davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-12-21
New Service Law

In agreeing to f1X the age limits OF
those liable to active military service
at from twenty to fortyfour, inclu-
sive, Congress has struck balance
between the previously recorded
views of the House and Senate on
this question. AS compromise. it
should at least satisfy our military
requirements as they exist today.
Whether this will hold good for
the future Is question which de-
pends entirely on the course Of the
war. The President, acting on the
advice Of his military counselors,
strongly urged that the minimum age
limit be lowered to nineteen, and the
Senate concurred in this view. The
House, however, for reasons which
seem not to have been related to the
military outlook, voted for mini
mum age Of twenty-one and stuck to
that figure until the conference
compromise was accepted.
There is, of course, no doubt what
soever that all members of Congress
would vote to lower the draft age If
it became clear that the national
security demanded such action. Thus,
the real question obviously concerns
the extent to which Congress, in time
OF war, should be guided by the rec
concentrations Of our military leaders,
and 1t is evident, Judging from the
vote on this matter, that the House
still prefers to exercise Independent
Judgment on certain matters per-
tanning to the military establishment.
The future will determine the wisdom
Of such an attitude, and, II the ver-
dict Of time is against the House, it
does not appear that irreparable
damage will have been done since the
Army will have it's hands full for
some months with the problem Of
equipping and training the men who
will be made available under the law
as passed.
In this connection it is pertinent
to recall that Secretary of War
Stimson has served notice that VOL
untary enlistments will be stopped as
soon as the present rush is over This
should be done-at least as to men
within the new age limits-without
delay-for, as President Wilson
pointed out when a similar ban was
invoked during the first World War,
the volunteer system Is defective in
that, under it, men may come Unto
the service) who ought not to come,
but ought to stand back Of the armies
in the field and see that they get
everything that they need, and that
the people of the country are sus-
tanned in the meantime"
Evening star., 1941-12-21
CHRISTMAS, 1941,
THE HOPE THAT WILL NOT DIE
BIZ the Rt Reu James E. Freeman D. D., ILL., D., D. c. L.,
Bishop of Washington.

shrek of shells and the roar of guns tell
the tragic story of mans folly and his
futile and abortive attempts to satisfy
his greedy lust for power. Through the
long centuries hope has survived despite
all the calamities and disasters that have
attended mans pilgrimage, and it will
continue to survive.
Hope springs eternal in the human
breast,
Man never is, but always to be blest"
The sun would cease its healing
warmth, the stars themselves would
cease to shine, the recurring seasons fail
of their high purpose, if man ceased to
hope. The dark shadows of the night
are but the precursors Of another dawn.
The sufferer on his bed Of pain, the
soldier on his lonely watch, the sorrow
ing and disappointed, waiting for new
and better day of promise, these and the
millions who struggle on despite the
stern exigencies and trials of life, still
persist in the belief that there must
come a better tomorrow.
At no season of the year is this more
evident than at Christmastide. Here for
brief space men lay aside their ignoble
and ungenerous feelings; here they feel
again the promptings of their better
natures, here latent kindly impulses
spring into action and good will finds
its largest and fullest expression
1t is inevitably true that man attains
his noblest stature, the exhibition of his
divinest qualities of mind and heart
when, under the spell of this happy sea-
son, he gives himself to others and
merges his life in the stream of a COM
mon joy. In broader terms, shall we
believe that the heart of the world has
grown cold and unresponsive to the high
claims of Christ and the true meaning
of Christmas? Shall We believe that
the loud alarms of war, racial and ma
tional animosities and hates have rem
dered men and women everywhere i'm
mune to the spirit of this season? Have
happiness and the desire for kindly and
amicable relations between the peoples
of the earth gone out of the life of the
world? We do not believe it; to hold
to such conviction is to despair of the
future.
Evening star., 1941-12-21

ployes scheduled for removal who
own their own homes and who must
now decide whether to sell or lease
them. If those responsible for Sc
lecting the agencies to be moved
have not even considered whether
they are being sent away temporarily
or permanently, that fact alone is
sufficient to raise serious doubt as
to the thorcughness with which all
the ramificationS of transferring the
Patent Office were studied before
it was added to the list.
When to the agencies already
slated for removal there are added
those yet to go, it is quite probable
that upward of $4,000 Washington
residents will almost literally be
moved overnight out Of their homes
and into a new environment. The
decisions as to who shall go are made
without advance notice to the af-
fected parties and upon the basis of
unspecifled considerations. Whether
they are to be brought back after
the emergency is over seems to be
in the lap Of the gods.
All of this suggests hurried and
none too we'll thought out effort to
meet a condition which was not
adequately anticipated. If it is
necessary it will have to be done.
But if hasty decisions can be i'm
proved upon, the President and his
subordinates should not hesitate to
reconsider them.
In his remarks to the labor
industry conference last week The
President told how Russian work.
men, in the face of the German
advance, were loaded onto freight
cars with their tools and shipped
hundreds of miles into the interior,
not even being permitted to tell
their families good-by. He said he
wondered what the average Ameri-
can would do If this Government
were to employ similar methods. and
expressed the hope that I'VE won't
have anything actually happening
like that over here"
There is, of course, a vast diff
ference between the transfer of the
Russian workers and the removals
which have been orderd in WASH
ington, but the latter, so far as the
individuals involved are concerned,
constitute a real hardship which
should not be made unnecessarily
onerous.
Evening star., 1941-12-21

"The time draws near the birth of Christ:
The moon is hid, the night is still;
The Christmas bells from hill to hill
Answer each other in the mist"
Whether men heed its deeper meaning
or not, the message of heralding angels
on that first Christmas morning still
persists. This message, GLORY to COD
in the highest, and on earth peace, to
men of good will" seems to find little
response in a world of armed conflict.
The nations once again are engaged IN
mortal combat, and hate and lll-Will nave
seemed to silence The Christmas message
and to make obscure the figure of Him
who was proclaimed the Prince OF Peace.
The cynic and the pessimist see IN the
strife Of nations little of hope or promise
for a peaceful world. To such, like ma
ture itself, mans hand Is incarnadined In
blood The picture thus presented casts
dark shadows across the fair scene OF
the Mother and Child attended by rever-
ent shepherds. as we behold them in the
quaint and homely setting of Bethle-
hens stable. Despite mans failure to
realize and appropriate all that Bethle-
hem and its lowly Mother and Child
are designed to teach, the mighty mes
sage of that first Christmas morn still
bears to a distracted world the promise
Of better days to come. AL the wicked
ness and hate, all the conspiracies and
malevolent designs Of ambitious leaders
cannot put out the light that was kindled
in Bethlehem or take from the hearts
Of men the longing for the richer, fuller,
more abundant life which the Saviour
proclaimed. A resursence of hope fills
even the hearts Of those who struggle on
far-flung battle lines, as they contem-
plate the deep meaning Of the Christ
mas message and recall happy days
When with loved ones now far removed,
they experienced the rich joys which this
holy season brought.
To attempt to reconcile the bitter
passions and generated hatreds of war
with the JOY and peace which the ad-
vent of Christ proclaimed, is to indulge
in fanciful and vain speculations. They
cannot be reconciled and yet there is
the persistent cry Of the human heart,
that will not be silenced, even while the
Evening star., 1941-12-21
Sensible Compromise

In voting finally to approve one
cent increase in the District gasoline
tax, the House wisely has receded
from its original insistence upon a
tWo-cent boost, which was both un-
necessary and inequitable. The one
cent increase, having already been
approved by the Senate, becomes
effective on January /.
1t is estimated that the higher tax
rate will raise s1,5O0,O0O annually for
necessary highway improvements di-
rectly related to the Nations war
effort. This sum, with the $4,000, 900
which the Federal Public Roads Ad-
ministration has agreed to allocate
for these purposes, is expected to be
adequate to finance all projects for
which priority ratings can be secured.
And that is all that should be under
taken at this time. Certainly there
could have been no justification
whatsoever for a two-cent increase,
which would have resulted In an
accumulation of funds that could
not be spent because of inability to
secure materials for projects not
deemed to be Immediately necessary.
The debate in the House at the
time the two-cent increase was ap-
proved, contrary to the recommended
ton of the House District Committee,
made it clear that many members
voted for the higher rate because
they desired to bring the Districts
tax into line with rates prevailing in
nearby States. That motive, which
bore no relation to the needs Of the
Capital, was plainly unfair to local
gasoline buyers, and the final deci-
sion to adjust the tax to the actual
needs is one which will be welcomed
throughout the community.
Evening star., 1941-12-21

OF ordnance production is not solved. 1t
will be next March or April on the basis
of present schedules before artillery
weapons really start coming out Of the
factories.
There is this to be said, however. The
British, after Dunkirk, stopped making
speeches and got down to work. They
succeeded, overnight, In turning British
industry from spare-time arms opera
ton into an operation that almost wiped
out all production for civilian uses. By
that effort the British saved themselves.
They then put on pressure to mobilize
the resources of their empire for war
use. Great progress has been made.
But in the United States barely Is per
cent of the Nations effort is being de-
voted to war purposes. In Germany at
least go per cent Of the nations effort is
centered on war. It Is the same In ia
pan. The Germans are tapping the pro-
ductive resources Of all Of Europe to
feed their War machine.
Evening star., 1941-12-21
Morpheus Scorned

Many people, after restless night,
complain next morning that they
have not slept wink. They should
hark to the case of AL Herpin OF
Trenton who for ninety years has
never slept, night or day. For most
OF a century night has meant moth
ing to him but chance to get away
from the rest of mankind and read
to keep from being bored. There is
not even a bed in his little home.
Doctors from all over the world
have examined him; freak shows
have bid for his services, and hun
dreds of women have offered to
marry him, he says, to no avail. He
proceeds quietly at his task of fur
mace tending in winter and lawn
moving in summer and no one has
yet caught him mapping. Nor is it
likely that any one ever will. He
passed the almost incredible test Of
going to Philadelphia at the invita-
ton Of pair Of doctors, and actually
spent several days there without
sleeping. He claims to be the only
man on earth who can read through
an entire copy of the Congressional
Record at one sitting. What a ma
tional asset he would have been had
it been possible to have impaired his
secret of nonstop operation to those
in charge of the defense program
back when the five day, forty-hour
week was considered plenty good
enough.
Evening star., 1941-12-21
Statistical Lineup

The Bureau of the Census has
prepared a recapitulation Of the
forces involved in what it unhesita-
tingly calls the greatest war in the
worlds history" Estimating the
population of the earth at 2,133, ,0Oo,-
900, the table gives the total in
habitants of the anti-Axis nations
the United States, the United King
dom and possessions, Russia, China
and the Netherlands Indies-as
1907, ,997 900. The area controlled by
the democracies is judged to be
29,783 900 square miles with an aver
age residential distribution of about
"A. In terms of resources, America
and her Allies are considered to have
81 per cent of the available wheat,
81 per cent of the sugar, "a per cent
of the potatoes, 81 per cent of the
coal, SO per cent of the iron ore and
78 per cent of the petroleum.
Listed as the Axis belligerents,"
Germany, Italy, Japan, Finland,
Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania
and Manchukuo are credited with a
total population of 306,281 900 in an
inclusive area of 1,433, 900 square
miles with a density OF 214 persons
per square mile counted. The prin-
cipal handicap of the combination
Of aggressors and their associates Is
suggested by the Census Bureaus
finding that they have only per
cent of the worlds petroleum sup
ply-the oil fields of the Carpathians.
A further striking circumstance
indicated by the compilation in re-
gard to lubricants is the fact that
although the Axis has occupied
Belgium, Czecho-S -Slovakia, Denmark,
Estonia, France, Greece, Latvia,
Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Yugoslavia, French 1ndo-
China and Thailand-a total of
1882, 900 square miles supporting an
aggregate population OF 1888, 600
people-it has gained no petroleum
in any Of the countries mentioned.
Indeed, the only "conquests" OF
| material significance have been the
Evening star., 1941-12-21
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy.

Representative Allen T. Treadway Of
Massachusetts, Republican dean Of the
House. is proud of his extraordinary
World War souvenirs. For nearly 25
years he has had hanging in his study
a facsimile print Of the declaration Of
war against Germany, signed by Presi-
dent Woodrow Wilson, Vice President
Thomas R. Marshall and Speaker Champ
Clark, April 7, 1917 Mr. Treadway voted
for that war declaration. He also voted
the other day for the declarations of war
against Japan, Germany and Italy, and
has just hung in his study duplicate
Of the first World War resolution-iden-
tical in size and type, with autograph
signatures by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. Vice President Henry Wallace
and Speaker Sam Rayburn. He also has
had framed the letter he received from
the President transmitting this latter
souvenir. Mr.. Treadway is one Of the
most vigorous elders in the House-74
years Of age.
Chairman Randolph of the House Dis
trict Committee is now making study
of the history of the old gun-making
arsenal at Harpers Ferry, which was a
target for John Brown in his historic
raid He was intrigued to make this
study by Christmas present he received
Of an old muzzle- loading musket made
at the Harpers Ferry arsenal, which bears
the date 1872.
Half century ago James D. Reilly
left his native city. Providence. R. l.. to
Join the circus. This Christmas he Is
going back to the old home town to visit
his sisters and, as lieutenant for Senator
Theodore F. Green, will set up headquar-
ters at the Narragansett Hotel and make
a survey of the political situation. Glad
Hand Jimmy" as he has been known
about the Capitol for IS years, first
came to Washington as secretary to the
late Representative William ]. Carey Of
Wisconsin. Later he was candidate
for Congress and lost out by only 485,
with 10000 votes cast. He became assist
| ant secretary to Senator Irving Lenroot
| Is now doorkeeper at the main entrance
to the Senate chamber and one of the
best known among the Capitol employees.
He has participated in 10 inaugural
ceremonies for seven Presidents-Theo-
dore Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding
| Coolidge, Hoover and F. D. Roosevelt.
| He was on the House floor and assisted
the first woman Representative, Miss
Jeannette Rankin Of Montana, from the
House floor after she voted against the
declaration Of war against Germany in
| 1917. He was on the Senate floor when
the declarations Of war recently were
passed against Japan, Germany and
Italy There is no Senator who was in
office when Jimmy Reilly first came to
the Capitol and only one House member
Representative Adolph J. SABBATH.
chairman of the Rules Committee-who
took Office the same day that Jimmy
went on congressional duty. He is proud
of birthday greetings from John D. Rock
efeller on his 91st birthday. Their birth
| days fell on the same date and they had
| the same initials.
Evening star., 1941-12-21

limited iron ore deposits of France
and the problematical potato crops
of Poland.
The Bureau of the Census avoids
any effort to compute the propor-
ton of normal Russian resources now
controlled by German occupation
nor the proportion of Chinese re-
sources controlled by Japan as a
result of occupation" 1t does take
into account, however, the resources
more likely available to the anti
Axis group" of nations-the balance
of North America (eXcepting the
United States and Canada, South
America, Egypt, Iran and Iraq-
1865 ,65O,O0O people in 9,838,OO square
miles of living space" From these
territories, per cent of the earth's
supply of oil and gasoline custo-
marily come.
On the other hand, 9 per cent
Of the worlds iron ore is of Swedish
origin-conceded to the Axis in the
computation Of the Census Bureau,
which also grants to the same COM
bination the scant sugar production
of Spain.
The only first-class country omitted
from the calculation is European and
Asiatic Turkey-297, 900 square miles
with 17,87OOOO men, women and chill
dren to feed on 2 per cent Of the
total wheat crop of the earth.
The Bureau of the Census has
provided convincing evidence Of the
superiority of the nations opposed to
the Axis in human power, land, food
and minerals. But this superiority in
material resources will be unavailing
in the struggle for freedom unless it
is speedily translated by unremitting
effort and sacrifice into that actual
military superiority essential to sue
cess in war.
Evening star., 1941-12-21

In view of what Secretary Knox
had to say about the almost 100 per
cent efficiency of the Japanese fifth
column in that archipelago, it would
appear that the Hawaiian Islands in
the beginning were one of the most
important bases that the yellow
enemy possessed,
Evening star., 1941-12-21

particular kind Of fight.
Then there's the Navy. 1t Is true that
the Navy is far along with its program
of expansion. But it also is true that
the Navy permitted Japan to get the
Jump on it in production of aircraft car
riers which are turning out to be highly
important in sea warfare. The Navy
was badly hurt at Pearl Harbor and it
now faces the task Of development along
lines that will assure 1t dominance IN
the air over the sea as well as on the
surface of the sea. That end can't be
achieved by talk about the power In the
punch that the present fleet could de-
liver in an old-fashioned type Of sea
battle.
Take the matter Of tanks. 1t Is true
that tank production now Is getting
under way on a fairly large scale. But
it was only after Hitler's invasion of
Russia that this Government granted
priority In material to permit a rush
lob in tank production. Germany has
had a long head start and today is using
not only her own factories but those OF
all Europe to turn out immense numbers
of tanks. Some officers now are talking
about how American industry can pro-
duce tanks like it once produced buck
shot. Whether or not that is true now
will be determined in battle and not IN
conversation.
And so it goes. Today, with war under
way, the United States has not solved
it's problem of ammunition production.
Little Canada may have to supply am
munition for American guns. And those
guns, except for rifles and machine guns,
are few and far between. The problem
Evening star., 1941-12-21
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Entered as second class matter post office.
Washing ton, D. c.
Evening star., 1941-12-21

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled tc
the use for republication of all news dispatches
credited to 1t 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.
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1941-06-06
18TH INFANTRY
TAKES MARCHING
TEST WEDNESDAY

The 115th Infantry answered Presi-
dent Roosevelt's declaration of full
emergency Wednesday when the regi-
ment took the army's standard march
ing test of 20 miles while carrying
full field equipment.
Col. d. John Marley, the regimen
tai commander who himself complet-
ed the march, expressed "great pleas
ure on the stamina shown despite the
extremely hot day."
Upon completion of the 20.6 mile
hike and return to camp the person
mel of the regiment was examined by
medical officers of the 115th Infantry
and the 1O4th Medical Regiment.
Ninety-seven per cent Of the men
who started on the test completed the
march and returned to camp without
showing undue fatigue, Major Jos.
P. Franklin, regimental surgeon, re-
vealed. Of the approximately 1,2OO
men who started out only nine were
unable to complete the march. They
returned to camp in trucks. No Sc
lectees were included in the test.
It is proposed to have every march
ing member of the regiment complete
the same course. Those men who
were unable to complete the 20 mile
hike without showing signs of undue
fatigue will be used to drive vehicles
of the regiment. The excess num-
Der will be recommended for trans
fer to regiments in the 10Th Division
other than infantry organizations,
the colonel asserted.
Completion of the march on We'd
nesday, Col. Marley said, is "the
most outstanding accomplishment" of
the regiment since induction into Fed
eral service. The colonel, on horse
back, inspected the troops as they
left the regimental area, galloped to
the head of the column, dismounted
and led his regiment on foot through
out the march and back to camp.
A physical fitness card to be pres
ented to each man who completes the
march without undue fatigue has
been proposed by Col. Marley. Hold
ers of these cards at times will be
given privileges within the regiment,
the colonel stated.
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1941-06-06

more, after visiting Judge and Mrs.
William F. Johnson.
Mr.. Douglas Childs of Fort Eustis,
Va, spent the weekend with Mrs.
Childs.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ohio w. Wilson and
Miss Carolyn Bonneville visited rela-
tives and friends in Baltimore, re-
Gently.
Mrs. J. Clifton Mock stepped off
the curb and sprained her ankle last
week.
Mr.. Harry C. Bradford, Sr., made
business trip to Baltimore, last
week.
Miss Mabel Perdue of Denton, Nd,
spent the weekend with her parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. J. Herman Perdue.
Mrs. Laura Walker has returned
after visiting relatives in Newport
News, Va.
Mrs. Charles Tyndall and Miss
Dorothy Tyndall left this week to ac-
cept positions at the Roosevelt Hotel
in Ocean City.
Miss Florence Laws and Mr.. Lingo
Hudson, of State Teachers College
Salisbury, are spending their vaca.
tions with their parents.