davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1943-08-23

leather Legion of Demsrit award.
Safety is guiding rule at all air
stations, but 1t Is vitally necessary
In war training to keep these flying
youngsters on the beam, yet under
reasonable control.
One important thing the public
can well bear In mind is this: Don't
believe all YOU hear about the in
adequacies OF our training program
and equipment
Man for man, plane for plane, our
flyers and equipment are the equal
to any. AS global air war progresses
their superiority over the enemy Is
definitely established.
Every time you lick War savings
Evening star., 1943-08-23
THE HECHT Co.

The Shrwoist Dress typcoIy American pie o-lo-
mode cut With the cIeon swift lines that only American
designers know versatile and graceful as the women
who it and love it real American Beauty Of q
dress in many versions there occasions your
life precise and trim for your working hours spiked with
brod softly sequnned for ofterdork Efficiently fIo
tene frock from The Hecht Company sizes for short
and long stenonoed American Beauties!
Third Floor Of Fnsho~ The Ar.Coo HechtCo
Evening star., 1943-08-23

Every time you lick War savings
stamp you help lick the Axis.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
The German Coast Defenses
From the London Times.

From the london Times.
1t would be altogether a mistake to
suppose that this war has proved FORTH
flcations to be ineffective. Coast forth
fications are the most effective of any
because the land forces of the attacker
cannot maneuver in front of them.
They must be preached straight away by
sea-borne forces, possibly with the aid
Of air-borne forces, and the task Of
landing from the sea in face of in
trenched and concealed opposition is
one of the hardest known to war. Yet
the essential principles of all fortifca-
ton in these days-and indeed to a
great extent throughout the history of
warfare-are the same. Its primary OBJ
iect is delay. in order to afford time for
the concentration of mobile forces at
the point OF danger and its worth is COM
mensurate with the strength and quality
of these mobile forces The Germans
know very well that, while their coast
defenses might give the Allies a great
deal of trouble and cause them serious
loss, they would not long remain invio-
late II they were not backed by strong
air and land forces. That is the test
The Maginot Line has been abused, and
rightly SO, because it engendered false
sense OF security and weakened the
spirit OF initiative. Yet the fact re-
mains that Hitler respected the Maginot
Line and did not attack it until he had
already won his victory by turning it.
His reason was that it was strongly held,
with reserves behind 1t.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
The Anti-Strike Bill

AS finally passed by Congress, the
Connally-Smith bill represents a
cautious approach to the problem
presented by wartime strikes. 1t i'm
poses no undue restrictions on unions
and, except for the ban on political
contributions, requires nothing of
them that is inconsistent with the
purpose of the no-strike pledge.
The fact is, of course, that it was
the failure of some unions, and
particularly the United Mine Workers,
to live up to the pledge which neces-
STATED enactment of the bill John
L. Lewis, making his own rules, took
the position that he was no longer
bound to respect the agreement, and
that left Congress with no feasible
alternative but to substitute specific
legislation for what had proved to be
an unsatisfactory process of give
and-take between the President and
union leaders. Had the unions iived
up to their end of this bargain the
bill would never have been passed.
Thus, if the measure is distasteful
to organized labor, it is at least clear
that those responsible for shaping
labor policy have no one to blame but
themselves for the fact that an anti
strike bill finally has been approved
in Congress.
That the bill is distasteful is indi-
Gated by the suggestion that CIO
leaders may withdraw from the War
Labor Board if that agency under
takes to police" unions, and by the
AFL threat to ignore any labor law
which, in its judgment, is unconsti-
tutional. Should the President sign
the bill, as he is expected to do, it
remains to be seen whether the union
leaders will resort to obstructive
tactics 1t is to be hoped that they
will not take such course, both in
their own interests and in the in
terests of the country. But if poor
judgment should prevail with the
ASouAV CAlao vi SdAllLeu 1dOOl, VI any
substantial element of it, undertakes
to defy duly enacted law, there can
be no doubt that public opinion will
insist that the Government meet the
challenge.
The heavy majorities by which the
Connally-Smith bill was passed in
both House and Senate should leave
no doubt on this score. And if the
recognized leaders of labor actually
have the quality of craftsmanship
with which they have been credited,
they will not fall into the error of
believing that labor is above the law.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
A Welcome Gift

The Acacia Mutual Life Insurance
Company's public spirited action in
turning over an entire floor of its
fine building facing the Capitol
Plaza as a blood donation center for
the District Red Cross deserves and
will, of course. receive the deep ap-
probation of the Washington COM
munity.
This is a patriotic gesture that is
singularly helpful now in one of the
most praiseworthy of all civilian war
activities. For while the District
Chapter has made an excellent rec
ord in blood donations, it has done
so in spite of being handicapped
from the very start by inadequate
quarters, relatively inaccessible to
the public by public transportation
The quarters just provided by Acacia
will give the District Chapter one OF
the finest centers in the country,
and the 5000 donations per week,
now being handled, will be Increased
substantially.
Here in Washington we should be
proud that provision of such facili-
ties has been made possible by
Washington institution so closely
bound, throughout the years of its
steady growth, to the Washington
community. The gift is in keeping
with the character of the company
and of its president, William Mont
gOmery.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
Investigating Committees

In expressing the hope that some
means may be found of curtailing
the number of congressional investl-
cations of various phases of the war
program, OWN Director James F.
Byrnes is venturing onto delicate
and difficult ground. Mr.. Byrnes
realizes this as we'll as any one else.
But he also realizes, perhaps more
keenly than most of us. that these
Investigations can be carried to a
point where they have definitely
prejudicial effect on the conduct of
the war.
The difficulty is to determine
where the line should be drawn. No
one would suggest that all investiga-
tions should be dropped. Up to a
point, they can be most helpful in
focusing attention on administrative
weaknesses and in developing cor
rective measures. They also have
played an extremely useful part in
curbing certain administrative Of
flclalS who would not hesitate to use
their extraordinary war powers to
promote their own pet schemes at
the expense of our traditional system
OF government.
But the undeniable fact is that
there have been too many investiga-
tions. This was pointed out year
ago by Senator Quincy of South
Dakota, but since that time the num-
ber has increased. In too many in
stances the work of one committee
will duplicate or overlap the work
of some other committee. And there
have been other cases in which the
technique of committee investigation
has been used by some members of
Congress to seek personal publicity
Evening star., 1943-06-14
Wild Strawberry Picker
He knoUs the hill Uhere petals ~,

He knoUs the hill ,uhere petals uers
more Dhite
Than it they had been chtpped
from iDorv
And polished till they cleaned. He
kno,Cs ho1D bloom,
Through sun and rains n,vstsrious
harmony,
Can change to lusciousness and cast
glo,o
Upon a sheltertnq leafs dark
underpdrt.
No,o through the tall, wet grasses hs
has come
To CLEAN the hill fruit, crimson as
a heart.
Kneeling in de,p, he peers into the
troDe.
Feels the ,Uarn, honey touch his
fnger-tipS.
He fills burdock Leaf, then starts for
home
With song berry stain upon his
lips.
ROSE MYRA PHILLIPS.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
Hard to Please

The problem OF the man who is
hard to please is always with us.
1t does little good to humor him
and try to give him what he wants;
the more that is done, the more dis
satisfied he becomes. Take, for in
stance, the case of Benito Mussolini.
Three years ago he chose war. War
is glorious" he said. "ht last, we
emerge from the debilitating stagna-
ton of that great curse, peace. No
longer for us the humiliating bore
dom of inaction. We are going places.
We rejoice in the heaven-sent oppor-
tunity to purify our souls in the
sacred fires of war and burn of the
Stag of sloth and effete contentment.
Above all, we shall be glad and proud
to live dangerously"
Yet now, by an odd paradox, he is
still discontented. What on earth,
besides the earth, does he want? The
stagnation of peace has Leen absent
from Italy for long time, nor can
he complain of inaction. AS for
boredom, there has been scarcely
dull moment in Italy since he de-
clared war. There have been enough
fires OF war, many Of them right at
home, to burn of four or five times
as much effete contentment as ever
existed in his homeland. The United
Nations, paying polite attention to
his request to live dangerously, have
accommodated him with great sue
cess-and still he kicks. There is
just no pleasing him.
Evening star., 1943-06-14

or to further some narrowly personal
objective.
If some formula can be agreed
upon which will eliminate the un-
necessary and undesirable investiga-
tions, a great deal of the time and
energy of busy war officials can be
saved. Every one familiar with con-
gressional procedures and preroga-
tives will understand the difficulties
that stand in the way of reaching
such an agreement. But the ad-
vantages which would result to all
concerned from a satisfactory COM
promise are of sufficient Importance
to justify determined effort to give
effect to the suggestion which Mr..
Byrnes has made.
Evening star., 1943-06-14

fused to fly their planes out against
the enemy.
This strike, of course, is a de-
liberate and fragrant violation of the
no-strike pledge, and one of hun
dreds which will go unparalleled.
But the really disturbing aspect Of
the matter is the realization that
any group of 400 Americans, with so
little provocation, can be so callously
Indifferent to the damage they are
doing to their country and to their
fellow Americans at the battle fronts.
A strike of this sort will make but
little impression OH the formula
which presents the time lost to
strikes in terms of a percentage of
time worked. But it will make a
deeper impression on those who are
at loss to understand how any
American can participate in or con-
done any strike which works a direct
and obvious injury to the country in
time of war.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
A Costly Strike

A shocking illustration of the
damage that can be done to the war
effort by an unauthorized strike.
even though only relatively few men
are involved, is to be found in the
walkout of some 400 employees of
Shell Oil Company refinery near
Houston, Texas, which was making
high octane gasoline for military
planes.
These 400 employees, members of
CIO local, forced the plant to close
down in dispute over the discharge
of one worker. The employe was dis
missed for being intoxicated and,
according to the management, for
assaulting supervisor. The union,
contending that the man was at
tackled by the supervisor before his
discharge, demanded that the super
visor also be fired. The company
refused to do this, but offered to
suspend him until the dispute could
be settled. Unwilling to accept this
compromise, the members OF the
local struck, thereby forcing some
1850 other employees to suspend pro-
duction operations.
The result is loss to the country
at most critical stage of the war
of enough high octane gasoline to
fuel bomber mission of 1000 planes
a day over Europe, a betrayal of the
national interest which is just as
harmful as though the crews of 1000
bombers had gone on strike and re-
Evening star., 1943-06-14
Local Toxpoyers' Interest

Senator McCarran continues TO
show his interest in some legislation
to remove from mo mans land
such Federal areas in Arlington
County as the airport, the Navy An
mex, Arlington National Cemetery,
Fort Myer and the Pentagon Build
ing He would like to put them under
District jurisdiction, in so far as con-
Germs police, fire, health protection
and the regulation of public utilities.
The National Government, and it's
employees, would be the benef1ciaries
of such an arrangement. So would
Virginia. But how about the tax
payers of the District?
A recent conference between Sen
etor McCarran, Senator Byrd and
Governor Darden of Virginia was
reported as finding the Virginians
agreeable to such an arrangement
as long as the interests of Arlington
County were fully protected. But
Senator McCarran was told that Vir-
ginia would fight to the last ditch
against anything savoring of cession
more properly, recession) Of so much
as foot of Virginia territory to the
District of Columbia.
The taxpayers of the District have
no political interests to protect, but
they have distinct financial interest
in this matter which they must
depend upon Senator McCarran to
safeguard They are carrying,
through their taxes, some 80 per cent
now of the cost of police. fire and
health protection Of the National
Capital. They are carrying the entire
cost of the highway system and the
water system. If responsibility OF
policing and otherwise safeguarding
Federal investments in Arlington
County is placed on the District, that
simply means that, without definite
provisions to the contrary, the local
taxpayer must assume substantially
increased obligation with no recipro-
cal benefits
In framing the legislation to carry
out Senator McCarran's unquestion-
ably desirable objectives, therefore,
the cost of the services to be fur
nished Federal areas in Virginia or
Maryland by the District should be
carefully computed and definitely
assigned to the National Govern
ment. The conception of National
Local partnership in development OF
the National Capital is sound one;
but in practice it has worked out so
that the National Government does
all of the controlling, with the local
taxpayer doing most Of the paying.
Resulting inequities would be magni-
fed If the National Government ex-
tended municipal services to its out
lying properties without assuming
the cost. Senator McCarran, presum-
ably has no intention of letting that
happen, for he has advocated in the
past a more generous and more logl-
cal system of dividing expenses be
tween the District and the National
Government and has favored larger
lump sum- Having conferred with
distinguished representatives Of Vir-
ginia over properly protecting Vir-
ginia interests, he will doubtless con-
fer with the Commissioners and
other municipal authorities to see
that the local taxpayers interests are
as carefully protected.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
BETHESDA, Md.

Dear Sir:
II wrote you about year and half
ago when had problem on my hands.
At that time you were very helpful and
Identified three birds for me. They were
wood pewee, tree swallow and kingbird.
Nov have another problem. This
time am sure can identify the bird,
but what puzzles me is that never see
anything in your column about this
bird. 1t is the rose-breasted grosbeak.
Since moving out here three years
ago have made one of my main hobbies
bird feeding. have not had very much
success and have tried all kinds Of feed
and feeders.
"A neighbor on the next street showed
me this spring, the first chickadees had
ever seen.
"Yet being this close, they never have
been in my yard. Why is this?
Il have been trying to tell you that I
don't think I've had my Share Of birds,
but the first of May I had a delightful
surprise. I have habit in the morning
of looking out the back window while
waiting for breakfast. And this May
morning right under my very nose was
a bird am certain was a grosbeak.
ITO see such q prize and to see it so
close sure gave me thrill. 1t made me
think Of an article of yours in which you
mentioned the right spot at the right
time
1T looks and fts the exact description
Of Chester Reeds Bird Guide Most
of the time when l see a new bird there
are usually two or three others that
situation.
Since I've lived here I've saved your
articles in which different ones have
listed the birds they've seen. On the
ones I've saved this grosbeak is not listed.
so that made me leery and that is why I
am writing.
do you really think I saw this bird
1T doesn't make much difference, as
whatever it is know 1t is another to
add to my list.
Nov to tell you what know about 1t.
1t was male as it was real bright
real dark down the back, to tip of tail,
which was white
It's whole bead was black to its collar.
Then the rose colored breast and light
below that. The morning saw it, it took
its time-hopped across my yard and
across the neighbor's very leisurely, not
excited or worried about anything.
"A week later in a thicket outside
Rockville I saw the male and female
together. She was brown on head and
back. Again I saw the male late one
evening in thicket near my house, and
today while walking along a road that
separates some nearby land I saw this
bird fly into q good sized bush.
II went over to investigate and got
real close before the bird finally flew,
Evening star., 1943-06-14
THIS AND THAT
By Charles Z. Trnce,pell.
not excited at ALL That about winds me
up. What do you think?
Keep EN- flying

tio' eACIVeo ~ all. mat about winds me
up. What do you think?
Keep 'em flying
yours truly.
"O j. p"
Keep EN- flying"
1t is an odd thing, but until this
correspondent included this popular saw
ing IN his letter, we had never thought
OF 1t as motto for this column.
Birds are, after all, the first aviators,
Ihelr ranks include bomb-divers, such
as the hawks; mass formations, as exem-
pli1ed by swallows, starlings, and others:
gllders, such as the turkey buzzards, or
Vultures, and so on
Keep 'em flying" as applied to the
olrds, means that we will all realize what
vast national asset they are and will
protect them, by feeding and watering
at all necessary times, and safeguarding
them against injury.
Keep them flying so that thev can
help the Victory gardeners. At this time
OF year millions of insects ininical to
agriculture are devoured by the SONG
sters. Insects are baby food, among the
birds. All species, whether seed or insect
eaters, are brought up on small insects.
This means that not only a few birds
are helping, but literally that all the
nesting birds are engaged, for the rest
of the summer, in the task of insect
destruction, so necessary to all Of us.
Keep EN- f1ying!'
The grosbeak is beautiful bird tol-
erably common in migration.
1t does not, as rule, remain very
long and so often escapes detection.
In the spring is average time here
aoouts Is from the lst of Nav to the
18th and In the fall it may be seen
during September.
Our correspondent proves himself to
be good bird observer by noting the
calmness of the grosbeak.
Birds Of America" says on this point:
Almost all observers are impressed
with the vital wholesomeness of this
grosbeak. He Is seldom nervous and
seldom allows trivial things to disturb
MN. He acts with dignity and yet with
qulckness and precision and quiet
1orce1ulness that are almost ideal.
He is a very clean bird. The nest
is always clean. Wherever he goes he
makes no litter and whatever he breaks
up for food is never scattered but the
remnants remain in small, inconspicu-
GUS piles. 1t would almost seem as
though the bird had conscience and
knew what it was to be a gentleman"
Potato bugs are the speciality of the
rose-breasted grosbeak These bugs"
are fed to the mate on the nest and then
to the nestlings.
Cucumber beetles, eankerworms, tent
caterpillars, army worms, cutworms and
chlnch bugs are among the insects taken,
1t may be realized that even one grosbeak
in neighborhood is a great help II he
eats a few green peas they NAV be
forgiven him on account of his whole
sale destruction Of so many bad insects.
Birds Of America" calls him IAN ef-
ocaent. resourceful and virile American.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
F|oq Duy, 1943

about the American Flag. No other
ensign in the world has been so
gracefully written about. Consider,
for example, the beauty OF this stanza
by Joseph Rodman Drake, first pub
lished in the New York Evening Post,
May 20, 1819
Flag of the free hearts hope and home! !!
BY angel hands to valor given
Thy stars have lit the welkin dome,
And all thy hues were born in heaven.
Less consciously literary perhaps
but not less inspiring is the poem,
"Old 1ronsides," through which
Oliver Wendell Holmes in 1886 pre-
served the U. S. S. Constitution. The
whole Nation was quickened by his
challenge:
Ay. tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has 1t waved on high,
And many an eve has danced to see
That banner in the sky.
Some of the same zeal is evident
in Henry H. BENEFITS stirring
tribute, familiar to at least three
generations of children from having
been included in their primary text
books:
Hats off!
Along the street there comes
blare of bugles, a rufae OF drums,
flash Of color beneath the sky:
Hats off!
The flag is passing by.
But the Stars and Stripes need not
be carried in parade in order to move
the hearts of the generality of Amer
leans. John Greenleaf Whittier, in
his Barbara Frietchie," first printed
in the Atlantic Monthly for October,
1868, paints an unforgettable picture
in the lines:
All day long through Frederick street
Sounded the tread of marching feet:
All day long that free flag tost
Over the heads of the rebel host.
Ever its torn folds rose and fell
On the loyal winds that loved it we'll:
And through the hill-gaps sunset light
Shone over it with warm good might.
To the Quaker poet, a lover Of
peace, the standard was the Symbol
of light and law" His contemporary,
Walt Whitman, saw it in the red
flame of conflict. In Drum Taps"
1865, he addresses the colors:
Thick-sprinkled bunting! Flag of stars!
Long yet your road fateful f1ag!-long
yet your road, and lined with bloody
death.
A like vision had occurred in the
experience of Francis Scott Key at
Fort McHenry, Baltimore, in Sep
tember, 1914, when he wrote the
anthem containing the prayer:
Praise the Power that hath made and
preserved us nation
Then conquer we must when our cause
it is just.
trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph
shall wave
Der the land of the free and the home
of the brave.
The people Of the United States
are singing people. No other COM
munity on earth has so many songs
expressing love of freedom and JUS
tice. This year, with Americans con-
tending for those divine qualities on
th..>-- a1flerent fronts, Flag Day
means something >ery real to every
citizen, Sacrifice hallows 1ne banner
anew. With solemn recognition q
that fact, each patriot Salutes.
Evening star., 1943-06-14
Humble Leader
From the Montreal Star.

@1oH0 10UuGfetI St1f.
Mr.. Churchill undoubtedly had more
than one purpose in going again to North
Africa. But one of his principal objects
must have been to walk humbly in the
presence Of the fighting men who brought
us victory there. His homely phrases to
the troops at Carthage testify to the
humility Of great soldier -stateman in
the presence Of successful troops.