davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-03-17
CHEVY CHASE, Md.

"Dear Sir:
your interesting column has been
'front-page news to our family since
moving to this part of the country less
thar two years ago.
ut was responsible for OUR introduce
ton to the happiness of getting ac-
quainted with and helping birds. That's
probably poor choice of words since the
little fellows have helped us in so many
ways-and we've just provided feeding
stations so we could enjoy them.
1--WE have carefully identified some
thirty kinds-and are hazy about our
accuracy with respect to about dozen
of others.
Among our backyard friends we have
titmice, female cardinals and blue jays
who perch in small tree just outside
our kitchen door and call us if the morn
ing supply of peanuts which are thrown
from the door to the lawn is depleted.
ut was particularly in connection with
this that we wish to ask you a question.
do some birds (blue jays, for in
stance) hide food when there's more
than Immediately satisfies the inner
man like squirrels-or is one particu-
larly tame visitor to our yard just diff
ferent?
Hes blue jay.
"This morning he was around first and
called for service Seemed quite dis
mayed when I threw out couple of
handfulS or peanuts.
Couldn't make up his mind which to
pick up. With his final selection he flew
to his usual backyard tree and when it
was finished returned.
This time, however, he seemed more
resolute, and picking up the nearest flew
to the rear of the yard, where he hid the
peanut under a couple of leaves and re-
turned.
"TNS he repeated about half dozen
times, after which he made another
careful selection and sailed out of sight
with it.
I'VE find it seems to greatly aid the
titmice in taking hold of a peanut if we
slightly crack one end of the shell
especially If there's no stem on it that
offers a handle.
Yours very truly, A. T. F."
X
The blue Jay is one Of the greatest
hiders Of food.
Nuthatches, chickadees and titmice
also indulge in this habit
One winter several years ago We placed
in feeding station about 40 whole pea
nuts.
A band of jays discovered them, and
thereafter for half an hour had a Won
derful time hiding them in various places
in the yard.
Most of them were taken to trees,
where they are securely wedged into
crevices in the bark and in crotches.
The next morning another bag was
placed in the feeder This time they
were found by lone squirrel.
He spent the better part of the morn
ing eating and hiding peanuts He would
run around the yard. making many SAL
lies before he selected a spot.
Evening star., 1941-03-17

nished the House Appropriations
Committee when seeking funds for
the investigation, and the possibility
of litigation" also was discussed in
connection with activity laid at the
door of employees in the Chicago
Sanitary District.
Reports of election law violations
began coming to the commission
concurrently with the passage Of
the amended Hatch Act, providing
for Federal supervision over agencies
to which the Government contrib
utes. In some cases the charges
have been of trivial nature In
others, however, serious offenses are
alleged, coercion of workers for cam
paign funds and collection plan
under which State employees were
assessed on salary percentage basis
being typical of these. From this, it
would seem that the Illinois inveSti-
cation is to be only the forerunner
of others elsewhere in the country.
The outcome of this new phase
Of Hatch Act enforcement will be
watched with particular interest in
view of the recent grand jury pro-
ceedings in District Court, which
demonstrated the inadequacy of the
law so far as it purports to limit
campaign expenditures and contri-
buttons. Once violations of a GRIM
inal nature are indicated by the
commission inquiry, the Justice De-
partment may be expected to move
cpoedi1v for rO,1rt optiop
Evening star., 1941-03-17
THIS AND THAT
By Charles E. TrdceDeH.

Some watchers swear that squirrels do
this to throw possible watchers off the
track, but since the same watchers also
could see them make the final disposal.
1t Is difficult to see what good this would
do. Maybe it just makes the squirrel
with the peanut think he is clever. 1t
may be supposed that much of all that
Misunderstanding men-do is done for
this purpose!
Woodpeckers hide food, too.
But the jays and the nuthatches are
the most persistent at it.
Just how much of this hidden food,
most of it in trees, is found by squirrels
must be left to anybody's guess.
1t must be considerable proportion.
In this way all the children of nature
help each other, without any of the pratt
tie of human beings, who seldom do good
except they talk about it.
The birds and animals help each other,
too, but they do not make any claims
about 1t, or pose as good fellows.
The jays certainly would not make
any claims.
They are bold fellows well met, in
most cases, doing their daily good deed"
without realizing it. Maybe such good
deeds are the best kind, after all. The
hardy jays hide food, and the festive
squirrels find it. No doubt the Jays find
much that the squirrels put away for
rainy day. Maybe that expression about
a rainy day comes from the SQUIRRELS
The rainy day softens the ground and
makes digging easy-also makes the odor
OF food escape from the earth.
We have never read anything about
how animals, especially squirrels, find the
food they bury, but our guess is that.
they do it by smell. Surely they cannot
have such a marvellous sense of location
and such wonderful memory that thev
can go back to the exact spot to find a
nut they put there months before.
Birds see food. That is the way they
find it. Their eyes work in all direc-
tions, and are co-ordinated with their
minds, directed by their stomachs. This
may not be scientific, but we bet it is the
way the birds find food.
Any one can test this by putting out
crumbs in the snow for the first time.
Ordinarily, it will not be more than
half an hour before some birds arrive,
although perhaps no birds had been in
that yard all winter long
Nuthatches hide all sorts of small seeds
in crevices in bark
Sometimes these foods decay and at
tract insects.
Then the insects are eaten by such
tiny fellows as the brown creeper.
In these and many other ways the birds
help each other.
Starlings do not hide food, but on the
other hand they seem to want to attract
the attention of other birds when they
find any.
Invariably they will fly with a bread
crust to where other birds are gathered.
Then the fight begins, if other starlings
are present.
In this way small bits are broken off,
and these fall to the smaller birds while
the larger ones are chasing after each
other.
Evening star., 1941-03-17

the immortal Greek Army has rendered
to the civilized world in stopping the in
vasion of Mussohni's army last October
1t is a modern miracle of another Mara
thon, Thermopylae and SalamiS $500
years ago, when Greece, with tremendous
odds against her by Persian invaders,
repulsed them and thus saved Western
civilization, as she is doing today by not
being bluffed by the axis from whatever
side she may be attacked. Yes, Greece
needs assistance now. Tomorrow may
be too late, considering the uncertain
ties of Turkey and Yugoslavia and their
indecision whether to enter on the right
side or the wrong side. The battles
fought in this war are simply for free
dom, liberty and justice against slavery,
servitude and injustice.
America won the last war by sending
materiel and men to Europe, and it is
the United States that will win this war
by sending essential materiel, airplanes,
bombers, ships and food to those coun-
tries fighting for democracy-Great Brit
ain and Greece in Europe, and China in
the Far East. 1t is hoped they will see
the right course to pursue. Determina-
ton, that is all they need. Greece has
shown the way let them follow her ex-
ample. Courage and faith have resulted
in the splendid successes of the gallant
Greek Army. Other nations may profit
by the same course of action, defending
themselves and their priceless liberty
and freedom.
SOTERIOS MICHO1 COM
Evening star., 1941-03-17
Assembly Line

Eight hours day his ninble fingers
danced
To the assembly lines relentless
pace,
As, fitting section B-6 into place,
The on,Dard march OF progress he
advanced.
With speed and skill his pnlue he
enhanced,
And Dital eagerness shone IN his
face,
Yet In his minds eye you Dould find
no trace
OF section B-6; but instead, en-
tranced:
From the assembly line, In glad
release,
He saaO the great planes soaring,
eager, free;
Ledping q mountain in their stride,
to light
As gently as a doue-a doUe OF peace;
But If it 1oere ordained that wnr
must be,
To battle then for Freedom, and for
Right.
ALFRED L TooKR.
Evening star., 1941-03-17
Pleads for Preservation
OF Earth'S Last Paradise"

To the Editor Of The Star:
There's one place where all the rare
birds so rapidly being exterminated in
the Hawaiian Islands can still be found
and that is in Palmyra, a kind of last
paradise on earth"
So spoke one of the leading conser-
vationists in Honolulu, when we visited
there in 1899. Her son had Just re-
turned from schooner cruise in the Pa
cific to Palmyra, $50 miles southwest of
Honolulu and half way to Samoa. In this
small group of islets, the largest of which
is only IS acres in extent and rises only
6 feet above the sea, they found a para
disc of tropical beauty and wild life
such as they had not dreamed still ex-
listed.
They were haunted later by the fear
that this small Garden of Eden might
soon be fortified and that because of it's
remoteness no one would trouble to
make 1t bird sanctuary.
Palmyra, since December, 1910, is no
longer under control of Hawaii, but of
the Secretary of the Navy. Work, hear
on blasting for a harbor and air bases
is now going on. Perhaps the tiny is
lands have already been declared a
wild life refuge"
If not, let us hope that they will be
protected without delay
There is popular belief that a man
in lonely place is most easily solaced
if loaded gun is put in his hands with
the words: You'll like tits hunters
paradise!"
Yet believe that in Navy or Army-if
one gave them a chance-men would
respond just as quickly to an appeal to
preserve something living and precious
as do the civilians in the Conservation
Corps.
One could tell the men assigned to
Palmyra that they are entrusted with
preserving a unique colony of vanishing
wild life; suggest that they take cameras
with them; give them clay pigeons for
target practice. And the Government
could send to the islands (if one has not
already gomez scientist, perhaps from
the Biological Survey, who would ap-
praise this rare and most defenseless
natural resource and leave at the naval
base an inventory of the treasure in its
keeping.
Since Palmyra is now under direct con-
troll of the Navy, no red tape need pre-
vent this priceless surviving possession
of animal and plant life from being safe
guarded by immediate decree.
In these days, when every headline
suggests destruction of man-made treas
ures, killing or preparing to kill, how
heartening 1t would be to see: Palmyra
Last Paradise-To Be Wild Life Sane
taAAH" RHuHlEX PUTNAM OHARA.
Evening star., 1941-03-17
Warns Against Carelessness
With Electrical Equipment.

To the Editor of The Star:
Last evening I had a narrow escape
when I was nearly electrocuted in the
bathtub
The thought occurred to me that the
same thing might happen to other peo-
pie, and that it might be we'll to warn of
the danger of touching any electrical
appliances while taking a bath, or with
wet hands.
I, of course, know better and have
heard of the troubles which may result,
and was very careless. 1t happened
that leaned over and touched nv radio
and Immediately received an electric
current through my body. I finally was
able to pull myself together
If you advise other people not to touch
any electrical appliance while bathing,
1t might save possible death due to elec-
trocution. H.G.
Evening star., 1941-03-17
Mr.. Murray and Mediation

The opposition of Philip Murray,
president of the Congress of Indus
trial Organizations, to the plan for
creating a Federal board to mediate
strikes in defense industries seems
arbitrary in the extreme, since labor
would be under no compulsion to use
the arbitration machinery of the
proposed board, and there would be
no abandonment of its right to
strike. The purpose of the proposal
is to reduce the number of strikes
in defense industries by providing
new facilities for mediating indus
trial disputes on voluntary basis,
thus preventing interruptions in the
output of munitions.
In a memorandum made public
last week, Mr.. Murray declared that
the pending proposals to establish an
independent labor board "are wholly
unrealistic, will not further the pro-
gram of national defense, and will
operate to the complete detriment
of labor" Instead, he advanced
again the C. I. O.'s plan for industry
councils in all lines of defense pro-
duction, with labor and management
represented equally, and with Gov
ernment representative as chairman
of each. Labor problems, he said,
cannot be considered separately, but
must be "integrated with all other
problems affecting industry"
Mr. Murray's criticism of the plan
for a defense mediation board con-
trasts sharply with the views of Will
liam Green, president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. At its
meeting in Miami last month, the
Executive Council of the A. F. of L.
urged the creation Of a board similar
to that which Is now proposed,
clothed with power of voluntary
mediation. After conferring with
the President on Friday, Mr.. Green
told newspaper reporters that he
approved the pending plan for Fed
eral board to mediate disputes in war
industries.
The Nationwide registration of
workers with defense skillS at State
employment Offices, which began on
Saturday, provides plain indication
that the Government expects a
shortage of skilled craftsmen, as de-
fense production reaches it's peak.
This is another reason why the coun-
try cannot permit strikes to interfere
with the output and flow of war ma
terials to Great Britain and the
other nations resisting axis aggres-
sion. In view of the shortages of
skilled labor which are already de-
veloping in certain lines of defense
production, notably in aircraft, ship
building and machine shop, and
machine tool industries, it will not
be easy, Immediately, to achieve our
maximum production potential.
It is essential, therefore, that there
be as few strikes as possible in arma-
ment factories during the critical
months ahead of US Creation of
Federal mediation board should con-
tribute much to reducing the number
Of strikes in war industries, and it is
to be hoped that when the new
agency is set up, labor will cooperate
by using its mediation facilities, in
stead of striking when disputes occur
between workers in defense plants
and management.
Evening star., 1941-03-17
Thut British Army

Is a British expeditionary force
landing in Greece? For more than a
week, reports have been coming out
of Belgrade, IStanbul and elsewhere
to that effect. Some have been
quite circumstantial. Alleged eye
witnesses claim to have seen masses
of British Soldiery streaming down
the gangplanks of transports and
march off, singing, to their billets.
Such landings are said to have taken
place, not merely at Salonika, the
vital port near the Bulgarian and
Yugoslav frontiers, but also at va
rious points in Central Greece. And
the number already ashore has been
estimated at 100000, with twice as
many more to come from huge troop
conveys likewise reported to be cross
ing the Mediterranean.
Yet all this time, Athens, Cairo
and London have either declined to
discuss the matter even semi-offlcial-
ly or have issued formal denials that
such landings have as yet taken
place. That might easily be ac-
counted for on strategic grounds.
What is harder to explain is that
Berlin says the reports lack con-
firmation, though some of the first
rumorS originated in Rome.
This strange state of affairs is all
part of the puzzle which arose when
General Wavells Imperial Army of
the Nile finished mopping up the
Italians in Eastern Libya-and then
vanished from the news. Since then,
its whereabouts. together with that
of large reinforcements admittedly
received, has been a deep mystery.
However, if a British army is not
In Greece, it ought to be there very
soon; because otherwise the present
diplomatic Setup in the Balkans does
not make sense. Unless Greece were
assured Of effective British aid, its
government would hardly stand up
to the German threat as it is doing.
Still less would Yugoslavia have sud-
denly veered away from the axis
camp and have almost defiantly mo-
bilized a million men. Modified for
what? The Yugoslav army could not
long survive a full-sized German
blitzkrieg if it were not counting on
aid from somewhere, and that in the
near future The prospect of getting
war materials from America under
the provisions of the leaSe-lend act,
while undoubtedly heartening to Bel
grade, is too remote a contingency to
account for the Yugoslav govern
ments abrupt change in attitude.
Everything portends, therefore,
that Britain is engaged in the early
stages of a major offensive in the
Balkan area, including Turkey. Half
measures would be worse than use
less. A mere token army landed in
Greece would invite another Dun
kerque, with shattering results on
British prestige and the loss of po-
tential allies. 1t thus seems virtually
certain that the game of diplomacy
is about played out and that the
Balkans will soon witness warfare on
large scale.
Evening star., 1941-03-17
Proposes Scholarship Dances
On Pan-American Day.

To the Editor Of The Star:
Pan-American Day, observed on April
IA, has special significance this year be-
cause of increasing friendly ties between
the Americas means furthering hemi-
sphere defense. Moreover, the occasion
marks the 50th anniversary of the found
ing of the Pan-American Union, an in
ternational organization highly esteemed
for its record of promoting solidarity
between the 81 republics which created
and maintain it.
The responsibility for furthering
friendship between the Americas, how
ever, is not the Pan-American Unions
alone. AS Nelson A. Rockefeller, co-ordi-
mater of commercial and cultural rela-
tions with Latin America for the Council
of National Defense, states, each person
must do his part. The task, therefore, is
to translate President Roosevelts good
neighbor policy into a peoples move
ment.
This can best be accomplished by
friendly, sincere and concrete acts of
good will made voluntarily and spon-
taneously by individuals as well as
groups. Hence, civic clubs and schools
not hitherto preparing and presenting
Pan-American Day programs will no
doubt be interested in doing SO this
year. By writing the Pan-American
Union, Washington, D. c., program sug-
geStionS and materials can be secured
free. Many high schools and civic
groups will want to do still more to
tangibly demonstrate their good will!
Why not sponsor Pan-American Day
dances for the purpose of raising scholar
ship funds for Latin Americans, which
will enable them to attend our colleges
and universities and at the same time
to experience the hospitality of our
homes, which we can then offer to them?
Sufficient time remains to organize
Pan-American Day dances for April IA
or the week end following Dances for
the general public can result from joint
civic club sponsorship and proceeds from
both school and public dances can be
pooled for scholarships. After funds
have been raised they can be sent the
bursars of colleges and universities with
41loU1 W u tIltIl W SCllOldT-
ship committees, who shall have the
responsibility of organizing them (nam-
ing them after the cities from which
they are sent) and designating them for
use by Latin and South American STU
dents. Or, if local school and civic
groups prefer to use the proceeds to
purchase gift such as painting or
some books to be sent to Latin or South
American schools, no doubt both the PAN
American Union and the division of cul-
tural relations of the Department of
State will be able to complete the neces-
sary arrangements.
Since there is no organization pro-
noting the Pan-American Day dance
idea, editorials and other pubhcizing in
it's behalf are needed and if each reader
of this letter will assume the responsible
ity of recommending the project to the
attention of program chairman or head
officer of his school or civic club wide
sponsorship of dances can result.
JOHN E. MERKEL.
WauSau Wis A
Evening star., 1941-03-17
Rejoices in News
OF Return of Miss Thompson.
To the Editor of The star

To the Editor Of The Star:
You are highly commended for again
securing the services of Dorothy Thomp-
son on your editorial staff.
Some months since, when her editorials
were missed, I wrote you concerning
same and you responded kindly that her
editorials would appear elsewhere.
At that time I stated that her edi-
torials were worth the price of the paper
and haven't changed my mind one iota.
Congratulations. FRED BARNES.
Evening star., 1941-03-17

@. Is there a memorial to Miles
Standish in Massachusetts?
A. In Duxbury, Mass, there are three
places marked in connection with Miles
Standish. The first is the Miles Stand
ish Monument located on Captains Hill
and for many years a familiar landmark
to coastwiSe shipping. The next is a
stone marking the location of the home
stead where Miles Standish lived, and
the third, and possibly the most inter-
eSting to tourists, is the place Of burial
in what is known as Miles Standish Gem
etery.
G. Who invented the candid camera
form of photography?-W. D.
A The term candid camera" was
coined by the New York Journal. The
Hearst papers introduced this type Of
photography. using the miniature CAM
era for newspapers.
@. What fish can climb trees?-w.
M. T
A. A small perchlike fresh water fish Of
the East Indies is called the climbing
fish. 1t is able to live out of water for
long time, and bitches over the ground,
even climbing the wet trunks of trees by
means of its spiny fins and gill covers.
@. Is it still considered incorrect to
end sentence with a preposition?--
c. T. H.
A. Most stylists and teachers agree
that this old rule is now obsolete.
@. How many deaths were caused last
year from automobile accidents in the
District of Columbia?-M. A. E.
A. There were 80 fatal automobile ac-
cidentS in the District of Columbia in
1910.
@. Who won the John Anisfeld Award?
II. j.
A. The $1,000 award, which is given
yearly under the sponsorship of the
Saturday Review of Literature, will 60
this year to Louis Adamic for his From
Many Lands" This was selected as the
outstanding book on racial relations
published during 1910.
@. Please give the number of people
who have life insurance policies-C. P.
A. According to the Institute of Life
Insurance, there are 65,O000OO people in
the United States who own life insur-
ance.
G. Does the Washington Monument
sway on windy day?-J B. H
A. Vibration observations made with
accurate instruments placed near the
apex of the Washington Monument have
indicated that a wind of about 25 miles
per hour velocity moved the top 1880
inch each way from its normal position.
This, of course, is equivalent to a total
sway of 1880 inch.
@. Who was the Black Pope?-J. A. D.
A. The title Black Pope was given to
the head or general of the order of Jes-
suits or Society of Jesus, a powerful or
ganization of the Roman Catholic
Church. He was so called from the color
of the habit of the order ano the enor-
nous power welded by it's general, par
ticularly in the reign of Piux x.
Evening star., 1941-03-17
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address of
the 10riter, although the use OF
q pSeudonyn1 for publication is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters 1Uith
UielU to condensation.
Evening star., 1941-03-17

Care of the Feet-A 32-page
booklet Of authoritative general
information on treatment of foot
ills, foot hygiene and simple forms
Of exercise that will strengthen
and improve the feet. 1t supple
ments the work Of the specialist
by telling you what you can do and
what you should not attemt to do
in caring for the feet. To secure
your copy inclose 10 cents in coin.
wrapped in this clipping, and mail
TO The Star Information Bureau.
--------------------
Name
Address
Evening star., 1941-03-17

An efficient automobile carburetor,
it is stated, uses 10000 parts of air to
one Of gasoline. 1t is a comforting
feeling that we are not taxed on the
former.