davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1942-02-10
Mental BIuckout

Philadelphia, once Capital Of the
United States, has long been known
as a cradle of liberty. There reposes
the famed Liberty Bell. symbol of
our hard-won freedom. There, If
anywhere, one may expect vigilance
against the enemies of liberty. Surely,
if somehow pair of Nazi naval off,
GERS should manage, and dare, to
appear openly in uniform, complete
with swastika, on its ancient streets,
they would be mobbed and lucky to
escape with their lives. So says
theory. -
Fact, or near-fact, says differently.
Two reporters in the City Of Broth
erly Love actually donned Nazi naval
regalia, swastikas and all, and sailed
forth to meet their fate. In heavy
German accents they asked police
men to direct them to the water
front, crowded with vital defense
shipping, and were accommodated.
There they prowled at will. In fact,
they did almost everything but he'll
Hitler, and instead of winding up in
a Jail or a hospital, returned to their
paper under their own power. This
suggests that the most effective
blackout-in reverse-is not black
paper, but a mental fog shrouding
the powers of observation.
Evening star., 1942-02-10
Signs and Symbols

The action Of the House yesterday,
banning the use of Office of Civilian
Defense appropriations for "frills,"
was IN sense meaningless. For the
criticized frillS, such as employment
OF dancing teachers and movie actors.
have been financed out of other
funds, not included In the o. C. D.
appropriations voted by Congress.
But in another sense the action of
the House was full of meaning. It
reflected very accurately the wave
OF popular indignation against the
use OF public funds for many of the
fancy and wasteful furbelows which
have cluttered up the Office OF Civil
Ian Defense since its creation and
which have overshadowed and con-
fused its really vital functions.
In relation to other things, the
employment Of lady dancer by O.
c. D. and the acquisition of vet an
other Hollywood movie actor-with
or without pay-to direct another
useless activity, undoubtedly have
been overemphasized by the press
and by the protesting Congressmen.
But the lady dancer and the movie
actor were merely the symbols Of the
sort OF misdirected effort with which
the American people, taking this war
lar more seriously than some of their
leaders, are thoroughly sickened.
This war Is serious business.
The future Of our homes and our
country Is at stake. 1t Is not a war
IN which victory is guaranteed. It
Is a war that is going to require
everything we have to win. And it is
time that the administration and its
advisers realized that people will sac
rifice everything they have for a
cause In which they believe, provided
those at the top keep faith with
them.
When those at the top lean on
Donald Duck to sugar-coat the pay
ment Of income taxes or lady dancers
properly to instruct the children,
they are guilty Of a breach OF faith
with the people. And the people,
sensing the stark reality Of what lies
ahead Of them, properly resent this
cheap, artificial pampering and want
no more Of it.
Evening star., 1942-02-10
Praise for the Flag
From Colombian Resident
70 the Editor Of The Star

To the Editor OF The Star
Pieces Of cloth of different colors
sewn together, hanging from pole.
Such a simple thing, but men revere it!
1t is called flag. Why should this in
significant combination of cloth and pole
command such reverence?
There is something more than flag
about the flag. There is magic in this
something called the flag.
One of the first cares of the Nations
founders, its design has within it the
spirit of the country. From the flag
emanate all the grand qualities that
make a nation great. 1t is storehouse
of spiritual perfume that permeates the
air and fills the mind and soul with in
spiration.
None commits o crime while looking
at the flag. There is no melancholy
among people gazing at the flag. OBJ
serve a group Of people following the
flag. Their gait is not walk, but q
march.
Dangers of war threaten. The Presi-
dent makes speech; the flag is un-
furled; to it's top climbs the spirit Of
the Nation and, perching there. estab-
fishes magnetic link between flag and
people. Forward it goes; towards per-
form miracles of valor. There is no
turning back; whether the path leads
to victory, life and glory or to death
and destruction, soldiers follow the flag.
There Is something more than nag
about the flag. There is magic in this
something called the flag.
ALFRED G.. CLARKE.
Cartagena, Colombia.
Evening star., 1942-02-10
The Normundie

When she left Havre for her maiden
voyage to New York, May %, 1885,
the S. S. Normandie was the largest
ship afloat. She had been built to
win the Atlantic blue ribbon, and she
achieved that mythical prize by
averaging 1858 knots between South
ampton and Ambrose Light. A gala
welcome was accorded the captain,
crew and passengers. Thousands Of
visitors agreed that no more beauti-
full vessel existed. 1t was declared
that she represented the opening of
a new chapter in the history of mer-
chant navigation.
But even then in the hour of her
glory the Normandie was a problem
to her owners and operators. Her
size-approximately four city blocks
in length-made her hard to handle.
The United States Army had to
deepen the Hudson River channel
to permit her to enter the dock
especially prepared for her. A pier
intended for her accommodation
could not be finished in time. Strikes,
sabotage, alleged arson and many
other difficulties delayed the inau-
gural trip. Vibration disturbed the
paying customers and those persons
who made the crossing as guests of
the French government were even
louder In their complaints. Amer
lean shipping authorities expressed
Evening star., 1942-02-10
Huskin's Answers
To Questions
BIZ Frederic J. Hdskin,

A reader cGn get the dns,Der to any
question OF fact by tUrittng The Epe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Hasktn, director, Washington,
D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. Who is the dean Of the diplomatic
corps at the present time?-G. p. L.
A. Senor Don Manuel de Freyre y San.
tander, Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary, who was appointed In
1880 to represent Peru.
@. What is the stick village" I saw
mentioned in the newspapers?--H. U. r.
A. For some yearS the United States
Public Health Service has maintained q
"tick village" at the National Institute Of
Health to study the habits and methods
of transmission Of disease by these in
sects. Though these ticks have not been
fed for five years, they still are able to
communicate relapsing fever to man by
biting.
@. How large is the largest set Of sheep
horns on record?-L. l..
A. The largest set Of mountain sheep
horns on record measure across the front
curve Of the right horn 49h inches. the
spread being 1914 inches. This animal
was killed by James Simpson Of British
Columbia in 1920.
Evening star., 1942-02-10

their skepticism in the suggestion
that the vessel was "too large for
earning power" Only $50 persons
booked for the second voyage to
America.
Meanwhile, a hint of war developed
and there was talk of converting the
Normandie into an aircraft carrier
or troopship. New propellers were
attached. 1t was announced that
alterations would be ordered to elimi-
nate the Objectionable throbbing of
the frame. After six cruises the boat
was laid up for the winter.
When hostilities actually began,
September /, 1899, the Normandie
was in her berth at the end of Forty
eighth street, Manhattan. There she
remained when the United States
seized her on December IL last. Re-
named the U. s. s. Lafayette, she
was to be converted into an auxiliary
OF the American fleet. It was be-
lieved that after necessary changes
had been completed, she would be
capable of carrying between 10000
and $4,000 troops. Her furnishings
and decorations were removed to
storage. The work of preparing her
for defense use was being hurried
as rapidly as possible What acci-
dent was responsible for yesterdays
fire is not yet determined officially.
Be the explanation as it may, the
story of the conflagration is sad
reading. Early this morning the
ship, her three upper decks burned
out, slowly capsized. The loss is
serious one when judged in its rela-
ton to the crisis in which the fate
OF civilization Is involved.
Evening star., 1942-02-10
THIS AND THAT
By Charles Z. TrdcetDeEl.

This is true Of all sorts Of identtlca-
tions. OF planes, too, Of which our cor
respondent speaks.
Consider first the birds, then the
planes. (Both are planes, Of courseJ.
The birds often confuse . newcomer,
until he stops to underscore firmly the
points, or features, which one bird has
and which. equally important, other birds
do not have.
Sometimes beginners confuse the
chickadee and the titmouse. This is
not only because they are about the
same size, and generally gray, but also
because they are so often seen together.
One minute a chtckadee will be pres
ent, then 1t will fly away with Its seed,
while almost at once its place will be
taken by q titmouse, which will grab
a seed and fly away. (Neither eats at the
station0
But If the observer will note that one
bird has a crest, and the other has not,
he soon will see clearly which is which.
He will clinch his Identification Of the
titmouse If he notes the orange-red
patches just beneath the wings.
1t will be seen that our correspondent
unerringly selected the two best identifi-
cation marks of the titmouse, when he
picked its crest and its orange patch,
but he did not know, evidently, that q
chickadee has no crest, but rather what
appears to be a neat black cap on its
head.
The titmouse, curiously enough, makes
more of q "dee-dee-dee" sound than q
chickadee.
1t is q wonder that more persons do
not confuse the two birds on this ac-
count.
After the differences between the two
are firmly grasped, there is no chance
thereafter Of the observer becoming con-
fused.
With airplanes, it is different.
Most laymen, especially those in the
years usually called middle age, are not
aeronautic enthusiasts. They often have
q vague fear Of airplanes. They have
asked nothing more than to be let alone
by planes. Now they are told to identify
utterly unknown planes of hostile forces,
the very first time they see them.
1t is quite q task, this which he's been
handed our airplane spoilers. The best
thing they can do is to study the dif-
ferences in silhouettes. There are sew
eral inexpensive booklets which show
these differences In the best known types
Of enemy planes.
The airplane spotter who knows his
bird silhouettes will have . head start
on him who does not.
For, as we have said, birds are, after
all, airplanes. They have wings, body,
tail, and so on, and the observer who
has noted these points. over the years,
will be able to put the same kind Of
Identifying skill ut work on man-made
birds or planes.
Evening star., 1942-02-10
Proposes Staggered Hours
To Solve Traffic Problem.

To the Editor OF The Star.
Every one knows how to do away with
trafnc congestion in Washington, or at
least they seem to think they do. One
proposal is to build a subway or several
subways. with all due respect to those
thinking along this line, 1t may be
suggested that the work of construction
would greatly increase the congestion
and by the time the job was done the
emergency would be over and the con-
gestion relaxed but the subways would
remain as q colossal monument to inefn-
cient thinking. Staggered-hour reme-
dies are being played with. Let me
advance the following as something to
think about: Put real staggered-hour
remedy into effect. First, list the agen-
cies in which people are employed, with
the approximate number Of employees.
Second, divide these into two groups.
each having about the same number Of
employees. Third, arrange for group No.
/ to report for work at am, and group
No. 2 at 9:15 am.
The above scheme, If put into effect,
would do away with most Of the conges-
ton. The idea back Of the hour -and-a-
quarter interval Is that the transporta-
ton system would be able to function
effectively. It would give time for one
group to be taken to work and the trafac
Evening star., 1942-02-10
"WOODBINE STREET.

Dear Sh.
There is a small bird with . crest
which comes to our window every day.
HE is gray, and has patch Of orange
beneath his wings.
Maybe you can tell me what this bird
Is. have tried looking him up in .
book, but guess am not very good at
that sort of thing.
TN school I always hated trying to
identify plants and animals. found 1t
almost impossible. I guess my mind just
doesn't run that way. had school,
mate who could do anything along this
line He would take a bit Of leaf and
soon trace down the plant from which 1t
came, and he was right every time
'I couldn't tell one plant from another,
even If I had the flower.
To-day Identification of hostile air.
planes seems to be the thing, and 1t Is
something most of us ought to start at
right away, because we are not familiar
with planes, even our own, and 1t must
be an intensely difficult thing to spot
the enemy's, simply from having studied
pictures.
Even If am not good at identified
ton, I would like to know what the
small bird described above is. Will you
kindly help me outa
very truly yours, G. q. N"
The bird is the titmouse.
Right now, with spring only . few
weeks of, the various birds which winter
here are putting on their spring colora-
tions.
The titmouse increases the amount Of
orange, or rust, in the patches Of color
beneath his wings. These are visible
while the bird is perching or flying, but
Of course cannot be seen very far away.
These orange patches. combined with
the crest, and the smallness Of the bird,
easily identify it.
The utmouse (Which means little
mouse) is more slender than the chicka-
dee. It is about inches long, but the
crest makes it seem slightly longer.
This is q nervous bird, not possessing
the calmness of the chickadee. its friend.
Another pal Is the white-breasted nut
hatch.
A window-sil feeder is the best place
to watch the titmouse and the chicka-
dee. The nuthatch does not visit such
feeding stations often, although now and
then he will.
He prefers tray attached to tree. A
trae iS horne IN a n,lthatch in 4 peculiar
way. He likes to wind around 1t, mostly
upside down, hence his bookish name OF
devil -down-head"
y
A characteristic of the titmouse Is Its
clear whistle, much as II . small boy were
calling his dog.
Bird identification Is not dificult, II
one viii keep In mind the differences.
one bird from another.
Evening star., 1942-02-10

industry, but not labor, IS selfish,
and then goes on to say that II have
always been interested in wages,
hours and working conditions. Labor
will never give up the struggle for
these things" Such statements are
short-sighted as well as inconsistent,
for they reflect an attempt to keep
alive old animosities at q time when
the best interests Of labor would be
served by meeting industry halfway
in an effort to subordinate old diff
ferences to the paramount job of
winning the war. MIR. wilson's atti-
tude adds to the evidence that indus
try is willing. 1t is to be hoped that
Mr.. Thomas and other labor leaders
will prove equally amenable.
Evening star., 1942-02-10
An Entering Wedqe

The classification of the moving
picture industry as essential to the
national war effort and the, accom-
panying order for exemption from
military service Of irreplaceable
workers In the industry has the ap-
pearance of being an entering wedge
for the breaking down of the long,
standing ban on deferment of indi-
viduals by occupational groups.
Last spring a movement was un-
der way to permit the deferment Of
medical and dental students and in
ternes. Brigadier General Lewis B.
Hershey, then deputy director of the
selective service system, went before
a Senate committee to oppose this
proposal. First he called attention
to the following section Of the Selec-
tive Service Act: mo deferment
from such training and service
shall be made in the case Of any
individual, except upon the basis of
the status of such individual, and
again no such deferment shall be
made of individuals by occupational
groups"
Then General Hershey went on to
say: eve believe that this principle
was wisely written into the law.
Previous experience of the World
War and twenty years Of study Of
that experience demonstrate that,
and we believe to vary from it will
open the door to a parade Of indi-
viduals, all of them perhaps worthy
engineers, chemists, veterinarians,
teachers, pharmacists, geologists,
physicians, plumbers, f1remen. po-
icemen and so forth"
If this was sound argument
against occupational deferments last
spring, as General Hershey so en-
phatically believed, it may well be
wondered by what process he now
arrives at the conclusion that 1t
should not be applied to the moving
picture industry. In this connection
it is possibly significant that General
Hershey's ruling was made in re-
sponse to a written request from
Lowell Mellett, one of the Presidents
aides, who certified that the movie
industry as a civilian activity Is eS-
sential to the national health, safety
and interest, through the mainte-
nance of the national morale" land
that it is also essential as a war
activity.
From a reading Of the correspond
ence in this matter it would seem
that General Hershey acted solely on
the basis of Mr.. Mellett'S opinion, and
expressed none of his own. Appar-
entity he preferred to disregard the
expressed views of William A. Brady,
veteran theatrical producer, who
said: "I don't think either screen
people or theater people can be
termed essential. They weren't in
the First World War, nor have they
been in England during the progress
of this war"
Be that as it may, the fact re-
mains that what amounts to an
occupational deferment has been
granted the movie industry. 1t would
be interesting to know precisely why
General Hershey to this extent has
deDarted from the views he enter
tanned last spring.
Evening star., 1942-02-10

vehicles then be returned for the next
group. There will be the objection on
the part Of those who think only OF
themselves that such an arrangement
would disturb home mealtime and social
arrangements: but please remember that
we are fighting a war just now and
extraordinary measures must be taken.
Also please bear in mind that the extra
bit that might thus be contributed during
the period of the emergency by those
behind the men behind the guns would
be small when compared with the sacri-
fees laid on the altar Of freedom by
the boys at the front. The total Of
people to be carried and the carrying
capacity and speed Of traffic vehicles
taken together would determine whether
there should be two or three groups and
whether the time intervals between re-
porting periods should be an hour, an
hour ur-and-a-quarter or an hour-and-a-
half.
AS supplementary aid the experiment
now being tried to increase the number
Of persons carried by each automobile
should continue
T. WARREN ALLEN.
Evening star., 1942-02-10
SIGNIFICANT Contrast

An interesting contrast IN INDUS
trial PHILOSOPHERS has come out OF
the Detroit meeting Of the c. I. o.
union representatives from ninety
plants OF the General Motors Corpo-
ration.
The meeting was called to launch
the drive Of the United Automobile
Workers for a union shop at Cen
eral Motors and wage increases OF
dollar a day. The total cost of such
wage increases, 1t is estimated, would
be $90,000,000 a year, which, of
course, ultimately would be passed
on to the taxpaying public, and which
would tend to obstruct the Govern
ment's efforts to prevent imitation.
1t Is not so much the character of
the union demands that. attracts
attention, however, as the atmos-
pheric background for their presen-
tation which was supplied by R. J..
Thomas, president Of the auto work.
ers' union. Mr.. Thomas had little to
say by way Of justifying the union
demands. Instead, he fell back on a
sweeping denunciation of industrial
lists in general and William S. Knud-
sen In particular, charging them with
disloyalty to the Government and
with being more concerned with ad-
vancing their own selfish interests
than with winning the war. Just
what these alleged shortcomings Of
industry representatives have to do
with the union shop and wage de-
mands is not clear, unless Mr..
Thomas was acting on the theory
that any union proposal, however
unreasonable, can be cloaked with
validity by the simple expedient Of
bombarding industrialists and "big
business" with invective.
This attitude of the union presi-
dent stands in marked contrast to
that Of C. E. Wilson, president Of
General Motors, who also appeared
pclOlC UIlC ulllOti OClcSdUCS. Ml .
Wilson's appearance marked the first
time in the history of the automobile
industry that a top executive had
attended such union meeting. For
some two hours he discussed statis-
tics on employment trends with the
union heads and urged full co-opera-
ton in speeding war production. On
leaving, Mr.. Wilson said he was con-
vinced the company and the union
had more things in common than
they did In conflict"
This is indicative of an approach to
the various problems of industrial
relations which is hopeful augury
for the future. Certainly it is better
to seek some common meeting
ground than to employ tactics which
serve no better purpose than to stir
up distrust and ill will.
Mr.. Thomas is guilty Of more than
Inconsistency when he asserts that
Evening star., 1942-02-10
Urres Reference Of Production
tn Know How" Leaders.


To Know How" Leaders.
To the Editor Of The Star.
Will it take another Pearl Harbor to
bring about a real reorganization Of our
war-production program Must we wait
until the great armies Of China and
Russia have been Knocked out OF the
war for lack of sufficient equipment be-
! fore we admit that American industry
cannot be fully modified by remote
control from Washington?
Our present predicament ought to be
all the proof We need that We have been
on the wrong track from the moment
of the appointment Of the original in
dustrial committee-the War Resources
Board-in August. 1899. Since then we
have had, in succession, the I,ational
Defense Advisory Committee, the once
of Production Management. and the
Supply Priorities and ALLEGATIONS Board,
all with practically the same personnel
and the same policy. Now we have the
War Production Board, whose makeup
is as much the same as that OF its
predecessors, but whose policy. remains
to be seen.
Where do we stand now after this
barrage of boards?
Our output Of guns and tanks and
planes Is but fraction Of what We and
our Allies need.
Most Of the war contracts have been
awarded to handful Of our large firms
No war orders at all have been intrusted
to most of our $4,000 manufacturing
plants.
Washington has become megalosau-
rian city, its body all out Of proportion
to its brain. The staggering and un-
wieldly size to which 1t has been swollen
by the ill-considered effort to make 1t
the industrial, as well as the political.
Capital Of the Nation explains much Of
the confusion and congestion that have
impeded war production.
The way out Of our predicament Is to
get direction of the industrial phase
of war entirely out Of washington and
into the hands Of the men In manage
ment and labor who have the know-how
In the parts Of the country where the
mills are located. CYRUS EATON.
Cleveland, Ohio.