davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
ITALY'S FIASCO IN GREECE

Hitler has formally inducted some
more little countries into his Axis. But
hat doesn't mean a great deal. Rumania,
Bulgaria and the other minor Balkan cOun-
tries are in peril of their lives They must
do what Hitler demands, or submit to mill
tary conquest 1t is one thing to force for
eign ministers to sign pacts-it is another
thing to get the people of those countries
to avow the Hitlerian philosophy. And,
according to all the experts, the Balkan
people hate Hitler even as they fear
him.
Worst blow to the Axis has been
Italy's fiasco in Greece. This has reduced
Italian prestige to the vanishing point.
And, say some, it has brought with it the
possibility of internal dissension in Italy.
The Italians didn't want war. They are
suffering seriously from the British block
ade And considerable proportion of the
Italians heartily dislike Germany. 1t is
noteworthy that the German press has
lately begun to denOunce Greece-Hitler
may be coming to the conclusion that he
will have to pull his friend Mussolini's
irons out of the Athenian fire. And, in the
past. press attacks in the German press
against other European countries have
been the prelude to military action.
In the long run, the Greek situation
may prove a great boon to England. Re-
ports say that the English are doing far
more to help the Greeks than they admit.
They have been swiftly developing inn
portant air and naval bases on Greek land.
where their planes and, battleships can
strike against Italy.
Britain's big trouble at home now is
said to be lack of sufficient anti-aircraft
equipment Most of it mas been concen-
trated about London, which explains why
Germany has been able to carry on ire
mendously severe raids over the Mldlands
and elsewhere with few plane losses. 1t Is
believed the lack will be made up by
spring.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
DECEMBER PICKED
FOR DEATH HOLIDAY

Continued from Page One
bustling cities and towns and
riding the nations highways
They are scattered IN a thous-
and places, but enough 70 popu-
late a thriving little county seat
They have this in common: Before
Christmas they viii be the VIC
Tins of December's fatal traffic
accidents.
That's not a pretty Christmas
picture but December's not en-
tirely a happy holiday month
because death takes no holiday
says w. G. Johnson. chief stats
tician for the National Safety
Council, who has analszed De-
cember's traffic deaths.
The Christmas month IS the
outstanding candidate for doubt
full honOrS as the worst traffic
death month of the year. Per
haps il is q discOrdant note 70
mention a gruesome topic Just as
the start of the holiday season
But if we can save 100 lives. OF
10 lives or even only one life By
doing so and pointing 20 the dan
ger of December's traffic Il will
have been worth the price
The normal December toll Is
$500 lives. This usually Is equal
led in number by October. but
mileage Travelled IN October IS 70
per cent greater than December s
That makes the Christmas month
the most dangerous.
The averages for the pas
three years show that. nile for
mile, December traffic Is more
than one and one-haf times as
deadlv as that Of June, one Il ths
big summer travel months
The records Of the few states
that We studied analyticsllv dis
closed that the actual Christmas
season is the most dangerous al
all the year"
Johnson said many factors are
involved in causing December &C
cidents-
Accidents on rural Highways
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
THE TREND-DEFINITELY. .UPl

Headlines in city high
er than last month and more than same
month year ago-Postal receipts continue
upward trend, seventy-one per cent higher
than year ago-Bridge tolls higher than
same month last year!
Sounds ike prosperity, doesn't it?
AVID indeed. it is prosperity of good sort
if certain standards are taken into con-
sideration
For the past several months, similar
headlines to those quoted above have ap-
peared regularly in the columns of this
paper-adding up to, over that period,
considerable, aggregate improvement in
conditions in the city. All three reports
constitute definite barometers of business
conditions in Key West as proven time and
time again.
I here are many, however, that insist,
with dolefCl expressions, that "the city
isn't getting anyplace" in its drive to re-
cover from the late, unlamented FERA
period There's nothing to show that
we've better times, or are headed for pros
perity, they state
Those people have a short-sighted view
point. They fail to recognize that the best
prosperity for any community is that
gained through a low, but steady, pro-
9rcssion of indices that ascend. they, no
doubt, would like to see an overnight
bcCm period come. to town. True-they
Iizo ho itxr
but the Headaches afterward'' is another
story
Times are better in Key West. 1t
doesn't take much recollection of cOndi-
tIvns two or three years ago to realize that
slowly but surely, our fair city is coming
back up the ladder. Plenty is yet to be
accomplished indeed, but, conditions
taken into consideration, the progression
upwards has been notable, and the facts
of the case definitely prove the asser-
ton.
It would appear that the time is ripe
for every last one of us, native Key West
ers, and adopted Key Westers- throw
away our "doubting Thomas attitudes.
Discard them in favor of an optimistic slant
on our city's ability to continue the drive
forward
If you've suggestions as to how Key
West can benefit still further-bring them
forward for public scrutiny. Chances are
they're good and worthy of consideration.
At any rate-don't sit back and cast
gloomy eyes on the picture as it is today.
Look to the futureI Be boOster-nOt
laggerl
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

Capsules generally contain bitter
medicine and ARE readily swallowed in
times of sickness but taken with reluctant
resignation as preventives. If war were
definitely more imminent, the boys woulC
show more eagerness in being conscripted,
but even if there is no war, the years
military training, like a physic, will make
the body stronger and healthier. The
young mans life is not too great price to
pay in assuring the democratic-the Am
eriean-way of passing through this exist
ence.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
SZ1S ;5gg! =
BY MEDORA FIELD

YESTERDAY: Dinner has
hardly been served on the first
night OF Sally and Bills house
party before Aunt Maggie is
found murdered in the back hdIl.
The house has been searched
and no trace of q criminal found.
The telephone is olt, a storm is
raging, and all the cars of all the
guests hare at least ttco flat
tires each. So the party decides to
90 to bed and to leare Bob.
guest of. honor agith his neUly
acquired fancee Claire. as guard
for the first ttro hours.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
CONDITIONS

An extensive high pressure sys-
tenn covers most sections of the
country this morning, with tenn
peratureS below normal through
out most Of the eastern half, and
below zero in the Lake region
Snow has occurred since yes
terday morning in the southern
Lake region, upper Ohio Valley,
and northern New England, and
there has. been light rain in por-
tions of Florida and on the north
Pacific coast.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

This column expressed the wish that
Wiilkie be given Cabinet post in the
Administration in view of his ability and
thefact that more than 21,O0O,OOO citizens
mindful that the Presidents known petu-
lance would not permit such a deserved
and magnanimOus gesture. We thought
that Willkie like Barkis would be willing,
but the Republican has stated that he will
not take any Cabinet or other purely poll
tical part in the Administration should one
be offered him, because he feels that such
acceptance would be turning to personal
advantage the support given him by mil
lions of his countrymen
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
FORECAST

(Till 7:30 D. m. Wednesday,
Key West and Vicinity: Mostly
cloudy and colder tonight; We'd
nesday partly cloudy and cool;
moderate north and northwest
winds, fresh at times.
Florida: Partly cloudy and cold
ef, preceded by showers on the
southeast coast. freezing and scat
tered frost in extreme north por-
ton tonight; Wednesday partly
cloudy. cooler in southeast por-
%iop
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

1t is not the press that distorted the
picture, III the recent election, as Secre-
tary Ickes thinks, but the millions of sub
sidized voters receiving checks regularly
from the United States Treasury and the
friends and relatives they persuaded on
that account. 1t is so plainly evident.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

The election is over; this does not
mean that you must change your views, if
you belong to the minority group. 1t
means that you must recognize the right of
the majority to frame national policies
They may not be for the best interests Of
the nation but it is a democratic concept
that the majority should rule
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

Secretary Morgenthau startled the
country when he suggested upping the
national debt from S45, 200, 600, 900 to $780,
Of Georgia, and says the national debt
should be raised to $4,000, 100000. Why
be niggardly; let's raise it to S100,O00,-
100000. That ought to be the end of the
Limit.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

liable to lead to trouble. Many
of the ambitions viii be attained,
but many enemies are liable to
be made, who may overthrow
what seems certain of success.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
IMPROVEMENTS FOR KEY WEST
ADVOCATED BY THE CITIZEN

Water and Sewerage
q More Hotels and Apartments
3. Beach and -T'athing Pavilion
f. AiFpnrts-Land and Sea.
5. Consolidation of County and City Gov
crnmentS.
g. A Modern City Hospital
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

are uzzurZiy 49, - -
last four r1ouhs &C rW TE AZ
CITY deaths rse zEET ss q D.
ceubar pa - sd
Mas 49, So
NlEn1 aucl1EE-s sCE - -
winter Abuu 1s8 C rae -
3.500 Decembr iezzz u" -
M Gzrknez
Al0lE p=s u--Gr = EZE
cd uuF u1her EGEs -Ee q
lzrEer t-afzlc Al hu- fU- a. @
over = n zZ-h Cf g.
Is unos1 severe II @ u@
month f1T pedes-l cE@z -
al 49, EnuEps 5 Egz-s azz uEe-
II aupaars 1-E- q C--z-
II wez-her. Eznt r--z@ z1
ChrE-ruas SASH 1-EE - ~
cause of the haEGzT ceE- 49,
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

If this war keeps up much longer
there will be an emotional imbalance all
over the world, especially in the conquered
and oppressed countries. Mans mind can
stand just so much and no more.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
Today's Horoscope

Today's disposition appears to
be diplomatic and at the same
time assertive; bat there is often
an element of cunning that is
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

Business trends show Key West to be
in a favorable spot for the next two years
at least. After the lapse of that time We'll
De on our feet again.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

It's a trustful wife who gives her hus-
b. ID letters to mail
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

Forwafd-looking merchants of Key
West are now planning their sales cam
paign for the Christmas season.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

Subscribe to The Citizen, Zoe
weekly.
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03
u. S. WEATHER
BUREAU REPORT

Observation taken at 7:30 a. IN
18th Mer. Time (city office)
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

Precipitation
Rainfall, "a hours ending
7:30 a. m, inches -. 600
Total rainfall since Dec. /,
inches O.O3
Deficiency since Dec. /,
inches O.1s
Total rainfall since Jan. /,
inches 35.28
Deficiency since Jan. l,
inches l.3o
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

Wind Direction and Velocity
NW-6 miles per hour
Relative Humidity
The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

fcesuisSs. 1852. KeS0rs FislS Rs,zsrses)
Evening star., 1940-08-11

and went to England. and that he
did not return to Maryland until
l785.
Naturally, one could hardly write
about Woodley without referring to
President Clevelands earlier home
in the same neighborhood, known
as Forrest Hill, which he purchased
in 1885, and renamed Oak View,
though the public preferred the
name, Red Top. by which the re-
constructed residence was generally
known.
Cleveland Had Agent.
President Cleveland had the habit
of doing many things right, and
the purchase of Forrest Hill showed
excellent judgment for a man about
to be married and seeking a home
where his honeymoon would not be
interrupted by curious visitors and
Office seekers. He was not a wealthy
man. Naturally he had laid by a
few dollars for rainy day. but he
still had to spend his money with
care, and for this reason he sought
to purchase a home through A. A.
Wilson, whom he had appointed
United States marshal for the Dis
trict of Columbia and who, most
likely, was very close friend.
Mr.. Wilson proceeded with eau
ton, and did not divulge the name
OF the one for whom the property
was being purchased until the deed
was recorded in his own name as
trustee, when he Immediately trans
ferred the title to the President. In
the tract Of land secured there were
Evening star., 1940-08-11

mission business in Georgetown
with Gen. Forrest, and became the
first Secretary of the Navy in the
cabinet of John Adams. He is buried
in Addison Chapel graveyard, in
nearby Prince Georges County. Md
Associates in Buying.
Gen. Uriah Forrest, who was as
sociated with Stoddert in the pur-
chase Of Rosedale, out of which was
carved Woodley, as before stated
served in the United States House
OF Representatives from the State
of Maryland, though at the time
his home was probably at Pretty
Prospect. we'll within the boundaries
of the District of Columbia. But
since the District was then working
under the laws of Maryland, his
election appears regular.
But not so with Philip Barton
Key, who built Woodley in 1906
and made it his home from that
time until his death in 1915. When
he was elected to Congress in 1907
for political reasons he gave his
Maryland address as Rockville. The
question of his eligibility coming be-
fore the House of Representatives
his seating was held up for Hsyear
and he was only seated then, on
March 18, 1903, by the narrow mar
gin of 81 to 50.
During the discussion of his legal
residence, it was brought out tina,
he had served in the British Army
during the Revolutionary War, that
he was taken prisoner in Florida
Evening star., 1940-08-11
Maryland Terrapin Industry Gets New Start in Life

Anne, 300; Kent, 300, and Worces-
ter, 300.
DR.. Truitt believes that these
turtles are sufficiently grown to take
care of themselves and predicts a
greatly reduced natural mortality.
Diamondback terrapins usually lay
their eggs-about the size of a
robins egg-in early June, although
some are laid later in the summer.
The mother digs a hole about 6
inches deep and deposits from to
13 eggs in a series of layers. Lo-
cation for the nests may be on the
shore or some feet back from the
shore.
In six weeks, depending on tenn
perature and moisture conditions,
the young terrapins hatch and dig
their way to the surface. In some
cases, however, the young do not
leave the subterranean nest at once,
but hibernate until the earth warns
up the following April.
The crucial period, as has been
Evening star., 1940-08-11

indicated, is while the young tur-
ties are making their way from nest
to water. If they can keep away
from their human and animal hunt
ers until they reach the water their
chances of destruction are consid-
erably lessened.
DR.. Truitt reports that by hatch
ing the eggs under laboratory SUI
pervision and then transferring the
babies into holding pens on the
waters edge it has been possible to
rear diamondbacks to the age of
year and at minimum expense
for food and care.
The food consists mostly of crabs
and oysters and on this appar-
emily healthy diet the turtles grow
as large as inches long. Dia-
mondbacks are seldom found of
greater size than this.
Although at a glance one would
be apt to say that a diamondback
is a diamondback, it appears, ac-
cording to DR.. Truitt, that there
are good and bad strains in the
species. For example, many fisher
Evening star., 1940-08-11

of the Capital, and which has grown
today to be a good sized city. OF
course, Mr.. Whitney made money
he knew how to-and Mr.. Cleveland
sold out few years later for S140,-
900, or a gross profit Of s118,500.
Col. Robert I. Fleming became
the owner of Red Top about 38
years ago and used 1t as his summer
residence. Later the building went
into other hands, and more recently
1t was entirely removed, and a hand
some modern residence now oc-
cupies part of the site. which was
between Macomb and Newark and
Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth
streets. Rosedale, block away to
the north, still stands as reminder
Of the Revolutionary patriot who
once lived there, and, though the
Green family, descendants of Gen.
Forrest, was quite large one, yet
1t, too, went into other hands some
Is years ago. At the time Cleve-
land bought Red Top the Green
sisters and brothers, grandchildren
of Uriah Forrest, included Mrs.
Mamie Green, Mrs. Devereau, Mrs.
Norton, Miss Augustine Green, who
married the Mexican Minister,
Count Iturbide; George and Osceola
Green, and there might have been
others.
When Col. and Mrs. Stimson first
moved into Woodley II years ago,
Mrs. Stimson was said to be PLAN
ming to raise Southern flowers and
shrubs that would flourish this far
north, and there was also said to
be vegetable garden to the rear of
the house.
Naturally, many changes have
occurred since 1929, but Mrs.
StimSon, if she so desires, can still
indulge herself to her hearts con-
tent, in the delightful pastime of
raising rare flowers, and the Sec
retary, with the few moments he
can steal away from his desk. can
hill up the potatoes and hoe the
corn, and forget wars and rumors
OF wars for the nonce.
Evening star., 1940-08-11

men in Chesapeake Bay will turn
up their noses at diamondbacks
that they know have come from
North Carolina in the region below
Cape Hatteras. Chesapeake Bay
stock Is considered to be the elite
among terrapins.
DR.. Truitt pointed out other facts
about the terrapin. Oddly enough
the diamondback is not the tradi-
tional slow turtle and he can crawl
and swim at good clip-though,
Of course, not quite fast enough
to elude pursuers. Further, the ter
rapins are considered to be ex-
tremely good-natured, rarely fight
among themselves and will not bite
a persons finger unless it is put
directly against the turtles mouth
and maybe not then.
Altogether, the director is pleased
with his experiment and with the
terrapins themselves.
'It would be an awful thing" he
said with smile, ito think of
Maryland being without terrapin
meat or terrapin SOUP"
Evening star., 1940-08-11

houses which may be seen along the
road, surrounded with fine lawns
and forest trees. In fact, as soon
as Washington was located these
sights were taken up by people, in
some cases of wealth, who preferred
residence in the county to one in
the city.
1t is in this paradise of subur-
ban homes that the President has
selected his country residence, and
the people who drive out along the
Tenleytown road may see the two
story stone house with its old-fash-
ioned hip roof, nestled among the
old forest trees where the Woodley
lane intersects with the Tenleytown
road. The house is now occupied by
Mr.. A. r. Green, and it has come to
him from his grandfather, Uriah
Forrest, who, in 1870, purchased
large tract of land known as Pretty
Prospect. This tract extended down
nearly to the city limits, and has
since been very much subdivided.
"Mr. Forrest was a resident of
Georgetown, and when the City of
Washington was laid out he be-
came large speculator in city lots.
During the Revolutionary War he
served on Washington's staff and
kept up an acquaintance with the
President in after years. At the
close of the war he went to England
as a commission merchant for the
Maryland tobacco planters and ad-
ded materially to his large fortune.
On his return he became interested
with Robert Morris, the financier
of the Revolution, in his extensive
real estate transactions in this city,
and when that daring speculator
went down, Mr.. Forrest was sub
merged in the crash. He managed
to retain portion of Pretty Pros
pect, which he called Rosedale. The
rest he disposed of to his brother
n-law, Philip Barton Key. = ."
"The house occupied by Mrs.
Green, as well as the grounds, will
need some improvements before the
President can take possession. The
Evening star., 1940-08-11
By A. 4. Hoehine.

There are happy days ahead for
local lovers of terrapin.
The diamondback terrapin, known
to gourmets chiefly in the form of
small tender pieces of meat half
buried under a wine sauce, is COM
ing back to Maryland, for the Ches-
apeake Biological Laboratory down
at Solomons Island has just an
nounced the stocking of nearby
creeks with 5000 young diamond
backs.
Diamondbacks, so named because
of the pattern on their shell, were
at one time found abundantly in the
Chesapeake Bay region as we'll as in
other regions along the Atlantic
seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico.
Many people found their meat to
be most succulent and, as nat
ural result, the turtles were killed
off by the thousands.
In recent years the species be-
came all but extinct around Chesa-
peake Bay, and only commercial
hatcheries could supply the better
restaurants with the delicacy. They
were lean, hungry years for terra
pin lovers.
Not only were the terrapins killed
off by hungry humans, but by
predatory birds, mammals and
snakes. When terrapins hatch, they
are about an inch and a quarter
long and their shell is compare
lively soft. They are thus a juicy
meal for large wading birds, ducks,
rats and crows. In addition to this,
crows and rats are sometimes able
to locate the nests and destroy the
eggs.
Work by Laboratory.
Then, three years ago, the Chesa-
peake Biological Laboratory, State
institution, decided to take a hand
in the situation. From a CONNER
cial firm in Crisfield, Md, DR.. r. v.
Truitt, director of the laboratory.
secured quantity of diamondback
eggs.
At a special farm near the lab
oratory the eggs were Matched and
the young turtles were allowed to
grow and multiply until this spring,
when more than 5000 were counted.
1t was decided a few weeks ago to
plant" them. Three thousand tur-
ties, about a year old each, were
released in the following quantities
in creeks and bodies of brackish
water in counties of Maryland:
Somerset, 600; Wicomico, 800;
Dorchester, $50; st. Marys, 200;
Charles, 200; Calvert, 800; Anne
Arundel, 800; Talbot, 300; Queen
Evening star., 1940-08-11
By Wiliian Austin.

Almost universally throughout the
United States highway signs have
reached such a standardized SIM
plicity and suficiency that a person
barely able to read would have little
difficulty in plotting an automobile
clear across the continent, and safely
This has not come about through
any desire to encourage illiteracy, of
course, but is, rather, fruition OF
determination to insure the safe and
orderly movement of traffic so far
as uniformity of sensible, adequate
signs, signals and markings on
streets and highways can bring this
about.
The result is that the sign situa-
ton all over the country is reaching
a stage Of perfection hardly dreamed
of in the pioneer days of the motor
vehicle. The neat and efficient signs
OF today are indeed far cry from
the haphazard, ramshackle and
sometimes definitely misleading
sign-posts which dotted and often
disf1gured the countryside not so
many years ago. -a
This happy circumstance is note
worthy because its achievement is q
tribute to cooperation that has been
extended by all the States and in
Vulnerable city, town and county
highway authorities. Motorists far
from home now many travel where
they will with assurance they will
be able always to understand road
side signs, both warning and direc-
tional. Uniform route markers ex-
peditiously guide them to their desti-
nations, and other signs, often SIM
plified to the extent Of bearing
nothing but perfectly familiar SYM
bols, warn of what the road ahead
will be.
Standards Accepted.
The force which has brought about
this reformation is the conlprehen-
sive Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices for Streets and
Highways. In its present form this
official manual, which stipulates the
proper signs and markings for all