davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1942-10-17
THIS AND THAT
By Charles Z. Trdce1Uell.

This popularity is often disconcerting
to men who race the birds. A winner
will come in, but cannot be lured to the
clocking machine, where the leg band
must be deposited to register its time
of arrival.
Precious minutes 60 by and the owner
sees himself losing the race, while he
tries to lure the bird down to the loft.
We have often watched the pigeons
at Ninth and d streets.
There are several hundred of them
in this band.
They spend much of their time on the
roofs of buildings in that vicinity.
Pigeons are quite graceful on the
ground, despite their heaviness, but it
is in the air that they excel. Their per-
sistence after food is amazing. Being
fat, they evidently can live without food
much longer than the average bird.
They like corn, although it is supposed
to be bad for them. The wild forms
which live off the neighborhood are not
as sensitive to too much corn as the
better breeds.
Pigeons build up habits as powerful
as those made by mankind They appear
in a given neighborhood at exactly the
same time every day, and usually fly in
from the same direction.
They spend great deal of time pick
ing up food in the streets in suburban
sections, where not many cars are
going by.
In the downtown areas, they frequent
the cutters, where they often seem in
danger of losing their lives, but are so
clever that they seldom get hut
Bus drivers, in fact, do not watch out
for them, because they know that they
will get out of the way just in the
nick of time.
Feeding the pigeons has been a favor
ite recreation of many persons in the
public parks.
The sight Of scores of pigeons around
bench is familiar to every one who has
lived in Washington for as little as
a week.
They greedily eat corn or dry bread.
In some cases the bread is too dry and
must be crushed with the heel or
moistened before the birds can take it.
Crumbs left by Government workers,
who gather in all the parks at noontime,
feed scores of sparrows and pigeons.
The squirrels, too, benefit by the kind
ness of the workers, who offer them
peanuts.
Much good can be said of the pigeons,
in that they add to the color of the city,
in time when color and romance seem
to be slowly going out of life.
The pigeon belongs to an old and
capable race, whose motto long has been:
If We cannot find food one place, we
will find it another. The important
thing is to keep on trying"
Hence those who do not like pigeons
at their bird feeding stations need not
feel they are endangering the lives of the
birds. The canny pigeons will find food
some place.
Evening star., 1942-10-17
QUINCY STREET.


Dear Sir:
II live near the Soldiers Home and
have been feeding pigeons and wild
birds for many years.
"The pigeons are fed scratch feed, and
sometimes, for special treat, rice and
hemp.
'They appear on my roof each morn
ing and after they have eaten their
breakfast they fly away.
$50 far they have never eaten the food
placed out for the other birds or the
squirrels.
II am very fond OF pigeons and it is
indeed distressing to think any one
would shoot them.
Sincerely, M. S. c."
A great deal may be said for pigeons
They are universal birds, known the
world around In better days, they may
have been said to tie the world to-
gether, in sense.
Pigeons and doves belong to the same
great group, and have much the same
habits.
In this country we have all the many
breeds of pigeons collected from the
entire world.
The prevailing dove is the mourning
turtle or Carolina dove.
The sound of the dove may be heard
in any country or suburban district.
The noise made by the pigeons is not
as musical. Indeed it is a distressing
sound to many ears.
Pigeons, of course, have never posed
as songbirds.
They are flyers, and as such are util-
lied by men, especially in war. 1t has
always seemed rather sad that man
must make use of animals, such as
horses and dogs, and various birds, such
as canaries and pigeons, in his wars
Fortunately for the majority of birds,
they can do nothing which man thinks
helpful in war.
Mans relation with most Of the birds,
in times past, has been that of hunter.
Even today thousands and thousands of
birds are shot.
The canary was found helpful in
trench warfare, to give the first indica-
ton of poison gas. 1t keeled over at
the first whiff, long before it was de-
tected by the soldiers.
The pigeon is widely used as a carrier
of messages There are times and places
when and where it far outstrips the
radio.
u
In the air, the pigeon is king.
Even persons who do not like them at
bird feeding stations will admit that few
birds excel them on the wing.
There is nothing prettier than the
great circles which pigeons make in
coming down to landing.
Capable and yet cautious, they seldom
If ever fly directly to their mark.
Even when carrying messages, they
generally do not fly directly in, but
prefer to perch for time nearby, to
see If the coast is clear.
This sometimes gives enemy gunners
a chance to pick them off.
Evening star., 1942-10-17

his own genius as well as to the
majority of his subjects. Gradually,
he developed theory of appraisal
OF human experience which he be-
lieved could be applied to any indi-
vidual.' He sought to discover and
judge the spiritual values of men
and women in their deeds and words.
His Naturalist of Souls" was an
innovation which inspired countless
imitators. some of whom, as might
be anticipated, misunderstood him
completely.
One of the common errors about
him was the notion that Mr.. Brad
ford cared only about the past. The
contrary, however, was the truth.
He was typewriter strategist" all
his days. During large part OF
his career he earned his bread as
an editorial contributor to the
Boston Herald.
Evening star., 1942-10-17
Contrasts Small Salaried Man
With Independent Girls.

To the Editor Of The star:
have read in the paper paragraph
about girls in Washington who earn ST.
40 year and who, when they have
paid the new taxes, will not be able to
make ends meet.
Well, what would you and what would
they think of married man whose
wages are only $500 a year and who
has a much harder problem to solve?
He pays $50 month rent, must take
care Of doctors and dentists bills, has
to have at least few clothes. Where
do you suppose he will get off? He
works nine hours or more overtime q
week and does not get paid for it.
I'm not unpatriotic. have an only
son in the Army, but this talk about the
poor" girls and not thing about q
man with family to support makes me
critical. MRS. N.
Evening star., 1942-10-17
GumuIieI Bradford

President Roosevelt, quoting from
Lee, the American" indirectly paid
a compliment to the gifted author
Of that classic book. 1t is unlikely
that many of the White House corre-
spondentS to whom he was speaking
remembered Gamaliel Bradford per-
sonally. Few, if any, of them were
familiar with the great Confederate
leaders pretended willingness to
yield his responsibilities to newspa-
per critics. All the more reason,
then, why literary masterpiece in
which, as the Chief Executive said,
there is "a lot of good stuff for
present-day reading, should be re-
called to their attention. It was the
work of writer we'll acquainted with
the seemingly inevitable difference
in views between military COM
manders and journalists, yet one who
appreciated to the full, on that very
account, the practical utility of a
free press in time of war.
Mr.. Bradford himself was an Amer
lean of considerable distinction.
Eighth in direct descent from William
Bradford, Governor of Plymouth
Colony, he was born in Boston, Octo-
ber 9, 1868. His father was banker
who retired at 81 to devote his talents
as publicist to a lifelong war on
imperialism, Capitalization, unsound
theories of public finance and polit-
ical corruption. The future biogra-
pher of "Marse Robert" grew up in
8 \household whose head made
vocation of penning thousands of
letters to the editors of the Boston
Evening Transcript, the New York
Evening Post, Times and Tribune and
other important daily journals of
news and opinion. It was natural
that the son should follow the parent,
and he did. Within few days Of
his death, April II, 1882, he was
addressing communications to the
press.
Meanwhile, beginning with VOL
Tune of essays on TYPES Of American
Character" published in 1895, Mr..
Bradford produced 1000 poems, eight
novels. several plays, biographies of
samuel .Pepys, Charles Darwin,
Dwight L. Moody and long list of
other worthless. His researches con-
cerning Robert E. Lee required IA
years of painstaking labor. Out Of
his studies he also created "Con-
federate Portraits" and union Por-
traits" which are monuments to
Evening star., 1942-10-17
Praises Endeavor
To Serve the Truth.
To the Editor of The Star.

Az oCASC IL utHs
To the Editor of The Star
Without meaning to play on any single
string of favoritism-for your colum-
nists all are good!-I still must COM
mend especially and in this I'D
Rather Be Right"-the splendid COM
ments by Samuel Grafton on The Four
Freedoms" (why only four?) in The Star
for October 8.
I am constantly impressed by the
thought-as no doubt others are-that
II the columnists, who speak with such
evident sincerity were given the oppor-
tunity to change places with some of the
high officials, they easily might help to
build tomorroW's world on a foundation
of honor, decency and humanitarianism
so sure, so strong, there could be no pos
sibility of any backfire.
John Oxenham. writing his High Al
tars in 1918, said: I'VE recognize that
the world is suffering a supreme scourg-
ing, but we recognize also that the
world deserved and needed it. We do
not look upon this war as punishment
sent of God-except inasmuch as all suf-
fering is sins own punishment. And
punishment for all our falling away
from the higher things we all undoubt-
edly deserved-and needed. We regard
this that has come upon us therefore
simply, yet complexly-as the natural
and inevitable outcome of the evils we
had allowed to grow up, both in the
state and beyond it, without any attempt
at their suppression. We brought this
punishment on ourselves therefore, and
all punishment, in intention at all events,
is preventive and educative-is intended
to stay the ill-doing, and to lead to a
desire for better things
Are we, as nation, learning our les
son? Is the world learning it? Until
we all do so the war will probably 20 on
'Just as we feel that our work will
not be fully accomplished till militarism
and despotism generally are all COM
pletely annihilated, now and forever, and
that despite the further suffering and
sorrow this may entail upon us, we cam
not stay our hands until they are. so
our own suffering may have to continue
till our own defects are eradicated
"A sharp check and a round twist were
necessary unless we were all to go head
long to perdition. The check and the
twist will cost the world (millions of
lives)-the very flower Of the nations
untold millions of broken men-and
treasure of all kinds beyond our compu-
tation or understanding.
when it is all over, the world will be
incomparably the poorer-and so may
find itself incomparably the richer. It
depends entirely on itself-and on each
one of ourselves.
This war we believe to be intended
to turn us as nation, and the world
as great family of nations, back to God.
Until that high purpose is fulfilled we
may have to go on suffering. And better
so than that, through any treacherous
half-peace, we should sink back into the
slough of selfish ease from which our
awakening has been so drastic and so
rough"
Certainly. those words must be in ac-
cord with the attitude Of mind Of The
Star and its able columnists, believe,
and. - one who loves his country. may
! commend The good. honest sndssvor
Evening star., 1942-10-17
III Advised Attitude


Housing Authority has adopted
threatening attitude in presenting
its statement of the urgent need for
additional housing facilities for war
workers. There is no doubt, of
course, as to the existence of an
actual and pressing need for these
facilities, but the wisdom of attempt
ing to secure them through the use
OF threats is dubious, to say the least.
AS announced by John B. Bland
ford, housing administrator, the pro-
gram calls for the acquisition of ac-
computations by voluntary methods
so far as possible Compulsion will
be used, he said, if this proves in
adequate.
According to an MIA announce
ment, the Government plans to lease
desired properties at a fair rental
and alter them to meet the needs of
the war workers. Owners, it was
said, will be permitted to occupy
part of the converted structures, if
necessary, and after the war the
properties, presumably as altered,
will be returned All of this is to be
attempted on voluntary basis. But,
according to Mr.. Blandford, "if this
does not yield sufficient amount of
necessary housing on time, we shall
be forced to recommend the COM
pulsory use of available private
facilities" And, he added, plans to
put these compulsory measures into
effect, if necessary, already are being
formulated.
From the standpoint of enlisting
public cooperation, this is a most
unfortunate presentation of the MIA
program. In effect, private owners
are told that they can choose be-
tween surrendering their properties
on time-under conditions laid down
by the Government, or face the al
tentative of having them taken away
by The Government. And this from
an agency which was supposed to
provide housing facilities for war
workers, but which has done a very
poor job of it.
The MIA is the successor to a
variety of agencies which supposedly
have been at work for two years to
provide war housing. Last January
81 Congress appropriated $500, 900 900,
half Of which was to be spent for
living quarters, but very little of this
has been translated into housing.
After two years of activity, according
to the latest figures, 174,483 units are
occupied or ready for occupancy,
182,739 are still under construction,
and 1928 are still in the planning
stage.
Undoubtedly, the MIA is not ex-
clusively responsible for this poor
showing. But the Government,
through one agency or another, is
wholly responsible, and it would
seem that under these circumstances
there would be some hesitancy in
attempting, by threats, to pass the
buck" to private property owners. If
the MIA, because of past failures for
which 1t is in part responsible, must
now look to private owners for the
solution to its problem, 1t would be
well advised to use conciliatory rather
than coercive tactics.
Evening star., 1942-10-17
Club MEETING

"Most interesting" ,oas the afternoon
When all the ,Dorld's disaster ,uas
discussed:
The disSonance Uhere once there
U1s tune,
Fertility that's dying no,p to dust,
The fire spreading through those
other lands
And coming closer $50 the speaker
said,
Must be ertinguished, euen Uith our
hands!
They heard politely, quiet and
1DeH bred.
The times pere di61cult-but ,phat
of that?
For it Mould be the supper hour
soo1ae
In comfortable apathy they sat.
"Most interesting" pas the after.
noon.
MARIAN GLEASON.
Evening star., 1942-10-17

@. How much of Egypt is habitable2
&C. C. E.
A. Most of Egypt is desert, and the
only habitable portion extends no farther
east and west than the waters of the
Nile can be utilized. The fertile region
is smaller in area than the State Of
Maryland.
@ Is it true that there is no such
thing as cipher that cannot be
solved?-S. w.
A. Though this statement is often
made there is in existence a manuscript
written in the Middle Ages by Roger
Bacon in cipher that has remained
unsolved.
@. Is there really place called Sleepy
Hallow as described in Washington
Irving's legend?-B. r. E.
A. Sleepy Hollow, valley near Tarry-
town. N. Y, is the locale of the Legend
of Sleepy Hollow" Irving is buried in
the graveyard of the old Dutch church
there.
"a. Olu Slldl lCo "A. 1llluUcIBH tdhc d
kitten with him on his trans Atlantic
flight?-E. o.
A. No animal accompanied him. While
at Curtis Field, N. Y, he found kitten
named Patsy, which he considered TAX
ing with him but later decided against
1t, because he was afraid she might be
killed.
@ Who wrote the text of Handels
Messiah" ?-B. F. M.
A. The text was written by an English
clergyman, Charles Jennens.
G. Why was Lily Langtry called the
Jersey Lily?-F. R. A.
A. The actress was born on the Isle
of Jersey in the English Channel Sir
John Millais painted her picture with a
Jersey lily in her hand and bestowed
this sobriquet on the famous beauty.
O. Why is Chinese written up and
down and read from right to left?-P. L.
A. Originally the Chinese wrote on
narrow strips of wood fve-eighths of an
inch wide and 9 inches long, so it was
necessary for them to write vertically.
The strips were then tied together by
strings at the top and bottom like a
picket fence. Since the writer would
naturally place the strip he had writ
ten at his right, the first piece would
be the one farthest from him. Joined
in this way, they were read vertically
and from right to left.
Evening star., 1942-10-17

r.
pose and unmistakable truth to the
people? GREGORY DExTER
Complains About Words
That Are Not Positive. ~ ~. s-s,.s's1s se1s
To the Editor of The Star.
The War Effort" Here is a combi-
nation of words that ought to be BAN
isned for all time
1t is an expression that implies futility.
1t inspires no hope.
1t is college professor talk. 1t is verbi-
age indicative of uncertainty-the blurb
OF the fellow who is fumbling around.
He means well but admits only that he
is trying. He confesses that he leaves
lot to chance.
On July 4, 1776, those delegates to
the Continental Congress who voted for
that immortal resolution did not call it
an effort. They went all the way down
the line and declared their independ-
ence. 1t was rough winter at Valley
Forge but no time was lost in discus
slons of efforts to keep warm. The SOL
diers shivered but kept on drilling.
In 1898 Dewey did not talk about
efforts to meet the Spanish fleet. He
smashed it and took Manila.
In 1918 did we hear any Yanks buzzing
around about an effort to take the Hin
denburg line? One autumn morning
they went over the top and kept on
going until the Kaiser ran away-till
his troops cried 'kamarad' and quit.
So let us forever put quietus on
war effort"
Let it be eliminated from presidential
speeches and messages. Silence it in
Congress. Chase it off the radio. Kill
1t for all time.
Instead, let us think and speak of our
determination to win the war.
Then we will speak positively and
infer no halfway measures, no ques-
tions, no doubts, no IFS.
Then we will say what we mean and
mean what we say. ST.
Evening star., 1942-10-17

diate opening Of a European second
front on major scale. The wisest
attitude is to settle down to the hard
fact that the enemy is still powerful
and that the road ahead is presum-
ably long and difficult one. Wishful
thinking merely invites disappoint-
ments and Establishments which
tend to confuse our mental processes
and weaken our will to ultimate vic
tory. The enemy is tough. 1t will
take our best to beat him.
Evening star., 1942-10-17
German Economic Strenoth

Brltaln's Ministry of Economic
Warfare is a thoroughly competent
organization. AS it's title indicates,
its mission is to carry the fight to
the Axis enemy on the economic
front. To do this, the ministry has
access to all possible information in
its field, and its record proves that it
is onto its job. It's public pronounce
ments, therefore, should be consid-
cred authoritative.
These facts should be borne in
mind when considering it's current
appraisal of Germany's economic
situation on the eve of the fourth
winter of the war, because the min
lstry's report demolishes lot of
wishful thinking concerning the
Reich's internal situation. The report
states fatty that the Germans are
still masters of their economic fate.
Indeed, with one exception, the
Reich's economic situation looks bet
ter than it was last autumn. That
exception is manpower shortage,
due to the tremendous casualties
suffered on the eastern front, which
hinders Germany from fully ex-
plotting her rich Russian conquests.
Despite this severe handicap, how
ever, the general economic picture is
brighter for the Reich than it was
last October. Then, it looked as if
Berlin were in for all kinds of
crises" but the Nazi regime adopted
an economic policy similar to it's
military MISREPRESENTATION on
a few key objectives, and a general
Tightening up of the domestic econ
omy IN order to attain them. The
report predicts that the coming win
ter will not be as hard on the Axis
armies on the Russian front, since
they will be we'll prepared for the
ordeal. OF course, this means gen.
eral stringency on the home front,
which can be intensified by mass
Allied bombings and the unseen vet
ceaseless economic strangulation
applied by the British naval block
ade. But the report does not indi-
cate the likelihood of any cracking
OF the home front this coming winter
due to economic overstrain.
During the coming winter Ger
many will concentrate on four main
objectives. These are listed as: Cd
holding firm on the eastern front;
(2) strengthening the defense sys-
tenn of Western Europe; 90 piling up
armaments for the 1943 campaigns:
"a intensifying the production of
airplanes and U-boats. The ministry
says that Germany has the economic
strength to attain all of them.
Along the same line are the find
ings of our own Captain Eddie"
Rickenbacker, just home from an
official survey trip to England on the
air situation. One of our outstand-
ing authorities on such matters, Cap
tain Rickenbacker gives an en-
couraging estimate of the long-run
prospects in the air. Already the
Allies have the edge in Western
Europe and "the trend is entirely in
our favor" But, he warns, "the
European theater will remain an air
theater until we have secured su-
periority over the German air force
and paralyzed the production capac-
ity Of the German aircraft industry"
Taken together, those two reports
pretty well discount either an immi.
nent German collapse or the imme-
Evening star., 1942-10-17
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address of
the 1Uriter, although the use of
a pSeudonyn1 for publication is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters 1Uith
a Uie1O to condensation.
Evening star., 1942-10-17
Huskin's Answers
To Questions
Bv Frederic J. Hdskin.

A reader can get the anstDer to any
question OF fact by tortting The Ere-
nino Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J, Hdskin, director, Washington,
D. C. Please tnclose stamp tor return
postage.
@. How many speeches did Wendell
Willkie make in the 1910 presidential
campaign?-K. N. B.
A Mr.. Willkie made $40 speeches
during the 1910 campaign.
@. What is the average age of moving
picture stars?-H. H.
A. A survey made last year revealed
the fact that the median age was AZ.
q. How many breeds Of dogs are
there?-A. E. r.
A. The American Kennel Club recog-
nizes 1O4 breeds. all belonging to SIX
major groups These groups are: Grey
hounds, wolfhounds, hounds, spaniels,
terriers and mastiffs.
@. How many political parties are
there in England?-H S. S.
A. The following parties are repre-
sented In Parliament: Conservative. Ma
tional Labor, Liberal National, National,
Labor, Independent Labor, Liberal, In
dependent Liberal, Communist, 1nde-
pendent.
@. What gun had the longest range
in the last War?-M. P.
A. The War Department says that
the German long-range run had the
longest range of any gun fired by either
side in the First World War. 1t was 24O
nm. in caliber and fired distance of
rs miles
@. Has an estimate been made OF the
surface area of human being?-F. Y,
A. 1t is estimated that most adults
have a surface area of IL to 2 square
meters. This is equivalent to 16 and
2112 square feet.
@. What is meant by the term Chi
aroscuro"?-L. C. D.
A. It is the distribution of light and
shade so effected in picture that these
elements are of mutual aid. Among the
masters of chiaroscuro are Correggio.
regarded as its inventor, and Rembrandt,
who developed it to its farthest limits.
Evening star., 1942-10-17
Commends Miss Thompson
On War Aims.

Torhe Editor of The Star.
1t seems to me that if Wilbur H. Close.
who had letter in The Star Wednesday
headed Thinks AL Want to Know
What We Are Fighting For" will read
Dorothy Thompson's article In the same
issue Of The Star, he will get very
vivid statement Of what We are fighting
for and the extreme seriousness OF the
situation. A READER.