davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-06-27
Labor, Industry Chiefs
To Honor Miss Perkins
Al Dinner Tonight

secretary OF LABOR PERKINS, VINO
steps out of the cabinet this week
end after more than IL years serv-
ice, will be given a dinner tonight
by top leaders of labor and indus
try with Senator Wagner, Democrat,
Of New York scheduled to make the
principal address.
Miss Perkins was given a farewell
party yesterday by her employees at
the Departmental Auditorium. She
had broken precedent as the first
woman to serve in the cabinet
Yesterday afternoon she set some
thing of a record by standing for
nearly four hours and personally
bidding good-by with handshake
and word for each of 100 workers
in the department.
The dinner tonight at the May
flower will be attended by fellow
cabinet members, others high in
Federal affairs, and leaders of in
dustry and labor. Senator Pepper
Democrat, Of Florida, will be toast
master. In addition to Senator Wag-
ner, the speakers will include Eric
Johnston, president Of the United
States Chamber of Commerce, and
William Green and Philip Murray,
presidents of the AFL and CIO, re-
spectively.
The idea for yesterdays reception,
officials said, came from the little
people" Of the department.
Employees Present Gifts.
They took up a collection of 1912
in dimes, quarters and dollars and
bought "the boss" q set of airplane
luggage, typewriter and a $50 War
Bond. They banked the huge audi
torium conference rooms with flow-
ers and hired 4 four-piece orchestra
to play soft music.
Miss Perkins was visibly moved by
the attention shown her and found
it difficult to hold back the tears as
the long lines Of Federal workers
filed by her. There were many in the
group who had served the depart
ment since its creation in 1913, and
very few who had ever before met
the Secretary.
There were Miss Mary T. Wagga-
man Of the Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics, who entered Federal service
in 1905 with the old Department of
Commerce and Labor; John r.
Demorest and Gail r. Judd, both
with nearly 40 years service with
Labor and its parent agency. Mr..
Demorest is chief of the Division OF
Budgets and Accounts and Mr.. Judd
is chief In the Division of Services.
In Reception Line.
In the reception line, too, was
Miss Katherine F. Lenroot, head
of the Children's Bureau, with 80
years service in the department,
and Miss Frances Jurkowitz, the
Miss j." who has been Miss
Perkins personal secretary for 20
years, including her service when
Miss Perkins headed the New York
State Department of Labor.
Eugene Compton, colored, who has
worked about the ofices of Labor
Secretaries for ~ years, said Miss
Perkins was "the best boss I ever
had and the swellest person I ever
met"
Lee Potter Of the Secretary's Office
was chairman of the committee that
arranged the affair.
Miss Perkins herself provided the
surprise for the occasion when she
arrived wearing q black sailor hat
with white trim instead of one OF
her customary three-cornered jobs
Her dress was described by one OF
her girl employees as being "black
crepe with a rouching of white eye.
let trim"
Evening star., 1945-06-27
Alexandria Home Burns

Fire Of undetermined origin early
today destroyed the interior Of q
house occupied by Mr.. and Mrs.
A. i. Sword at 413 st. Asaph street,
Alexandria, causing damages esti-
mated at 1880. firemen reported.
The house y owned By A. i. Ladd.
Evening star., 1945-06-27
Red Cross Election Set

The Clara Barton branch Of the
Montgomery County Red Cross
Chapter win meet at 3 O'Clock to-
night ct the Glen Echo Firehouse
9er election Of o6Rcers.
Evening star., 1945-06-27

4llC oAdly y 1lOCCo.
Oct. 6.-"Il Duce speaks cordially
Ito the German Ambassador, Mac
kensen) and tells him that Italian
military preparations are proceed
ing. If the war continues, he will
be able next spring to give rather
than to receive help"
Evening star., 1945-06-27
Count ciono's Doy-No. 9
HTLERIS BOMB ESCAPE
NOT PLEASING TO DUCE
MussoIni Struggled Over Warm Message
Which Wouldn't Soy Too Much
October 6IDecember 5, 10,
copyrsh 1945, by Chicago Daily
including right Of tIansation.l


o
October 6-December 5, 1889.
bomb attempt Hitler at Munich in 1899 Gestapo
plot to stir German sentiment against Great Britain
lily that dated back the 1884 blood purge
Mussonis sonn-law, recorded in his diary within
Q the explosion. g.
portrays sweating telegram to the Fuehrer
which would be but not too Italian
all Mussoin, reoiced at Hlers escape
Evening star., 1945-06-27

stemmed only by alcoholizing Ger
many and that the world of to-
morrow will belong to the people
who drink water"
II wonder If it is worth while to
take that greedy simpleton seri-
ously. Because he offered some bad
wine to the Germans he believes he
has won their confidence"
Evening star., 1945-08-28

who have had no military service,
and while it is obvious that consid-
erable pressure is being brought to
bear on members of Congress, it is
uncomfortable that the legislators
will yield to this pressure at the
expense of men they sent of to
war two, three and even four years
ago.
AS suggested in Mr.. Truman's
statement, Congress should act
without delay to facilitate the en-
rollment OF volunteers. II it seems
desirable it also should revise the
Selective Service Act along the lines
proposed by the President. But the
legislators must avoid any rash or
premature act which would officially
declare the war at an end when. in
fact, there is much that remains
to be done. To paraphrase a pop
ular song title of the last war, it Is
not yet over over there. Unless we
are to throw away the fruits of this
hard-won victory our armies of oc-
cupation must be maintained at
adequate strength for such period
of time as may be necessary, and
it is up to Congress to see to it
that this is done without prejudice
to the veterans whose interests
should receive first consideration.
Evening star., 1945-08-28
Acceptance of Defeat

The handful of technical troops
landed at an airport near Tokyo
today-to prepare for other airborne
troops-as we'll as the vanguard of
Halsey's fleet, creeping through the
inland waters of Japan, are re-
ceiving a reception from the con-
quered Japanese that seems to
belle fears of possible trickery.
1t would be surprising if the land
Ing of our occupying forces and
their distribution in Japan were
accomplished without any incident
brought on by fanatical individuals
who chose a gesture of opposition
as a method of suicide.
But our troops are apt to find
that the same traits which made
the japanese military man a tough
foe will make him unusually amen
able in defeat. The same sort of
discipline which chained him to his
post in battle will send him out
bowing and smiling to the invaders
OF his homeland. He has been taught
to obey the Emperor and the EN-
peror's decision has relieved his own
conscience by telling him what to
do. The japanese philosophy seems
to be to cooperate with the in
evitable."
NO less Impressive than Japans
sudden decision to quit has been
what, up to this time, is her COM
plete acceptance of defeat. The news
dispatches continue to furnish in
cidents of the manner of japanese
reaction to the inevitable. Knowing
they are licked, the policy handed
down from above is to make the
best OF it and propaganda machine
which only few weeks ago was
going full blast along the line of
laSt-ditch resistance has executed a
turn-about almost incredible in its
thoroughneSs.
In its way that attitude is as
eoldly realistic, as a means toward
an end, as the attack on Pearl
Harbor. The japanese know that
public sentiment in this country is
apt to veer, almost overnight, from
lnslstence on occupation of Japan
to demand to bring our soldiers
home and let the Japs paddle their
own canoe. And willing compliance,
on their part, will hasten that day.
On our part, some cold realism
will also help. We soon shall face
the decision of exactly what we want
from Japan, now that she has been
defeated as military power. We
are none too sure about it now
Evening star., 1945-08-28
He's Nv Som

1t is not an uncommon thing to
read that drunken parents have
treated their children with shocking
cruelty. In most of these cases, how
ever when the effects of the alcohol
have worn off there is some indica-
ton of remorse, some evidence that
the offending parent is conscious of
wrongdoing. But not so with Paul
Blase. New York longshoreman.
Blase has son, Paul, jr., who is
twelve years old. Last week the boy
earned fifty cents selling old news
papers and used the money to buy a
watermelon for the family. The
father came home drunk and when
he learned that the boy had bought
the melon he proceeded to beat him
severely with his fists and a belt
buckle. Taken to court, where he
was held under $4,000 bond for trial
next month, the father made no
effort to deny his guilt. nor did he
show the slightest sign of regret.
i did it, he said, "but he's my son."
In world which has seen so
much of suffering and horror this,
no doubt, is small affair. Paul, jr.,
will recover from his beating, Paul,
sr,swill be punished, and other "hu-
man interest" items will replace this
one in the run OF the days news.
But 1t will be difficult thing to put
entirely out of mind the memory of
even one father who could say of a
twelve-year-old: "he's my son." and
mean no more than that he thought
this gave him a right to blacken his
eyes and split his lips,
Evening star., 1945-08-28

and husbands and fiances out of the
armed forces" And that, literally is
what has happened to every member
OF the House and Senate
The President has explained clearly
that to cease the selective service draft
would be to condemn the men who
have spent years winning the war to
further long service-and that to de-
mobilize all the draftees would be to
leave the country without ADEQUATE
military forces. Congress, which makes
the laws and must act, will have to
make up its mind whether it will con-
tlnue to take new men-the 18-year r-old
and l9-year-old boys included-into the
services by draft, or whether it will
compel men with long service to con-
tinue. Pleas for the immediate elimina-
tion OF the draft don't make sense
when the whole situation is reviewed.
Congress job is to find ADEQUATE
forces with the minimum burden on the
people. The President has suggested
that the selective service law be
amended SO as to draft men for two
years service-unless for good reason
they are demobilized sooner. He has
suggested, too. that the limit on enlist
ments, now placed at 100000, be lifted,
on the ground that the more voluntary
enlistments the fewer men will have to
be drafted.
The end of the war-of hoStilities-
has caught Congress minus constructive
plans for rehabilitation of armed forces
and plans for keeping adequate numbers
OF men in the services Realizing that
millions of men IN the armed forces
are no longer needed, the Army and
the Navy have devised demobilization
plans OF their own, based mainly on
points for service. Inequities have been
charged against these demobilization
plans. For example, it does not seem
sensible to shift men who have had
long service in Europe to the Far East
men who lack only few points of
the number required for discharge un-
DER the announced point systems of
the Army and Navy. That is a detail
that should be given consideration by
both services without delay. Many of
the younger men, If DISCHARGED now.
could 60 to colleges when these insti.
tutions open in the fall.
It's the old story that you can't have
your cake and eat it." It is impossible
TO have strong United States. fulfill-
Ing Its part in world leadership. and
make no sacrifices.
Evening star., 1945-08-28

Thus, while In most other countries
OF the world an era OF comparative
peace may be expected, China Is threat
ened with q continuation Of internal
hostilities unless Generalissimo Chang
can muster a sufficiently strong mobile
force to bring law and order.
The idea of mobile force is being
strongly emphasized by the Chinese
leader. because In q country where the
system of communications is deficient
even in peacetime, the Chinese military
police force must have at its disposal a
large number of tanks and armored cars
besides aviation.
The various industrial surveys made
by American experts in China show that
the Chinese could develop an eflicient
industry II given suf1icient time. BY
necessity. however. it Is pointed out that
this industry's principal job at first will
be to produce the war materials needed
by the Chinese Army to suppress the
guerrillas, who are expected to appear
Immediately in almost every section Of
the country.
According to those Americans who
have been at his side for some time,
Chang Is definitely peace-minded and
would like to see the beginning of long
era of peace in his country. But he
realizes that the end of the war against
Japan will not permit him to demilitar-
ize his country because of the combined
opposition of his political opponents.
assisted in many cases by the japanese
outlaws
In his desire to organize his forces to
deal effectively with this inevitable
threat, the generalissimo Is appealing to
the American government, which he
trusts more than any of his other Allies.
The Chinese armies we're modernized
after the First World War on a small
scale, first by Soviet military mission
headed by Gen. Calm, who, under his
real name of Marshal Bluecher, was
later purged by his own government.
When this military mission became too
politically minded 1t was disbanded and
replaced by a German mission headed
by Gen. Won Seekt and later by other
luminaries of the Reichswehr. After
the outbreak of the Second World War
this mission also was sent home and
American military men endeavored to
help the Chinese forces, which saw no
possibility OF getting the necessary
equipment.
Gen. Wedemeyer appeared on the
scene last November and was faced with
an almost impossible situation. Chiang's
forces were threatened by a powerful
Japanese army and also by the dissident
Communists. He performed miracles
with the little he had on hand and
earned the deep gratitude and the COM
plete friendship of Chang, who is now
reported to be asking Washington for
the loan of that young American general
to make the Chinese Army into a first
class mobile force, without which there
can be no real peace reconstruction in
China
Evening star., 1945-08-28

lesser figure, there Is no doubling
the destructiveness of these great
fire raids. For those trapped in the
spreading pattern of the fire bombs,
death is just rs certain and perhaps
even more terrible than the fate
which overtakes the victims of
atomic bombing.
But there is no purpose in debat-
ing whether atomic bombing is bet
ter or worse than the so-called con-
ventional bombing. The fact which
should be made clear and never for
gotten is that modern war, in what
ever form, is frightful thing, and
that the worlds only hope lies in
making certain that 1t never
happens again.
Evening star., 1945-08-28
Not Over Over There

President Truman's admirably
clear and candid statement on the
need for continuing military induc-
lions should silence those Congress
men who have been advocating
abandonment or further curtail-
ment of the draft.
We have won the war. But we
are just beginning the task of trans
lating our military victory into a
stable peace. And that task, at the
absolute minimum, will require
100000 men, exclusive of support
ing troops in the United States and
other areas. How is this force to be
secured?
The President estimates that at
best there can be raised 100000 VOL
unteers by next July, and that esti-
mate, judging from experience after
the last war, may well be on the
optimistic side. Inductions, if con-
tinued at the present rate, will pro-
duce another 100000 men. That
means that there viii still be a net
deficit of 100000 men, which can be
made good only by holding veterans
In service. And if Congress should
curtail the present rate of induc-
tions, or stop them entirely, the
inevitable result would be prolonged
service for men who have already
done their part in this war, and
who should be returned to their
homes and families as quickly as
possible.
To keep these troops under arms
by curtailing inductions, as the
President properly says, would be
IAN unforgivable discrimination"
against the men who have borne
the brunt OF battle In favor of those
Evening star., 1945-08-28
Fire Bomb Deaths

When the worlds first atomic
bomb was dropped on Hiroshima the
instructive reaction of many people
was to recoil from the use of such
1rlghttul device. Here, they thought,
was an intolerable weapon, an in
strument of death whose use could
not be reconciled with any civilized
standard of humanity. And it can
not be denied that there was much
to support this feeling, for If the
Japanese are telling the truth the
Toll OF the two atomic bombs
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
was 10000 people killed and 10000
injured. At the time of the first
protests in this country, these figures
were not available, but all of us
knew from our own test of the new
weapon that many thousands of
Japanese had been killed, and con-
siderable pressure was brought to
bear in an effort to have the Presi-
dent forbid further use of the atomic
bomb.
There were those, however, who
took a different view. They con-
tended that the atomic bomb could
and should be used to force the
enemy to capitulate without an
invasion of the japanese islands,
thereby saving many thousands of
American lives. Furthermore, they
said, the conventional" bombing of
Japan-which seemed to elicit little
protest-was also killing many peo-
pie, and would have to be continued
and increased in scope if the atomic
bomb should be banned. Thus, they
said, the choice was between longer
war, in which as many, if not more,
Japanese would be killed, and a
short war which would not only save
Japanese lives, but which would also
avoid the necessity of sacrificing
American soldiers in an invasion of
Japan's home islands. There has
now come to light grim testimony in
support of this latter point of view.
DR.. Lars P. Utilise, Danish Minis
ter to Tokyo, has stated in a radio
broadcast that 100000 Japanese were
burned to death in a single B-29
1ncendiary bomb attack on Tokyo
last March. Three hundred of the
big Super Forts scattered the incen-
diaries over the city and a gale swept
the resulting fires over large area.
DR.. Utilise, who watched in horror
as the flames swept up everything
In their path, says that 100000 peo-
pie were killed that night.
This estimate may be exaggerated,
for the japanese report on all bomb
ings of the homeland places the
total killed at 100000. But whether
the aggregate of those killed in the
March attack was 100000 or some
Evening star., 1945-08-28
This. Changing World
BY Constantine Bro,Un

Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek is re-
liably reported to have sounded out the
American Government about the possi-
bility Of maintaining in China military
mission to reorganize the Chinese Army
According to these reports, the Chinese
leaders would like to keep 1t. Gen.
Albert c. Wedemeyer at the head of the
American mission. Gen. Wedemeyer, in
less than q year, since his arrival at
Chungking. has already rendered re-
markable service to the fighting forces
of the Chinese Republic.
The Chinese Army is not lacking in
fighting spirit, but is short of modern
equipment The road Chang has ahead
of him is still very rough. He must
reorganize his war-devastated country
and also may have to put up with
serious guerrilla resistance either from
the so-called Yenan government or from
discontented elements within that gov
eminent.
The chances of an arrangement be-
tween the leaders of the Chinese Com
munists and the central government are
considered by political observers now as
better than fair.
The signing of the 30-year treaty of
nese Republic represented by Chang has
reportedly dampened the enthusiasm of
the Chinese Communists.
Although in some quarters Russias
pledge not to interfere in the internal
affairs of China Is being received with
a grain of salt, American and Chinese
diplomats who Judge the situation
according to realities" believe that
Russia will live up to her word. The
Soviets have long and hard road
ahead of them In Europe. where the
creation of puppet governments in no way
guarantees tranquility and obedience
to the orders from Moscow. Moreover,
after five years of war Russia is not
likely to be in sufficiently strong posi-
ton to pull strings in the Far East
as well as in Europe and the Middle East.
+ 4
AS result of this factual situation.
diplomatic observers believe that the
U. s. S. r. will observe the terms of the
treaty with Chang and will refrain from
assisting the Chinese Communists.
Hence, it looks as If the leaders of
Yenan who have been adamant to all
Chiang's approaches in the past because
they were confident OF Moscows sup
port may now change their tune and
come to an agreement with the central
government
This, of course, does not mean that
China will be able to take full advantage
OF the end Of the war. A number of
guerrillas may break away-possibly
with the consent of Yenan-and con-
tinue fighting, while number of Japa-
nese who still consider themselves un-
defeated may join them. According to
some estimates, there may be as many
as 100000 Japs commanded by trained
officers who may adopt guerrilla life
in country which lends itself to such
type of warfare
Evening star., 1945-08-28
Finds Travelling Not So Bad

To the Editor Of The Star
Your readers expressed desire for in.
formation concerning travel conditions
since gasoline rationing ended, and my
personal experience on a 450-mile trip
may be of some use to them.
We travelled from Washington to
Utica, N. Y, in 1888 station wagon,
passing through Frederick, Gettysburg,
Scranton and Binghamton. We had a
blowout very early in the trip and
learned that recapped tires should be
inflated slightly more than ordinary
tires. We saw evidences of eight other
blowouts or fiat tires, and in most cases
the inner tubes were ripped to shreds
and scattered hither and yon along
the roadside. This should prove some
thing, probably that high-speed driving
is undesirable at present.
There was very little trafiic, and that
mostly was local.
We preferred to stay all night at
tourist homes, and found there were
very few open. Most Of them had made
their rooms over into apartments to
help relieve the housing shortage. Tour
ist cabins near towns or cities also were
being used as temporary homes.
Restaurants apparently have depre-
ciated, as it was with a great deal of
difnculty that we found any which
looked inviting or attractive. 1t is usu-
ally safe to follow the suggestion of a
local business person in selecting a
place to eat.
Contrary to our expectations, the
food generally was good. We had the
choice of ham and eggs or bacon and
eggs for breakfasts rare treat for a
Washingtonian!
Having travelled for four years with
my husband and two small children, I
consider myself veteran traveller, and
my advice to other travellers is, Come
on along. The roads are fine"
MRS. JOHN w. FIELD.