davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-12-19

frank as politician can be-and much
more so than many-his technique win
probably be very different from that of
Mr.. Willkie when it comes to dealing
with his party in Congress and with
the Republican National Committee
whose headquarters are almost oppo-
site the offices which Mr.. Stassen
will open here January /.
Mr. Stassen now will have opportu-
nifty to show whether he or those of
his advisers who wanted him to run
for the Senate against Senator Ship
stead as a means of advancing his
candidacy for the Presidential nomina-
ton and election were right. He could
have been elected over Shipstead
thereby giving himself a forum. But
he decided against it. Now he has the
task of creating public forum for him.
self. As a rule, Mr. Stassen has had
good press-and it may be he will sue
coed, for he has plenty of political
acumen and makes news.
Mr. Stassen, by his announcement
that he is and will be candidate for
the presidential nomination, has lined
himself up against the field almost
two years before the election. Except
for the case OF Mr.. Willkie, who was
very frank in his conversations from
1912 on about his being a candidate,
this is unorthodox and practically un-
precedented. In the old days, it was
always said the job should seek the
man, not the man the job But that
was mainly conversation and the can
didates worked hard though they were
unannounced. The Stassen position,
therefore, is refreshing.
Certainly it is in contrast to the atti-
tude of Senators Vandenberg and Taft,
and of Gov. Warren of California, all
of whom have disclaimed being candi-
oates for the presidential nomination.
Gov. Warren has been emphatic par
ticularly in his assertions that he does
not intend or want to be a candidate.
Gov. Dewey of New York-who is OBJ
viously the man any of these presiden-
tial possibilities will have to defeat in
l948-has so far declined to comment on
Mr.. Stassen's announced candidacy.
Nor did Gov. Dewey say, as others have,
that he is not candidate. He is q
candidate, and at a time selected by
him, will make his announcement. Four
years ago Mr.. Dewey was not candi-
date for the presidential nomination,
and he said SO. He did not wish to be
nominated and he struggled against it
up to the end
Evening star., 1946-12-19
Truman's Prestige Rises
BY Jay G. Hayden

Strangely enough, the American po-
litical figure who has gained most in
prestige since the November election,
in the opinion of the large number of
the Nations big shots gathered for the
winter dinner of the Gridiron Club here
over the past week end, Is Harry S.
Truman.
Some of them commented that Mr..
Truman's stock was so low few weeks
ago that there was no way 1t could
move except upward, but even so the
change Of tone to the Presidents bene-
fit is remarkable.
The reasons for It mainly seem to
be Mr.. Truman's firm stand against
John l.. Lewis, and the speed with which
and otherwise trimming his sails to
meet the election storm.
Mr.. Truman appears now to be more
firmly in the saddle, especially as re-
CARDS his own party, than at any time
since he entered the White House The
threat of an uprising Of conservative
Democrats against the holdoyer House
floor leader, John w. Mccormack of
Massachusetts,, has all but faded out.
There probably will be few irreconcila-
bleS, both right and left, but the ten
dency of the majority of Democrats
is to rally behind Truman as the only
hope of their party for 1948.
Conservative Democrats are particu-
larly pleased by the change in housing
policy, evidenced by departure Of the
so-called sexpediter," Wilson wyatt, and
sweeping removal Of Government con-
trolls.
Almost everybody credits Mr.. Wyatt
with good intentions, but there is an
equal consensus that the procedures he
adopted not only failed to get houses
for veterans, the purpose claimed for
them, but that they largely paralyzed
normal building effort.
Now nonveterans, as well as veter-
ans, are to be permitted to build. on
the theory that whoever acquires new
home will release the place they are
living IN at present Also. the building
OF houses and apartments to rent Is to
be stimulated. Certainly, great many
veterans want to rent homes, rather
than build them.
AL this fits ia With the growing idea
Evening star., 1946-12-19
Word Of Warming

From LIE Soleil fQuebec)
In too many shops and pretty nearly
everywhere-not only in the Quebec
region and not only in Canada-it has
seemed for six years that the customer
was always wrong. This deplorable
attitude is explained by the scarcity Of
trained workers and the lack of diff
ferent products. Also it is notorious
that we are not always hesitant about
exploiting strangers shamefully. These
lacks in service, these faults and mis-
takes will not prevent tourists from
coming here still in great numbers next
summer, for their choice will remain
very limited. But In default of filling
up these gaps, correcting these faults
and making good these mistakes we
shall, slowly but surely, kill the goose
that Laws the golden eggs
Evening star., 1946-12-19
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

Harold E. StaSSen, the first candidate
for the 1948 presidential nomination to
cast his hat formally in the ring, has
picked himself tough job-that of
leading the Republican Party along
path of true liberalism" There are
plenty Of liberals in the Republican
Party-notwithstanding the snorts Of
the New Dealers. Some of them are in
Congress. Mr. Stassen's plan is to work
out a program of progressive principles
and legislation for the Republican
majorities in the Senate and House and
to get them to accept 1T. Whether they
do or not. this program will be Stassen's
platform when the time comes to fight
for delegates to the Republican National
Convention of 1948.
Mr.. Stassens difficulty will lie in the
fact he is an outsider--as viewed by
Republicans who have been elected to
Congress. Republicans in the National
Legislature are clannish, chubby bunch,
when it comes to looking from the
inside out. ss
Furthermore, there are a number of
highly placed Republicans in Congress
who certainly are receptive candidates
for presidential nomination-even if
they adopt shrinking violet attitude
for the time being They and their
friends are likely to object, perhaps
strenuously, to the acceptance of a pro-
gram, or any part OF a program, worked
out by an avowed candidate for the
nomination.
However, Mr.. Stassen has a great
ability to work with others and to get
others to work with him. A striking
example of this ability is found in the
great success he achieved as delegate
to the United Nations Conference in
San Francisco. No delegate of any ma
ton was more effective than Mr.. Stas-
sen when it came to getting things done
and getting agreements on disputed
issues
The late Wendell L. Willkie. Republi-
can nominee for President in 1910 and
a candidate for denomination in 1914
until the Wisconsin presidential prefer
ential primaries convinced him he had
no chance, announced, like Mr.. Stassen.
he intended to make the Republican
Party liberal. His tactics, however, were
anything but diplomatic. In his deal
ings with Republican members of Con-
gress he was like bull in china
shop, and on one occasion he told these
Republicans he did not care whether
he had their support or npt-that he
was going to win the Republican nomi-
nation in 1914. While Mr.. Stassen Is as
Evening star., 1946-12-19
Career InteIIiqence

The House Military Affairs Com
mittee is seeking to remedy grave
weakness Of our military intelli-
gence system when it recommends
establishment in the Army of an in
telligence corps composed of officers
and men assigned to espionage work
on a career basis. The committee,
hoping to make the most of lessons
of World War II, evidences proper
appreciation of the Importance of
effective intelligence in military
planning and operations.
Experience in two major wars has
shown the shortsightedness and the
perils of tagging behind other ma
tionS in the field of what is called in
polite circles intelligence but which
is nothing more than espionage.
The United States has been lax in
maintaining an intelligence setup
abroad. In both World Wars we
have had to rely on our more realis-
tic allies for information which,
when war came, should have been in
our own files at the War and Navy
Departments. Meanwhile, there was
little that Germany and Japan did
not know about our own defenses,
even to the capacity of our arms in
dustry and the depth of channels in
our harbOrS.
The Army's CO, as well as the
Navys Office of Naval Intelligence,
is made up of officers drawn from
various branches of the two services.
Since the late war a real effort has
been made to assign to intelligence
activities officers who have evi-
denced some special ability in col
lecting and evaluating military in
formation. Moreover, intelligence
courses have been organized for the
instruction of men detailed to this
highly specialized work. The intelli-
gence branches still are plagued by
changing personnel, however. This
constant shifting Of men to and
from intelligence duties in the Army
would be ended under the House
committees proposal for perma-
nent,. autonomous corps.
Both intelligence services should
be co-ordinated. of course. to avoid
duplication and conflict. The COM
mittee would effect this co-ordina-
ton by giving statutory powers to
the National Intelligence Authority,
now operating under an executive
order. The actual work of collecting
intelligence abroad would be han
died by the military services. The
whole problem of improving our in
Evening star., 1946-12-19
Deserted Studium

Like autumn's other transitory shoDs,
The glory here anas brief and seatondl::
The field is empty rotr, and Uacant ro,us
OF seats but mark the obsolescent fall.
The iUinter sDiiads hare made the final
score
And noap possess iphat once iuus treas
nred space,
Where for so short time King Foot.
balls lure
Brought temporary brightness to this
place.
who kicked the ball? Who ran for ertro
gain?
Whose torionrd pass brought thou-
sands to their feet?
The teams shared only eDanescent reign:
Their fame sUGs slight, their splendor
incomplete.
Statistics notD-1s hollo1o as mems praise
Lost on the irinds Of iDfnter's frigid days.
ALBERT WARNER DOWNING.
Evening star., 1946-12-19
This Changing World
By Constantine Brown

drawn from various services and are
not familiar with this kind of work
Neither do they have time to learn the
ropes, for they seldom stay long enough
in their positions to do so.
The handful of officers composing the
military intelligence branch Of the Army
in the past have been given what they
considered to be prefunctory chore
which seldom brought promotion or
distinction. An officer would have a
tour Of duty for two or three years in
the War Department as the headpof a
foreign desk Then he would be
transferred to his original service branch
and would probably never have to deal
with the subject again.
Peacetime intelligence work formerly
consisted Of gathering as many news
paper clippings as possible, getting
translations from foreign newspapers
and magazines and reading reports from
military attaches who, in many cases,
accepted assignments abroad because Of
their glamour.
Military attaches-even If they were
interested in intelligence-were circum-
scribed in their activities by number
of rules and regulations which pre-
vented them from obtaining their in
formation from other than Legitimate"
sources.
The absence of an adequate intelli-
gence corps was partly responsible for
our total lack of preparation when
World War II broke out in 1899.
A special Army intelligence unit COM
parable to the Corps of Engineers and
the Signal Corps has been crying
need of our National defense ever since
we became world power with global
interests. The word Espionage" smells
badly to American citizens, and Con-
gress has always been reluctant to ap-
propriate sums for such purposes, even
when it was pointed out to the Military
Affairs Committee that much of the
Nations security depends on this type
of intelligence.
Our costly lessons in the last six years
appear, however, to have opened the
eyes of our legislators. 1t is now ex-
pected that legislation will be passed
providing adequate sums for full
fledged intelligence corps.
The creation of a special intelligence
branch of the armed forces will enable
those who are so inclined to spend their
lives in intelligence work, without seek
ing transfer to their original service
branch in order to gain promotions in
rank.
Evening star., 1946-12-19
Atom and Veto

Despite a Russian request for more
time to study them, the Atomic
Energy Commission apparently is
determined to vote tomorrow on
American proposals for formal and
specific acceptance of the principle
of eliminating the veto from con-
troll of the atom. This is in keeping
with what Mr.. Baruch has advo-
Gated. AS our representative on the
commission, he has argued elo-
quently against further delay. In
his judgment, the time has come to
act on the matter and to go on from
there to the adoption of concrete
implementing measures.
In themselves, the proposals are
meant merely to establish general
framework for the solution of the
atomic problem. Under them. the
commiSsion-in its forthcoming re-
port to the Security Council-would
subscribe to the idea of a world
authority unhampered by the veto
in it's day-to-day operations or in
Furnishing violators. In Mr.. Baruch's
words, this would complete only the
first stage of the commissions as
signed task. But once it were out of
the way, once the principle of Veto
less control were fully agreed upon,
work could begin on organizing and
defining the functions and powers
of the proposed new agency. That
is to say, the different nations could
start to translate words into action
by calling into being, piece by piece
and stage by stage, the elaborate
machinery needed to avert nuclear
armaments race.
Even though Russia has requested
more time, there is some reason to
believe that it will respond favorably
If the vote is taken tomorrow. For
one thing. in making the request,
Mr.. Gromyko seems to have been
not too insistent upon it. For an
other, through Foreign Minister
Molotov and through their assent to
the General Assemblys resolution
on disarmament, the Russians have
made clear that they have at last
come around to the view that ii, con-
troll is to be effective, the veto cam
not be allowed to interfere with SUI
pervisory and policing operations.
In the circumstances, although they
appear to be doubtful about vetoless
punishment measures, it is difficult
to see how they can logically oppose
the American proposals. At any rate,
since the proposals are backed by the
overwhelming maj jority of the Atomic
Energy Commission, it is not unrea-
sonable to hope that Soviet accept
ance will make the support mani
nous. IL
1t is worth emphasizing, of course.
that such unanimity - whether
reached now or later-will mark only
the beginning of substantial progress.
But it will be an important begin
ming. AS Mr.. Baruch has declared,
"the man who says A can be taught
to say the rest of the alphabet" The
control of atomic energy is in the
very forefront of the overall dis
armament problem, and nothing
could promote it more than full ac-
ceptance of restricted veto. Looked
at in this light, the vote scheduled
for tomorrow can do much to speed
up the regulation and reduction of
all arms and armed forces.
Evening star., 1946-12-19
Northeastern BuIwurk

Although the War Department has
revealed no details regarding the
new Northeastern Command-part
of the joint Army-Navy-Air Corps
defense organization just announced
there are indications that this is
to become a vital reconnaissance
outpost and bulwark against aerial
attack by way of the Arctic. The
probability is heightened by the
report that command of this Amer
ican defense sector is to be given
to an Army Air Forces officer, as
yet undesignated.
General A. A. Arnold, wartime
chief of the Army Air Forces, re-
peatedly has pointed to the Far
North as the pathway of aerial
invasion" in any future war against
the United States. So have numer-
GUS other officers, in and out of the
Air Corps. They have urged that
the United States make every effort
to retain possession of the air bases
which we built in Newfoundland,
Labrador, Greenland and Iceland in
World War H. Negotiations to this
end have been proceeding for some
time, in the face of difficulties. At
Iceland's insistence, our base there
is to revert to civilian status-a
severe handicap in planning for
northeastern security.
These northern stations are
strategically' located to serve as
effective listening posts in peace
time. Unless Air Corps strength is
considerably increased by Congress,
1t is unlikely that men and facilities
Evening star., 1946-12-19

Creation OF special intelligence
corps" in the War Department, as pro-
posed by the House Military Affairs
Committee, is one of the best things
Congress can do to bolster the national
defense at very small cost, in the opin-
ion of those who know the weakness
Of our peacetime intelligence.
Military and naval intelligence In the
United States, unlike other countries,
becomes the stepchild OF both services
after an emergency is over.
Intelligence, which can be compared
With persons insurance policy, be-
comes the target of economy minded
officials after war ends. Large sums
poured out during major national crises,
when intelligence is being irnprovised
regardless Of cost, are drastically re-
duced by the Secretaries of War and
Navy in order to placate an economy
minded Congress. The result has been
that our intelligence services frequently
were behind the newspapers in learning
what Was happening abroad.
This same policy is followed now.
Army intelligence, for instance, was re-
officers and civilians in 1945 to less than
300 this year. At the height OF the
war the intelligence service was reputed
to be over 5000.
~ X
This number did not include Maj. Gen.
William Donovan'S vast and costly
Office of Strategic Services, a hetero-
geneous group of men and women who,
In the main, were mere amateurs in
this work, although some in the field
did gallant job
Those who have studied intelligence
in all It's phases maintain that the smaller
the armed forces are. the stronger the
intelligence services must be. They are
the antenna of national defense If they
are properly organized.
So far as we are concerned, the main
role of the intelligence service should
be to discover which nation is preparing
itself for aggression. On the basis of
reports from men who are experts in
their field, the War and Navy De-
partments can decide what force is
needed and where available land, sea
and air forces should be placed to ward
off potential aggression. The total
yearly cost to the taxpayer of a fully
equipped intelligence corps is less than
the maintenance of two Army divisions.
The chief trouble with peacetime in
telligence is that it does not have suf1i-
cient personnel. The top men are
Evening star., 1946-12-19

will be available to garrison them
on more than a skeleton basis. The
hope is that If war again should
threaten this continent there will
be time to expand and strengthen
the bases. The Northeastern Com
mand presumably would be re-
sponsible for maintaining constant
aerial reconnaissance, supplemented
by radar searching as necessary.
Evening star., 1946-12-19
CARE

BY It's very nature, 1t is plain tnat
Christmas is meant to be shared.
The happiness of the annual cele-
bration of the birth of the Christ
Child arises from the fact that
everybody takes part in it. No other
occasion is more definitely social in
character. It is the time when all
individuals of good will unite in a
single feast, a single rejoicing, a
single acknowledgment of spiritual
kinship.
But thousands of men, women and
children on the continent of Europe
this year will have Christmas diff
fering little from those wartime
Christmases which humanity in
general shudders to remember.
They are people bound to America
by ties of blood. In the great strug-
gle of 1889 1945, it was their fate to
suffer losses and sorrows which they
never can forget. Their cities are
in ruins, their homes destroyed, their
industries wrecked. It will be many
months before they will be able to
relieve their necessities by their own
labor. Meanwhile, If they are to
live at all they must live with the
help of their neighbors on this side
of the globe.
One of the agencies available for
the transmission Of practical assist
ance is the organization known as
CARE, the Cooperative for Amer
ican Remittances to Europe, Incor-
porated, with temporary Offices at
1886 Connecticut avenue NV. 1t is
!. Government : approved, nonprofit
motivated. For ten dollars it will
deliver to any stipulated relative or
friend or to a worthy stranger in
Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia,
France, Finland, Greece, Norway,
the Netherlands, Italy, Poland and
the American, British or French
zones of Germany parcel of Army
"ten-i none" surplus food with a
nutritional value of forty thousand
calories. Packages of blankets like
wise may be ordered for. persons liv-
ing in France, Belgium and the
Netherlands.
Such a gift would make Christmas
real to any recipient in the countries
named. The giving of it also would
add to the significance of the Yule-
tide to the giver.
Evening star., 1946-12-19

that release of private initiative, work.
Ing for profit, is the only really effec-
tive method. President Truman is
being praised both for the frankness
of his acknowledgment of past failure
and the speed with which he has
turned about
Coincidentally, his refusal to COM
promise with John L. Lewis has greatly
helped him among the sort of people
who gather at arGridiron dinner. The
impression among them is that the
President now cannot fail to follow
through with proposals for wide re-
vision OF existing prolabor statutes, such
as the Wagner and Norris-La Guareiia
Acts.
When Mr.. Truman took the presi-
dency, he found the administration
stated largely with New Dealers and.
because he had been Roosevelt's run
ming mate in 1914, was himself COM
mitted to multitude of New Deal
policies.
4 x K X
Some of the New Dealers were quickly
fired. Others whom Mr. Truman want
ed to keep, notably Harold Ickes and
Henry Wallace, finally departed in
blaze Of dissension. Whether he planned
1t that way or no, Mr.. Truman's official
family has gradually evolved into a
harmonious group, predominantly con-
servative.
Mr. Truman's situation should be
made easier by the scarcity Of New
Deal Democrats in the new Congress.
There are no more than so left In a
total Of 435 House members, and less
than 20 among 96 Senators.
Attempts to assemble even this small
number Of New Deal Congressman, for
policy discussions, has failed because
Of sharp disagreements among them
for example. the division for and against
Henry Wallace's foreign -policy ideas.
Mr.. Truman is being pushed more
and more in the conservative direc-
tion, and there appear to be plenty Of
votes on that side to nominate him IN
1948.