davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-12-02
1t Will Have to Be Settled

In 1917 Pepco and the Public Utili-
ties Commission began a court fight
over valuation and rates that lasted
for seven and half years. The liti-
cation was terminated in 1924 by the
now famous consent decree" and a
sliding scale of rate adjustment
which applied in 1925 and subse-
uuent years.
Now, twenty-one years later, Pepco,
the Commission and the Govern
ment (through intercession OF the
Treasury's Procurement Agency and
the Federal Works Agency are pom
dering the next move in a curious
three fight. The Court OF
Appeals announced its decisions last
July, but it was not until November
18 that the lines of reasoning were
made available-in Ave separate
opinions. The public, meanwhile,
is waiting for rate reduction that
was ordered in 1914 but which will
not become effective, for 1914 or
subsequent years, until the courts
finally ratify it.
AS 1t now stands. the Public Utili-
ties Commission has been upheld, in
its~own revision of the sliding scale
and its reduction of rates, by a'two-
to-one decision in the Court of APP
peals. Justices Edgerton and Clark
decided, but on different grounds,
for the Commission. Justice Wilbur
K. Miller sided with the company.
The Government has lost in its
contention that the Public Utilities
Commission, since 1925. has per-
mitted the company to make too
much money and that almost $780,
100000 should be taken out of the
rate base. Justices Clark and Miller
were against the Government in this
case; Justice Edgerton supported the
Government. The Public Utilities
Commission, as well as the company,
has opposed the Governments posi-
ton all along.
The Governments theory is novel
one. The effect of its application
would be to repudiate the Judgment
Of the Public Utilities Commission
since 1925, substituting the opinion
of the Government attorneys who
intervened in 1744. But in as much
as the Government has carried its
case this far, it should make every
effort to obtain a final judgment in
the Supreme Court We cannot ex-
pect a return to the successful rate
making, which was uninterrupted by
litigation from 1925 to 1914, until the
Governments contention regarding
the sliding scale is decided one way
or the other. Regardless of any
body's opinion as to it's substance,
the Government cannot fail to press
the issue it has raised.
Evening star., 1946-12-02

1t is impossible to penetrate the con-
fusion OF American policy at home and
abroad. Yet one thing is certain: No
Nation can serve two masters, and de-
mestic and foreign policies cannot be
disentangled. The right hand must know
what the left hand Is doing.
Here, there is alarm at the growing
influence of Communism-that brutal,
pitiless conspiracy to mount to absolute
power on the grievances of working men,
and to use that power, once achieved,
for the liquidation and determination
Of the middle classes in the interests
of the commissar- r-state and Russian
power.
Here the growing demand to root out
subversive elements holds grave dan
gers. because too many persons are in
capable Of distinguishing between those
who work out Of patriotic zeal, for
necessary and urgent reform, and those
who would subyert reform movements
for their own terrible ends. The Nation
can play into the hands of its would-be
destfoyers through the confusion of its
definitions, and through abrogating the
task of answering in constructive,
practical and, II necessary. radical way.
Change. whether for good or evil, de-
pends upon whether 1t is promoted by
those who, loving their society, would
preserve and improve it. or by
those who, hating it, would destroy it.
Those who would destroy 1t do not pro-
mote Its improvement. They hope,
rather. to be the receivers Of its bank
ruptcy. Those who would save our soci.
ETY. have thus not only negative task
but an affirmative one. The demonic
dynamism of Communism must be OPP
posed by another dynamism, appealing
to the spirit of cooperation and love.
instead of to hatred and class war.
But although we cannot fight the
terrible iconoclasms of OUR age by
Maginot Line of defense. neither Is
there any reason why we should direct
ly aid our would-be destroyers. Yet.
that is what we are doing in Germany
The Russians in their zone, make no
pretense of neutrality, putting only
Communists or unity-party (product of
a shotgun MARKHAM marriage) in Office;
Withholding paper from the opposition
press; terrorizing opposition spokesmen
and preferring converted ex-Nazis to
unconverted men Of impeccable reputa-
ton and character: and thus bringing
about "gleichschaltung" by Hitler's
very methods
We in our zone, however, affect not
neutrality but subservience. According
to recent dispatch, We have just put
at the head of news agency CO.
operative of forty-one newspapers, the
Communist Rudolph Agricola. We have
suppressed In Germany publication of
Schlabrendorff's Men Against Hitler"
part of which appeared here in the
Saturday Evening Post, and tells the
Evening star., 1946-12-02

vital imports. These dislocations
have contributed to monetary infia-
tion and dizzy rises in living costs
which have aroused widespread pop
ular unrest, expressed not only in
the spread OF Communism but also
in revival Of the native Fascist
movement termed Integralisn.
What Mr.. Vargas seemingly has in
mind is to ride his rising totali-
tartan wave in new bid for power.
His speech was a slashing attack on
the Dutra administration as repre-
senting the "old liberal capitalist
democracy In rapid decline" through
out the world, and responsible for
Brazil's present economic Ills. As a
>cure, he offered Socialist democracy,
democracy Of the workers" In all
this there is an obvious parallel with
the slogans of Juan Peron in Argen-
tina which have resulted In the es-
tablishment of form OF national
socialism In that country. Mr.. Vargas
obviously intends to play a similar
role In Brazil.
Evening star., 1946-12-02

the drain on pocketbooks for other
sorts of goods. Economists are sell
dom united on anything, but now
their differences in viewing 1947 are
matters of degree. Some expect mild
recession, some more important one.
None will now say, as some said a year
ago, that five years of uninterrupted
prosperity are ahead.
y ~
In any event Congress must not count
on an ever-growing income. Nor should
union leaders make their plans on the
assumption that full employment, part
ly bolstered by great sums spent for
the new armament race, win 60 on. In
such situation even the most friendly
"fact-finding" boards are going to have
trouble justtfying new wage conces-
sions. The situation of labor, unionised
or not, cannot be so easy when supply
exceeds demand.
It is difficult, in the face of these
well-kIlown circumstances, to anticipate
1947 wave of strikes. Can union lead
ers, despite the heady wine of power
to which they are addicted, still read
the signs of the times?
Released by the Associated Newspapers Inc.)
Evening star., 1946-12-02
Coll of the Rockies

Foreper beautiful, but most OF all
When yello,0 lenpes and pattering 1corns
fall,
Those mountains OF my dreams. hear !,
the call 4
OF rugged, sun-touc1ed heights that rim
the Uest
where the bright hands OF autumn
briefly rest;
Where on the seamy ledges overhead !.
With heatless fire, the 6racken tronds
burn red.
And remember hon the aspen shines
In trenlulous gold, hoao the tenacious
pines,
Braced on the rock, in shadoDg armor
stand,
Dark .as sea,odter ouer needy sand. :
/ kno,o the canyon il, t0hose deep
trail
Grnpe solitudes and silences prevdil,
Where dusk Is sudden and the early
night
Blazes NTH autumn stars, superblv
bright.
INEz BARCLAY KIRBY. s
Evening star., 1946-12-02
Vurqus' Hat in the Ring

Getulio Vargas is back in big time
politics. This is obvious from the
tenor of an address made last week
before a left wing audience in
Southern Brazil, whence he halls
and which has been the seat of his
political strength.
Ever since his fifteen-year semi
dictatorial tenure of the presidency
was terminated in October, 1945, by
action of the armed forces which
compelled his resignation, Mr.. Vargas
has kept discreetly silent, although
he kept a political foothold by being
chosen senator from his home con-
stituency in the elections which in
stalled the present executive, Cen
eral Dutra, in the presidency. Few
informed students of Brazilian poll
tics have believed that Mr.. Vargas
was out of the political picture. And
his choice of re-entry is a significant
reflection of Brazil's troubled situa-
tion.
The bloodless overturn which
ousted Mr.. Vargas marked a reac-
ton against the authoritarian re-
gime installed by him, which he
termed the New State" This re-
gime was frankly modelled on the
corporate State" of Fascist Italy,
repudiating the liberal tradition
of parliamentarism and individual
rights in favor of one combining
dictatorship with nationalistic col
lectivism, perhaps best expressed by
the term National Socialism" en-
ployed by Hitler and his Nazis. In
Brazil, this swing towards totalitar-
ianism engineered by Mr.. Vargas also
meant the supplanting of a loose
federalism by highly centralized
national government wherein states
rights were virtually abolished. The
Dutra regime signalized at least a
partial return to the traditional
ideals of parliamentary democracy,
individual liberty and local self-gov-
ernment.
Unfortunately, the Dutra admin
istration has been faced with grave
economic and social problems. Brazil,
like the rest of Latin America, has
suffered intensely from postwar dis
locations OF world trade that have
spelled export gluts and shortages Of
Evening star., 1946-12-02
This Changing World
By Constantine BroOn

Some official quarters in Washington
received with exuberant optimism For
eign Minister Molotovs acceptance OF
an international inspection and control
Of armies and ornaments throughout
the world Their JOY was short-lived.
Assistant Foreign Minister Vishinsky
took the wind out of the sails of the
optimists by stating that the policy OF
Russia was unchanged in regard to the
veto right to which these commissions
shall be subjected and asking that We
start the ball rolling by banning the
atom bomb.
Responsible officials in the War and
Navy Departments were ready to draft
series OF specifications" for Americas
u. N. delegation as to how the inspec-
tions should be carried out. The con-
sensus Of our specialists was that no
handicap should be placed In the way
of the international inspection commits
sion This should be composed Of sew
eral teams, including military, naval and
aviation officers and scientists.
The members of the commissions
should be provided with special pass
ports, permitting them to go anywhere
at any time without giving any particu-
lar warning to the government con-
trolling the areas to be inspected. They
should be like bank examiners in this
country, who appear Unexpectedly to in
spect banks books. The American
plan is said to have provided number
of teams, representing the various mem
bers OF the U. N. If one of them wanted
to inspect the works at Los Alamos, they
would have merely informed the Ameri-
can Government that they were on the
way to New Mexico and required the
necessary facilities for inspection.
The same thing was to be applied to
the heavy industries of the u. s. 8. r..
at. say, Magnitogorsk in the Urals or at
Novosibirsk in Siberia. Without COM
plete freedom of movement the inspec-
tions would have been useless. The
American conception of inspection would
have led to genuine reduction of arrna-
ments and keeping the books open to
the entire world. 1t Is said to have been
fully indorsed by the British, French
and the other western countries, which
are demanding nothing better than to
be relieved of the burden of military ex-
penditure.
But Mr.. Molotov was merely in an ex-
uberant mood when he agreed on behalf
Of his country to accept international
inspection. Tt was up to his deputy,
Evening star., 1946-12-02
Filming the Miners

The Governments action in
authorizing the imposition Of retro
active fines of 81 to 50 daily on
striking coal miners is. important
primarily as evidence of deter
mination to exhaust all lawful
means of breaking the strike.
Actually the decision to permit
the fines, of itself, is not apt to
nave any decisive influence on the
duration of the strike. These fines,
of course, constitute penalty which
would be distasteful to the miners.
But they can be collected only out
of pay envelopes, which means that
their impact would not be felt until
such time as the men go back to
work. Furthermore, the decision as
to whether the fines shall or shall
not be collected is left to the
discretion of the private owners OF
the mines, and in the case of earlier
strikes they have generally pre-
ferred to waive the penalties when
the miners return to their jobs.
Finally, even if fines are collected,
the money has to be paid into a
union medical fund which is admin
istered entirely at the discretion OF
agents appointed by John L. Lewis.
In the light of all these factors it
is reasonable to conclude that the
decision to authorize the fines Will
carry more weight as a sign OF
firmness on the Governments part
than as a strike-breaking sanction.
And firmness on the part OF the
Government is of primary impor-
tance in this strike.
From at least the time OF his
strike, on the eve of Pearl Harbor,
to organize the captive coal mine
workers, Mr.. Lewis has found one
soft spot after another in the Gov
ernment's armor. On repeated
occasions he has crossed swords
with two administrations, and in
every instance he has forced the
Government to yield in whole or
in part to his strike enforced de-
mands. In the Governments behalf
it must be acknowledged that much
of this apparent weakness sprang
from the overriding need of coal
with which to wage the war. Yet 1t
is possible, even probable, that MIR.
Lewis has come to believe that he
can browbeat the Government at
will and that strike will always
produce part of what he wants and
cost him nothing.
The time has come, however, for
Evening star., 1946-12-02

Vishinsky, to cross his t's and dot his
is. And ne did so In the old Soviet
style by repeating that any disarmament
and inspection attempts must be pre-
ceded by the complete abolition Of the
atom bomb. Moreover. he announced In
emphatic terms that the control COM
missions which had been indorsed the
previous day by Mr.. Molotov were to
be subjected to the Security Council
and to the veto power of any Of its
permanent members.
Mr.. Vishinsky did not explain the full
meaning Of his words. But American and
British diplomats say that the work Of
the inspection teams must, under the
Vishinsky Interpretation, be approved
by the Council every time any of the
commissions wants to go out to work.
Moreover, their scope would have to be
limited by rules and regulations draft
ed by the Council. Any provision which
may not be to the taste Of. the Rus
sian government could be vetoed by
the Soviet's Council delegate.
This means, in fact, that the accept
ance Of the Russian proposal would
make farce of the whole inspection and
disarmament idea,
This matter was considered by most
members of the U. N. as basically more
important than the peace treaties which
are under discussion at this time. Peace
treaties may affect local situation but
have no bearing on the establishment
of lasting peace. Only a drastic limita-
ton of armies and weapons under
thorough international control can help
the cause of peace.
When Mr.. Molotov agreed last Thurs
day to a general Experimentation
however, being specific as to conditions
"a wave of optimism prevailed in New
York and in certain quarters in Wash
ington. Diplomats here believed that the
Soviet foreign minister's gesture was
the result of the secret negotiations
earlier in the week between him and
Secretary of State Byrnes. In some dip
lomatic quarters here it was said that
Mr.. Byrnes might have brought about
Russia's cooperation with some SUBJ
stantial concessions regarding the
U. S. S. RS complete control of the
whole Balkan peninsula. And, as dis
pleasing to some as this idea may have
been, it was considered worth while If
i. was to bring forth lasting peace.
Mr.. vishinsky took good care to dispel
this illusloc
Evening star., 1946-12-02
The Studnik Case

In his letter of regret and explana-
tion to Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Manuilsky, Secretary Of State Byrnes
has reduced the Stadnik shooting to
Its proper proportions. Together with
an accompanying report from the
police commissioner Of New York,
the letter makes clear that the in
cident, though an ugly and vicious
crime, cannot sensibly be interpreted
as an attempted political assassina-
tion full Of dark international i'm
plications.
Mr.. Stadnik. delegate from the
Ukraine to the United Nations,
simply suffered the misfortune of
finding himself in the middle of a
delicatessen holdup and of being
shot in the thigh by one of two
trigger happy and possibly doped-up
young thugs. Had these criminals
been the hired agents of some power,
had their mission been to kill Mr..
Stadnik for Machiavellian political
reasons, common sense suggests that
they would not have gone into
brightly lit store to do the job in
the presence of three or four wit
nesses. They would have tried to
waylay him somewhere in the shad-
ows of the streets outside. In any
event, he would not have been shot
at haphazardly.
The circumstantial evidence, In
other words, constitutes convincing
argument against ascribing this all
too-common type of American crime
to political conspiracy. Mr.. Stad-
mix, whose speedy recovery is to be
hoped for, deserves sincere SYM
pathy. but the same cannot be said
for Foreign Minister Manuilsky's
basically ridiculous theory. On the
strength of Mr.. Byrnes' letter, the
case should be considered closed, ex-
cept for continued police efforts to
find the guilty and increase the
public safety in New York.
Evening star., 1946-12-02
A Buyers Market?
By Raym ond Moiey

Since 1t Is of extreme Importance to
congressional budget-makers to make
no mistake in anticipating next years
income, 1t might be well that they take
account OF what one economist calls the
poisonous point" That point" says
the economist, Is that which is passed
when a sellers market changes to a
buyers market. Yesterday" he says,
you may have had great over-demand
and duplication of orders. This morn
ing, everything Is changed. Customers
refuse to take low-grade commodities
at all. They want good ones at lower
prices. You may be passing over the
line while you Sleep"
There are plenty of signs that the
poisonous point" is being approached
in many lines of business and that,
when the Christmas rush is over, we
shall have reached 1t quite generally.
Department stores, still enjoying
Christmas business, begin to advertise
astonishing price reductions. Women in
New York, and presumably elsewhere,
receive the sudden thrill one morning
Of seeing hats offered at half price.
Furs are down, and so are small dia-
monds.
The more prosaic potato joins these
luxuries on the bargain counter. The
Secretary Of Agriculture has to buy po-
tatoes to support prices and cannot sell
them, dehydrated of not. to foreign buy
ers. The story comes from reliable
source that an industrial user has
bought potatoes at SIS per car.
The textile industries report big cam
cellatiens of orders. SO do the furni-
ture people. Book sales are diminishing.
Variety reports q moviegoers' revolt
at further hikes in admission prices.
A recent new picture on Broadway, Of
fered for view at over 50. flickered to
empty seats. The price came down
forthwith.
Much Of this revolt may b due to
Evening star., 1946-12-02

the Government to demonstrate
that this is not so. The war is over,
and while a long coal strike will be
painful 1t can be endured. II the
Government and the people are ever
to show Mr.. Lewis and those who
think like him that they will not
be coerced by unjustified strikes
this Is the time for it--when the
issue has been drawn and when
public sentiment is squarely behind
the President in his refusal to bend
the knee again.
Evening star., 1946-12-02
This and That
By Charles 3. Traceweu.

What is the most alert and intelligent
winter gardens?
Many enthusiasts will nominate the
chickadee.
This column would join them, on q
personal test made recently.
new feeding station was established
near the dining room windows. 1t Is
a small affair on stake planted In
the rhododendrons.
The question was, which of the score
or more species eating calmly at a
large feeder by the garage would be
first to find the new one?
The accent was on sunfiower seed.
All seed eaters like these. They are
full of meat, easily cracked, nice to
eat either at the scene or off on yon-
der bough.
Chickadees and titmice take 'em
away. Cardinals eat at the scene.
When a new feeder is established.
those who put 1t up must be content
with what happens.
Often the birds are shy. Sometimes
they take "a hours to become recon-
ciled to new feeding place. Then
again, they may fly in right away.
One man goes to the South Pole.
That is adventure-for him. Another
sits by window and waits for birds.
And that is adventure for him.
Adventure is where and how you
find it.
So there was the scene, new feed
ing station, birds in the offing (not
very far Off and interested spectators.
1t takes no more to make show.
Old Romans sat so at q circus.
They were interested, waiting
And so were we, as we sat by the
window, waiting for the first bird to
fly in.
This time it took only minutes by
the clock.
Whizz!
It was a chickadee, cheerful, alert,
bright, happy, anything else good any
one wants to call him, for he is all of
them, and more.
He lit on the edge, looked over the
food, and carefully selected sunf1ower
seed.
WhizzI
He was out again, with his dipping
flight. To a tree branch he took the
seed, laid 1t down carefully, and hacked
it open.
It was easy enough to imagine him
saying yum, yum"
Zipl
He was back again.
And zip again-he was gone again.
The next wlnizz or zip came so
quickly that there was no doubt OF q
second chickadee.
Then chickadees begarr to come in
from all sides Of the house.
There are two out 'front.'" came the
excited cry from the south side of the
house.
II see three more coming in from
the west!"
The place was being besieged by
ci1ickadees.
They came in from all directions, a
total of six, each one seizing seed,
and making of with it.
Sparrows, starlings, cardinals, blue
laws and others ignored the new sta
ton.
Now and then one would fly over
IT, to take look, but evidently thought
1t some sort of trap.
Not the cheerful chickadees. Trust-
ing man, this time they made no mis-
take, and so they had the new feeding
station all to themselves until dark
ness.
Tomorrow 1t would be different, we
knew--and sure enough, it was. Next
morning, at first light, there were five
sparrows in the box. But for q few
hours. at least, we had had chickades
feeder.
Evening star., 1946-12-02
No Trust

From the Marshal lltown Times Republican
An Iowa congressman says the way
to insure world peace is to maintain
international relations with all nations
on the basis of U. S.-Canadian rela-
tions. The trouble with this sugges-
ton is that most other nations do not
trust us, or their other neighbors. as
we and the Canadians trust each other.