davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-08-09

Unless the Japanese nation has de-
cided to commit mass hara-kiri, most
observers in washington believe that 1t
is bound to surrender in very short
time.
The impact Of the atomic bomb, to-
getner with Russia's declaration Of war,
should make 1t clear even to the jap
anese military clique that any further
resistance is even more futile than that
attempted by her former German ally.
Until Moscow issued its declaration
Of war, some Of the high-ranking mill
tary In Tokyo were entertaining the
idea that they might obtain some as
sistance from the U. s. s. r. by bar
gaining the cessioA of Chinese territories
such as Manchuria and Inner Mon
golia against the Soviets' neutrality and
its mediation with the other Allies.
In order not to irritate Moscow, the
japanese Navy has not interfered with
the important cargoes Of war materials
which have been sent since last May
from the American ports on the West
Coast to the Siberian ports in much
larger quantities than at any time in
the past. Although the Japanese high
command was fully aware of the nature
of the cargo contained In the hundreds
Of ships which had cleared American
ports, and although these ships had to
go through Japanese-controlled waters,
there was not single attempt to seize
or sink them.
The American Government suspended
further lease-lend to European Russia
at the expiration of the fiscal year, but
continued to send war material to the
Russian Army in Asia. The only pro-
lection for these unescorted ships was
the Russian flag, which neither the
remainder Of the Japanese Navy nor
the Japanese air force dared attack
lest a conflict be precipitated. The
desperate efforts of the japanese gov
ernment, however, were fruitless, since
Moscow decided that joining the Allies
Mt this time was far more profitable
than the acceptance OF some morsels
which Japan was willing to give up VOL
unfairly. The manner in which the
declaration Of war was announced by
President Truman indicates that Rus
sia's rewards from such an action had
been discussed and settled in all de-
tails at Potsdam. The terms of Rus
sia's intervention are still q secret and
will not be known in full until the
Japanese have been crushed. The pres
ence Of Prime Minister r. ". Soong In
Moscow at this time Is also indicative
Evening star., 1945-08-09
No Surprise to japan

While 1t is true that the Moscow
Tokyo neutrality pact technically
had a year OF life remaining after
its formal denunciation last April,
the Japanese cannot have been
surprised by Russia's declaration OF
war. In any number of different
ways they had been long forewarned
of this action. Moreover, a case can
be made for the thesis that the
Stain government In this instance
has moved in accord with obligations
higher than those assumed in its
treaty with Japan.
This case, as Secretary Byrnes
now reveals, was set forth by
President Truman in memorandum
to Generalissimo Stain before Rus
sia made its decision. Briefly, the
case is this: Under paragraph five
of the Moscow declaration OF No
vember, 1943, and more specifically
under Articles 103 and los Of the
United Nations Charter fashioned
at San Francisco, the Soviet Union
In effect committed itself to prin-
ciples invalidating any prior agree
ment at variance with those prin-
ciples. Thus, as Article 103 declares:
TN the event of a conflict between
the obligations OF the members of
the United Nations under the pres
ent Charter and their obligations
under any other international agree
,ment. their obligations under the
present Charter shall prevail"
\ AS for the earlier forewarnings,
l will be remembered that in No
vsmber of 1914 Generalissimo Stain
plblicly branded Japan as an
aggressive" nation. This was i'm
medately followed by so many and
such obvious anti-Japanese moves
on Rsssia's part that the war lords
Of Tofyo can hardly protest today
that taey have been struck dumb
by stab in the back.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
Letters to The Star
Favors Subsidy for Housing
as Well ~ Private Effort

To the nditsr Of Ths Star:
The news that the Government may
wash tts hands OF subsidized housing
was received with . good deal Of cheer
in certain quarters. On one hand. there
are those who are against and even fear
Government enterprise in any field Of
private endeavor. On the other hand,
there are those who see little value in
wasting the taxpayers money on "col-
orful" projects. There is only = shade
of difference between these two beliefs.
The goals are the same.
Your editorial 1.-THE Green Villages
for example, questions the benefits Of
the three experimental housing projects,
except rs reasonable, profitable enter
prises whose physical plans private en-
terprise would be wise to follow. How
ever, you add that in all likelihood pri-
vate capital would not invest its chips
In a dubious gamble. In short, you
leave the reader with the impression
that the ethereal New Dealers wastefully
expended public money on useless prof.
ects.
But from all appearances, private
enterprise is not interested in producing
and maintaining housing projects for
the lower brackets. Nor can any one
blame business people for not wanting
to invest their money in projects that
are too risky. 1t Is evident that the
problem of suitable low-cost housing can
be solved only through Government sup
port.
II private enterprise can meet the
problem of supplying low-income fami-
lies with decent homes, well and good.
II not, Government subsidy of low-cosr
housing projects will not result in COM
petition with private construction. The
combination of the two should prove
to be a great stimulus to postwar pros
perity.
A GREENBELT RESIDENT.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
Tin PeddIer

Time was before the world grew civ
ilized with airplanes, atomic bombs,
radar and jellied-salad combinations
that the annual visit of the tin ped
dler to the farm was an event OF first
water. On an August afternoon a
farm lad spotted him coming far
down the road. As he turned into
the yard, the whole family was wait
ing to greet him. For the tin peddler
of yesteryear was far more than an
impersonal commercial matter. The
tin peddler was a friend: he had
known the family for a generation.
He brought news from relatives and
acquaintances that one saw only
once a year at the county fair.
His cart was a fascinating affair.
1t was a large boxlike vehicle. On
the outside hung all kinds of pals,
brooms, shovels, cooking utensils,
baskets. coils of rope and strips of
leather. Inside. there were boxes of
all shapes and sizes with scores OF
things needed by the farm house.
wife-needles and pins. china and
cutlery. One section was filled with
bolts of cloth--gayly patterned ging-
hams and percales and rolls OF beau
tiful satin and silk. There was ma
terial for window curtains and rolls
of laces. When he spread his ma
terials on the big kitchen table it
was more exciting than the arrival
of the order from the mail-order
company.
The tin peddler bought as well as
sold. He was always anxious to get
rags Of linen and good wool and
mother usually had full bag for
him. Oftentimes he would stay the
night and in the evening neighbors
came in to hear Old Charlie tell
wonderful stories of his boyhood
days in far-otf Armenia. OF course
it was business. but it was much
more than that. 1t brought color
and light to farm homes on lone
some country roads. The tin ped
dler will live in history as one of the
institutions that helped a nation
grow up. And when he left in the
morning. he always handed a bag
of wonderful hard candies to each
youngster, and gift to mother, a
eolorful vase or a bit of exquisite
Evening star., 1945-08-09
The Political. Mill
By Gould Lincoln

The atomic bomb, more than any
thing else, makes peace necessary If
civilization and the human race are
to survive. The world may congratu-
late itself that SO United Nations, meet
ing In San Francisco. worked out the
machinery for the peaceful settlement
of international disputes. This new
agency for peace becomes, in reality
the hope Of the world. Few leaders, If
any, would fail to admit that 1t must be
made to work successfully.
This devastating weapon, the atomic
bomb, which can destroy a big city
with one single explosion, Is the prop
erty of only two of the United Nations
this country and Britain. II the United
States and Britain are determined in
their support of peace-as they are
today-the very fact that they possess
such q weapon Is enough to compel
peace. However, it Is inconceivable that
in the future the secret of this atomic
energy and its harnessing will not be
discovered by other nations, whose sci
entists already are working on it. And
when this becomes fact, all the more
necessary will be the machinery for
peaceful and just settlements of diff
ferences that arise between nations.
The preparation and use of the atomic
bomb upsets every human calculation.
1t exalts and, at the same time, flattens
power politics. 1t puts into the hands
of the nations which are able to pro-
duce such bombs a tremendous in
nuence. But, If the production of such
bombs becomes possible to many ma
tions in the future, these nations must
agree to, keep the peace or plunge the
world into chaos
r
The United Nations Charter, already
ratified by the United States, provides
the machinery, first, for peaceful set
tlement of international disputes, and
second, the machinery for compelling
peace by use of sanctions and the mill
tary. The use of force lies in the hands
of the Security Council-an 1l-member
agency, of which the United States,
Britain, Russia, China and France are
permanent members. The council is
empowered and directed to make agree
ments with the member nations for
quotas OF armed forces and material
and facilities, to be put at the direction
OF the council Suppose that this coun-
try-and Britain-agreed to allocate
certain units of their armed forces,
supplied with atomic bombs, to aid in
Evening star., 1945-08-09

Roman Catholic and Orthodox pa
triarchs have protested this action.
seemingly to no avail. The pattern
Of national reorganization thus set
forth by Yugolslavia's chief execu-
tive Is . familiar one. It Is es-
sentially that already established In
the Soviet Union and in other coun-
tries now controlled by regimes of
4 communistic character. The. new
Yugoslavia Is obviously to be reck-
oned in the totalitarian column.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
SUGGESTIONS for Peace

To the Editor of The Star:
I would like to offer q suggestion for
our postwar planning. 1t may sound
ridiculous at this time but were We to
set up peace departments in each coun-
try, with highly paid officers, such as
head the War Department, we might
accomplish something.
Both war leaders and peace leaders
then would consider their professions
important and the way would not be
SO smooth for war makers. Arguments,
pro and con, would be more highly re-
spected by all concerned.
Another suggestion would be to fol-
low Gen. Eisenhower's preference for
. uniform military system-all military
branches under one administration.
This would eliminate q lot Of dickering
and discomfort existing.
r. w. K.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
Steel Ring Snaps Shut
BY Maj. George Fieidins Eliot

Either the Japanese war is very near
its end, or the japanese are something
more Cor less) than human beings. 1t
seems impossible to suppose that any
people can longer sustain the terrific
succession of physical and psychological
blows which have been launched
against the Japanese, by well-calculated
design, beginning with the British Chi
nese-American surrender demand OF
July rs and continuing in unbroken
succession at two or three day inter-
walls from that time onward.
The proclamation of July 26 was. as
I suggested in my column of August l.
"only the flrst move in a calculated
major operation Of psychological war
fare designed to bring about the col
lapse of japanese morale; an operation
undertaken with full Russian concur
renee and, indeed, participation"
The next move was the announce
ment Of list of Japanese cities to be
bombed "by roster" and Immediately
thereafter the attacks came as per sched-
ule. This was followed by the Potsdam
communique itself, which by the exam
pie OF Germany,s fate showed the Japa-
nese what happened to q nation which
stubbornly held out after all hope was
gone, and drew upon itself the converg-
ing, irresistible power at the disposal Of
the United Nations. The Potsdam COM
munique was made public on August 2;
on August S, the first atomic bomb ever
launched in war wiped out the japanese
city Of Hiroshima. Now, on August 8,
the Soviet Union declares war on Japan
and another bomb is dropped on Naga-
sali. The mere recital Of these successive
events rules out the possibility Of coinci-
dence. This was design. It was planned
that way. The purpose Is to bring about
the end Of the Japanese war as quickly
and with as little further loss Of Allied
lives as possible.
Is
The japanese know now that the con-
cluding words OF the proclamation Of
July rs were no idle threat: Uncondi-
tional surrender or prompt and utter
destruction" The straws Of hope which
their propagandists have held out to
them have been snatched away, one by
one.
As for the immediate effect Of the
Russian declaration Of war, first of all
1t seems likely to involve the Japanese
armies In Manchuria and Korea In .
Evening star., 1945-08-09
No Towels at Pool?
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
On Saturday, July II, I went to the
East Potomac Pool. purchased a ticket
for 40 cents which entitled me to a
towel, soap and bag in which to hang
my clothes and the use Of the pool.
got the bag and the use of the pool, but
not the towel. I was not told by any one
there would be no towel until was
ready to dress.
1t seems to ME they should know how
many towels they have and If not
enough to accommodate all, then one
should be notified of such shortage at
the time he purchases . ticket.
But they don't do this. wonder what
the explanation is3 B. w. FLAX.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
Credit Acknowledged

TO the Editor Of The Star:
In the recent razzberry war between
New Mexico and Texas In The Stars
letter columns, the defense of New
Mexico credited by Dykes Cullum to an
unnamed author, was written by s.
Omar Barker (alias Rattlesnake Robert)
Of Tecolotenos, N. Mex, and originally
appeared In the New York Herald
Tribune Of March IS, 1945.
II you don't figger I'm due this credit,
I won't be mad ct you, but I'm liable
to bite myself. thus deprtying some reg
llar member Of the Rattlesnakes. Union
Of due employment.
s. OMAR BARKER.
Tecolctenos, N. Mex.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
Research and Concer

The development of the atomic
bomb, wholly apart from its half
stupefying larger meanings, demon
strates what mans mind can do
when 1t organizes itself and spares
no expense in probing the heart OF
Nature. With this triumph of re-
search before us. virtually no prob
lem that has baffled science in the
past seems too difficdkt to be solved.
A case in point is cancer. With
the announcement that Alfred P.
Sloan, jr., and DR.. Charles F. Ketter-
ing are giving 100000 to launch
an international fight against this
disease, the promise of eventual vic
tory is very great. Their gift, which
they make as private individuals and
not as key officials of General Mo-
tors. will set up at the Memorial
Cancer Center of New York City
great institute designed to integrate
rs much as possible all the worlds
work in this field and to utilize to
the fullest extent-just as in the
harnessing of the atom-the tech
niques of industrial research.
Never before has there been quite
such an approach to the problem of
cancer. A great deal of important
insegrating work has been done, of
course, but now for the first time
there is to be an elaborate effort to
follow the pattern of cooperative
endeavor that has opened up a new
age of atomic power. In addition to
Mr.. Sloan's and DR.. Kettering's gift,
a fund of $4,000, 900 or 100000 is
to be sought through public sub
scription. All this, coupled with the
expenditures and labors OF numerous
other agencies already active in the
field-including the National Cancer
Institute-should 60 far toward con-
quering the disease, which ranks
second only to diseases of the heart
as killer.
Two billion dollars went into the
program that has given us the atomic
bomb within six years after the his
toric splitting of the Uranium atom.
Up to now. for every million dollars
spent on the war. Americans have
spent considerably less than two dol
lars on cancer research. But under
the ten-year program to be carried
out by the projected Sloan -Kettering
institute, together with the work of
all the other organizations in the
field, this life-saving investment will
be substantially increased, and since
brains will be concentrated on the
problem as never before, it is not in
conceivable that by 1855 science will
know the cause and cure OF the dis
ease.
At any rate. il within six years
man has been able to harness atoms
which are closely related to cancer
research-it does not seem too much
to expect that in a decades time he
may well solve the mystery of the
wild growth of human cells. which
every year takes the lives of 10000
Americans.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
Or Against All Three
To the Editor Of The star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
I note with amusement your recent
article in The Star about the horse.
Nellie. which ran away when stung by
q bee,
The most amusing part to me was
your fnal sentence: mo charges were
preferred"
May inquire who would prefer
charges and against whom7 The man
who was thrown out Of the wagon. for
being thrown out, or against the horse
for running away? Or against the bee
Tor singing the horse?
Sc FLOYD r. MILLER.
Evening star., 1945-08-09

From the 81. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The war In Europe was about lot of
things, things We have always had .
tendency to discuss in lofty distractions,
like freedom and justice and human lib
erty, as If they were characters in some
old morality play. Now that It has been
won at terrible cost in lives and treas
ure, We are slow to count the actual.
tangible victories.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
kssiu Comes In

Russia tdecision to enter, the Pa
cific war aarks = Anal failure for
japanese diplomacy and the ex-
tinguishmet of the last faint hope
that by soe miracle of eleventh.
hour Importation Japan might es-
cape with rs than total defeat.
Perhaps. until today. the japanese
had clung toshe belief that they
might be able b drive 4 wedge be-
tween Russia az the Western pow
ers and thus keA the powerful Red
Army out Of the var.
1t may even possible that,
somewhere in thedepths of their
devious mental processes, they had
kept alive a purposetp enlist Soviet
support in seeking = negotiated
peace, even after fhe Potsdam
ultimatum made clesS that their
efforts to have the RuskAns mediate
to that end had, in Motoff's words,
'lost all foundation" 13ut il the
japanese will to fight has been
propped up on such vain Nreams as
these. they must understani by now
that they have clutched to 40 avail
at their last straw and thtt con-
tinuation of the war can brinf roth
ing but crushing and disastroas.de-
feat. u
Two weeks ago Japan had te-
scent opportunity to quit the war IN
the relatively moderate terms OF tAe
American British Chinese ultima.
tum. That was rejected out OF hand
Then came the Potsdam communiA
que, just a week ago, with its pointed
reference to stan talks with Ret
Army leaders on military mattera
of common interest" But the Jap
anese professed to take comfort in
the fact that there was no specific
mention of the Pacific war. Their
propagandiSts. even while American
bombs were falling on cities which
had previously been announced as
targets. continued to talk of a night
to the end, and to buoy the Tagging
spirits OF the japanese people with
nonsense about American war wear
mess and our unwillingness to pay
the price of invasion.
The greatest blow of all. however,
the utterly demoralizing revelation
that the United States was prepared
to use a new and deadly secret
weapon. had not yet fallen. That
came Sunday with the atomic bomb
attack on Hiroshima. The Japanese
knew then. If they had not known
before. that desolation beyond the
reach OF imagination lay ahead.
And it was while they were still
reeling from the after effects of the
Hiroshima disaster that they re-
ceived the full impact of the Soviet
of war simultaneously
with the second atomic attack, this
time on Nagasaki.
The japanese mind being what 1T
is. the possibility remains that. even
with Russia in the war, they will not
and in that event the sup
port of our Soviet ally on the Asiatic
mainland will assume first-rate i'm
portance. But it must be the ear
nest hope Of all of us that Japan will
bow to the inevitable.
Their navy is gone and their air
force is all but useless. Their army.
while still formidable, faces hopeless
odds wherever 1t can be brought to
battle. They cannot escape the far
Allied bombers and they
are powerless and shield their other
cities from the terrible fate of Hiro-
shima. In these circumstances. it
is to be expected that President
Truman, when he speaks tonight,
will offer the japanese a final op-
portunity to get out of the war.
Unless sanity has given way to mad
ness, they will Jump at the chance.
Evening star., 1945-08-09

According to Secretary of Agri-
culture Anderson, the remainder OF
l945 will she 4 reduction of about
per cent from "last years eating
spree" If that was a spree. it was
followed by no hang over.
Evening star., 1945-08-09

Japan Is promised a chance to
engage peacefully in business after
the war, and for some time to come
business in that wreckage-strewn
country will be picking up.
Evening star., 1945-08-09
Error Of Omission
By David Lsssssnes

From the Montreal star.
In refusing to recognize the capable
tiles Of our technicians the Japanese
made the mistake which may well prove
fatal
Evening star., 1945-08-09

lace The tin peddlers are about
gone,pnt many . man and woman
livin9in the city remembers the
thrill 4 that day in late summer
when 4 shout went up, THE ped
dler's 0ning!"
Evening star., 1945-08-09
Painfully Slow

(copyrishs. 1s45J
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-03-10
NEGRO TROOPS
HEROIC ACTION.
BEATS KRAUTS

SEVELEN, Germany-A Negro
tank battalion task force staged a
miniature "Bastogne" in Sevelen
Germany. last week when a bridge
was destroyed behind them anc
they were besieged by Nszi para
chute units for 10 hours.
The 7S4th tank battalion was
fighting Its first offensive action
beside the 35th Infantry division.
SGT. WALTER HALF. a AZ,
year-old veteran OF the last war
from Little York. III. who is com.
mander OF a tank bulldozer. was
called out under fire TO fill craters
in the road. He went even fur
Their 10 knockout a German &c.
millimeter anti-tank gun.
Sgt. Ambrose Hicks OF Noun,
Vernon, N. Y. an artillery me-
chanic, was on an assignment 70
aid in bringing supply convoy
through. He saved three trucks
parked near burning ammuni-
ton truck loaded with 1900
pounds of INT.
Many Of the tankmen crawled
from the shelter OF their tanks
under mortar and shell fire to re-
fuel.
The men came out in the open
10 use 50-calbre machine guns
when their 30-calibre ammuni-
ton, in the tanks. was exhausted.