davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1943-09-05
The Boot

With Allied troops fighting their
way up the "toe" of the Italian
peninsula, the thoughts of those who
are familiar with the writings of
Giuseppe Giusti, celebrated Tuscan
poet, will turn to his allegorical
work, "The Boot"
A rough translation of a portion
Of the epic shows how it's author, who
died at Florence in 1850. had Italy
say: Il am not made of calfskin,
nor am I a peasants boot. I am
double-soled for cavalier to wear
in forest or by the sea and, though
often in the water, am not decayed."
Referring to the Alps and the Apen-
mines, the nation explains: II have
a border at the top and a seam down
the middle" 1t warns: Il am not
easily put on, and few can wear me; F.;
nay, I fatigue and hurt delicate
foot, and to most legs I am not
adapted. No one can wear me long.
One after another has tried me.
I passed from robber to robber. 1t
will seem incredible. Once, I know
not how. I galloped by myself and
ran over the world y but my
own weight brought me down
stretched out on the earth"
The spirit of Italy then recounts
the attempts of Germans and Gauls
and Spaniards to wear THE Boot"
and tells how it "is waiting for a
leg neither German nor French, but
of its own land" Abiding to Ma
poleon and his Russian campaign,
in which many Italian soldiers per-
ished, 1t declares: There was leg
which the boot was not ashamed of
had not that leg been too much of
a vagabond, and which could have
found this the strongest boot in the
world, only a snowstorm froze that
leg" Finally, 1t pleads: THE boot
needs to be reserved and cleaned:
For PHYS sake look out to get a
good bootmaker!"
Giusti was satirist, obviously;
but he also was a patriot-he loved
his country, hated the tyranny of
demagogues as we'll as that of un-
worthy princes, and in anticipation
of what now may be happening,
demanded:
Shall there not be, however far,
A Judgment day to come?
Evening star., 1943-09-05

The nation appeared to have been de-
signed by God to be the depository and
guardian of His divine truth. to hold fast
and to hold high those great verities
which are the strength, the life and the
glory of mankind. The nation undoubt-
edly would have played very great part
and would have been great factor In
the restitution of mankind
Christ saw that it had missed its op-
portunity, and was Fastening to it's doom.
The faith Of the nation had become
hollow formality, mere ritual, pro-
fession of the lips; but the hearts were
far from God, from which true reverence
love, charity, earnestness, were entirely
absent. The nation was in the very act
OF rejecting and was about to slay its
Messiah and thereby thwart the plan
for world salvation.
There is parallelism between Judaea
and America. God has enriched our land
with peculiar privileges. We have a large
share Of religious liberty. We have good
measure of spiritual enlightenment
through the contributions of religious
thinkers and leaders, not indeed without
some dark shadows of ignorance and
superstition. We have numerous and
strong organizations, whose functions
are to teach, to guide, to guard, to rescue
and to redeem. We can truly say, He
hath not dealt so with any nation; as for
His statutes and commandments they
have not known them." But we have
known oxSl
future rests upon the practice of them.
God has given US high and great
mission to perform. Responsibility goes
with privilege. 1t is, indeed, the diverse
SIDE OF the same thing. We have not only
to present to His view q holy nationn
within our own borders, to raise our race.
our community to the heights of Chris
tian knowledge, of social purity, of eco
nomic honesty, of justice In human re-
lations, OF national well-being in all it's
forms; but to diffuse the light of divine
truth far and wide, and to make our
influence command peace, righteousness
and truth throughout the world.
Today, the enthusiastic affirmation Of
our faith in democracy, the powerful and
vicious challenge to that democracy, the
dead, the bereaved, the suffering and
the wounded who have responded to
that challenge demand that we consider
whether we are declining that mission
or are fulfilling it. That question cannot
be determined by public professions:
neither by the number or character or
wealth OF our sanctuaries: nor by the
number OF the membership; nor. by the
variety OF forms, rituals and creeds.. II
can be determined only by. the actual
spiritual and mental condition of our
people, OF the millions Of the nation: and
by the earnestness and devotion of
Christian men and women who have the
courage to follow the precepts of their
Master with the same resolve that the
soldier follows his flag even unto death
BY this criteria we, as nation, stand
or fall.
Evening star., 1943-09-05
Police Vacancies

Budget estimates of the Police
Department for the next fiscal year
call for no increase in the number
OF uniformed men. for the reason
the District has been unable, due to
a manpower shortage heightened by
the draft and enlistments in the
military and naval services, to fill the
force to its present authorized
strength. While funds are available
for 1886 police, there are today 2O1
vacancies.
For the present year, Congress
approved requests for employment
of 125 additional men and earlier
had provided for increases of 1876,
anticipating the problems of a
swollen population.
All this was wise, but If many Of
the jobs cannot be filled under the
prevailing conditions other means
viii have to be found. The Commits
sioners and Major Kelly, the police
chief, now are considering legisla-
tion to permit employment of tenn
porary police. The suggested plan
would open the door to use of older
men and perhaps some who could
not pass the rather high physical
tests for regulars. The maximum
age limit for entrance would be
raised from thirty-f1ve to fifty. Such
men would receive the, same pay as
regulars but would not be eligible
for retirement and relief benefits of
the established system.
With the armed services and war
factories combing the lists for avail
able manpower. the Police Depart
ment is confronted with difficult
situation. Police with a year or
more Of training are considered SUBJ
Evening star., 1943-09-05
Queen of Bottle

In the North African desert cam
paigns the tank and other motorized
weapons were supreme. We began
to think of modern warfare as being
fought only in the air or on wheels.
In Tunisia the ground forces backed
the enemy into a corner. but it was
overwhelming air supremacy, para
lying his communications that held
him for the knockout blow. 1t was
in Sicily, from beginning to the end,
that the Queen of Battle"-the in
fantry-came into her own.
Star Correspondent Thomas r.
Henry's fine story from Sicily on the
Third Divisions infantry, its fifty
four mile march across the noun
tains in thirty-six hours and its
steady fighting and hiking, almost
without pause, for over a month, paid
well-deserved tribute to the foot SOL
diers. They get little enough glory.
The infantrynan is no glamour boy.
But he has proved in Sicily, as he
has shown so many times before in
tile bloody history of war, that the
battles are not won until the infantry
gets there to win them. While we
have such improvements as motor
ized infantry and air-borne infantry
these terms designate methods of
transportation to the battle-ground
In the end, the infantryman walks.
He must be there. in person. The
only way to get there is on his two
feet.
In sicily's mountainous country,
with bridges knocked out and roads
blocked, the infantry carried the
brunt of the fighting. Mr.. Henry
mentions a time when men fought
for two days on empty stomachs, for
supplies could not reach them from
the rear. What they had, they car
ried on their backs, fighting for every
| foot they gained The airman drops
his bombs. The artilleryman throws
his shells at the enemy. The armored
units charge with ponderous steeds
of tempered steel, splitting shellfire as
they go. But the infantryman relies
mostly on himself.
Some OF the moving pictures of
battle these days show awesome
views Of planes, tanks and artillery
In action. But to many. the most
Evening star., 1943-09-05
copitoI SideIights
By Will p. Kennedy.

When Congress came in 1900 to occupy
It's permanent home in the Capitol. the.
members slaked their thirst with copious
draughts from two excellent wells.
within the area where the central por-
ton Of the Capitol now stands. At his
Inauguration, March 4, 1901, President
Ihomas Jefferson also had drink from
one OF these wells. But what of that
the families who lived on the Capitol
grounds and others in the vicinity had
been drawing their water supply from
these wells for years. That first home
OF Congress was small rectangular
building, since familiarly known as the
supreme Court section of the Capitol
but which then housed the Senate and
House, the Supreme Court, the Courts
OF the District and the Library-nucleus
OF the great Library OF Congress today.
Where the central portion of the Capitol
has been erected, including the rotunda
ana the dome-just south of the original
oullding-and on the line of East Capitol
street which runs between the present
Library OF Congress and Supreme Court
pulldlngs-was used as highway of
sorts between the eastern and western
section of the budding" Capital City
South of that trespassing roadway in the
section now known as Statuary Hall
there began to arise one-storv elipti-
cal-shaped building of brick construction
known to the people of that period as
The Oven," designed to accommodate
the House. The contract price for the
structure was $4,789. Work was started
with James Hoban as superintendent on
May 1S, 1901. He had previously been
architect of the White House. This
Oven" was 10 by "a feet, with 16 inches
and arches to form an arcade. and had
gallery, on semi-eliptical plan. 100
feet long with three rows of seats A
covered way las feet long and two flights
of steps connected the original used por-
tion of the Capitol with this southern
section.
The clerk of the House has on displav
one of the first commissions ever issued
to an American soldier, and one of the
very few early commissions that have
been preserved. 1t is dated JULY 20,
1853, and addressed to Benjamin Win
chel as sergeant in the 4th Company of
the Connecticut Forces. 1t is signed by
Phineas Lyman, colonel of the first regi-
ment raised In the colony and major
general of the Connecticut forces. The
commission was 'for invading Canada
and carrying war into the heart of enemy
possessions" in the French and Indian
Wars. This commission was submitted
with petition of his son, Ruggles VIM
chel of Franklin County, Ind, attorney
in fact for the father, who has assigned
any right he might have in any bounty
land. The petition was rejected by the
Lands Committee on January 10, 1912.
Evening star., 1943-09-05
JUDAEA AND AMERICA,
By the Reu Josiah e. Elliott
Rector OF st. Lukes Protestant Episcopal Church

"And when He was come near, He be-
held the city, and wept over it, saying, II
thou hadst known, even thou, at least
in this thy day, the things which belong
unto thy peace! but now they are hid
from thine eyes," st. Luke, xix.41-42.
Jesus Christ did not grieve over Jeru-
salem as patriot over his own country.
There was an element of patriotic sorrow
in His touching and fearful lament. His
love was not confined to that land be-
cause, as concerning the flesh, He was
the Son of David, was born at Bethlehem,
and regarded the Jews as His fellow
citizens. The idea is verified by the uni
versatility of Christ's love, teaching and
supreme sacrifice for the redemption OF
humanity. To be patriot seems to place
person under limitation. To love ones
own country more than others is to love
others less than ones own In the Iiqht
of the absolute love of Jesus we cannot
associate with Him, nor with the church.
His body, anything that even looks like
partiality or partisanship. The same
consideration may be given to our Lords
attitude with regard to His affection for
His mother, His brothers, and His per-
sonal friends. In His heart, no doubt.
there was especial love for these. There
was then, probably, something Of patrio-
tic grief in those tears of Jesus. but all
particular interests OF our Lord were
means toward a definite end, the chill
dren Of His Father In this manner He
thought Of Jerusalem which represented
the relation between God and man, the
city round which SO many associations
gathered, whose guilt and doom stood
In clear, sad vision before Him.
We speak of the land or country.
though it was the city Of Jerusalem over
which He wept. But tn the sense in
which Washington Is the United States.
and will be more so in the world of
Tomorrow Jerusalem was Judaea. was
Israel itself. 1t was the strength. the
light, the glory, of the land: 1t was the
center to which all the inhabitants
looked and journeyed; it was the source
OF the peoples habits and beliefs. The
capital taken, everything was disrupted.
the tate OF the country was settled. Jesus
Christ was deeply concerned about this
people, this nation as He beheld the city.
The city represented nation that had
been enriched with peculiar privilege. It
began with signal and glorious deliver
ance from oppression. The freedom was
continued with the granting OF the law
and system uniquely fitted to save the
Jews from surrounding superstitions and
impurities, The rise OF psalnist and
prophet with inspiring song and eleyat-
Ing speech and life uplifted their imaei-
nation and cleansed their conscience
They were made a chosen people of God
by the strong and severe, but vet kind
and merciful discipline through which
they were forced to pass. The culmina-
tion OF the nation was in the presence.
the teaching, the love, the life of Jesus
Christ.
Evening star., 1943-09-05

heart-warming sight of all are those
two single files of doughboys, strung
out on either side of the road. plug
ging along under their packs. rifles
slung, grimy, sweaty, unshaven and
tough, faces grinning at the camera
from under their tin hats-carrying
the fight to the enemy. They will
need all the help that planes and
tanks and artillery can give them.
But when the fighting is over, they
will be where the fighting stopped.
Evening star., 1943-09-05
Jupun's Ship Losses

A striking aspect of the announce
ment by Secretary of the Navy Knox
that the japanese have lost approx
mately one-third of their merchant
shipping since Pearl Harbor is the
emphasis which this places on
Japan's extremely limited capacity
to build new merchant ships.
Mr.. Knox says that the Japanese
have lost about 100000 tons of ship
ping out of total of 7,618,891 tons.
This total, he said, consisted of $685.
091 tons which Japan had in Decem-
ber, 1941, and an estimated 1880 900
tons acquired or built since that date.
MIR. Knox did not attempt to separate
the tonnage acquired, or seized, from
the portion represented by new con-
struction. If his figures are correct,
however, it is a fair assumption that
the Japanese have been able to turn
out only about 100000 tons, or a
little more, of new ships in the nearly
two years that have elapsed since
Pearl Harbor.
If that estimate be roughly accu-
rate, this state of affairs must pose
a very serious question for the Toxic
militarists. They have committed
themselves to supplying an empire
spread over 5000 miles of the Pacific,
yet their shipyards have not been
able to make good more than so per
cent of their merchant shipping
losses. And this in the face of the
moral certainty that the curve of
their losses is going to rise sharply
as the growing American naval
power makes itself felt more and
more strongly along the sea lanes
that are vital to Japan.
In our own experience we know
what menace submarines can be
to shipping that must operate along
the exposed sea routes to outlying
bases. But, thanks to our enormous
building capacity, both in merchant
and naval vessels, we have been able
to meet this problem and apparently
overcome 1t. We are increasing our
margin of merchant shipping at the
same time that we are turning out
more and more escort vessels and
long-range planes to drive off the
U-boats. Yet Japan's shipyards can
not begin to keep pace with her mer-
chant marine losses, nor is there any
evidence that her capacity to build
protective naval vessels is COM
mensurate with our ability to turn
out submarines and allied weapons.
This suggests that in the long run,
and perhaps not so far in the future
at that, Japan will he brought to
the point OF attempting to defend
her holdings with land forces which
cannot be adequately supplied from
the main islands. And when that
time comes the days of the empire
will be plainly numbered. AS Mr..
Knox said, our submarine service,
. which has accounted for II per cent
OF Japan's losses, is doing "a per-
fectly splendid iob"-a job which is
not fully appreciated in this country.
Evening star., 1943-09-05
Where Housing Is Needed

The War Department is moving to
condemn residential property located
along the proposed route of a new
military road connecting Camp
Springs and Boiling Field. Justice
Let's in District Court has declined
to stay execution of the order for
surrender, and within thirty days
112 Negro Notwithstanding about
600 persons-will be evicted from
their homes.
Construction of the new road is a
war measure and 1t cannot be de-
layed. But the eviction of these
families, in the face of the acute
housing shortage which already has
led to disgraceful and dangerous
congestion of Negroes in inadequate
shelters, many of them really unfit
for human habitation, gives added
point to fact which has received
too little. attention. This is that
finding shelter for persons evicted
by the Government is as. important,
in it's own way. as the project which
leads to their eviction.
In this case the National Capital
Housing Authority is trying to make
provision for the evicted families.
Some of the low-cost housing built
and building for Immigrant Negro
war workers will be made available
under a construction of the law
which, if the National Housing
Agency approves, will give the evicted
families an eligible status But it
Is unfortunate that the War Depart
ment can permit only thirty days
notice of eviction. In these days
finding new quarters for liz families
in thirty days is no small problem.
Forethought by the Government
agencies concerned would at least
ameliorate the hardships OF neces-
sary eviction.
What is happening now in connec-
ton with these families has hap.
pened on wide scale in Washington
in the past few years. Hundreds Of
Negro dwellings have been razed. for,
new Government construction. The
occupants of these dwellings, as a
rule, were not war workers and were
ineligible for the low-cost public and
private housing for which only "es-
sentiaP' war workers could qualify.
The result has been to crowd these
Negro families into housing that was
inadequate m the first place, making
for slum conditions associated with
inadequate housing.
The National Housing Agency re-
Gently announced a new program
calling for construction of 5000 ad-
ditional family dwellings for Negroes.
The addition of this housing, how
ever, does not take care of the Negro
resident who is not an essential war
worker. 1t promises relief only to
those who can qualify as inadequate
ly housed war workers. Little or
nothing is being done to alleviate
the conditions SO strongly condemned
in the D'Alesandro committee report
last spring, conditions which reflect,
above everything else, the housing
shortage.
A recent survey by the National
Housing Agency established a def
mite shortage of adequate housing
for Negro war workers" The short
age of adequate housing for Negroes
who are not war workers is many
times more acute.
Evening star., 1943-09-05

skinned men there representing the
southern parts of the hemisphere and a
great many good-looking doctors who
never knew any other national bird but
the American eagle and to whom the
strains of Yankee Doodle played by the
band were entirely familiar. If Uncle
Sam was not there with his striped
trousers and brass-buttoned coat, his
representative was there in the person
of President Cleveland, who formally
opened the proceedings of the Pam
American Medical Congress. -" There
were several hundred people in the opera
house when the congress assembled for
the hrst days session."
Evening star., 1943-09-05
Fifty Years Ago
'e,sof iii, The Star r

( Fifty years ago Labor Day came on
September 4. ;, The Star of that date in
the year 1893 told Of the
Labor parade In New York and
Dov Brooklyn, where the holiday
was more observed, at that
time, than in many other cities: per
feet weather characterized Labor Day
in New York. All the big manufactures
are shut down. All wholesale establish
ments. business exchanges, downtown
offices and most of the retail shops are
closed. In Brooklyn, the parade
was one of the largest ever held Some
what dubious praise for Brooklyn was
added in a brief sentence-"The most
impressive feature of the demonstration
was perhaps its peaceful character"
Some anarchists were reported in the
parade, but they behaved, and were not
allowed to carry their banners of revo-
luton.
In Washington on the other hand, the
Senate was in session, although the
House had ad-
No Holiday journed. The first
For the Senate bit of business the
Senate attended to
was concerned with another holiday.
The Star of September 4, 1893, reported:
'The House joint resolution to make
the 18th of September, 1885, holiday
within the District of Columbia (the
hundredth anniversary of the laying of
the cornerstone of the Capitol of the
United States) was laid before the Sem
ate and passed" Other business, mainly
relating to relief of the panic, was taken
up Immediately afterward.
xxx *
That the panic had passed it's crisis
was evident from headline in The Star
of September 6, 1898:
The Ponic MILLS AGAIN GOING.
Fodino Many Indications of Re-
viving Industries" Dis
patches were printed from Allentown,
Pa; Clayton, N. j.. Lewisburg, Pa, and
Dover, N. H., telling of the reopening
of once dormant industries. The gen.
eral tone of The Star indicated new con-
fidence in prosperity to come.
The GAR annual encampment, held
the previous year in Washington, was
scheduled for In
GARin dianapolis in the year
Indianapolis 1893. The Star of
September 4, in wire
from that city, explained: Indianapolis
feels as though war days we're here once
more. Last night the city was ablaze
with light, as it was the night after Lin
coin issued his call for the first army of
brave men. r = Last night the monu-
ment sacred to the memory of the dead
soldiers of the war, 'Indiana's silent vic
tors, was aglow with electric globes
from base to the crowning figure on its
pinnacle, and the circle was packed with
veterans and loyal women and children.
The Washington contingent, the
Department of the Potomac, arrived this
morning, dust-begrimed and tired, but
happy"
Washington was the scene of the Pam
American Medical Congress, formally
opened on Septem-
Medicol Congress ber S, 1893. The
Here Star said: "The
Amer lean eagle
spread its wings over the medical pro-
fession of the Western Hemisphere to-
day. It was done at Albaugh's Opera
House. There were handsome dark
Evening star., 1943-09-05
ScripturoI Foundation
From the Topeka Capital.

From The Topeka Capital.
Not great deal of biblical lore is in
cluded in the military curriculum, but
American boys do not need reminders
that theirs is holy cause, and that the
Lord is on their side. They learned it
in Sunday school and church, and at
mothers knee. Their faith In their Gov
ernment and in their God renews their
strength and they mount up with wings
as eagles"
Evening star., 1943-09-05

ject to some draft deferment, but if
fathers are to be inducted into the
armed services, how can the existing
gaps be filled in the police ranks?
Emergency measures to maintain the
force at adequate strength soon may
become necessary.
Evening star., 1943-09-05

"Chase After Pig Upsets Southwest
Section" ran a recent local head
line. Perusal thereof may have
brought nostalgia smiles to certain
older residents who can recall the
days of 1.-THE Island"
Evening star., 1943-09-05

A suggestion has been given that
the drought be beaten by growing
cactus; yet this. too, presents a
thorny problem. rrt