davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-03-06
Gym for Western High
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
For the past four or five years the
Board of Education of the District of
Columbia has been promising the
teachers and students of Western High
School, one of the oldest public schools
IN the District, an appropriation from
Congress that would provide for the
rebuilding Of their gymnasium.
But as I was looking over the l947
budget, which includes the largest ap-
preparation for schools ever underwrit-
ten for Washington, I failed to see
anything in 1t about improvements for
Westerns gym.
The time for promising, however, is
over and now there should be action
Such facts as the leaky roof, the
pine-planked floor with splinters, the
shower room floor of tar, which does
not drain for over 48 hours, and the
deep hole in which the gym was built
should convince any one that there is
and has been tremendous need for
attention here for some time.
When heavy rains occur the water
from the street backs up into the show
er room, creating very unhealthy con-
dition.
The gym teachers are provoked the
students literally are disgusted. Is this
not reason enough for a reconsidera-
ton? ROBERT r.. DOSH
Evening star., 1946-03-06

In Senator Vandenberg's speech he
asked, What is Russia up to?" He
asserted, Russia Is a mystery" But
what the Soviet Union is up to has been
increasingly clear ever since the Yalta
Conference. 1t is up to realizing, as far
as possible, its aims since the 1918 revo-
luton: The undermining or overthrow
of every other social order and unifica-
ton of the world under the Red Star
During the war We had many reasons
for believing that Stain for the sake OF
enduring friendly relations between the
great powers had either abandoned that
aim or was prepared to leave its fulfill
ment to history without active assistance
of the U. S. S. R. After the attack ON
Russia, Stain declared his allegiance to
the Atlantic Charter The Third Inter-
national was formally dissolved and
Communist parties everywhere read
justed their previous line. Mr.. Litvinov,
in a speech in New York, envisioned
postwar reconciliation between the Com
munist and capitalist worlds through
mutual notifications of program.
Hopes were encouraged that the 1887
constitution would be put into real prac-
tice in Russia and the Russian peoples
extended as reward for their uneX-
ampled sacrifices the civil liberties which
were the fruit Of the western 18th CEN
tury revolutions Most prognosticators
anticipated general postwar turn to
the left, with forms and degrees of
socialism compatible with the circum-
stances and majority opinion of the
various countries.
Whatever suspicious the Soviets might
previously have entertained were re-
moved, we thought. by the demonstra-
tions of utter fidelity with which Britain
and the United States observed the
coalition.
These, among other things, included
the immediate British rejection OF the
Hess mission, offering to guarantee the
British Empire in return for benevolent
neutrality toward a war against Russia
"a reversal of the up to then Russian
role; they included shipments of lease
lend with absolutely no strings at
tached, amounting to 9 billion dollars
or a quarter of the Soviet war budget.
All questions of prestige were laid
aside in an effort to dispel Soviet 'dis-
trust" However sinister the Munich
pact may have seemed to Russia, it
was certainly more than Cancelled by
the Russo-German pact, which gave the
green light to Hitler for the war against
the west, made the Soviets for nearly
two war years Hitler's silent partners.
and turned Communists in all countries
fighting Hitler into defeatists and
saboteurs.
But by the late winter of 1914, when
it was apparent that the German
armies could not long resist, Soviet
policy changed. and, after Yalta, OBJ
YiouslY. No one not politically deaf.
Evening star., 1946-03-06
This Changing World
By Constantine Bro,rn

the presence of large numbers Of Rus
slams in their camp, of morale and the
necessity Of visits to Khabarovsk for
recreation. The Russians permitted the
Americans to visit the city, but under
certain restrictions.
A group of only 10 from the American
mission was permitted to go to Khaba-
rovsk once week, with members of the
NKVD Russian secret police as guides.
While in town their movements were
not restricted, but they were kept con-
stantly under surveillance by the secret
police.
The weather studies went on for three
months under these handicaps. On
December 20, half way through their
scheduled stay at Khabaroysk, the
Americans were notified by Russian
authorities that they must leave, al
though the survey was still incomplete.
Contact with Washington was per-
mitted by the Russians and instructions
came back to comply with the Russian
order. Request was promptly made to
the Russians for lumber with which to
'crate the delicate meteorological instru-
ments. xThe answer was that there was
no lumber for such purposes. After
many representations by the chief of
the naval mission the Russians provided
a quantity of rough logs, with the sug-
gestion that if the Americans wanted
lumber for Grating they could cut it
themselves.
The entire mission of so officers and
men turned to hewing boards out of
rough logs, job universally done
except in frontier communities-by saw
mills.
The Americans finally succeeded-by
working night and day-in cutting
enough lumber to crate everything they
had. The mission and its Grated in
strrments were loaded onto trucks and
driven to Khabarovsk, where the trucks
were backed up to fiatcar on railroad
siding and the crates transferred for
shipment to Vladivostok. Two miles
from the siding where the flatcar was
loaded train waited to carry the mis-
sions personnel. The Russians were
asked to provide switch engine to move
the car and cut it into the waiting
train. Again the Russian answer was
negative. No such engine was available.
The Americans had only one alterna-
tive-to push the f1atcar by hand the
2 miles to the waiting train. Then in
40 below zero the entire mission of go
massed its weight and strength behind
the loaded car and brought it by sheer
muscular effort to the waiting train,
where the Russians did provide loco
motive to do the rest of the switching.
The group then left for home via
Vladivostok, nearly three months before
its survey was to end.
Such incidents, of which there have
been many, do not figure in the official
bill of complaints which this Govern
ment is presenting to the Soviet Union,
but they do constitute a personal bill
of complaints for many Americans who
have worked alongside the Russians.
Evening star., 1946-03-06
Letters to The Star
Favors Mr.. Pauley Against
His Liberal" Critics

To the Editor of The Star:
The investigation regarding the suit
ability of Edwin w. Pauley for the posi-
ton of Undersecretary of the Navy is
one of the sorriest spectacles ever staged
in Senate committee in recent years.
In my opinion, it has become the me-
dium of vicious smear campaign against
an honorable American citizen. Know
ingly or unknoWingly, some Democratic
Senators are rendering assistance to
what appears to be Communist party
line attempt to nquidate man who
rendered valuable service in the re-elec-
ton of their former hero.
1t should be remembered that Mr..
Pauley was appointed reparations
commissioner by President Truman. At
the frustrated Preparations Conference
in Moscow last year, and later at Pots
dam, he developed reputation of
being tough" with the Russians. This
is brought out in the Saturday Evening
Post of December 8, 1945, in an article
entitled "The Untold Tragedy of Pots
dam," by Samuel Lubeu.
IL appears SiSLlncaHC GndC Jne dICacK
on MIR. Pauley was launched by the New
Deal "hatchet man." Mr.. Ickes, and
echoed by such liberals" as Senator
Pepper and Representative Helen Gaha-
gan Douglas.
There is no evidence to cause doubt
concerning Mr.. Pauley's ability and
integrity, least Of all his loyalty to
the American Constitution
PRO-PAULEY.
Evening star., 1946-03-06

In line with its stiffened attitude to-
ward Soviet Russia the United States
Government has recently been submit
ting piecemeal a bill of complaints to
the Russians, in the hope that satisfac-
ton from the Soviet Union on the points
raised will clear the air of suspicion and
distrust between the worlds two great
est powers.
This bill of complaint has taken vari-
Gus forms. We protest Russian removal
of Japanese industrial equipment from
Manchuria. We protest Russian DOM
nance of the governments of her neigh
bors. We protest Russian insistence-
contrary to her treaty obligations-on
remaining in parts of Iran on the thin
excuse that they are still disturbed
We protest Russian attacks on American
planes simply because they fly over
Soviet-held parts of China.
We are making our dissatisfaction
with Russian actions apparent in many
ways, in line with Senator Vandenberg's
desire that we talk as plainly to Russia
as she talks to us, and with Secretary
of State Byrnes' assertion that we viii
oppose a "gnawing away" process Of
aggression.
between Russia and the United States
becomes the subject of diplomatic rep
reSentation. The major political issues
are numerous enough So many Incl
dents of minor conflict arise between
Russians and Americans from time to
time that few of them are ever taken up
automatically. But they do create ILL
WILL and for that reason cannot be ig-
yc tn ha
American cooperation it must start at
the bottom and work up.
Just such an incident was the one at
Khabarovsk, Siberia, last year, in which
go American naval officers and men ac-
quired a little personal experience with
Russian cooperation.
1t had been agreed between Washing
ton and Moscow that an American
naval mission should go to Khabarovsk
ON the Amur River north of Vladi-
vostok-to make meteorological surveys.
The Russians had made weather studies
in this region, where Pacific weather
originates, but they were not co-ordi-
mated with American studies, and were
of no use to us.
This mission arrived in Khabarovsk
on September 20 and was to remain six
months. The group was placed in
camp with large Russian force about
Is miles from Khabarovsk. In the
briefing for their mission the Americans
had been instructed not to protest in
any way against the inevitable difficult
ties-food, housing and working condi-
tions-which they would encounter
among our Russian Allies. Their worst
fears were realized when they arrived
at their station.
The American mission took with it
large quantity of expensive and up-to-
date equipment, which was set up and
weather studies begun.
In their isolated weather station the
Americans faced the problem, despite
Evening star., 1946-03-06
Appellate Judge CIogett

The nomination of Municipal
Judge Brice Clagett to fill the va
cancy on the Municipal Court of
Appeals, when confirmed by the
Senate, will add to that appellate
bench man whose competence and
fairness have been abundantly
demonstrated.
Judge Clagett succeeds to the va
cancy created last month by the
elevation of Judge Nathan Cayton
to the chief judgeShip. Beyond that,
however, he brings the personnel of
the court to full strength for the
first time since the death OF the late
Chief Judge William E. Richardson
five months ago. During this interval
the court. which had taken pride in
Keeping fully abreast of its work, has
fallen somewhat behind, but it is be-
lleved that, with the addition of
Judge Clagett, the docket can be
brought up to date again within a
month. This is important, and espe-
cially so in the lower courts where
prompt disposition of litigation has
come to be the rule and not the
exception.
Judge Clagett is well equipped to
take over his new duties, both by
his own experience as a lawyer and
on the bench and by his familiarity
with local practice and procedure
There is every reason to believe that
his promotion to the Municipal
Court of Appeals will add strength
to a tribunal that has already won
the respect and confidence of this
cOmmunftV
Evening star., 1946-03-06
Wants Interracial Games

To the Editor of The Star:
BY staging the 1916 outdoor anna
teur track and field championships in
have been passed in the fight for toler-
ance and against bigotry. Since most
of the outstanding track and field
champions are colored boys and since
they have been guaranteed fair and
normal American treatment, the people
of the South will get chance to see
some great sport.
Throughout the winter months COL
ored athletes have dominated the
SprintS, the middle distances and many
of the field events. At Madison Square
Garden last Saturday night at the
indoor AAU track and field champion
ship games, the outstanding scholastic
athlete was Philip Thigpen, champion
miller of the State of New Jersey. Ten
out OF u of the votes cast by judges
placed him tops for these events. A
few weeks ago at the Milrose games
Conley of New York University was
adjudged by unanimous vote the best
athlete in that show.
CardoZo High Schools relay team of
this city was one of two aggregations
to break records in Saturdays meet.
Twice the boys from Cardozo cracked
the meet record for the $50 yards relay
race. Colored boys won most of the
individual track events. Tom Carey of
the Pioneer Club won the so yards,
Ed Dugger Of Dayton won the 60 yards
low and high hurdles. Elmore Harris
formerly Of Morgan College won his
fifth 600-yard race this season, and
Sam Richardson of the Pioneer Club
won the broad Jump. For the first
time colored athlete was not first
in the running high jump. Besides
these boys the Calendar brothers on
N. Y. U. and others on various college
teams did swell. jobs in competition.
There Is no good reason why track
games without racial barriers should
not be held in Washington, D. c., capi-
tai of the Nation. Without doubt the
caliber of competition would improve
all of our boys. 1t would help dissipate
delinquency. A better feeling of broth
erhood and lessening of racial tension
would come about. Just now there is
no good reason why Armstrong High
Schools basketball team, champion for
Division 1913, should not be able
to pit its ability against other teams in
this area in a city-wide tournament.
EDWIN B. HENDERSON.
Evening star., 1946-03-06
The Petroleum Miracle
By Raym Ond MoIev

Our newest columnist, Harold Ickes,
told us. way back In the days when he
was petroleum administrator, that the
war was consuming so much oil that in
Is years we would be at the bottom of
our national barrel. This made big
noise, and gloomy economists broke out
in sad believing
Now, however, comes different story
from the Committee on Petroleum Re-
serves of the American Petroleum In
stitute. Their report says that In 1899
our estimated proved reserves were 49,
900, 10000 barrels and that at the end of
the current year they will be almost
81 billion barrels Thus, despite the in
roads OF the war, our known resources
have increased IA per cent.
A second surprising fact in the report
is that wartime consumption was con-
siderably less than was anticipated. In
normal years we consume 13 billion
barrels. During the war we consumed
an annual average of 154 billion bar
rels. Thus, the extra war demand in
four years consumed only about a nine
months normal consumption.
In 1924 the statistician OF the Bank
of France solemnly told his country that
the oil reserves of the United States
would be gone in seven years and that
those of the world would last only 40
years. Since thep, We have almost
Evening star., 1946-03-06
Dilemma Over Spuin

The -tripartite declaration of the
American, British and French gov
ernments concerning Spain should
be taken for what it is-an exposi-
ton of those attitudes and inten-
t1ons toward Spain that are held In
common by the Western Powers. 1t
is therefore diplomatic 'least
common denominator"-a 'compro-
mise document covering relatively
small measure of agreement as COM
pared to those aspects about which
wide Emergencies exist.
The one point on which the three
s1gnatories are unqualifiedly agreed
is in their condemnation of the
Franco regime and their warning to
the Spanish people that $50 long
as General Franco continues in con-
troll of Spain" Spaniards Cannot
anticipate full and cordial associa-
ton with those nations of the world"
which have defeated by their COM
mon efforts the Nazi-Fascist Axis
whereof Franco was willing collab-
orator. That collaboration is con-
vlncingly proved by a collection of
documents appended to the declara-
ton
From that point on, however. the
declaration is less unequivocal. 1t
denies intention of interfering in
the internal affairs of Spain" But
this should be taken in a very tech
nical sense, because it is well known
that the French government, under
pressure from its Communist ad-
herents, backed by Moscow, wants
complete break of diplomatic and
economic relations with Franco cou-
pied with citation of the Spanish
question before the Security Council
of UNO, which would constitute
practical interference to a notable
degree. Neither Washington nor
London wants to take those mea-
sures, which would cause great hard
ship to the Spanish people and
which might precipitate a civil war
that would have dangerous roper
cussions on an already highly critical
international situation.
The declaration expresses the
Evening star., 1946-03-06
On the Record
By Dorothy Thompson

dumb and blind, or utterly ignorant of
Soviet and Comintern history, could
deny the evidence.
Soviet policy. proceeding without ef-
fective opposition, was to capture and
integrate into its own economic and
- power complex Eastern Europe from
the Baltic to the Adriatic, either by
annexation. Quisling governments or
Popular Front governments without
effective guarantees for the equal par
ticipation of nom Communist parties
Soviet policy was to enter the Far
Eastern war at the last moment and
play for dominant position in the
Far East.
Soviet policy was to disintegrate
Western Europe, beginning with Ger
many, in order to lay it open to revo-
lutionarys conquest when the German
and European standard of living
should have fallen to a b-Balkan
level.
Soviet policy was to divide the United
States from Britain by reyiying the
slogan of the Russo German pact, of
the war for imperialism, work for the
collapse of the European Far Eastern
empires and fall heir to their distinte-
grating parts.
Soviet policy was to put Russia in such
a position in Iran and Turkey as to
bring pressures on the Middle East to
which weak governments would yield
without any premature Soviet act of
open aggression.
Comintern policy was to support such
revision Of the French constitution as
would give France the weakest possi-
BILE government.
Comintern policy was to agitate for
the withdrawal of American and British
troops from Europe and Asia.
Comintern policy was to fan every
social disorder in mont Communist coun-
tries with view to producing internal
chaos.
In short, Soviet and Comintern policy
is revealed to be the realization of
Hitlers power aim, and by all of Hitler's
methods short of war: to dominate the
Eastern Hemisphere, divide Great
Britain, the United States and France,
and undermine their societies from
within
And every British and American
agreement contributed to its peaceful
dCCoiipiI>iiiiicllt, plS-ciIiiilcIiliy lllS la
sane peace" of Potsdam, the visit to
Canossa of Secretary Byrnes after the
failure of London, and the tongue-tied
dismay of American journalists fearful
of rocking the boat
There is no longer any mystery about
Soviet policy. The mystery is how, step
by step, American and British leader
ship should have made decisions or in
term concessions, the probable results
of which should have been obvious to
any logical mind.
Released by the Bell Syndicate, Inc)
Evening star., 1946-03-06
Synthetic Rubber

One of the production achieve
mentS which amazed our enemies in
World War II and which helped to
hasten their defeat was in the field
of synthetic rubber. A high Japa-
nese official was quoted recently
as saying that the japanese had
thought that the loss to the Allies
of their Far Eastern sources of nat
ural rubber would be a blow from
which they could not possibly re-
cover in time to halt Japan'S estab-
lishment of its new order" in Asia.
The japanese high command, he
said, was dismayed to find how
quickly and how effectively America
solved its rubber problem.
Figures just announced by the
Rubber Manufacturers Association
explain why the Germans and the
japanese had good reason to be con-
founded by our resourcefulness in
meeting the rubber crisis. In 1941,
fon example, our production of syn
thetic rubber amounted to only 5000
tons, or less than one per cent of
Americas total consumption of
rubber in that prewar year. Produc-
ton of synthetics was still on a
pilot plant" basis when Japan cut
off go per cent of our supply of nat
uraf rubber after Pearl Harbor. Yet
by the final year of the war syn
thetic rubber production had jumped
to. 100000 tons year. Tire ration
iris and conservation measures en-
abled large proportion of this pro-
duction to go to military uses. An
Evening star., 1946-03-06
The Winds

The north a0ind pounding at my door
sotth fists
OF ice, boasts loudly OF the bHzsard's
breath,
OF riOers choked, bird OF steel that
lists
Against peak, caught in the snare
OF death.
Beyond n,y lpindo,o sill the east ptnd
sings
OF aoise men and never-o1d refroin,
OF lonely reaches and gray mist that
clings
And grasses sioept By siIuer- -sandaIed
rain.
The soest tDind speaks to me In mono
tones
OF men ,o1o dreamed OF cities yet
to be,
OF long-lost ,oaeon trails and bleaching
bones,
And great ships s,oalloped By a
hungry sea.
But south ,oind sings OF happiness that
soon
viii come, OF birds north-summoned,
,oinging far;
OF petal-scent. retoly rounded moon.
And glad-eged louers totshtng on q
NEz CLARK THoRSoN.