davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Planes for the Army

The decision of the Priorities Board
of the National Defense Commission
to restrict expansion of commercial
plane output to facilitate greater
production of military aircraft for
the Army, Navy and Great Britain
is an essential step in the national
defense program. The Army has
complained particularly of inroads
on the supply of engines available
for military purposes.
1t is regrettable that expansion OF
commercial airline facilities had to
be curtailed just as this industry was
preparing to embark upon an i'm
portant program of expansion, but,
in a time like the present, military
requirements must take precedence.
Under the decision of the Priorities
Board the commercial lines will be
permitted to acquire only such new
planes as are already on order and
which have reached an advanced
stage of construction, together with
urgently needed spares and replace
ments 1t is understood that the
private agencies now have about 435
multi planes on order, al
though the number in an advanced
stage of construction has not been
disclosed.
The Priorities Board, it is reported,
has promised the commercial line
operators that within few months
it will re-examine the situation and
modify it's order if conditions at that
time warrant such action. In the
meantime, there is no doubt that the
private lines will consent willingly
to the sacrifice required of them.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
of men who will work harmoniously

of men who will work harmoniously
together.
England has tried hard, but has
not been able to do this, according
to most reports. The United States,
if ever called upon to establish a
censorship, might do worse. France
did much worse. Germany, accord
ing to some correspondents who re-
turned few months ago, was doing
much better, but recent dispatches
from Berlin contain significant evi-
dence of severe Tightening of the
restrictions. AS a model censorship,
one might point to that Of Canada
under the direction Of Herbert Lash,
who was taken from the position of
public relations officer of one Of the
great Canadian railroad systems.
But, it must be admitted, Mr.. Lash's
job is far simpler than that of run
ming the censorship of the British
Empire.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
THIS AND THAT
By Charles Z. Trace1Dell.

Putting up another feeder is always an
interesting experience In the yard Of q
bird observer.
He wants to see how long it will take
for the first bird to find it, and what
that first bird will be; he Is interested
in the approach of the songsters to the
new device, and whether 1t is Immediately
popular.
One Of the questions the newcomer to
bird feeding is sure to ask is. How long
will it be, after put up a feeding sta
/ ton, before the birds Gomez"
There is no general answer to that
one. Sometimes the birds take to a
feeding box or platform within few
minutes. In most cases perhaps as much
as three or four hours will go by before
any bird arrives. In some instances q
feeder may have to be in place and
stocked for one, two or three days before
the birds put it into commission.
The old hand at the game simply
waits for what will happen.
He has three feeding stations at diff
ferent points in the garden already.
1t is not, with his birds, question OF
getting food-they already have plenty
of it. But they like the novelty of get
ting it in new place.
Birds, like men, respond to the new
With them it is not question of some
thing new to talk about, but of some
new place to eat.
There are three feeders in the yard
already, let us say.
One is in the perennial border running
along the west side of the back yard.
1t is simple trough of unpainted
wood, with roof, placed beneath the
gigantic climbing rose on the fence.
The birds like it here.
This is their favorite station. One OF
the reasons they like it is because it is
on the ground. While birds eat from
feeders on posts and on the trunks OF
trees and swinging from tree branches
they really prefer them on the ground.
Any enthusiast who has no constructed
feeding box will do well simply to forget
about it and fling handful of mixed
seed and grain on the ground beneath
some bush. Let him feel assured that
the birds like nothing better, if as well
There is something eminently natural
in finding food this way which does not
obtain when the food must be secured
from a trough or table or board affixed
to g windowsill.
There is, of course, nothing against
such devices. They keep the food dry
and We believe the songsters like II
best dry.
But if device is not handy, and one
wants to feed the birds, he should not
let the lack stop him in the least.
: The main thing, the birds tell us, 1,
the food
In the yard under discussion, in addi-
ton to the feeder beneath the rose vine
there is another on the ground OH the
east side of the garden. 1t is at the
foot of maple tree
There is third feeding station on an
Evening star., 1940-11-30
British Censorship

Judged on the basis OF news dis
patches of the past few days, there
seems to have been a relaxation in
British press censorship. Names OF
bombed cities now can be mentioned
by correspondents. Reporters even
can describe, within limits, the ex-
tent of the damage. The citizens
of Bristol now are allowed to read in
their own newspapers the fact that
they recently were subjected to a
frightful air raid This censorship
has been confused and erratic from
the first day of the war. Within a
week after the conflict started, the
London morning papers were seized
by the police for printing an innoc-
uous bit of news which they actually
had received as "handout" from
one division of the Ministry of In
formation, but to which another di-
vision of the same ministry objected.
The censorship, of course, was or
ganized hastily with sadly mixed
personnel. There were some excel
lent journalists participating, and
there were some typical bureaucrats.
There was constant working at cross
purposes. There are many who Won
der whether, on the whole, it has not
done more harm than good-whether
1t has effectively concealed enough
worthwhile information from the
enemy to offset the animoSities it
has aroused. The British censor
ship has been more liberal than that
which was set up in France at the
start of the war. 1t has tried to meet
correspondents at least half way.
That there have been mistakes is
not surprising, for the job is one of
the most complex and difficult i'm
aginable. The perfect censor would
be almost a Superman-one with an
instructive appreciation of that in
tangible thing called news" a
profound knowledge of popular
psychology, a clear understanding
OF military and naval requirements,
a lot of sound common sense. 1t is
hard to find such combination OF
qualifications in any individual. The
best that can be hoped for Is to
encompass these qualities in q group
Evening star., 1940-11-30

arch over the east gate, about 10 feet
from the back porch.
These three feeders allow the birds
to fly from one station to another to
shake down their food. This is a real
"shake-down cruise" to use the Naval
Academy phrase.
These feeding stations are enough
but the closest one is 10 feet from the
house.
There should be another, either at the
windowsill or close to it. Sometimes ii
is neither convenient nor desirable to
put q bird feeding station directly at a
window.
In such case it is next best to attach
1t to a stake, varying In height with the
height of the window from the ground.
This stake may be placed, say, 2,
or maybe or feet from the window
so situated that 1t may be seen from a
favorite easy chair. At this distance
from the window even the most timid
birds will stay put if figure passes
across the room.
$50 Il
4hC ioAi tli lCCQCi Ndo pldICo db dDOul
feet from the dining room window in
the mass of rhododendrons These had
been cut back so that the feeding sta
ton, in the form of small pavilion
with roof. swung easily above them.
In past years the birds had liked this
situation very much.
Only the other day the towhee, absent
oil ctIvv ell,
evidently looking for the old station.
1t was his call which spurred the re-
installation. If the towhee was back.
that was sufficient reason for putting up
his favorite feeder.
There is some added warmth in the
atmosphere close to the house. The
birds appreciate this, even if it is only a
degree.
Two, three hours went by after the
feeding station had been installed.
1t was heaped with choice seed and
grains
At last a mother cardinal few into
the rhododendrons.
What a wonderful bird the female car
ulIldl Is! one selected Sun1OWer seed
nibbled it with her bill. extracted the
meat and let the husks fall over the side
into the oak leaves which had been piled
around the rhododendrons.
1t was not until the next day that
another bird appeared, although the
male cardinal, skittish fellow, hac
flown in, inspected the feeder, and ther
flown away. He is not as brave as his
wife.
A titmouse, one of the best of birds
which winter here, was the first guest
the next morning.
He made 10 trips within few minutes
seizing seeds and taking them away tc
a nearby tree to crack them in his favor
ite way.
None of the sparrows as yet had
found the new feeding station.
Nor had the towhee been back. But
on his next trip to the garden he viii
see the other birds flying into the rhodo-
dendronS, and then he will know that
his best eating stand is open for business
again.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Corrects Misinterpretation
OF Insurance Letter.

To the Editor of The Star:
In reply to the letter addressed to you
under date of November 20 by "a Saw
ings Bank Policyholder" answering my
letter of November Is, regret to note
that the writer of the above mentioned
letter has missed my point entirely. 1t
was not my intention to minimize or be-
little savings bank life insurance as
such, but rather to stress the importance
of selling VS.. voluntary buying. The
writer admits that the savings banks in
1898 wrote 6.8 per cent of all the life
insurance written in Massachusetts, that
year as compared with nearly s247 ,000, 900
written by Al other life insurance COM
panies merely offered evidence to
show that life insurance is not bought
without motivation, by the majority of
the people. It must be sold. Each Of the
persons buying insurance Ia Massachu.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Supports Roosevelt
On Dies Committee.
To the Editor OF The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
Between the rough methods of the
Dies Committee and the orderly expert
methods of the F. B. I. in ferreting out
subversive activities of foreign agents,
the American people would naturally
prefer the latter.
The Dies methods unnecessarily stir
suspicion and fear in the public mind.
They are the methods used in Red Rus
sia, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.
arm afraid that the committee. created
to combat un-American activities, has
itself become un-American
The President is right in saying in
his telegram to Mr.. Dies:
81 know that you will also see the
point when I suggest that in the regular
conduct of administrative work of this
nature, carefully laid plans for the OBJ
tanning of further information, which
may lead to the breaking up of subver-
sive activities, may be severely handi-
capped or completely destroyed by
premature disclosure of facts or by sup
positions to the public, or by hasty seiz-
ure of evidence which might with a
little more patience be obtained in
manner to be admissible in court, or by
the giving of immunities to witnesses
before congressional committees as to
matters revealed by their own testi-
mony Such action may defeat the
ends of justice"
I can see no wisdom, no reason, no
necessity in the premature publicizing of
the Dies Committees incomplete find
ings, and these only on one phase of
the big problem which the committee
has been entrusted to explore. BY pub
fishing the white paper" on Nazi activi-
ties the committee has virtually advised
other foreign agents, Communists, Fas-
cists, British and Japanese, to destroy
evidence before the committee could get
around to them
Investigation of this nature requires
tact, skill, experience and special train
ing on the part of men employed for
that purpose.
The proper and effective organization
to handle this matter is not congress
sional committee, but that division of
the Justice Department especially Gre
ated for that purpose
Mr. Dies should ask for no more money
for his committee, but should propose
bill for more liberal appropriation for
the F. B. I. OLIVER SMITH.
New York City.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Policeman on the Beut

Blue-coated. straight and tall he walks
along,
Swinging his club in rhythm to his stride;
Glancing with swift keen eyes from side
to side,
His senses quick to warn If aught Is
wrong;
Snatching child against some changing
gong;
Seeing him over where the street is wide;
Stopping to answer questions or to guide
The weak and aged through a careless
throng;
The strangers help; ministering friend;
Guardian of the night and Of the day;
A boys firm backer-oue who intercedes;
Who, when his daily beat is at an end. u
Takes from his own kind pocket to defray
The cost of food hungry family needs.
MARION II. ADDINGTON.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
ItuIy's Food PLIGHT

A far more convincing measure of
Italy's war-making capacity than
MuSsolini's recent bombast is re-
port on her food situation, just issued
by the United States Department of
Agriculture. Based on confidential
information obtained through diplo-
matte channels, the report indicates
that the Italian people face winter
of acute deprivation. They are in
sore need not only of many foodstuffs
but of agricultural raw materials.
Due to the British blockade of the
Mediterranean, more than eighty per
cent of Italy'S imports is cut off. In
consequence, the whole Fascist eco
nomic structure "has been more
severely disorganized than anything
else the war has accomplished" The
cumulative effect on national morale
is bound to be disintegrating. 1t
conjures up ominous possibilities.
When Italy went to war last June,
the report points out, Rome evil
IDENTIFY expected a short campaign.
Within barely a month the Fascists
were rudely awakened from that
dream. Anxiety spread and more
inclusive rationing was enforced. In
addition to food shortage, prices rose
rapidly. They were forty per cent
higher at the start than when the
Anglo German war began in
1899. Italy's food and raw materials
were already heavily depleted by four
years of fighting in Ethiopia and
Spain, and the Allied blockade of
Germany made it impossible to OBJ
tain replenishments. Thus, Musso-
lini entered the fray with few or no
reserves Of cotton, wool, rubber,
cereals, oilseeds and meats.
Italy today is wholly dependent
upon supplies available by land from
sources like Germany, Switzerland,
the Balkans and Northern Europe,
but these regions are themselves on
short rations, having no coffee or ex-
portable meat. Their excess cereals
and fats are absorbed almost entirely
by Germany. The Agriculture De-
partment report asserts that lack of
fats, oils and meats-the food prod
ucts in which Italy is most deficient
means that her plight may become
serious as the British blockade re-
mains unbroken. Stricter rations and
possibly five or six meatless days are
in prospect.
Other telltale facts are that coffee
drinking by civilians is prohibited,
all available supplies being requisi-
toned for the armed forces. Olive
oil, major item in the italian diet,
is limited to pint month. Butter,
pastry, sugar, lard, Suet and bread
are rigidly rationed. Bread contains
more bran than hitherto. Cotton
supplies face early exhaustion. The
situation in Sicily is particularly
grave. Fish, a principal article of
consumption there, is almost unob-
tainable. Bread is made of indi-
geStlble ingredients.
Mussolini's war has never been
popular with his people. Conditions
just described will not make it more
palatable, especially if there is con-
tinuance of important Italian mill
tary and naval reverses. The pro-
gressive hunger and disillusionment
of the Fascist nation are factors
which II Duce can contemplate with
nothing but alarm.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Viroinio Power

The Virginia Corporation Commits
sion should weigh carefully the re-
quest Of the Arlington County Public
Utilities Commission to require a
connection between the electric sys-
tenn of the Virginia Public Service
Company and the Braddock Light g.
Power Company. The county utili-
ties group, backed by the county
board, thinks the connection should
be established as an insurance
against "blackouts" such as have
been occurring recently because of
v. P. S. power failures.
The utilities company has taken
steps to prevent recurrence Of the
failures. 1t has put new unit in
service at Alexandria which will
greatly increase its output, and has
announced plans for still another
unit which will boost it's productive
capacity still more. The company
also has announced that greater
power will be received through
connection with the Virginia Electric
and Power Company.
The increase in generating facil-
tiles does not necessarily mean, how
ever, that v. P. S. constantly has a
surplus of power equal to the differ
ence between its productive capacity
and the peak demands of the Airing
ton-Fairfax-Alexandria area. This
results from the fact that v. P. S.
serves very large area in Virginia,
its generating plants being inter-
connected so that the Alexandria
station might be called upon at any
time to furnish power to some other
locality where a breakdown has
occurred.
There also may be some question
as to the adequacy of the concerns
distribution facilities, as evidenced
by the fact that the town of Falls
Church experienced two-hour local
"blackout" last evening when a
transformer failed.
Whether the additions to the v. P.
S. plant will prove equal to any
emergency is a question which the
State Corporation Commission must
decide. Recently there was conflict
of testimony as to kilowatt capacity
of the v. P. S. at hearing before
the Federal Power Commission, which
has authority to order the connection
sought by the county if requested to
do so by the State authorities or
either company affected. Federal
officials are interested because such
national defense plants as the naval
torpedo plant at Alexandria, the
naval radio station and Fort Belvoir
all were affected by the recent break
in power.
Reluctance of the v. P. S. to agree
to the suggested link with the Brad
dock concern, which is a subsidiary
of the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany, is based on the contentious
that the cost of laying marine cable
from the Washington power company
to Alexandria would be "prohibitive"
an objection which does not take
into account the much less expensive
possibility of a connection between
the v. P. S. lines in Arlington and
the Rosslyn lines of the Braddock
company-and that the additions
planned for their own plant should
meet the increased loads. Arlington
officials, however, will have strong
public support in their effort to place
all available sources of power at the
disposal of the area in case of emer-
gency.
Evening star., 1940-11-30

sets had an equal opportunity to buy
insurance from the savings banks In
1888 6.S per cent of the insurance buyers
voluntarily purchased life insurance
through the banks while 932 per cent of
the buyers, through the motivation of
insurance statesmen, purchased insur-
ance frorl private companies.
HOMER w. WILLS.
Evening star., 1940-11-30

certainable, of course, until the reg
istration period has expired. No
stigma attaches to the mere listing
of aliens as provided in the statute
and there can be no valid excuse
for willful avoidance Of the require
ment.
Evening star., 1940-11-30

DR.. Manfred Zapp, German cor
respondent, complains bitterly about
the attitude of his listeners at the
1899 Institute of Public Affairs down
In Charlottesville. II found the
atmosphere about me, as German,
cold and negative" he says. The
journalist is slightly in error: IT was
"cold and positive"
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address OF
the ,oriter, although the use of
a pseudonynn for publication is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters NTH
q Dte,O to condensation.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Doubts Victims HeIp
For Aggressors.

To the Editor of The Star:
win you kindly permit another alien
to supplement the fantasy depicted by
L. K. Kentwel when he warns Ameri-
cans that in any conflict between the
United States and Japan, the latter will
have the full support and cooperation
OF China? Surely this is only half the
warning, for he might have said, with
equal optimism, that in any conflict be-
tween the United States and Germany,
the latter would have the full support
and cooperation of France, Belgium,
Holland, Norway, Denmark, Czecho-
Slovakia, Poland, and all the other ma
tions she is endeavoring to enslave. The
raiding wolf has more sense than to
expect the sheep to help him on the
arrival Of the shepherd. q. 3.
Evening star., 1940-11-30

Admiral Nomura, japanese AmbaS-
sador- designate, declares that there
is no issue between Japan and the
United States which cannot be solved
without recourse to war. BY the
way, is there any between Japan and
China?
Evening star., 1940-11-30

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled TO
the use for republication of all news dispatches
credited to II or not otherwise credited in this
paper and also the local news published herein.
All rights of publication of special dispatches
herein also are reserved.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Quotes Letter From England
On Devastated Homes.


To the Editor Of The Star:
Perhaps you. would care to reproduce
the following passages from letter writ
ten by friend in London on October IL: {:
I'VE are all safe and getting along
quite well You probably have read in
the newspapers of the various we'll
known buildings suffering damage from
bombs. Unfortunately, that is true.
However, most of them can be restored,
with a little bit of extra history built
into their fabric. Perhaps it is not quite
such an easy matter to restore the homes
which honest, kindly folk have built UP
by years Of toll and which have become
rich in associations for them and for
their children. Although became some
what Injured to the sight of ruined homes
in France and Belgium during the first
World War, I must confess I feel a
sense OF sadness when I see cheerful
little home knocked to bits and its
treasured contents scattered around In
dust and debris.
Folks are displaying a wonderful
spirit in the face of such trials and one
Is confident that they later on will be
enabled to build up anew their houses
and, more important, their homes"
F. S.. B.
Evening star., 1940-11-30

Italy officially urges her people to
eat more fruit, especially grapes.
Even though some of them may be
q bit on the sour side.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
C0mmends Stars
News Stories.

Commends Stars
News Stories. !.
To the Editor Of The Star:
am writing to compliment your paper
for giving full news coverage to the Anti
Saloon League meeting. This Is a
worthy cause which I hope viii be car
ried to an effective conclusion.
MRS. LUEI.AH RICE.
Evening star., 1940-11-30
Words and Music for
Christmas HYMNS

"AdeSte Fidelis," 20, Little Town OF
Bethlehem" Glad Christmas Bells"
''The First Noel" and Silent Night" are
few of the Christmas favorites included
in the collection of 151 of the best-loved
hymns Of all denominations. An ideal
booklet for Sunday school and home
use during the holiday season. Complete
with words and music. this book is by
inches in size and has an attractive dur
able colored cover. Indexed for quick
reference. To secure your copy inclose
20 cents in coin, wrapped In this clipping,
and mail to The Star Information
Bureau.
Name
----- ----------------------
Street -
----------------------
City
State