davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-10-02
Planning Better Health

While there are differences of
opinion as to the most pressing of
Washington's health needs, there
should be none as to the Importance
of co-ordinating the activities of the
many agencies, public and private,
working to supply these needs.
The formation of a co-ordinating
council in the health and hospital
field of the Washington Metropoli-
tan Area, as an agency of the Coun-
Gil of Social Agencies Health Divi-
sion, is in line with comparable de-
velopments in other cities to prevent
duplication of effort, to raise health
standards and to promote health
planning, research and euucation
on community wide scale. The
list of representative men and wom-
en- announced Yes ~rday as having
agreed to serve t. neil. in
cluding those occupying in portant
positions in the National Govern
ment, is immediate assurance of the
helpful influence which such a group
should be able to exercise in making
Washington a healthier city. Fur
thermore, the organization of the
council is we'll timed. There is little
doubt that the postwar period will
see a tremendous development in
many fields affecting public health.
The civilian population is going to
benefit from the marvellous accom-
pliShments in sanitation, medical
treatment and hospital care which
the war made possible for the armed
services. New conceptions of medi-
cal and hospital care are gaining
recognition and within a few years
will be generally accepted. A coun-
Gil of Washington men and women.
working with and through already
established health agencies, both
public and private, should be able
to accomplish a great deal to COM
bine their efforts effectively and
usefully, to eliminate the waste that
results from duplication and over
tapping and to outline more clearly
the community needs which need
most immediate support.
Evening star., 1944-10-02
Cop Of BeIfort

The famous Belfort Gap toward
which two American armies are
driving was made by nature nobody
knows how many millenniums ago.
1t is, in effect, depression between
the Jura and the High or Upper
Vosges. Those fractions of the
middle mountain structure of Europe
are real ridges, not inconsequential
hills. Crossing them is hard work
for any military force. The Trouee,
as the French call the notch, is a
gateway to the whole Rhine Valley.
When it has been negotiated, the
entire Reich will be endangered. But
every soldier skilled in the science
of war knows that it would be folly
to count on an easy victory.
Some of the most impressive forti-
fications in the world cover the Gap.
The town of Belfort is dominated by
a citadel crowning rock two hun
dred and twenty feet high, and on
the face of the looming elevation
there may be seen a colossal lion
of red sandstone, seventy-eight feet
long by fifty-two feet high, carved by
Bartholdi as a symbol of the in
herent challenge OF the bastion. In
1814-15 the fortress withstood the
allied enemies of Napoleon success
fully, and in 1901 it defied the
Germans in the same manner. Only
when peace had been concluded did
the garrisons capitulate on those
occasions.
But the Gaps Importance dates
bark far beyond such relatively
recent times. There are Gallo
Roman remains in the neighborhood,
testifying to contests in antiquity.
A tradition tells that Belfort proper
was founded in the eleventh century.
The Counts of Montbeliard owned
the place in the thirteenth. It was
conveyed by marriage to the Counts
of Ferrette and the Archdukes OF
Austria. Unders the terms OF the
treaty Of Westphalia, it was ceded to
Louis XIV, who gave 1t to Cardinal
Mazarin in 1648. Meanwhile, the
Swedes had fought for 1t In 1882 and
1884 The oldest parts Of the town
are encircled By the system Of de-
Evening star., 1944-10-02

must be made for differences of history
ana geography, which govern the rela-
tionshipS OF the western democracies.
on the one hand, and of the Soviet
government on the other with the Polish
nation" and while he gave reason to
believe that agreement has already been
reached on the boundary question, the
question Of control or influence over the
future Polish government is still at issue.
1t also has become crystal clear this
week that there is no common Allied
program for defeated Germany.
Now, like it or not, the solution of the
German problem is essential to the solu-
tion Of every other problem. If 1 spend
as L4uch time and space. as I do, talk
ing about the future of Germany. it
Is only because 1t is essential to con-
tinued understanding between the big
three. In fact, the outburst of cries for
Carthaginian peace, to destroy Ger
many, really arises from a desire to
destroy an unsolved problem For one
thing cannot be allowed: That Germany
becomes sphere Of influence" of any
one or two Of the big three.
Obviously the Soviets have protested
against combined occupation zone for
British and American forces. Now the
partition for occupation purposes has
been carried ad absurdum. Not only is
Germany to be divided into three zones
for occupation by three separate armies.
each responsible only to its own gov
ernment. but the city of Berlin, oriei-
nally conceived Of as a zone for COM
mon occupation, also is to be divided
like Gaul into three parts. If imagine
the British in occupation of, say. the
working-class quarters of Alexander
piatz or Wedding, the Americans in
occupation Of the Wilhelmstrasse and
the fashionable Tergarten section, and
the Soviets in the amusement center
around the Kurfurstendamn-and the
whole, OF course. inhabited by Ger
mans-I can only forecast remarkable
and embarrassing changes of dwellings
~
Sooner or later we shall have to get
back to generally applicable principles
and common sense. The late Mr.. JUS
tice Holmes, when asked what he con-
sidered the prime requirement for
Supreme Court justice, replied, Always
TO remember that one Is not God" An
excellent formula even for uctors.
tReleased by the Bell Syndicate, Incl
Evening star., 1944-10-02
On the Record
By Dorothy THOMPSON

1t seems clear that the Dumbarton
Oaks conference has sat, ended, and
failed to solve the leading questions con-
fronting the participants.
The great area of agreement" !"
stressed as resulting from the confer
ence, existed before 1t started. That
concerns the type Of security for the
smaller nations, and the general struc-
ture OF world organization. That struc-
ture. too, is open to discussion, before 1t
Is accepted by the American people. But
prior to Dumbarton Ooaks, there was
agreement between President Roosevelt.
Prime Minister Churchill and Marshal
Stain about the basic principles of that
structure. When, six weeks ago. the
three delegations came together for the
hrst time, each Of them had in his brief
case similar memoranda on this subject
1t Is obvious that the sticky point
which was not resolved in Dumbarton
Oaks, did not concern the world as
whole. but the specific question of rela-
tions between the United States, Great
Britain and the Soviet Union.
y ~
AS far as can see, the difficulties
under the three-power plan come chiefly
from the Soviet side. The Soviets cam
not overcome their traditional fear that
In case OF dispute about aggression, the
Anglo-American powers win take COM
mon stand, and that. in the end, the
new league may be transformed into a
world alliance against the Soviet Union.
The alliances in this very war should
have shattered that theory, but they ap-
parently have not removed the fear.
And as long as the entire future or
ganization of the world is treated in
terms of great-power politics and Dos
sible spheres of influence" these fears
will not be resolved, If the participants
sit for six weeks, six months or six
years.
Mr.. Churchill, In one of the most
cautious speeches he ever made, re-
vealed candidly that there are differ
ences of opinion on specific matters. He
mentioned, especially, the Polish ques-
tion. He said. 1T would be an affecta-
ton to pretend that the attitude of the
British government, and, / believe, of
the United States Government, is iden-
tical with that of the Soviet Union" He
explained that while every allowance
Evening star., 1944-10-02
Soviet Fleet on Offensive
By Mai. George Fieldins Ell.

The capture Of Muhu MOON Island
on the Estonian coast by Russian troops
recalls the struggle for the Estonian
islands which took place in the last
war, when the German capture of them
by an amphibious expedition finally
established German naval control of
the Baltic.
BY giving the German fleet q base
which commanded the entrances, both
OF the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of
Finland, the operations Of the Russian
Baltic fleet were so circumscribed that
1t was not thereafter capable of carry
ing out the series of operations which
previously had been a source of 50 much
anxiety and not inconsiderable loss to
the Germans
Now the Russians are swinging for
ward into these same islands. The cir
cumstances are reversed. The Russian
Baltic fleet In the last war was on the
strategic defensive. Its main mission
was to protect the right flank of the
Russian land forces, and 1t was not
allowed much freedom of action in so
doing, though tactically 1t was very
we'll handled and had some good ships.
The Germans were always able to
produce superior force in the Baltic
BY reason OF their possession OF the Kiel
Canal. but they could do so only for
. short length of time, for particular
enterprise such as the attack on the.
Estonian islands The major mission
OF their fleet was in the North Sea,
facing the British Grand Fleet.
In this war the whole Of the German
surface feet. except the crippled Tirpitz
and perhaps few destroycrs, IS In the
Baltic. The Russian fleet may now be
considered as on the offensive. The
German surface ships may have TO
protect the flank of retiring army
and they may be faced with the task
OF dealing with . Russian amphibious
expedition intended to turn that fiank.
Thus the Baltic may again become
the scene Of extensive naval operations.
This Is why the Swedish government
has seen ut to close its eastern ports to
all foreign shipping In order to avoid
incidents In Swedish waters which
might arise from the attack or pursuit
Of German or Russian merchant yes
scls BY warships Of the other side.
The German naval strength IN the
Baltic ID considerable. Assuming the
dismantled battleship Gneisenau to Be
permanently out Of service (which is
probably but not certainly the easel
their armnred strength II centered In
two q the so-called spocket battle-
ahip9" ARMED with 11Ainch g1lR
Evening star., 1944-10-02

leader. Gen. Draja Alihailoyich. replace
Ing both Of them with Croatian leaders
such - the new Prime Minister eubasic.
Marshal Tito, who has not recognized
the authority Of the Yugoslav king in
exile. whose future is said to depend on
. postwar plebiscite OF his subjects, has
become the de facto senior general In
Peters armies. The British recently
have supplied Tito's forces with arms
and ammunition In sizeable quantities.
At the same time they helped Tito to
make the operations Of his rival MI
hailovich as difdcult as possible.
Prime Minizter Churchill. convinced
that Marshal Tito was anxious to CO.
operate with all the British political
and military plans regarding the
western portion OF the Balkans, gave
nim all the necessary support. It Is be-
Ieved that the operations in Albania,
which had as an ultimate objective the
liberation Of Western Greece as far as
Salonika, were taken in agreement with
Tito.
Russian forces penetrated into Eastern
Greece soon after the collapse OF Bull
gaTia. They are reported to have reached
q point within II miles OF the Greek
Turkish border in Eastern Thrace. It is
assumed In diplomatic quarters In
Washington that Mr.. Churchill, after
his return from Quebec, decided on
military operation which would place
British forces In the western portions of
Yugoslavia and Western Greece. In this
manner the Balkans were to be divided
into two zones of influence: Russian
zone covering the peninsula as far as
Salonika and of course including the
whole Of Romania and Bulgaria, and a
British zone extending from west of
,Salonika to the Adriatic
This plan is said to have met with
Titos approval But it appears that at
the last moment the Yugoslav Mar
shal became uneasy and went to Mos
COW to consult the Russian high COM
mand. The result Of that visit is not
ofdcially known, but the fact that the
Soviet high command announced on
Friday that Russian troops are crossing
into Yugoslavia with Tfto's permission
Is taken as an indication that his previ-
Gus arrangements with London may not
have been fully approved by the Krem-
lin.
Evening star., 1944-10-02
This Changing World
Rp Gonsfanfins Broom

Last week 1t WAS announced ofncially
that British troops supported by Brit
ish-American air force had entered Al
bania. The major objective was to reach
Greek territory from the west, defeat
the few, remaining Germans In Western
Macedonia and occupy Ioannina, the
principal town In that area
Very little more has been heard since
the first ofi1cial communique was issued.
The German resistance In Albania and
In Western Greece is said to have been
very weak. The NaI high command Is
conquered and satellite territories to de-
fend the German fortress itself
The slowing down Of the British oper-
ations is attributed in some quarters to
the hesitancy OF Gen. Sir Henry Matt
land Wilson to make any important fur
ther moves In Greece and in Yugoslayia
until the views of the Russian high
command have been fully ascertained.
k#E
A few days before the British troops
landed on the shores Of Albania, Mar
shal Tito. who has spent the last four
months at Bari, Rome or on the Island
OF viss, disappeared. He returned to his
British-held Adriatic headquarters only
last Wednesday. According to reports
here, the head of the Partisans, who has
now obtained an oflcial status with all
the Allies and Is the paramount figure
IN King Peters government, few to MOS
COW where he is believed to have dis
cussed the future political-military op-
erations in Yugoslavia. Within less than
"a hours after his return, the Soviet high
command announced that Russian
troops were entering Northeastern Ser
bia to join the Partisan forces and lib
crate Belgrade with the full permission
Of the Yugoslav Marshal.
This announcement created a stir in
London. The Russians had been poised
on the northern shores of the Danube
for several weeks and could have entered
Serbia any time. But the British liberia
ton operations in Yugoslavia were based
on q definite agreement with Marshal
Tito, who was supposed to have made an
agreement with the British government.
1t was through the energetic personal
Intervention of Prime Minister Churchill
that King Peter got rid of his Serbian
Prime Minister Puric and had disavowed
his former minister of war. the Chetnik
Evening star., 1944-10-02

There are also two e-inch ggn cruisers
and four or possibly five 6-inch gun
cruisers. Their serviceable destroyers in
these waters do not, in all probability
exceed dozen in number. They have
great many submarines, however, and
these may form the most dangerous
part OF their naval establishment.
The Russians, for their part, have in
the Baltic two old battleships, laid down
in 1909, but still formidable enough to
blow the German pocket battleships"
out OF the water il they could ever
catch up with them. They are well
protected and have an armament of
2-inch guns which they have used
effectively In support Of ground opera
tions around Leningrad. They seem to
be good gunnery ships.
The Russians also are reported to
have new battleship, the Tretii Inter-
national, under constructions power
full modern ship armed with le-inch
guns and capable of taking on the
T1rpitz But it Is doubtful If she has
been completed, due to shortages of
material. As to cruisers, the Russian
Baltic fleet has the former German
cruiser Lutzow, sold by Germany to
Russia In 1910. This ship is sister to
the German 8-inch gun cruisers Hipper
and Prinx Eugen. though she has been.
rearmed with Russian 71-inch guns.
There were two slightly smaller Rus
Sian-butlt cruisers similarly armed.
though one Of these may have been lost.
In addition, 1t will be recalled that some
time ago there were reports, never
categorically denied, that the United
States had transferred to Russia one
or more (perhaps as many as three)
light cruisers OF the Omaha class, 6-inch
gun ships. As to this, 1t is perhaps well
to add that these are the largest Amer
lean warships which can pass through
the Baltic White Sea canal Hence 1t Is
possible that they may be in the Baltic
now.
For the same reason. there Is not
much use In trying to estimate the
Russian destroyer, torpedo boat or sub
marine strength. since, II the Russian
navy received m accession Of strength
N these types equal to one-third Of the
strength Of the Italian navy at the time
Of the negotiations shove referred TO,
then II = now innmeasurably superior In
the dT1t two classes to anything the Ger
mans can have Ia the Baltic, and In
submarines It Will have 3 force which
should b adequate for III IT. probable
needs.
tousssisAa. 1s4l.,
Evening star., 1944-10-02
Conyon at Night

The canyon sleeps, and silently The stars
Keep toatcH xpon the deep. the qstet
deep;
A ceaseless surge snd sicAasg of The
Moans through the pines along the
cGny0n's rim
Ltke surf upon past and tideless shore.
Out OF the depths. beneath a veH of mist
Rise Shipa,s Temple, Cheop's Pyramid,
The Brdhma Shrine, and Isis light
tipped dltdrs-
The cGnyon,s silent sentinels Of night.
A shaft Of moonlight strikes stark,
pllite cliff
Against stadotD oHinoNs and black
That reaches dotDn in1ponderable depths
A. ohostiy and mysterious as death,
A strong and as inpincible as life
Far. far belotc. In some nnfathomed
gorge,
Through turbulence and joan, the vtver
leaps;
But silently. its shadoued specters
Deiled,
beneath the stars the canyon breathss
Gnd sleeps.
HELEN ROWE HENzE.
Evening star., 1944-10-02
On the SideIines

Senator Ball OF Minnesota has said
that he Is not prepared as yet to
support the Republican presidential
candidacy OF Governor Dewey. He
has also said that he does not intend
to support President Roosevelt, In
these circumstances the fair in
ference is that he intends to remain
on the sidelines, possibly commits
Grating with Wendell Willkie on the
perversity OF political parties that
cannot be made to see the light as
they see it.
This attitude will be criticized by
some as breach Of party regularity.
Senator Ball was delegate to the
Republican National Convention. In
that capacity he seconded the noni-
nation Of Governor Dewey after the
party platform containing foreign
policy plank which he does not like
had been adopted. Hence. the po-
litically-minded will say that the
young Minnesota Senator is OBJ
ligated to support the Republican
ticket.
But his present stand is subject
to criticism for reasons that trans
cend partisan obligations. Mr.. Ball
has been one of the leaders OF a
small group Of Senator'S who have
sought to win public support for a
postwar security organization backed
by an effective international police
force. Neither party and neither
candidate has been willing to go as
far in this direction as the Ball
Burton Hatch Hill group wants. Yet
the fact remains that within five
weeks the American people must
make choice between the Repub-
lican. and Democratic candidates.
One of the two parties is going to
be entrusted with the direction of
our foreign policy for the next four
years. In this situation 1t would
seem that Senator Ball, as a sincere
leader of American thought on this
vital question, ought to make up his
mind between the candidates and
support one or the other. AS a
negative figure on the sidelines, pro-
testing in vague terms that Gov
ernor Dewey has not met his expec-
tations, he can accomplish little.
Evening star., 1944-10-02
On Trust
From the st. Louis Post Dispatch.

Mr.. Roosevelt. still amazed at the ia
cility with which rumors reach rifeness
In Washington, announces that he him
self has perfected method for r,imor-
spreading. He simply finds some one
he can trust, he says, and confides the
tittle-tattle to him as "the latest"
From this we gather that the Presi-
dent entertains some skepticism on the
state Of trustworthiness prevailing in
the Capital City. For anguished out
rage de profundis, however, reference
probably should be made to the r,,mor
carrier who has just learned that he
cant even trust the high authority
whose confidence he has sold out,
Evening star., 1944-10-02

A recent invention is a garden
hoe with two opposite blades on the
same handle, one for hoeing and one
for scraping and leveling. And
another fine aspect of this sample.
of Americas ingenuity is that when
the blade end is stepped on the
handle does not fly up and hit the
stopper in the head.
Evening star., 1944-10-02

lenses and the Savoureuse River.
Visitors, however, rarely II ever saw
the outlying branches Of the net
work. Many Of the detached forts
are fifteen or twenty miles distant
from the citadel. Vauban was the
engineer responsible for the original
plan, Denfert-R Rochereau for It's
expansion. The road through the
Gap leads to Mulhouse, Colmar,
Strasbourg and Bale.
Evening star., 1944-10-02
Britain and Power

In talking to the House of Com
mons the other day about the pres
ent trend of British policy in rela-
tion to postwar Europe, Foreign
Secretary Anthony Eden employed
circumspect and generalized words,
but his meaning was clear enough:
To give itself power status COM
parable to that of Russia and the
United States, Britain looks for
ward to establishing the closest pos
sible collaboration with its western
European neighbors against any
potential future aggression"
AS the enemy to be occupied and
controlled, Germany does not enter
the picture, but countries like Nor
way, Holland, Belgium and France
do. In Mr.. Eden's words, "the
friendships that have been made
with the representatives Of those
countries while they have been here
in the war years will be of great
value and Britain proposes to seek
long term understandings with
them to guarantee the peace of
Europe. Besides buttressing what
ever international security organiza-
ton is finally established, such un-
derStandings, according to the For
eign Secretary, would probably have
the added virtue of giving the Brit
ish Government special strength
and authority in it's dealings with
"the other great powers"
When the war is over, the only
"other great powers" will be Russia
and the United States, SO that it is
reasonable to assume from Mr..
Eden's words that the thought be-
hind the present policy of Britain
is to work out arrangements with
the countries of Western Europe
that will lend weight to it as men,
ber of the big three. Such a pol
icy is closely in line with the ideas
expressed late last year by Field
Marshal Jan Christian Smuts,
Prime Minister of South Africa and
one of the wisest and most expert
enced of British statesmen.
The SHUTS thesis-which Mr.. Eden
definitely appears to be following
is simply this: That when the war
ends, with the Italians and the
French not likely to be major ma
tions again for long time and with
Germany crushed, the power struc-
ture of the continent will be COM
pletely changed, that in such cir
cumstances there will be vacuum
in Western Europe and that unless
the British-crippled materially in
their home islands and the Euro
pean sphere-f1ll this vacuum by
close association or union with coun-
tries like Belgium and France, Brit
ain will be heavily outweighed in
the world by the United States and
Russia, and SO, though one of the
big three, will hold an unequal
partnership in that trinity.
All this smacks of balance-of-
power thinking, but from Britain's
standpoint, it unquestionably makes
great deal of sense. The question
is whether the British can carry it
through to its logical conclusions
and still stay within the framework
of a general world system of COL
lective security, whether they can
form, by alliances or otherwise, a
kind of bridgehead of strength on
the continent without reverting to
the ancient game of rival spheres
of influence. Whatever the answer
may prove to be, there seems little
doubt, on the basis of Mr.. Eden's
words, that they are going to try.
Evening star., 1944-10-02

their approach to the problem is
certainly far sounder than the one
attributed to Mr.. Morgentha,b and
it may well be worth serious official
consideration.