davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-09-28
This Changing World
By Constantine RroVn

Gen. Charles de Gaulle is looking to
the French assembly elections next
month with a great deal Of confidence
as a result Of last weeks local elections
In which the Socialists scored an over
whelming victory, with the Communists
coming out second best"
The French political parties were ut
terly disorganized at the end of the
war. The only exception was the Com
munist party, which maintained a strict
discipline during the German occupa-
ton.
When France took up the cause of
Poland in 1899 and declared war on
Germany. the Communist party went
underground and concealed its activi-
ties until the fall of France in 1910,
when 1t came to the surface once more.
1t went underground again after the
Germans attacked Russia In ls4l and
became an important part in the ma
tional resistance movement, but never
wholeheartedly Endorsed Gen. de Gaulle
and his followers.
When the Algiers government under
Gen. de Gaulle was finally organized,
the Communist leaders insisted on
having important positions in the tenn
porary government. Gen. de Gaulle, who
did not know what the future had in
store for him and, grateful to the
Moscow government which was the first
to recognize him as the leader OF the
French people, accepted them. But he
discovered in a short time that these
French Communists were trying to un-
dermine his power
Skeptical Of real cooperation with
the Communist movement. the General
attempted to prevent the return Of their
leader, Maurice Thorez, from Moscow
where he had escaped in 1899. Gen. de
Gaulle took the position that Thorez
was deserter and, II allowed to return
to France, should be tried by military
tribunal ThoreZ, strongly backed by
Moscow, returned to leadership Of the
Communist party.
Last weeks elections proved conclu-
sively that France is going to the left,
so far as domestic policies are con-
cerned. just as Britain went 10 the left
in the August elections when the Con-
servative party was defeated. But, 1T is
significant that of 87l candidates who
were elected-732 candidates must fight
out another run-off election next Sun
day-only SIS members of the well-or-
ganized and disciplined Communist
party were able to win seats in the city
councils. The rest were Socialists, Radi-
Evening star., 1945-09-28
Bid for Volunteers

II experience after the last war
serves as a guide, there Is a rude
awakening in store for those men,
bers of Congress who believe that
the problems OF occupying Germany
and Japan can be solved by substi-
tuting volunteers for drafted troops.
In 1919, when there was need for
fewer troops because the military
problem was less complicated, Con-
gress, as is the case now, was being
bombarded with petitions for the
release of drafted men from service.
Yielding to these demands, the leg
islators, in February, 1919, reopened
enlistments in the Regular Army
for one and three year terms. Ten
months later the Army had man
aged to enlist l37,06O volunteers
1858 for one-year terms and 63.497
for three years.
This is not record which war
rants the optimistic view that the
present Congress is taking of our
military future. The probabilities
are that the Selective Service Act
will expire next May Is, at which
time inductions will cease. Those
already inducted can be kept in
service ,tbut for not longer than "six
months after the termination of the
war" Yet the need for maintaining
considerable occupation forces in
both Germany and Japan, if we in
tend to make secure the peace
which has been won, will extend
over a much longer period of time.
And Congress apparently intends to
require our military authorities to
rely on the volunteer system to raise
the men who will be needed. Fur
thermore, in the face of recommen-
dations to the contrary from the
President, the military leaders and
Evening star., 1945-09-28
Prospects in India

III Ai1oil bdOOI government mas
lost no time in tackling the thorny
Indian question. Its aim was de-
fined in the Kings speech at the
opening of Parliament as "early
realization of full government
in India" The means, described by
Prime Minister Attlee as being In
accordance with the spirit and in
tention" of the Cripps offer of 1912,
include the prompt holding of cleo
tions to the central and provincial
legislatures, the formation of an
Indianized Executive Council to the
Viceroy, and finally the setting up
OF Constituent Assembly for the
drawing up of constitution.
In all this there is factually MOTH
ing new, and that in itself empha-
sizes the basic continuity of British
policy toward India, no matter what
party is in office. However, the
Labor party has been so consistently
In favor OF genuine self-government
for India that its sincerity will be
more readily believed by the Indians
themselves and their own RESPONSE
bilities for success in these efforts
will be more self-evident. The La
Dor government has made it clear
that 1ndia's political evolution must
be orderly and that India will not
be turned over to any. one faction
to do as 1t pleases. In other words,
a genuine agreement to work peace
fully together must be the condition
precedent to Indian self-rule.
That, OF course. is the stumbling
block which has hitherto baked
every effort for 1ndia's political evo-
luton, the latest example being the
deadlock between the Hindu-domi-
mated Congress party and the Mos
lem League. which brought to
naught the Viceroy's effort to estab-
lish an Indianized Executive Council
last summer. And, outwardly, there
are no signs OF improvement. The
Congress party at its current session
has not only condemned the British
proposals as insufficient, but has
bitterly assailed the Moslem League.
which has tartly replied in kind.
Renewing its demand for immediate
independence, the Congress party
went out Of its way to demand the
extension of independence to Burma
Malaga, French 1ndo-C China and the
Netherlands Indies from Imperial
ist rule" However, this uncompro-
missing language was not coupled
with refusal to take part in the elec-
tions or with any threat to renew
the "nonco-operation" movement
which degenerated into violence,
sabotage and revolutionary agita-
ton. And, in India, it is deeds
rather than words which count.
The elections, scheduled to take
place in December and January
should serve useful purpose, not
only as restoring legal political life,
but also as factually determining
the present strength of Indian par
ties, especially the Congress party
and the Moslem League, both OF
which make sweeping claims un-
Evening star., 1945-09-28
Mr.. Crowley RESIGNS

Leo /. crowley belongs to that
rare company of men born with a
genius for doing many different
things all at the same time and
doing every one of them we'll. He
came into the Government eleven
years ago as head of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation, and
he resigns now-effective October IS
either as head or board member of
no fewer than eight other agencies,
including the Export Import Bank
and the Foreign Economic Admin
istration. Nearly everything he has
turned his hand to as public serv-
ant has been OF key Importance,
burdening him with heavy respon-
sibilities. In FEA, for example, his
job has been to supervise the ham
ding Of about thirty five billion dol
lars in wartime appropriations and
authorizations, but he has dis
charged these and all his other
duties in seemingly effortless
manner
Actually, of course, an immense
amount of effort has been involved,
but Mr.. Crowley has been so quietly
efficient and so well organized that
his multiple operations have had the
appearance Of being easy because
they have been smooth. Exception
ally gifted as an executive, he has
been blessed, in addition, with a
natural ability to get along with
people, a fact which, besides being
helpful to the administration in
Congress, has made him outstand-
ing as a noncontroversial figure in
an era Of controversy. He has rem
dered long and distinguished service,
and as he returns to private life the
accolade accorded him by President
Truman might fittingly be echoed
by the Nation at large: We'll done"
Evening star., 1945-09-28
Down Of Thistle in the
Study HalI

Upon the silence OF the moving air
A star floats through the open case
ment. Eyes r..
Begin to ttoinkle and the songht-tor
Ot the hypotenuse, the Jdy.o1 skiss
OF Caesars Gaul and Honer's Odvssey
Are quite forgotten as the stpingin1
light
OF fascinating, lacy mercury
Pursues across the room q charted
flight.
1t is beset BY dreams. A multitude
OF them take hold OF IL and each one
Upon ,Ding- spread, iridsscent-hued,
Until the ,Detghted star sinks low and
hides.
The usual n,ien perpddes the study hall,
And minds return to problems, Homer
Gdul.
ROSE MYRA PHILLIPS.
Evening star., 1945-09-28

supported by concrete evidence. The
real test will come when the elected
legislatures actually convene and
start functioning. II Moslems and
Hindus cannot work together In
these bodies, there would seem little
chance that they can agree on the
makeup of the projected Execu-
tive Council and Constituent Assem-
bly,, in which case the British Raj
will continue to carry on as before.
But the responsibility for failure
would then have been clearly fixed
upon the Indians themselves.
Evening star., 1945-09-28
Dog Vaccination Experimental

Dog Vaccination Experimental?
To the Editor of The Star:
was not at all surprised when read
the letter signed by A. F. and headed
Dog Lovers on the Pan" A. F. is ap-
parently typical crackpot dog hater in
this fair city which long has borne the
reputation Of being a dog g-hating city.
But such people As A. F. describes are
not dog lovers-they are merely dog
owners. No dog lover would ever per-
nit dog to be as neglected I, too, am
heartily in favor of the leashing OF
dogs. This is far greater protection
to the dog than to the public. For,
although our property is securely
fenced and my dog has never been loose
on the street, daily witness children
stopping at the fence to tease my dog
by barking" at him-hitting at him
with sticks, and 50 on. Fortunately,
mine is a well-mannered dog-his man.
ners are far better than those OF the
passing children-and his very express
sion seems to say: MY, aren't they
rude?"
AS for rabies although I feel certain
that The Star will not print this).
have in my possession letters from what
is considered the largest vaccine manu-
featuring drug company in the United
States (the company that supplied the
rabies vaccine to the District for the
compulsory vaccination OF dogs and
it is plain to see, in plain English.
that this rabies vaccination Of dogs is
purely experimental. In other words.
we who love our dogs must have them
submit to experimental vaccination to
further the research of this and other
drug companies. 1t actually says that
in the letter have. Furthermore, it
Is impossible for this or any other drug
company to tell you the incidence of
rabies among dogs, and they say Il
quote: The dog as disseminator Of
rabies, is negligible"
DOROTHY WHITMAN FRoHMAN.
Evening star., 1945-09-28

they are so anxious to have what they
call friendly governments in the states
bordering on the frontiers Of the U. S.
s. r. They desire not only that these
states should not be used as spring.
boards for military operations-possibly
by a recovering Germany-but also that
they should not become strongly af-
filiated with western capitalism and
thereby acquire economic ties with the
west which might prove stronger than
their political ties with the U. S. S. r.
This, in part at any rate, is the basic
reason behind Russian insistence that
the present governments of Romania
and Bulgaria are democratic" and sat-
isfactory; it is also the reason why the
Russians want a sympathetic type of
government in Poland, Yugoslavia and
Hungary. Russian claims to Italian
colonies on the Red Sea and the Medi-
terranean are almost certainly mere
bargaining counters in game in which
the real Russian idea is you stay out
of my back yard and III stay out OF
yours
There is nothing very terrifying in
all this. There is little sign of the old
crusading zeal OF the world revolution
in the realistic policies of today's
Kremlin. The dificulties which have
arisen in International conferences be-
tween Russia and her western Allies
may almost all be traced to the fact
that the Russians have definite policy
which serves as an overall directive
for their political guidance. whereas our
policy is a day-to-day affair which as
yet lacks anything more definite in the
way of guidance than the general idea
OF world peace and security and the
general idea that I'VE mustn't let the
Russians 60 too far" Obviously we shall
never get anywhere on that basis.
One trouble which we in America have
in sizing up this situation properly Is
the fact that we have not really suf-
fered very much from this war. We have
lost good many lives, which We can
never replace. We have had many
thousands of young men mutilated in
one way or another, and that we can
never repair. But we have not been
invaded, we have not been enslaved, we
have not seen the hangman and the
torturer at work in our midst, we have
not heard the roar of hostile bombs or
seen our homes in flames.
The Russians have suffered all these
things, and they are grimly resolved to
suffer them no more.
tcopyrisht- iezSJ
Evening star., 1945-09-28

others, 1t is evidently the expecta-
ton OF Congress that most Of the
volunteering will be on a one-year
basis-which, even if the required
number of men should be forthcom-
ing, cannot produce an Army suit
able for the occupation of distant
countries.
All of this boils down to a refusal
to face the realities of our position
and to measure up to our RESPONSE
bilities. If it has the harmful con-
sequences logically to be antici-
pated, the fault will rest with Con-
gress, and not with the President,
the Army or any one else.
Evening star., 1945-09-28
An Annual Farce

l1lc puUllC Ilcd1IIlB VII GliC pic
liminary budget estimates held yes
terday at the District Building is a
well-intentioned device, voluntarily
undertaken by the Commissioners to
let the voteless taxpayers express
themselves for one day on how to
spend their money.
AS a matter of fact, it is a farce.
The citizens do not know how much
money will be available for ex-
penditure-the most important item
in making up budget. From now
until January the budget will be
top secret, no taxpayer being per-
mitted to know what is in it until
1t is sent to Congress. When the
hearings are held before the appro-
priations committees, the sessions
will be behind closed doors. Toward
the end, those who wish to testify
will, be invited to state their views
and If they ask for inclusion of some
item omitted by the Commissioners
they may be advised, as they were
last year, that they should have gone
to the Commissioners in the first
place.
AS far as any real participation
by local taxpayers in budget-making
is concerned, there amt no such
animal. That explains many curl
Gus things about how this great
bleeding heart for world democracy
the United States Capital
operates.
1t explains why the animals at
the Zoo live in finer buildings, with
more devoted and more scientific
care, than unfortunate children who
happen to become public wards of
the District.
1t explains why unruly boys, juve-
nile delinquents, are thrown into
the city jail-there being no decent
or adequate detention home-and
why the superintendent at the Jail
complains rather bitterly over the
lack of anything for them to do
while awaiting disposition of their
cases.
1t explains why this great Capital
has no fine public auditorium as
other cities have; no stadium, as
other cities have, and why the Com
mlssloners have to pass the hat
among their friends to defray
nominal expenses of some public
celebration instead of doing as every
other city in the country does and
spend money needed out of funds
set aside for such contingencies.
1t explains why millions Of local
dollars are spent on decorative parks,
while children play in the streets
for lack of recreation areas. 1t
explains why purely local measure,
like bill designed to eliminate
slums, becomes the football of ma
tional pressure groups with only
their own aims at stake and votes
to back them up.
The Star believes, however that
the annual farce OF giving local
taxpayers an opportunity to testify
on the budget serves a good purpose.
1t accentuates their complete polit-
1cal impotence and may persuade
more of them that the remedy for
most of the things wrong with
Washington lies in possession of a
voting voice in their own govern
ment-which is Congress. Until they
get it, they will continue as suppli-
cants before our lords and masters
who spend our money.
Evening star., 1945-09-28
Letters to The Star
A Retiree States His Case
for Larger Pension

70 tf . Editor Of The Star
] belive "zombies" Is an appropriate
name for Governmental retirees. They
have been entirely overlooked in re-
adjusting living conditions of the work
ers" OF America. They are oficially
dead, though physically much alive.
Employees of industry are safe under
social security, and given better retire
ment pay than Government workers.
For example, a man IS years old and
having earned $1,000 a year contributes
$50 annually to the fund and draws $85
a month as long as he lives. When this
mans wife reaches IS she receives one
half as much as her husband N42.50)
in her own right. If her husband dies,
she receives three-fourths Of his retire.
ment pay, and there are varying allot-
ments for other classes of dependents.
And the Social Security Board recon-
mends that retirement age be cut to so
years. All this on payment of per
cent of the workers pay check.
Civil service retirement began with a
deduction OF az per cent from pay rolls,
increased 4 little later to 3h per cent,
and 500 q month was ceiling for all
workers earning 1900 a year or over.
In 1885 the deduction was increased to
S per cent and top retirement increased
slightly. But no thought was given to
widows or dependent children.
For example, Government employe
earning $1,000 year prior to 1885 was
retired on 500 a month. If his widow
had no resources, she could go to. let
us say, the State pauper roll. Her hus-
band paid in sos a year for the "bene-
fit"-social security collected $50. gave
the husband $85, the wife $4250 extra
when she reached IS years of age. and
three-fourths of her husbands retire.
ment when he died. All on the pay
ment of ! per cent Of his earnings
was forced on retirement in 1888 Ito
reduce unemploymenD at 500 a month,
had paid in trif1e over $llo year, and
when die my wife will have to sell our
little Florida cottage and spend all but
$500 in cash, and then appeal for a
State pension for widows. Looks
'screwy" to me. A. J. B.
Evening star., 1945-09-28

A good many Americans can name
the president of either the American
or the National Baseball Leagues.
Some can name both. 1t is won
dered how many can name the pres
ident OF the League of Nations,
Evening star., 1945-09-28
And Soon!

From the st. Louis Post Dispatch.
With Eisenhower in Berlin and Mac.
Arthur IN Tokyo, all we have to do new
is to win the reconversion.
Evening star., 1945-09-28
More on Veterans Insurance

More on Veterans Insurance
To the Editor Of The Star:
Your editorial In The Star of Sep
tember IS, entitled Veterans Insur-
ance" seems to indicate that a veteran
can continue carrying his $4,000 policy
at the same rate Of approximately IS per
month as while in service.
question the accuracy Of this state
ment. Further investigation may indi-
cate that the veterans know what they
are choosing when they allow the serv-
ice insurance to lapse. B. C.
Editors note:
The editorial in question gave the
wrong impression regarding rates. 1t
should have made clear that the
National Service Life Insurance poll
cies now in effect are eight-year term
policies and that when they are
converted into permanent policies
the rates 60 up according to age,
conversion being allowed year after
the service policy Is issued or at any
other time between then and the
expiration of the eight-year term.
For example: An 1s-year-old soldier,
according to the Veterans Admins
tration, would pay $40 month on
$4,000 service policy, but If he
converted this to permanent
ordinary life policy year after re-
ceiving it the rate for the rest of his
life would be $l2 . month, or if he
deferred conversion until the expira-
ton of the eight-year term-when he
would be 26-the rate thereafter
would be $l4.10. The same soldier
could, II he wished, date back his
converted policy to what his age
was when his service policy was
issued, in which case the rate would
rise to $11.80, but he would have to
pay the difference in reserve values.
| Dating back offers little or no adj
vantage in converting to ordinary
! life; 1t is recommended, rather, In
converting to 20-pay and 30-pay
| policies. The example of the 18-
year-old soldier states the case in
oversimplined form, but it should
serve to correct the impression left
l By the editorial On this point
Evening star., 1945-09-28
GettinS Back to Bs
To the Editor Of The Star:

TO the Editor OF The Star:
1t has occurred to me that indie
pendence avenue SW should be named
Bunker Hill avenue and Constitution
avenue NV. should be named Bataan
avenue.
The former was known for we'll over
a century as B street S.W. and the
latter was known as B street NV.
To make this change would be TO re-
turn to the original alphabetical order
Of naming the streets here as proposed
by Maj. L'Enfant. lack SPRATT.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-06-22
Late Col. F. w. LaForge
 C0mmandedHighEsteem
Native Waterburian to Be Memoriazed By Conn. So=
 ciety of Civil Engineers; Excellent Service Record

Members of the Connecticut So- city of Civil Engineers marked with deep regret the passing of one of their oldest and most beloved mem bers, Colonel Frederick w. LaForge, 81, native of Waterbury, who was laid to rest Monday in this city. An honorary member of the society, Colonel LaForge won an enviable place in the hearts of his fellow, members, as was evidenced at the Goth anniversary testimonial din- ner of the society held January IA, 1944, in Hartford. The members acknowledged their debt to their charter member for personal eXer- tions in the society's formative years, and for lifelong support of it's activities" and expressed the hope that his brotherhood would be a beacon for other members to follow.
 Colonel LaForge, son of the late Frederick H. and Margaret Laird La Forge of Waterbury, received his primary education in local public schools, preparing for entrance to college under the supervision of Minot s. Crosby and Miss Margaret Croft. He was graduated from the Sheffield Scientific school at Yale university, class of 1882, and for the following four years was en- ployed by Welton and Bonnet, civil