davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-08-23
Member of the Associated Press.
Advice-Good and Bod

In his letter to the meeting OF the
Young Democratic Clubs of America,
President Roosevelt laid down pol
icy for his own guidance which is
altogether sound and from which
there should be no deviation.
"As to what steps are required to
stop the Nazis," he said, Il certainly
am more inclined to accept the
Judgment of our Army and Navy eX-
perts who have devoted a lifetime
to the study of defending America
than I am to consider the judgment
of even the most sincere exponent
of the idea that we can occupy
water-tight compartment IN a world
flooded with war"
It might seem that the logic OF the
Presidents position is so obviously
correct that there could be no dissent
from it, But dissent, unfortunately,
Is rampant On every hand and on
every issue, there are volunteers
ready and willing to offer advice
which often is bad. From the very
beginning of the present conflict, and
even farther back than that, oppo-
nents of the administration policies
and some of its supporters have
undertaken to chart the Nations
proper course on the basis of misir1-
formation, and they have not been
deferred by early mistakes from re-
peating their blunders.
First, there was going to be no war,
and therefore no reason existed for
any extensive military preparation by
this country. Then, when fighting
did start, it was declared to be a
"phoney" war. During the initial
year of inaction, after the crushing
of Poland, the opinion was freely
expressed that the other belligerents
merely were marking time and would
patch up a truce, and that, again,
there was no reason for alarm in the
United States. Since then the war
has spread, in practical effect over
most of the earth. But the conten-
tion still is advanced that there IS
no real reason for concern on our
part, that we should dispense with
our plans for enlarging the Army,
that "alarmists" in the Government
are merely trying to frighten the
people, that we will not be attacked,
and that If the worst comes we will
manage somehow to defend our
selves.
For the future of the country. it
rs fortunate that the President is
determined to disregard these poor
advisers and to follow the good ad-
vice Of experts trained for their jobs.
And yet, this chorus of dissenting
voices has a harmful effect in con-
fusing the public.
1t may very well be that this alert
readiness to criticize and give advice
is an old American custom, an essen
tial attribute of a democracy. But
1t Is also true, and there is no purpose
In ignoring the fact, that it acts as
a drag on all of our defense prepa-
rationS.
Evening star., 1941-08-23
CHEVY CHASE, Md.

Dear Sir:
"Why do the robins stick to the front
ward. never going to the back with the
other birds at my feeding station?
This action has puzzled me for sew
eral weeks, now, so I thought would
write to you about 1t.
I'VE have many scores of birds at the
feeding stations, including many Engllsh
sparrows.
There are as many worms In the
back garden as in the front yard. AS
matter of fact, there are more, because
1t is damper back there.
Sincerely yours, L. T. M
*&
Our correspondent has put his finger
on the solution of the great robin mys-
terry.
1t is the English sparrow.
If there are plenty of these birds at
the feeding station in the rear, the wise
robins will go to the front.
They must do this out Of pure dislike
for the sparrows, since 1t is not a matter
of food competition at all. The SPAR
rows are eating the seed and grain put
out in the feeding station.
The robins are eating angle worms,
which sparrows never touch.
+& %*
There are, of course, likes and dislikes
among birds, just as there are among
human beings.
We are not speaking of the great hu-
man dislikes, such as are manifest in the
wars raging around the world.
The dislikes we speak of are solely the
petty dislikes of everyday, as mani
tested by humans-and also between
birds.
Among the smaller and rarer birds
the chickadees. the titmice and the
downy woodpeckers have built up a spe-
cial friendship
Particularly the chickadees and the
titmice These are small birds, the
chickadee with its black cap and the tit
mouse with it's crest Wherever one goes
there goes the other They will come tc
the feeding station one after the other
Both species take the seeds away anc
| crack off the outer hull
1
and the titmouse have the ability to tell
| without cracking it, whether a sun.
flower seed is good or not. Some of the
seeds are dried up inside, but these lit
tie fellows seem to know that before the,
go to the trouble of cracking them open
Often you will see chickadee reject 6
seed, then another, and then another
before it decides to open one. When il
does, it always eats what it finds.
The nuthatch is another of the rarel
birds which is found in the company o1
the chickadees and the titmice
This is the fellow who walks head
down on a tree trunk, and is called. in
consequence-at least in the books-ths
devil-down-head
He has an odd call, which is well rep
resented by the syllable "yank" Usually
he gives two or more of them together
The sounds have nasal quality.
Occasionally the nuthatch repeats hi
call a dozen or more times.
Evening star., 1941-08-23

1881. The beginning of the present
conflict in Europe found him pre-
ared for the command of the first
American armored division deserv-
ing of the name. He labored tire
lessly to anticipate the inevitable
crisis which he had foreseen.
In personal appearance General
Chaffee, like Vachel Lindsay's Gen.
eral Booth, looked the chief" His
profile was eagle-sharp. When thor
oughly aroused he could flash light
ming from his eyes. But he was a
lovable man despite the stern as
pect of his countenance.
His country regrets that General
Chaffee should have died so young.
1t is no exaggeration> to say that he
was a martyr to his work. The new
defense organization which he
helped to create is his monument. He
departs with the thanks Of a Ma
ton made safer by his sacrifices.
Evening star., 1941-08-23
New Aluminium Plants

Completion of a contract with the
Aluminium Company of America for
the construction and operation OF
four new plants, one for producing
and three for smelling aluminium,
announced this week by Federal Loan
Administrator Jones, represents an
important step toward eliminating
a major defense bottleneck-the
shortage of aluminium. The smelters
will have an annual manufacturing
capacity of $40, 100000 pounds. Con-
tracts also will be made shortly with
other companies to build plants with
an aggregate capacity Of an addi-
tional 260,0OO,O00 pounds year.
AS a result of the expansion pro-
gram now under way, the United
States within fifteen months will be
producing aluminium at the rate of
at least 1,500,000,000 pounds year,
more than the combined output of
all other countries. BY July 1, 1912,
Alcoa will have an annual produc-
ton capacity of 76O, 100000 pounds of
this vital defense material With
the completion of the new Govern
ment plants, to be operated by Alcoa,
it will be manufacturing aluminium
at the rate of 1,100,000,000 pounds
annually. Output OF other manu-
facturers and the additional con-
tracts which Administrator Jones
has in mind will give the United
States an annual productive capacity
of approximately 1900, 1000, 900, more
than four times that of 1899.
Though the eventual magnitude
of the armament effort required to
defeat the Axis cannot at this time
be predicted with any exactitude, the
new program should assure pro-
ductive capacity sufficient to meet
all our defense needs year hence.
Every effort will be made to expedite
the construction of the new smelling
facilities. There is thus good reason
to believe that the aluminium short
age, which has been a handicap to
defense production, particularly in
the manufacture Of military air.
planes, soon will be ended.
Had the demands of the defense
program been properly envisaged in
advance, the aluminium shortage
might well have been prevented by
enlarging capacity. Two years ago,
however, few envisaged an armament
effort of today's scope. Military re-
quirements of other war materials
also were underestimated. Expanded
production Is clearly the only solu-
ton for the present aluminium bot
tleneck and the administration has
done well to take steps to assure a
further large-scale expansion in
| manufacturing tAelaities.
Evening star., 1941-08-23
THIS AND THAT
BIZ Charles Z. Trdce1ceH.

It is this roll which has been called
the mirthless laughter Of the nuthatch.
It Is, indeed, an unusual sound, and does
somewhat resemble laughter.
We heard 1t the other day when one
Of the birds began scolding downy wood
pecker. Both birds were perched on the
curving branch of locust. The nut
hatch for some reason seemed to resent
the presence of the woodpecker.
Five titmice were at the coconut shell
feeding station swung from the arch.
This small feeder is one of the most
popular In the yard, especially with
chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, blue jays
and squirrels.
Certainly no one who has watched the
antics of the squirrels on such a swing
ing feeder-it is suspended by bit of
bell cord wire-would want to chase these
fellows out of the yard.
A coconut shell cut out at one side
and stocked with variety of fine seeds,
including plenty of sunf1ower seed, is
veritable circus when a squirrel gets
on it.
No two of the rodents manage to get
the seed in the same way.
One will come from the top, another
from below, another by hanging on with
it's forepaws, etc. Each squirrel has his
own method.
Since he cannot hang on very long at
a time, he always goes away after awhile,
allowing the birds to have their chance.
Five titnice were arriving the other
day, one after the other, the father,
mother and three youngsters.
The opening in the side of the shell
| is just about large enough to permit a
| blue jay to poke himself into it.
! 1t can be imagined that when a fat
squirrel gets his head in as far as ii
will 60 there is no room for the rest OF
him.
The chickadees will drop down bodily
when the supply of seed runs low. They
are the only birds that go into th'
shell. The rest perch on the rim of the
cutout and teeter back and forth.
| The cardinals, unlike the robins, dc
not refuse to associate with the spar
rows, but mix with them freely at al
times.
| So do the squirrels.
1t is not queer of course, that the red
birds like the company of English spar.
rows. They are members of the same
great bird group, the fnches.
The song sparrow, one of the finest Of
all birds, is not much in evidence al
feeding stations these days.
Unlike his English cousins, the song
sparrow will not feed on the dole wher
he can rustic up food in nature. The
other sparrows could do the same thing
if they wanted to, but they would rather
eat what is put out for hem.
1t will not be long now before fal
comes and the song sparrows vii
return to the feeding stations. AND
then it will not be long before they will
take up their perch on the fence post
in the early morning and lift their head;
in one of the finest of all bird songs.
Evening star., 1941-08-23
General Chuffee

The whole life of Maj. Gen. Adna
r. Chaffee was devoted to the Army.
A son of distinguished soldier, he
was born in the service and gloried
In the circumstance throughout his
career. Part of his boyhood was
spent in China, where his father was
in command of American troops op-
Grating against the Boxer rebels. He
returned home convinced of his vo-
cation, made an excellent record at
West Point, gained his first commits
sion in 1908 BY nature fearless and
confident, he was a brave and skill
full horseman from the start. Rid
ing as a member of the American
Army team at the international
Horse Show in London in 1911 and
studying at the Saumer School in
France in 1912, he qualified for pro-
motion in the cavalry. When the
United States entered the first
World War he was a captain and a
West Point instructor. Keen energy
and wise discernment" in the dis
charge of grave responsibilities" in
the Meuse-Argonne campaign gained
him the Distinguished Service Medal,
to which only three weeks ago was
added the Oak Leaf Cluster.
Gen. Chaffee, however, was some
thing more than successful officer.
His most notable characteristic was
an active yet disciplined imagination.
Few, if any, of his contemporaries
appreciated in 1918 that new era
of military science was dawning; but
he visioned an army which should
be strong in attack yet also sturdy in
resistance to a degree hitherto un-
known. Long before the panzer di-
visions of the German Army had been
organized he was urging the devel-
opment of mobile fortreSSeS. Speak
ing at the Army War College in 1880,
he predicted that the decisive factor
In "the next war" would be heavily
armored automotive divisions OF over
whelming firepower. He was named
executive officer of the pioneer mech
anized cavalry unit at Fort Knox ir
Evening star., 1941-08-23
Army Discipline

The case of Private John Habinyak,
dishonorably discharged from the
Army and sentenced to ten years and
nine months imprisonment after
pleading guilty to four charges OF
insubordination during court-martial
proceedings, has served once again
to raise the very serious question OF
how and by whom discipline in the
Army is to be maintained.
From the facts presented in a di-
gest of the rt-martial proceedings,
there can be no doubt that Private
Habinyak's conduct amounted to will
full refusal to serve as a soldier. His
defiance of his superior officers was
maintained over an extended period
in spite of repeated efforts on their
part to persuade him to obey COM
mands which were wholly reasonable.
To assert, as one member of Con-
gress has done, that Habinyak'S pun
ishment is an amazing act OF in
Justice and brutality toward a SOL
dier" who was guilty only OF some
trivial offenses" is simply to ignore
the facts of the case.
It may very we'll be true that the
prison sentence was unduly severe.
Certainly that is the case If 1t be
measured by civilian standards. But
that is a matter which should be
adjusted by negotiation with the War
Department, not by Incorporate and
infiammatory personal attacks on the
commanding officer Of the soldiers
regiment.
Military discipline cannot be main
tanned by members of Congress or
other civilians, and when they at
tempt publicly to override and dis
credit the officer personnel the in
evitable result is to increase the
difficulties already confronting those
who are responsible for maintaining
Army discipline.
| Sooner or later it will be necessary
| to face the fact that an Army is not
civilian organization to be managed
in conformity with civilian rules and
standards. If 1t is not our purpose
to have an Army OF maximum mill
tary effectiveness, then it may be
possible to tolerate continued civilian
interference. But, on the contrary
If we intend to have an Army capable
of measuring up to the tremendous
military task which it may be called
upon to perform, then the civilians
| will have to keen "hands off"
Evening star., 1941-08-23
Struteqic Vandalism

Had the German invaders destroyed
any part of the great ferro-concrete
dam on the Dnieper River, the world
would have condemned the deed as
an act of barbarous spite. When
the damage is wrought by the Rus
slams themselves, it is regarded as
a necessary sacrifice to the defense
of the Soviet Union. But the loss is
one whose significance is universal.
The power development begun in
1927 and completed in 1882 was
largely an American enterprise. A
citizen of the United States was the
principal designer. He visioned his
labor as contribution to the prog
ress of the whole human race. The
two and half billion kilowatt hours
of energy which he harnessed each
year to the purposes of the people Of
Russia were to promote their more
effective control of the conditions Of
their lives. BY the constructive ne
Evening star., 1941-08-23
Complains About Remaining
OF HyattSville Streets.

To the Editor of The Star:
A rather strange thing is happening
in this little city of some 1000 people.
A list of new names for all the streets
in Hyattsville was submitted by the
Maryland National Capital Park and
Planning Commission to the Mayor and
Council of the city for approval. On
Monday, August II, the Council. by
unanimous vote, declined to approve the
proposed changes in street names. The
next day the Park and Planning Com
mission began to put the changes into
effect.
The commission is acting under au-
thority of Chapter 153 of the Acts OF
1887 of the Maryland Legislature, which
empowered it ito name and rename any
street or highway = = within the boun-
daries of yland-Washington metro
politan district lying within Prince
Georges County"
But the act Of the Legislature orig
inally creating the commission states
that it is to "act in conjunction and CO.
operation with any municipality or other
local subdivision within said counties;
that is, Montgomery and Prince. Georges
Counties.
At the last session Of the Legislature
a bill sponsored by citizens Of Hyatts-
vile was passed, exempting from the
operation of the act of 1887 (mentioned
above) any community where go per cent
of its citizens voted against 1t IN q
referendum. That bill was vetoed by
the Governor. 1t is to be noted that
\ the members of the Park and Planning
Commission are appointed by him.
The people of Hyattsville are wonder
ing if they have anything to say about
matters Of this kind. The writer re-
Gently asked a town official If q protest
against changing the names Of streets
would have any effect. His answer was,
mo. They will come along and ram 1t
down our throats afterward, anyhow"
Is there no limit to what 'they" can
do? MAURY H. BROWN.
HyattSV1llo, Nd.
Evening star., 1941-08-23
Suggests Persuading Italy
To Desert Germany.
To the Editor of The Star:

The writer's views are that with the
proper effort Of the United States and
the Latin American countries q truce
or peace could be brought about between
England and Italy. If Italy can be in
duced to break away from Germany,
Hitler's war machine will collapse.
Let us think back to the time of the
first World War, when Italy was induced
to break away from Germany. That was
the starting point of Germany's down.
fall. With the help of American dough-
boys, that ended the first World War,
PHI. GEOGHEGAN.
Evening star., 1941-08-23
Replies to Defense
OF Policies of Japan.

10 the EDITOR OF ne star:
Ushichiro Tokimus letter published
August II contains certain misleading
statements which give rise in my mind to
the following questions:
Why suggest that the United States
is menace to Japan? Toxic signed up
with the Axis some time ago-a pact
which was first publicized September 27,
1910, but which had existed previously.
Surely it is clear that Japan belongs with
those who have vowed to destroy the
American system. The United States
cannot be said to threaten" Japan If
she objects to Japanese policy designed
to interfere with our foreign trade.
How can any one claim that Japan
is concerned over the freedom of some
600 900 900 Orientals" from the "interna-
tional plutocratic empire" "a phrase out
of the Axis party vocabulary which in
dicates too clearly Mr.. Tokumis inclina-
tions)? Undoubtedly many Of these
people are none too well off today, but
we doubt very much whether they have
any desire to come within the Japanese
sphere of destruction or to be plundered
for the benefit of the Axis. Japans at
tack upon China under the guise of
protection of China from itself, and her
present Hitler-dictated aggressions are
not regarded by other Orientals as steps
taken in order to save them.
1t is hardly pertinent to the present
situation to say that there has been no
Pacific problem during the greater part
of Japan's 1850 years of existence. Japan
did not commence her career of plunder
and aggression until comparatively re-
Gently. Nor is Mr.. Tokumi's claim that
Japan has proven her ability to turn
territories overrun by war lords and
bandits into orderly states very con-
vincing. The order introduced is the
order and quiet of a graveyard-very
safe perhaps for the Japanese but hard
on the Chinese. China, bombed and war
torn, starved and plundered, is the
answer to that statement.
On Friday, August IS, authorized
Japanese spokesmen said, as reported in
our papers, that the combined state
ment of President Roosevelt and Prime
Minister Churchill contained nothing
new and, besides, that it was too late" "
japanese newspapers contained the
statement that Britain was in her last
struggle to maintain the status quo in
the Far East, but would fail because of
Japan's "immutable determination to
establish a new order IN East Asia
regardless Of British-American maneu-
vers."
We know what that new order is like.
We prefer our own way and the chance
for all peoples to become free If they
wish it. WILLIAM M. AGAR.
Evening star., 1941-08-23
Proposes Another Location
For War Department Building.

To the Dditor Of Ths Star:
Since Congress has authorized the
Army's building Of q $35, 900 900 War De-
partment structure for 10000 employees
in Arlington, would like to suggest that
the building be located little nearer
Alexandria, on that tract known as
Clark.
At later date the Government might
wish to absorb the brickyards. under
stand they are importing clay, why not
relocate the brickyards and little later
on import the bricks?
The location of an immense building
below Arlington National Cemetery
would be no pleasing sight for the thou
sands of visitors who come to Washing
ton every ysar. @. y. BAYLEY.
Evening star., 1941-08-23
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address of
the 1Driter, although the use of
a pseudonym for publication is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters tDith
q pietD to condensation.