davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-02-26
BuIIud of John o. Birds

They tried to make farming man
OF skinny young John Burroughs,
They taught him ho,O to trim the
UineS
And turn the stony furious;
But hardly had they turned their
backs,
Hardly had they stirred,
Till Johnny spent the afternoon
A-Hstening to a bird.
They tried to make him teaching
man,
Walled tight in a pillage school,
But the April robin sang OF tDorns
BettDeen each reading rule.
They put him in the counting house
Amid the buzz and rush;
He counted notes, but halt of them
Were tOoodnoteS OF the thrush.
John Burroughs 1Das friends With
Edison
perhaps they're friendly stiHU,
But he ,Dent to bed By cdndleioht
And the song of the ,Ohippoortoiu;
While motors rodred and cities ross,
Multiplied by ten,
He Uns ,Dalkino into Americas heart
And talking NTH a ,Dren.
JOHN RUSSELL MCCARTHY.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Argues That Congress Exclusively
Has Power to Declare War.

To the Editor of The Star:
In the discussion of the lease-lend bill,
1t has been said thousands of times
that irrespective Of its provisions the
President has power to take the coun-
try into war" This he may do, it is
said, through his control of the Army
and Navy and by virtue of the powers
inherent in his position
I am wondering whether we may
safely let that doctrine go unchallenged
and without proper qualification. Is it
true that any President has power of
his own volition to make war?
The Constitution expressly gives TO
Congress the power to declare war"
The word war" as there used, is defined
as contest by force between States;
an armed conflict of sovereign powers
The making of war is a national act
Obviously, the provision giving to Con-
gress the responsibility of a declaration
of war was not intended to be a dead
letter. How can Congress divest itself
of that responsibility? Is it in better
position to delegate its war power to
the executive department than the
latter would be to delegate any of its
exclusive powers to Congress?
Instances are cited in which former
Presidents have ordered the armed
forces Of the country into action with
cut declaration Of war; but these,
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Opposes Lease-Lend Bill
As Fatal Surrender" TO War.
r. tha r51tnr ~ ~, . e,,r.

Az INC GSOitoi Va Inc oLdI.
Louder beat the war drums!
The hymn of hate and fear rises to a
frenzied pitch!
Poor, befuddled. plain people are being
stampeded by leaders bound and de-
termined that We must right the world S
wrongs by going to war
"Lease-Lend" is but another catch
phrase, a streamlined name for give"
to an alleged bankrupt empire. Are we
offered the British West Indies pos
sessions in return?
Why give our lives and substance when
We were not party to making the war,
when We are not a party to the age-old
struggles, hates and rivalries of Europe?
We are assured that should Britain
fall, we are doomed; that she is fighting
to protect us.
We do not believe it; there is no proof
of it, and down in our hearts we know
the arguments are false.
We are commanded to shudder be-
cause Hitler has overrun small neighbors
and New Deal France, and told that
next it will be the United States.
The analogy is false on its face Each
of the present combatants has a long
history of wars, pickering, trickery, fric-
tion, over centuries of time. We have no
such history; we are mixed racial group
with long record of peace and good will
But it is insisted that Hitler threatens
us directly! Do we honestly believe that?
Because he raves and struts for home
consumption and to frighten his smaller
neighbors, are we so timid, so lacking in
plain common sense as to believe Hitler
or his kind will try to conquer" the
world?
We, the American people, have not
thought this matter out to a realistic
conclusion.
For the Congress, our last resort, to
give another blank check" to our Ex-
ecutive would be fatal surrender of our
rights and liberties
FREDERICK FAIRFAX.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
THIS AND THAT
By Charles z. TrdcetDell.

female Of the species live separate lives
In the winter, although both remain here.
However it may be, the mockingbird is
one Of our most interesting winter birds.
There are still great many people who
do not realize that this bird has become
common permanent resident.
So much has been said of the South
ern mockingbird" that some persons be-
lieve that because it has such a name 1t
never comes North.
~ ~
One Of the first great discoveries Of
the city resident who moves into the
suburbs is of this bird.
The white which shows as it flies is
its best Identification and usually is
caught by most observers, but many of
them even then do not realize that
what they have seen is a real mocking-
bird.
The next step is huge admiration,
which sometimes turns to dislike, as
they watch one of these birds proceed
TO drive away from feeding station all
OF the other and smaller birds.
There seems to be great difference in
the character of mockingbirdS, just as
there Is among human beings. Just as
it is often impossible to tell whether a
man is kind or cruel simply by looking
at him, so 1t often cannot be told whether
an individual mockingbird will mind his
own business or get after all the other
birds.
If he is Of the latter sort, he will
chase birds away from food even when
he cannot eat it himself, thus becoming
a veritable dog in the manger.
~
These birds like raiSins and dough-
nuts.
They are fond of bread and cut apple
The latter is a favorite dish with many
bird, because it gives him some taste
of fruit, and at the same time a drink.
One way to solve the mockingbird
problem, if one of them proceeds to
abuse other birds, is to erect a small
feeding station on another side of the
house
This side should be selected to be
completely away from the main feeding
SCdIlonS, preferably on tne directly oppO-
site side of the house.
In this small feeder place raisins and
bread, or other foods particularly liked
by this bird.
Often this will keep the bird satisfied.
He will mind his own business, and leave
the small birds alone
k&
In the spring the mockingbird tolerates
no interference with his nest, either from
man or beast, or other birds.
Then the male goes on sentry duty.
Cats, in particular are his enemies at
such times, enemies which he shortly
runs away. Very few cats ever get the
young of mockingbirds. And while pro-
tecting their own, they at the same time
keep the enemy away from the nests
Of other birds close by.
The mockingbird will bomb dive" at
humans, and at other birds, too. He
does not like jays or grackles, both of
which he will chase with venom. Then
he is magnificent.
Evening star., 1941-02-26

surrounded with adequate safeguards
against indiscriminate use and pos
sible abuse. For that reason it would
seem best to limit overlapping to
such crimes involving national
security and human safety as espio-
mage and sabotage and the correlated
Federal offenses of kidnapping and
extortion. A certificate of necessity
by the Attorney General, in whose
jurisdiction such crimes fall, is sug-
gested by the President. With such
restrictions, the possibilities of mis-
use of overlapping by Federal in
veStigators would be reduced to a
minimum. Congress should act
promptly to adopt modified version
of the Hobbs bill or some similar
measure 10 permit overlapping in
such major crimes as those men
toned by the President.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
NORTH CAPITOL STREET.

LEAR OH.
your articles on birds are very in
teresting and the source Of much in
formation on the habits of our feathered
friends.
ST would like information as to the
identity of visitor who comes frequently
to eat berries OF the climbing bitter
sweet.
He is larger than an English sparrow
dark brown or gray in color Il have
not been able to get very good view
of him) with no white or red about him
that can see.
'I think I detected lighter stripes on
the wings. He has a long tail, and his
lines are very graceful. He chips fire.
quently, but in q lower key than the
English sparrow. I have never seen him
eating off the ground with the other
birds
"The male cardinal is the only other
bird that seems to like the bittersweet
berries.
''The bird books have not enabled me
to identify the visitor. Any informa-
ton you may give me will be thank
fully received.
Sincerely yours, C. S. r."
Birds known to eat the berries of
CelaStrus scandens, the bittersweet or
Waxwork, include the bob white, hermit
thrush, bluebird, robin and red-eyed
vireo.
Our correspondent says the cardinal
eats these berries, and we have seen the
mockingbird at them
There is just chance, but not very
big one, that a red-eyed vireo got here
a bit early.
This bird is Of nondescript coloring,
about inches long, which makes it
trif1e larger than an average sparrow.
1t leaves Washington early in the fall
and is not seen again until April
OF the birds which eat the bittersweet
berries, the mockingbird is the most
likely candidate here.
This winter we have seen some very
small ones, and all of them have looked
extremely depressed and thin Just why
this should be so we do not know.
11AIilOSG all O1 GlltIIl we have SSeIl ILLS
winter have been much smaller than we
think Of them being. And you can't
see the white in their wings unless they
fly.
When the plumage is worn, the white
marks tend to become quite indistinct,
anyway.
This column has received other reports
of dark gray birds.
These may be female Knockers which
have just got back from the South,
lured by the streak of comparatively
mild weather here, with plenty of sun
shine. Any one who recalls last winter
knows that late January and early Feb
ruary this winter held much more sun
shine.
This is based on our belief that usually
only the male mockingbird stays here,
or at least that many of the females go
South. Or it may be that the male and
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Wire-Tuppinq

President Roosevelt's Endorsement
of wire tapping as weapon in the
war on spies, saboteurs and kid
napers. as expressed yesterday In a
letter to a member of the House
Judiciary Committee, is based on
convincing logic. AS The Star re-
peatedly has pointed out, it Is
ridiculous that foreign agents bent
on wrecking Americas national de-
fense and undermining it's institu-
tions should be protected by law in
their use of the telephone, telegraph
and radio in furtherance of their
plotting. Yet that is exactly the
situation prevailing today as a result
of clause in the Federal Communi-
cations Act prohibiting 'interception
and divulgence" Of wire or wireless
messages. Certainly Congress in
tended to insert in the law no such
guaranty against molestation Of
spies, nor, indeed, of kidnapers or
extortioniSts. Since the Supreme
Court has interpreted the clause as
permitting of no exceptions under
any circumstances, however, it be-
comes urgently vital to the national
defense and to the public welfare
to enact remedial legislation.
The Hobbs bill, on which hearings
have been held by the House Judiciary
Committee, is quite broad in its
terms, throwing the gates wide open
for overlapping by all Government
departments in any type of felonies.
MIR. Roosevelt questions the wisdom
Of such a broad grant Of power.
Wire-tapping undoubtedly should be
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Doubts Suggestion of Utopia
To Follow British Victory.
To the Editor Of The

TO the Editor oil The Star:
William c. Bullitt, in a recent speech,
commented on Gen. George Washing
tons troops at Valley Forge and the
hardships they faced AS Mr. Bullitt is
familiar with American history he will,
of course, recall that Washington believed
American soldiers should remain on
American soil.
Mr.. Bullitt also informed us that If
Britain is victorious social order, found
ed on the Golden Rule, might be estab-
lished. Perhaps our former Ambassador
to France will tell us just why the "do
unto others creed wasn't adopted at
the termination of the first World War,
which our people were led to believe was
waged simply to save democracy"
Aren't we again being told bedtime
stories about Utopia appearing when
England wins the war?
EDMUND K. GOLDSBORoUGH.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Insists Republic Depends on
Supremacy of National Legislature.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
Perhaps no other measure than the
so-called lease-lend bill could so clearly
demonstrate the impossibility of main
tanning republic when the executive
is not subordinate to the legislature.
Britain has solved the problem Of
maintaining republic, by lodging the
executive where he should be-in min
istry responsible to the legislature (Par-
hament and Immediately removable at
its will, and consequently always re-
sponsive to 1t.
Until we adjust our institutions to
the same principle, we will continue
subject To every species of internal
conflict which can arise between a king
(by whatever name known and a par
Lament.
1t is an ancient problem and there is
but one correct solution. The British
have found and applied it.
One other problem is more pressing:
How to defend America first from exter-
nal aggression; and what are the most
expeditions and appropriate means.
HARRISON TILGHMAN.
xaston, Nd.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Campaign Costs

When the Senate Campaign In
vestigating Committee reported a
month ago that known expenditures
in the national election had passed
the $22,000,000 mark, and Chairman
Gillette hazarded the guess that the
total outlay probably amounted to
$50,000,000 or more, it became evil
dent that the new Hatch Act had
failed in its first test and that
amendments would be in order.
1t is consequently cause for salts
faction that the grand jury inquiry
just completed in District Court-al-
though finding no grounds for crimi-
nal proceedings-has barred the loop
holes in the act which made legal
evasions possible and that the JUS
tice Department promptly is follow
ing up with suggestions for amend
ments designed to remedy the
demonstrated defects.
Maurice M. Milligan, special as
sistant to the Attorney General, who
directed the grand jury inquiry,
found two glaring shortcomings in
the new clean politics" act: First,
in practical application the three
million-dollar limit on committee"
expenditures is meaningless for the
simple reason that the wording of
the law is ambiguous and open to
construction that will permit any
political committee in the land, no
matter how small, to spend up to
the maximum without violating the
statute. The second gap is created
by the purpotted ve-thousand-d dol
lar limit on individual contributions,
which is nullified by the exception
allowed for contributions to State
and local committees. Full advan-
tage was taken of this shortcoming,
according to Mr. Milligan, who re-
ports that in some instances certain
contributors and members of their
families have legally made contri-
buttons - " amounting to hundreds
of thousands of dollars"
To put an absolute ceiling of three
million dollars on committee" ex-
penditures, Mr.. Milligan proposes
that disbursements by national and
local groups be considered in the
aggregate, with the national party
committees being held responsible
for keeping the total within bounds.
Similarly, in the case of individual
contributions, Mr.. Milligan would
have an aggregate" figure set for
multiple gifts, although he comedies
that with such a restriction it might
be advisable to go above five thou
sand dollars.
Several other tightening modifica-
tionS are proposed for the Hatch and
Corrupt Practices Act, but these two
strike at the very heart of the prob
lem of keeping election expenditures
within proper limits and they are de-
serving of the fullest consideration
by Congress.
In connection with the inquiry
from which the recommendation
developed, a question of propriety is
raised by the formal report of the
grand jury discussing its own find
ings and suggesting the need for
legislation. Such expressions once
were routine procedure in this juris-
diction, but the practice was abruptly
terminated about nine years ago
when a grand jury far exceeded it's
authority in making recommended
tions in a criminal case, bringing
forth judicial denunciation of the
practice in general.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Thanks The Star for News
OF Christian Mission Campaign.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
May express my sincere appreciation
for the front-page stories you gave to
the National Christian Mission held
here recently?
1t was really first-page news in the
estimation of literally thousands of
persons, evidenced by the way they
thronged the meetings, and it is a
source of qualification to your sub
scribers that a great metropolitan
daily thus recognized it and gave it
the space and journalistic treatment
which you did and which 1t merited.
With thousands Of others, I thank
you and wish you, your entire staff and
The Star continued success.
(Mrs0 ETHEL 7. HOLLAND.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Member of the Associated Press.
NoIIe Presses

Publicity attending the inveStiga-
ton by Corporation Counsel Rich
mond B. Keech Of the nolle pressing
of driving-while- drunk charge
against a local attorney, who was
allowed to plead guilty to a lesser
traffic count, has naturally aroused
public curiosity as to whether such
settlements are common at Police
Court or are an exception. Certainly
the case in question had extraordl-
nary aspects, and it is not surprising
that Mr.. Keech felt impelled not
only to transfer an assistant who
took upon himself the responsibility
of nolle pressing the serious charge,
without hearing of witnesses, but
to reopen the case against the lawyer.
AS having some possible bearing
on the prevalence of the nolle proSS-
ing practice at Police Court, it is OF
interest to note that the annual
report of the chief clerk of the court,
recently made public, shows that OF
1,648 jury cases disposed of in Police
Court last year, 545, or approx
mately third, were nolle pressed.
This compares with an average OF
less than one-tenth of cases nolle
pressed in District Court over pc
riod of years. In addition, 110 Po-
lice Court cases we're dismissed for
want of prosecution.
There are circumstances, of course,
In which the ends of justice demand
that original charges against de-
fendant be modified or dismissed.
1t is the right and the duty of the
prosecutor to protect defendants
against unwarranted, unsupported
charges, and to save the court from
wasting time on cases in which there
is obviously insufficient evidence to
convict. Ore cause of inSufficiency
of evidence may be inefficient police
work. Another cause is disappear
ance of witnesses, or failure of men,
ory on the part of witnesses, because
of delays in bringing cases to trial.
The large number of nolle presses
In Police Court should be matter
of real concern to all persons inter-
ested in improving law enforcement
in Washington. If the high per-
centage of dismissals is attributable
either to police laXity, to inordinate
trial delays or to desire merely to
reduce congestion of the docket,
remedial measures should be taken
to correct the situation.
With regard to the problem of trial
delays, the record shows that the
Police Court judges fell behind in
jury cases last year. On January l,
1910, there we're 339 pending jury
cases, whereas on January of this
year there were 476 pending cases.
This piling up of jury work means
that many of these cases drag along
for eight or ten months or more
before coming to trial. There is but
one Judge regularly assigned to jury
trials, although there is nothing to
prevent other judges from helping
out in their spare hours. Unfortu-
nately, this cooperation is not al
ways discernible. The Department
of Justice proposal for recognizing
the Police and Municipal Courts,
with a presiding judge empowered
to coordinate the work of the vari-
Gus branches of the tribunal, would
help to solve this disturbing prob
lem. But to use the nolle PROSE-
system as a panacea for swollen
dockets is manifestly improper.
Evening star., 1941-02-26

Commonwealth was content to sur
render that lofty eminence with a
jest at his own discontinue. His
modesty and cheerfulness remained
with him to the end and will be
remembered by a multitude of ad-
mirers who valued him.
Evening star., 1941-02-26

One good way to drive a car is to
pretend constantly that the one just
in front of you bears load Of TINT,
but has forgotten to hang out the red
signal flag.
Evening star., 1941-02-26

Dealers in coal and chewing gum
are opposed in principle to the
lease-lend plan. They fear that
when they get their products back
after the lease has expired, the de-
probation will be too great.
Evening star., 1941-02-26

Sofia is seething over a f1st-and-
bottle fracas in a cafe between a
German and an American. Will this
open up a new bottle front in the
Balkans?
Evening star., 1941-02-26

@. Where is the largest cotton plan
tation?-J. C.
A. The Department of Agriculture
says that the largest cotton plantation
in the United States in one unit is the
Oscar johnson Plantation, owned by the
Delta & Pine Land Co. of Scott, Miss,
which consists of IS 900 acres. There
are 821 tenant families representing 3,115
people on this plantation.
@. What did the Empire State Build
ing cost?-J. J. G.
A. The ground on which the Empire
State Building stands was purchased for
sl600O,O 900. The cost of the building was
s55 900, 900.
@. Is it against the law to evict
soldiers dependents from a house for
non payment of rent?-W. HF.
A Section 300 of the Soldiers and
Sailors Civil Relief Act of 1910 provides
that a soldiers dependents shall not be
evicted from their dwelling if the rental
is $50 or less, per month, except upon
leave of court.
Q. Who invented the roller process Tor
grinding flour?-B. E. C.
A The roller mill for grinding -four
was invented in the United States by
John Stevens of Neenah, Wis, about
1870, but patents were not awarded 10
him until 1880.
@. How tall is Joe Louis7-S. g. ~.
A. He is feet "a inches tall.
@. When did the late Knute Rockns
become Catholic?-J. D. S.
A. He was baptized a Roman Cath
olic in 1925
@. How did Gen. Jackson acquire the
name Stonewall?-W. L. G.
A. The Confederate Gen. Bernard z.
Bee gave jackson the nickname Stone
wall. 1t was in the battle of first Ma
nassas Bull Rum that Bee exclaimed
There stands Jackson like a stonewall."
@. Which has the longer digestive
tract, an animal which eats only vege-
table material, or meat-eater?-P. G.
A. The herbivorous animals have q
much longer digestive tract The goats
digestive tract is 26 times its body length,
while a cats is only four times its body
length.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address of
the 10riter, although the use of
q pSeudonym for publication is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters NTH
q Uie1U to condensation.
Evening star., 1941-02-26
CoIored Map Of Africa. in fun

Colored Map of Africa, in full
color, 21 by % inches in size.
Africa is one of the major conti-
nents of the world and an active
news center, with the warning ma
tions trying to protect their inter
ests or usurp the rights of others
there. Follow the war news from
Africa with good map. To secure
your copy inclose 10 cents in coin,
wrapped in this clipping, and mail
to The Star Information Bureau.
Name
Address
Evening star., 1941-02-26

Britain reports shortage of add
ing machines. Their air force, how
ever, is said to be multiplying
rapidly. ...
Evening star., 1941-02-26

France has Joan OF Arc, Ireland
has Kathleen ma Houlihan and the
U. 8. A. has Shirley Temple.