davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-08-10
Letters to The Star
Proposes a Jewish Homeland
in New Guinea

To the Editor of The Star:
AS I approached New Guinea by
a!rplane in November, 1914, had the
good fortune to come in by following
the beautiful Markham River valley
past Lac and up to Nadzab. The next
day, en- route to Orc Bay, we were
grounded at Lac because of fog-but
after three hours delay we few over
very beautiful mountains and lush
valleys to our destination. I was on
New Guinea three different times and
being country boy I marveled at the
agricultural possibilities of the island.
Near the seacoast one finds coconuts,
bananas, papayas, breadfruit, mangoes
and wild cucumbers growing in pro-
fusion. Further up the hills and on
the plateaux one finds many strange
fruits and vegetables-and forests. New
Guinea has minerals, water power,
lakes, rivers and harbors. Fish and
game abound. It is warm in the day.
time, but cool at night, when it usually
rains The climate reminds one of
Miami Beach in the summer.
Palestine is a small country, with an
srea of but 1o.429 square miles. It's
population, estimated at 1,568,664 in
June, 1941, before the recent influx,
averaged 154 square mile New Gui-
nea, on the other hand, with an area
Of more than 100000 square miles, and
population of less than a million,
has population density of less than
31a per square mile.
II the 100000 European Jews who
now are begging to be taken to Pales-
tine were resettled on New Guinea,
they would be self-supporting within
six months from the time they landed.
There are millions of acres of virgin
soil, capable of growing tremendous
crops-title to which now is held by
the Netherlands and Australian gov
ernments under League mandates. Ma
tlVes are so few and SO far apart that
the trouble the Jews experience in
Palestine could not be repeated. They
could take over Army and Navy install
lat1onS we left there, which I venture
to say would house 100000. They could
build towns and establish industry.
They could become a great nation.
Airports and harbors are there waiting
for them and many good roads still
remain. There is housing already
erected.
Why don't our world statesmen seek
this simple solution to the Palestine
problem? Believe me. it would be
easier for the Jews to cultivate the
lush black soil of New Guinea than
it would the Palestine desert.
We had troops, WACS and nurses on
New Guinea for years. Most of them
will say they didn't like it-but so will
those who were in Palestine and other
parts of the world. T am convinced
that colonization of New Guinea would
be a good thing-and that the people
who colonized it would enjoy life.
G. T. M.
Evening star., 1946-08-10
Smithsonian Centenary

The one hundredth anniversary of
the establishment of the Smith
sonian Institution is important If
only because it furnishes an appro-
pirate occasion for appraisal of
what it means in the world at large.
That it has justified the expectation
OF its sponsor, of course, is obvious,
James Smithson, an English scholar
who never saw America, yet who
left his entire estate to the Amer
ican republic, may have been
dreamer, but it also is clear that he
was a person of practical genius in
the truest application of that phrase.
He created in his will a challenge
to the United States which not Con-
gresS merely but the whole people
thereof have been glad to accept.
The outcome is the development of
center of learning unique in human
experience.
Smithson sought not exclusively
the increase of knowledge. BY de-
liberate choice he stipulated that the
Institution which should bear his
name should engage in the diffusion
OF knowledge when it had been dis
covered. A proper measuring stick
for his achievement, then, might be
list of the useful inventions of the
century which began on August 10,
1846. 1t has been through such
devices as the telephone, the talking
machine, radio, the incandescent
lamp, motion pictures, color pho
Biography, the typewriter, the rotary
press, linotype and monotype, half
tone engraving, the gasoline auto
mobile and the motor driven air
plane that mankind's power to
govern the circumstances of life
most notably has been expanded.
But Smithson, himself a devotee
of pure science, did not limit his
philanthropy to the field of mechan-
ical progress. His gift was expressed
in language of intentional SIM
plicity. One result is that the Insti-
tuition serves a high spiritual pur-
pose in terms of enlightened patriot
ism. Visitors to its museums and
laboratories come away with an
accelerated appreciation of the sig
| nificance of American civilization
and of the larger, universal culture
of which that civilization is a part.
1t possesses capacity to make men
glad that they are men and to real
ize the honorable obligations which
Evening star., 1946-08-10
RumbIinqs in Russio

Some OF the rumblingS of discon-
tent that are coming out of Russia,
especially those from the working
classes, are surprising-not merely
because they refute the glowing
propaganda descriptions of working
conditions in the Soviet Union, but
also because they may be indicative
of a restlessness which has to be
taken into account by the Soviet
authorities.
To those Americans who believe or
profess to believe that the working
people of Russia are better off than
their opposite numbers in this coun-
try, New York Times report of re-
cent disclosures in the newspaper
Trud, a Soviet trade union publica-
ton, will come as something of a
shock.
This paper, in an editorial, de-
nounced "the formal soulless atti-
tude" of some trade union officials"
in the Don Basin and urged that
violators of Soviet labor laws be held
to "strict responsibility" An article
by one of Trud's special correspond
ents and two letters from workers
disclose the basis of some of the
complaints. One prominently dis
played letter from a coal worker
reveals that none of the workers
Gin his industry remember when
they got their wages on time"
Trud's own correspondent stated
that bookkeeping is so sloppy that
some workers have not been credited
with wages "for several months in
succession" while crews erecting
Diesel installations in the Rostov
region "have not been paid for the
last six months"
Other complaints run to living
conditions, which are described as
bad" Some workers sleep in cor
ridors, and other in dirty and un-
comfortable" hostels. Protests to
trade union committees have ac-
complished nothing because the
chairmen are "unconcerned about
improving our working and living
conditions"
Another hint of public dissatisfied
ton is found in an article in Pravda
which reports from Kiev that -four
returning war veterans have been
"shamelessly" deprived of their OLD
apartments, which were occupied
Evening star., 1946-08-10
This Changing World
By Constantine Broyn

Political prophets in Washington and
Paris are having difficulty charting Rus
sia's course at the peace conference.
1t became evident after Thursdays
session. when Soviet Foreign Minister
Molotov dramatically reopened his fight
on the two-thirds and ma ajority vote
rule accepted in the rules committee,
that the Soviet spokesman himself does
not know how the wind Is blowing in
the Kremlin.
There was every indication until
Thursday that the Soviet delegate and
his followers would not try to delay
the actual work of the conference by
raising the question of voting again.
But according to reports from Paris
something seems to have happened in
Moscow.
1t is known that there was a meet
Ing of the Politbureau-the supreme
policy-making organization in the U. S.
S. R.-Thursday morning The Soviet
delegation in Paris. which ordinarily ap-
pears punctually in the conference hall
Of the Luxembourg Palace, entered about
ten minutes after the session had been
called to order. Immediately after
its arrival Mr.. Molotov rose to make
an emphatic objection to the rules
on voting. Il X Il
His speech threw the conference once
more into turmoil.
The diplomats Of the western ma
tions are all agog in their attempt to
interpret the real meaning OF Mr.. Molo-
tov's action, which was taken unaues-
tionably on instructions from Moscow.
In some quarters. particularly among
the American delegates, the change in
the attitude of the Russions is con-
sidered as an attempt to intimidate
the western nations and make them
more submissive to all future demands
Of the U. S. S. r. on behalf of itself and
its satellites, and as an endeavor to press
on the smaller nations all the deci-
sions reached in July in Paris at the
Council of Foreign Ministers without
any changes.
The Russians are aware that the
United States is apprehensive about
their large troop movements and con-
centrations in Germany and the satel-
lite states. Consequently, the more diff
cult and adamant the Soviet delega-
tion is in Paris and the more it allows
news of military preparations behind
Evening star., 1946-08-10
U. S. S. Constellation

1t took an atomic age to force the
retirement of a 148-year-old veteran
of'the Navy, the u. S. s. Constellation.
The venerable but still stout frigate
first saw war service when she cap
tured the French warship, LInsur-
gente, in 1899, and she earned her
last campaign ribbon in World War
II, when she served for time as
flagship of the commander in chief
of the Atlantic Fleet.
Now she is being readied for a trip
from her mooring in Newport, r. T.,
to the Boston Naval Shipyard, pre-
paratory to being permanently de-
commissioned and overhauled as a
permanent naval relic. At Boston she
will share yard facilities with an
other ancient sea fighter, the U. s. S.
Constitution. "Old Ironsides," too,
saw service in World War II, having
served as flagship of the wartime
commandments Of the Boston NAVY
Yard.
Both veterans of the days of
wooden ships and iron men are OBJ
Jects of historic interest that should
be preserved as long as modern ship
wrights can keep their hulls sound,
II plans once drawn for establish
ment of naval museum on the Po-
tomac River ever materialize, the
two old ships may be towed here on
one final voyage. Until then, the
citizens OF Newport and of Boston
undoubtedly can be depended on to
maintain careful custody over the
historic vessels.
Evening star., 1946-08-10

often the things which really matter
are submerged.
There is disturbing parallel between
European peace conference which
does not include the German problem,
and military treaties which do not in
clude the atomic problem. 1t is not. let
me repeat, the men who are working
here who are at fault nearly as much
as it is the conditions under which they
are compelled to work because of the
basic lack of confidence and sincere
cooperation between the great powers.
One may hasten to add that although
the Soviet Union is certainly the chief
offender in these regards, it is not the
only author of confusion. For example.
the French fought through long and
weary days to impose all kinds of puni-
tive restrictions on italian armament,
down to such details as the caliber of
guns and even the destruction of roads
in the Alpine regions of the Franco
Italian frontier. Yet the military draft
ers are now gravely disturbed by the
fact that the economic clauses of the
treaties put no restraints on the develop
ment of the Italian aircraft industry.
1t is true that the size of the Italian
air force is carefully limited and that
Italy is forbidden to possess manufac-
turing facilities for the production of
bombing planes.
Yet, it can surely be said that
treaty, which seeks to place reasonable
restrictions on the military power of
ex-enemy states during what may be
termed a period of probation and which
yet does not prevent either atomic re-
search and development or the rebirth
of the -f1ourishing Italian aircraft
industry, falls far short of its stated
business. 1t may be argued that being
denied planes primarily designed for
bombing as well as guided or self-pro-
PEELED missiles, the Italians could not
use atomic bombs even If they had
them. But this is not very strong line
of argument. Unfortunately, the United
States, having agreed to the draft
treaties, is now debarred from raising
these points in the conference, as are
the other members of the Big Four. II
these omissions are to be repaired, as
it seems essential that they should be,
they will have to be brought up by one
of the smaller powers. 1t seems likely
that this will be done.
tCopyright, 1946J
Evening star., 1946-08-10
The Forgotten Atom
By Ge0rge Fieldiup Eliot

PARIS.-Believe it or not, the treaty
drafters here forgot about the atomic
bomb! Analysis of the military provi-
sions of the peace treaties with Italy,
Hungary. Romania, Bulgaria and Fin
land, now being considered by this con-
ference, brings to life this astounding
omission.
The size Of the armies, navies and
air forces of these ex-enemy states is
carefully restricted. They are forbidden
to have such things as bombing planes,
guided missiles and submarines-but
there is no specific restriction placed
upon the production or possession by
them of atomic bombs or other atomic
weapons.
eve just didn't think Of it." That an
swer, made in reply to an astounded
inquiry, is perhaps typical of the curious
air of unreality which surrounds the
whole of this treaty-drafting process
and especially the military clause of the
drafts which have been drawn up by
the council of foreign ministers for
submission to this conference)
X X y
Indeed, at first glance, one might
suppose that the military clauses had
been written in 1918 or at least by men
who had learned nothing and forgotten
nothing since that year. But this is not
true, not by any means-at least SO far
as the American military delegation Is
concerned. They are carefully chosen,
experienced and able officers and they
are decidedly of the young and progress
sive school of military thought which
has been developed by the experience
of this war. There is not what one
might call an old-time brass hat In the
lot.
1t should be explained that each Of
the Big Four powers has group of
army, navy and air officers here. These
have been working together for the past
five months at the task OF drawing up
the military clauses of the draft treaties
and they have worked hard at that job.
How hard may be judged from the fact
that the army and air groups alone have
held 116 meetings, but 1t Is clear that
these officers, like their civilian coll
leagues, have found themselves increas-
ingly immersed in the flood of details
that slowly rising tide in which all too
Evening star., 1946-08-10

the iron curtain to percolate through
to the Allies, the easier it will be for
Russia to terrorize the conference
Because of this Interpretation of the
Russian attitude, Secretary of State
Byrnes Is more willing to speak out
frankly and warn the Russians that
the nations attending the conference
will not be coWed into submission or
be dictated to by the u S. S. r.
Other participants at the Paris dis
cussions. and particularly the British,
Go not fully share this Interpretation Of
Russia's attitude. They believe the So
Wet government has little use for nego-
tiated agreements giving the small pow
ers the right to apply Mr.. Byrnes'
formula that all nations which suffered
fighting the Axis in this war should
have an equal right at the making of
peace treaties.
The Kremlin is said to be concerned
over certain major domestic difficulties
which are said to have arisen in the
U. S. S. r. as an aftermath of the war.
Millions of soldiers have returned from
the west where they have seen things
which are sadly lacking in Russia.
sS X Y
VI ulSCUIltcl1t, WHICH are
saio to be known to some of the par
ticipants at the Paris Conference, are
believed to be the reason for the ada
mant attitude of the Politbureau
Some of it's members, such as the for
mer head of the NKVD, Marshal Beria
and the hero of the defense of Lenin-
grad, Marshal zhadanov, are reported
by diplomatic observers in Moscow to
favor stiff policy regardless of conse-
quenees. They believe, according to these
reports, that the conflict between the
capitalist and communist systems in
evitably flares up since, in the opinion
Of the Russian leaders, the two cannot
live together.
Some of the members of the powerful
Politbureau consider this as the most
appropriate time for strong action. They
believe that either the western nations
must submit to Russia's dictates, thus
establishing an unchallenged position
for the U. S. S. r. in Europe and Asia, or
must suffer the consequences.
This is the speculation among the
diplomats gathered in Paris who are
trying to explain the otherwise enig-
matte Soviet attitude.
Evening star., 1946-08-10
The Political Mill
By Gonld Lincoln

The Truman administration is still
bent on wrapping the Franklin D.
Roosevelt mantle about his shoulders,
believing that it Is an asset on election
day. II Chairman Hannegan of the
Democratic National Committee has his
way, the voters in November will be
convinced that they are electing mem
bers of Congress to uphold the hands
of the dead President through the per-
son of his successor, Harry s. Truman.
He was careful, in commenting upon
the Slaughter defeat, to stress a state
ment that the Truman administration
is a faithful continuation Of the
Roosevelt policies. Considering Mr.
Roosevelt's many victories at the polls
in the past, this may be good strategy.
However, it does not give the incum-
bent Chief Executive much credit for
initiative.
Despite the harsh things which some
of the labor leaders have said about
Mr.. Truman-and some of the 100 per
cent New Dealers have been harsh in
their criticism, too-an examination of
the record of Mr.. Truman's course and
particularly OF his legislative recommen-
dations conclusively shows that Mr..
Hannegan is correct In his statement
that Mr.. Truman has gone right along
with the New Deal, Roosevelt policies.
This has been disappointing to a con-
siderable number of Democrats in Con-
gress and out. They had hoped that
the new President would get back to
more conservative ground. It is this
clinging OF Mr.. Truman to these Roose-
velt policies and his insistence upon
furthering them that has led to the
revolt of a segment of the Democratic
party in Congress. The revolt had
started, however, before Mr.. Roosevelt
died.
President Truman has succeeded in
bringing about the defeat of Repre-
sentative Slaughter, conservative Demo-
crat in the 5th Missouri district, for
denomination. Mr.. Slaughter is only
one of many conservative Democrats in
the House and Senate. Just how the
elimination of Mr.. Slaughter will affect
these Democrats remains to be seen.
They may we'll ask themselves, will
I be next?" If Democratic House ma
jority is elected in November with the
CIO-PAC support. will not the con-
servative Democrats who continue in
Congress feel that in another two years
the administration will undertake also
to purge" them?
The whole tempo of the present
Democratic campaign for the congress
sional elections is along the same lines
as that of the Roosevelt campaigns.
The same effort is being made to con-
Evening star., 1946-08-10
For Better Health

The National Government, in its
role of employer, has been COM
mitted to significant and progress
sive step in the field of preventive
medicine by the Presidents sigma
ture of the Randolph legislation,
authorizing establishment by each
Government agency of employe
clinics and health programs under
the co-ordinating influence of the
Public Health Service and the
Budget Bureau.
The legislation covers Government
employees everywhere. But it's chief
application will be in Washington.
The results should benefit the en-
ployes, the Washington community
and indirectly, as a result of the
demonstration, private employees.
Each agency is authorized to submit
health programs to the Public
Health Service, for it's recommends
tions, and to the Budget Bureau for
transmittal to Congress. Each plan
80 submitted may provide for four
categories of activity: Systematic
pre-employment and other physical
examinations; emergency treatment
for on-the-job illness or injuries, in
cluding treatment of injuries in
volving employe compensation; ref
erence to private physicians for the
treatment of ailments discovered by
examination; health education by
propaganda, and such measures as
may be advisable, such as vaccina-
tion, in the protection of group
health.
The philosophy of the legislation
is to cooperate with established
community health facilities and pri-
vate physicians, rather than to COM
pete with them, and the approved
health plans will operate in the field
of preventive as distinguished from
clinical medicine. The cost is yet to
be determined, but in every case
that item will be subject to the an
nual control of Congress and the
Budget Bureau Whatever the cost
may be, some of the advocates of the
legislation believe that it will be
more than Offset by savings in sick
leave. For under the system there
will be an orderly attempt at the
prevention of the conditions, in ad-
vance, which account for much of
the loss of time due to sick leave.
Many private employers, including
The Evening Star Newspaper Com
pany, have been successful in the
operation of health clinics and the
encouragement of health programs
for their own employees. Some of
the Government agencies have such
facilities in operation. But this is
the first attempt to apply such prac-
tices to the Government as a whole.
The heads of the various depart
ments and independent agencies
should take every advantage of the
opportunity now provided for i'm
proving the health and therefore
The welfare of their employees.
Evening star., 1946-08-10

vince the common man" that the only
way he can have measure of Sc
curity is to elect Democrats-New Deal
II possible, but any way, Democrats
The same charge is being leveled
against the Republicans-that they are
enemies OF the common man and friends
only OF the big, private interests.
To bolster these charges, the Demo-
Gratis are saying that the Republicans
have been the opponents of the OPA-
and that because of the Republican
attitude it was impossible to keep prices
down. This may or may not get across
to the voters. Many of the voters realize
that prices were already rising under
the operation OF OPA, long before Presi-
dent Truman vetoed the bill extending,
in modified way, the OPA for another
year. They realize, too, that the Demo-
cratic party not only controls the ad-
ministration but also has majorities in
both Houses of Congress and must bear
the responsibility for whatever takes
place-good, bad or Indifferent.
~ X
The Democrats will charge, too, that
Republican efforts in Congress have
baked efforts to produce more housing
for the returned veterans and for others
in this country; that the Republicans
in Congress have supported legislation
oppressive of organized labor, and in
other words, If it had not been for the
Republican minorities in Congress the
position of the people would undoubt-
edly be better. They may be able to
make such criticisms stick-but even the
Democrats have their doubts about their
ability to do so.
What the Democrats really hope is
that economic conditions in this country
will improve; that there will be plenty
of employment, and that production will
be ample. If the conditions are good,
or even fairly good. in October, they
feel they have good chance of winning
the congressional elections. 1t is when
conditions are distinctly bad that a
party in power is thrown for loss. It
may be expected, therefore, that the
Democratic campaigners will stress as
far as they are able prosperity under
Democratic rule, and will point again
to the tough days of the depression in
the last two years of the Hoover ad-
ministration.
The final decision will rest with the
great industrial States and their popula-
tions. Agricultural districts in the South
are Democratic, and agricultural dis
tricts outside of the South are Republi-
can. Only if the Republicans are able
to upset the Democrats in industrial
areas will there be q change in the
political control of Congress. Those are
the real backgrounds.