davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-06-28
THIS AND THAT
By Charles z. Trdce1peU.

species will nest close together than that
two or more families Of the same species
will do so.
Certainly our correspondents five
wren families III one multiple house is
very unusual.
Purple martins are noted for their
gregarious habits, but there are not many
species which will nest together.
In the main, Wrens are bustling, quar-
reling birds, often destroying each 9TH
er's eggs, SO that 20 an average thing
they are very glad to nest at some G.S-
tance from each other
X
Anything which will attract the wood
thrush to the window is a good food.
There are no finer sOngSters in local
summer gardens. Many homeowners
will be willing to say that this is the
finest of all TIE birds. Certainly in
appearance, in manners and in song
it has few equals.
Despite its common name. it is not
bird of the woods, but today prefers
to be near the homes of mankind
This is compliment which We should
appreciate. Ordinarily this thrush is
content to hunt for insects on the
ground. especially beneath shrunbery.
Usually it fails TO visit feeding sta
tionS which are kept in operation
Neither the suet nor seed kept in them
appeals to its taste.
We have never seen a wood thrush
ha
busy at the station. The cardinal and
the blue jay and the song sparrow, the
titmiCe and the chickadee come the year
around, also the nuthatch, but not so
the wood thrush.
He sticks closely to the ground, hop
ping around in the most sedate manner,
often failing to fly away when one
comes within few feet of him.
If he likes apple, there is no reason
why he would not visit window sill
where a half is displayed
We have often placed half an apple
on the ground but have never had a
thrush visit it.
There is no doubt that the catbird is
lilc EJIHIlc COllSuIIitI VI IdlSIlS III ltle
summertime, unless it is the mocking-
bird, which We believe does not pay as
much attention to them in hot weather
as he does in cold.
The catbird is really one OF our most
beautiful birds, but you have to get
close to him to appreciate just what a
wonder he is.
At some distance. he seems Just a
gray and black bird, but when he is
quite close, say as little as four or five
feet, preferably closer. as on a sill he
is easily seen as one of our very finest.
The blending of his gray parts with
his black cap is the work Of a supreme
artist.
He also is very bold bird.
On our back porch rail there is a
small dish of raisins-the small seed
less kind-to which the catbirds come
all day long
They are not afraid of cat lying on
the porch. but come right down to the
dish, which is not more than three feet
from the cats head.
Evening star., 1941-06-28
CHEVY CHASE, Md.

Dear Sir:
Where are all the wrensp
Down Kirke street way!
Il have five families off the nest in
the past 10 days
THE place is full of baby birds. Three
families nested beside my dining room
window, in a most extraordinary wren
house, a miniature Washington Monu-
ment, with five rooms in it, one above
the other.
But talking about robins and raiSins,
now it is catbirds and raisins. They
| give me no rest. On my west window
ledge have sunflower seeds, apples and
raisins; and the catbirds and robins keep
me busy putting out raisins.
IT get the small seedless ones. They
are feeding them now to their babies.
| The apples cut into quarters I have
| driven long wire nails into the ledge,
and on these I spear the apples, pressing
them down to the ledge
THE thruShes are fond of apple and
are frequent visitors. On my south win
! dow ledge / have Suet, fresh and white.
THE downy woodpeckers come for
this, and now they are bringing their
babies to eat suet.
THE catbird also is constant visitor
| to the suet feeder. / didn't mean to
write such long letter. I just wanted
to tell you where the wrens are.
Yours truly, L. v. NJ"
No sooner had our recent article about
the lack of wrens been completed, than
a pair flew into the yard!
Perhaps these birds were from Kirke
street.
1t is certain that not all gardens have
all the birds every year, and in the yard
where the wren families do not appear
there will be a desire on the part of the
owner to believe that others are similarly
wrenlesS.
1t is very likely that the great storm
in Texas early in the spring killed off
many thousands of these little birds.
There can be no doubt that there is
distinct lessening of the numbers of
wrens in suburban Washington this year.
The home which boasts five pairs is
fortunate, and would be in any year, for
that matter, since it is a rare thing for
any one garden of average size to boast
more than two pairs Of these small birds.
This is not because there may not be
a sufficient number of wrens in the vi
cinity, but because it is not usual for
many families of the same species TO
nest so close together.
Here We get into the idea of territory.
This theory has been advanced to ex-
plain the songs of the birds II is held
that each family selects a certain ter
ritorv, and that the male bird stakes
out the claim, as it were, by singing
loudly.
AS for as his voice carries, he notifies
other birds Of the same species that the
ground is occupied. This is not due to
Jealousy as much as fear. 1t also is
based on the subconscious knowledge of
the bird that certain amount of ground
will not afford food for many bird
families
1t is much more likely that several
Evening star., 1941-06-28

Q. Who is Empress Menen?-R. S.
A. Empress Menen is the wife Of Halle
Selassie.
@. From what does the word private in
the Army originate?-E. NJ. p.
A. Private was the name originally
given to soldiers hired by feudal barons
in their private wars.
@. Is the electrifcation of trunk line
railroads increasing rapidly in the United
States?-E. B. D.
A. There are more than 5000 miles OF
electrified trunk line track in operation
in the United States, but the use Of
Diesel power has tended to retard ex-
pansion Of railroad electrifcation.
@ When did wartime prohibition 60
into Effects. c. T.
A. The wartime prohibition Law. de
signed as a measure TO conserve grain.
was enacted in November. 1918, and be-
came effective June 80. 1919
@. Please describe the climate Of New
Mexico.-R T. H.
A. The climate is dry and stimulating
with annual rainfall Of from u to l6
inches in different localities. One
hundred degrees of heat is not infrequent
in summer, the mean for the year being
about so.
Q. Where is the highest capital in the
world?- NJ. H.
A. La Paz, Bolivia, may be described
as the highest capital in the world, al
though Sucre is in the legal sense the
capital of the country. 1t lies in a
natural basin, miles wide and 1900 feet
deep, at an elevation Of 10000 feet above
sea level.
@. When did Harry K. Thaw kill
Stanford Whites. L. s.
A Harry K ThaW shot and killed
Stanford White at Madison Square
Garden on June Is, 1906.
@. Please give the origin of the ex-
preston Meek as Moses. w. w. T.
A. This expression apparently came
from the Biblical verse, Numbers, xii3,
Now the man Moses was very meek,
above all men which we're upon the face
of the earth"
@. Why were covered bridges built?
e. L. NJ.
A. A great many of these bridges were
built before the Revolutionary War and
their builders followed the methods used
by the old European bridge builders. The
object Of covering the roadway Of the
bridge was for the purpose Of protection
against the weather, against possible
riots and primitive weapons.
Evening star., 1941-06-28
Nearby Population Guin

Though Virginia is still a pre-
dominantly rural State, the 1910
census returns show a substantial
gain in it's urban population. Under
the definition of the Census Bureau,
urban population includes persons
living in towns and cities of $500
inhabitants or more. In 1880, when
the first census was taken, the popu-
lation of the Old Dominion was
nearly SO per cent rural. Since then,
the urban proportion has steadily
increased. In 1880, the urban per-
centage reached 324 per cent, and
In 1910 it had climbed to over IS
per cent.
A large part of these urban gains
Is due to the rapid growth of popu-
lation in areas near the District dur
ing the past decade. Under special
rule. the Census Bureau classified all
of Arlington County as urban for the
first time last year. Arlington
County had a population of 57,O4O
on April /, 1910, an increase of more
than ia per cent in ten years. With
a 1910 population of 40,929, Fairfax
County registered a gain OF 62 per
cent. and Alexandria reported an in
crease of nearly 80 per cent. Since
the taking of the census, the defense
nrogram has added many thousands
to the population of the District and
nearby communities.
Virginia had fifteen cities in 1910
with a population of 10000 or
more. Two cities entered this group
last year for the first time; Martins
Vile and Fredericksburg, OF the
ninety-two counties whose bounda-
ries were the same as in 1880, fifty
nine gained and thirty-three lost
population during the decade. For
Evening star., 1941-06-28
Expresses Strong Disapproval
OF Acceptance of Russia as ALLY.
To the Editor Of The Star

So now Soviet Russia is fighting on
the side Of England, which according to
some Of our peerless leaders is our first
line of defence"
Have the Soviets, therefore, become a
part of our first line of defence, and is
Stain, who up to a few days ago was
as unspeakable as Hitler and Mussolini,
now noble?
Has black become white and red be-
come blue, and are the Communists now
On the side Of the angels?
And if so, what about that Southern
Representative VINO picketed the White
House with a placard clubbing them
rats? And what about the work of
the Dies Committee in exposing" all
comnuniStic affiliations as "subversive
of the American way of life? Will this
activity continue?
Newspaper headlines proclaim that
Prime Minister Churchill has declared
"a dramatic reversal" of Great Britain's
foreign policy since 1917 of denouncing
everything connected with Soviet Russia.
This is case where the hand Is
quicker than the eye and Churchill,
master of political legerdemain, is too
quick for this feeble feminine mind to
follow
1t is all very confusing.
One thing however may be expected to
emerge clearly.
No matter how complicated and
illogical become the nationalistic mix
ups abroad our own over-age or physi-
cally defective advocates Of interven-
ton doubtless will continue to clamor
that our young men be drafted for
slaughter in Europe's spreading shambles.
THERESA H. RUSSELL.
Evening star., 1941-06-28
Letters to the Editor
Reports Different Population Figures
For Island of Puerto Rico.

reports DlHerent reputation FlgureS
For Island Of Puerto Rico.
To the Editor OF The Star:
In today's edition of your newspaper
there appears short article by the As
sociated Press entitled Census Bureau
Offers Hints to Single Girls in which
the white male and female population of
various territories and possessions of
the United States are given. l do not
know if the rest of the figures are correct,
but those given for Puerto Rico GER
tainly indicate that the writer cid not
know what he was writing about.
According to those figures in 1910
there were in Puerto Rico only 4689
white persons. do not have the figures
for the 1910 census, but the 1885 figures
were as follows: 1,312,496 white and
411038 colored. These are from the
1941 World Almanac
Many readers of The Star may have
gotten the impression, from the article
referred to, that Puerto Rico is an island
with a very small percentage Of white
population. In order to correct that
erroneous impression I beg of you to
publish this letter.
MANUEL H. FIDALGO.
Evening star., 1941-06-28
The Message of the Pope

During tne nrSC WOrlQ war, rope
Benedict XIV at intervals made use of
| such facilities of communication as
were available to him in the interest
of the cause of Christ. His note ito
the rulers of the belligerent peoples" 4"
released on August l, 1917, was an
important step toward the ideal of a
| just and equitable peace. The
fundamental point" urged by the
Holy Father in his message to the
chiefs of states engaged in the tragic
struggle was that of the substitution
of moral for military force for the
correction of differences between
nations. A contemporary commen-
tator observed: The whole document
is permeated with the sense of pity,
waste and horror. 1t appeals
to the motive of sympathy"
Some such expression might be
applied to the latest utterance of the
present occupant of the throne
of st. Peter. Pope Plus XII,
in his radio address to the Ninth
National Eucharistic Congress at
st. Paul, emphasized the unlimited
charity of God and, by obvious
inference, condemned the cruelty
of those ruthless tyrantS who
have led humanity into the prevail
ing disaster. There was no need for
him to name the authors of the
current of black paganism sweeping
over peoples today Americans for
tWenty-odd years have watched with
growing horror the undermining
of Christian culture and edu-
cation" which began with the Boil
shevik revolution in Russia and was
carried forward by the Fascist re-
action in Italy and the Nazi reaction
in Germany. Doubtless 1t would be
unscientiflc to blame the atheiStic
character of the Marxist dogma for
the eXtraVaganCeS Of the doctrines
formulated by Mussolini and Hitler;
but there can be little, if any, queS-
ton about the primary source and
original motive power of the dark
deception to which the Pope Spe-
cifcally referred Lenin and TrotSky,
aSSailing religion as an "opiate" for
the masses, were the sponsors Of "the
new intolerance" by which the race
now is afflicted. The most famous
of the COMMUNISTS are in their
graves, yet it is evident that the evil
that they did lives after them-and
viciously is increased by pupils who
excel them in capacity for mischief.
But the Holy Father is not dis
mayed by the chaos of the world
today. "Self-sacrif1ce," he declared,
is the key to the solution of the
problems of the age. To Christians
Of every sort he said: you must not
forget that you belong to a church
whose founder and head was
scourged, marked and crucif1ed." 1t
is part of the logic of spiritual expert
ence among men that their faith
should prosper in the ratio of its
persecution. A burning, unquench-
able zeal to defend and to spread
Gods kingdom on earth" arises from
the martyrdom of the Brother who
perished for righteousness and fel-
lowship. Something of that mystic
contradiction was represented in the
message of Pope Plus to the multi
tude assembled in the city named
for the missioner from Tarsus.
Evening star., 1941-06-28

fOr life is brief of the original pro-
ponents.
1t would be unwise to accept the view
attributed to Mr.. Frankfurter that the
Civil War settled slavery" without know
ing what he meant by settled" as well
as by slavery"
If he meant no more than that the
particular form Of slavery which existed
in the seeding States rather than
that in certain of those which made
war upon them) was eliminated for the
time by the outcome of the Civil War,
his comment, Of course, is correct.
But if he meant (and this appears to
be the intended implication) that slavery
in its every form was permanently
eliminated here by the outcome of that
conflict, he has said much more than
the facts and trends justify
In brief, where a man is deprived of
the full benefits of his own labor, and
its fruits are drawn away from him
and devoted to some end of no benefit
to hlnl-there is slavery.
HARRISON TILGHMAN.
FaSinn Md
Evening star., 1941-06-28
Traffic Action Needed

With traffic and parking problems
In downtown Washington rapidly
growing worse, there is cause for
qualification in the fact that the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission has given its active sup
port to the WhitehurSt program for
facilitating the flow of traffic and
providing fringe" parking lots out
side of the cOngeSted district. An
article in Thursdays Star Strikingly
disclosed the seriousness of trans
portation and parking difficulties IN
one of the most troublesome areas,
that in the vicinity of the Navy and
Munitions Building along COnStltu-
ton avenue. where defense activities
are expanding out of all proportion
to available facilities for handling
traffic. Conditions in this sore spot
already have resulted in the CONVEX
sion Of two park roads south OF the
Lincoln Memorial Rejecting Pool
into official parking lots for Navy
officials, an action which followed
suggestions from naval sources that
large, grass-covered park areas be
used for automobile parking. Many
employees, not privileged to use the
official parking space, are forced to
drive to work hours ahead Of Sched-
ule in order to find places to park
their automobiles Most of the Vlr-
einians WHO now use their own cars
would ride buses, it is said, were 1t
not for the fact that they must walk
from five to nine blocks to and from
the several Virginia bus lines serV-
Ing the center of the city.
Holding that the time has come
for decisive action, the Park and
Planning Commission wisely has
taken the lead in seeking to arrange
a conference among District, Federal
and public utilities officials at an
early date, with view to determin-
ing what remedial measures might
be taken Immediately to improve
mass transportation conditions. One
proposal which properly could be
considered at such conference Is
that for extension of Virginia bus
lines across Memorial Bridge and
into the governmental area along
the Mall. Closely coupled to the
mass transportation problem is the
shortage of parking space, and, in
order to deal with this correlated
problem, the commission recon-
mends prompt presentation to Con-
gresS by the Commissioners OF the
WhitehurSt proposal for special
motor vehicle and parking agency to
establish and supervise a series OF
large parking lots on the fringe OF
the congested district, served by
cheap-fare shuttle buses plying be-
tween the lots and terminals near
Federal buildings The commission
fatty diSapproved use of parts OF
West Potomac Park and the Monu-
ment Grounds for automobile park
Ing, and expressed belief that con-
struction of underground parking
facilities would be too costly. AS
possible immediate alternative, it
was suggested that private land in
the Southwest and Northwest sec
tions already scheduled for future
Federal use be acquired at once and
at least part Of it turned into parking
lots
Evening star., 1941-06-28
Easton, Md.
Points Out Paradox
OF Neutrality Law.
To the Editor of The Star

To the Editor Of The Star:
II the United States continues unoer
the neutrality law and England should
be defeated by Germany and Italy, and
this country then is invaded by the Axis
powers, according to the provisions of
the Neutrality Act, President Roosevelt
could issue a proclamation declaring
the Government Of the United States to
be neutral in the war, while the Ameri-
can people were fighting for their liberty
against the Axis powers-Germany, Italy
and Japan.
Furthermore, the President could
proclaim that both sides could buy arms
of this Government on the lend-lease
basis
So then the Neutrality Act, passed by
Congress to keep this country out of
war, may turn out to be the greatest
boomerang in history.
WILLIAM H. HARGROVE.
Pierce CitV Mo
Evening star., 1941-06-28
Pierce City. Mo.
Evidences Resentment
Against Motor Horns.
To the Editor of The Star.

Nine-tenths of the people go to bed
early in this town and seem motivated
for the most part by sane habits. The
other tenth seemingly stays up all night,
races around madly in motor cars, evades
the cops, blows horns upon every provo
cation, and If no provocation exists
blows them violently anyhow, being In
love with the sound.
The anti-noise campaign was badly
needed, for the traffic nightmare was
turning the city into gigantic outdoor
madhouse. Unfortunately, too many of
the worst offenders never get hauled up.
I hope the campaign doesn't bog
down, at least not before the offenders
get taste or two of what they deserve
at the hands of the court.
ALFRED DENHAM.
Evening star., 1941-06-28
Says Civil War Did Not Settle"
The Issue Of Slavery"
To the Editorof tt

To the Editorof The Star:
E. K. Goldsborough's recently pup-
Nshed letter, which quotes Felix Frank
furter as saying that 1T is fallacious to
believe that war never settled anything"
and also as saying that "the Civil War
settled slavery" contains some observa-
tions which may we'll be carried further.
War, Of course, in the fnality set
ties" where the preponderance of effec-
tive power rests, and thus opens the way
for the application of the ideas Of those
controlling that preponderance.
1t is illogical, however, to assume that
the ideas of the victor are sound or that
their unsoundness will not become evi-
dent in practice. Indeed, the whole set
Of ideas Of one-time victor may sooner
or later be abandoned by the successors
Evening star., 1941-06-28
HitIer's New Crusade

BY attacking Soviet Russia AQO1
Hitler has turned back the clock and
reverted to the theological patter he
used before he struck his bargain
with Josef Stain in August, 1889 All
the old anti-COmmuniSt slogans are
induStriOuSly furbiShed up by DR..
GoebbelS, and Berlin informs the
world that the Fuehrer is heading a
crusade to protect civilization
against the menace of BolsheviSm.
Throughout the English-speaking
nations, such contentious arouse
only cynical amusement. Even in
Japan, GermanyS Axis partner, there
seems to be much healthy SkeptiCiSm.
On the European continent, however,
the Reich is getting, considerable
support in its Russian venture. How
far is this due to official policy, and
how far to popular backing?
Italy jumped promptly on Hitler'S
band-Wagon, declaring war on Rus
Sia the very first day. An armOred
division was dispatched to the east
ern front after being reviewed by
MusSolini amid a great fanfare of
oratory. Fascist Italy was always
anti-BolShevik and never enthuSed
over the understanding with Soviet
Russia It's press SpokeSmen eXult
over the new war and urge others to
follow suit. Japan is advised to fore
stall American imperialism by Seiz-
ing Siberia, while Spain is adjured
to pay its debt of honor AS Roberto
Farinacci characteristically puts it:
"All of Europe is on its feet against
Anglo-SaXon and Soviet Judaism. 1t
would be absurd for the Spain of
Franco to remain absent in the hour
when her enemies are being crushed
in the grip Of ineXorable Justice
Frances Spain has officially ex-
pressed sympathy with Germany,
and there is much noisy demonstrate
ing of young Falangists, with osten-
sible recruiting for a token" legion
to emphasize solidarity against Com
munism But this is unlikely to
amount to much The Vichy govern
ment of France, strongly anti
Communist, has likewise taken a
sympathetic attitude toward Ger
many'S war against Soviet Russia.
There is scant evidence of popular
support.
Germany has one genuine recruit
in Rumania, which marches against
Russia to get back Bessarabia and
Northern Bukovina, filched from her
recently by a Russian ultimatum
which she could not resist. Finland,
her cities already bombarded by
Russian planes, has taken up arms to
defend herself against her deSpoiler
and hereditary foe. Hungary and
Slovakia likewise have declared war
against Russia. Doubtless they have
done this on orders from Berlin, but
Magyar antagonism to Russia is ira
ditional, so degree of popular ap-
proval may be presumed.
Sweden declares its neutrality,
tempered by permission for a Ger
man division to cross its territory
from Norway to Finland. Swedish
ties with Finland are so close, and
Russia is deemed such a common
danger, that a benevolent neutrality
is natural.
This brief survey of trends and
policies in continental Europe is
necessarily sketchy and inconclusive.
They will undoubtedly be further
shaped by the course of events. A
quick German triumph over Soviet
Russia presumably would strengthen
Nazi-Fascist tendencies throughout
Europe, while a stalemate or defeat
would have the contrary effect.