davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-12-20

that. 1t Is a sort Of light rusty color,
something on the order Of q robins
breast, only very light.
~
Among these early feeders the song
sparrow is favorite.
Its resemblance to the house sparrow
is marked, but it is more slender bird,
slightly shorter, and no way near as
husky.
It's stomach Is striped, and 1t has two
black spots beneath its chin, instead of
one large one.
1t has stripes on its head, too, making
1t altogether striped bird. 1t Is true
sparrow, however, and no doubt is often
mistaken for an English sparrow by hasty
observers. Mixed in with a band OF
house sparrows it would be difficult to
single out.
Since our big bag of peanut hearts is
exhausted, we have not seen as much of
the nuthatches
Many of the birds like the peanut
hearts, which they will gobble by the
minute without stopping to rest.
This probably doesn't harm any of
them, but We are not so confident about
the squirrels, which will eat peanut hearts
until their very eyes seem to bulge out.
1t is said that squirrels fed on peanut
butter often may be seen lying on the
grass gasping for breath. Wherefore,
only small amounts of this concentrated
foodstuf1, SO high in thiamin, should be
put out by their partisans. One way
of doing this is to make a small book"
OF cardboard, say piece of cracker box
which, when folded, makes just the right
size for squirrel to hold up in those
human-like hands" as if it were reading.
The book is buttered on the inside with
spoonful of peanut butter, SO that
when the animal holds it up in its jaws,
to lick the butter on the inside leaves,
1t seems to be reading a book.
Try this some time, but don't put out
too many of these peanut butter books,
or the happy rodent will have stomach
trouble. In nature there is no such thing
as peanut butter. A squirrel turned
loose on jar OF 1t would get more peanut
minutes than he would naturally in eat
ing raw peanuts all day long.
Squirrels do not have the same sort of
digestive tracts, nor as short, as the
birds. The songsters are able to eat
steadily all day long without harm,
whereas four-footed animal eating
steadily at the same rate would soon
become over-Stuffed.
Birds need a constant supply of food
to keep up their heat That is why no
friend of the feathered folk need worry
about giving them too much to eat in
the winter. 1t is impossible. Good food
and plenty of it acts as their overcoat.
AS long as bird has enough to eat, it
can face the worst weather with con-
fdence.
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Mr.. Grew Speaks Out

Joseph c. Grew, United States Am
bassador to Japan, is one of our ace
diplomats. Like all top-flight men,
bers of his profession, he knows
how to say the right thing at the
right time, and he never did better
job than in some extemporaneous re-
marks made after listening atten-
lively to a speech by the Japanese
Foreign Minister, Yosuke Matsuoka.
The scene of this verbal exchange
was a farewell luncheon given by
the Japanese-American Society of
Toxic to Admiral Nomura who Is
about to leave for his new post as
japanese Ambassador to Washington.
Foreign Minister Matsuoka was the
principal speaker. In such a setting,
his address was mainly one of sweet
ness and light. There was none of
the sabre-rattling employed by him
in recent months, when on one oc-
casion he threatened contingent war
and on another occasion bade us
mind our own business-with clear
intimation that Japan was the judge
Of what our business might be. Still,
beneath his amiable generalities and
fervent pleas that America keep out
of war lest our entry might precipi-
tate "Armageddon," Mr.. Matsuoka
did not hesitate to assert that "the
fate of China is largely a question
of sentiment to Americans; to us it
is a truly vital issue affecting the
very existence of our empire"
Ambassador Grew did not let that
statement pass unchallenged. Cour-
teously but firmly, he replied II
think I must relieve the Minister of
his Misrepresentation that the interest
Of Americans in China is largely
sentimental" And after enlarging on
that point a bit, Mr.. Grew con-
tinued: 1.-The Foreign Minister knows
the American people stand for GER
tain things, among which, on the
one hand, are their obligations, and
on the other their rights" The
United States must consider not
alone expressed Intentions" Mr..
Grew concluded, but facts and ac-
tions, too, regardless of the persuasive
garb in which they are dressed"
That pithy rejoinder was an ex-
cellent summary of Americas at
titude and policy in the Far East.
1t was undoubtedly addressed not
only to Mr.. Matsuoka but also to
Admiral Nomura, who had just ex-
pressed himself at the luncheon as
aiming in his new ambassadorship
at "drastically improving the rela-
tions between Japan and America
which have deteriorated so much of
late" If Japan's new Ambassador
will mark and inwardly digest Mr..
Crews trenchant analysis of Amer
ica's stand, his mission will be facili-
tated. Above all, he should disabuse
his mind of Mr.. Matsuoka's thesis
that we have mainly sentimental
interest in China's fate.
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Mexico Advances

In pursuance of his conservative
policy President Manuel Avila
Camacho of Mexico is preparing to
abolish worker management of the
National Railways of Mexico, thus
putting an end to one of the most
radical experiments in socialism
attempted in this hemisphere. A bill
to this end will be submitted to the
Mexican Congress soon, and preSum-
ably will receive that bodys ap-
proval in spite of the opposition
already made manifest-of the labor
unions
Thus further evidence accumulates
of Mexico's coming of age, and of
her advancement from the stage of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS under
President Cardenas-into the realm
of sound governmental and industrial
practices. Taking the place Of the
workers management will be, ac-
cording to the Presidents plan, a
committee composed of four repre-
sentatives of the government and
three representatives of the union
and the lines will be run by a gen.
eral manager appointed by the
President.
1t was with high hopes of proving
the ability of labor to manage enter
prise that the workers took over
the lines in 1888, shortly after the
oil appropriations. The roads had
been nationalized year previously.
The history Of this two and half
years Of labor management has not
been admirable, and one of the bit
tereSt indictments of the Mexican
railroad workers was made by the
labor manager in an exhortation
addressed to his co-workers. He had
this to say:
"The whole press of Mexico, and
not a few of the great daily news
papers of the United States, Central
and South America, and even in
Europe, have given publicity to the
lamentable accidents that have oc-
Cured on our lines, principally on
the thirteenth day of the year, whose
frightful toll of dead and wounded
marks in the history of Mexico a
shameful page of our services, and
deep wound to the prestige and skill
legitimately acquired by the Mexican
railroads since the naturalization of
the lines.
"CarelessneSs, negligence, and per-
haps even bad faith; egotism which
interferes with the performance Of
the workers most elementary duties,
even when his own life and those Of
others are at stake-these have been
the causes which have gradually
wasted our best rolling stock and
caused losses running into millions
of pesos. In short, lack of discipline
and lack Of sense of responsibility
on the part of a small number of
workers have bled white the reputa-
ton of our railway workers, which
Is still an object of national pride" :"
This was written in 1899, about a
year after the unions took over the
lines, but it applies with as much
Evening star., 1940-12-20

Of 1895, and the efforts to gain title
to the thirty-seven Danish vessels
tied up in this country may be
successful.
Beyond that, an intensified build
ing program-perhaps requiring ad-
ditional facilities-looms as the only
adequate method for dealing with
the all-important problem. This has
been recognized in the plan to per-
NIT the British to build sixty cargo
ships in American yards. It is esti-
mated that eighteen months will be
required to complete these vessels,
and the undertaking therefore is
not one in which delay can be
tOlere ted,
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Cemetery Under Snow

1t lies in peace, this city Of the dead:
So vast the quietude, 10 still and deep
Where all its kindly people are asleep,
As If it were spot remembered
Only by ghosts Of memories long fed.
The skies are white with snowflake
wings that keep
Their slowly downward fiuttering and
heap
The place. 50 crowded, yet untenanted.
No human footstep treads the solemn
ground;
No shadows flicker and no bird wings 20
On lifting rhythm through the quiet air
Above the soft hushed whiteness of the
snow,
Or mar by one small decibel of sound
The magnitude Of silence everywhere.
MARION H. ADDINGToN.
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Thinks It Is Time
To Face Facts.

To the Editor OF The Star:
Il enter the fight as the representative
OF the have-nots. . Two worlds are in
conflict, gold versus labor Our capacity
for work is our gold and with it we will
defeat the entire world" So rallied Hitler
last week. Unless we are totally under
the influence of morphine, ether, or
worse still, inexcusable refusal to face
facts, we see the last possible excuse for
claiming this is not our war torn to
shreds. Having seventy per cent of the
worlds gold, we are clearly seventy per
cent of Hitlers objective with the rest
Of the world the remaining fractional
part. but unfortunate enough to be
located nearest to him.
This being the case, it is high time
we accepted our responsibilities and
stopped calling 1t Europes war or
Britain's war. We can no longer leave
1t to the smaller democracies to sacrifice
their lives in fighting our battles and
then also expect their survivors to stand
all the attendant expense, while we add
to our gold hoard by selling to them at
substantial profit the guns holding our
enemy at bay.
Also, it is about time that we stopped
kidding ourselves into wishfully believing
that we could get away with emerging
from the last World War, the only one
Of the democracies enriched thereby, be-
cause for two-thirds of the time we left
it to them to do all of the necessary
fighting while we made money selling
them the equipment to fight with. When,
eventually, the point was reached where
we could begin to put up a fight COM
parable to our size, the enemy was al
ready beaten and quit, so that our losses
were negligible compared to our allies.
That was fine, but knowing this, and
admitting that the Germans could not
even begin to pay our allies any appre-
ciable part of the reparations due to
them for the damages actually sustained,
it was only childish, wishful thinking
to believe it was possible for us to collect
In full from our allies. We put up the
bars against them paying us in goods
and we knew there was not gold enough
in the world, but we acted like kids
crying for the moon. The result is our
treasure buried at Fort Knox, the stagna-
ton Of international trade and a de-
preston Of unprecedented length. Will
We ever grow up and realize that we
cannot eat our cake and have it, too or
kill the goose and still expect eggs?
All Of our problems are relatively SIM
pie, If we are willing to face facts, but
when we complicate them by refusal to
do so, we lose ourselves in sea of be-
wilderment of our own making.
A. E. F. VETERAN,
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Russia Held Looking
Toward America.
To the Editor of The Star:

Apparently an end of Soviet Russia's
political collaboration with Germany is
Indicated by the increasing definition of
the European situation. Contributing to
the Soviets' distrust is the German
threat to seize Gibraltar, which, If real
lied, would seriously prejudice Russias
interests in the Mediterranean and erect
. maritime menace to the Dardanelles.
However. while the battle for the
British Isles is undecided, and the future
action Of France is uncertain, the soviets
appear to believe that an ambiguous
policy best serves them in this period
of German inactivity in the east
That the nature and degree of any
Soviet Intervention in the war, barring
q military invasion of Russian territory
or challenge OF Russian interests will
be determined in the light of Americas
decisions, seems probable. The Soviets
cannot fail to be aware that Russia is
continentally as much an obstacle to
the German scheme of conquest as Eng
land is at sea and that If the British
were defeated, Russia would be COM
PEELED, with no companion in arms, to
meet the full force of the German
armies in a war for Russian Asiatic ter
ritories and the Ukraine.
Indications are that the Soviets will
not compromise with Germanysin in re-
spect of the Bosporus and that they will
not surrender the pretensions Of Russia
concerning any Levantine region with
the inclusion of the Greek successes in
this speculative computation, the results
appreciably increase the Soviet morale
and determination. In this universal
crisis, when Europe is in chaos the
Soviets, appreciating the threats to
Russia, and hearing no Messianic word
in Asia or Europe, must turn to America
as to an oracle possessing the power to
make judgments against the earths dis
turbers practical. EDWARD CONN.
Evening star., 1940-12-20
THIS AND THAT
Bn Charles Z. Trdce1peu,

Birds have their favorite times Of day
to visit feeding stations.
The titmice come at Z am. every
morning.
The cardinals may be seen eating just
before good light and in the dusk.
The blue jays always arrive at exactly
7:20 am. Few birds are as punctual as
these.
If you want to be sure to enjoy watch
ing the t.tmice, be sure to be downstairs
just around 7 o'clock these mornings.
Sometimes they put in appearance at
10 minutes of the hour, sometimes little
later, but you may feel sure that they
will arrive along about this time Of day.
A feeding station at the window, or
close by, is best for enjoying these smaller
birds.
Other early feeders are the chickadee
and the song sparrow
Ttmice are more regular in their ap-
pearance.
Their idea is to snatch their food be-
fore the other birds come.
Titmice are food snatchers. They fly
In, seize seed quickly then fly away
with 1t. They never eat ft the board.
The way they fly away with a. seed is
always the same.
They face in. naturally, as they make
their selection.
Then they turn completely around and
fly out.
Many birds do not leave a station in
this way at all. They simply sidle out,
and fly away in the direction they hap
pen to be facing. The titmouse operates
in an altogether different fashion. Sup
pose he has flown into feeding station
on the window sill. He is facing the
window, looking in. (The observer is
looking out at him-and seeing one Of
the most wonderful of the little birds.)
After the songster grabs its seed, in
stead Of dropping off the rim and flying
away around the corner of the house, it
turns around completely, so that its tail
Is now toward the window
There is flutter of wings and the
bird flies straight to the back of the
60AASA, ~ uCNOulo lJS lOOU dG
leisure on an evergreen branch.
-
In flight the titmouse is rather slen-
der bird, much more so than the species
usually associated with it, the famous
chickadee. The latter is round and fat,
and looks SO even in fight.
The titmouse and the chickadee are
often mixed up in the minds of new
comers to the sport of bird watching.
The titmouse is the one with the crest
The other has the black cap" which
permits it to be called the black k-capped
chickadee. The crested titmouse is al
together different. When the titmouse
flies, 1t shows bit of color beneath the
wings. This is often described by be-
ginners as pink" but it is not actually
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Seven-Duy Week

Two main obstacles seem to stand
In the way of suggestions that week.
end "blackouts" in defense industries
be eliminated by placing operations
on a seven-day schedule.
One of these barriers, according
to survey conducted by the Wall
Street Journal, is the more or less
fixed policy OF many industrial estab-
lishments of operating on a nom
continuous basis, in contrast to the
practice in some departments of
steel mills, chemical plants and oil
refinerieS, where there Is found q
history of continuous operation.
In plants falling in the second
category, where the need for con-
tinuous operation is recognized, con-
tracts with workers provide only for
normal wage rates on Saturdays and
Sundays, the men employed over
week ends being given time off on
other days. In the continuous
industries, however, Saturday and
Sunday work, under contract pro-
visions, is compensated for at pre-
MUM rates ranging as high as
double the normal pay.
According to the findings Of the
Journals survey, this obstacle to
continuous operation of defense
plants during the period of emer-
gency could be eliminated If the
unions, provided the forty hour
week was adhered to, would agree to
a temporary waiver of the extra pay
contract provisions for Saturday and
Sunday work. A considerable diff
ference of opinion exists as to
whether this could be worked out.
The second and more serious
obstacle is exemplified by conditions
prevailing in the machine tool indus
try, where one of the most critical
bottlenecks exists. In this field, the
principal problem arises from the
fact that there is scarcity of skilled
workmen. Many of these plants
already are working overtime on
f1ve-day basis, with time and half
being paid for work in excess of forty
hours a week, and if the work week
Is to be extended to seven days at
least two major adjustments will
have to be made. First, there must
be revision or waiver of union
contracts, most of which provide that
overtime shall not be compulsory,
and, second, existing contracts with
the Government would have to be
revised upward to allow for increased
costs of production if more overtime
is to be paid.
Spokesman for the industry say
that in their opinion a majority Of
the workers would not object to
longer hours if overtime is paid If
that is the case, it may be wondered
why greater efforts are not being
exerted in the direction of tenn
porarily heightened work week in
tooling plants, particularly in view
of William S. Knudsen's recent appeal
to this key industry for increased
production because Of the terrible
urgency" of the defense situation.
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Southwest Wushinqton
The consideration which the Par

The consideration which the Park
and Planning Commission has given
at it's December meeting to several
basic problems involving the future
OF Southwest Washington gives
promise of improvements which will
60 far toward rehabilitating that
section. Among the matters upon
which the commission acted favor
ably were the purchase of two blocks
of land adjoining the new Jefferson
Junior High School for recreational
center, approval in principle Of ex-
tending independence avenue to the
Potomac River and a proposed sur
vey to improve parking facilities
throughout the area.
For many years Southwest WASH
ington was densely populated area
with some commercial and industrial
plants. Following development of
the Washington Channel, and be-
cause Of the sections railroad facil-
tiles, it's residential character became
subordinated as larger mercantile
establishments moved in to make it
an important wholesale center.
Since improvement of the harbor,
little was done in the way Of major
development, until the water front
work of recent years brought con-
struction of the yacht basins and
kindred facilities. Jefferson Junior
High School followed this year, but
the section remains hampered by
difficult traffic problems. Widening
and lengthening Of independence
avenue along its northern border
would accomplish much in giving
access to and from the section, while
the need of providing more parking
space is matter which has reached
emergency proportions during the
business day.
Although much of the life of the
Southwest is bound up with its COM
merce, it remains to large extent
a residential section. On this &C
count the need for an adequate
recreation center and modern traffic
facilities is of first importance.
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Shipping Needs

Prime Minister Churchill's state
ment in the House of Commons that
British shipping losses are continu-
ing at "a very disquieting level'' fol-
lows a week during which the Ad-
miralty reported that nineteen Brit
ish and three Allied vessels, totaling
nearly 100000 tons had been sunk by
submarines, mines and surface raid
ers. This was at rate about fifty per
cent higher than the weekly average
since the outbreak of the war, winter
weather, with long nights, and the
concentration of many British war
ships in the Mediterranean combining
to favor the attackers. Since these
are conditions that will be faced for
some time, however, it is only logical
to expect that the ratio of destruc-
ton will be maintained correspond
ingly.
The situation for the British is
further complicated by the fact that
neutral shipping virtually has been
driven from the war zone, and that
the effectiveness of the available
commercial tonnage Is reduced by
the delays in transit that are the
outgrowth of the war. It becomes in
creasingly evident, therefore, that the
beleaguered nation will need every
vessel that can be placed at her
disposal, and must look more and
more to this country for help. Ac-
cording to the London Economist,
England ended the first year of the
war with net gain of about 7,0O0,-
900 tons of shipping, but under
circumstances that will not be dupli-
Gated. Most of this came from the
Allies, a source Of supply that vir-
tually is exhausted; British yards,
which produced some ships, no
longer can be counted on because of
the bombing raids, and further
adverse factor is the quickening
tempo of the German attacks on
shipping.
England already has obtained ap-
proximately one hundred vessels
from the United States and is ex-
pected to get twenty-four next
month. It is possible that additional
tonnage will be forthcoming from
the building program now progress
ing under the Merchant Marine Act
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Quotes From British Letter
To Show How England Stands.

To the Editor of The Star:
Perhaps the following quotations from
letter received from typical English
woman may serve to explain in part why
Britain continues undismayed while the
worst air siege in history continues:
II have been remembering that it soon
will be your birthday and want you to
hear from me. So do hope this card
arrives In time and hope you have q
lovely birthday and many happy days to
come.
"The evening raid has started and the
bombs are fairly heavy. I shall not be
able to stay writing long. So forgive q
short letter. Last night we had a
miraculous escape. The raid started, as
usual, about $50 and there were some
loud explosions and terrific damage.
Then suddenly there was = noise-it Is
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Asks for Information.
On Emergency.

To the Editor Of The Star:
What is all this nonsense about ter
rible emergencies, 24-hour days and
seven-day weeks?
There can't be word of truth in 1t,
for the President of the United States
went of on Caribbean cruise, and the
moment he got back he declared an extra
holiday for all Government employees.
Does that sound much like terrible
emergency"7 W.DD.
Evening star., 1940-12-20
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address of
the 1Urlter, although the use of
a pseudonyna Jor publication is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters Uith
q uie1O to condensation.
Evening star., 1940-12-20

Florida has 3,751 miles of coastline,> >
more than that of any other State.
And, if one believes the rotogravures,
there is an average of bathing
beauty every few feet and hundred
pound tarpon every few yards.
Evening star., 1940-12-20

Was it not Aesop, a Greek, by the
way, who wrote something about the
frog which tried to puff itself up to
the size of the OK? .