davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1942-01-16
Test of Democracy

The democratic theory of society is
being tested today as never before.
More and more it is becoming ap-
parent that free institutions can
survive only as they are supported
and protected by individuals who
volunteer their cooperation to that
end. The war will be won not so
much by what people are COM
PEELED to do as by what they delib-
erately and consciously choose to do
In their natural role of American
citizens.
A present opportunity for such
service is that afforded by the cur
rent campaign to solicit funds for
the emergency efforts of the Red
Cross. The total sum to be raised
nationally is $50 100000, Washington's
quota has been set at $750,OO0, of
which amount $137 .494 thus far has
been subscribed The balance rep
resents the difference between
success and failure, and that is but
another way of saying that victory
can be achieved only by maximum
effort. If the drive is to reach its
ideal goal, every citizen must con-
tribute. The same observation may
be made with respect to triumph
over the enemies of the Nation. No
division exists between the one cause
and the other.
The close relation OF the Red
Cross to defense activity Of every
sort has been explained again and
again and need not be repeated here.
Suffice 1t to point out that in the
event Of air raids upon the cities
OF the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
Evening star., 1942-01-16
Druft Daddy

The director of selective service
states that 1t will be long time be-
fore fathers will be drafted. The
reason given is that 5000 900 recruits
may be obtained elsewhere, and that
less disruption of the Nations social
be taken first. Wisely, no implica-
ton is given that fathers would make
poor soldiers.
AS matter of fact, he should be
ideal material. Think of the number
of times father, quietly smoking in
his easy chair by the radio, must
discard the pipe of peace, rise in his
might and his wrath, and break up
a war between Susie and Johnny. 1t
may be a squabble over riparian
rights in the bathtub, Johnny claim
ing it as Mare Nostrum for his fleet
of toy boats and bitterly resenting
Susie's use of it for peacetime pur-
suits; or it may be war for living
space in the playroom, there not
being enough available for simul-
taneous occupation by paper dolls
on the one hand and tin soldiers and
wind-up tanks on the other. So
valuable is fathers experience in
enforcing peace that If he is not to
be drafted, he might at least become
q part-time civilian instructor of
war tactics at military camps.
Evening star., 1942-01-16
Censorship Guide

ne rules governing ne WltnnOld-
ing of military information which
have been issued by Byron Price,
director of censorship are sensible
and easily understood
For the time being 1t least, CEN
sorship in the strict sense will be
invoked at the source This means
that war news will be censored
before it is given oat, but that
censors will not be designated to
scrutinize news articles, photo
graphs and similar items as they
are prepared for publication. In
this latter field it will be necessary
to exercise editorial Judgment. and
the general rules pre,ared by Mr..
Price are intended to s.rve as guides
to this end.
These rules are simpe and some
what elastic. With re.pect to par
ticular items. each editor is urged
to ask himself whethe., If he were
the enemy, he would like to have
the information in question. II the
answer is in the Affirmative, it is
not to be published.
What is proposed, then. is sort
of common-senSe censorship with
respect to the variols classes of
information covered - the set Of
rules. The press, as Mr Price stated,
has demonstrated it's capacity and
it's willingness to function satisfac-
torily under this form of self-diS-
cipline, and it is more Than probable
that better results Will be had by
adhering to this standard than would
follow an attempt to install a CEN
sor In every newspaper and maga-
zine office in the coun ry.
1t might be pointed out in this
connection, however, hat the best
censorship of printed natter can be
rendered ineffective if the informa-
ton sought to be suppressed is freely
circulated by word Of mouth. The
newspapers, for example, are re-
quested not to print the fact that a
certain ship with a Specified cargo
sailed from particula: port on such
and such a date. It H. obvious that
an enemy agent, reading such an
announcement, mighs easily COM
municate the informltion to hos
tile submarines, with St1e result that
the ship would be sank. But the
Evening star., 1942-01-16
Who Has Seen the Hills?

Who once has seen the hills against
the dG1Un
Carries their memory al,Days in
his heart,
Keeping it 1Dhole long after his has
gone
TO other places. They become
OF him forever; though he neuer
knoUs
The sight of their calm brous
again, he keeps
The thought of their cool heights.
Although he goes -
Through sorro1D and through fire,
they shall be
With him and comfort him. Al
though his head .-
Rests on the field OF par, their
memory
Shall be ,Uith him and oive. his
spirit bread
From that fair memory he shall
draD ne1U breath,
And courage, even for the face OF
death. -.
BEATRICE RAW. q,
Evening star., 1942-01-16
Hdskin's Answers
To Questions
Bv Frederic J. HQSktn.

A reader can get the ansper to any
question OF fact by ,Drittno The EUe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin, director, Washington,
D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. Please explain the difference be-
tween a battleship and q battle cruiser.
"A. l.. H.
A. The Navy Department says that the
only difference between battleship and
battle cruiser is that battleship has
much more Arnlor and slightly heavier
guns. A battle cruiser has relatively lit
tie armor, but is much faster than q bat
tleship.
@. What are the age limits for en-.
rollment in the Volunteer Nurses Aides
Corps?-S. B. M.
A. Eligibility in the Volunteer Nurses
Aides Corps is limited to women between
the ages of 18 and so who have at least
a high school education or its equivalent
and who are physically nt.
@. Can orchids be grown in an ordi-
nary greenhouse?-R. S. S.
A. They can, but many people do not
grow them because q great deal OF pa
tience is required. An orchid seed may
be years developing into q plant and
producing flowers Some rare orchids
take 18 years to bloom.
Evening star., 1942-01-16
Expresses Appreciation
OF Help for Corps Of Chaplains.

TO the Editor Of The Star:
Please accept my personal thanks for
the article, "Chaplains No Longer Re-
quired to Be Jacks of All Trades" which
appeared in The Star on January II.
This excellent article gives the reader
a good picture of the chaplains work
and should impress the reader with the
fact that our Corps of Chaplains is eager
to look after the spiritual welfare Of the
men in the Army and that the Govern
ment is cooperating to the fullest ex-
tent
believe that The Star is An important
channel through which information Of
this kind can reach the general public.
Information of this nature, brought to
the attention of the fathers and mothers
will be a big factor in reassuring the
folks at home that there need be no
concern regarding the religious program
offered by the Army through the Corps
of Chaplains. I sincerely hope that you
will continue this policy and thus con-
tinue to help us in this important work.
WILLIAM r. ARNOLD.
Chief Of Chaplains.
Evening star., 1942-01-16

agent could make the same use Of
the information If he happened to
receive it by word Of mouth, and
for this reason every citizen should
ask himself whether, II he were the
enemy. he would like to have the
information in his possession. If
the answer is yes, he should keep it
to himself.
BY intelligent and constant appli-
cation of this common sense test,
not only to printed matter but to
private conversations as well, the
enemy will be denied easy access to
vital information and the day OF
victory will be brought that much
closer.
Evening star., 1942-01-16
THIS AND THAT
Bv Charles T. Trace1oeli.

are not one who keeps a book year
and then would make me have to ask
for its reasonable return. But II you
must read Gibbons Rome let's see you
finish the task unless you are cast away
on . desert island with nothing else
to do.
Every truly yours, E. A.. c."
If our correspondent wants to know
the truth, we let him in on q secret.
We never expect to finish Gibbons
Decline and Fall of The Roman En-
pire."
And no doubt the war will be over
before we get around to The Main
tenance OF Peace"
Books mean very little, we are con-
vinced, unless you find them for your
self.
We have been presenting books for
lifetime to friends, with the sure
knowledge that very few of them get
the same kick" out OF the chosen
volumes we do.
We feel sure of this because we know
that, in turn, we are seldom able to
enjoy books given us in the same way
that they must have struck the donors.
This column for 20 years has inveighed,
without results, against those persons
who borrow" books and fail to return
them.
Against those who dog-ear the pages
rI ,ov,
with lipstick and cigarette ashes.
Against those who keep borrowed
books for months until they are so
ashamed to return them that they just
keep them "for good"
Against those who never return a
prize book. Perhaps persons who insist
on others taking some book or other also
must bear some Of the responsibility.
This Book Belongs to Roger -
and His Friends"
So went a famous book plate.
This is an ideal, seldom met in actual
practice.
Because when your books are so di-
vided they commonly end up by belong
ing entirely to your friends!
Said friends, in other words, simply
won't bring em back.
They mean to, right enough, but they
keep them too long in the first place and
then permit them to be borrowed by
Others with the same result that no one
knows who has the volume.
The honest truth is that 1t is no
pleasure at all any more to lend books.
Not If you love them.
If you don't care what happens to
them, no doubt lending them to friends
would be as good a way OF getting rid
Of them as any.
Maybe this sad state Of affairs in the
realm Of books is one of the reason,
for the plight the world has got itself
into In recent years
People who simply won't return bor-
roved books in good condition and in a
reasonable time without being asked are
mt for treason. stratagem and spoils. as
Shakespeare said in another connection
and would be up to anything, even to
making war-or maintaining peace in the
wrong way.
Evening star., 1942-01-16
"CLYDESDALE PLACE.

OcNT SH.
Please give US all the srist that comes
to your splendid mill about bluebirds;
we cannot have too much about those
lovely creatures. think I saw one this
morning across the street in the Zoo
park, but he was gone before I could
get my field glasses trained on him.
However. they are certainly there, be-
cause have seen q few Of them several
times in the past few weeks.
"A female cardinal comes to our win
dow feeding station almost every morn
ing before daylight or just about day
light and wakes US up with her chirping;
but never her mate. I wonder why he
never comes to get the plentiful foods
we put out for the BIRDS
1.-THE downy woodpeckers are very shy,
but they do come to feed during the
daytime, yet always very wary. The
titmice. the chickadees and nuthatches
are not afraid at all. They will come
to the feeding box even though I am
standing right inside within 4 foot Of
them-but keep very still 20 as not
to frighten them.
Nov you think that you would read
Gibbons Rome but opine that one
volume would deter you from the re-
naming four: especially in these hectic
days We are living in. recommend to
you instead The Maintenance Of Peace
df you can get 1t from the library, by
S. c. Vestal. It's out of print, as found
out, but I managed to find 4 copy in
good condition. 1t will give you all the
Rome you will want and show you just
what 1t was and its influence upon all
history since. Too. 1t will give you
-enoush-ancient. medieval and modern
history-one Of the greatest books I
have ever read; though not . great
literary effort. Took me about three
finding the same slow progress to be
able to absorb It,
Il also recommend to you The Glory
That Was Greece and The Grandeur
Strobart. an English work published by
Lippincott, Philadelphia. I own these
beautiful books, de luxe copies, beautiful
plates. If you are good at returning
books (alas, I've found that some people
are not. and yet they are nice people,
too) I will offer to lend them to you
I have a weakness for wanting others,
who are appreciative, to read what /
have SO much enjoyed myself. Have you
read John Buchan's Augustus? have
that also, and his oliver Cromwell than
which there Is nothing finer. 1t will be
some time before can offer to lend you
The Maintenance OF Peac1 as my
youngest son has asked for 1t, too, after
his brother has finished Originally, !
had 70 get 1t from Harvard College
Library, but I sent it back when ]
found-luck was with me-a good used
copy by dint Of much telephoning.
You are not obliged to answer this
You are busy man, I'm not my heart
won't permit it. III accept your acknowl-
edgment in advance, now If any sug-
gestion appeals to you the books are
here. and Ill take a chance that you
Evening star., 1942-01-16
Editors Note. The comments by

EQtIOTS NOLe. Inc comments Oy
Mr.. Laurence to 1Dhich Secretary Ickes
Uoices chief objection 1Uere these:
Lack of foresight has already brought
its disasters. Under the American system
of government the American people cam
not do what Prime Minister Churchill
recently told the United States Senate
that the English people can do, namely,
to remove the elected head of their state
at any moment. The Commander in
Chief of the Army and Navy of the
United States can suffer dozen Pearl
Harbor defeats and the loss Of American
territory as in the Philippines either be-
cause of lack of economic preparation or
incompetent leadership in military
matters but nothing can evidently be
done about 1t by the people.
If domestic reform, therefore, is to be
carried on by the New Deal irrespective
of war, then a movement to bring about
the passage of constitutional amend
ment to permit the American people to
remove at will their Commander in Chief
when he fails can be considered as
essential for American democracy as it is
already for British democracy.
Mr.. Roosevelt of his own initiative
broke the thirdterm precedent. Yet the
American people are behind him today
in the most remarkable demonstration of
national unity the country has ever
known Even the fact that as Com
mander in Chief, Mr.. Roosevelt must
have known how critical we're the rela-
tions between America and Japan prior
to December 7 and hence must have
had the ultimate responsibility for seeing
to it that the fleet was on the job "a
hours day-has not brought forth any
wave Of criticism of the President. But
can an administration expect criticism
to be adjourned when it allows American
industry and business to be sabotaged In
the midst OF war by petty bureaucrats
who carry on their feuds Of persecution7
Evening star., 1942-01-16

Q. What Is the ball made OF that Is
used in playing softball?-F. N. o.
A. 1t is made Of kapok wound with
yarn and covered with leather.
@. How did the custom Of wearing
mourning begin7-A. E. T.
A. The custom Of wearing mourning
originated in the fear Of the dead. Ac-
cording to Sir James George Frazer,
mourning costumes were originally worn
as DISCUSSES to deceive the spirits when
they returned.
@. Please give me the population OF
Toxic. Singapore and Manila.-A. L. M.
A. The populations. according to lat
est available figures. are ~ follows:
Toxic. TOOL 400: Singapore, 727,5e4:
Manila, 623, 1862.
Q. What is the origin Of the saying:
THE latch string is OUTFIT. L.
A. 1t dates back to the period Of the
wooden door latch, operated BY . string
which was passed through . hole and
hung outside when the householders
were at home.
@. From what poem Is the line, n
only know I cannot drift beyond His
love and care"?-G. A. L.
A. 1t is from The Eternal Goodness"
by John Greenleaf Whittier.
@. Some years ago I was given a bay
onet on which is the inscription "Mre
d. Armes de st. Etienne, Avril 1871"
What does it mean?-M. NJ
A. The words mean ST. Etienne Arms
Factory. April 1877. This national
armory in France Is similar to the
Springfield Armory in Springfield, Mass.
Q. Can you tell me why the Windsor
chair is so-called?-S. T. L.
A. There is q legend that George III
Of England once during q storm sought
refuge in peasant cottage near Windsor
Castle. While there he sat in a chair
whose back was made Of upright spindles.
Impressed by its comfort, he had 1t copied
for himself. Subsequently this type Of
chair became known as Windsor chair.
|. O. would like some information about
the singer BLACK PATHS. c.
A. Nine. Sisseretta Jones, the Negro
singer, was known as Black Patti" She
was born in Eastern Ohio about the end
OF the Civil War. In her concert tours
she sang the grand arias from opera with
a technique and Interpretation equaled
by but few of the operate singers Of to-
day. For 19 years she travelled with her
own company known as The Black Patti
Troubadours.'
Q. What products are included in the
term naval stores?-T. S. E.
A. The term is relic Of earlier days
when pitch and tar from the pines were
necessary for caulking the seams and
lubricating the ropes Of wooden sailing
vessels. Now it Is merely name for.
turpentine and rosin produced from
Southern pines.
O. Who declared war on Germany first
In 1899, England or France?-M R.
A. Great Britain declared war on Ger
many at II am. on September 3; France
entered the conflict officially six hours
later
Evening star., 1942-01-16
Finds RamSpeck Measure
Unjust to Those Already Retired.

To the Editor Of The Star
The maximum annuity for persons re-
tired from the Government civil service
is 81 200. Many receive substantially less.
Most are dependent on their annuities
for support and many must support one
or more other persons Nevertheless,
while much has been said, published and
done about increasing the pay or pro-
viding bonuses for those still on the rolls
and drawing full pay, no consideration
seems to have been given to the plight
in which the mounting cost of living
places those who must exist upon much
smaller income, but who have given the
greater portion of their lives to Gov
ernment service.
This lack of consideration is especially
emphasized by the Ramspeck measure.
which has passed the House and is ex-
pected to be acted on in the Senate soon
1t is designed to provide a more equitable
and favorable retirement law and to that
end provides for retirement after 80 years
of service and reduction of retirement
age for those having such service. And
Az SCto oP q hASIAAoA VA NoAAPuoAi6 OIL
nuities which substantially increases
them for persons retiring in the future
and coming within certain salary speci-
fcations. But many of those now retired
come within those salary specifications
and have given the Government many
more years Of service, and yet, they are
denied this increase of annuity.
In addition to its injustice, this serious
defect and illiberality of the Ramspeck
measure is violative Of the precedent and
policy heretofore established by Con-
gress on this very point. On each pre-
vious occasion, when the retirement law
was amended to provide for higher an
nuities, this benefit was accorded those
already retired as well as those to be
retired thereafter. Why has not the
hitherto prevailing policy been followed
in the latest amendment Of that sort.
Why has it been deemed proper, when
living costs are mounting continually, to
set aside the correct precedent and leave
present annuitants to subsist as best they
may on what was provided when the cost
Evening star., 1942-01-16
the inevitable relief work will be q

the inevitable relief work will be q
Red Cross enterprise: Meanwhile,
the Red Cross is helping Americas
allies and is serving American SOL
diers and sailors whererer they may
be. To assist in paying the costs IS
a privilege which every citizen of
the United States should be glad
to share. Especially in the Capital,
it may be hoped that The complete
objective may be fully and promptly
achieved.
Evening star., 1942-01-16
The Truman Report

The report of the Truman COM
mittee serves the Immediately useful
purpose OF focusing attention on the
various factors which have inter-
fered with our national defense ef-
fort. To the extent that this may
lead to a future avoidance of past
mistakes, it is constructive docu-
ment. There is much in the report,
however, particularly by way of i'm
plication, which can hardly be con-
sidered constructive or helpful.
Broadly speaking, the committee
attributes tagging military produc-
ton in about even measure to official
bungling, labor selfishness and greed
OF management. That is probably
substantially accurate to the extent
that any such sweeping generaliza-
tion can be accurate, but, for the
most part, the broad charge is neither
bolstered by specific indictment nor
accompanied by specific remedial
recommendations.
For example, the report points out
that as Of January there were 255
dollar-a-year men working for the
o. P. NJ and 631 others employed
without any compensation. Because
these men dealt with matters in
volving the class of clients by whom
they were formerly employed and by
whom they naturally expect to be
employed in the future" the report
says that they are lobbyists "in a
very real sense" and that they
should not be retained in Govern
ment service without compensation.
In other words, without any specific
evidence to support the charge, all OF
these men are accused by implica-
ton OF being loyal to private inter-
ests at the expense Of loyalty to the
Nation, and then it is suggested that
this want of proper loyalty might be
overcome by placing them on the
Government pay roll. The report,
needless to say, loses effectiveness
when it includes such indiscriminate
attacks on men who have come to
Washington at the request of the
Government and who would have
been subject to severe criticism had
they refused to abide by the request.
The report also lists numerous
reasons for excessive construction
costs of camps and cantonments.
This is justified complaint, but the
report would carry more weight if it
had stated frankly instead of ignor-
Ing the fact that one of the basic
causes was the inexcusable delay on
the part of Congress in approprfating
funds for this purpose. A similar
objection can be raised to the criti-
cism in the report of the failure to
make greater headway in the pro-
duction Of combat planes. No one
would deny that there is validity to
the specific causes cited, but in this
matter, too, Congress has a share in
the responsibility, which the COM
mittee saw fit to ignore, for it has
been but little more than two years
since the legislators actually cut a
recommendation for a relatively
small increase in ti1e air force.
Despite these and other similar
aspects of the report, however. it
serves useful purpose Under exist
Ing conditions it is better to have an
imperfect check on the conduct of
the military program than to have
no check at all, and it may be ex-
pected that the work of the commit
tee will improve in quality as it gains
In experience.