davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1938-01-04

der them the Russians studied mass
operationS-how to move mighty, cum
bersome armies from objective to OBJ
jective. This fits them for the defen-
sive, too, since their own frontiers
provide successive defensive positions
well adapted to large armies.
After 10 years came the French,
who gave new emphasis to the de-
velopment Of offensive striking power.
The French naturally want Russian
army that can come to the aid Of
France and CzechoslovaEa. They
pushed the work with the tanks and
airplanes, in which the Russians lead
the world In numbers. The influence
Of the French explains why Voroshilov
new threatens that II Russia Is to be
the victim of aggression the Red army
will beat the aggressors to the blow
and fight beyond the frontiers OF
Russia.
The Communists were always veal
in officers and here they remain weak.
With the abolition Of the militia
system for a professional army some
progress has been made, however.
Military academies have been created
for the several arms and all new
officers have passed three or four
years special study. There are few
old Officers now, moreover, who have
not received secondary school edu-
cation. Two years ago the general
stan was separated from the supreme
stan and a general staf1 academy was
set up.
Then-the Executions.
After building such an army-fairly
well trained, fairly well equipped, but
not well ofhcered-Stalin suddenly
disconnected the world by executing
eight Of its leading commanders. The
Germans and Italians made no effort
to conceal their Joy. They said Stain
had wrecked the army. Twenty years
of work was undone, they thought, by
q few rifle volleys. The French were
not 50 sure; allies Of Russia, they said
the army was not necessarily weakened
by the purge.
have talked with the experts who
have some real knowledge Of the Red
army today. In the opinion Of the
majority, though weakened, the Red
army is far from wrecked. Not the
French but the Fascists have done
the wishful thinking. Some experts
are not even convinced that it is
weaker for the purge. The army has
recovered from the first shock. The
system Of commissars works despite
dire predictions to the contrary and
the Communist party is In absolute
command again.
Two things were clear to the few
foreigners who attended the recent
maneuvers in the west-the flrst test
since the purge. The purge had not
Evening star., 1938-01-04

be judged in the same way. This Il
. peoples army. One needs only to
watch 1t to see the difference.
1ts strength Is still recruited from
the peasant stock and this must be,
for in war time the worker Is needed
ut the lathe. It u not the mujik,
however, standing with head bowed,
his cap in his hand, who had q whole
ritual Of lamentation as he was called
away to service in the army Of the
Car. It Is new straight-backed
peasant, . creature Of propaganda
more than Of evolution.
He has not changed except ~ he
thinks he has changed, for 20 years
Is too short q time to evolve q new
man. And 1t i the job Of tho 20.
litical commissar to make the peas
ant thinking in war time that he ID
no longer a mujik to run from . war
which Is not Of his making. The
Evening star., 1938-01-04

impaired the efficiency or mobility Of
the army. It moved swiftly and we'll.
The effect Of liquidating % full gen
erals and thousands OF lesser ofacers
was equally plain. Regiments and
even brigades were commanded by
captains. These young officers, many
grades above the ranks for which
they had been trained, lacked initia-
tive and confidence. They seemed
afraid of making mistakes.
The important thing, however, is
the precision in maneuvers and the
morale Of the mass of soldiers. They
showed no signs Of the purge. and II
one analyses the essential differences
between the Communist army and
another army, one concludes that the
Red army d probably no weaker for
the liquidation.
Psychology Of Soldiers.
What is the psychology Of the
Russian soldier? He thinks Of him.
SELF as some one who has taken arms
to defend the fatherland Of workers
and peasants-something he has Gre
ated and owns hinself-against Fas-
cDt-bourgeois forces. Far from being
shaken when "Fascist-bourgeois trait
ors" are killed, he feels more secure
because Comrade Stain, with Bolshe-
vik vigilance, has ferreted out the
enemies.
The Communist propaganda ma
chine Is magnihciently effective. The
mass of Russians do not doubt that
Tukhachevsky and the other generals
were plotting to betray Communism.
Any one. moreover, who does hold such
doubts is ipso facto a Fascist traitor
himself.
Who are the political commissars
who must countersign all orders of
military commanders? The Faseists
have jumped to the conclusion that
they are long-haired intellectuals or
bomb-throwing agitators. On the
contrary, many Of them are mill
tary men, scarcely distinguishable
from the men whose orders they
Evening star., 1938-01-04
RED ARMY GAINS
BY STAIN PURGE
Soldiers Feel More Secure
Because Enemies Have
Been Ferreted Out.

what Is happening in purge
stricken Russia these days? The
Chicago Daily Netus sent one OF
It's most experienced observers to
Russia to dns,Der this and other
ritdl questions. His findings are
oct forth in a series OF articles, of
ahich this is the tourth.)
Evening star., 1938-01-04

commissar and the peasant must b
willing to die together to defend the
fatherland which belongs to them.
(copyrisht. 1888. Chicaeo Daily Nevs.)
Evening star., 1938-01-04
Prisoners Get Polite Names.

Prisoners In Mexico City no longer
are ofacially known by that name.
They are natural biological units
susceptible Of correction"
Evening star., 1938-05-03
MeritOriOus Service.

In letter to the Editor Of The Star,
Mr.. Wilbur s. Finch. president of the
Citizens Conference on District Suffrage,
graciously extends his thanks to The
Star for cooperation in connection with
the referendum on Saturday.
In return, The Star wishes publicly
to acknowledge the community's debt
to Mr.. Finch and to his co-laborers for
their efforts in behalf of national repre-
sentation for the citizens of the District.
They were eminently successful in their
conduct of the poll, which, in turn, be-
came dramatic demonstration of COM
munity sentiment. They undertook an
experiment that was not without its
hazards. A failure to turn out an i'm
pressive number of voters would at once
have been attributed, by unfriendly
critics. to lack of interest and used as a
weapon against the movement. To Mr..
Finch and his committee and to Mrs.
Eleanor Patterson and her newspapers,
great credit is due for the successful
elimination of the unofficial plebiscite.
In union there is strength and the
strength of this present movement IL
due, in large measure, to the fact that
Evening star., 1938-05-03

those working for the right Of the people
of the District to vote are working to-
gether. They have their differences OF
opinion and 1t would be incredible If
they did not. But they are presenting
to Congress as solid front as the voting
citizens presented in the plebiscite ON
Saturday. The common objective ought
to be proper amendment OF the Con-
stitution to give the citizens the right Of
representation on in House and Senate and
in the electoral college. A favorable at
titude by Congress in initiating this
amendment would make Immediately
pertinent the question of further en-
larging the powers Of Congress specific
ally to permit its greater delegation Of
power to a municipal government. A
favorable response by Congress on that
proposal will in turn evoke united
sentiment from the community, as in
dicated by the result Of Saturdays
plebiscite, in favor Of local suffrage.
Washingtonians will accomplish
great deal by maintaining the fine spirit
Of unanimity which has added such
great impetus already to the movement
for national representation.
Evening star., 1938-05-03
Labor Procedure.

The indicated decision of the National
Labor Relations Board to reopen its
cases against the Republic Steel Corp.
and the Ford Motor Co. gives rise to a
strong suspicion that its procedure in
those hearings did not conform to the
standards of fair play laid down by the
Supreme Court last week.
Charles Fahy, the boards able gen.
eral counsel, has said he does not concede
that the procedure followed was unfair to
the industrial defendants and that a re-
opening OF the cases would be merely
precautionary step to guard against
the possibility that the Supreme Court
ultimately might rule against the board
on the procedural question instead of
deciding the cases on their merits
That, of course, is commendable caution,
since neither party should desire to
waste year or more in carrying a case
to the Supreme Court for decision on a
technical question having no relation to
the facts in dispute.
The announced desire of Ford Company
officials to question members Of the
board on several matters suggests, how
ever, that the procedure may have been
seriously deficient If judged by funda-
mental American concepts Of fair play.
Evening star., 1938-05-03

Among other things, the motor COM
pany executives want to know whether
members of the board conferred with
Thomas Corcoran and Benjamin v.
Cohen, the New Deals exceedingly lib
eral legal advisers, and John l.. Lewis
or Homer " Martin, head of the United
Automobile Workers Of America, before
reaching their decision. which was ad-
verse to the company.
The board has not said 1t conferred
with any of the four and 1t may be they
were never consulted. Should it develop,
however, that any conferences were had
with them by the labor board members,
that fact would make the reopening of
cases imperative. There is no place in
the American judicial system, or quasi
judicial system, for ex parte consulta-
tions between the trial judges and one
Of the parties to controversy and 1t is
a foregone conclusion the Supreme Court
would not tolerate such procedure.
Evening star., 1938-05-03
Shooting Stars.
Styles UnchanginG.
By PH1LANDER JOHNSON.

Styles Unchangins.
An old and dusty magazine
That from the attic forth was brought
Contains some pictures where are seen
The gowns which once the ladies
bought
That polonaise so gaily spread!
That hourglass waist! That skinny
basque
And then that hat on yonder head
greater joke you could not askl
Those bustles. too, which would extend,
Defiant to all natural law!
And then that wonderous Grecian bend
Excuse me while say, "Hawl Hawl"
What contrasts now salute our gaze
AS we survey the current style;
The freakish hats that must amaze!
The skirts resembling pipes Of tile.
But girls are girls, and smiles are sweet
And eyes are bright and cheeks are
fair
And In those times their grace complete
With modern grace might well COM
pare.
However PICKLE Fashion flies
In fearful fantasy to range,
The styles in lips and cheeks and eyes
Well. thank the Lord, they Never
CHANGE!
Evening star., 1938-05-03
Citizens Entitled to Attend
Sessions of Police Court
To the Editor Of The Star,

To the Editor Of The Star.
The Evening Star of recent date
printed an article entitled "Loiterers Are
Warned to Stay Out Of Court" The
article states it was announced that "the
conditioning and comfortable fur
nishlngs OF the new Police Court Build
ing are not for loiterers." In connection
with this policy man who claimed to
be former police informer and who
was suspected of hanging around" to
learn the identity of his successors was
arrested. The article adds: Chief
Clerk Walter F. Bramhall issued a warn
Ing to all persons having no business
before the court to keep out of the build
ing or be subject to arrest"
AS citizen OF the District of Colum-
bia I am sure that Mr.. Bramhall must
have been misquoted. Any person In the
District of Columbia who desires to
observe the functioning Of the Police
Court certainly has the right to attend
sessions Of the Police Court whether he
has business" before the court or not
Occasionally see an announcement that
a certain case in the principles of which
am interested is scheduled for trial in
the Police Court, and If am at liberty
I attend the trial, but, of course, have
no business" before the court. It Is
doubtful If Chief Clerk Bramhall would
order spectators like myself to be arrested,
and yet that appears to be the authority
which he proposes to exercise according
to the warning contained in the article
in The Star. j. I. PIERCE.
Evening star., 1938-05-03
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Blue-blooded silver must get to work.
The aristocratic metal which hitherto
has been known chiefly in the form OF
money and expensive tableware needs
some plebeian, overalled JOHN fact,
lot of such jobs-to support itself.
A group Of research workers at the
Bureau Of Standards, financed by the
National Silver Producers Association.
are trying to find what the princely
metal is good for-and thus far they
have done pretty well, according to their
annual progress report just issued.
Silver "tin cans" silver fungicides,
silver ball bearings and silver storage
batteries are some Of the jobs they pro-
pose for 1t. OF course. it's a big drop
from nicely dressed up dollar or table
service to the plain can, but these
scientists don't seem to have much
regard for the metals aristocratic pre-
tensions. They have conducted, they
report, experiments with can manu-
facturer which show that relatively
inexpensive form Of solderless, silver
lined container can be made suitable
for the storage and shipment Of chem
icals, medicines and even canned chicken
or canned carrots. They have made
such cans containing IL ounces and
work on larger sizes now is in progress.
The cans are made from silver-lined
copper or steel sheets, about hundredth
of an inch thick with the silver coating
a thouSandth of an inch thick.
Another use they have found for
silver is as killer of fungi which infest
the plants in fish ponds and result in
the killing Of thousands of young fish.
They have demonstrated conclusively
that silver in the water in concentration
Of about one part in million will kill
the fungi They have not yet satisfied
themselves as to how close such con-
centration may come to killing other
plants or the fish.
Other tests in cooperation with an
automobile manufacturer have shown
that pure silver is an almost ideal metal
for ball bearings. Such bearings have
very low friction and will carry very
heavy load, even when they are very
narrow in proportion to their diameter.
Such bearings, 1t is concluded, will be
very fine for aviation engines. They
would like to find some cheaper metal
which can be mixed with silver and
have the same desirable qualities. Thus
far nothing of the sort has turned up.
approximately 200 alloys between
silver and other metals now are being
Investigated. In several cases the metal
in quite small proportions seems to be
very effective in hardening alloys and
in raising the annealing Temperatures.
An alloy Of silicon and silver proved to
be extremely rust resistant, hard, strong
and a very fine conductor Of electricity.
It may prove of considerable importance
in the electrical industry.
X
square mile Of sea water 124 feet
deep contains:
OH tons of gold, worth $59, 100.
222 tons of silver, worth $4,000, and
enough to make 76,200 silver teaspoons.
1902 tons of copper, worth $6,770.
3,OO5, 900 tons of common salt, worth
$45, LOO, 600, and enough to reach six
times from the earth to the moon if
Evening star., 1938-05-03

pressed into a solid tube an inch IN
diameter.
764,OO0 tons Of magnesium sulphate,
or EPSON salts, worth $30,550, 900.
454 tons of iodine worth $l0,4OO.
$500 tons OF magnesium, worth
$48 $780, 900.
1852 tons of aluminium, worth $81 900.
$500 tons Of potassium, worth
$3.50, 900.
225.9 tons Of strontium carbonate,
worth $l35,500.
205.8 tons of iron, worth $l6,46o.
Such is the latest estimate of the
wealth of the sea made by chemists
Of the Dow Chemical Co., which operates
a plant near Wilmington, NJ c., for ex-
tracing bromine, used in anti-knock
gasoline, from the Atlantic. 1t is based
on the water actually pumped through
the companys plant during the past
year-223 1868, ,0o0, 900 pounds.
The chemists got out only the bromine.
All the rest Of the treasure, whose value
Is estimated at more than $135, ,O0O, 900,
slipped through their hands, simply be-
cause 1t would have cost more to extract
than it would have been worth. During
the past four years they have stood
AcApAcSoAy ny dIlQ watched material
worth almost half billion dollars poured
back into the Atlantic.
The ocean waters off North Carolina
probably are fair sample of the sea
everywhere. There is no prospect at
present of any economical scheme for
getting out the gold, silver, copper, iron
and the rest-enough to make everybody
on earth fabulously wealthy except, of
course, If the day ever comes when the
sea can be forced to give up its treasure
the materials will not be worth very
much.
Evening star., 1938-05-03
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES &. TRACEWELL.

The pigeon took of at once. EH-
IDENTIFY 1t realized from past experience
that there would be no breakfast that
morning.
Once in the air, the big i. bird fiew
straight as an arrow down the driveway
and scared into ar oak across the street.
The Jay new down to the feeder.
He had won, as bluejays mostly do.
+A+*
It is an interesting thing to note
that this was the first of these birds
to be seen in the yard for two months.
Where they 60, or why, is a mystery.
Half q dozen of them had been seen
all fall and winter until the warm days
Of March. Then they disappeared, we
hoped not for good, because there is
no bird more interesting or beautiful.
Now they are back again.
Notice we do not say that this Is q
nice bird, but q beautiful and interest,"
ing specimen Of animated nature.
The bluejay is always favorite with
those who watch birds for any length
of time. It is amusing to note the way
this splendid fellow wins over even
those who for long time pretend that
1t Is mere robber and feathered outcast.
4 y 4
As q matter Of fact, our bluejay Is
perhaps the most striking of all the
birds which remain with US the year
around, not even excepting the cardinal,
favorite of so many.
Side by side. the jay makes the redbird
seem colorless, so flashing is his own
combination of bright blue and white,
patterned so neatly and strikingly.
IN hn hoI h,,f
only the keenest observers will be near
to see any Of his destructive deeds.
Most bird watchers will see him only
vital, colorful, interesting.
Even his screams in time will take on
the color of the trumpet in the dance
orchestra, stabbing the early morn with
its keen note.
Although most Of the bluejay's cries
are yells, at times he can utter the
softest notes imaginable. Some OF them
resemble the prettiest notes Of the star
ling, whose soft calls are totally over
looked by those who find nothing good
to say about the latter bird. either.
Bird study is one of the best trainings
in tolerance.
If it does not make one fairer to all
creatures. eager to see the good points,
willing to overlook the bad ones, one
may be quite sure that something is
wrong and he had better begin all over
again.
Nature is not departmentalized. 1t
does not have one section for laws,
another for cardinals and third for cut
worms, but all three live in the same
garden and the birds eat the worms
If they can find them.
Tolerance is the greatest virtue to
be found In any garden. Those who do
not find it are only surface gardeners.
Let them dig down Deep become real
dirt gardeners" and in time reap the
finest flowers of cultivation.
Intolerance is disease unfortunately
growing worse the world around. What
hope is there for mankind, which visions
garden Of this world If its individual
members cannot f1nd tolerance in their
own little individual gardens?
Evening star., 1938-05-03
Did you ever see a nght between q

Did you ever see a fight between a
bluejay and pigeon?
Then you know who always wins.
For the benefit of those who may not
have witnessed one OF these amusing
battles we will say at once that the
bluejay is victor.
A fat male pigeon may weigh 10
times as much as the jay but 1t always
emerges from the combat the loser.
Trimness, evidently, is what gives the
gray-and-blue battler his easy victory.
This, combined with daring
There are few birds Of any size which
combine speed and aggressiveness as well
as the bluejay.
The other morning big gray pigeon
landed in the yard by the bird feeder
No doubt pigeons feel themselves birds
as we'll as any. They like nothing better
than mixed chicken feeds so often used
in feeding boxes.
1t must be confessed that even the
most enthusiastic feeder of feathered
life would prefer that the pigeons stay
away. Not that they intimidate the
wild birds. They eat with them amicably
enough. But there are other reasons.
For one thing, they eat too much.
Since pigeons will not refrain there
Is not much to be done about them.
Like most "nuisances," they come and
go; one time they are numerous, again
they fall of to two or three or even
none at all.
This morning the Jay was on the east
side of the feeder when the big pigeon
alighted.
Big solid hunks of meat, pigeons fly
as easily as the daintiest humming-
birds. They creak somewhat on the
take-off, but once in the air few birds
are their superior.
At first the jay did not see the pigeon
when it came down on the west side OF
the feeder.
Once it sighted 1t, the battle was on.
The Jay made run at the pigeon.
driving 1t back a few feet.
Then 1t let out an outraged squawk
and flew at its foe.
1t was careful not to touch the pigeon.
The latter withdrew about foot this
time and began to fluff itself up.
Then it made waddling motions toward
the jay.
1nese antlcS were comlcal in the
extreme and it almost seemed as II the
bluejay felt the same way about them,
Tor 1t stood poised, looking very small
and thin in comparison with the big bird.
It was undaunted, however.
Taking of with shrill yell, it flew
into the maple. then launched itself
down at the pigeon.
BY this time the other knew that it
was me or him, one" as the noun
taineers are supposed to say.
1t held It's ground while the jay skim
med over its back. again taking care
not to strike.
Again the pigeon swelled itself and
put on that curious dancing motion,
put 1t did little good-the Jay was not
lntlmidsted in the least
1t gave another barbaric yawp, made
Few menacing hops Of its own and
then new into the air.