davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-01-22
Child at Ship Roll

He stands on tiptoe, gazing out to
sea-
The crossing has been uneUenttul,
mild:
Leaning his homeland had not been
the grand
Adventure older brothers prophe-
sled.
He had been homesick even sotth the
shores
OF England still tn vie,o, and xher
the ship
Passed oDer the horizon he had hid
His face behind his coutsleeve and
had cried.
They spoke soft ,rords OF comfort,
1Oords of cheer,
And drew Word-pictures OF the
happy life
Soon to be his, and told him to be
brave
Like his small comrades. See, They
laugh and play,
And soon he joined them at their
games, but still
His eyes turned longingly toUnrd
foamy trough
Left in the steamers Udke. The
other lads
Watch eagerly for their first
glimpse of land;
But there he stands on tiptoe at the
rail,
Small refugee 1Dho sailed against
his 1DiH,
Yearning his heart out for his ndtire
land;
War is q Dord he cannot under.
stand!
BILLY B. COOPER.
Evening star., 1941-01-22

Closing In on Ethiopia

Five years ago, MuSsolini bluffed
the then somnolent British lion and
conquered Ethiopia. Thereby he laid
the foundations for real colonial
empire. A vast country with much
UNEMPLOYED wealth and with extern
sive highlands fit for European set
tlenent, Ethiopia promised to pay
good diVidendS-in time.
But the ambitious Duce was not
content. In his eager eyes, Ethiopia
was itself but stepping stone to an
even vaster empire in Africa Reck-
oning on British decadence, he
launched an army from his East
African bases into the Anglo-Egyp-
tian Sudan, ready to sweep up the
Nile and meet Graziani's army from
Libya, while still other Italian forces,
operating from Southern Ethiopia,
invaded British Kenya, the bulWark
of Central Africa.
Today these ambitious projects
seem to be dissolving like a desert
mirage. Having smashed Italian
striking power in Libya, the British
are obviously closing in on Musso-
lini's East African citadel. A large
Italian force estimated at two divi-
sions has been forced to abandon
it's Sudanese foothold at Kassala,
and the British are already we'll in
side Italian territory. Should this
advance continue, the British will
soon be astride the railroad leading
from the Red Sea port of Massawa
to Asmara, the vital center of Italian
communications southwark into
Ethiopia. A second British force,
also operating from the Sudan, has
penetrated Ethiopian territory. This
is the region where native revolts
have recently broken out with great
est violence. To complete the pic
ture, British forces from Kenya, in
the far south, are striking both at
Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland.
Thus wherever the beleaguered
Italian garrison looks it sees the
enemy closing in.
The italian garrison is consider
able. 1t consists of at least 100000
white troops, plus white labor bat
talions and large number OF ma
tive troops. The Eritrean and So
mali soldiers from Italy'S older
colonies in East Africa seem to be
still loyal, but the recently recruited
Ethiopian levies are reported to be
deserting wholesale. Indeed, all
Ethiopia is today in rebellious fer
ment. This means that great pro-
portion of the Italian forces have
to be kept in garrison to hold down
the country, which British arms and
agents of the exiled Emperor, Halle
Selassie, are ripening for a general
revolt.
Cut off from home, with dwindling
supplies and exposed to the horrors
of massacre by the vengeful Ethio-
plans, Italian morale cannot be high.
The possibility of an impending col
lapse is indicated by the report of a
British offer to evacuate the white
women and children to save them
from a terrible fate. 1t may we'll be
that we are about to witness the cat
astrophic end of Mussolinis chief
ennpire- building experiment
Evening star., 1941-01-22
FAIRFAX, Va.

Dear Sir:
IT read your column in The Star regu-
larly.
It followed your directions in regard to
the care of the African violet, and had
the prettiest one I ever saw.
"It has blossomed continuously for
over two years with beautiful large vio-
lets, from 20 to 80 on it all the time
Recently it has begun to look badly,
and the leaves are getting brown spots.
I thought perhaps it has bloomed too
much, as they are getting small, so have
cut off new blooms coming on. Is that
right?
Can you tell me how to start new
plants from the leaves. I have tried
them in dirt with no success.
Sincerely yours, H. M. G."
The st. Paula, or African violet as it
is more popularly known, is favorite
with housewives the country over, but
especially in the large cities, where excel
lent plants can be purchased from
florists.
The men folk do not care much for
African violetS, as rule, or any other
house plants, so-called. This is not due
to elemental cussedness in the brute,
but simply because house plant cultiva-
ton strikes the average male as both
messy and a perpetual nuisance.
Probably part of this disrespect is due
to the fact that todays house plants are
grown under great difficulties owing to
uniformly too hot houses.
This means that many, if not most,
of the plants are not in good shape or
color. While we do not believe that men
are any more artistic than women, or
that they shrink from yellow where green
should prevail, it is certainly sure that
they are not as patient as women, and
will not overlook as much.
This means that, when it comes to
house plants, women are willing to put
up with bad looking plants if they think
there is some chance of the plants being
made to look well in time, whereas the
male member of the family can see no
chance for them ard is willing TO toss
them out at once, rather than fool with
them, as he says.
- X
No doubt if it were not for this differ
ence in psychology between women and
men, many of the latter would be tossed
out, too, so perhaps it is just as we'll that
women like to grow flowers in pots and
pans indoors.
The st. Paula is one of their favorites.
They will mess around with this plant
for years, trying to bring out an un-
healthy looking specimen.
All the time they could get good ones,
if they only knew that the way to water
them is to put the pot in a saucer and to
keep this saucer full of water.
In this way the surface of the soil is
never wet, nor the bottoms of the
leaves, where they hang down. but at
the same time the soil is thoroughly
moist all the time, which is what trop-
ical species would want, after all.
This plant, naturally enough, wants
plenty of light but not too much. Every
grower has a different theory. Some
Evening star., 1941-01-22
Says People Trust Those
Who Trust the President.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star
1T has come to me from several re-
liable sources" says Senator Wheeler,
that Mr.. Churchill has been insisting
upon a declaration of war by this coun-
try This is unpleasantly reminiscent
of similar utterances by the late Senator
Borah. Private information more trust
worthy than any the State Department
could furnish convinced him there would
be no immediate war and that Congress
might safely adjourn without amending
the Neutrality Act The unfortunate
consequences are known to all.
That Mr.. Roosevelt's strong preference
for lndirection in domestic affairs, his
love of power and marked unwillingneSS
to share it, are serious handicaps in this
grave hour is only too lamentably true.
Certainly, no safeguard compatible with
prompt and effective action should be
denied Yet backing the President are
men the people trust. The word OF
Secretary Hull will stand against all
detractors; and few will question the
unselfsh devotion of Messrs. Stimson,
Knox and Knudsen. Their knowledge
of our danger and our need, supplied by
many special agencies of the Govern
ment, will be found more reliable" than
the private sources" of a Wheeler, a
Fish or Nye.
Eternal vigilance is the price of lib
erty, but not universal suspicion. If in
I,o @AI
except the nobly disinterested and patri-
otto opposition-swift action becomes i'm
possible and the Nation is left naked to
its enemies. r. D. MILLER.
Baltimore, Md.
Evening star., 1941-01-22
Wants Aid for England
To Bring World Peace.
To the Editor OF The Star:

If America listens to her wise states
men instead of to the timid and selfish
isolationists, she will follow course that
will give Britain any type of aid needed
to give us time to complete the defense
program intended to make America i'm
pregnable against attack from the east
and the west simultaneously. Should
this lead us into war, it will be in the
interest of peace, a lasting peace.
It probably would not necessitate
our sending an army to Europe. When
Britain with our aid gains supremacy
Evening star., 1941-01-22
First Military Aviator

Brigadier General Frederic EraStus
Humphreys, late commander of the
102d Engineers, New York National
Guard, who died at Miami Beach,
Florida, Monday, was the first soldier
ever to fly The validity of his
claims to that distinction may be
discovered in The Star for Tuesday,
October 26, 1909 where it is reported:
For the first time since the Govern
mcnt training flights were started at
College Park, the student officers who
are being taught by Wilbur Wright
today handled the aeroplane alone"
A detailed account of the solo
hop by Lieutenant Humphreys, as he
then was known, is given in the
following language: "The machine
had been put on the rail soon after
8 O'Clock, and the young aviator
was sent away with fine start. He
went into the air without difficulty,
and the enlisted men of the signal
detail who had been acting as supers
at the aerial theater cheered when
it was seen that the start was sue
cessful He circled the field twice,
showing perfect control of the ma
chine, but had been warned by Mr..
Wright against going very high and
confined himself to an altitude of
about twenty feet At Gil
there was another false start. Lieu
tenant Humphreys was given charge
of the machine, but there was
slight wind blowing down the rail and
the aeroplane would not rise. 1t
was brought back and at 9:22
he started on second flight, remain
ing up a little over eight minutes,
and went somewhat higher, reaching
an altitude of about thirty feet.
There was ripple of applause when
he made an excellent landing little
to the south of the she'd"
The hero of the historic feat thus
chronicled was a native of Summit,
New Jersey, born September 16, 1888
He had been educated for the Army
at the Pennsylvania Military Acad-
emy and at West Point. The primi-
tive conditions of aerial navigation
in the pioneer period to which he
belonged are disclosed by his recol-
lection of the fact that on the occa-
sion of his first flight they took
a sashweight out of a window, hung
hn of -
balance the weight of Mr. Wright,
who previously had flown with me.
That is how planes we're built in
those days"
Doubtless there now are many per-
sons who are tempted to wish that
military aviation might have stopped
phreys, enthusiastic about flying and
about national defense up to the last
moment of his distinguished career,
lived to see the invention Of the
Wright brothers used to retard if not
to destroy civilization. But he real
lied, as other thoughtful observers
do, that the fault in the circum-
stances is not that of airplanes nor
of the men of genius who are their
creators. This misuse of science is a
crime for which those who pervert
the logic of "organized common
sense" are to blame. Adolf Hitler's
bomberS, devastating England from
the skies, are not a fulfillment of
the dreams of the designers of the
earliest heavier-than-a air flying ma
chimes so much as they are a con-
tradiction of them.
Evening star., 1941-01-22
Realistic Attitude

The fact that the makers of our
foreign policy contemplate no effort
to formalize our present attitude of
n-belligerent ally of Great Brit
ain, as distinguished from traditional
concepts of neutrality, is indicative
of the realistic manner in which they
view the problems raised for this
hemisphere by the European war.
When the war began a little more
than sixteen months ago, this country
and the twenty other American Re
publics expressed their determination
to observe the customary forms of
neutrality, They agreed, in an emer-
gency conference of foreign minis
ters at Panama in September, 1899,
to de'by certain standards recog-
nized in international law as the
obligations of neutrals. These rules
of neutrality included such things
as bans against the fitting out on
their territories of any ship to be
used in the armed service of any
at Panama also resolved to main
tain close contact with a view to
making uniform so far as possible
the enforcement of their neutrality
and to safeguarding it in defense
of their fundamental rights"
Determination to observe the for
NAL rules of neutrality, even though
not remaining neutral in spirit, pre-
vailed generally among the Ameri-
can governments until Germany
demonstrated her contempt of the
obligations of international law by
ruthleSsly invading Holland, BEL
GUM and Luxembourg last spring.
The Americas joined in a protest of
that action as "unjusti1able and
cruel" Argentina's foreign minis
ter pointed out that the Nazi tao
tics had made neutrality a fiction
and a dead conception" Since
then, the United States has aban-
doned any pretense of formal neu-
trality and has set out to give the
fullest acknowledgement assistance to
Britain and other nations fighting
the axis powers. AS Secretary Hull
explained to the House Foreign At
fairs Committee last week, this is
justified by the right of self-defense.
During this period of changing
policy, the spirit of the Panama
declaration for efforts to maintain
uniformity of hemisphere policy has
been observed by informal exchanges
of views with the other American
governments, keeping all fully in
formed of Washingtons attitude
through close diplomatic contacts.
Officials here believe there now is
general agreement throughout the
Americas that the old rules of neu-
trality, while desirable standards
which should be maintained in Or
dlnary circumstances, simply are
not applicable in the present ex-
traordinary situation. 1t might ap-
pear, from a cursory examination
of this development, that formal
action should be taken to scrap
the rules which are no longer ap-
plicable and set up new standards
to express the changed policy. Such
course is not considered practicable
from a realistic point of view, how
ever, largely because of the delays
that would be involved in formal
consultation and the difficulties Of
securing agreement by tWenty-one
governments on specific details of
policy that would be effective amid
such rapidly changing conditions. 1t is
to be hoped that sufficient co-ordi-
nation of policies may be achieved
through the current informal ex-
changes of views among the neigh
Dor governments.
Evening star., 1941-01-22

That Italian military unit known
as the evolves of Tuscany" is de-
scribed as very famous" Inasmuch
as there were many desertions before
it sailed recently for Albania, and
most of the rest were captured
shortly after arrival, it is thought
that Tuscan vulpines "aint what
they used to be-
Evening star., 1941-01-22

Uncle Sans Almanac has added
many features, including a census
map of the United States showing
increase and decrease in population
IN the various sections from 1880 to
1910; chart showing vitamin value
Of most Of the common foods: out
line maps showing how States have
cast their electoral votes since 1912.
chart showing expenditures of Amer
lean consumers; school attendance
laws in the United States, and man1
other timely subjects: as we'll as the
usual almanac and calendar pages.
To secure your copy inclose 10 cents
in coin, wrapped in this clipping.
and mail to The Star Information
Bureau.
Name
Address
Evening star., 1941-01-22

Q. Are Jews barred from business in
Hungary?-C. L. T.
A. In 1899 the Hungarian Parliament
passed anti-Jewish laws limiting Jewish
participation in business and the profes-
sions to 6 to IL per cent of the total
number OF persons engaged in the various
callings,
O. Who introduced the plan of self
government in prisons?-D. B.
A. 1t was first introduced at the New
York State Prison at Sing Sing by
Thomas Mott Osborne, the famous prison
reformer
@. Why is the abbreviation lb. used
for pound?-J. D. R.
A. The abbreviation ID. is derived from
the Latin word libra, which means
pound.
Q. When did the steamship Mohaw..
sink?-H. C.
A. The steamship Mohawk was sun.
on January "a 1885, in collision off -
New Jersey coast with the Norwec II
freighter Talisman.
@. Who was called the California
Comet?-C. L. G.
A. Charlie Paddock, the sprinter, was
known as the California Comet.
@. Is gold boarded in India?-W. J.
A. Gold is boarded in India by all
classes as a reserve against famine. The
wealthy princes have accumulated enor-
nous sums. 1t has been estimated that
1ndia's boarded gold amounts to $780,
100000 and its silver hoardings in various
forms to S2,750, 900 900.
Evening star., 1941-01-22
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address OF
the 1Uriter, although the use OF
q pSeudonynl for publication is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters 1Ctth
UielU to condensation.
Evening star., 1941-01-22

@. Is the turkey native to America?-
E. L. L.
A. The turkey is the only race of
poultry that originated in America.
When Francisco Fernandez the Spanish
explorer, touched the northern coast
of Yucatan in 1917, the turkey had al
ready been domesticated by the natives.
The Pueblo Indians kept turkeys long
before the coming of the Pilgrims.
Evening star., 1941-01-22
Huskin's Answers
To Questions
By Frederic J. HdSkin.

A reader can get the dnSWer to any
question OF fact by Wrtting The EUe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. HaSktn director. Washington,
D. C. Please tncloSe stamp for reply.
Evening star., 1941-01-22

@. How early was a convention in this
country reported by shorthand?-M. J. H
A. The Virginia Convention of 1873
was reported in shorthand by David
Robertson.
Evening star., 1941-01-22

@. Where and by whom was Theodore
Roosevelt sworn in as President of the
United States?-M. V. B.
A. Theodore Roosevelt was sworn into
the presidency at the home of his friend,
Ansley Wilcox, in Buffalo, on the after
noon of September IA, 1901. President
Mckinley had died at 2:15 am. on the
morning Of that day. Judge John r.
Hazen, United States district Judge, ad-
ministered the oath shortly after pm.
Evening star., 1941-01-22

Q. When was the word "Americanism"
first uSed?-A C. NJ.
A. The term was first used by John
Witherspoon. president of Princeton Uni
versity, in 1871.
Evening star., 1941-01-22

@. How much mail is handled at the
New York General Post Office?-H.K KR.
A In 1910 the daily average was l5,-
100000 pieces of ordinary mail, 258OOO
pounds Of newspapers and periodicals
and 10000 insured and c. o. D. parcel
post packages.
Evening star., 1941-01-22

G. Who was called the California
Comet?-C. L. G.
A. Charlie Paddock, the sprinter, was
known as the California Comet.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-15
The Retailer In His Community
"American BusinesS Has and AlwayS Will Sub ordinate Its Own Interest to the National
 Good"
BY BENJAMIN H NAMM - lOnal Chairman Retailers For Defense" Week

week of each year during which all retailers will concentrate upon demonstrating the true place that retailing occupies in the general scheme of things,
 "The Demonstration Is not sale It is 6 good will effort to bring rec tailing into close cooperation with the public and to promote con- fidence in retail distribution.
 Retailers are forced to the real ization that we may no longer look on our business or any other bus inesS except against the grim back ground of the World War. Our Gov ernment can lead the way to ade- quate preparedness. It, can tax, 1t can plan and 1t can legiSlate.
 "But the real success of the whole preparedness program must be measured by the extent to which the men and women of our coun- try respond work and sacrifice in support of the country's program. American business, in every emer- gency with which the nation has been confronted, has always demon- strated it's willingness to subordin- ate it's own interest to the national good.
 "aetailers have always cooper ated, freely and generously, and their support has proved of the ut most value. This time, as in the past, they will be found ready, eager and effective"
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-15
FULTON EMPLOYES
 VISIT NEW YORK

Those employees of The Fulton Markets who had no accidents in the course of the past year were re- warded yesterday by the manage ment, which gave them all 8 trip to New York, 8 dinner and an oppor- tunity to see the New York Yam kees beat Bob Teller. The outing has become an annual institution since 1887, the first year the Fulton Markets offered 1t to their employees with perfect records during the year.
 In 1897 there were forty employees who qualified for the trip. and the number attending has increased every year since, with g total of 75O or 70 per cent of all Fulton Market employees, making the trip yesterday in three chartered busses and several private cars.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-15
Political War On All
 Fronts" In WoIcott
Talk of Court IntercessiOn to Prevent Democrats
 From Endorsing C. O. P. Ticket; Enter-Party Fights

The forces led by Town Chairman Charles Gibson were intent on hav- ing the party endorse J. Arthur Bergen, Republican candidate for First Selectman. But with Henry Theriault actively seeking the noa- nation Q fight was inevitable but hte outcome was an endorsement for the COP nominee.
 A number of old-time Democrat protested the endorsement, some oA them leaving the hall after the Bers gen endorsement, which was by a vot of 30 to i8. The threat of tho Theriault forces was partially miti- gated when his opponents succeed ed in removing him from the dook by electing him clerk of the caucuA this political nenauver alencing t111 principal spokesman of the orgari4S ation's opposition.
 All Republican candidates wert endorsed by the caucus amid 6 tCM mutt in which only Q small num- Der of those present knew what actA ually was taking place.
 on the Republican side o& efA fence Q group of nine party mems bers have retained Atty. Miles N McNiff, Jr., to represent them in < claim that their names were noA placed on the COP caucus list aftee proper application had been mada They charge Republican RegistraA Frank N. Lockhart with refusing A write in their names and that DeEn- ocratic Registrar Francis Krege4 admits he hadn't signed the off. cial list before 1t was printed.
 Some of the contests ct the Re- publican caucus last Friday nighe were decided by less than nine voting the outcome might havu been changed.
 One Wolcott Democrat today said the endorsement of the Republican, candidates might be referred to thd State Central Committee ct Harts ford.