davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1943-01-03

It bothered her to read in a paper the
other day that if Mrs John D. Hertz won
the next Kentucky Derby with Count
Fleet, she'd be the first woman ever to
have had two winners in that event.
Doesn't anybody remember my
Twenty Grand?" Mrs Whitney pro-
tested. "And how about my shutout?"
She had spent the morning, she said,
deciding on names for six horses, some
at her own Greentree Stable and others
belonging to her son jock Now that
Jock is an Army captain, stationed in
England, she manages his stable, as we'll
as that owned by her daughter, Mrs.
Charles Shipman Payson. All the fam
ilys horses race under the Greentree
colors, pink and black.
Watch New Orleans.
We'll have some surprises coming up,
can tell you." said Mrs. Whitney. Just
watch New Orleans"
Her 2-year-olds have proved disap-
pointing, however, and she doesn't ex-
pect to have a Derby entry this year.
Mrs. Whitney doesn't go to the races
much any more because her eyesight is
poor, but, she says, II do go to the sta
bles. The horses know me-"
She never bets on races-"I do my bet
ting when buy horse"
She and job Gaver. her trainer, had
worked hard on the names. making fire.
quent use of the racing reference books
there in the living room.
"A name has to have meaning" she
said
She had no trouble naming her two
children-Joan and John. They're both
named after her father, John Hay, Joan
being as near as she could get to John
in girls name.
Her Washington Home.
AS a child Mrs. Whitney lived in
Washington in house adjoining the
house of Henry Adams
II used to run next door and ask
Uncle Henry's butler if I could stay fol
breakfast-they always had big break
fast at 1890. Then I'd come home anc
have lunch at 1:30. I must have hac
quite an appetite"
She lived a glittering life in Londor
when her father was Ambassador there
She was presented at court both In Lon.
don and in Rome. She attended great
state functions everywhere.
was pretty shy must have been l!
or So My father told me now dom
worry about what you're going to sa,
to the people you meet, just remembe
to listen closely to what they say Tha
social formula worked beautifully, m,
dear. and 1t still does
Back In Washington young Helen Ha
had her coming out party. and dance
lot, wrote poetry, played cribbage Will
Evening star., 1943-01-03

tying knots, reaving pulleys and using
levers and work out problems.
The latter puts the greatest burden
on the squad chiefs. 1t usually takes
more time to figure out an incident than
to do it. But incidents there must
be, and often, for no two jobs the
rescue squads may be called on to do
will be exactly alike.
The men are well aware that their
life may depend on how well they
know their lessons although they rarely
dwell on the hazards Of this most haz-
ardous Job. They toss of the hazard
angle by contending that collapsing
building doesn't look half as dangerous
to a man who knows what he's dealing
with.
In learning their job. they think more
often that if they make mistakes there
will simply be more victims for their
colleagues to worry about.
The squad leaders are supposed to
know construction. Then, there may be
a plumber in the squad, an electrician
and a carpenter. A plumber may be
needed to shut of water pipes before
victims trapped in basement are
drowned. Electricians will help pre-
vent fire and carpenter will be needed
if there's any snoring to be done.
Teaching Each Other Trades
Actually, however the men teach their
trades to each other. II only one man
Evening star., 1943-01-03

For instance, victim may be trapped
in basement. The upper floors have
fallen in. The rescue workers would
have to dig trench outside the building.
then tunnel hole through the wall
large enough for q stretcher to pass
through. Obviously, they can't dig holes
through walls in practice so they go out
in field or in gravel pit and draw
line where the wall is supposed to be.
They dig down possibly 4 feet and then
start tunneling under the line.
Spottins Victims
Another training incident calls for
the squad leader to spot a victim in a
basement with tags on him to indicate
his injuries. Some beams, slightly
propped up to protect his body, are laid
across him, marked to indicate their
simulated thickness and whether they
are wood or steel. A squad is then sent
to the address. They go through the
building to find their victim, just as they
might have to do In an actual air raid.
If people were trapped in a fallen
dwelling, the squad leader, with the in
formation called in to a control center
by a warden, would first evaluate the
scene before him. He would move
Evening star., 1943-01-03

dren, never needed to. I was cain, and
they we're calm"
On dull day Mrs. Whitney bought the
horse that started her on her racing
career. His name was Webb Carter, a
fine jumper, also known as "The Ex-
termination Society" because he threw
everybody-except Mrs. Whitney.
After her husbands death in 1927.
Mrs. Whitney put more money and
thought into Greentree, and encouraged
the older of her five grandchildren
all Mrs. Payson's children-to ride.
I'm busy as a bird dog" she said.
II had 10 people to lunch on Thanks
giving Day. most Of them relatives"
Mrs. Whitney gives generously to
charities and Is gracious In such mat
ters as letting the public use her lake
for ice skating.
"And there's the war. OF course, I
give money. money, money. but I work
at 1t, too. / knit and I grow vegetables
where we used to have q polo field"
Evening star., 1943-01-03

Mrs. Mckinley, wife Of the President,
and rode They said I was the worst
and most reckless rider in the world"
After her marriage to the fabulously
wealthy young businessman, Payne
Whitney, Mrs. Whitney lived in New
York.
Just think, the house where my
daughter was born later became the
Soviet consulate. For that matter, my
parents took me to see the house where
I was born, on Forty-second. street, and
1t was cigar store"
The years rolled by smoothly, studied
with emeralds and ermine and happi-
ness
Our marriage was of the best. My
husband was patient man. He always
let me have plenty of beaus just for
fun mean.
II never had quarrel with him-nor
with any one else that can remember" )"
Even child.raising came easy to Mrs.
Whitney. II never spanked my chill
Evening star., 1943-01-03
BY Amy Porter,
Associated Press Stan Writer.

NEW YORK-If a fairy godmother
appeared to young girl and said, Now,
my dear, you may wish for just the sort
of life YOU want . =" the young girl
might very well sum up all her impos-
sible dreams by saying, I'll take life
Just like Mrs. Payne Whitney's, please"
The good fairy would understand that
the girl wanted beauty and riches and
happiness excitement and many beaux
in her girlhood; later, an attractive and
loving husband, children-say, two chill
dren, a boy and a girl; satisfying out
side interests, the lifelong companion
ship Of notable world figures. And the
whole nicely cushioned in multi-mil-
lionaire wealth.
All this good fortune has been the lot
of Mrs. Whitney.
Did the young girl wish for fame too?
Well, there has to be a catch some
where. With more amusement than
bitterness, Mrs. Whitney says:
Nine people out of ten think I am
dead"
Lost in the Shuttle.
III comes O1 USlIlS lCldpCu W 81 iiloily
terribly prominent people. You get lost
in the sufle, the Whitney Hay Wander
bilt-Astor shuttle. Even If you have
s10o,000,OO0, you get lost.
Of course, the mere name Whitney is
famous. And this Mrs. Whitney was
Helen Hay, daughter of the late John
Eav, distinguished Ambassador. Secre-
tarv of State under Mckinley, man of
wealth.
poetess in her own right, with IL books
of verse published, In recent years she
has expanded her race horse interests
until she is known among sportsmen as
first lady of the turf"
Still, people keep acting surprised
when they see her in person and alive.
Possibly they confuse her with her late
sister -in-law. Mrs. Harry Payne Whit
ney, who d9ed last April. Certainly they
confuse her son. John Hay Whitney
(Jock with her sister-inlaws son, Cor
nelius Vanderbilt Sonny Whitney.
Mrs. Whitney was talking of these
confusions during an interview. She re-
ceived me in the enormous living room
of her enormous country house at Man
hasset, Long Island
Her First Interview.
I'm shy of being interviewed" she
said. 1--WE never been interviewed
Don't let me talk too much. My son JOCK
says I talk too much sometimes"
The living room was richly furnished
Evening star., 1943-01-03

some distance back from the open fire.
A radio, her knitting. some books. were
near at hand. A diamond bow-knot at
her throat glittered in the freight.
First Lady of the Turf.
The talk ran to race horses, for while
Mrs Whitney deprecates her first lady
of the turf" title, she is mighty proud
of what her horses have done.
Evening star., 1943-01-03

but not formally decorated. Rather 1t
was incrusted with the accumulations of
years of good living Books and family
photographs almost concealed the many
little tables.
Mrs. Whitney, handsome in a light
green wool sports dress and looking con-
siderably younger than you'd expect Of
a woman with a 37-year-old son, sat
Evening star., 1943-01-03

always to treat for shock when they
reach victim. A blanket comes In
with the stretcher. If the victim shows
no signs of a head injury and is con-
scious, he might receive stimulants while
still pinioned. The workers are told to
cover up what parts of the victims body
they can get to. 1t is for the sake Of
the victim not to work too fast, even II
lingering in a collapsing building means
more danger for the rescue workers.
Shock is man-killer too.
Service Has Problems.
The rescue service has had its prob
lens, principally manpower and equip
ment. The District has bought the
squads picks but no shovels. Low
priorities have forced cancellation Of
some equipment. They are short Of
trucks. Each squad has been issued
40-foot ladder, rope, picks, fire axes.
goggles, work gloves and rubber gloves
to handle electric wires, timber for shor-
ing, 65-item flrst-aid kits, coverall type
uniforms, electric lanterns, helmets and
insignia. The squads have begged,
borrowed and bought other equipment
themselves to fll the gaps
But the manpower problem Is actually
the greatest The rescue service needs
more than double Its present strength.
The draft, night work and occasional loss
of interest has made for so per cent
turnover in rescue workers.
Walter c. Lockhart, jr, executive ON
Ger of the service, says frankly that the
current strength doesn't begin to answer
the city's needs.
THE men We have can do their job all
right, but we don't have nearly enough Of
them to do what would have to be done
if we had an airraid of any size at all"
The national OCD has already realized
that the rescue service is one of the key
points in defending a CITY, The OCD
training section, in posing hypothetical
air-raid in Washington, found it had run
out Of rescue squads long before all the
incident calls had been answered. That
discovery may lead in the near future to
a reorganization of the rescue service,
which up to the present time has been
under the supervision of the Fire Depart
ment. In any case, communities, includ-
ing Washington, will be expected to place
much greater emphasis on their rescue
squads as second only to fire companies
in minimizing the havoc the enemy may
intend to create
Evening star., 1943-01-03

nail protruding from board into VIC
tins body. In the second place, piles Of
debris are uncertain. A shift of weight
on the pile might upset its equilibrium
and another victim, q rescue worker,
might have to be cared for, too.
The men have been taught, however, to
build rough scaffolding on which they
can tread above pile.
Two factors in the mems experience
help them to minimize the hazards of
their job They are taught to evaluate
a half-collapsed building, to know just
how dangerous it is They also have the
background of construction jobs. Mis-
haps occur frequently in construction
work These men have seen these ac-
cidents They know how they happened
and how to avoid them.
Excavation Rescues
Then, they get practice on half finished
buildings working their way across scaf-
folding, getting to roofs before stairs
have been installed. Their squad leaders
are also on the lookout for excavations
because, they explain, the whole prin-
ciple of rescue work is either pulling
people up or letting them down.
They have become experts at letting
them down. Recently, local radio
station broadcast play-by-play account
of rescue squad in action. Their "vic-
tim was supposed to be pinned under a
fallen radio tower on the roof. The res
cue workers left their truck, ran up the
stairway to the roof, removed the debris
form the victim, lashed him to fracture
board which had been hauled up the side
of the building, lowered the victim by
ropes to the ground and loaded him in an
ambulance. Elapsed time, seven and a
half minutes.
All the emphasis is not put on speed
however. Sometimes, few extra min
utes may mean the difference between
life and death for the victim as well a.
for the rescuers. The men are taught
to pause occasionally as they work t.
see if their movements have changed
the way the debris is lying. Then, there
is first aid for the victim to be con
sidered
AS a general rule, in removing bodies
the men are supposed to make their tun
mel large enough for stretcher to pas
through One can't tell at first glanc
the extent of victims injuries 50 drag
ging or carrying him without stretche,
might prove fatal.
The rescue workers are instructed
Evening star., 1943-01-03
By Miriam Gutenberg.

before Pearl Harbor, people in this coun-
try had only the vaguest notion what
rescue service should be trained to do.
The OCD handbook, when it finally came
out, devoted only few pages to the job.
The bosses of the service decided to
apply what they knew to what they
imagined conditions might be in an air.
raid Their function in a raid has al
ways been clear. The rescue squads
provide curb service" for the Medical
Evening star., 1943-01-03

hours of fire defense hours Of gen.
eral information on civilian defense
organization, 2 hours OF military drill
and continuous practical rescue training.
Some of the men have even had the
full so hours of auxiliary firemen's
training, although that is not required.
To keep them on their toes and ready
to 60 into action at any time, the squad
chiefs hold sessions every two weeks.
The men practice their first aid, study
Evening star., 1943-01-03

on squad knows how to shut of the
water and he is put out of action, an
other man will carry on in his place.
All the practice, necessarily, has to be
under simulated conditions. Ingenuity
has found a number of ways of getting
around that. It's sometimes rough on
the men, and rougher on their VIC
Tins" but the nearer they get to actual
ity the better prepared they are for the
real thing"
Evening star., 1943-01-03

The Districts Ciuilian Defense
Rescue Service is enbarking neTt
meek on a campaign for men.
The only requirements are interest
In the job, sufficient time in the
evening to take training and pref
erably mechanical skill, al
though this is not essential.
The training Is long, the job
isn't the safest In the Dorld-but
then, neither are the jobs noW be-
ing done by Our men in North
Africa and Guad1lcdndl.
BY Miriam Gutenberg.
They slipped newsps pers beneath the
body of the victim because the ground
was wet. Then they applied an acteylene
torch to the steel beams that pinned
him in pit. The newspapers beneath
the victim were ignited by a spark.
The fire was quenched before it could
do any damage but the rescue squad
learned a lesson. You won't catch a
member of the Districts Civilian De-
tense Rescue Service using a torch
where there's anything inflammable
within sparks distance.
Much of what the rescue service has
trained itself 10 do has come this way
by the trial-and- method. When
the service was established a month
Evening star., 1943-01-03

Editors Note Here Is remarkable
story about a remarkable woman. based on
the hrst extensive interview she has given
during her unusual and distinguished
career1
Evening star., 1943-01-03

the turn OF the century When Wilcm Mckinley
uas the White House and John Hay Secretary of State that
the Capitals younger social set pretty sy poetic
Hay the Secretars daughter Here in Washington young
Helen coming party After her marriage to Payne
Whnev Helen to NeD York to ue Here is Helen Huy
no,o Mrs. Payne Whitney, young lady in Washington
belle OF the Capital wild. world Photo
Evening star., 1943-01-03

around the collapsed building, tapping
on pipes and beams that protrude from
somewhere inside the pile. There's
chance he might hear an answering tap.
If he did, he would direct his men to
dig well" in the rubble or tunnel into
where the victim is lying.
If he hears no answering tap, the
squad leader would look for an arch in
the debris. Uninjured occupants may be
trapped but not pinned under that arch.
If he knows people are somewhere inside
no arch, the squad leader would direct
the men to start picking off the rubble,
piece by piece.
Freeing Buried Victims
They could use no tools, nor could they
stand on top OF the debris and toss it of
Those are two cardinal rules of the
rescue service. Rescue workers can only
use tools fors digging when they are sure
no victims are within striking distance
of their picks and axes. II there's any
question, they have to lay aside their
tools and work with their hands
They are forbidden to walk on top OF
debris for several reasons. In the first
place. even that pressure on the pile
might be all that was needed to drive a
Evening star., 1943-12-23

I'VE were of Guadalcanal clear
ing the way for the Marines to hit
the beach on August g." he said,
when we were attacked by jap
anese cruisers and destroyers. u
Torpedoes and superior" shell fire
from the enemy ships proved too
much for the Vincennes and the
men aboard were ordered to aban-
don ship, he recalled.
Despite shrapnel wounds in his
arms and head Pfc. Anderson man.
aged to keep afloat for eight hours
until he was picked up by the raft,
on which was Capt. Riefkahl. There
were between 40 and so men either
on the raft or clinging to it.
Capt. Riefkahl, with the help Of
his navigator, applied first aid
to the wounded men for hours and
then did their best in trying to
keep the others afloat.
They assisted in saving the lives
of many wounded men, Pfc. An
derson said, land they deserve a
lot of credit for being calm and COL
lected while under fire. They car
ried on in the regular Navy ira
dition."
After the battle they were picked
up by destroyer and taken to a
base for treatment.
Pfc. Anderson received medical
attention for two and a half months
and then was sent to the South
Pacific headquarters, where he acted
as a guard for Admiral William r.
Evening star., 1943-12-23
Rough Human Terrain
Grim Challenge 10
Offensive Warfare
BY CLYDE A. FARNSWORTH,
Associated Press War Correspondent.

1
WITH CHINESE FORCES ON
THE HUMAN FRONT, Dec. l8 (De-
layed) The countryside of North
ern Human Province is a grim chal-
lenge to offensive warfare.
1t is something OF a guarantee
that If the Japanese had won at
Changteh--or If they ever do-they
could have advanced only at terrific
cost. The terrain here in the Chi
nese rice bowl Is one of China's free
military assets.
Travelling unopposed through this
country. my party covered Is miles
yesterday In six hours. Today we
are setting out at 6 am. in hopes
OF increasing the daily mileage to Is.
The easiest method OF travel is
by river, of course. but the tribu-
taries of Iungting Lake are low
now. And in most cases the COM
parative directness of an overland
journey makes river travel as slow
or slower than walking or riding
ponies or mulesl or in sedan chairs
which is what we are doing.
Paths Very Narrow.
Most of the time yesterday our
party. strung out for mile or more
as precaution against air attack,
passed along embankments of har-
vested rice paddles. After the path
was barely wide enough for a foot
ing for our shaggy ponies, mules or
ISQndaled sedan chair coolies
One could imagine how much a
Evening star., 1943-12-23

horribly mangled, obviously from
naval gunflre
The air was clean-smelling for
a change. That was the first thing
I noticed on landing on Tarawa-
the horrible, sickening smell of dead
men.
Devastation Terrific.
But even with the clean odor,
1t was still stretch of utter devas-
tation Not a coconut tree on the
island escaped at least some fire,
and probably two-thirds of them
were practically leveled. Shell holes,
filled with stagnant water, were
everywhere. Ammunition, equip
ment of all kinds, lay scattered
about. France in 1918 couldn't have
been more desolate.
Reaching the fighter strip, saw
that the Navy Seabees practically
had completed it. Smooth and level.
it stretches for almost the entire
length of the island
On the long pier built by the Japs,
relatively untouched by bombing,
marines were waiting to board boats
which would take them out to their
transports. Burned by the sun and
begrimed by TaraWa's coral dust,
they sat waiting patiently for the
boats to come up.
I climbed into one of the first
boats with men who had been in
the unit that fought the last hours
of the Tarawa battle. We got off
easily, since the reef surrounding
the island is aWash at high tide.
The water alongside was beau
tiful, light-jade green. The bottom
was visible, huge masses of coral,
showing up darkly every few feet.
Island Looks Peaceful.
The island looked peaceful from
here. 1t didn't seem possible that
less than 48 hours ago bloody fight
ing was still raging. Except for the
sparseness of the coconut trees and
one or two small fires, it seemed that
Tarawa had never heard of war
1t was far different sight from
the first view I had of Tarawa,
aboard transport the day the land
ing was made. The shelling began
before dawn. so that by the time it
was light enough to see, the island
was shrouded in smoke. 1t really
seemed a battle-ground then.
The island grew smaller. A tiny
dot rose up from it: planes were
already using the airheld. Our
transport loomed up ahead. A few
marines peered over the side, shout
ing at the men in the boat.
Slowly, we climbed the cargo net
and dropped aboard. Tarawa would
be falling behind soon.
Evening star., 1943-12-23

price In blood .could be claimed for
every small advance across such
country, where the embankment of
every small field could be turned
into defense works by determined
rif1emen and machine gunners.
We zigzagged across the motor
road which used to carry buses be-
tween Yiyang and Changteh, but
which, in some places, now has
lapsed back into farmland or has
been cut by trenches or barricades
This is a suref1re way Of denying the
road to the Japanese, but 1t also
handicaps the Chinese.
For example, every knapsack and
bedding roll of our rather large
party must be carried in paired
burdens on bamboo yokes which cut
into the shoulder muscles of the
nearly SO coolies who bring up the
rear of our strange procession.
Evening star., 1943-12-23
WAC, Listed as AWOL
Is Returned to Post

A member of the Women's Army
Corps, formerly of Alexandria, has
been returned to her post after going
AWOL from Camp Sibert, Ala,
police reported today
Police said the WAC, Gertrude
Seasons. colored, 25, an Army mail
clerk, was refused leave to spend
Christmas with her mother, Mrs
Matte May Martin, GIG North Henry
street.
She decided to come home anyway.
police said, and arrived in Alex
andria on December II. She was
arrested this week and turned over
to military police, who returned her
to Camp Sibert.
Evening star., 1943-12-23

Halsey, Southwest Pacific comman.
der, for eight months.
In July, 1943, he was awarded tn.
Purple Heart and returned to tn.
United States.
He attended Central High Schoo
and worked for his father in thu
Investment Pharmacy until his en-
listment in the Marine Corps ir
1910. After receiving his boot train.
ing at Paris Island. S. c., he wa!
assigned to the Vincennes in Octo.
ber. l941.
While on the cruiser he saw duty
in the North and South Atlantic
until April. 1912. when they wers
sent to the South Pacific. He re.
ceived his pfc. rating in March, 1912