidents

To the Editor OF The Star:
Last Sunday, little after am. q late
model sedan came down Seventh street
northwest and drove into the excavation
at F street and tied traffic on two car
lines, besides doing some damage to the
machine. On account of the high dash
and radiator of the automobile the
driver could not see the roadway 20 feet
in front of his right front wheel.
This is one specific example of what
happens over and over again.
During the past four years many taxi
cab drivers have been asked the follow
ing question: IF the driver of an auto
mobile could see the roadway 10 feet in
front of his car, would it prevent 80 per
cent of the accidents?" The answer
invariably is that it would.
Consider these facts:
The average driver Of most of the
late model automobiles cannot see the
roadway 80 to 40 feet in front of the
right front wheel of the automobile In
which the driver sits.
Many short drivers cannot see the
roadway 200 to 300 feet in front of their
automobiles. and some cannot see the
level road at all, but drive by those por-
tionS of other automobiles and of pedes-
trians that are visible above the instru-
ment board-blind driving!
The failure to see the right side of the
road is directly responsible for the curb
shy" drivers who hug the center of the
road and force those attempting to pass
to cross the center line, and therefore
the high dash and radiator are respon-
sible for most of the "head-on" colli-
Sions.
Most of the reckless speed is due to
the inability to see the danger of the
road. w. F. FLETCHER,
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Loyalty in Public Service.

An army engaged in a campaign
against the enemy cannot succeed with
out the loyalty Of all its members. The
Department Of Justice, engaged in a
campaign against public enemies" can
not succeed without the loyalty of all Its
employees.
Attorney General Cummings undoubt-
edly had this axiom in mind when he
warned an employe Of his important
department to refrain from any fur
ther demonstrations against divisions or
bureaus Of the Department Of Justice.
This employe, who holds responsible
position In one Of the bureaus of the
department, presided at . recent meet
ing Of insursent members Of the Amer
lean Federation Of Government En-
ployes during which J. Edgar Hoover.
director Of the Federai Bureau OF Inves-
tiaation. was attacked by speech and
drama" The employe was interro-
gator OF q hooded hsure characterized
a. the spirit" Of Mr.. Hoover. who was
depicted ss O "hear,ieas" executive.
A. this sams meeting u vas reported
tire, Q spsssesbpsllsa ist more ,seusls.
makers" IN Government. rseueis.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENR Y.

struck at him. The coyote sprang out
of the way and snapped the snake just
back of the head, jumping away before
the reptile could retaliate. Every time
the coyote came within range the snake
struck at him. and each time the coyote
siezed the snake. The last time the
snake collapsed. The coyote seized and
shook it until it stopped squirming.
Being satisfied that the snake was dead,
the coyote sat on its launches. looked
around, and then started to eat the
snake, beginning at the head. When
he had finished he trotted of through
the BUSH"
From South Africa comes a report
from DR.. Raymond B. Cowles of the
University of California of a fight be-
tween a deadly reptile and little known
mammal, the inyengelizi, or snake
weasel.
The habitat Of this creature, unknown
in any zoo, is the Umzumbe Valley in
the Natal Province, where it is one Of
the rarest of carnivores. Very few, Mr..
Cowles says, ever are captured. The
natives either refuse to bring them in
or demand exorbitant prices for their
SklIlS. All parts Oh LIe DOOy are uSeQ III
the native pharmacopoeia and the elders
wear a narrow strip of the fur to ward
off evil and bring good luck.
Nothing could be learned concerning
the habits of the species except that it
apparently frequents the burrows of sub
terranean animals in gardens. sometimes
is ploughed up, and will attack and
kill large snakes. A reliable Zulu de-
scribed to Mr.. Cowles battle between
one of them and a deadly mamba about
feet long. He stated that he had
been sitting near the bush watching the
snake, which was coiled to bask in the
sun in a little clearing. After few
minutes q movement in the bushes
caught his attention and he saw an
inyengelizi cautiously stealing toward
the snake. When within a foot or two
the animal suddenly leaped upon the
reptile and fastened its teeth just behind
the head, where 1t clung during the
ensuing wild struggle. After a few
minutes 1t succeeded in killing the
snake, whereupon it relinquished its
hold, performed its toilet and left with
out eating any of its prey.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

makers may have their place, but cer-
tainly there is no room for them in Gov
ernment service.
Without entering into the merits of
Mr.. Hoover's action in discharging 4
group Of employees whom he accused Of
inefiiciency, the fact remains that the
head of the G-men could not have
accomplished what he has done in the
war on crime but for the loyalty, in
tegrity and efficiency of his force.
The Attorney General is to be COM
mended for backing Mr.. Hoover in his
efforts to maintain this high standard
of public service.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Traction Subway Will Not
Increase Parking Space
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
Once again the subway comes to the
surface. Will 1t never 60 down for the
third timer A subway for street cars
only-a double track system-will help
little. If the street cars carry only the
same number of passengers to their
destination they will arrive at an earlier
moment than at present because there
will be no traffic lights to hold them.
Passengers unload and the car starts at
once.
Many patrons of the street cars do not
seem to understand that the hold-up by
traflc lights Is not the fault Of the street
car company. Cross traffic has rights
that must be respected.
With q subway, street car trafic will
probably be incressed-that is, If you can
believe those who say they do not
patronize street cars because they are
so slow. The street car company knows
to a passenger the number carried per
day even. itemized to the various and
different lines and cars.
Construction cost of q subway in
Washington Is a sort of ghost until
excavation exposes the "innards." Dry
earth, wet below sea level, maybe quick
sands, maybe solid rock might be found,
while the greatest obstacle of all will
be the utilities conduits. Were it open
country the cost of this tunnel could
and would be calculated to the nearest
dollar.
Some one has mentioned q Million
dollar subway, but on a rough guess
would say q million dollars will get a
little one and not one that will relieve
the present situation. 1t will be like
giving child baby doll to play with
when what 1t really wants is a bear.
have been under the impression that
1t was trafilc space and parking space
that was wanted but it seems as though
downtown workers just cannot think of
anything but subway. If they get
the subway there will be no more park
ing space than now exists
AS to the Government building q sub
way as q business proposition, why
should it? The Government should not
be IN any kind of business, though the
present administration seems to think
1t can run bakery better than the
baker can run it.
1t has been strongly hinted that a
contract of the early days Of the District
with the Government says that the Gov
ernment must build and maintain the
streets of Washington, but I doubt very
much if Congress will ever 90 into the
subway business.
With harmony between the city Com
missioners, the street railway company
and Congress, an amicable and salts
factory understanding should be arrived
at for the traffic and parking space
desired. w. J. DERMOTT.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
We. the Administration.

President Roosevelt, in his Green
Pastures" address, at Charlotte. pictured
a return to prosperity in this country
because of his administration. Not
word was said of the industry OF the
American people or of the courage shown
in adversity by the workers. The Presi-
dent gave credit to the N. r. A. and
the A. A. A. for improved conditions.
And yet the greatest improvement In
business in this country has come since
the Supreme Court of the United States
threw out the N. r. A.-unanimously-
as unconstitutional. The reinsurance
given by the strong opinion handed
down in the N. r. A. case was of tre-
mendous importance to the men and
women engaged in private industry, upon
which the prosperity of the Nation rests.
The President would have the country
believe that prosperity depends upon
government-and particularly upon the
Federal Government-judging from the
Charlotte address.
The President was at pains to deny
that the liberty of the people had been
abridged. Indeed, he said with emphasis
that individual liberties have not been
removed and the inherent rights of the
sovereign States have not been invaded" ;"
Yet almost in the same breath the
President developed the thought that
only through the action Of the Federal
Government-the action taken by him
could the country have been restored to
prosperity When government takes COM
mand of the activities of the citizens
and their business, liberty flies out OF
tells the workers what they are to do,
then liberty of the workers is curtailed.
1t is a significant coincidence that on
the very night that President Roosevelt
was telling the Democratic workers OF
the South, a section of the country that
has been traditionally devoted to liberty
and to States rights, that his admins
tration had not invaded these liberties,
a great Democratic newspaper, with
record of allegiance to the Democratic
party for century, announced that 1t
could not support the President for re-
election. The reason given by this
newspaper, the Baltimore Sun, is that
the Roosevelt New Deal, If carried to its
ultimate conclusion, will destroy the lib
critics of the people, will destroy a free
competitive system This system Of
competition" said the Sun, ''is, more
over, the protection of political liberty.
1t is the best protection for the ordinary
citizen, the workingman. When gov
ernment controls ones property, gov
ernment controls ones vote"
No truer word was ever written. No
administration of the United States has
ever sought to control the votes of the
people through control of property and
through the distribution of the tax
payers money on the scale which has
been attempted by the New Deal admin
iStration.
The Baltimore Sun has stood and
stands for social progress. 1t has been
able, however, to read to the bottom
the implications of the planned economy
of the New Deal.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Anchors Aweieh.

Secretary Hull has acted wisely in
deciding to withdraw all warships of
the United States from Spanish waters.
They have rendered effective service in
the evacuation Of American citizens from
civil war danger zones and immediate
further need of their presence is at an
end. More than one thousand of our
people have been safely transported
tram the country since war broke out.
Some five hundred Americans have
elected voluntarily not to depart. Besides
these there are about one hundred who
are destitute and could not take ad-
vantage Of evacuation facilities, while q
few others are marooned and out of
reach Of rescuers. The State Depart
ment is now working on plans to assist
the impoverished and isolated Americans
and to get them out of Spain at the
earliest possible moment.
The four ships now leaving Spanish
waters will be kept within easy hailing
distance for emergencies requiring their
return. The cruiser Quincy and the
Coast Guard cutter Cayusa will proceed
10 Gibraltar while the destroyers Kane
and HATFIELD will be stationed along the
coast Of France. The private American
citizens who choose 20 remain In Spain
fof business or other reasons nov DO 10
o, their own rIAk. Consular and dlplo.
matte oficsfs will Ilay At their posts until
they conclude that u IA no longer safe
Zoe them IN continue funcllanlng. Sec.
te'aFs Mall slvss mTlseve,ieHsry 90.
thefig 10 leave whsusyss they think
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Poll of the Tyrants.

Mr.. Jay Franklin, that consistently
faithful trumpeter of the virtues OF the
New Deal whose confident notes sound
sweet and clear from the opposite page.
discusses with manifest Skepticism today
some of the aspects of the early returns
from the Literary Digest presidential
poll, observing that Big Jim Farley's
boys" could point out with considerable
justification that there are 25,000,O0O
automobile owners and 17,0O00 900 tele-
phone subscribers in the United States
to whom the Digest mails 100000 bal
lots" And as no publishing house seek
ing subscriptions would find 1t worth
while to approach "non-solvent citizens"
there would, of course, "be a considerable
distortion in favor of the party of Wall
Street" in the returns.
Without taking liberties with what IS
In Mr.. Franklin's mind, the plain sug-
gestion is that the Digest poll is confined
to those who have telephones and auto
mobiles, or, in other words, are solvent"
citizens, and that majority OF such
citizens naturally would be inclined to
vote for the party of Wall Street" 1t
might be added that the majority OF
solvent" citizens are also llterate, ana
the Digest poll will not reach the army
of those who do not read and wrlte-'a
possible factor to be reckoned with.
Whether the Digest poll will prove TO
be an accurate forecast of the election
this year nobody-outside of Big Jim
Farley's boys"-knows. But 1t Is inter-
esting to recall that four years ago the
Digest poll was rather accurate ana
that those who capitalized the early re-
turns showing Mr.. Roosevelt in the lead,
we're these same Big Jim Farley's boys"
who now have their tongues in their
cheeks. Perhaps those who voted Demo-
cratic in the last Digest poll have sold
their automobiles and had their tele-
phones cut off and are now working for
the Government. Possibly there are
more insolvent citizens who own neither
automobiles nor telephones than there are
tools of Wall Street who boast these
devices of economic tyranny under the
princes of privilege and favor Gov.
Landon. Maybe there are about as
many people on relief as there are on
relief, and only the latter are reached
by the Digest poll. With polls to the
right of us and polls to the left OF u.s.
volleying and laundering, it is dihcult,
however, to believe that anybody, any,
where, will escape being approached IN
at least one of them. And what this
country needs now, more than good
flye-cent cigar, is poll OF the pollers'
Having to wait until November to find
out who has been elected is monstrous
imposition on progressive people.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Strange life and death battles take
place in the animal world.
Among those reported in the current
issue of the journal Of the American
Society Of Mammalogists is one between
a gray shrew. smallest OF North Ameri-
can mammals, and a black witch
moth" This is described by Laurence
M. Huey of the San Diego Society OF
Natural History.
The moth, with a wing spread of about
four inches and body size almost equal
to that of the shrew, was placed in the
cage. The mammal proved too much for
the insect, in spite of the ferocious
bravery which it displayed. To make
the odds equal greater part OF the
moths wings were clipped.
Even with this severe handicap re-
ports Mr.. Huey, "the moth still was very
strong and, as its body was SO large, the
shrew attacked it by grasping one OF its
wing stubs, tugging with main strength
and hanging on like bull dog. once,
in a burst of spirited action, the shrew
was pitched half way across the cage.
This only caused a more determined
attack and the moth finally was killed
and eaten.
Another moth, with a body about
three quarters of an inch in length, was
placed in the cage. 1t had lost many OF
the scales from its wings and was par
TALLY disabled. 1t could ny feebly, how
ever from one side of the cage to the
other. The shrew, apparently by Its
sense of hearing, kept following the
course of the moth until its flight car
ried it about two inches above the little
mammal. Then with almost Invisible
quickness the animal sprang and siezeo
the moth in the air. much as basket
ball player leaps to catch ball hlgn
over his head. A few crunches with
the sharp-toothed jaws dispatched the
moth"
A battle between a coyote and snake
is described from Arizona by Jerry
johnson, Forest Service ranger. He
recounts:
"I heard a noise resembling the
rustling of dead leaves, A coyote was
standing on a dead sotal and SHINING ~
1t. He jumped down and started to paw
the leaves. Suddenly he jumped back
and then cautiously approached at q
different place. This time he began TO
tear apart the sotal with his teeth. He
found q hole, stuck his head in as lar
as he could, jumped back q couple OF
feet, looked around and. seeing nothing,
began to paw the sotal again. For sew
eral minutes he would first paw the dead
animal and then tear up leaves. Oc-
casionally he jumped back and began
at q different place. Then he spied q
bull snake coiled around the branches
Of o scrub line oak bush.
THE coyote dashed In. seized the
snake by the tail and dragged 1t into
the open. The snake. which was about
AZ feet long. prepared for battle by
raising its head and part Of rs body
foot or 30 above the ground. When the
coyote approached too closely the snake
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Shooting Stars.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
A Holler for Help.

A H0ller for Help.
The sun comes climbing up the sky
AS clouds pass on their way.
He winks his eye and seems to cry,
We'll, here's another day!
Il light the way to JOY or care
With gay or heavy heart,
We're journeying on from Here to There
To make another start.
What was Tomorrow is Today
AS thus persevere.
Again am amazed to say
That There is always Here"
p. S.
Dear Mr.. Einstein: Could you let
Some weightier problems wait
And see If somehow you can get
This fool idea straight!
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Change in Handling of
Grapes Deemed Desirable

To the Editor of The Star:
A change in the dispensing of grapes
Is much to be desired. Those packed in
large boxes, including Tokays, are
usually displayed with large quantities
exposed to flies, which are attracted by
the sweet, sticky surfaces. The Board
of Health doubts its jurisdiction over
fruits protected by skins, which may be
washed. But it is practically impossible
to wash fly specks from grapes to render
them safe for eating.
Grapes packed in 3-pound baskets are
reasonably safe without thorough wash
ing, and the 6-pound baskets formerly
used for Tokays were not too large for
the average family. If packed in the large
boxes it would be well to require the
dealer to repack in transparent bags con-
tanning pounds or less. This would be
to his advantage by increasing sales,
by preventing peculation and handling
so as to leave unSaleable residues,
WOODBURY. PULSIFER.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Homogeneity.

Homogeneity.
My radio! My radio!
You give me many a pain.
Your resonances seem to 90
Into a wild refrain.
My radio! Your sound immense
Such mighty powe. employs
That every burst of eloquence
Seems just another noise!
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Edward VIII has a faculty of ingra-
tiation which must suggest to a citizen Of
any European nation that it might be a
good swap any day to trade back die
tator for a King.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
A Rhyme at Twilight
BY
Gertrude Brooke Hamilton
Her Tears.

She does not weep ~ some are wont 10
cry.
Using q handkerchief 10 dab her eyes,
But ~ n from deep wells within. the
tears
Gather and rise.
They overflow her dusky. lovely eyes
Pail on her cheeks unbidden. And some.
hT~
psssfs the power 81 their vst appeal
Hearts 70 them bow.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
PrOmissory KeynOtes.

Have you made any campaign PROM
ises?"
Not exactly on my own account" an
swered Senator Sorghum. II have in
dorsed a lot of campaign promissory
keynotes, and if the original makers
don't make good I'll have to call meet
ing of my constituents and ask for an
extension of time"
Evening star., 1936-09-12

President Roosevelt and Governor
Landon remain on close terms of con-
versational cordiality to an extent that
would suggest ignorance on the part of
each as to what newspapers are saying
about the other.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Americans are wisely warned away from
the foggy conditions in Spain and ad-
monitions have been needed. There is,
however, no use of warning any Amer
ican citizen against the perils of a coast
wise excursion boat.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Regulated agriculture must be given
kind word from the farmer. When the
Indians In ceremonial array got out and
prayed for rain nobody tried to stop
them on the charge that they we're
interfering with Government business.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Medical experts are at work on cures
for all kinds of ailments. The political
economists are working even harder to
safeguard the world from another war,
with its incidental result of another
devastating case of ShellShock.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Objection to lotteries is sound econ
omy. But unrestricted currency infia-
ton in Germany produced slips of paper
which were not worth even as much as
lottery ticket. A few lottery tickets do
win something.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Kipling Refuted.

From the Pittsbursh Post-Gasette.
The Maharajah Joodha Shum Shere
Jung Bahadur Rama of Nepal is said TO
be buying furniture for his palace from
an American mail order house. East Il
East and West is West-and II would
seem the twain have met.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Photography introduced a quaint slo-
gan long ago, you press the button and
we do the rest" Gunmen have changed
this and made it a question of who
presses the trigger.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Campaigners in trailers encounter a
new factor in election calculation. The
trailer vote shifts so much and pays SO
little taxes that its undoubted influence
in an election becomes each day harder
to measure.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

Trotzky has written a great deal, but
he has never convinced anybody that he
is competent to give seance as an ac-
credited ghost writer for Lenin.
Evening star., 1936-09-12

A report comes that Hanfstaengl is out
of favor at Berlin. If he had secured
the right kind OF press agent he might
still be a figure in practical show business.
Evening star., 1936-09-12
Sport and Revolt.

From the Shreveport Journal.
Sometimes, after reading Of bloody
revolutions in various European lands.
we find ourselves wondering II those
nations have closed season on wild
game.