davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-11-29
Pearl Harbor Again
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
Newspaper reports of Senator Fergu-
sons introduction of a resolution for an
investigation of the Jap attack on Pearl
Harbor credit Senator Barkley, Demo-
cratic Senate Majority Leader, with the
following remarks: II believe the Presi-
dent thinks it is a matter within his own
powers rather than something the peo-
pie should know about"
What an astounding statement! If
there is anything the people Of the
United States are entitled to know
about, it is whether there has been q
dereliction in duty. If there was such
dereliction on the part Of the Army and
the Navy commanders at Pearl Harbor,
there Is no excuse for an immediate
court-martial not having been held
promptly. Fair play demanded a trial
when the evidence was fresh and when
all witnesses were available. Custom also
required it.
Why wonder that more and more
Americans suspect that there is some
thing to conceal7 The feeling will grow
stronger with further delay. What else
Is being withheld from the people? Are
the people of this Nation sovereign or
has the Nation changed to nation with
. sovereisn7 The people have . right
70 know. J.E.e.
Evening star., 1944-11-29
On the Record
By Dorothy Thompson

1t is now established that we deem it
desirable after the defeat of the Ger
man armies to turn over the admins
tration OF Germany, as soon as possible,
to friendly German government.
That means that we must have in
Germany people upon whom reliance
can be placed. The German defeat
must be so digested that it will result
in revulsion from Naziism in the direc-
ton of popular desire for peace, COM
bined with an effort to re-enter, by good
deeds. the fellowship of decent peoples
II that is our program what have we
done to achieve 1t, and what have other
countries done?
hHH
The Soviet Union is the only one Of
the Allied nations whose political effort
since the beginning of the war has ac-
companied its military effort Here the
effort has been to put first things first:
Win the war, and then deal with the
political and psychological problems.
The Soyiets have shown more foresight
Sooner or later the war would be won
and Germany would be occupied. Even
tually Germany would have to havesA
government Of its own This govern
ment should be one friendly to the
Soviet Union. And therefore, from the
beginning, the Soviets took measures to
bring this about.
This Is not an isolated policy The
Soviets wanted Paasikivi government
in Finland-and they have it. They
wanted a friendly Polish government,
and they have made great efforts to
obtain it. They wanted a workers and
peasants government in Romania and
Bulgaria, and they have already partly
achieved 1t. They backed Tito in Yugo-
slavia-and they won.
Their preparations for Germany are
consistent with all this. They have
behaved intelligently 4-
Now actually, as far as Germany is
concerned, their opportunities were sJexs
than our own. No great number 4f
influential German exiles took refuge ii
the Soviet Union as they did in Britain
and especially in the United States.
Practically the only resource that the
Soviets had We're a few old Communist
leaders and German prisoners of war.
1t is out of the latter that they have
recruited a large anti-Nazi organization
that might form the basis for a new
regime in Germany.
1t is folly to assume that these pris-
oners were, at the outset, more pro-
Russian than the hundreds OF thou
sands Of German prisoners Of war in
termed in the United States are pro-
American. All the early reports indi-
Gated that the Russians could not find
anti-Nazis among the prisoners. But
they went at the problem systematically.
An excellent account Of the whole proc
Evening star., 1944-11-29

ess is given by Henry Cassidy in the
current issue of the Atlantic Monthly
together with another report by James
H. Powers showing what is not done
here.
In this country we made a half
hearted .attempt to isolate outspoken
anti-Nazis, whose numbers are few The
Soviets with more intelligence isolated
from the mass the obviously leading
Nazis. They did not, like ourselves, put
their~ prison camps in charge of COM
mandants who could not speak a word
OF German and had no political con-
Germs. AS bit by bit they combed out the
more obvious Nazis. who, there as here,
had got themselves. into positions of
camp leadership, the attitude among
the rank and file of German soldiers
began to change.
Despite the enormous shortage Of
newsprint in the Soviet Union, they
were assisted by big German-language
weekly. The result is that today at
least 100000 German prisoners of war
In Russia. including numbers of high
ranking officers, are vehemently anti
Nazl and resolved that there must be
new Germany, based, among other
things, on the proposition never again to
60 to war against Russia.
Our argument has been that to
propagandiZe and organize German
prisoners of war is against the Geneva
Convention. en
This Is dubious excuse for a lacka-
daisical policy. The Geneva Convention
does not prohibit propaganda amongst
prisoners. And, If it did, it has been
violated by the Germans. In the cur
rent Harpers, William L. Shirer reveals
that the German government from its
American propaganda bureau in Berlin
has been publishing weekly paper for
our prisoners of war entitled OK and
containing straight Nazi propaganda
anti-Semitic, anti-Negro, anti trade
union-all presented in the most friendly
manner as an Office for the enlighten-
ment Of our poor boys.
1t should be noted that both in Russia
and in Germany this function has been
taken out OF the exclusive control of the
military. No such process of re-educa-
ton can be conducted without outside
aid. The man who edits the German
propaganda to our soldiers was educated
In Dartmouth. Well, this country con-
tains thousands Of people who have been
educated IN Heidelberg, Bonn and Berlin
and are left absolutely unused despite
the fact that they have consistently
offered their services.
1t may be understandable that we
waited. but now that there is a policy
something should be begun in a big,
Intelligent way and Immediately.
released BY the Bell Syndicate, Inc)
Evening star., 1944-11-29
Teaching a Calf to Drink

a young, Dlg-eyeQ, Slender-legged
calf is an appealing animal. It
seems so innocent OF the evils and
problems of chaotic world. But
when one attempts to teach it to
drink from a bucket it is another
story. On most farms 1t is the prac-
tice to teach the calf to drink skim
milk when 1t is few days old.
1t makes little difference whether
one believes in the progressive ideas
Of education or whether he sub
scribes to the old-fashioned, con-
servative three RS. The objective is
clear enough; the pedagogical tech
niques and psychological theories
are muddy. Broadly speaking, and
employing military terms, there are
two general methods Of attack.
The first method may be labeled
the blitzkreig attack based on the
principle OF maneuverability. Ac-
cording to the principles of this
technique, one gets the calf into the
middle of a pen, throws a leg over
the baby bovine, presses the knees
tightly to hold the calf in place and
then tries to force Baby Buttercup's
nozzle down into the bucket OF milk.
The other generally accepted
routine is the fixed-trench method
of past military campaigns. The
idea is to crowd the calf into corner
so that the rear half Of the animal
will be safely anchored. That, one
repeats, is the theory. Then strad-
ding the future milk producer, or
bunch Of porterhouse steaks and rib
roasts (you remember) the head is
forced down into the lacteal fluid.
In both methods a forefinger Of the
left hand is inserted into the mouth
OF the calf, while the right hand
pushes downward on the head. Each
method has its fervid adherents.
And each method gets the same re-
sults-a shower Of frothy milk and
a wiggling, slippery calf that has to
be caught again.
Evening star., 1944-11-29
This Changing World
By CoAsfeNfiAs BrOscn

"Young Eddie" as his older business
partners used to call the newly appointed
Secretary Of State. Is fully aware that
he is not stepping into soft job.
Edward Stettinius inherits from his
predecessor, Corden Hull, the most Diff
ficult job in the administration. And
were 1t not for the fact that President
Roosevelt has undertaken to guide per-
sonally his appointee's steps In the maze
of the present international policies 1t Is
doubtful that Mr. Stettinius would have
accepted the job Mr.. Hull's age, ex-
perience and prestige enabled him to
jump many complicated international
hurdles.
AS an administrative executive there
could be no better man to step into Mr..
Hulls shoes. The new Secretary is
young-the youngest foreign secretary in
the world-and full of enthusiasm for
his work. He is well liked by all those
who are under his orders and he has
most affable and pleasant personality.
Mr.. Stettinius, of course, lacks the ex-
perience Mr.. Hull had gained during his
nearly IL years in Office and it may re-
quire some time to learn the diplomatic
philosophy which his predecessor learned
over so many years of public life. But
this momentary disadvantage may be
overcome by the fact that he may listen
more willingly to the advice of his col
laborators than the former Secretary.
The problems facing Mr.. Stettinius
are far greater than those which have
faced any other Secretary Of State in
our entire history.
AS the war draws to close the mill
tary collaboration of the countries which
are forming the United Nations will have
to make room for political collaboration.
And this, as we have already seen in the
last IL months, is far more complex. The
military collaboration Is directed at the
defeat Of those who started the war All
the United Nations are unanimously
pulling together toward this goal.
Political postwar collaboration is
something entirely different. We have
the question of the minor nations which
Evening star., 1944-11-29

and withdrew. Other Maginot Line
forts have been taken in like manner.
The Germans on this front obvi-
ously are withdrawing to the Siegfried
Line, which runs along the old German
French frontier from the Luxembourg
border to the Rhine On this sector the
S1egfried Line Is stronger and has more
In the way Of permanent fortification
than any other part of the front.
The Germans apparently prefer to
make their stand on this line rather
than risk their meager forces in trying
to hold the Maginot positions, and
they are certainly right in doing so for
the Siegfried Line Is sited for defense
against attack from the south, and the
MaginOt Line forts are not. This does
not, of course, mean that the guns of
some OF these forts cannot be turned
this way or that; 1t means that the
whole fire-plan, the arrangement of the
interlocking fields Of fire, of the Maginot
Line faces north. not south.
1t will be interesting to observe
whether the Germans make any serious
attempt to hold the remaining Maginot
positions-of which Bitche, Haguenau
and Lauterbourg are the most heavily
fortified. Probably they will not-their
withdrawal tactics here quite evidently
are dictated by a shortage of men for
this front, and therefore by the neces-
sity Of making their real stand in the
position in which those few men can be
used to the best advantage, which is
obviously the Siegfried Line.
This is a bitter decision for the Ger
mans, forced on them by a necessity
which must have seemed overwhelming.
For it means that much of the indus
trial Saar region. will be lost to them as
it comes within range of the Allied
heavy artillery. The destruction of the
steel mills, the railways and the coal
resources of the Saar region will mean
q sharp reduction in Germany's total
war potential But this loss the Ger
mans must accept in order to save the
far more important industrial resources
of the Ruhr, before which the German
armies are massing for q determined
defense.
The Siegfried Line along the Saar
frontier serves therefore as delaying
position only. It can be forced If it is
not held strongly enough-just as any
line OF fortifications can be forced II 1t
is not manned to ut least Its minimum
requirements.
tossvs.sAA ls4<)
Evening star., 1944-11-29
Mr.. Mason Confirmed

There is not the slightest doubt
that the Senate vote to confirm GUY
Mason for second term as District
Commissioner is in line with the
wishes of the people of the District
and fully consistent with his own
record in public office.
The opposition to MIR. Mason's re-
appointment grew out of the "inves-
tigation" by Senate subcommittee
last year OF Gallinger Hospital,
which comes under his jurisdiction
rs a District Commissioner. Many
undesirable conditions were found,
and the necessity for improve
ment was affirmatively established.
But to suggest, as was done in Sen
ate debate yesterday, that the evi-
dence taken by the subcommittee re-
Elected conditions Of "savagery, cruel
ty and barbarity" in the hospital is
. fantastic distortion OF the testi-
mony submitted to the investigating
group. The fact is, as Senator O'Ma-
honey pointed out, that the real re-
sponsibility for neglect at Gallinger
If there has been "neglect"-rests
with Congress and not with Mr..
Mason.
What the subcommittee did was
10 base its highly critical report on
selected bits of testimony, much of
which was of highly dubious char
Hcter, and to ignore the evidence sub
u1itted by responsible witnesses. For
example. the chairman of the sub
committee prevailed upon the as
Hstant surgeon general of the
Public Health Service to make an
Independent investigation of Gal
hnger. His report was favorable to
the hospital, but it was ignored by
the subcommittee in making public
It's findings.
All of the individuals singled out
Tor denunciation in the report have
since been vindicated in one way or
another. This is especially true of
Mr.. Mason, whose vindication has
baken the form of an impressive ex-
preston of public confidence in him,
denomination by the President and
confirmation by the Senate. The
favorable decision will be welcomed
by the unreppesented citizens OF
washington, who know that Mr..
Mason has worked hard in their
behalf in the past and who have
every expectation that he will con-
tinue to do so in the future.
Evening star., 1944-11-29
Truth Revealed
BY David Laurence
From the St. Louis Post DISPATCH.
perhanS Genera ISsfr,p rniop

from the st. Louis Post DISPATCH.
Perhaps Generalissimo Chang Kali
shek could not reply in other fashion
than he did to the inquiry from Kent
Cooper of the Associated Press about
Gen. Stilwell's recall from China. He
called the Presidents explanation "ade-
quate." He spoke of excellent pros
poets" for real Chinese American
military, political and economic CO.
operation.
Yet, different as is the delicate Chi
nese point OF view from our own, Chang
must know that American public opin-
ion, free in expression and in judgment,
Is nodded more by deeds and facts than
by wishes and words. That opinion
respects his statement as leader Of
China and a. man who has rejected
compromise with the Japanese. But
that opinion also respects the truth
about China's grim internal troubles
the truth that has been written In sor.
row but in all honesty by many Of our
most reliable correspondents who are
now free from the merciless censorship
Of the China theater Of war.
Evening star., 1944-11-29
Defense Line Manpower
By Maj. George Fieldins Ehiot

We hear a great deal-have heard
all through this war-about lines of
Notifications: The Maginot Line, the
Stain Line, the Siegfried Line, and so
on. No question is more often asked
than something of this type: Does the
Siegfried Line go all the way north to
the Dutch frontier?"-"Have we broken
through the Siegfried Line at Aachen?"
What really matters isn't the Siegfried
Line at all. What matters is the men
available to defend it or to defend any
other position which the Germans may
occupy to bar the path Of our invading
armies. When the Germans no longer
have men enough to do that, they have
lost the war in the west regardless Of
lines, of rivers, of mountains or mud or
anything else.
recent experience. That experience
does not suggest that fortresses are Of
very great Importance as such-unleSs
stoutly defended by an adequate number
OF men.
Belfort, for example. is one of the
most formidable fortresses in Europe. It
held out all through the war OF 1870
IL, and at the close Of the war its garri-
son marched out with colors displayed
and field music playing, surrendering at
the order of the French government and
not to German arms But in 1914 Bel
fort was oyerrun and taken within
few days by the French 1st Army, obvi-
ously because the Germans did not have
men enough to hold 1t.
Fort Driant, one OF the forts OF the
enceinte of Metz, resisted every effort
to capture 1t as long rs the Germans
were willing to give it sUfdcient men;
but the whole fortress of Metz was
rapidly reduced when the Germans
found 1t necessary to withdraw their
f1rst-line troops from the city for fear
Of having them surrounded in 1t.
Antwerp, Liege, Namur, the great
fortress cities of Belgium, were not de-
Tended by the Germans and were easily
captured. But Brest and other port po-
sitions in France put up stout defense
because the Germans put enough men
into them to make such defense.
*x -
Now we have seen another example.
st. Avoid was one of the principal de-
fensive centers of the Maginot Line. It
was surrounded by . ring of forts and
could have made, with SUFFICIENT garri-
son, long and desperate defense. But
after . certain amount Of fighting OUT
side the toWn. ths Germans Gavo It up
Evening star., 1944-11-29
Tokyo as Iuraet

Almost simultaneously with the
second B-29 attack on Tokyo, the
Office Of War Information has issued
a timely word of caution against
misconceptions about the ability Of
the japanese capital to absorb the
punishment Of bombing offensive.
AS has been frequently reported by
those who have lived there, it is true
that Tokyo is densely populated and
Sull Of himsily built homes. But we
shall be wise to remember, as the
owl points out, that the japanese
have been acutely conscious of the
citys vulnerability to fire and shock
ever since the terrible earthquake
OF 1928 and that they have been at
such pains to guard against natures
violence that our bombs and incen-
diaries are not likely to inflict
paralyzing disaster overnight.
Wide highways and at least so big
parks, the owl reminds us, have
been laid out through Tokyo to serve
as f1rebreaks and refuge centers,
and long-standing civic respon-
sibility among the residents has been
to take part in organized bucket
brigade practice. Accordingly, no
matter how combustible may be the
city's housing, there seems little
doubt that the japanese are we'll
prepared to battle and check con-
dagrations. Worth keeping in mind,
too, is the fact that industrial plants
not dwelling places-are the tar
gets to be struck and that these have
been built to Withstand earthquakes
and are as modern and as strong as
comparable structures in the United
States.
In view of such factors as these,
according to the owl. it is the con-
sidered judgment of our Army au-
thorities that Tokyo will probably be
able to take as much punishment as
Cologne or Berlin, and its population
may prove itself to be psychologically
prepared for the worst, even though
the Japanese are supposed to be
peculiarly susceptible to mass excit-
ability and panic. In any event,
Judging from the civilian reaction to
bombing in England and Germany,
1t may reasonably be assumed that
their nerves will not be suddenly
shattered.
The Super Fortress is such an i'm
pressive weapon and talk about
Tokyo's structural deficiencies has
been so widespread that we may
tend to expect too much too soon.
The owl statement is therefore very
much to the point, for the Japanese
can be counted upon to spare no
effort to protect their capital, not
merely by ground preparedness but
by improved defenses in the air. Up
TO now their interception has seemed
rather poor, but in time it may be
much better. and the B-2ss-which
Evening star., 1944-11-29
BeIgium's Crisis Shurpens

Inc current crisis IN Belgium be-
comes rapidly more acute. 1t looks
ominously like full -fledged show
down between the government head
ed by Premier Pierlot and the ex-
tremist elements in the former un-
derground resistance movement
against the Germans, dominated and
led by the Communist party. AL
ready blood has flowed in the streets
of Brussels, and general strike of
left-wing labor organizations looms
in the offing.
The basic issue behind the crisis
is the same as that which troubles
other liberated nations of the con-
tinent, from France to Greece. In
all these countries the left-wing,
Communicated resistance elements
seek to perpetuate themselves as
armed organizations outside official
control. Except in Belgium, the is
sue has thus far been adjourned by
delays and compromises. though
nowhere has it been definitely set
tied. In Belgium, however, from a
variety OF reasons. both sides have
adopted an attitude wherein compro-
mise or conciliation appears to be
improbable.
The intransigeance of the Belgian
Communists is the more noteworthy
in that they have failed to retain the
support of the Socialists, the other
important left-wing party, which is
definitely supporting the Pierlot gov
ernment in its determination to dis
arm the extremists and maintain its
authority. Another important fac
tor in the situation is the clearly
expressed intention of the Allied
military authorities to support the
government II necessary to keep
order, since Belgium is the vital base
and communications line for the
great offensive now being mounted
against the Germans just across the
Belgian border. This Allied assur-
ance Of armed backing in an emer-
gency, though materially an aid to
the government, is, politically, liza
bility, since 1t tends to stamp the
Evening star., 1944-11-29
pierlot government as . regime rest.
ing on foreign bayonets.

pierlot government as q regime rest
Ing on foreign bayonets.
Behind the political crisis lies an
exceptionally acute economic situa-
ton. Industrialized Belgium is one
OF the most densely populated ma
tions in Europe, its relatively small
area being unable to support its in
habitants with foodstuffs and other
prime raw materials. Already hard
hit under German occupation, Bel
gums condition has grown worse
since its liberation because Allied
military needs come before those Of
local civilians and communication
problems grow rather than diminish
in intensity. Hunger and privation
feed discomfort. thus playing into
the hands Of extremists who appear
ready to use violence and disorder
to gain their political ends.
Evening star., 1944-11-29
School-Age Traffic Accidents

ocnOOl.A9e raff1c Accidents
To the Editor Of The Star:
I thought you would be interested In
the overall reduction in injuries and
fatalities to children Of school age for
the years 1899, 1910 and 1e41 as COM
pared with 1912, ,l943 and the first 10
months of 1914. This shows q total In
the first three years of 2,4eo accidents,
or an average of $40 per year, and "a
deaths, or an average of 10h. The last
two years and 10 months showed 1850
accidents. or an average Of $50 4 year,
and 10 deaths, or an average Of ga per
year.
1t is very difncult to state any par
ticular reason for this reduction but
unquestionably the educational pro-
grams which have been carried on
throughout the city and particularly
in the schools have contributed largely
towards this satisfying reduction.
believe that Dick Mansfield's chalk
talks" and his interest in child safety
have contributed in q large measure to
this result. 1t must be q source OF great
satisfaction to The Star to have a part
in this program.
w. A. VAN DUZER,
Director Of Vehicles and Tramc.