davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-05-29
Millions to Spend

A. F. Whitney, president of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen,
has denied published reports quoting
him as saying that he was prepared
to spend all of the SAT 900 900 in his
unions treasury if necessary to bring
about the defeat of President Tru-
man in 1948.
This denial may or may not have
been prompted by a belated real
ization on Mr.. Whitney's part that
the statement originally attributed
to him was an extremely foolish one,
and that the reported threat, if
carried out, would have constituted
clear violation of the law banning
any contribution by labor organ
ization in connection with a presi-
dental election. AS a matter of
fact, the leader of one of the two
railway unions whose strike all but
paralyzed the country last week does
not seem to be on much safer legal
ground in his own revised version
of the original statement. Accord
ing to Mr.. Whitney, this is what he
said: eve will spend upwards of two
and half million. But that won't
be necessary. Mr.. Truman has de-
feated himself"
Whatever this contradiction in
terms may have been intended to
mean, the fact remains that under
the statutes now on the books it
would be violation of law for Mr..
Whitney to spend $2,500,OOO or any
other amount of his unions funds
in an effort to influence the outcome
of the next presidential election. It
may be that the head of the train
men has found, or thinks he has
found, some loophole in the law
which will make legally possible
the expenditure of large sums of
money. The two Political Action
Committees sponsored by the CIO
have demonstrated that there are
ways to circumvent the obvious in
tent of the law, especially when the
enforcement of the law involves a
Evening star., 1946-05-29
This and That
D., rh,

oy CHuTLeS T.. IfuCe1CeH.
Greater pests at bird feeding station
than pigeons are scarcely known.
This, OF course, when they come in
numbers. Two or three pigeons are not
bad, but beyond that they get into the
nuisance class
What to do with them?
We do not feel that pigeons are any
menace in any health sense Much has
been said about this in other cities, but
the burden of proof is large one, and
not to be accepted too freely.
Pigeons also have rights.
The primitive right not to be hurt or
Killed at whim is something no right
thinking person can deny pigeon, any
more than he would deny it to two
legged creatures wearing trousers
One of the saddest sights of the recent
war must have been in certain captured
cities, where people were shot down
like game" by those temporarily in the
ascendency.
The bird lover will not kill pigeons,
even If he does not want them at his
feeding stations
Neither shooting nor poison or any
other form of sudden or lingering death
is deserved by pigeons.
All they are trying to do is to get
something to eat.
Surely no one should be penalized for
that. Not even pigeon.
Trapping and carrying away, and re-
leasing, may be tried but it is something
of bother, and often fails, since these
birds are marvellous flyers
So the only thing left is to shoe them
away in some appropriate manner.
1t can be done with a towel, or news
paper, or pop gun-empty-or nothing
more startling than sudden foray into
the yard.
The pigeons will fly away, and so will
the smaller birds, but the latter will
come back first. They seem to realize
that the shooing is not against them
When the pigeons finally descend from
the roof top where they have taken re-
fuge, the thing to do is to sally forth
again.
Do not give them any rest
This personal matter between the
householder and anything from dozen
to two dozen pigeons will become rather
tiresome.
If there is any slackening of effort,
Illc plBcUllS Will VIII.
Once begun, the only thing to do is to
keep at it until the unwanted birds de-
eide to 60 elsewhere
Make no mistake-there is plenty of
this elsewhere" for them. They are
large, capable fellows, well able to find
food here or there.
What one does not want is for them
to eat here-at ones own feeding ground.
The next day they surely will be back
again.
The only thing to do is to arrange that
some one will sally forth again, and
again, and again.
1t takes time, and it takes determina-
ton, but after awhile the pigeons will
come to feel that they are not wanted
and will go elsewhere, the very place we
have been trying to tell them about.
This is the sane solution of the pigeon
problem.
Yet it is amazing how many persons
do not want to accept it.
What do they want to do-shoot?
Well, shooting is very much in vogue
Men have been firing millions of dollars
worth of explosives around the world,
and it hasn't solved anything yet. Even
if the problem is resolved, it is a poor
solution, at best. Men with brains ought
to be able to do better. The question
is not will they, but-can they?
Evening star., 1946-05-29
The Widening Gulf

In his recent address on the re-
cessed meeting of Foreign Ministers
at Paris, Secretary of State Byrnes
drew picture of the Russians block
ing virtually every major Anglo
French American effort to restore
normal peacetime order to Europe.
Now, in a significant statement in
Pravda, Foreign Minister Molotov
has answered with picture OF his
own-a picture of Britain and the
United States ganging up against
the Soviet Union in an effort to
impose their will upon it and divide
the world between themselves.
The seriousness of this statement
is obvious. If it suggests anything at
all, it suggests that when the Paris
meeting resumes on June is, Mr..
Molotov will be as unbending as
ever. He will not yield in supporting
Yugoslavia's claim to Trieste. He
will not stop asking for 100000 900
in reparations out of current Italian
production. He will not concede Mr..
Byrnes' point that that production is
financed by American dollars and
that hence America, and not Italy,
would be paying the reparations
He will not go along with us, the
British and the French in writing
Balkan treaties guarding against
making a closed economy out of that
part of the world. He will not con-
slider our proposal for a 25-year
four power pact against Germany.
He will not concur in calling a gen.
eral 21-nation conference if the Big
Four do not first agree on terms for
Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria
and Finland. In a word, unless
something bright happens to change
the whole picture between now and
June Is, the Soviet Union is going
to hold fast to the position it has
already taken, and Europe will keep
on waiting for the establishment
of peace.
What makes Mr.. Molotov's state
ment particularly discouraging is
the uncompromising temper he dis
plays in it, undoubtedly rejecting
the temper of Premier Stain as well.
Quoting a proverb of his country,
he likens Britain and America to
"a full man" who "does not under
stand a hungry one" But though
the Soviet Union may be hungry it
is self-respecting, and it will not be
forced into accepting proposals
against its will by threats and in
timidation" AS for Mr.. Byrnes' pro-
posal to refer the whole situation
to the General Assembly of the
United Nations unless Big Four
agreement is reached this summer,
Mr.. Molotov implicitly warns that
any such step could have the most
ominous consequences.
All this speaks pretty much for it.
self, regardless of the possible in
accuracies which Secretary Byrnes,
from his own point of view, detects.
Whether or not Mr.. Molotov himself
actually believes in the gang
up charge leveled against Britain
and America, and whether or not
Evening star., 1946-05-29

ton. They will parade as unit along
side their British colleagues.
1t is also expected that some detach-
ments of Gen. Anders' army, which is
now being demobilized in Scotland and
which fought throughout the most dra-
matte periods of the war on the side of
the British forces from Ell Alamein to
Germany and Italy, will march by the
royal stand. This gesture has no-po-
litical implication. The London pageant
is intended only to bring together in
final parade token detachments of
armies which fought the common
enemy.
The Warsaw government, however,
has taken a different view Since the
Polish flyers and the Anders army have
refused to recognize the Soviet-spon-
sored government in their native land
the Warsaw administration has decided
to reject the British bid to the cele-
bration.
Insofar as YugloSlav participation Is
concerned no definite information has
reached London, but it is expected that
Marshal Tito, who is now in Moscow
may also refuse to take part. There
have already been hints that transporta-
ton difficulties may prevent the sending
of token detachment. Moreover, it
may be difficult for the Yugoslav gen.
eral staff, which is being advised by the
Soviet military representative in Bel
grade, Gen. Kisselyev, to spare even a
small force from the homeland. The
entire Yugoslav Army is on a war foot
ing, watching the Morgan Line, and
no one knows what may happen in the
near future should the discussions re-
garding Trieste be permanently stalled
Although the June 8 pageant was
originally intended as a celebration of
the armed forces which have suffered
together in long and costly war, it
may prove to be a denomination to show
the world that the much-needed unity
among the United Nations has ceased TO
exist.
The British who believe in maintain
ing tormalities regardless of how diff
cult a political situation may be, ex-
tended most cordial invitation to Mos
cow and her satellites to attend. They
received a rebuff which has an ominous
significance at this time, when the
American, French and British Foreign
Ministers still expect to get together
with the Russians in an attempt to
liquidate the war conditions in Europe.
Evening star., 1946-05-29

power into the realm of private rights.
A vast amount of social legislation has
thus been imposed upon business. What
was sauce for the goose is now sauce
for the gander.
simple device for regulation would
be provision for the proclamation by the
President of an emergency endangering
safety and health Then a permanent
board of, say, three would take over
negotiations. Such a board would be
one-thlrd union, one third management
and one-thlrd neutral or public. The
public representative should be nomin-
ated by the President and confirmed
by simple majority of the Senate.
The difficulty of selecting the public
representative of such a board cannot
be solved by mere presidential appoint
ment, for political administration
cannot be trusted with such power. A
requirement of confirmation by the Sen
ate would compel the President to reach
into the top brackets of men who are
not likely to be partisan or prejudced.
A simple majority of the Senate would
prevent minority of Peppers and Muir
rays from blocking the appointment of
a genuinely impartial public member.
President Truman is far from being
free man, despite his revolt. Labor
still stands behind the barricades which
years Of one-sided legislation have Gre
ated. He admits that he voted for most
OF this ex parte stuff. He is also the
head of party that has grown so de-
pendent upon labor politics that it can
scarcely become party of all the inter-
ests without long struggle. The Demo-
cratic party has been getting votes the
easy way by deals with labor leaders
who hold their members as paWns in
their power-politics shenanigans.
Legislation designed to free labor men,
bership from political bondage is needed
as further step toward national re-
demption. When a man named A. F.
Whitney can threaten to hurl $47000,0O0
of his unions funds into presidential
campaign, it is time to assert the
supremacy of law over privilege
tReleased BY the Associated Newspapers, Ine.l
Evening star., 1946-05-29

there may be merit in some of the
other points he makes-the ques-
tions involved are not entirely a
simple matter of black and white,
of course-it is clear that as between
the Soviet Union on one hand and
the Western powers on the other
the gulf continues to widen. This
is deadly thing which no sane man
can view with equanimity. If ever
anything needed good will, wisdom
and craftsmanship of the highest
order, the Paris conference of For
eign Ministers will need them to
the full when it convenes again in
June.
Evening star., 1946-05-29
Truman Shakes His Chains
By Rayn MoIev.

President TrumanS outburSt against
the two railroad brotherhood leaders
was a prison revolt. It will succeed
temporarily, but he will find himself
still hemmed in. unless more is done
than to follow his advice. Mr.. Truman
is loaded down with restrictions that
he and his predecessor created. He
has no freedom of action except in
such a frontal attack as he has already
attempted. Labor leadership still en-
joys monopolistic privileges which per-
NIT union leaders to attack the whole
economy and endanger public safety
The emergency powers sought by Mr.
Truman are temporary and rest only
upon the fragments of war powers
which remain after military victory.
The six months cooling off period for
Congress and the country will bridge
the congressional election and will en-
able the forces at issue to mobilize for
a real test of strength.
1t recently was suggested in this COL
umn that in any possible legislation
to prevent such a crisis as the rail-
road strike, some form of limited COM
pulsory arbitration will ultimately be
in order. Nobody wants it. But cir
cumstances may force it. and it will be
well to anticipate it. For such emer-
gency power as now exists will not last
long.
The basis of future labor policy
should be clear distinction between
strikes and threatened strikes which
cause inconvenience and those which
aim at vital safety and health. Strikes
against electric utilities, railroads and
coal production are examples of the
latter. There should never again be
such crisis as we have been passing
through.
The President distinguished the rail-
road strike as one involving "the entire
economy" He would have been on
flrmer constitutional grounds if he had
used the expression public health and
safety" For, beginning with the
Slaughter House laws in the '7Os, the
Supreme Court has used health and
safety as justifcations for every step
that has been taken to push police
Evening star., 1946-05-29

1t was inevitable that strike para
lying the transportation OF the United
States would bring about the action
taken by President Truman. If A. F.
Whitney and Alvanley Johnston could
not foresee that, then they are very
stupid men For to have failed to take
action as drastic as the drastic situa-
ton demanded would have been to
abrogate government altogether, and
to declare. in fact, that anarchy ruled;
while to have met the demands of the
railroad workers under the existent con-
ditions. no matter how justified those
demands might have been. would have
been tantamount to declaring that the
Nation would always deliver to hold
up.
The situation created by the two
unions made it quite impossible to
consider their demands in reason
Should my neighbor enter my house
to borrow teaspoons I would consider
his request and give him, if not all the
teaspoons he needed, as many as I
could. But if he entered through the
window, with a pistol in his hand, to
borrow teaspoons, l would call the
police
T. C. Cashen, president of the Switch
mans Union, when asked whether he
thought Mr. Truman's position would
damp the Presidents political prestige,
showed percipience when he answered.
mo . why should labor criticize the
only thing he could do under the cir
cumstances?" And Mr. Whitney and
Mr.. Johnston should each ask himself
what he would have done, had he been
President Neither of them colld have
done anything but stop the strike, by
force if necessary, or resign.
Now Mr.. Whitney is showing a very
poor sense of public relations by his
threat to use the 47,000,000 of the union
treasury to defeat President Truman,
if he runs in 1948. Only the other day,
he was telling us of the hardships of
railroad men. that they ranked 9th on
the list of organized workers in point
of pay, and today he is saying: 1--WE are
the worlds richest labor organization
My board of directors has authorized me
to spend 50 100000 to defeat members
Of Congress who voted for shackling
labor legislation we will use all We
have to defeat Mr.. Truman if he runs"
So instead of trying to negotiate peace,
Mr.. Whitney declares another war, to
be won with money But, one thinks, if
all the workers in this country, each with
a vote, are really solid against any re-
strictions on unions, why is it necessary
to spend fortune to defeat those who
are for restrictions? The union leaders
now are acting like old Tories who al
ways think you can buy elections.
The truth is of course that there are
Evening star., 1946-05-29

Borrowing time from the Washirq OF
dishes,
She ,Dorked at pattern OF fragile
tghite threads;
After getting her family Of for the
morning,
And s,Ueeping and busting and max.
ing of beds.
The spidery linen ptsp, number one
thousand,
Knotted and chung to her sink-busr
hands:
But she bent her head closer and sum-
moned more patience
For the delicate ,Deaping that point
lace demands.
Il am making kerchiet for each OF
my daughters"
She Uds blushinD her secret dreum
thus to confess:
Il ,Dant them to remember their mother
loUed beauty.
And mas not alyays a drudge in an
old, faded dress"
EMIR F. AhiNdERMAN,
Evening star., 1946-05-29
This Changing World
By Constantine Brown

Russia's blunt refusal to send token
detachment to attend the great victory
parade in London on June 8 Is viewed
with alarm in responsible Washington
quarters. 1t is regarded as an indica-
tion that Russia wishes not to associate
herself with any friendly manifestations
which would indicate that there remains
even memory of the Anglo-American-
Russian wartime cooperation.
The fact that Poland also has sent
cts regrets" and there is little likeli-
hood that Yugoslav military detach-
ment will be present is an indication
that the major part of the Russian bloc
In Europe is determined to show that
all collaboration between them and their
wartime allies is at an end.
The British government has planned
great parade to celebrate the defeat
of the Germans. Besides forces from all
the corners of the Empire the govern
ments of all the nations which fought
the Nazis together were invited to
participate.
The United States will be represented
by the commander of the European
theater, Gen. Joseph McNarney, and a
company of GIs. All the rest of the
Western European allies will be similarly
represented and it is hoped that in spite
of the Communist victory at the polls
in Czechoslovakia a Czech contingent
viii! go to London.
The Russians were among the first to
be invited to attend the festive celebra-
ton, which was intended to exceed in
pomp and splendor the parade held at
the end of the First World War. The
British fully expected either Marshal
Zhukov or Marshal Koniev to head the
march of Russian regiment and until
last week it was believed that Moscow
would take advantage of the pageant to
reafflrn-on the surface at least-the
collaboration among the fighting forces.
Even the British Foreign Office, which
is accustomed to receiving blows without
wincing, was astounded when the Am
bassadoS in Moscow informed London
that he had received curt note from
the Kremlin stating without further ex
planation that the Red Army would not
be represented at London.
The explanation given by the Warsaw
government is said to have been more
elaborate The British War ONCE will
permit Polish aviators who contributed
to the defense of London in the early
days of the war to Join in the celebra
Evening star., 1946-05-29
Glass of Virqiniu

Carter Glass was born in a period
when American citizens were debat-
ing the merits and the morality of
slavery, but before slavery had Gre
ated the issues which set them at
each others throats in civil war.
He died within a few days after
a President had appealed in person
to joint session of Congress for
authority temporarily to draft en-
ployers and employees into the Ma
tion's service should their industrial
strife imperil the welfare of the
country.
His life thus spanned an era which
witnessed great changes in the
channels of thought and in the
direction of the spiritual and ma
terialistic progress of the people
More than sixty years of this life
were spent in public office; for more
than forty-four of these years he
represented his home district and
his State as an influential member
of Congress.
Yet it would be difficult to label
Senator Glass with any tag, as We
SO often do these days in speaking
of public men, and so to identity
him with any of the numerous fac
tions and SectS which during his
long life achieved passing promi-
nence and then passed out of the
picture. He will be remembered for
his independence of thought, cou-
pied with moral courage and sure
ness of purpose which left him a
free agent, beholden to no one. He
belongs in that select group of dis
tinguished men in our history who
have regarded public office as a re-
sponsibility rather than as reward
He did not weigh his obligation
to his constituency in terms of pa
tronage or allegiance to prevailing
fancies. He saw his obligation as an
untrammeled duty to follow the
course which seemed to him in the
public interest. It is to the honor
of his State that its voters retained
him in Office year after year because
their faith in his integrity and abil-
ity outweighed occasional displeas-
ure over his decisions. Age and ill
ness, in his final days, reduced his
presence in the Senate to that of a
shadow. What many critics of this
f1ctional incumbency failed to ap-
preciate was the depth of his con-
stituency's respect for the tradition
which merely his name kept alive.
Sometimes a mans death raises
him to the stature of a giant be-
cause of the merit we attach to
things that are gone. But there was
a quality about Glass of Virginia, in
his upright independence, which
looms large today because it has be-
come increasingly rare. He followed
politics as an avocation. in the GUS
tom of many Virginia gentlemen
who preceded him. 1t was an avo-
cation dedicated to principle, it
scorned passing popularity and an
grily rejected that form of political
servitude which adopts known
course of action for any set of cir
cumstances. We need more men in
public office today who might know
the freedom to follow ones con-
science that Senator Glass valued
above everything else.