davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1939-01-20
RUTLAND ASKS
CHANGE IN D, C,
INSANITY LAW
Wants Congress to Rush
Shifts to Asylum

In an effort to eliminate the
menace" of psychopathic cases
to other patients and the staff,
in the overcrowded wards at Gal
linger Hospital. DR.. George C.
Rutland, District health officer,
planned today to ask Congress to
strike out the provision of the
lunacy law which stipulates 10I
days must elapSe before commit
ment to St. Elizabeths.
He stated:
SERIOUS as is the overcroWd-
ing, we are more concerned
with the necessity of keeping
raving maniacs in wards already
understaffed.
In the alternative, Rutland
said he would ask Congress to-
amend the act so as to place the
facilities of st. EliZabeths at the
disposal of mental patients pend
ing legal determination of their
condition.
Rutland said Gallinger Hospital
has neither space nor personnel to
care for mental cases during the
Today waiting period, whereas st.
Elizabeths is equipped suitably to
shelter such cases.
TOO MUCH RED TAPE
In emphasizing the necessity of
his proposal, DR.. Rutland eX-
planned that although the law
calls for Today waiting period.
commitment to St. Elizabeths is
often delayed as long as 80 days
by examinations, hearings and
other red tape"
The Today clause was written
into the law enacted last June to
allow time for a jury trial on the
patients sanity and prevent rail.
reading" of rational persons into
aSylumS.
DIR. OVERHOLSER AGREES
DR.. Rutland pointed out that
although 500 patients have been
treated since June only IA have
asked for a jury trial. Gallinger
has been additionally handi- |
capped, Rutland said, by the fact
a month elapsed between enact |
ment of the law and the appoint |
ment of the mental health COM
mission.
DR.. Winfred Overholser, super.
intendent of ST. Elizabeths Hos
pital, Endorsed the Rutland pro-
posal with the statement the
Today delay has actually made
it difficult for patients"
The Washington times., 1939-01-20
HAWAII TROOPS
ARE REPORTED
MOST HEALTHY
Panama Rates Lowest
In Army Findings

Troops in Hawaii are freer from
common respiratory troubles, vene-
real disease and malaria than any
troops in the world, whereas those
in Panama suffer most from all
three. Such was the report OF
Mai. Gen. Charles R. Reynolds for
the Army Surgeon Generals office
today.
The rate of illness is about the
same as for previous years, the re-
port says, and the high proportion
of disqualification is explained by
the fact that barracks life does
not provide such facilities as home
care, therefore the soldier gets
disqualification for many ailments
which the civilian would not treat
at home.
LESS SICKNESS
Infectious diseases are respon-
sible for about 20 per cent of the
doughboy's time out" according
to the report. but, since the World
War, the entire disease curve has
been downWard-that is, less sick.
ness.
During the past year the en-
phasis of the Army's researchers,
statistical and medical, is de-
clared to have been on venereal
diseases, and exhaustive statistics
and information is set forth.
There has been a steady decline
in such illness over a 30-yeaI
period. In 1866 practically one
man in four was infected; in the
Philippine Insurrection about one
in six.
LOW RECORD SET
The 1898 years rate is the low
est the Army has ever recorded
about an 80 per cent drop from
1909, and lower than had been
believed possible.
The Washington times., 1939-01-20
Mdsons 10 Honor
u Past Masters

The Joseph H. Milans Lodge, No
80 Of Masons will honor it's IL
past masters tonight at the lodge,
according to an announcement to-
day by Worshipful Master George
9. Ingels. The master Masons
degree will be conferred on a class
of candidates by a cast of past
masters under the leadership of
Past Master Irving G. Gray.
The Washington times., 1939-01-20
Dentists 10 Discuss
u. ). Health Program

Discussion of the proposed $780,
900 national health program will
feature the scientific session Of
the Robert T. Freeman Dental
Society tomorrow night at 9
O'Clock in the Twelfth Street
branch of the Y. M. C. A.
DR.. c. T. Ferebee, DR.. R. c.
Brown, DR.. w. o. Claytor, DR.. R.
A. Dixon, DR.. J. Necolson, DR.. R.
B. Thomas and DR.. A. Walton will
lead the discussion.
The Washington times., 1939-01-20
Girl Quits u. 5. Job
For Musical Career

A 23-year-old vernm n t
worker yesterday swapped the
security of her job for the chance
at a musical career in New York.
Hazel Janet Pike, who has been
q receptionist at the Rural Electri-
fication Administration, left here
to take additions with several
orchestra leaders. While in Gov
ernment work, Miss Pike has
managed to keep up her music
studies. She led the REA en-
ployes' glee club.
The Washington times., 1939-01-20

Queerest accidents Of 1898. A woman
bitten by dead tiger, fisherman
jerked overheard by a big tuna and
killed by shark, and many other
unusual accidents of the past year
reported In words and pictures on a
feature page in color in The American
Weekly. the magazine distributed with
next Sundays Washington Herald
Times,
The Washington times., 1939-01-20
One In IA AI|ergiC

LOS ANGELES, Calf, Jan. 20
G.N.SO.-One out of every IA per,
sons in the United States is al.
lergic to certain foods and other
substances, according to the find
ings of DR.. Theodore D. Beckwith,
professor of bacteriology of the
University of California at Los
Angeles.
The Washington times., 1939-01-20

"African Vengeance" Do NOT Inl.u
the second of this thrilling series ~
strange secrets Of the African jungle
knows Africa as perhaps NO ofhcP
living white man. A dOuble-paRe fea.
ture, illustrated In color, IN The
American Weekly, the maga1ine die
tributed with next Sundays Washing
ton Herald Times.
The Washington times., 1939-01-20

chiatrist, sign the will as a wit
ness.
FIGHT PROVES VAIN
Apparently he failed in this,
since the court ruled:
"There is definite proof of
proper execution so far as the
formal proceeding goes.
The juriSt hesitated with this
remark, and then added a final
sentence which was interpreted
by attorneys for objectors to the
will as meaning either that the
court already has some doubt about
the will, about Mrs. Sidley's men
tai capacity when she made and
signed it, or about how w. Per
kins Bull possibly may have in
fluenced the heireSs while she was
a resident at his home.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
Suualus' Engines

It speaks well for the quality of ma chinery going into American naval ships to find that the Diesel engines of the ill., fated submarine Squalus suffered no appreciable damage in spite of more than four months picking in sea brine at the bottom of the Atlantic.
 Brought home to the Cleveland plant which built them, the Squalus' engines were found in good condition to run with scarcely more than wiping down. Naval standards being what they are, they will, nevertheless, be taken down piece by piece, minutely inspected, and reas- Sembled.
 Any such four-month picking in ocean brine is severe test of an engine, and it is gratifying to know that naval equip ment and new "indeStructible' steelS are of such high quality. The Squalus suf- fered no great damage, and will be ready for sea again within comparatively short time. And to sea it will go, with crew which, in the naval tradition, will prob ably never have an uneasy moment at the thought of the tragedy their ship has known.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
Lack of Leadership

The oft-repeated charge that the local Republican Party lacks leadership upon which the rank and file may depend has certainly been proved this week in the deadlock over the nomination for city clerk. Had there been any real evidence of responsible direction within the party this deadlock probably never would have resulted. Not that we think that every political argument should be settled be- hind the scenes or within closed doors. Far from it! But it isn't necessary for a party organization to display so plainly a lack of sportsmanship as was evidenced here this week.
 It's none of this papers business whom the Republicans of Waterbury nominate for public office, but as community newspaper we are somewhat concerned when it is brought out indirectly that a certain type of man is not eligible for public office on COP ticket. That was the start of the Republican Party's loss of prestige in the current campaign when it said that Mayor Patrick Perriello did not fit the specifications the Republican Town Committee was using to measure candidates with this fall. A pseudo set of requirements was then announced.
 If ultimately complete ticket is pre- sented by the Republicans it is going to suffer from top to bottom by errors of commission on the part of it's leaders. At this writing we don't think it an extrava- gsnt statement to predict that the Repub-
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
Unfair Advantage

If. as Senator Francis T. Maloney of Connecticut indicated in his speech on the neutrality bill this week, he is being threatened with violence or political reprisal for his stand on the measure, opponents of the administrations revised law are not playing fair This issue IS one on which lines can be drawn without recourse to underhanded methods to change any one legislators opinion. Sen ator Maloney has made up his mind to support the administration; Senator John Danaher. his felloW-toWnSman, IS on the opposite side.
 Both senators are to be admired for their courageous stands in the fight that is now taking place down in Washington Both had excellent arguments for thelr respective viewpoints of the international situation and the part this nation must play in it henceforth We certainly have the utmost respect for their individual opinions and the only way in which we would endeavor to shake one or the other would be by presentation of arguments, not by threats to get even at the next election or even the more obnoxious method of promising bodily harm.
 It remained for the senior senator from this state to bring home a picture of war quite wildly this week when he reclted the lengthy list of senators who would send sons into a conflict into which this nation might be drawn. Senator Maloney was included in that list. He endeavored to paint a picture of war as it touches the family, that great American institu- tion. His argument was graphic, prob- ably the most touching one to be brought by any of the speakers for or against the revised neutrality bill.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20

an advance copy of a resolution which the meeting was going to adopt demanding that Ham run for President.
 The resolution started with this modest tribute:
 "The Duchess County Re publican Committee, knowing of his eminent qualifications and his appeal to the Ameri. can people, hereby urged Rep resentative Hamilton Fish of this district to permit his name to be presented as . candidate for the Republican nomination for President in 194O :"
 Ham gave the press e state- rnent that he was "reserving de- cision for the present while l talk the matter over with friends during the next month." News papermen put the story on the wire. The stage was all set.
 But the unforeseen happened. The chairman of the Duchess Republicans spiked the resolution. He is Frederic H. Bontecou, hafld- some husband of Cornelia Met calf, daughter of the wealthy for- more Senator from Rhode Island. Also Bontecou was the running mate of To:s Dewey last year, and he flatly refused to let the Ham Fish resolution be introduced.
 Fish made a little speech and someone mentioned that the Orange County Republican Com
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
Tonight's Primary

There is sure to be an outpouring of Democratic voters this evening when State Senator George T. Culhane and Corporation Counsel Vincent Scully bat tie for the right to control the delega- tions to the several Democratic conven- tons to be held shortly. Naturally elec- ton of a majority of the delegates will insure the nomination of eithe~ mayor atty candidate. This is the first city-wide primary fight that the Democrats have engaged in for a good many years and to old-timers it brings back memories, both pleasant and bitter.
 A primary battle is usually regarded as an even test of intra-party sentiment. Certainly tonight's should be just that. Both avowed candidates for the mayor atty nomination have put hard-working organizations into the field during the past week and have been diligently can wasting the list of Democrats eligible to vote tonight. There should be heavy percentage of votes cast and on such basis, opinion seems to be that the result will be close demanding close and care full attention to the official count of the paper ballots.
 As to the respective merits of the indi- viduals much might be said By this time the eligible Democrats have made their decision and are prepared to vote accord ingly. We can only express our best wishes to the two rivals as represented by the opposing slates of delegates. We trust that the winner will be received with exclamation by the party and that the loser will pitch in to make certain of complete Democratic victory next month.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
In Today's Mail

there is no excuse for you not un- derstanding my letter.
 I am starting to believe that you cannot read. 1 still insist that you had 6 co-author. he told me 50 him. self. Sam, you proved your own character, as I knew there was a
 co-author, 1t was Up to me to bring out the character of him also, 50
 that the readers of your nasty let- ter" can know where they are cori-
 ing from. i1
 Sam, you accuse me Of trying to
 deface your character. think you
 really brought that on yourself by
 calling Father Coughlifl and his church these nasty names. Sam, I
 do not care where the story about the Mad Monk started, or who the
 author was, I know that 'Annenberg
 Publication carried 1t, as for the
 author he may be Irish but he is
 no more Catholic than you are. you
 go as a Catholic in name only.
 Sam, not only that you can't read straight, you even have doubt
 about your memory. Your words If my memory serves me right) Therefore you should not accuse me
 of saying things that are not clear
 in your fog-filled mind. 3
 You also say that my mind can
 be turned as easy as door knob.
 Sam, you and your atheist co-au-
 thor have tried to turn my mind
 against Father Coughli1 and my church for 6 long tiine,. but that
 door knob just will not turn, keep
 on trying.
 Sam, I have been authorized to challenge you and your co-author to 8 debate, by MT. Vincent Mazza- 1ipo of No. GO Ward street, Water- bury, Conn. Will you accept? Now we shall see just how much ycu and your co-author really. know. You can choose your own ball park. Again Sam, you say that Father Coughlin has divided the real principles of the Catholic church.
 Where are your facts? Do you know
 what the principles of the Catholic
 church are? May I put you straight?
 I will quote from Rey. Dr. Edward Lodge Currans Sunday broadcast, July g, 1889 (Social Justice. July
 31, l939. Quote: No phenomenon in the radio history of the U. s. has
 been so remarkable and .outstand-
 ing as Father Coughlin. His achievements literally flowed forth from his fair Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, into every
 hamlet and highway of our beloved country. For many years his voice
 was the only voice raised in the cause of Social Justice, the only voice translating the message of 'Encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII and
 Pope Plus xIs into the language of
 the common people. and the only voice denouncing. even as Pope Plus
 xI Ecnounced the tyranny of the money changers in the Temple and slavery which the international dle-
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20

Whatever happened to the crusade to eliminate the state and military taxes that towns now pay. In the fiscal year ending the past June 3Oth the 169 towns of Connecticut paid into the state treasury about $1, ,75O,00O. That's sizeable amount of money, put when you come down to fine points it's no more than the state divides among the towns in school grants, dirt-road funds, etc. One of the argu- ments used in the fight to eliminate these taxes was that the grants could be drop ped and there'd be nothing lost on either side. But the state would gain in this manner - it would not be forced to go through the work of collecting and dis bursting which is service item of con- sequence.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20

From Hartford comes the information that the city's great artery of approach from the west = Pennington Avenue = is going to undergo radical changes. This thoroughfare, one of the states best known and justly-famous, will be widened and made into parkway with divid- ing strip of lawn running right down the middle of it. Widening the street will make it possible for 900 vehicles to tra- verse any particular part of it every hour of the day.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
NEA ssrv'es' Inc
DREW PEAR s ON ROBERT s. ALLEN
mittee had endorsed Fish for President the day before.

mittee had endorsed Fish for President the day before.
 That was all except that the newspapermen made frantic last- minute efforts to kill their stories and finally succeeded.
 SOVIET BATTLESHTP DEAL
 The Dies Committee hasn't pub- licized 1t yet, but Cordell Hull has been the vigorous champion of Scott Ferris, Democratic Na- tional Committeeman from ok lahoma, who was charged with helping Soviet Russia try to pur- chase a battleship in the United States. M
 Secretary Hull told Congress- man Jack Dempsey of New Mex leo that there was nothing wrong whatsoever with the Russian ne- gotiation, and that Ferris work was perfectly proper. Hull point ed out that the United States was then doing its best to sell goods to the Soviet, that the bat- tleship purchase had been submit- ted through usual official chan nels and was carefully consid- cred by the Navy Department. {,
 MT. Hull's greatest hate is lobbyists, but he said Ferris never had pressured anyone, merely had kept track of the negotiations for the Soviet.
 Copyright. 103o. by United
 Usaaft,ra sy,,dioatoj Yy,a1
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
CIPRIANO CHALLENGED TO DE- BATE BY COUGHLINITE,
 JOHN FIESTA
4i Irion St., Waterbury, Conn.
 Oct. 1T, 1899,


 Oct. 17, 1889. Editor, Waterbury Democrat: Again I ask the kind permission of the Waterbury Democrat to afl- swer Sam Cipriano for my part of his two fold letter.
 am sorry to inform you Sam, that your information is not at all reliable. I am the person that you are referring to, and true also that I have only recently become an Amer icail citizen, but rest assured that was an American citizen when I went out having petitions signed against lifting the embargo. would advise you to get the Dies Commit- tee to get your facts the next time. I am very glad that you brought Up that subject, through no fault of my own was born on the other side of the Atlantic. (Italian, not a NazD I came to this country when I was six months old, five years ago l filed my petition to become a Cit- izen of this country and thanks to the long dragged out system only recently, have I received my full papers. have been fin this country 3l years, Sam, and am willing to compare my record against yours anytime.
 sam, even if I was not a citizen, do you think I should stand by and see my brothers, my friends and my relations sent over to the other side of the ocean to fight other peoples wars, and be used for ma- chine gun targets.
 I value my fellow humans lives, (yes my own tool above ali. When the N. Y. Journal American started to give out Keep U. S. out of War, "Be neutral" auto stickers I was one of the first to send for them, and up to date have given out over 600. I also gave you one Sam but I never saw 1t on your car; is that how much you think of your country and your fellow Americans? Great American Citizen that you are.
 Up to date have sent in to our senators and congressman over 400 names signed on petitions to keep the U. s. out of war and not to lift the embargo. What did you do great citizen, to prevent this coun- try of ours from taking its first step to ruin? will tell what he did, he tried his hardest to mislead the people not to sign my petition.
 Sam, do you really think I have started out on the wrong foot? Sam twice you have referred to Mir. Ayotte as misinterpreting your let- ter. I realize that what MT. Ayotte tried to bring home to you about cash and carry was Goo deep for you and went over your head. but
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
Whats Your l. o.?
Can you answer seven of these test questions? Turn to last page for the answers.

1. Did an American man lose his citizenship when he married an alien woman during the World War?
 ?. Where are the Laramie Moun- tairls?
 3. In baseball, how many bases can a runner take when balk is called? 4. Name the President of Switz- erland.
 s. What ships are exempt from paying tolls to pass through the Panama Canal?
 6. What is the correct pronuncia- ton of the word infamous?
 2. How many cubic inches are in one gallon? ,.
 g.. In which country Is the city of Kyoto? 9. What is the relation of my son to the daughter of my niece?
 10. When it is nine o'clock a. m. (EST) in New York City, what time is 1t in London, England?
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
Current Comment

The world wants bread and
 work, not steel and war. Pope Plus XII.
 The catastrophe has not yet come upon us. Ntt Prime Minister Chamberlain. Write poetry and feel better. Elizabeth Reynard, Columbia University English professor. In America we watch with dis
 may, and still with hope. Thomas E. ewey, New York dis trict attorney.
 There is 8 possibility that America may intervene in the present Euro- pean crisis to bring about world peace.
 Senator James M. Mead Dem, N. Y). Television has suffered from over- statements. Its inauguration in New
 York may arouse false and under. ground hopes in the minds of people
 throughout the country. President A. s. Wells, of Radio Manufacturcrs' Association.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20

Last night we spoke about the amount O. income the state derives from the au- tomobile owner For years we have been listening to the cry that real estate bears the burden of local taxation. Well, if it does, it certainly means that the man who owns a home and keeps car certainly pays through the nose. His tax bill at the end of a year is pretty good big slice of his annual income. One of these days there is going to be tax insurrection in nice quiet state like Connecticut. Groups like motor car owners are going to unite the individual members and proceed to storm the Capitol at Hartford. The day isn't too far distant when Connecticut motorists are going to demand mini mum registration fee and nominal oper- ators' license charge. When this day comes unless the motorists are wary, they'll find the taxes lifted off one shoulder have been shifted to the other in the form of higher gas taxes.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-20
Irony in Kensington

The original Wright airplane rests quietly, but not securely, in the Kensing- ton Museum in England. Certain people interested in the aviation industry are worried lest it be destroyed in an air raid.
 That would certainly be touch of irony to make the gods themselves laugh. The crude little box-kite in which the Wright brothers lifted themselves off the dunes at Kill Devil Hill, North Caro- lima, only 36 years ago has already spawned monstrous progeny. The Wright plane went to England after dispute between the inventors and the Smith sonian Institution in Washington. There have been many attempts to bring it back.
 Now it is in real danger of being lost, along with the lives of hundreds of thou sands of Englishmen. The brain of man, which, with daring and almost godlike in- spiration, conceived the gift of flight, has failed to use the gift to any better pur- pose than to threaten with destruction not only man himself, but even the frail kite that is monument to that daring.