davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Laments Over Passing of
Golden Age of Republic.

To the Editor of The Star:
thank God I have lived through the
golden age of our republic, and it is with
unspeakable sadness that, with the tragic
gift of prophetic vision, I see the disas-
tiers awaiting it-a sadness more polgn-
ant because of the fact that my an
cestors fought, and many Of them died,
to make us free, and those that survived
the revolution helped to create for us
the most blessed and beneflcent Govern
ment mankind have ever known, which
is passing into the hands Of aliens and
yandals, who do not comprehend it, and
who are doing all within their power to
destroy it.
have no desire to survive its end.
and find some consolation and comfort
in the hope that at my age I will not. in
all probability, long survive the fate that
awaits it in the not distant future.
What spectacle the present situation
presents! With few honorable excep-
tons we have Congress of men of the
most mediocre abilities, who are devoid
of independence, high moral principle,
and who are willing to barter away our
liberties and institutions to preserve
their jobs.
The executive department OF the Gov
ernment under its present setup is
entirely socialistic with a strong tinge OF
Evening star., 1939-02-04

communism, and by many Of its acts of
the last six years, which should be self
evident to any honest man, has shown
itself devoid of honor, truth, justice, and
utterly without any sense of moral re-
sponsibility.
1t appears to be the purpose OF Mr.
Roosevelt, under the influence of his
crackpot, tyro advisers to destroy the
business interests Of the Nation and all
individual initiative by converting our
Government into a socialistic dictator
ship by restrictive and oppressive laws,
and Government competition with pri-
vate enterprise with the taxpayers
money.
Our people seem to be in the grip of
strange psychology regarding social,
political and economic questions. 1t is
like some mysterious disease that battles
diagnosis. and which will have to run
its course; and though one should warn
them with the tongue of men and of
angels it would be like sweetness wasted
upon the desert air. Nothing that can
be said will bring them to their senses.
Only whom the ship of state hits the
rocks toward which it is headed will
the people awaken and come to their
senses, but it will then be too late.
February l. OLD TIMER.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Says Fascist Spain Means
Fascist South America.

To the Editor of The star:
From the tone of newspaper editorials
since the fall of Barcelona one is led to
believe that it is now too late to lift the
embargo against Spain. That is what
Mussolini, Hitler and Franco would
have us believe. The Spanish people are
fighting alone for everything we as
Americans hold dear. It is inconceivable
that we can let them struggle on with
out the aid which they could have if the
embargo were lifted. If we lift the en-
barge now England and France will be
encouraged to make strong stand
against further aggression by the die
tators. A Fascist Spain means Fascist
South America. If South America
should become Fascist then gone would
be our comfortable feeling of isolation.
1t is not inconceivable that Germany,
Italy and Japan could attack us from
our now friendly neighbor, South Amer
lea, as they are all rapidly making head
way in gaining control of strategic
points in that country.
Unless we speak now for democracy
it may not be long before that oppor-
tunity is lost to us.
January 30. DOROTHY E. WEBER.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Hospital Patient Pleads
For Careful Driving.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The STAR
"Why Must They Die?" Here am I
so crippled with a broken collarbone,
several ribs fractured, multiple con-
tusions, right hand almost useless, that
it is an extreme effort to write this.
My wife is home with her left leg in
plaster cast and body badly bruised
both of us victims of a reckless driver.
who on January smashed into our
car. While in the hospital have seen
several manned and crippled victims of
hit-and-run drivers now lying here in
plaster casts heard their groans and
passed many sleepless nights myself
I would suggest that when the authori-
ties do capture reckless or hit-and-
run driver they bring him to the hos
pital, make him see the damage he did
to the poor suffering victim, let him
hear their groans of pain. Then con-
fscate his car, revoke his drivers permit
and give him term in Jail. 1t would
only be necessary to do this to a few
reckless drivers, when the others would
realize the penalty awaiting them and
they, too, would try to exercise cau-
ton, courtesy and care in driving
VIM. B. SEVERE.
Casualty Hospital.
February /.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
THIS AND THAT
By Charles <. TrGceUell.

Templeton Jones believes in speak
ing democracy.
A great many other people, he flnds.
do not.
Naive and honest Jones cannot figure
out why, when he speaks to stranger
in some public place, the stranger does
not always speak willingly in reply.
If there is beautiful sunrise or SUM-
down, Jones is very liable to say So,
right out in meeting, even If 1t hap
pens to be on the curb.
The stranger to whom he voices his
enthusiasm looks at him coldly.
He has found out that many persons
are as 'touchy. on being spoken to, as
the lady of the gay 'sos.
How dare you, sir?" she was sup
posed to say.
Templeton Jones fully expects some
male parsonage or other to make that
famous reply to him some day.
Many of these testy persons are, he
believes from the West, where they
know better.
Getting to the East, they are on their
guard.
They believe, evidently that somebody
is going to put something over on them,
as the expression has or had it. (Expres-
sions change so rapidly, nowadaysD
Such suspicious persons, according to
Jones, must think he is trying to sell
them gold brick, or something.
AS for hisl, he believes in free speech
and all that it implies.
He can see no real reason why, if a
thought comes into his head, he should
not tell it to his neXt-door neighbor,
whether he knows him or not.
He says that he has found women
much more likely to reply than men
OF course, he continues, he makes no
practice of speaking to women in pub
lie, but occasionally something or other
will happen, and he will find it ex-
pedient to make a remark
When he does so, he say, he finds
that the woman at his side is more
likely to accept the statement in the
way it is meant and reply in kind.
Thus when the young girl with the
pair of ice skates swung over agile
shoulder insisted on swinging them
around and about, endangering every
body'S eyes, Jones remarked on the mat.
ter to his next-door neighbor of the
moment.
She, very nicely dressed lady, said
she had been wondering about that, too
Jones said that since the skating had
begun in big way he knew of three
persons two children and an adult, who
had broken their arms in the sport
There he let the matter rest
There was no occasion for anything
more. But it had been matter of
satisfaction to Jones that he could say
Evening star., 1939-02-04
British Health Insurance

National health insurance has
completed its first quarter century
in England.
1t has the support of the great
majority of the British medical pro-
fession. Lancet, the official journal
of the British Medical Association,
wonders at the attitude of American
doctors who condemn without much
reservation all schemes of govern
ment = administered medical insur-
ance and who cite the British record
as horrible example.
The journal cites a few figures.
The system administers to approx
imately 100000 persons, forty per
cent of the population of England,
Scotland and Wales. In twenty-five
years it has expended more than
$1,000, 100000 in sick benefits, dis
ablement funds, medical services,
dental treatments and the like. In
stead of heading toward bankruptcy,
as American critics like to say, it
has accumulated profit of more
than a half million dollars. This
reserve is steadily increasing. New
services constantly are being added.
During the twenty-five years, says
the Lancet, there has been a steady
advance in the standards of practice.
This has been due in part to less
financial worry on the part of the
individual physician and more op-
portunity for graduate study, now
being supplied free of cost.
1t is, on the whole, very pleasant
picture. Lancet is a journal to be
trusted. The 1888 report of the Brit
ish ministry of health, upon which
the article in the Lancet is based,
certainly deserves painstaking study
on the part of the American medical
profession. 1t is to be hoped that it
is not criticized without being read
1t is not necessarily true, of course,
that British experience would be re-
peated in the United States. The
temperament and the standards of
living of the two countries are diff
ferent. But at least British expert
ence no longer can be cited as evi-
dence of inevitable bankruptcy and
decline in the quality of treatment
which come with socialized medicine.
There is one development, how
ever, over which the editors of Lancet
are quite properly concerned. There
has been a noticeable increase in
the sale of medicines. The average
number of prescriptions issued per
insured person rose from 472 in 1885
to ATS in 1887. Lancet bows its head
over this condition but says that
yet attained to perfection.
national health insurance has not
The report shows, however, that
it is far nearer perfect than we have
been led to believe.
Evening star., 1939-02-04

his say. when he wanted to, and not
be rebuffed for saying it.
X X X X
Had he spoken to some one Of the
male sex, he might have been snubbed
completely.
Jones wonders what happens to the
spirit of man, when any fellow crea-
ture seems to fear well-intentioned re-
marks made to him in an honest above
board way.
Is that what is known as an in
feriority complex?
If 1t is, he says, it must be very widely
spread in any large city, especially in
the East. 1t has been suggested to
him. by other students of the matter
that most of the folks in Washington
are from smaller places, and that these
are the very types who think they
must act "big city" when they come
here.
!"Since this seems to worry you"
friend said to Jones, why don't you
stop talking to people you meet?"
"A fair question: replied Jonesy. II
don't want to give the impression, and
you know it isn't so, that I talk all
the time, and to any one I meet.
It, too, am rather choosy, if you
understand what I mean.
Every now and then, however, some
thing happens in a public place, or i
see something or other, which makes
me want to talk about it.
Now if I haven't friend along,
I still want to talk about it.
Then if the person nearby happens
to look as if he-especially he's also
human being, I can see no reason
why I should not speak out my mind.
practically always I proffer the re-
mark, leaving it in the air, to be ac-
cepted in kind or refused.
"Now," continued Jones, what burns
me up is when the sap looks at me
coldly, and absolutely makes no remark
whatsoever
HE could say something, I feel or
at least make some sort of animal noise
Even pigs do that.
But some of these hoity -toity babies
you meet around here seem to feel that
you are imposing upon them.
Maybe they look to see if you are
smoking a 50-cent cigar, before they
are willing to compromise themselves.
Il believe in being human being,
before all, and speaking out your mind,
as long as it is a decent mind, and your
remarks are motivated by some degree
of faith in your fellow man.
What these touchy birds are mott
waited by I do not know. Its your
guess. Every time I get set down, in
this way, I swear to myself that I
will never get caught again.
Then something happens, or 1 see
something and I fall again. 1 do not
ask continued conversation. but I do
think that some simple remark might
be made in return, don't you?"
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Hit and Run

The darkness of the winter morn
ing was increased by the drizzle of
rain from dense, low-hanging clouds.
The streets were slippery. 1t was
the hour when the city had just
awakened and was beginning to
move about. Protection afforded
later in the day by traffic lights
was not yet available. Every cir
cumstance called for unusual caution
and alertness. A coward in a death
dealing machine passes at what
probably was an illegal speed. And
little boy was left dying in the street.
Here is case which no preventive
law can touch any more than it can
prevent murder. No regulation to
control recklessness or speed, no
method of pedestrian protection, no
normal policing of the city could
have sufficed here. Punishment is
the only recourse left to the COM
munity, and definite punishment by
society, rather than by a doubtfully
tortured conscience, is the only fit
ting answer. The determined effort
being exerted by the police depart
ment to bring the killer TO justice
is commendable Extraordinary steps
have been taken, rewards offered
and extra police assigned to hunting
down the criminal.
It is to be hoped the guilty driver
will be apprehended and punished
promptly.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Work of the 'T-Men'

The annual report of Elmer L. Trey,
co-ordinator of Treasury enforcement
agencies, contains considerable data
of interest in analyzing the crime
situation and in appraising Federal
efforts to deal with it. The impor-
tance of liquor and narcotics as crime
factors warrants special attention of
those studying the cause and cure of
laWlessness.
Mr.. Irey's report, covering such
agencies as the Coast Guard, Bureau
of Customs, Secret Service, Alcohol
Tax Unit, Narcotics Bureau and In
telligence Unit Of the Internal Rev.
enue Bureau, reveals. that of 1902
Evening star., 1939-02-04

persons sent to prison during the
fiscal year 1888 by Treasury officers,
total of 4,792 had violated Federal
liquor laws. The liquor law prisoners
represented A1.3 per cent of all per-
sons committed that year. At the
same time the Narcotics Bureau re-
ported that while the supply of
opium, heroin and morphine appears
to have been substantially cur
tailed" the traffic in marihuana
continues to be a serious national
problem. More than one thousand
persons were arrested during the last
calendar year under authority of the
new marihuana tax law and vigor-
Gus program of marihuana weed
eradication was carried on in CO.
operation with local agencies.
The spirit of cooperation which
marked the war on marihuana, in
cidentally, extended to all fields of
investigation embraced by the Treas
ury agents. Under the new CO.
ordinated program of enforcement
worked out by Secretary Morgenthau,
the Coast Guard and customs men
worked closely with the Alcohol Tax
Unit and narcotics agents in detect
ing revenue law infringements, and
the narcotics, Secret Service and in
telligence agents exchanged informa-
ton of value to one another. The
value of such cooperation and CO.
ordination is reflected in the highly
encouraging report submitted by Mr..
Trey.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Man Beats Hen
At Own Game.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
With reference to the achievement of
Harold Ryder of Waikato, New Zealand,
in personally Matching an egg in mis-
hospital bed, your entertaining editorial
might have pointed to the event as
another instance of nature initiating ART
Don't you recall that Antoine Macheble,
the hero of Guy de Maupassant's short
story, "Toine," owes his fame to his dis
tinguished success in Matching a setting
of eggs in the same manner?
His thrifty and quarrelsome wife, an
11oyed to fury by the wasteful idleness
of the bedridden rascal, put his tempera-
ture to work as an incubator, and no
nonsense about it. Hard though it seems
to believe, he hit the jackpot-10 chicks
from 10 eggs. His pride was almost un-
bounded when he heard that the yellow
hen, who had been working on like
project during the same period, had
Matched only 7 out of 10.
GERARD HARRINGTON.
February
Evening star., 1939-02-04

notably New York, are following the
same procedure.
Maryland now has a billboard Ii
censing law, enacted in 1881, intend
ed to curb roadside signs. Because OF
the small fee charged, however, it has
done little more than eliminate small
"snipe" signs and provide modest
revenue for tree planting and
landscaping along a few highways.
AS a general curb against roadside
blight that obscures natural beauty
it has proven inadequate. There is
self-evident need for supplemental
legislation and the zoning proposal
seems to be the logical course to pur-
sue.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Highway Zoning

"A bill has just been presented to
the Maryland Legislature in an ef-
fort to make the zoning laws bar
rier to highway desecration.
All who travel over the roads of
the Free State realize the imperative
need for some more stringent regu-
lation of roadside structures.
Not only are conditions along ex-
isting highways becoming steadily
worse, but the billboard, the hot-dog
stand, the auto graveyard and the
overnight cabin will soon have new
fields to conquer. Maryland is plan
ming an expanded highway construc-
tion program with gasoline tax funds
hitherto diverted to other purposes.
Certainly costly new dual-lane
highways do not deserve the unhappy
fate which has befallen most Mary
land roads, that of becoming lanes
of commercialism.
1t is to safeguard the much needed
new highways and the few remain
Ing unspoiled sections of the old ones
that the Roadside Identification
Council, the Maryland Automobile
Club, the Federated Garden Clubs of
Maryland and other groups are spon-
soring the bill to apply the zoning
principle to highways. They point
out that zoning has been beneficial
in cities and are convinced it will be
helpful on the highways.
Without interfering with existing
structures and carefully safeguarding
the right of farmers to sell their pro-
duce on stands on their own prop
erty, the bill would provide CONNER
cial zones in which business struc-
lures would be permitted and nom
commercial areas in which they
would be barred. Other States,
Evening star., 1939-02-04
HitIer's Answer?

Far more significant than the
angry and anguished outcries yelling
up in the Nazi press over American
airplane sales to France is the formal
disclosure at Berlin that Germany
intends to build up to parity with
the British fleet in submarines and
to arm her new ten thousand-ton
cruisers with eight-inch guns. The
announcement seems almost like an
answer to the now famous planes
transaction with France.
Hitler is proceeding thus to rearm
intensively at sea in accordance with
the optional clause of the Anglo
German naval agreement of 1885,
under which the Reich undertook
to limit her naval tonnage to thirty
five per cent of Britains. This
arrangement provided for forty
five per cent ratio in submarines, the
excess in that category to be balanced
by a deficiency in others. The pact
recognized Germany's right to sub
marine equality and authorized her
to build beyond the forty-flve per
cent quota, "in the event of situa-
ton arising which, in the Berlin
governments opinion, makes it
necessary"
Germany will now proceed to more
than double her present submarine
tonnage of thirty-one thousand tons,
completed or Under construction,
since Britain's is about seventy thou
sand. The Nazis are thus by way of
utterly nullifying the rearmament
clauses of the Versailles treaty,
which forbade Germany to have
heavy artillery, military aircraft,
submarines or heavy warships. Her
army and air force have been
formidable establishments for the
better part of three years. Now she
is making a commensurate bid for
sea power. 1t may or may not be
sheer coincidence that Berlin chose
the week-almost to the day-of
President Roosevelt's conference
with the Senate Military Affairs
Committee, for discussion of the
international situation, to disclose
the Reichs new naval program. The
Nazis would need warships to en-
force any claims or promote any
territorial aspirations in the Western
World.
The British government has taken
prompt notice of the Germans sub
marine proposal. Speaking at Hull,
England, which more than once
during the war was the victim of
German air attack and saw much
British merchant tonnage sub
marined off her shore, Foreign
Secretary Viscount Halifax warned
Germany that Britain is swiftly
resuming her ancient strength" and
that Britons would unite as one
man" in the event of war. Arma-
ment undoubtedly speaks more
persuasively to Hitler than appease-
ment. The British government, in
commissioning a new warship a
week, is talking to the relationships
in a language far more effective
than that which was used at Munich
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Joins Protest Against Ban
On Marian Anderson.


Better known names than mine are
protesting the un-American attitude of
an organization supposedly founded on
Americanism. I refer to the barring Cf
Marian Anderson, famed colored con-
tralto, from appearing at Constitution
Hall There should be no bans where
art is concerned. In Germany, perhaps
but not in America, where the very
foundations are based on democratic
principles.
There is no more glorious voice in the
world than Miss Andersons No hall is
large enough to accommodate her myriad
admirers. A protest is we'll in form and
I hope that it is widespread enough to
cause not only thought, but also action
on the part of the people responsible.
January 81. JANE DE CHANTAL.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Casualty Hospital.
February !.
Asks Law Making
Coercion a Crime.
To the Editor Of The Star:

The Senate passed the relief bill Sat-
urday with provision designed to insulate
Federal employees from political coercion.
This is a good start. May suggest that
Congress now pass bill making it
crime, subject to impeachment, for any
Government employe. including the
President, to use coercion in obtaining
votes for or against bill by offering
Federal patronage, including Federal
tudgeships, in fact any Federal per-
quisite? EDWARD P. HUBBELL.
January 80.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
February l.
Fears Involvement in
Foreign War.

Foreign War.
To the Editor of The Star:
Are we men or are we mice? Are we
going to let the capitalist and the foreign
element drag us into another war? Then
let's do something about it. Let's stop
these propagandists in their tracks. Why
go over there and get our heads blown
off for the benefit of a few politicians?
Why not appropriate the money neces-
sary to 60 to war and turn it over to the
Dies Committee for investigation of the
different factions? Or we might take
care of some our poor and needy citizens
AS Senator Reynolds says, Lets wash
behind our own ears before we give the
other fellow BATH"
JULES B. RODIER,
VIRGIL M. HUMPHREY.
January 81.
Evening star., 1939-02-04

An apple a day keeps the doctor
away and Britain seems convinced
that a warship a week has merit in
avoiding a certain international
plague.
Evening star., 1939-02-04

1t will not be long now before the
fishball season will begin to give
way to that characterized by four
other prominent spheres: Base, ten
mis-. golf and moth.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
@. What is a crwth?-F A. M

@. What is crwth?-F. A. M.
A. This is the Welsh spelling Of the
ancient Celtic musical instrument called
the crowd. 1t had a shallow, rectangular
body and varying number OF strings
which were originally plucked, but later
played with bow.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Shooting Stors
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
The Drawback,

The Drawback.
I haven't any railway stocks to irritate
my mind
When interstate embarrassments arise
In the movements of the markets it
is not my fate to find
A thing to agitate me or surprise.
I haven't any interests in the corpora
tons great,
Nor dealings with the crafty lawyer
folk
Nobody ere reviles me as danger to
the state.
I'd be happy-if I only wasn't broke.
There's no one camping on my trail
with pllilanthroplc plans
For which I am supposed to have
the cash.
I never risk my fortune to annex
another mans,
I'm quite immune from speculations
rash,
I have no motor car to keep me wor-
ried night and day.
This life would seem a long and
gentle joke,
Except for one slight hindrance that is
sadly in the way.
I'd be happy-if I only wasn't broke.
Evening star., 1939-02-04
Grounded.

The grounding when he hoped to stunt
And be a flying hero,
Could only stay on the ground and grunt
Because of ceiling zero.