davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-01-18
On the Record
By Dorothy Thompson

In connection with the preceding COL
unln, regarding the paucity Of informa-
ton reaching us about the policies of
the American occupation forces in Ger
many, there is also something to be
said about censorship.
Censorship can exist, even if not d.
rectly exercised" by killing informa-
tion at the source, and thus preventing
access to essential facts.
The American press is not censored,
but neither are the American people
we'll informed in crucial matters OF for
eign policy The facts necessary to the
formation of judgment, while not I'M
known to departments of our Govern
ment, are so privileged" that only Ger
tain journalists and only such of them
as are willing to break condolences can
bring them before the people.
Thus, the Iron curtain" which hides
Europe east of the Elbe River is a
curtain only before the eyes of the peo-
pie. American diplomatic and intelli-
gence services know pretty accurately
what is going on. Mark Ethridge, for
instance, who went to Romania and
Bulgaria on a special mission for the
President, reported on conditions there
but the report was never released. Since
the human mind tends to draw con-
clusions even from single fact, such
as the suppression Of the report, the
presumption Is that it was Of such ma
ture as might disturb our relations with
the Russians. If that is the Govern
ment's reason, it would have been better
diplomacy never to have revealed the
fact of Mr.. Ethridge's mission; the peo-
pie are bound, under the circumstance,
to suspect things to be worse than per-
haps they are.
When essential information is not ac-
cessible even to Congress, fragments get
out in the form of leaks. But this Is
irresponsible journalism, dangerous to
the ultimate existence of a free press.
Government officials, themselves re-
manning anonymous, use certain jour-
nalists as mouthpieces. Often such Of
ficials have axes to grind-for them
selves or against some one else-and the
journalist, hungry for news. becomes,
as it were, an agent in return for spe-
cial privilege.
In Britain, members of Parliament
can force information into the light
through their right publicly to question
cabinet members. We have no adequate
substitute for this. The judgment of
American legislative bodies must be
formed on information wrung by indi-
viduals or committees through contacts
with cabinet members or department
officials, also not always uncolored and
also not under public scrutiny.
The press itself, reporting from coun-
tries with rigid censorship, cannot pre-
sent candid reports. Not only are the
dispatches of foreign correspondents
rigidly censored in the Soviet Union
Evening star., 1946-01-18

and its satellites, but a self-censorship
arises when newspapermen work under
such conditions. If their reports fail
to please their hosts they become per-
soma non grata, and are given their
passports, or if they 60 home on leave
they cannot obtain return visas. If too
many of them from single paper con-
tinue to try to assault the ring Of
propaganda, the paper may be barred
from sending correspondents at all.
Most foreign correspondents are as
signed to areas because of special quail
flcations, such as knowledge of the
country and its language. If the cor
respondent loses his usefulness in that
place where he is most fitted to serve he
may be out Of job.
Truth may get out, but in second
hand way Journalists tell other jour-
nalists outside the things they know
and cannot write; the outsider writes
them, but cannot prove them, nor re-
veal his source. Journalism then be-
comes. to an extent, an underground
movement. And If the outside journalist
boldly comes out with facts slipped him
by his para-imprisoned colleagues they
may be called upon to denounce him
as a condition for continued permission
to stay where they are. This is what
happened in the case Of William L.
White.
All this is pertinent to major policies.
All agree that Big Three unity should
be maintained. But If it can be main
tanned only by a conspiracy Of silence,
at what point is the price too high for
a free people to pay? At what point do
the people become mere subjects of for
eign policy, as helpless as any living un-
der rigid dictatorship?
Any policy which cannot endure the
searchlight of truth is dangerous, pre-
suming that the chief end of all our
policies is to preserve the freedom and
welfare of the people and their civili-
zation.
Perhaps that is no longer the aim:
perhaps the only aim is to preserve
peace at any price. If it is, one wonders
why we fought this war; even then, the
people might better be clear regarding
the price; and further, we may question
whether the aim of peace at any price
has ever succeeded in keeping peace.
Certainly it cannot succeed unless those
nations strong enough to make war are
Wiling to pay equally. If the price is to
be paid only by some, the end will either
be WARRIOR even worms usually turn at
some pointer the most ignominious ca
pitulation which war itself could force.
These are observations of general ap-
plication, directed at no one, unless at
our own officials, who locking secrets in
their bosoms and making policies which
they apparently dare not explain, are
creating a public fear that things may
be worse even than they obviously are.
lRelea ssd hx the Bell Syndicate. Incl
Evening star., 1946-01-18

onstrated q unanimity of purpose
and action that confounded the en-
emy on all fronts. There was unity
not only of strategy and tactics but
also of logistics-and all without or
ganizational consolidation. And. as
was to be expected. the experiences
of war revealed other opportunities
for coordination which could not
readily be effected in the midst of
the conflict without major admins
trative changes that might impair
the operating efficiency of both
services.
These lessons were not lost on the
high command. however. and it is
most reaSsuring to public confused
over the Army-Navy unification con-
troversy to learn that. regardless of
what Congress may do about con-
solidation, top officials of both
services are working together on a
voluntary coordination program
designed to take full advantage of
what they learned on the proving
grounds of World War II. The ext
gencies Of war brought about nu-
merous administrative reforms
within each of the services and also
between the services. Much red tape
was slashed. and many antiquated
procedures were modernized or elm
mated. There was mutually bene-
ficial interservice exchange of in
formation at Washington and in the
field, with scientific research in elec-
tronics, atomic energy and other
weapons proceeding under joint
auspices.
Among matters of common in
terest now being studied by Joint
Army-Navy committees, 1t is an
nounced, are intelligence, communi-
cations, standard and new weapons,
port facilities. air transport, pc
troleum and other supplies, ships
service stores and post exchanges,
hospitals and recruiting of person.
mel. Varying degrees of co-ordina-
ton were attained in a number OF
these fields during the war, but
much was left undone because revo-
lutionary changes would have been
involved. With the war won, how
ever, both services can give full at
tention to the problem of effecting
better cooperation and co-ordina-
ton in matters of joint concern.
Secretary of War Patterson and
Secretary of the Navy Forrestal, al
though far apart on the question
of single department of defense,
see eye to eye on the need for in
creased unity-as distinguished
from unification-between their re-
spective departments. What effect
this voluntary coordination move
will have on congressional consid-
Grafton of merger legislation is a
matter for speculation.
Evening star., 1946-01-18
Letters to The Star
Proposes Government Taking
Charge of Industries

To the Editor Of The Star:
The views OF recently discharged
serviceman on the labor situation may
be Of interest to you, your paper and
your readers.
1t is diflcult to take sides in this con-
flict within our capitalist system-a
system in which I have complete faith
as regards its ability to guarantee better
living and greater freedom to its peo-
pie than any other system yet devised
by the mind of man.
The recent imitation due to the mass
production Of war goods to the detri-
ment of civilian production has put
labor in an ambiguous position. The
only answer to imitation is production,
yet labor must live and capital refuses
to be bargained with unless bludgeoned
by the strike.
Various of our producing industries
are protected by carry-over tax plan
whereby they are reimbursed from the
Government taxes, proportionate to
any losses in 1916. Capital also profits
from decrease In production which
Is bound to hike prices. Capital is in
a position where 1t can afford to be
adamant. Consequently labor's anxiety
is increased. Labor is forced to resort
to tactics such as it utilized in Detroit
BY playing ball with Ford, UAW has
placed General Motors in a bad COM
petitive position. One cannot help but
wonder If GINS faith in It's product is
justified-especially with the new Kali
ser-Frazier team looming On the horizon.
What conclusion can we draw from
this confusion? The attitudes of both
labor and capital endanger the economy
OF our Nation. They both are putting
private interests above the interests of
their fellow countrymen. To argue that
the case of the consumer is synonymous
with either capitals or labor's is ridicu-
lous. II either surrendered, we would
be just as much on the rocky road to
ruin as we now are. One solution that
occurs to me is for the Government to
take over each organization suffering
from strikes and force an impartial rec
onciliation between capital and labor
while the workers are on the job. Such
Government control is abhorrent to
me, but every day OF production wasted
heightens the intensity of our imitation
and renders more certain a not-too-dis-
tant collapse Of our economy with
subsequent depression.
HOWARD B. LORD.
Evening star., 1946-01-18
Phone Strike Ends

The end of the local telephone
strike-a strike which was crumbling
before the back-to-work order was
given-should point up a useful
lesson in union responsibility, eSpe-
cially where the union is composed
OF workers engaged in a vital public
service.
OStensibly, the strike was called
In protest against "sweatShop con-
ditions." That is generality which,
while carrying distasteful connota-
tions, is meaningless unless sup
ported by evidence of working con-
ditions which actually amount to
exploitation of employees. And in
this case there was no such evidence.
On the contrary, after eight days
OF listening to statements pro and
con, the surviving impression is that
working conditions for the telephone
operators are reasonable, and that
the grievances complained of existed
largely in the Imagination of the
union leader.
This Is not to say that employ
ment conditions at the telephone
company are subject to no improve
ment and it may very well be that
the joint committee which has been
agreed upon will be able to work out
recommendations for such improve
mentS which can be instituted
without impairment of essential
standards of service to the public.
But this certainly could have been
done without strike which, in the
circumstances, caused serious and
unjustified inconvenience to the
public without achieving anything
for the operators.
1t is worth noting, as an indica-
tion of the spirit in which the phone
strike was conducted, that the union
president told the concluding strike
session that 1--WE didn't have a strike
we've had an eight-day continu-
Gus meeting" Quibbling of that sort
suggests that the strike was called
and conducted in a frivolous spirit
a spirit that is entirely inconsistent
with the obligation to the public
which rests upon the employees as
well as upon the management of
a public utility.
Evening star., 1946-01-18
This Changing World
By Constantine Bro,0n

Reports that j. Edgar Hoover director
OF the FBI, may be replaced some time
this year by George r. Schwarzwalder,
an official of the Budget Bureau, are
being circulated in such responsible
quarters that they can no longer be
described as washington rumors'
In the official circles where the matter
Is being discussed, it Is said that while
Mr.. Hoover has done an excellent job
before and during the war, the time has
come to bring new man with stream
lined ideas" as head of the FBI.
When Mr.. Hoover took over this i'm
portant agency 81 years ago he found
an antiquated outfit which he has sue
ceeded in building up until it now en-
joys worldwide reputation.
Mr.. Schwarzwalder, who is said to be-
the favorite candidate for the job if
Mr.. Hoover is replaced, was appointed
as an analyst in the Budget Bureau in
l94l. His present duties consist of
streamlining the intelligence services of
the State, War and Navy Departments
in an attempt to cut down expenses.
Before entering Government service
here he was engaged for nine years as
social worker with the County Board
OF Public Assistance in Philadelphia.
His duties consisted of administering
public aid for the aged and of admins
tering Federal participation under the
Federal security program for the blind
Like many others who have reached
high positions in this country, Mr..
Schwarzwalder had a variety of occu-
pations before he joined the county
board at Philadelphia. He worked for
short time for Warner Bros, was man
ager of book store belonging to the
United Cigar Stores in New York, was
a land surveyor in New Jersey-his
native State-was checker in the sum-
mer of 1925 for the Pennsylvania Rail-
road and worked for the Prudential
Insurance Co. in 1923.
y
His promotions in the Budget Bureau
where he rose from a 5000 yearly
salary in 1941 to $1,000 in 1945-were
due to his ability to handle the problems
intrusted to him by the director,
Harold Smith
Although he had never handled such
highly delicate matters as naval, mill
tary and foreign intelligence, which in
the past has been in the hands of long
trained professionals, Mr. Schwarz-
walder plunged into the work of stream
lining with enthusiasm and is believed
by his superiors and the many friends
Evening star., 1946-01-18
Searching Questions Asked

Searching Questions Asked
To the Editor Of The Star:
I, as an American citizen, would like
to ask few questions regarding the
news story appearing in your paper
concerning the union demand for a
closed shop on a Government construc-
. tion project.
Who does Clement Preller think he
is that he should attempt to bar all
American workers from Government
work unless they join his union?
Is being a nonunion man q test Of
American citizenship?
Whose money is paying the wages
for this work?
Now question to Col D. G. White
who says that his ofice has used its
own men but only because he had been
unable to get union men to do the
work. Why? Does he think he has
to discriminate against one citizen in
favor of another citizen, both of whom
have the same constitutional rights in
this country? Why are the union men
favored on any Government job?
Now, a question to all America: How
long are we going to stand for this kind
Of thing?
Now, question to the Congress:
Gentlemen, when are you going to do
something about this smelly business?
w. D. TAYLOR.
Evening star., 1946-01-18
Arobism and Palestine

Lie uIldulInlJy OF the ARAB world
against Zionist aspirations in Pales-
tine was significantly reafhrmed by
thef communique issued Jointly by
the Kings of Saudi Arabia and
Egypt, after conferences between
themselves and with the heads of
the Arab League which represents
all independent Arab states. Added
significance was given the commu-
nique from its reading by the Egyp-
tian Prime Minister at a luncheon
officially opening the leagues per-
manent headquarters at Cairo in
a palace assigned 1t on an island in
the River Nile.
The monarchs, Ibn Saud and
Farouk, state: "We share the belief
OF all Moslems and Arabs that Pal
estine is an Arab country, and it is
the right of its population and also
the right of all Moslems and Arabs
that it should remain an Arab
country"
Two outstanding points emerge
from this declaration. The first is
that the rulers of Saudi Arabia and
Egypt stress the Palestine issue as
the leading one in their political
calculations. The second point is
their appeal, not merely to all Arabs
but also to the entire Moslem world,
thus combining nationalistic and
religious factors in their policy to-
ward Palestine. incidentally, this
comprehensive attitude dispels ru-
mors that Saudi and Egyptian di-
plomacy was directed against the
Shereefian rulers of Iraq and Trans
jordania. The communique categor-
ically indorses the provision in the
charter of the Arab League guaran-
teeing the freedom and sovereignty
of every Arab country. Thus, Arab
solidarity especially against Zion
ism, is the keynote throughout.
1t is interesting to note that, the
very next day after the publication
of the manifesto, the British gov
ernment announced that it advo-
Gated the termination of it's League
of Nations mandate over Transjor-
DANA and the recognition of that
country as a fully sovereign state
entitled to membership in the UNO.
Transjordania was originally in
cluded in Britain's mandate over
Palestine, though the Balfour dec
laration did not cover Transjordania
in its plan for a Jewish national
home. AS the name implies, the
country is the region adjacent to
Palestine beyond the River Jordan
and the Dead Sea. Somewhat larger
than Palestine, it has a very small
population of some 100000, largely
Bedouin nomads. Yet much of the
land is reclaimable by irrigation and
scientific dry farming, and many
Zionists have hoped that it would
eventually be thrown open to Jewish
settlement. Transjordanian indie
pendence would, of course, foreclose
this possibility and add to the effec-
tive pressure of Arab nationalism on
Palestine itself.
Evening star., 1946-01-18
1t Had to Be
From the Manchester Guardian.

from the Manchester Guardian.
The House of Commons has discussed
the American ultimatum in the spirit
in which it faced the early defeats of
the war. A few members claimed heat
edly that the battle could have been
won if we had changed the generals
and the plans in time. A large ma
jority Of speakers, however, recognized
that there was nothing to be gained by
specializing on what might have been.
Acceptance was a foregone conclusion
for two reasons. First, no sensible man
can pretend that we could have done
without dollar fund to buy American
food. raw materials, and machinery
until we can once again export enough
TO pay our way. If the dollars could
be obtained only on severe terms, that
was a cause for regret but not for
rejection. Secondly, much weighty
argument was thrown into the debate
IN genuine support of the three schemes
which together make up the condition
OF the loan-the financial agreement,
the Breton Woods plan and the inter-
national trade charter.
Evening star., 1946-01-18
Ports of the Sun

NoD in the hour of dead Leaf: bleak
evening of the year,
Not0 IT eDer does the heart track south
across blue parallels,
Across TAR miles along spice-sn ellin1
trade Dind routes
Where sunlight spangles siIper fpno
fish and cobalt s,0ells.
Here in the fabulous ports OF the ancient
Spanish Main
Where buccaneers spilled blood and
gold in another day,
In this blaze OF tropic noon on palms
and Unite coral beach
Is gold the pirates neuer brought, and
could not take a,uay.
Habunn. Kingston. Cartagena, Port L.
mon: All magic names:
The heart flies south and says, "To-
norrotD, perhaps"
But only the heart, for here, ioith sigh
OF tCenriness,
The hands told up and put atodv tho
n1uny-colored maps.
FREDERICK EBRIGHT.
Evening star., 1946-01-18
First Case for World Court

The British Governments cam
paign to increase the power and
prestige of UNO, already initiated by
its declared intention of making it
the basis of British foreign policy,
has been strikingly implemented by
a notable gesture. This is an offer
to submit the long standing contro-
versy between Britain and the re-
public of Guatemala to the jurisdic-
tion of the new international court
of justice provided for under the
UNO Charter but not yet formally
set up. Thus, even in advance of its
actual establishment, the new world
tribunal would have as case number
one on it's docket matter of real
legal significance.
The subject of controversy is the
region known as British Honduras.
About the size of Massachusetts,,
British Honduras is an elongated
wtdge of territory fronting on the
Caribbean Sea and backing on Qua
temala and the Mexican province
of Yucatan. Isolated from the him
terland by dense forest and jungle,
this strip of coast was frequented
as early as the mid-seventeenth
century by woodcutters from the
British colony of Jamaica attracted
by its fine stands of mahogany and
logwood. Their presence was pro-
tested and contested by the Span
iarqs, who never acknowledged Brit
ish'rights of settlement, though the
British Government considered it 3
dependency of Jamaica and estab-
lished a local government as early
as 1885. In 1862 the settlement was
declared colonial dependency of
Jamaica and in 1884 was given the
status of an independent colony.
Meanwhile, upon the expulsion of
Spain from Latin America early in
the. nineteenth century, the Central
American Confederation assumed
all rights of the Spanish crown, and
when that federation dissolved, the
republic of Guatemala, which came
into existence in 1889, reasserted the
old Spanish claim to British Hon
duras as its own. Guatemala's con-
tention was morally supported by
tee other Central American repub-
lies and did much to hinder good
relations between them and Great
Britain. In order to compose the
chronic quarrel, Britain negotiated
an Anglo-Guatemalan convention
between 1859 and 1868, one item of
which was British agreement to
pay $4,000 sterling toward the con-
struction of a road between Belize,
capital of the colony, and Guate-
mala City. That agreement, how
ever, never came into effect, so
Guatemala argues that this renders
the entire convention null and void
thus restoring its original territorial
claim to full force. The British have
consistently denied not merely that
contention but also the existence OF
any valid claim upon the territory
Such is the controversy which
Britain proposes to submit to the
Evening star., 1946-01-18
Army-Novy Coordination

Uniflcation of the armed services
may be delayed or defeated in Con-
gress, but the Army and Navy ap-
parently see no reason why they
should not carry over into peacetime
-and effectively develop-the poll
cies of cooperation and co-ordina-
ton which welded them into such a
formidable fighting team in the bat
ties against the Germans and the
Japanese. As the war progressed,
the erstwhile rival branches DEM
Evening star., 1946-01-18

international court of justice, with
the sole proviSo that its decision be
binding upon both itself and Guate-
mala. This willingness of a great
power to stake on a judicial deci-
sion its sovereignty over territory
possessed by it for more than three
centuries marks a notable step In
the concept of world Jurisprudence.
Evening star., 1946-01-18
All Right With Kunsos
From the Topeka Capital

From the Topeka Capital.
An Oklahoma gentleman writes for
support Of project designed to place
the United Nations Organization head
quarters on a tract of land 10 miles
square "at the intersection of the three
great States Of Missouri, Arkansas and
Oklahoma"
The city to be built upon this tract
would be called Roosevelt, I. D., the
letters meaning international district
It's all right with U.S. But candidly,
the more distant the UNO site Is from
Kansas the better well feel
Evening star., 1946-01-18
Not Just for Fun
From the Halifax Herald.

From the Halifax Herald.
AS London newspaper asks, How
many Americans know that we are in
Java because we drew that assignment
out of the hat'-and out of Gen. Mac
Arthurs hat, at that?" The London
paper adds this pointed sentence:
Judging from typical comments, the
average American must think we posi-
lively enjoy seeing our fighting men fall
in odd little wars which Britain-as
usual-is waging on behalf Of other
people"