davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-01-05
On the Record
By Dorothy Thompson

In the last conversation I had with
my late great friend, Raoul Roussy de
Sales, a few hours before he died, l
confessed to that brilliantly lucid
Frenchman some of my apprehensions
regarding the political course the war
might take before it reached its end.
/ asked him, in very American fash
ion, What can one do about it?" He
replied, with his ironic smile, Describe.
Just describe-as accurately as you pos
sibly can. The function Of journalism
can only be to enlighten as to what is
actually happening. To do more you
cannot hope"
That seemingly simple injunction is,
perhaps, the hardest to observe in
these days.
There has been press debate be-
tween the British and ourselves. Gen.
sure in the American press of the Brit
ish policy in Greece and Italy called
forth a sharp reply in the London
Economist, which has since been sup
ported by three influential English
newspapers: the News Chronicle, the
Yorkshire Post, and the Times of Lon
don.
But does this debate enable us to
WelSH dlSuIuSllJS anu COtGle 10 Ied-
Sonable conclusion; or is the debate
mere shadow boxing-a verbal front for
issues unexpressed?
I think the arguments, correct or
incorrect as to fact, are largely beside
the point.
The British newspapers demand that
the United States set forth its foreign
policy. The presumption is that if we
would only make up our minds regard
ing what We are fighting for. we might
come to agreement.
But is it not possible that the opposite
is true-that if our aims were clarified
it would make relations worse, not bet
ter? If clarified aims are stated we
are committed to pursue them.
There is the probability that what
bothers our British friends is not that
they don't know what American policy
is, but that they begin to see quite
clearly what it is.
x X
We have not yet reached the stage in
history-and who knows whether 1t will
ever be attalned-when great powers, or,
for that matter, small nations, will sit
Evening star., 1945-01-05
The Problem of Spuin

The Mass Demonstration for Re-
publican Spain" held last Tuesday
evening at Madison Square Garden
in New York City is merely the latest
in series of episodes in various
parts of the world which indicate
the explosive quality of the peren-
NAL Spanish problem. No issue in
world affairs is more complex and
none seems more stubbornly to re-
sist a definitive solution. Further
more, Spain's destiny appears to ex-
cite bitter controversy everywhere
and to involve much not immedi-
ately concerned with the country
itself.
The Spanish civil war, which
broke out in the summer of 1886 and
ragged until the spring of 1899, was,
in its domestic aspect, savage
struggle between two sets of factions
which, for more than century, had
been in chronic opposition. Unfor-
tunately, the general condition of
unstable that the political earth
quake in Spain sent seismic tremorS
throughout the continent and pro-
voked rival interventions. Thus,
what had begun as local f1are-up
tended to become test between
the forces of international Com
munism under the aegis of Soviet
Russia and those of the Nazi-
Fascist Axis. France almost burst
into a kindred civil war, while
Britain and the United States adopt
ed policies of nonintervention
which did not prevent strong rival
sympathies from appearing in both
countries. running along class lines.
The military triumph of Franco
and his followers. though complete
in Spain itself, conceded with the
escape of most of the beaten Re-
publican leaders and their support
ers. This mass emigration was of
such proportions that it reconSti-
tuted itself almost as nation in eX-
lie. which refused to recognize de-
feat and continued to have the
support of Communists and left
wing elements generally throughout
the world. This tended to solidify
the Franco regime with the Axis,
though it did not bring Spain for
mally into the war on the Axis Size.
The downfall of Fascist Italy and
the impending defeat of Nazi Ger
many logically raises the question of
the Franco regime in Spain and
stimulates the Republican eXiles and
their sympathizers throughout the
world to press for its overthrow. But,
whatever its theological aspects. a
renewal of the Spanish civil war at
this supercritical hour would add
another dangerous complication to
an already overstrained internation-
al situation. The diplomatic caution
displayed by Washington and Lon
don in handling the explosive Span
ish problem can thus be realistically
explained.
Evening star., 1945-01-05
More Diplomatic Funds


The recent action of Congress in
appropriating nearly $4,000,000 in
supplementary funds for the opera
ton of the State Department during
the current fiscal year centers atten-
ton on a new large-Scale job which
the United States Foreign Service
must undertake as it follows in the
wake of General EisenhoWer's vic
toriouS armies.
Of this appropriate some So, 1914
062 is earmarked for the opening of
fifty-three diplomatic and consular
missions in liberated areas in Europe
and one in the Philippines. To staff
these establishments on the nom
career level, the State Department
plans to employ some $50 American
and $50 native clerks. Foreign Serv-
ice officers will, so far as is feasible,
be returned to countries where they
served before the war, although, in
the chaotic conditions amid which
the new missions will be established,
some younger officers as we'll as those
brought into the wartime Auxiliary
Foreign Service will be required to
supplement the work of the veterans.
In recent testimony before a sub
committee of the House Appropria-
tions Committee, Laurence C. Frank,
chief of the State Departments Divi-
sion of Foreign Service Administra-
ton, gave some interesting informa-
ton which reflects Washington's
considered judgment as to the future
progress of the war. In justifying his
estimate of expenses for new mis-
sions. he told the subcommittee that
he expected the legation at Tirana,
Albania, would be operating for
three months of the current fiscal
year, which would mean from April
l to June l.
On the same basis his estimates of
the time when the American flag
again will fly in various German
occupied cities was: Vienna, April /;
Prague, March l; Danzig and Copen-
hagen, February L. Already the
American Embassy in Paris and the
Consulate in Marseille are in full
operation and it is expected that
consulate soon will be open in Lyon.
The State Departments new sup
Elemental appropriation added to its
regular stipened of $50 ,490, ,088 for the
1944-5 fiscal year gives it total of
$54,472,175 for its global operations
up to next June 80. That sum is
in marked contrast to the meager
$12,000,000 or $15,0o0,0OO which the
State Department considered itself
fortunate to receive back in the
1920s and 1930s. In those days it
was the "stepchild of the govern
ment," receiving the smallest appro-
priation of any 'old-line" agency.
However, the postwar period will
Evening star., 1945-01-05
Three Cheers for OPA!

Three Cheers for OPA!
To the Editor of The Star:
"a wicked doer gives heed to false
lips; and liar gives ear to naughty
tongue" prov, xvii A.
This proverb came to my mind when
I read H. H. Bradford's statement:
From what I have heard from various
sources, the Office of Price Administra-
tion is the most incompetent of all
Government agencies that have bios
somed out during this war"
Mother of a Large Family" Amer
ican Housewife" and the Citizen" with
the "scofflaw" attitude are to be pitied
for their self1shness and their threats
to hoard from now on all they can
Can any one claim that ration book
confers an inalienable right? BY what
logic can we accuse those who know the
true situation concerning the food sup
ply of dislonorableness, sharp practice
and untrustworthiness when. for the
proper future distribution of available
supplies, unneeded points are Cancelled
without advance warning. Mr.. Brad
ford asks: why can't We have a ra-
tionlng system carried on without being
bound up with so much red tape that
it defeats its purpose?" Is it not clear
that the red tape would have consisted
OF setting an advanced cancellation
date? Is it not clear that setting an
advance date would have defeated the
purpose of rationing?
CT Joe in Bastogne or on Ieyte,
standing in line rain or shine for his
bowl of soup or eating his canned
ration while in a foxhole, may well
wonder about the morale on the home
front when an American mother and
American housewives wall about having
to give up points for which, by their
own acknowledgment, they had no
need, and who threaten that from now
they will hoard all they can.
do not know what the consensus
would be if Americans were polled on
this question. I, for one, having also
saved" hundreds and hundreds of
blue and red points for which I had
no need, wish to protest against these
greedy walters and to express my ap-
probation to the OPA for an efficient,
fair and red-tapeless rationing system
which has given every one fair OPP
portunity to obtain his share as needed.
MRS. c. DANIEL BREMER.
Evening star., 1945-01-05
Balance Sheet of Battle
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot

ing in the Bastogne area. good guess
might be that the withdrawal of the
7th Army behind the Lauter signifies
the dispatch of the operational reserves
of that army to reinforce the Sd at
Bastogne; and that a great deal may
depend on the timely arrival of these
troops. If they can intervene in the
battle in time to prevent any German
switch northward against the 1st Army,
or better, in sufficient force to crash
clear through to Houffalize from the
south, the battle will have taken a very
favorable turn for the Allies on this
front.
Meanwhile, the 1st Army (perhaps
reinforced by other troops seems to be
advancing on two sectors of the north
ern front in considerable strength. The
main effort appears to be directed upon
Houffalize from the north.
*** **
AS matters stand, we have compelled
the enemy to divide his forces into two
almost equal parts. He will wish to
correct this situation before either part
position facilitates such moves unless
both parts become pinned down so that
they are incapable of quick maneuvers
The tactical resourcefulness which the
German Army has displayed on many
battleflelds is of such quality that one
hesitates to believe that this will hap
pen. Yet the general situation of the
German troops in the Ardennes salient
is. unfavorable if the battle is long con-
tinued. Won Rundstedt is now in a po-
sition where he may suffer crushing
and irreparable disaster if things go
badly for him, but where if things go
well he has little hope of inflicting any
such disaster on his opponent, but at
best can hope for successful with
drawal inside the Siegfried defenses.
The stakes are not even.
We approach, therefore, the pay
Off situation which these articles have
foreshadowed from the outset of this
German counterof ensive: Do the Ger
mans now get back into their estab-
lished lines of defense with compara-
lively small losses in first-class troops,
and have net balance in their favor
as result of upsetting our plans and
thereby gaining time of greater value
than the casualties they have expend-
ed; or do they now lose so heavily that
in the final outcome the war will be
shortened by the erasure of great
part Of the German mobile reserves on
the'western front?
(Copyrisht. 1e46.l
Evening star., 1945-01-05

ing international regulations. Histori-
cally and traditionally, that country has
avoided becoming mixed up in any of
the many wars which have been fought
at her borders and for many years has
played the role Of Good Samaritan
among the warning factions.
But the new gesture of the United
States might be misinterpreted among
the politically minded European ma
tions. In the last few months Switzer-
land has been the target OF attacks by
Russia and Is being described in the
official Soviet newspapers as Nazi and
Fascist sympathizer. Although Moscow
has no diplomatic relations with Bern,
a commercial treaty was signed in 1889
and still is in existence.
Il
Recently the Bern government at
tempted to end the nonrecognition sta
tus between Switzerland and the U. S.
S. r. and asked Moscow for an exchange
of ambassadors and full resumption of
diplomatic relations. It was severely
snubbed by the Soviet government.
Moreover, the Soviet government re-
fused to participate in the recent inter-
national air conference at Chicago, be-
cause Fascist sympathizers such as the
Swiss had been invited. In other words,
Switzerland was slapped down" Sc
verely by Russia for no apparent reason
except the f1imsy excuse that it be-
longed to the Nazi-Fascist group. All
American and British diplomats and
other official and unofficial observers
describe this assertion as preposterous.
Switzerland has had a hard time
keeping neutral and surviving. She
depends to great extent on the outside
world for food and depends entirely on
her immediate neighbors, and on Brit
ain and America, for raw materials. She
has invoked drastic rationing and in
order to survive she has had to deal,
strictly in accordance with the existing
international laws, with all those coun-
tries which she has been able to reach
by land or sea.
Tt Is highly unlikely that under the
existing circumstances she will be able to
revise her trade in order to comply with
the requests of the State Department,
even If the American Government were
to promise to replace the imports she is
now receiving from the Reich. The
transportation system in France has
become chaotic and even If this coun-
try wished to send to the Swiss every
thing they needed our promises could
not be fulfilled.
Evening star., 1945-01-05
Form Deferments

The decision to re-eXamine the
draft status of all deferred farm
workers in the 18-to-25 age group
emphasizes the tightness of the
present manpower situation. The
supply of young men is strictly
limited, and all of them who have
no defermentS will be indicted into
the Army and Navy at an early date,
leaving only those available who
have been deferred in industry and
agriculture.
Agricultural deferments in the
18-to-25 group now total 364,ooo as
against only $4,000 or 10000 in the
same age bracket in industry. This
great disparity is accounted for by
the fact that the Tydings amend
ment to the Selective Service Act
specifically provides that farm work.
ers be deferred when the essentially
of their work is definitely established.
The amendment, however. which is
designed to protect vital food pro-
duction, is flexible enough to permit
the reclassification of any such
workers whose jobs are not abso-
lutely necessary.
1t remains to be seen how many
young men selective service will be
able to get through the re-exami-
nation process. Some agricultural
leaders fear that the move will lead
Evening star., 1945-01-05
Wartime Conventions

1t is not surprising that plans are
being made for restrictions on con-
ventions which involve railroad
travel. The Office of Defense Trans
portation has collected figures indi-
eating that in 1914 more than five
thousand conventions and trade
shows were held on a national or
regional scale and that more are
being planned in 1945 than for any
year since the start of the war.
Something in the form of a cam
paign to secure voluntary cancella-
tions of such meetings has been
undertaken quietly by the ODT and
some one hundred and eighty three
have been called off. But the number
is insignificant compared with the
total to be held, which includes many
thousands of industry meetings" not
large enough to be classified as con-
ventions but which involve a great
amount of travel.
Responsible authorities seem to
d6lCC 1lldU III dFCI lllNO1fcS
too many problems to be practicable.
Even priority system undertaken
in an effort to permit the conven-
tionS which have some relation to
the war effort would be difficult.
But in spite of the physical incon-
venience of railroad travel these
days, it has reached a point where
some curb is necessary. Some of the
authorities consider it one of the
chief causes of plant absenteeism.
With plenty of money, people insist
on going places. If the Government
cracked down" on conventions in
the same spirit and in the same tone
of finality that it closed the race
tracks, there should be no difficulty
in obtaining compliance and the
effect of the ban would extend be-
yond these formal gatherings, many
of which are unnecessary.
Evening star., 1945-01-05
Violence Repeats
From the Montreal Star.

From the Montreal Star.
Certainly nothing could be more ter
rible than the disorders in Greece. A
nation, liberated by Allied arms, fed by
Allied countries, rejoicing in its new
found freedom and with hopeful eyes
fixed on the future, finds itself rent by
fratricidal strife. Greek throttles
Greek, while the women and children
who survived four years of Na1 and
Italian horror look on again in cynical
despair.
All this is done in the sacred name of
freedom. We pledged our word and
offered the sacrifice of our finest youth
to bring freedom to Greece. We asked
no reward but the joyous faces of men,
women and children free to live without
fear. Freedom we offered, and they
could not take it.
With the causes of dispute we are not
Immediately concerned. Mr.. Churchill
says he does not know who fired the
first shot. 1t does not matter. What
causes the gravest concern is that the
shot was fired, that men who joined
others to destroy one tyranny, them
selves set up another If the war has
not taught these people that violence
begets violence, what can teach them2
Evening star., 1945-01-05

to critical new problems, but Marvin
Jones, the war food administrator,
does not believe so, and President
Roosevelt feels that If inductions
result in farm labor shortage,
much of the deficiency can be filled
by Older workers. In any event, since
the Army and Navy need manpower
in the 18-to-25 class, and since the
great mass of deferments in this
class is in agriculture, it seems both
fair and sensible that all such defer
ments should be carefully reconsid-
cred before men 26 years old or more
are drafted from industry.
Evening star., 1945-01-05

We now come again to a critical stage
in the battle of the Ardennes. Indeed,
this may be the stage which will deter
mine whether the final balance sheet
of the battle will show credit balance
for the Germans or for the Allies, for
the results of the operations now in
progress may we'll determine whether
the Germans will lose so much of their
mobile fighting power as to leave them
decidedly worse off than they were be-
fore their counteroffensive started.
The general shape of the battle is
Just this: deep salient has been driven
into the Allied lines by the Germans in
a weakly held sector containing no OBJ
jectives of either strategic or material
Importance; therefore the value of this
operation to the Germans rests entirely
on the dislocation of Allied efforts
elsewhere which it may bring about, Or
on the possibility of further developing
the salient by widening or extending
it into areas which do contain 1mpor-
tant objectives.
The German advance has for the time
being been checked, and the salient is
being attacked on both its flanks, near
it's base-the classic method Of dealing
with such a penetration. 1t Is being
attacked on the south by elements of
the United States Sd Army, on the north
by the United States 1st Army, probably
reinforced by other Allied troops.
Wednesday it was possible to say
that the Sd Arny's attack had, at
least temporarily, lost its momentum.
and that the 1st Armys attack was
probably about to get under way.
Thursday the picture was much
clearer.
The Sd Army certainly has been
stopped by strong German counter
moves, apparently including about half
the available German forces in the sa
lient The German commander cer
tainly will desire to make the most of
his central position; his idea will be
to. pin down the Sd Army, and then
switch some of his mobile forces north
to meet the 1st Army before the Sd
can get going again. Now, an at
tack which has lost its original mo-
mentum does not start up again unless
it receives fresh impulse-that is, un-
less fresh forces come up from the
rear.
Since it seems likely that about all
the operational reserves which the Sd
Army could spare from It's old front
along the Saar (where It's remaining
divisions have gone over to the defen-
sive) are already engaged in the fight
Evening star., 1945-01-05
This Changing World
By Constantine Br0,On

Trained diplomatic observers doubt
that the State Departments proposed
Shaping down" of Switzerland by a
thorough reconsideration of our eco
nomic relations with that country will
yield any tangible results, except pos
sibly further lowering of Americas
diplomatic prestige in Europe.
The State Department has been plan
ming move to check the volume of trade
between Switzerland and the Reich for
some time. Reports of such action were
circulated in Washington before Christ
mas The general idea, as given to the
public, is that Switzerland is facilitating
the transport Of coal to Northern italy
and thus Is helping the resistance of the
German armies and also is exporting
quantity of precision instruments to the
Reich for use in German planes and
submarines.
1t is hardly likely that the streamlined
State Department seriously believes it
can impair the enemy's power of re-
sistance by any pressure on Switzerland
and thus prevent the sale of relatively
small quantity of goods to the Reich.
Under the administration of Secretary
OF State Hull similar drastic action was
taken in regard to Sweden, which was
accused of prolonging the Wehrmacht's S
fighting ability by exporting high-grade
steel and ball bearings for the Luftwaffe.
Yet in spite of Sweden's agreement
drastically to curtail her export trade
with Germany and despite the heavy
bombings of the German industrial
plants at Schweinfurt, the Luftwaffe
has shown itself alive again both on the
western front and in Hungary.
A similar slapping down on Fire was
attempted by Mr. Hull with the mild
support of the British government. The
result was that the Dublin government
refused to be high -pressured" and told
us politely to go and whistle. 1t now
seems that. although in more mild
manner. Secretary Stettinius intends to
apply the same policy toward Switzer-
land and probably will get the same
degree of success as his distinguished
predecessor
Judging from the point of view of
Americas diplomatic prestige abroad,
which has suffered severely in the last
II months, the achievements likely to be
obtained by the State Department are
hardly worth the sacrifice. Switzerland,
like Sweden, has maintained scrupu-
lous neutrality in accordance with exist
Evening star., 1945-01-05
Thoughts About Shortage
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
1t is too bad to hear of a shortage
OF anything that viii hinder our ef-
forts for our fair land and our well
being.
Health is the greatest thing we have,
and generally the least appreciated until
we lose it.
Do cigarettes promote health? If
not, why worry about shortage?
How many men or women honestly
can say that cigarettes are good for
them? They are poison. They irritate
the stomach, lungs and throat. The
only time that real smoker is not
nervous is when he is smoking.
JAMES I. BROWN.
Evening star., 1945-01-05

place tremendous responsibilities and
expenses upon the department
charged with the task OF represent
ing American interests abroad. The
United States has always been more
niggardly than any other great
power in making financial provision
for its foreign service. Any reason
able amount of money spent to
strengthen the State Department in
these critical times is a sound invest
ment for the Nation.
Evening star., 1945-01-05
Old Wushbourd

This dashboard has become link
In chaius OF memory
A hon,ely link and get it binds
T10o tall, young lads to me!
breathe q prcyer the tohile I rub
The sheets they slept betDeen
God, let Your blessing tollotD them
And keep them brape and clean
rub to,Del and think OF one,
BE still, rough Daues, be still
And one tDith flaming hair ,Dho guards
Some dark, beleaguered hill.
! rub a pilloloslip and pray,
God speed the moment tDhen
Ttuo s0eary, young old heads shall leaps
Their imprint here again!
NEz CLARK THORSON.