davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-08-23
The Political Mill
BY Gould Lincoln

merchant shlps-the greatest feet the
world has ever seen. He figured it out
this way, for a total SO 900 900 dead
weight tonnage. of which II 500 900 tons
comprised the American merchant ma
rine in 1899. He estimated losses due
to war and other causes at $500, 900
tons. He assigned the rest of the ton
mage as follows: To military service,
100000 tons; to scrap for old age,
100000 tons; to sell foreign). 10000
900 tons; to American operation, IT,
100000 tons; to national defense re-
serve Gin sanctuary by statute). 21.-
100000 tons. This is big and tough
program to carry out Necessarily it
requires legislation by Congress.
= y
To understand the problem it is nee
essary to recall that the entire Ameri-
can fleet of merchant vessels, including
those taken over by the Government
as we'll as the war-built, have been op-
Grated for the War Shipping Admins
tratlon by private operators. 1t is the
purpose of the administration to get as
many ships as possible back into pri-
vate ownership and operation. The
American merchant marine of the flu
ture is to be privately owned and oper-
ated. So the ship sales bill undertakes
to set up scale of prices for the dis
posal of all vessels of 1000 tons or over
whether to American owners or to
foreign After the First World War
there was also huge tonnage of war
built ships. The old Shipping Board
was authorized to sell ships for the
best price it could get No statutory
price nor floor price was fixed The re-
suit was chaotic conditions for the Ship
ping business. This time Congress is
asked to take the responsibility of fix
ing prices of the ships to be sold, and
to do 1t by law. This will make for
orderly disposal of vessels, with equal
treatment to all-and avoid a lot of
unsavory charges that vessels have been
given away for song"
Many factors had to be taken into
consideration in arriving at the price
schedule, including the increased costs
OF construction due to war conditions
the greater costs of American ship con-
struction as compared to shipbuilding
costs in foreign countries. The House
Merchant Marine Committee. after
long hearings and inquiries, finally de-
cided that a price equal to SIS per cent
OF prewar construction costs would be
fair, except for tankers, and in that
case it is rs per cent
Evening star., 1945-08-23
Repeal of War Time

With wartime controls being
abandoned right and left it may be
taken for granted that lot of leg
islators have their axes out for
daylight-saving, or war time. A
good many city folk accept daylight
saving with grace if not gratitude.
But it is another thing to the
farmer, who has a traditional dis
like of it and to many other good
citizens there is something that
seems to suggest sacrilege in push
ing forward the hands of the clock
something akin to changing the
date of Thanksgiving.
At the end of the war in 1918
congressional efforts to end day
light-saving time ran into two
presidential vetoes, the last one
being overridden in October, 1919.
This time the repeal of daylight
saving time can be brought about
by concurrent resolution, without
reference to the President. Last
January number of proposals were
made in Congress to end war time
and when Germany surrendered a
flock Of others were introduced.
The War Department and other
agencies opposed repeal, however,
and the War Production Board came
forward with a breath-taking esti-
mate that in three years war time
had saved five billion kilowatt hours
of electric power.
But knowatts or no kilowatts. the
war is over now and when Congress
comes back war time probably will
60 out Of the window and the citi-
zens of the United States will have
returned to them that extra hour of
sleep they lost on February 9, 1912.
Evening star., 1945-08-23
An Obituary
London Daily Herald.

From the London Daily Herald.
Goebbels, we are told, is dead. He is
much the most interesting of the Nazi
corpses. Hitler and Goering were con-
siderable figures in their way Rosenberg
and Streicher, Ley and Hess and Won
Schirach and the others were remarka-
BILE, if only for their success in attaining
SO much power by the exercise of SO
little talent. But Goebbels was the real
big man of the NaA hierarchy. His were
the gifts that elevated and sustained
them all. His were the skill and the
means that won them command over the
German nation and enabled them to
menace the rest of mankind. He con-
trolled the organs of publicity in Ger
many-the radio, the newspapers, the
cinema. His agents were active through
out the war and for years before the
war IN countries where the Nazis deemed
1t essential to present their tale in
fair guise. And he did marvellous lob.
Let us not shrink from according that
epitaph to DR.. Josef Goebbels. He sold
a completely spurious prescription for
happiness to the German people, and he
caused the more susceptible inhabitants
OF other countries-a numerous class
to overcome their natural loathing of
the doctrines and methods upon which
NaN Germany was founded
Evening star., 1945-08-23
This Changing World
BY Constantine Bro,On

The Chinese and the Russian govern
ments will jointly administer and con-
troll the Chinese Eastern Railway and
China will be given share in the naval
base at Port Arthur, which under exist
ing agreements will be returned to the
USSR. These highly important conces-
sions were included in the new Sino-
Russian treaty which was signed last
week in Moscow and are considered in
high quarters in Washington as a def
mite indication that Moscow means to
keep its pledge to assist the other Allies
in the restoration of the Chinese re-
public under the leadership of General
issimo Chang Kai-shek.
The new treaty has not yet been
made available to the public, but ac-
cording to reliable sources it exceeds
the fondest hopes OF all those who.have
attempted in the last two years to place
Soviet Chinese relations on a more sta
BILE and friendly basis.
The treaty Of friendship also provides
that Inner Mongolia remains an in
tegral part Of China, while the COM
mercial port of Dairen will be made
into a free port, open to all the men,
bers of the United Nations.
But what Is even more important
than these agreements, which guaran-
tee China her control over all the ter
ritories belonging to her before the
japanese aggression in Manchuria in
September, 1881, is the fact that the
Russian government formally recognizes
the Chang Kai-shek regime and un-
dertakes not to interfere in the present
struggle for power between Yenan and
Chungking.
The Chinese Communists have been
relying heavily on Russias support and
have consistently refused to enter into
an agreement with Chang because they
hoped to become the real government
of the country. Efforts made by Amer
ican representatives to bring about an
understanding between the two fac
tions have failed, although the Com
munists were offered positions in the
government. The reason for this fail
ure is to be found in the firm belief of
the leaders that Russia would indorse
them when the situation required q
showdown: that is to say, an actual
fight against the Chang forces. This
belief still seems to exist in the minds
OF the Yenan leaders, who are even now
threatening a civil war unless their de-
mands are met that Chang be removed
from the political scene and a Com
munist- dominated government formed
instead of the present administration
Soon after the entry of the Red Army
into Manchuria the Yenan group in
creased its difident attitude toward
Chungking and disobeyed instructions
from China in regard to the surrender
OF the Japanese.
The Chinese problem was taken up
recently by the United States Govern
ment with Premier Stain when Harry
Evening star., 1945-08-23
How 1t Happened in 1905

At least a few Americans remem-
Der the meeting of the Russian and
Japanese delegates to the Ports
mouth Conference in 1905. Theo-
dore Roosevelt tells about it in his
autobiography. During the early
part of that year, he says, "the
strain on the civilized world caused
by the Russo-Japanese war became
serious. From all the sources
of information at hand, I grew most
strongly to believe that a further
continuation of the struggle would
be a very bad thing for Japan and
an even worse thing for Russia. "
I believed, therefore, that the time
had come when it was greatly to
the interest of both combatants to
have peace and when therefore it
was possible to get both to agree to
peace"
Mr.. Roosevelt then explains how
he satisfied himself that leach side
wished me to act" how he "sent an
identical note to the two powers
proposing that they should meet,
through their representatives, to see
if peace could not be made directly
between them" and how he thusSof-
fered himself as IAN intermediary in
bringing about such meeting but
not for any other purpose" Both
Russia and Japan "assented to my
proposal in principle" Yet there
was difficulty in getting them to
agree on a common meeting place.
The problem was solved by mutual
acceptance of Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, a town founded by col
onists from England as early as 1881
and known at first as Strawberry
Bank because of the wealth of wild
strawberries which grew there.
Portsmouth in 1905, however, was
more important as a naval station
of the United States. The confer
ence which assembled there on
August 8 met under the protection
OF the American fleet. President
Roosevelt already had introduced
the delegates at his own summer
home at Oyster Bay on August S.
The representatives of Japan,
thirteen in number, were brought
to the scene on board the cruiser
Tacoma. Those of Russia were pas
Evening star., 1945-08-23

Hopkins visited Moscow before the
Potsdam Conference. The Russian
leader declared. to the surprise of the
special representative of President Tru-
man, that the Chungking-Yenan strife
was an internal matter Of China, in
which the Soviet government did not
desire to become involved.
Stain repeated this assurance to
President Truman and to Prime Min
lister Attlee during the Potsdam CONVEX
sations and in order to show his good
faith signed the very liberal treaty with
DR.. T. v. Soong, Chang Kai-sheks rep
resentative, and gave definite orders to
the Red Army commanders in Man
churia to refrain from any acts which
even by implication would appear to
favor the Yenan regime. He empha-
sized in these orders to the Russian
generals that Russia now had a definite
treaty of friendship with the Chung
king government, and consequently the
only recognized authority in China was
that OF Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek.
probable since, according to reports
from observers on the spot, some Japa-
nese units are allowing themselves to be
equipment is being taken over by the
Communists The Yenan army has
ample manpower, but lacks war mate
rial During the war it had to act
mostly as guerrilla outfit, avoiding
pitched battles with the enemy and
indulging principally in raids, merely
because it lacked the proper equipment
Its leaders, however, are unlikely to
capitulate, and since they control a
large area in Western China they may
continue the civil strife for some time.
The American military observers sus-
pect that portion of the japanese
Army which is disinclined to obey the
surrender orders of Emperor Hirohito
may 60 underground and associate it
self with the Yenan group to continue
a passive resistance which might boil
ster up Yenans fighting powers and
enable the Japanese to lead the life of
ell-organized bandits for some time.
In military quarters in Washington 1t
is doubted that this movement can last
for any length of time. Chang will
soon be in control of the richest parts
of China and will once more have a
vast reservoir of manpower. His equip
ment has been improved in the last
few months and he will be able to pur-
chase more in this country, where he
still has some gold reserves. The Amer
ican Government has endeavored to be
fair in this conflict and its representa-
tives have done their utmost to bring
about a reasonable reconciliation be-
tween the Yenan and Chungking
groups. In fairness to Chang, it is
said that the American efforts have
been fruitless because of the adamant
attitude of the Yenan leaders The
attitude of Russia is now encouraging
and it is hoped that future events will
not change it.
Evening star., 1945-08-23
Borrowing From Experience

Secretary of State Byrnes' selec-
ton of Colonel Frank Mccarthy
to be an Assistant Secretary of
State, together with his announce
ment to press conference that
Colonel Mccarthy would supervise
the pending reorganization OF. the
State Department, is indicative of
a trend of thought in some of the
civilian agencies of the Government
that may become more pronounced
later on.
Colonel Mccarthy, at thirty-three
is the youngest man ever to hold the
job of Assistant Secretary of State
He is talented young man. More
important, however, is his immedi-
ate background. He comes to the
State Department from his war
service as secretary of the general
staff and aide to Chief of Staff
George c. Marshall. He has become
familiar with an organization re-
garded as the most efficiently
operating staff ever developed in
this country. The functioning of
the general staff of the Army, COM
pared with the almost complete lack
of staff organization in the civilian
executive departments of the Gov
ernment, has offered one of the in
teresting contrasts of the war.
Secretary Byrnes undoubtedly has
come to have high regard for his
new assistants abilities, for his
work as director of war mobiliza-
ton at the White House brought
him into close contact with Colonel
Mccarthy, who performed some of
the liaison work for the general
staff with the White House. But
Mr.. Byrnes. with many other civil
Ian executives, undoubtedly has
been impressed with the posi-
bility of applying to civilian admin
istration some of the methods per-
fected through military staff Or
ganization. The purpose of such
organization is to find practical
application of the principle of team
work, with duties and responsibility
specifically assigned, with chains of
command defined and with every
member of the team familiar with
what every other member of the
team is doing
The lack of any such staff work
in the civilian agencies has made
itself apparent many times in the
war. And efficient staff organiza-
ton, while developed of necessity
by military organization, is as ap-
plicable to civilian as to military
administration.
Evening star., 1945-08-23

'sengers on the cruiser Chattanooga.
Both groups were saluted with nine
teen guns. Mr.. Roosevelt received
first the Japanese and next the Rus
sians in the cabin of the yacht May
flower. Baron Komura headed the
ENJOYS of Japan, M. Sergius Witte
the Russian contingent. The Star,
reporting the scene, explained:
History was made today in Oyster
Bay. Russians and Japanese clasped
hands and greeted one another with
all outward evidence of cordiality."
The recent proceedings at Manila
differed from those at Oyster Bay
very much as the Russo-Japanese
war differed from the Second World
War. It is a commonplace of his
tory that passion and bitterness
have increased among men as the
intensity of military operations has
increased.
Evening star., 1945-08-23

spite their great economic power, have
been less important as direct determin-
ers OF governmental policy than might
be expected. This is undoubtedly due
to the old feudal tradition which placed
the merchant below the farmer in social
rank"
The big business families-the zaib-
atsu-include the Mitsui, the Iwasaki
tMitsubishi interests), the Sumitomo,
the Okura and the Yasuda interests.
Apparently, in the past is years of mil
itary ascendency these people have
aided the military. What they did was,
no doubt, similar to the enforced CO.
operation which certain German indus
trialists gave the rising Nazis. They
either used their technical skill and
managerial ability for the purposes of
the war lords or they were blotted out.
They had no power to resist, because
several social classes separated them
from the imperial circle.
NJ
What is happening now is the as
sumption of all the power of govern
ment by the imperial family and
household. BY exceedingly clever
propaganda the war lords built up the
Emperor as the supreme source of power
and inspiration. This position he now
holds. And the imperial family and
the nobility are now in the seats Of
power. Inbreeding. Incidence and in
temperate living have reduced this class
to Incompetence. It will be a blunder-
ing instrument, but it is what Gen.
Macarthur must use to restore and
keep order.
The war lords are on the way out and
must be kept that way. Any idea that
the merchant class can take over is
unthinkable. It could not command
obedience, and obedience is what is re-
quired in the carrying out OF Allied
peace terms.
Released By The Associated Newspapers incl
Evening star., 1945-08-23
InduStrialiStS Not in Power
By Rav,n 0ud Mole,

Some American radicals and radical
papers and magazines suggest that the
retention of the Japanese Emperor
has resulted in the ascendency in his
councils of the business and industrial
class. This, they assert, is the reten-
ton Of fascism and the basis of future
trouble.
This effort of some Americans to use
the situation to further their hate cam
paign against American industry is a
shameful business. These writer's and
speakers were, before the surrender. all
for revolution in Japan. 1t was of no
Importance to them that japanese
revolution would, in effect, continue the
war and shed American blood. Nor did
they care whether the United States,
already overburdened With feeding and
clothing the needy populations in for
eign countries, in case OF revolution
in Japan. would have to use 10 times
the occupation force for 10 times the
length of time. In the view of these
critics, good revolution here or abroad
juStifieS any cost.
The simple truth is that japanese
business interests have not moved into
a position of power. The Japanese mill
itary class is being moved out, but the
vacancy thus created is being filled by
other groups much more likely to COM
mand the obedience of the people.
Various authorities on Japan, includ-
ing John F. Embree in "The japanese
Nation point out the extremely low
position the merchant class occupies in
the Japanese system. Highest of all
Jap classes is the imperial family. It
is above the clouds" Then comes
the nobility. which provides ministers
OF the imperial household. Following
these in recent years have been the
military people, the leaders Of the old
samurai families.
Embree says, THE big capitalists, de-
Evening star., 1945-08-23

The plaintive plea of members of
Congress for longer vacation because
no reconversion legislation can be re-
ported from committees by September
S falls on deaf ears in shipping circles
A bill Of great importance to the Amer
lean merchant marine and to the United
States Maritime Commission - known
as the ship sales bill'-is already on
the House calendar. 1t was placed there
last June. 1t should be law now in
order to help deal with vastly complex
situation growing out of the huge and
successful war shipbuilding program
carried on by this country. The American
people have an s1S, 900 900 900 to $50 ,0O0,-
100000 investment involved. Congress
should not duck Its responsibility in
this matter. A great many of these
American merchant ships should be
sold-to American owners and to for
eign. Now is the time to find markets,
when the carrying trade is still enor-
nous, and will be for months to come
But with the ending of the war this
trade is bound to slacken materially in
a comparatively short time.
The completed shipbuilding program
since the war began is approximately
So,ooo,o0o dSooWCA6AAt tOL1S O1 ClllHS-d
total of 7,l00 ships of all types. 1t was
possible only through great expansion
of shipyard facilities-from 10 private
yards containing 46 ways and employing
$4,000 workers to 81 yards with 300
ways and 100000 employees. Further,
it was possible to officer and man these
merchant fleets only through an in
tense program of enlistment and train
ing. In 1899 the sea-going personnel
OF the American merchant marine was
between $4,000 and $4,000 This year it
will be over 242.000. What's going to
be done, not only with the ships, but
with the shipyard workers and the
crews and officers?
Yet Congress beat it out of town,
leaving this merchant marine bill on
the legislative ways. 1t may be said
that members did not know the collapse
OF Japan was just around the corner,
but Germany had been defeated and
the need of this ship sales bill was i'm
minent nevertheless. Certainly it should
be given early consideration when Con-
gress gets back.
Admiral Land, chairman of the United
States Maritime Commission, not long
ago made computation of what should
be done with all these American-built
Evening star., 1945-08-23
In Munchurid

1t mas not taken long LOT Ine Jap
anese Kwantung army to diSinte-
CRATE in Manchuria. According to
Russian sources, it's resistance has
ceased almost everywhere But when
the Soviet Far Eastern armies struck
at it less than two weeks ago, it had
the reputation of being the strong
est, best and most fanatical part of
Hirohito's land power, and it would
have surprised no one had it fought
on to the death.
Accordingly, in opening battle
against it. the Russians-who had
already spent their blood so lavishly
in Europe-had to reckon with the
grim possibility that it would cost
them still more casualties on
major scale. They did not hesitate,
however, to plunge in. Some have
suggested that our use of the
atomic bomb against Hiroshima i'm
PEELED them to act because they
wanted to get on the victory band
wagon and have voice in debating
terms to Japan. But wholly apart
from the consideration that the
Russians by the very nature and
geography of things would play
large role in ASias peace in any
case, this rather snide Interpretation
is not in accord with the clear his
torical fact. The fact is that long
ago the Soviet Union pledged that
it would enter the Far Eastern war
on our side three months after the
defeat of Germany. and it lived up
to that pledge almost to the day and
hour.
The use of the atomic bomb pos
sibly may have led the Russians to
strike few days earlier than they
had planned, and it unquestionably
played decisive role in persuading
the enemy that the time had come
to surrender. Yet the point still
stands, even though its casualties
have been happily few in Manchuria,
that when the Soviet Union declared
war on Japan, it could not be sure
that Hirohito was about to yield and
that his million-man Kwantung
army would rapidly fall apart.
It is worth noting, moreover, that
throughout the war the Japanese
could never be certain of what Rus
sia would eventually do in collabo-
rating with us, and this uncertainty
was enough in itself to immobilize
the better part of the Kwantung
army in Manchuria at time when
1t could have been used against us
elsewhere. Nor should we under
estimate the impact of the Russian
= entry on the enemy's will to-resist
Coupled with the terrible force of
the atomic bomb, it certainly went
Evening star., 1945-08-23

far to convince Japan that all was
lost and that further fighting was
useless. In this sense, the Soviet
Unions contribution to victory In
Asia has been most important, even
if dwarfed by its contribution =,
victory in Europe.
Evening star., 1945-08-23
Refugees Return

The long professions torm-the bodies
dripen
From their otDn doors beneath ancestral
sky
Rise from the alien dust and, catherine
all
Within their arms, turn ever ,Dhence
they came
Broken, the road; shoeless. the forward
feet,
Yet joy fo,ps to the heart In healing
floods,
yedrning,
Epen to the panished door and the root
tree shattered,
TO kiss. peeptng Nth 5oy, the ashes Of
home!
ISABELLE BRYANs LoNdFELLow.