davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Danger Is Nigh

Reading that the presence of the Dutch elm disease has been traced into this section of the state comes as some what of surprise, an unpleasant one to local residents There hasn't been much said about the progress of this tree pestilence during 1889, but the Connecti- cut Agricultural Experiment Station now reports that the disease is making prog ress, for it is being detected in sections of the state where it never before was found.
 Woodbury and Seymour are among the towns in which the disease is reported now. That's bit discouraging. We don't know how the Dutch elm disease travels or how rapidly it spreads, but with elm trees only dozen miles away from us already afflicted with the disease and perhaps facing complete removal to pre- vent further spread, it is logical to expect that perhaps 1940 will bring out the sad news that Waterbury elms are infested.
 Of course fine work is being done all the time by state and federal agencies in removing the diseased trees, but the mere fact that new regions of the state are being found visited with the disease is sufficient to convince the most opti- mistic of us that sooner or later this city will get the report that the Dutch elm disease has been found in our many beautiful specimens of this tree. Let us hope that the magnificent trees on our Green will be spared
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Cheap at $22, 900, 900

It costs about $22 100000 year to run Congress. It would be easy to make funny cracks about that item, thought less little flip jests about high-priced hot air, and the like. But such quips some how aren't quite as funny as they used to be. More and more we can be glad even for Congress faults, for they are the faults of the people.
 Are congressman sometimes verbose and windy? So are lot of people. Are congressman inconstant, shifting often with the tide of today's affairs? So, often, are the people. Are some of them vain, and trivial, and not always too acute? They are human traits, shared by great masses of the people.
 Not all the money spent by government today, perhaps, represents dollars worth for every dollar. But Congress? When 1t speaks, the voice is, for better or worse, the peoples voice. Suppose some dictator succeeded in abolishing this voice of the people. They would be glad to pay p times 9 million dollars to get it back.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Invisible Fathers

Thirteen hundred little children stand in the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokio. They are silent and sober, with great black eyes of Japanese children. But they do not cry as they pray silently, with little heads bowed.
 They have been brought from every corner of Japan by war relief organ ization, for ceremony. And they all have one thing in common - their fathers have been killed in the Chinese invasion.
 general and prince, clinking with medals, speaks to them. Their fathers are not dead, the voice assures them, only invisible, still watching them to see that they serve well the state their fathers served.
 Which is the way of the militarist all over the world not only to take away the most precious lives, but to insist that this is very fine thing, and to induce in the next generation the mood that will make them walk cheerfully up to the chopping block in their turn.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Old Folks at Home

When the United States was young, and they were taking the first census, it was found that there were more chil- dren in the country than adults-about 10 children for every eight adults That is nearly 150 years ago Today, for every 10 children there are 20 adults. It is hard to imagine more complete shift in the makeup of population in what is, historically speaking, rather short time.
 So when we think of the problem of youth, the difficulties faced by young people in starting career, it is well to keep this fact in mind In the old days they were entering world with compar- atively few older people in it's productive positions. Today they enter one loaded with a superfluity of older people who are, living longer and hanging on to their jobs longer and tighter than ever before.
 Which means that activities like the CCC and the various projects of the National Youth Administration will probably be with us for good long time, no matter what administration sits in Washington, and no matter what de- gree of relative prosperity shall have been achieved.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29

The compilation of motor fatality records by the State Motor Vehicle De- partment is interesting to say the least. The mere fact that the town of Bridge water has gone 1882 days without motor fatality may not make much of an impression until it is broken down and properly digested by the reader. This means that while Bridgewater may have had accidents galore in the last thirteen years no one has died as result of any of these accidents. Then take the case of Sherman over to the west of us. They've never had a fatal motor accident there since the department started to keep records. That in itself is record shared in only by very few communities in the entire United States. Nearby Bethlehem hasn't had a fatality in 2,920 days which is quite lengthy period if you care to figure it out. All in all the figures show that a fair proportion of our towns are more than merely safety conscious.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29

We have never admitted that the theory of tolls on the Merritt Parkway is wrong and we hope that operation of the road as such won't lead us to. But when we read that the cost of maintaining the toll sta tions is more than $200 day, we really wonder if we merely fall into common fallacy by calling this excessive or are right in so doing. At first glance and without checking up on operation of toll stations any place else it does seem that if the state has got to pay over $200 every day of the year to keep the toll gates open the $73,OO0 expense item is an excep- tionally large one. Maybe it can be cut down by the time winter is here. Certainly it's high price to pay for highly criticized experiment.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29

Louisiana grand jury for lack of impartiality and said: "I fear that the time will not soon arrive when graft will be suppressed Yi Louisi- ana so long as rubbcr-stamp men hold the seal of the state and put an O. K. on the crooks that hap pen to be over and above them" EDISON'S WAX RECORD
 Part of the modernizing of the Navy Department performed by Acting Secretary Charles Edison consisted of installing dictating machines, of the type invented by his father, the late Thomas A. Edison.
 AS a further aid to efficiency, the machines in MT. Edison's pri- vate office are operated by remote control. In other words, while he dictates his letters into the mouthpiece, the machine which records his words on the wax cylinder is located in an adjoining room, where his efficient sten- ographer, Mrs. McDermott, can. transcribe the discs as soon as he is finished talking.
 This arrangement has been a mixed blessing. For during a re- cent conference the receiving but ton of the dictating machine got turned on by mistake and the entire confidential conversation was recorded. Edisons aid set out post-hastc to capture the wax cylinders, and whether or not any deep matters of naval policy were discussed never will be known. MT. Edison, donning the headgear personally, reproduced the record for his own private information and then took it away with him.
 Rumor is that it contained a couple of juicy sailor stories, and no military information whatso- ever.
 Copyright, 1889, by United
 Feature Syndicate, Incl
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
In Today's Mail
DON'T ABANDON DOGS OR CATS AT END OF YOUR <
 VACATION
Editor of The Democrat:

Editor of The Democrat:
 May we have space in your paper to appeal to vacationists not to abandon dogs and cats when they return to their homes? Each year many of these animals are thought lessly left behind by those who have enjoyed their company during the summer months, and this has re- suited in much unnecessary suf- fering.
 Humane societies and societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals are scattered all over the. United States and there are very few places where the services of such, societies cannot be secured to care for the animals. &
 In most cases where dogs and cats are abandoned, they died a finger ing death from hunger and thirst. We appeal to owners, who cannot take their cat or dog with them, to get in touch with the nearest hu- nane society or s. P. 0. A. and re- quest that the society find homes for the animals or have them hu- namely destroyed.
 ERIC H. HANSEN,
 The American Humane Association.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Wrong Tactics

Everyone who has had anything to say about the present situation in Waterbury has adopted rough-house tactics. We don't think they will succeed and urge that they be dropped and other means taken to secure a return to normalcy in our midst. A cross-section of the city, melted, unfortunately, by the efforts Of the Waterbury Republican-American to finish up their cleanup" campaign, is doing more harm than good right now. If the idea is to have the convicted city officials give up their jobs, it certainly could be accomplished whole lot easier if it wasn't accompanied by chorus of descriptive shouts in which the officials are called every ugly name under the sun.
 Whether or not the situation can be ironed out peacefully and orderly now, we don't know. But we do know that the present situation would never have come to pass, had it not been for those selfsame efforts to "kick the rascalS" out, as the expression seems to be. We don't doubt but what little sane advice and less vitu- perative warnings would have brought forth the resignations of the convicted officials. They still may be obtained and normal operation Of the clCyS DuSlneSS attained if sane thinking can prevail over hysterical shouting and ranting.
 No one, least of all the Republican American, is going to scare Mayor Hayes into giving up his office. And if his res ignation is not preferred in the near future, we doubt if those of any other members of his administration will be forthcoming. We don't believe that this attitude should be maintained by those city officials, but unfortunately this be- lief, shared by many loyal Democrats and others throughout the city, is not that Of the officials. It is possible, however, that they could be persuaded to follow such course of action if they were led to be- lieve it was not submission to the will of the William J. Pape newspapers, but to that of most of their friends and political packers of years past.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
BIRTH CONTROL AND THE LAW
 (Hartford Times)

Now that Judge McEvoy has ruled that Connecticut Birth Control Law is constitutional, following Judge Wynnes decision a month ago that it was unconstitutional, the desir- ability of having the matter deter mined by the state supreme court becomes all the more obvious.
 In ordering the destruction of con- traceptive devices which had been seized by the prosector's staff in the Waterbury Maternal Center, Judge McEvoy has given opportunity for appeal which the defendants will certainly take. The order of execu- tion is suspended pending the ap- peal.
 It does not matter materially whether the appeal is taken on the Wynne decision which cleared the two doctors and the nurse who were in charge of the Center, or on the McEvoy ruling which convicted" the contraceptives. The important aspect is that, as Judge Wynne sug- gested, the higher court decide whether a law may step between the physician and his client and forbid his advising conception pre- vention if reasons of health make it desirable in his professional opin- ion.
 The question of constitutionality affects an important principle, that of the right of the physician to pre- scribe and of patient to ask advice in matters of health. A judi cial determination of that question by the Supreme Court of Errors will be most useful in paving the way for proper new legislation, if neces- Sary,
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
. HlGHlIGHTS FROM
 LATEST BOOKS
Iceland Dean Of Republics

Of Republics
 The world spares little attention
 for the outpost of civilization, Iceland, ut 1t might learn
 great deal from the island
 which is highly successful with
 cO-cperativeS, has practically no
 crime, is progressive generally.
 You get the whole interesting
 story from an authority in the
 book, Iceland" by ,Vilhjalmur
 Stefansson Doubleday, Doran:
 S3.5O). How progressive Iceland
 is is indicated by these quotes:
 In the summer of 930 the Althing was established at Thingvellir and Iceland became an organized com monwealth (the first American re- public).
 As Bryce points out, this com monwealth differed from most other states in that it did not grow natur- ally from small beginning. but was deliberately established by agree ment of independent groups of men who were seeking to attain the common ends of justice and order Thus, when Athelstan the Victor ious, of England was fighting Scots and Northumbrians, when Henry the Fowler was repelling the Mag vars, and when the Carolingians were on the wane in Gaul, the peo. pie of Iceland, with deliberate in- tent and without bloodshed created for themselves a republic. The present form of government is e constitutional monarchy. Itl constitution dates from 1920. Ex. ecutive power rests with the Kim
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Views of The Press
Copyright, 1889, by United
 Feature Syndicate, Incl

by electing George L. Carpenter, Commissioner of Canada, as Gen. eral.
 The new commander of the army IS the second of its generals not a member of the Booth family. The first was Edward J. Higgins, who was chosen in 1929 after the council had voted to depose Barmwell Booth for incapacity. The deposit ton was carried o the courts by Booth, and eventually Higgins was installed. He served until 1884, when, after another fight, Evan geline Booth was chosen. Gather inc Bramwell Booth, daughter of Bramwell Booth and granddaugh- ter of the founder, was candidate before the High Council yesterday.
 General-elect Carpenter is an Australian and was secretary to General Bramwell Booth and had part in the memorable contest of 1929. He is 67, and this is said to have helped his candidacy because the High Council did not wish to put a younger person in office. His term will expire in 1945 under a regulation requiring retirement at 73. The Generals task is arduous, necessitating much travel-but ar- duous tasks are no novelty in the Salvation Army.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29

don't think so. They are having a tough time making him listen to political eXpediency.
 The other day one of them, Freeman w. Burford of the East Texas Refining comjany. called Rogge on the long distance tele- phone from Dallas, Burford had bee indicted in connection with a hot oil deal which also involved ex-Governor Leche of Louisiana, had refused to go from Texas to Louisiana to surrender, anc Federal Judge Davidson of Texas had upheld him.
 So, calling Rogge in New Or leans, Burford said:
 "I want you to know, MT. Rcgge, that Pm a good Demo- crat. I'm for Roosevelt fer a third term, and just the other day I helped the Young Demo- crats in their move for a third term. You and I have lot of things in common, so let's talk this thing over. I believe I can he;p you on this case"
 "I'll be glad to talk to you.' replied Rogge, Out first it's up to you to come in here and sur render"
 Burford talked at great length 30 minutes worth of long distance tolls but Rogge's reply was: Its up to you to come in and surrender. If not, you're a travel ing man, MT. Burford, and we're bound to pick you up the minute you set your foot outside of Texas"
 And that was that. Third term or no third term, Burford has to make up his mind whether to sur render.
 NOTE-It is almost unprece- .dented for a judge to refuse re- moval motion on a criminal in- dictment, but Judge Davidson, a Roosevelt appointee, criticized the
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29

Int inspected firm tone of the market throughout the crisis is at- tributed by Wall Street and SEC authorities largely to foreign buy ing.
 How much money has been in- vested on this side in the past ten days is not definitely known, but experts estimate it to run into tens of millions of dollars.
 Most of the orders have come from London and Amsterdam, sending a heavy volume. The buy ing has been chiefly in utility and industrial securities, with chemi- calls, textiles and aviation stocks favored. ...,
 NOTE-Whether the stock ex- changes are closed in the event of war depends entirely on what happens in the market. If there is heavy liquidation and a price crash appears imminent, it has been secretly decided that the SEC will immediately order a shut down. If there is no, panic the exchanges will not be disturbed. CODE CABLES
 How heavy is the volume of the State Departments confidential cables is indicated by the glow of flames flickering at night on the fourth floor of the old State Department building.
 On occasion the flames have been such as to alarm work ing clerks, especially because this floor contains the vital Code Sec ton and some of the most im- portant messages received from U. S. ambassadors.
 Explanation of the flames is the practice of code workers to destroy all work sheets, etc., at the end of the day. This is to prevent possible leaks to anyone who might search wastepaper baskets. The practice started when the late Frank B. Kellogg was secretary of state, when the Mexican government came into possession of secret state de- partment documents.
 Ordinarily the burning of these papers is a trivial matter which takes place in a large open fire place, and is noticed by no one. The fact that the flames now attract attention indicates the in- creased volume of confidential dispatches arriving from Europe and Asia.
 STATE DEPARTMENT GHOSTS
 The tense situation in Europe is playing hob with the nerve of late-working clerks and officials of the State Department, several of whom have been scared out ot their wits by the student appear ance of grotesque black and red object bobbing about and leering in the window.
 The ensuing shrieks have brought members of the guard. who patiently explain it is noth- ing but a bunch of gas-filled toy balloons, attached to a string, with a solemn colored laborer par ades about the building at dusk, soaring off pigeons and starlings that roost among the many hooks and crannies of the rambling old building.
 The clerks, however, have had their revenge. Several times the Balloon Barrage has been "slr0t down" by well directed paper clips, propelled by husky government Der bands and fired from the windows of the building.
 TOUGH JOHN
 O. John Rogge( fortnight young assistant attorney general in Lou isiana, may be good Democrat, but certain other Democrats
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29

of Iceland, but he exercises it through ministers"
 In the fashion in which the wo- men of Wyoming were given the right to vote on territorial affairs in 1869 Icelandic women were granted the right to vote on local matters in 1882. They voted on clergymen of the State church in 1886. Tn 1915 universal suffrage was secured for them, newish idea then in world affairs,
 The Constitution guarantees inc dustrial liberty and provides parish relief for the destitute. Under 1t defense of the country is obllga- tory on every man able to carry arms. However. Iceland has no mil. itary force and has declared itself permanently neutral.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29

It the sate is going to continue the policy of toll roads to enable speedy con- struction of the Merritt Parkway exten- sion, the Wilbur L. Cross Parkway, then it will have to eliminate such high-priced additional items or else concentrate on collecting tolls at a minimum ot expense We want most of our toll money to go into road expansion and upkeep, but the upkeep should be of the road itself
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Daily Almanac

Moon rises 7:08 p. m. daylight tine).
 Sun rises 6:l5 a. m.; sets 7:31 D. m. day light time).
 All vehicles must be lighted thirty minutes after sunset.
 High water at Milford Wednesday, Aug. 30. i2:3O: low water, 7:i4 daylight time)
 For the third successive time this month the forecast, based on change in the moons phase. shows fair weather In the oflng for the next seven-day period. And in view of the preponderance of fair weather this sum- mer it surely Is e late date to change.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Selected Poem
sULTRY MOONS

SULTRY MOONS (Jack Greenberg in the Poets Corner,
 Hartford Times.) l love the warm and sultry moons That make the roads look lazy For warmth and rest come always best When air and skies are hay. When breezes are too weary to Do more than make leaves quiver When flowers seem to doze and dream Of dew and crawling river. There is an ease in summer moons That laughs at trade and duty That spills a musk of shadow dusk Tn which to sip of beauty I love to watch the sun-rays wash The languid drowsy valleys As in some shade my fancies wade Along the cloud formed alleys.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
THE SALVATION ARMY GENERAL
 (New York Sun)

When the long and bitter struggle in the Salvation Army which re- suited five years ago in election of Evangeline Booth as General of the Salvation Army is recalled, the ex- petition and harmony that have marked the choice of her successor are of particular interest. The High Council assembled on August l6 and after spending considerable time de- liberating and acting on proposed amendments of its organization. completed It's work on August a
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
Whats Your I.Q.?
Can you answer seven of these test questions? Turn to last page for the answers.

l. Are the Andes Mountains on the eastern or western coast of South America? / 2. In the Roman Catholic church, what is a requiem mass? ' z 3. What is an amperemeter?
 4. Of which country is Andorra- la-Vieja the capital? t
 What does esoteric mean? !. 6. Name the President of Chile
 '. In what year will the next fen. eral census be taken?
 8. Is Fordham University m Bos- ton, Philadelphia or New York City? g. Name the branch of natural history that treats of reptiles, {.
 10. Is 1t necessary to send both 2 wedding announcement and invita. tion to friends? V
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29

168.000. No better use could be made of the surplus supplies. School authorities found that children eiy- en such lunches during the past school season showed better. class averages and were absent fer less from illness. Certainly thie is Q better use for such surpliiseB than blowing them under e allowing them to deteriorato.