davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-01-16
Letters to The Star
Explains Why Rents Are High
in Nations Capital
To the Editor of The star:

To the Editor of The Star:
1t might interest Congressman who
have been gouged for rent in Washing
ton to know that these are some OF the
reasons why:
l. The voteless taxpayers here not
only have to pay for their own utilities
but also substantial sums for the Gov
ernmentss such as the enormous supply
OF water for the Pentagon Building,
hospital care for the INDECENT from any
place they may happen to come and
education for any one from the whole
countryside surrounding the District
who wishes 1t.
2. The residents In some of the best
sections who pay the most taxes get
less In the way of police, sanitary and
recreational facilities than those whose
living the Government subsidies. There
never should be question OF which
children should get recreational and
athletic equipment-every child is
vitally in need of them and the chill
dren living in better sections never
should be penalized because there is in
sufficient money for ALL They are the
ones who are~much more likely to give
the biggest returns for eficiently di-
rected childhood
8. Because there is so little here in
the way Of athletic equipment, many
are forced to shoulder the burden of
spending substantial sums to send their
children to camps In summer.
Soma rociIorfc uho ,1op A.. ~~.znl
taxes don't have the ordinary civilized
decency of sewers. but are forced to
suffer the health hazard and unpleas-
aftness of filthy septic tanks in their
yards. This they have to pay for ex-
ira, also the upkeep.
5. The Government steadily decreases
the area of taxable land by converting
it into useless parks, occupied by only
birds and squirrels.
8. The people of the country want
Washington to be show place but only
contribute 8.5 per cent of the cost.
7. Residents pay for Zoo that is used
mostly by visitors for salaries of polit-
ical appointees who don't do anything,
and for while had to pay maximum
water rent as the Water Department
had no money for meters. They pay for
the tropical heat in public buildings in
which they swelter, while they have
to wrap their families up like Eskimos
at home. People within certain distances
from roads are assessed for paving even
when they are main thoroughfares, that
they don't live on and never use.
All of which devolyes into the mer-
riest cycle-Congressmen gouging the
Washlngtonians and the Washin2to-
mans gouging Congressman When Con-
gressmen awaken to the fact that they
also are paying for these things, through
rent that goes to pay taxes, maybe
something will be done about it.
ISABEL MOORE.
Evening star., 1945-01-16
MARGARET DeIund

Dying at eighty-s seven, the author
of John Ward, Preacher" and many
other books of permanent and dur
able worth, leaves a name which
always will be associated with skill,
high purpose and distinctive achieve
ment. Mrs. Margaret Deland knew
how to write. She was meticulous
craftsman with words, a master with
language. Also, she thought clearly,
visioned life with searching power
of analysis, plumbed to the very soul
vast variety of human characters
and found there much to be en-
couraged and hopeful about.
The "Old Chester" of many of her
stories is supposed to have been part
of Allegheny, the city of her birth,
in Pennsylvania; but it might have
been any other American town
where people were not altogether
decadent and perverse. Yielding to
none of her contemporaries in the
realism of her philosophy, she never
theless refused to exaggerate Gopher
Prairie or Winesburg or the horrors
of Tobacco Road. Her country, to
Mrs. Deland, was a beautiful land,
inhabited by self-respecting and
honorable men and women-citizens
who could and did appreciate such
a saint as her Doctor Lavendar."' y
The most memorable feminine crea-
tions to come from her pen probably
were Helena Richie" and ''The Iron
. Woman" both of whom are portraits
straight from nature, persons she
.must have known as intimately as
ssisterS.
AS social documents, then, as well
as in their purely literary signi-
fcance, Mrs. Deland's productions
were and are important. She her
self was an active participant In the
Evening star., 1945-01-16
Aunt Mury

Each time father brought home pet
for us
She'd chant her prophets score OF
lamentations,
Through lips OF prim austerity and thus
A cat or parrot dre,D the same orations.
She had the puppy dead thousand
times
Before he jrisked his ,pdy into the
heart,
And spoke conpincingly OF devious
crimes
That hid behind our playful kitten's
art.
At last the dreaded moment came to
birth
When childish hearts ,oere torung and
sore distressed,
We turned a,pdy from one small mound
OF earth
To find her ,Deeping louder than the
rest.
RUBY ALTIzER ROBERTS.
Evening star., 1945-01-16

seems the more mystitying because
they are reported to have perhaps as
many as 100000 or more troops on
the island. Were it not for other
factors in the picture, one might
almost suspect cunning effort on
their part to lead us into some sort
of trap, but more than once since
his first communique on our Linga-
yen Gulf landings, General MacAr-
thur has remarked upon the enemy's
inability to concentrate forces for a
defensive stand Sooner or later, OF
course, such a concentration must be
expected. but the Japanese have ap-
parently been kept off balance so
far, not merely by our planes but
also by their fears that other Ameri-
can beachheads may be established
elsewhere on Luzon.
The possibility of additional land
ings must seem very real to General
Yamashita and must make him
think twice before he commits him.
self to any particular course. Ger
tainly with our air and sea power
dominant in the whole area. he must
find it a bit difficult to make up his
mind when momentarily American
forces may storm ashore at other
points on Luzon-especially in Ba-
tangas in the south, below Manila,
for a great two-way drive on that
strategic city. Yet, if firmer Japa-
nese resistance is not shown soon,
General Macarthur may conceivably
win control of the island even faster
than he won control of Leyte.
Considering how quickly and saw
agely the japanese have reacted to
other American drives on other is
lands. their slowness on Luzon -
strategically the most important
spot in the Pacific at this point in
the warts extraordinary. Possibly
they have worked out a new defen-
sive system based on their experience
in such places as the Marshalls and
the Marianas. but it is hard to see
what profit they can realize from
enabling us to consolidate our posi-
tions and advance with relative ease
into terrain highly suitable for our
kind of fighting. They may have
some surprises up their sleeves. to be
sure, but at the moment their weak
resistance seems definitely a mark of
confusion.
Evening star., 1945-01-16

The old League of Nations fighter
something very like it-reared its head
in the Senate when Senator Wheeler of
Montana yesterday asserted that the
Dumbarton Oaks agreements constitute
nothing more nor less than plan to
underwrite tyranny" 1t was bitter
saying-from the mouth of a pre-Pearl
Harbcr isolationist. He insisted that
these agreements "emasculate the Good
Neighbor policy, override the principle
of the sovereign equality of all nations,
offer in place of genuinely interna-
tional society of nations grim military
alliance"
Taking as his thesis the failure of
Britain and Russia-particularly the lat
ter-to live up to the Atlantic Charter
in dealing with liberated territory in
Europe, the Montana Senator said he
would not vote for United States ad
herence to an international organization
for peace until he knew what the terms
of peace are to be. Nor would he agree
to the use of American armed force in
the future unless on each occasion Con-
gress gave the authority.
There in a nutshell are the seeds of
dissension which may threaten in the
future the ratification by the Senate of
treaty putting this country into the pro-
posed international security council,
league or what you will.
i \
It is a small neutrality-suspicious.
during the debate by only two or three
other members of the Senate. But there
it is. The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. have
taken advantage of the Russian activities
IN Poland, the Baltic States and the Balk-
ans and Britian's in Greece and Italy.
The conflict of opinion has arisen, too,
this time before the victory over the
Axis powers has been finally won.
1t is as well the thing has been drag
ged into the open now. 1t will put on
notice both Soviet Russia and Britain
that there must be justice in the Euro
pean peace. 1t will put on notice the
great mass of Americans who have been
looking hopefully to Americas playing
a full part in world organization for
peace. 1t was, indeed, timely warming
unpalatable as it may be.
Today the great mass of the American
people favors an international organ
ization for peace; the great majority OF
the members Of the Senate, Republican
Evening star., 1945-01-16
All Together
rom the st. Louis Star-Times.


Supreme Court Justice Wiley Rutledge
was right beyond all questioning when he
asserted that, in victory, the United Ma
tions must be not only generous but hu-
name enough to embrace the defeated
within the family of nations and the
brotherhood of man."
This is just more specific way of say
ing that peace is indivisible. All the ma
tions must be dedicated to maintaining
a new and better world order after the
war, or 1t simply will not be maintained,
Any attempt to organize the world on q
basis of privileged nations and non
privileged nations will result in another
blood-letting sooner or later. If any
country is forclbly denied the right to
provide for the welfare of its people,
it inevitably will plan for the day when
1t can overthrow such oppression.
Evening star., 1945-01-16
Operations on LuzOn
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot

then drive south for Manila or attack
the Japanese in whatever other area
they may concentrate
Meanwhile the 9Th Army will have
established itself astride the only rail-
way and the principal highway which
connect Manila with Northern Luzon.
and will be in a favorable position to
raid the only remaining north-south
road-No. S. Therefore, 1t seems rather
likely that the immediate pressure Of
the 9Th Army will be toward the east,
toward the road functions along High
way No. 3, and it is quite possible that
some of these, notably Urdaneta, may
already have been reached by our troops
Also the fact that the StiffeSt Japanese
opposition is being encountered to the
east and not to the south is explained
by the fact that the Japanese troops in
the Lingayen Gulf area must have re-
tired eastward to cover the great road
So. far, we have not been informed of
the Strength of the American landing
forces. Only one corps of the 9Th Army
the 14th CorpS-has been identified,
which may mean two or three divisions.
On Leyte, the 9Th Army operated seven
divisions altogether, but more than that
will be needed for the battle of Luzon.
It is quite possible that another army
besides the 9Th may make its appearance
in the Philippines. 1t is also, Of course,
quite possible and even probable that
other landings on Luzon may be made;
these may come when Gen. Yamashita
has taken his decisions as to what to
do about the Lingayen Gulf landing.
The command of the sea plus air
superiority enables Gen. Macarthur to
take countermeasures with the best
advantage of complete freedom'of action
and enterprise.
Gen. Yamashita cannot be strong
everywhere. He must do the best he
can with the forces at his disposal, but
in an island as big as LozonS he can
hardly move to counter an American
landing without exposing other possible
landing places through which we can
exploit our strategic mobility. Mean
while Yamashita loses part of his adj
vantage of interior lines by the fact
that we are superior In the air.
tCopyrisht. 1945.)
Evening star., 1945-01-16
This Changing World
Bv Constantine BrO,On

The conference OF the big three may
be delayed for some time, according to
reports circulated in Washington over
the week end.
Plans for the meeting are said to have
been changed after the start OF the RUS
slams all-out offensive on the eastern
front, which is being directed by Premier
Stain personally.
The Russian Premier agreed early last
fall to meet with President Roosevelt
and Prime Minister Churchill. He
shared the views Of the American and
British governments that such a con-
ference would straighten out many ques-
tions which were disturbing the political
harmony of members Of the United
Nations.
The electoral campaign in this country
prevented Mr.. Roosevelt from leaving
the United States at that time. Soon
after his reelection in November, reports
from London indicated an early gather
ing of the big three. But for some rea-
son or other this was not possible Mr.
Roosevelt needed rest after the strenu-
Gus electoral campaign, and later 1t was
discovered that he would not be able
to leave the United States until after
his fourth-term Inauguration.
X X
In the meanwhile, the Russian often
sive has now been launched. Premier
Stain now devotes his entire attention
to military operations and is said to
feel that the bitter fight developing on
the eastern front will require every min
ute of his time. His time Is far more
important to the prosecution of the war
than to the settlement of the political
problems which are disturbing the
United Nations.
The Russian leader hopes that the
new Russian offensive, which the Ger
mans describe as the most powerful
ever undertaken by the Red armies,
will be decisive. 1t is too early to say
whether it will enable the Red armies
Evening star., 1945-01-16
This and That
By Charles E. TracelUeH.

Dear Sir:
I'VE have for years enjoyed your
column on the interesting subject of
kind enough to advise us on how to care
for our female canary.
When we bought her, last summer a
year ago, she had some feathers around
the neck absent, and we thought soon
would grow new ones. But the ring per-
sisted for the entire year.
"At the pet shop we bought salve
that, according to the bird man. would
cure her. But no sooner had we started
applying it as per instructions than the
ring became bigger each day, until now
the entire neck and part Of the head
is naked
"The bird seems normal otherwise,
but is so ugly. Can you tell us what to
do? We will be so grateful to you.
Very sincerely yours, F. L."
In most cases this condition is due
to wrong diet.
Too many starchy foods are being
used. The thing to do is to put the
bird on diet of canary bird seed, a
little yolk of hard boiled egg and what
is called song restorer.
The seed is given every day, and the
egg yolk three times a week.
The song restorer is given in alter
nate weeks in what the fancy" calls
a treat cup.
Blood tonics and skin ointments may
be used to advantage, but the main
treatment is dietary.
CanarieS, living an unnatural life in
cages, need great cleanliness at all times.
They can get many ailments, and uSu-
ally do unless the care Is right.
They must be kept clean and warm,
and above all, given the proper food.
We will never forget the Golden Birds,
we believe they were called, which
roamed at will over the counters of a
10-cent store several years ago.
1t was possible to stand directly over
them, while they went ahead sampling
first one container of seed after another.
We never did know whether their
wings were clipped or whether they were
just well trained. This was several years
before this column got interested in
birds. Tropical fishes were our particu-
lar pets at that time.
nevertheless, the beautiful canarieS
made great hit with us, and no doubt
had some influence along subconscious
lines.
Canaries should be completely covered
up at night. Partial covering leads to
draughts.
Baths in which bits of food or waste
matter have fallen should be removed
Immediately. The bottom of the feet
should be examined daily and kept clean.
These little birds can have many dis
eases, ranging from asthma to apoplexy.
They have pneumonia, scaly legs, mites
They have many moulting troubles, and
sometimes the bill grows too long, and
sometimes the claws.
Improper food will often cause bird
to pull out its own feathers. Something
it needs is lacking in the diet. Cod
liver oil Is good in some cases, and it
probably would help our correspondents
pet
Cleanliness, warmth and proper diet
tend to keep canary in good health.
One should go very easy on the feeding
Of fruits and vegetables.
Spoiled food may give canary in
hammaticn of the bowels, when It will
perch with head under wing all day.
Occasionally badness may be heredi-
tAry.
Evening star., 1945-01-16
Wants Extra Phones Returned

To the Editor OF The Star:
According to the newspapers. there
are approximately $1,000 applications
for telephones on file here. That is
enough phones to equip a small city.
With this number of residents of Wash
in2ton in need of telephones which can
not be supplied because the company
does not have the instruments due to
limited production, why not ask those
residents who have three and four in
struments in their homes to give up
some of them for the duration, in order
that others may have phones?
I know of some cases where there is
phone on each floor Of three-story
residences and in some cases four Zone
in the basement). During peacetime
that is very nice and a great conven-
fence.
I just know that If the telephone
company urged the owners to turn these
extra extensions in, that it would get
several thousand instruments, because
Washingtonians are very generous.
B. j. B.
Evening star., 1945-01-16
Suspects Political Trickery

odSpCSlS L olltlSdl TlCkGTy
To the Editor of The Star:
When the administration became all
inflated with kindness and consideration
for the common man" last September
and removed so many foods from the
rationing list, told my family and
friends that it was nothing on earth
but a very clever political trick by
President Roosevelt to gain or regain
the good will of many thousands of the
voters, because he knew very well that
he would need all the votes he could get.
He could not afford to overlook any
chance. 1885,. el
1t Is silly to entertain the idea that
the OPA, with all the sources of in
formation at its command, would have
been so far off the beam as to think
those foods safely could be removed from
the list at that time and would not
know pretty close to what the situation
would look like two months later.
ALBERT D. RUST.
Evening star., 1945-01-16

Two facts about the operations on
Luzon are already clear:
/. Gen. MacArthur's landing in Lin
gayen Gulf effected strategic surprise.
Gen. Yamashita did not expect major
American effort there until too late to
take effective steps to oppose it. In con-
sequence, we have gained the very great
advantage OF establishing strong base
position without serious loss and in
remarkably short time.
2. The great battle for Luzon is still
to be fought, with the American forces
possessing very considerable initial ad-
vantages due to the possession OF a
wide and deep Disappointing Yama-
shita does not, within the next two or
three days, find himself able to launch
a counterattack in force before further
landings of troops and supplies have
taken place.
idea of the internal communications of
Luzon must be kept in mind. There
are two main highways-No. 3 and No. 5
which connect Manila with Northern
Luzon. Highway No. 3 runs north from
Manila through Tarlac to the south
eastern corner of Lingayen Gulf, where
it meets the mountains coming down to
the sea and thereafter proceeds along
the narrow coastal shelf up the west
ern coast of the island At Tarlac,
branch road, Highway No. 13, turns off
to the northwest, to the ports on the
south shore of the gulf. Highway No.
runs we'll to the eastward of No. and
finds its way to the north coast Of Luzon
by way of the Cageyan Valley. There
are several branch roads connecting the
two main highways.
If the Japanese main concentrations
are in the Manila area and south of
Manila, as now seems likely, they must
come up these two highways in order to
get at the American forces In order
to keep open communications with the
Japanese forces in Northern Luzon
(Which may also be in considerable
strength) it is important to the Japanese
that both these roads be kept open.
Gen. Kreuger's 9Th Army has now
reached the Agno River along the
branch road to Tarlac. It is pushing
out eastward toward the important
road functions of Highway No. 3, but
1t has not reached and cut that road
as far as has yet been reported, except
at Damortis, on the shore of Lingayen
Gulf, where the highway emerges from
the coastal shelf The other road juno
tions strung out along Highway No. 8
which are of Importance are, from north
to south, Udiao, Pozarubbio, Binalonan,
Urdaneta and Carmen The last named
is just south Of the point where Highway
crosses the Agno
Once these road functions are firmly
held BY American troops and the line
of the Agno has been reached all round
its great curve from the central noun
tairs south and southwest to the Zam-
bales Mountains near the coast, the 9Th
Army will be in possession Of stra-
logically strong area In which It can pile
up its supplies, assemble it, forces, and
Evening star., 1945-01-16
Their Case Is Weak

4 Some of the opponents of even a
.limited national service law have
sappeared before the House Military
sAffairs Committee to testify in oppo-
isltion to the May-Bailey bill, which
would authorize the total mobiliza-
.tion OF men from 18 to As in either
military or production service. Their
.caSe is a weak one.
: The principal opposition witness
yesterday was Lewis G. Hines, legis-
.lative representative of the American
Federation of Labor. If the May
bailey bill should be enacted, he
said, it would have "a demoralizing
.effect" on the labor market. Pro-
.duction, he contended, can be in
.creased under War Manpower Com
rmission controls, assuming the
Incorporation of management and
industry. And in his opinion, adop-
gtion of "work-or-f fight" law would
reduce production.
/. These views are not exclusively
those of labor. They are shared by
Important management groups, al
though it is doubtful that manage
1nent would go along with Mr.. Hines
in his recommendation for higher
wages in selected critical industries
.as means of insuring more produc-
.tion. Basically, however, manage
.ment and labor see eye-to-eye in
.opposing any form of compulsory
service legislation, and this fact
would be persuasive if sound reasons
.could be advanced in support of
stheir position.
;, But what are the reasons ad-
.vanced? Mr.. Hines says that eff
freedom is to be taken from the
workers we are following the path
that leads to totalitarianism" He
seems to distrust the motives of
military leaders who are advocating
national service. You're not kidding
U.s." he told the committee. Its the
Army and Navy trying to take con-
troll" Management's position has
not been stated in detail, although
that may be done later in the COM
mittee hearings. However, the NAM
(National Association of Manufac-
turers) News says industrial thought
Is that national service legislation
would hinder far more than it would
help production.
When these objections are exam
ined they come down, at best, to
bare expression of opinion, influ-
enced in the one case by lack of
confidence in the military and in the
other by what may be a disinclina-
ton to accept the enlarged measure
of Government control that would
accompany any form of national
service. Against this is the evidence,
which can hardly be refuted, that the
VINO controls are not adequate.
After more than three years of war
the Nation suffers because people are
still engaged in nonessential work,
or are not working at all, when there
is a shortage of manpower in essen
tial war industries. Those who are
already making their contribution
in essential jobs would not be
affected by the proposed legislation.
1t is designed to reach persons in
nonessential positions and nonwork-
ers, who are contributing nothing.
And it is based on the belief, sup
ported by more than mere opinion,
that we have reached point in this
war where we can no longer afford
the luxury of peacetime methods on
the home front.