davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-05-18
On the Record
By Dorothy Thompson

ADVANCED ALLIED HEADQUAR-
TIERS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN VIA
ROME.-The thing our country has not
yet learned Is that war Is the instrument
OF political policy and victory Is not q
triumph Of arms. But winning political
aims Is the greatest danger Of all coali-
tion wars and is contradictory to the
aims of the Allies unless they can be
reconciled that such wars become mere
elimination contests, each victory being
the preface to a new struggle.
When agreements between the Allies
have been made at the highest levels
they must be meticulously kept. II they
are not, peace cannot be kept in the
long run, except at the price Of re-
linquishing everything for which the
war was fought, thus making all sacri-
fees vain.
The inter-Allied agreements belong
to the political branches OF the Govern
ment. not to the Army. The Armys
business is to implement them.
We are passing from crisis to crisis
with our Russian allies because 1t Is not
shown we mean what we say. At pres
ent Tito is in Trieste and has taken
over the administration Of that port.
despite the fact that 1t was clearly un-
derstood that Trieste belongs under
Anglo = American administration. It
should be handed over to US no matter
who got there first, and Yugoslavia never
was assigned exclusively to the Russian
sphere. In such case Tito either with
draws as result Of harmony of agree
ment or we must compel his withdrawal.
There is no alternative except postpone
ment, and that would be worse than
showdown.
4 4 4
II Trieste was the only incident it
would be less important, but it is not.
Our personal honor is involved in the
Polish situation. Fourteen Polish politi-
cal leaders are under arrest because they
presented themselves to the Russians on
the order of the London government
Evening star., 1945-05-18
Lines for Ny Daughter

toould not hare her grop too s,pitt for
youth,
Too sudden for compassion, nor too
For lope. II she should strike her head
on truth,
Nay she be steddied by grim looic,s
tpdH.
] mould not haze her grow too fast and
far
Beyond her young compatriots right
Lest she should fnd her face against a
star,
Where dreams are only tuinds upon
her broiD.
Donld not hare her erotp too beautiful,
For beauty bears cross al of its
OUR
Yet ho,o can any stature small and dull
House her magnifcence Of vein and
bone?
HoD may she best attain the perfect
size.
That ], In looking Up, ,oiu find her Disep
COSETTE MIDDLETON.
Evening star., 1945-05-18

and that their offensive IL power Is
no more
To sum 1t all up-they know that
they can make the fnal subjection of
Japan cost US q bitter price, but they
know that In the end that final sub
lection cannot be escaped. There Is
nothing they can do about 1t save to
sit and wait, and sell their lives as
dearly as they may. But Is that sort
Of despairing resistance worth the cost
OF . nation laid in ruins, of millions
slaughtered, Of future misery running
into the third and fourth generation?
VIII not those suffering generations
hold to account the leaders who made
such choice?
The answer that the japanese lead
ers seem to have found to this problem
IS the answer often suggested as likely
in this column: A peace offer, or series
of peace offers, seeking to negotiate
something easier than unconditional
surrender, seeking to bargain with the
last ship they have left-the cost to US
Of reducing them by force. There is
good reason to think that peace feelers
have already been put out by the Jap
anese, and curtly rejected by the Allies.
There Is also good reason to anticipate
that this process will continue, with the
Japanese offering more and more as
time goes on.
The Japanese know that we cannot
transfer all the Allied fighting strength
from Europe to the Western Pacific
in few days, or few weeks for that
matter. They have a little more time
before the full measure of destruction
falls upon them. They are hurt, but
not yet hurt fatally. They order their
outlying garrisons, as on Okinawa, to
fight to the end-hoping that we shall
think that every square yard of Japa-
nese soil will be and can be defended
with equal tenacity. And they try
to make peace, to save something out
Of the wreck, to end the war on even
little better margin than the uncon-
ditional surrender which We continue
to demand.
The question Of how long to finish
Japan can be answered only by the
Japanese. They can make us do it the
hard way, If they can hold together
in that determination and If they think
1t is worth the price.
But will the Japanese 60 on2 VIII
they look at the fate OF Germany and
ask themselves whether, after all, 1t
will not be better to surrender and
live rather than to tight on and perish7
VIII there be divisions in their ranks,
as there were in Germany? VIII they
reckon 1t worth while to take thou
sands Of lives from us and pay In mill
lions Of Japanese lives?
No one knows. And no one who does
not know can answer the question: How
long to finish Japan?
toopyrisht, le4S.)
Evening star., 1945-05-18

and on the advice of Britain and
America.
The result OF not compelling the
agreements to be kept is the worst. DOS
slole situation for our relations with
the Soviets. On the one hand we re-
treat, on the other we seek to Offset
the Russian moves by strengthening
the most anti-Russian forces in coun-
tries where VIC are in power.
Thus We lead in justification to Rus
sian expansion and monopoly of power
while weakly accepting from its press
the publicity given to Goering, Ger
many's No. l Nazi, and Gen. Eisen-
hower's rebuke to his own officers who
fraternized with him; two Nazi head
lines speaking of the rescue of Thyssen,
who served Hitler for years, until he
quit for purely personal reasons; pub
hcation Of the wisecracks by Schacht.
who backed the Nazis as early rs 1881:
failure to dtnerentiate between such
persons Is Niemoeller and Prince Phil
lip OF Hesse, who were treated equally
even though Hesse was NaI chieftain.
The Prince OF Hesse had headquarters at
Kassel and only went In the dollhouse
when the exit of italy from the war cast
suspicious upon him because of his
Italian princess wife. All these and
many more things must enhance our
suspicious and fears of the Russians.
What we actually are doing Is CIV
Ing in to Russias face and riling her
behind her back, and that is the recipe
for ruin. We should be honest and
Straightforward and terrible in our
strength to enforce the exact agree
ments. Above all there should be COM
plete integration beween the State De-
partment and the Army. But between
London and the Middle East I was
unable to discover any real commune
cation between Army leaders and Amer
ican Ambassadors and Ministers who
seem to be living in separate worlds
Evening star., 1945-05-18

yard, awaiting the repairs and the
replacements that must be made
before this Fighting Lady can go
to sea again.
Before so many months have
passed the Japanese will see her
again. And one may be pardoned
for a fieeting sympathy with the
sense of utter futility which must
overwhelm the Mikado's men when
they reflect upon the hopelessness
of waging war against ships that
will not sink and men who do not
know when to quit.
Evening star., 1945-05-18
Fighting Lady

The name of another Fighting
Lady-the U. S. S. Franklin-now
must be added to the roll OF gallant
ships whose exploits are in full
keeping with the finest traditions
OF the United States Navy.
The Franklin, one of the new
27,000-ton carriers of the Essex
class, was not much to look at as
she steamed into the Brooklyn Navy
Yard, her makeshift band playing
THE Old Gray Mare Amt What
She Used to Be-" There were
gaping holes in her decks and her
metal work was SCARED and scorched
and twisted. But behind her lay
as splendid a performance as can
be found in any chapter of Amer
lean naval history.
An enemy dive bomber, sneaking
out OF a cloud, caught the Franklin
on the morning of March 10, while
the big ship was sixty-three miles
of the coast of Japan. The bomber
slipped in undetected and scored two
hits on the flight deck with 500
pound bombs. AS fate would have
1t, the Franklin was in the midst
of launching her planes. A few had
taken off, others were on the flight
deck, and still more were being
readied on the hangar deck below.
The ship was loaded with shells,
bombs, rockets and high octane
gasoline.
Within a few minutes after the
blast of the japanese bombs, ter
rife explosions began to tear the
Franklin to pieces. BY all the rules
OF war she was doomed ship
but there are exceptions to all rules
and the Franklin was one of them.
Captain Leslie E. Genres, the
Franklin'S skipper, was authorized
to abandon ship when it seemed
that nothing could save the stricken
carrier. But he refused to 60 over
the side. And 703 members of the
crew-there had been 1,102 casual
ties-elected to stay with him.
With the greatest difficulty, the
carrier was brought under control
and turned away from the Japanese
shore. Still under enemy attack and
with new explosions ripping through
the ship, the Franklin started to-
ward home-12,0 900 miles away. And
now she is back in the Brooklyn
Evening star., 1945-05-18
Another Setback

Failure OF the House Judiciary
Committee, by vote of eight-to-
seven, to report out the Summers
Capper resolution on national
representation for the people of the
District is, OF course, a grievous
disappointment. More than that,
the vote det1es logical explanation.
AS Chairman Summers says, there
are more people in favor of this
resolution than there ever were
before. The brief hearing on the
measure before Chairman Celler's
special subcommittee was a rather
dramatic demonstration OF unified
support from all classes of Wash
ington residents; so much so, in
fact, that testimony was halted
when Mr.. Cellers, calling for express
sions OF opposition and finding none,
adjourned the proceedings with the
statement that his subcommittee
was unanimously behind the resolu-
ton and nothing was to be gained
by further statements in its behalf.
Only fifteen Of the Judiciary Com
mittee's membership of twenty
seven were represented in the vote.
Only the numerical division, not the
names of those voting or how they
voted, Is announced. Nor is any
explanation publicly offered of the
reasons given for those voting in
the negative. 1t may be that the
House committee was Influenced by
decision of the Senate Judiciary
Committee not to propose any con-
stitutional amendment until return
of the soldiers. But in question
of this sort, of such obvious and
incontestable benefit to the soldiers
themselves, such a decision more
properly would. have been left to
the House membership as a whole.
AS Representative Jennings Ran
dolph so ably argued, in his appear
ance before the Celler subcommittee,
the greatest obstacle faced in the
long fight for voting representation
of Washington residents is the
failure to get the matter out of
committee and on the floors of
House and Senate for record vote.
AS long as the matter is bottled up
in committees, with proponents
dealing with secret and unexpressed
opposition, any fair test OF the ques-
ton on its merits Is impossible.
Washingtonians share with Chair
man Summers, an earnest and able
champion of their rights, the belief
that the vote by his committee is
merely another of the temporary
setbacks which have perpetuated the
disgraceful condition of a voteless
American Capital. 1t is not lasting
defeat. For the issue here is so
clear, the case for the District so
unanswerable in the language of
honest men who believe in prac-
ticing what we preach about demo-
cratic government, that the cause
itself will not die.
Evening star., 1945-05-18

should be viewed against the larger
background Of Sino-Soviet relations.
Moscow is not precisely cordial to-
ward the Chungking government of
Chang Kai-shek. while the Commu-
mist regime in Northwest China, ad-
joining Sinkiang, is making aggres-
sive demands on. Chungking and
threatening a renewal of civil war
If it's demands are refused. The end
of the war in Europe, which leaves
the Soviet Union at peace, logically
permits renewed Russian concentra-
ton on the Far East. The renewed
flare-up in Sinkiang may thus be a
significant portent of bigger things
to come.
Evening star., 1945-05-18
How Long japan?
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot

How long to finish Japan?
The answer to that burning question
cannot be q military answer On
strictly military grounds, one can only
say that Japan's military capabilities ex-
tend to long and bitter struggle, per-
haps year, perhaps two years. before
they can finally be hammered into SUBJ
mission.
and, on military grounds, correctly. II
the Germans had played the game we
were all afraid they would play-that of
cold-blooded, carefully calculated de-
fense-they could have prolonged their
do that. There was division within the
German councils. There were some
who wanted to hold out to the bitter
end, to the last life and the last bullet;
!. but there were others who did not.
There is some reason to think that in
the west, at least, the German gen.
erals deliberately sabotaged Hitler,s plan
to retire gradually to the Inner
Fortress" At any rate, German re-
sistance collapsed, suddenly and COM
pletely. Human endurance could stand
no more in the way Of shock, suffering
and despair.
What Of Japan?
The Japanese leaders have before
them the example of Germany. They
see what the Germans have suffered
from prolonged resistance. They are
smart enough to draw comparisons be-
tween the Germany that IS today and
the Germany that might have been
from the point Of view OF remaining
assets-had Germany surrendered after
the twin military disasters Of the sum-
mer Of 1914, which made further re-
sistance hopeless: the Russian break
through in White Russia and the Anglo
American breakout from the Normandy
Peninsula
The Japanese know that the power
which smashed the German cities into
rubble will soon be concentrated
against them in full force. They know
that their homes, their factories, their
temples win be laid waste with fire and
high explosive. They know that the
concentration OF their centers Of in
dustry and population makes this task
even easier than it was in Germany
and they know that 1t Is rendered
easier still by the fact that neither
their defensive air power nor their anti
aircraft equipment approaches the Ger
man standards Of efficiency.
They know, too, that they can oppose
Allied ground fighting power with MOTH
ing more than the stark courage and
Willingness to die Of the Japanese SOLE
dier: they have seen how little chance
they have in any sort OF open terrain
against the mechanical armies OF the
west.
They know that their navy Is finished
Evening star., 1945-05-18

Great Britain can afford . showdown
with one OF the minor but nonetheless
important Allies in the east while the
San Francisco Conference Is still In
progress. He Is also said to rely on the
eventual support from Moscow under
whose wing he placed himself some time
ago.
So far. the Russian government has
remained silent on the Yueoslav issue.
The American and the British notes to
Belgrade were communicated to Moscow
before they were presented to Belgrade.
But 1t appears that the Russian govern
ment has not yet reacted" one way or
the other. In fact, the State Depart
ment does not expect any definite reply
from the Kremlin. But the attitude
Marshal Tito adopts within the next
few days will be indicative Of whether
the q. 8. s. r. intends to side with its
western Allies and instruct the Yugoslav
leader to yield, or whether it will hold
its hand and thus permit the outbreak
of . conflict in Southeastern Europe
which will necessarily have serious re-
percussions.
Both the American and the British
governments have decided to handle
the situation firmly. They cannot con-
ceive that the Yugoslav marshal and
his sponsors in Moscow will remain
adamant. But the reported dispatch Of
troops to the troubled area unquestion-
ably will make Tito think over the con-
sequences Of his present actions.
=
The western Allies are fully entitled
to send any force they desire to the
line agreed on at Yalta for their mill
tary zone. Gen. Eisenhower has fol-
lowed scrupulously the lines of demar-
cation arrived at by the Big Three at
the Crimea meeting. But it happens
that the Russian line does not extend
to where Tto's forces are at present,
that Is to say In Eastern Italian and
Austrian territories. Hence Washing
ton and London feel they are entitled
to speak firmly to any intruder until
the final fate Of these lands has been
settled at a peace conference or DOS
sibly at meeting Of the Big Three.
The military and political terms of
the armistice signed with Italy in Sep
tember, 1943, are not generally known.
They are still considered as a top secret
by the Allies. But there Is no doubt that
Italy was not required to yield any ter
ritories permanently to the Allies until
a peace settlement Is reached
Evening star., 1945-05-18
This Changing World
By Copsfanfins Broyn

The situation in Venizia Giulia, Istria
and Carinthia, which are being occupied
by the forces of Marshal Tito and In
corporated by force into Yugoslavia. is
still considered precarioH from the dip
lomatic point of view. According to
reports from abroad, which have not
received oficial confirmation, q stable
American and British ground force has
been ordered into that area as q matter
OF routine" This force, supported by
British naval and American air units
which made their routine" appearance
in Trieste on Tuesday evening, is in
tended to give the necessary backing to
diplomatic Intervention from Washing
ton and London at Belgrade.
The United States and British gov
ernments are most reluctant to resort
to strong measures" against an Allied
nation. But they are not going to ignore
the gauntlet thrown at them by Marshal
Broz Tito, who seems to have gone on
. rampage. In order to convince him
that the use Of force alone will settle
nothing satisfactorily, . larger force
than his own is believed to have been
sent to re-establish the status quo in
these former Italian and Austrian prov
inces until such time as territorial ques-
tionS are settled at general peace con-
ference.
Because at the Teheran Conference It
had been tentatively agreed among the
Big Three that Trieste might be given to
Yugoslavia, Marshal Tito has decided
that since possession is nine -tenthS Of
the law, he had better move into all the
territories which his countrymen had
coveted for many years. For good meas
ure he also entered Carinthia, which
had never been earmarked by the Big
Three as portion Of Yugoslavia.
Marshal Tito's suggestion to the
United States Ambassador at Belgrade,
Richard c. Patterson, that Yugoslav
forces in Carinthia be allowed to remain
in their position under the remote con-
troll of Field Marshal Sir Harold Alex
ander, the Allied commander in the
Mediterranean, has not been favorably
received, either in Washington or in
London. In his reply to the American
and British notes, the dictator Of Yugo-
slavia adopted what is considered "an-
tiquated subterfuge" in overlooking an
answer to the Allied request that he
evacuate Venizia Giulia and Istria
1t is evident that Tito Is convinced
that neither the United States nor
Evening star., 1945-05-18
Letters to The Star
Proposes Gradual Retirement
to Help Provide Jobs

To the Editor Of The Star:
As . result Of the cessation Of hos.
tilities In Europe. the Army has pre-
dicted q release of over 100000 men
In the next IL months.
Again, If the war in the East develops
as planned, 1t will be Immediately fol-
lowed by still greater release Of man
power.
Mr.. vinson has stated that shertly
there will be 100000 men temporarily"
out Of work. The word temporary, I
am sure, will ease the anguish and hui
initiation Of the men who ind them
selves in this predicament.
AL this adds up to the unpleasant
fact that in a short time this country
will be faced with the same problems
that 1t couldn't solve back In the '30s--
that is, millions OF unemployed.
1t. therefore, is with genuine timidity
that I offer the following suggestion,
because the plan is so simple, yet seems
quite plausible. It is not offered as q
panacea but merely as a step to social
betterment and to help alleviate and,
perhaps, avoid the suffering caused by
unemployment.
The plan (Which I would call the
gradual retirement plan) simply Is
this:
Under the Social Security Act a man
retires at 65. He receives a monthly
sum in proportion to what he has paid
in. He works steadily for about 40 to
As years, and then abruptly comes to
a complete stop, which he Is a phys
ically and mentally ill-equipped to do.
The adjustment is terrific and in many
cases hastens death instead of pro-
longing life.
Why not, then, retire worker gradu-
ally, In slow stages?
When he reaches say 40, his work
week will be shortened day.
When he reaches say so, his work
week Is reduced two days, and so on.
The difference in pay to be made up
by the Federal Government from its
social security fund, which seems to
be ample for such an experiment.
LEONARD ABRAMS.
Evening star., 1945-05-18
Deplores California Terrorism


To the Editor Of The Star:
In a recent statement, Secretary Ickes
said that fifteen shooting attacks, one
attempted dynamiting, three cases Of
arson and i've threatening visits" lately
have been inflicted on citizens of jap
anese descent in California.
If what the Secretary said is true,
then it appears that terrorism is not
entirely confined to the Germans and
japanese. In truth, the Secretary's
statement indicates that the only diff
ference between the California terror
ism and that of the Germans and jap
anese is that the California variety is
being inflicted on people who have both
pledged and practiced allegiance to our
form of government.
Hatred and prejudice have the same
effect on people, regardless Of color or
cast. ]. ]. SPERRY,
Woodstock, Va.
Evening star., 1945-05-18
Or Is to Be?

from the st. Louis stsr-Times. ..
A group Of mathematicians reports the
discovery OF an entirely new and incom-
prenensible geometrical shape. It's
probably the one the worlds In.
Evening star., 1945-05-18
No Flowers to Give

To the Editor Of The Star:
At the present time there Is an album
dant crop Of flowers, and during the past
few weeks have been going from house
to house asking people for them in order
to carry them to Walter Reed Hospital.
But even though the people asked
were told that the flowers were to be
taken to the hospital, they would say
that they did not have any to give while
their yards are full. -..-------,------- -
It seems that people prefer to have
the flowers die rather than to have
some one else enjoy them.
Several persons did share their flow
ers. for which say: "Thanks!"
n. BLOOM.
Evening star., 1945-05-18

How to Dispose of Germans
To the Editor Of The Star:
What to do with Germany and Goer-
ing?
Every decent person on this earth
knows that they should be put before
a firing squad within the hour of their
capture. The food that we will ship
over there to feed them should be fed
to the victims of their barbarism.
Are we going to start now and lay
the foundation for the third world war
that would destroy US ALP
Is there q single one among them
who would not rise up and start this
all over again, II they could? What to
do with them7 Give them to Stain.
Z. A. A.
Evening star., 1945-05-18
Commends Editorial Feature

Commends Editorial Feature
To the Editor Of The Star:
If your associate editor, B. M. Nc
Kelway, has not got deluge of COM
nendatory comments on his prize con-
tribution to your Sunday issue, want
to overcome my inertia sufficiently to
offer my paean. His story is an article
that will take rank as a fine piece of
literature, but more so as an instruc-
tive and constructive piece Of informa-
tion and thinking. / was specially
struck by his description Of the Ger
mans as people who had bartered
their souls as civilized human beings
for worship Of fuehrer god"
In this we Americans can find good
lesson, for we, too, have our ideologies,
propagandas and isms, and, unless our
education is sufficient to enable us to
separate the chaffvfrom the wheat, the
dross from the gold, we too may sue
cumb.
Mr.. McKelway's reference to the suf-
ferings Of the Jews also claims my at
tention. and my reaction Is that the
one unflattering commentary on the
San Francisco Conference is that the
Jew alone, among all the sufferers, Is
mrepresented. HERMAN FELTER.