davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Letters to The Star
Finds Sentimentality Favoring
Development of Crime Wave


Development of Crime Wave
To the Editor OF The Star:
Mounting protests by parents against
molten pictures and radio programs
which through indirection glorify GRIM
inals and debauchers Of every descrip-
ton give hope that America finally is
becoming aware of the influences that
threaten to undermine all respect for
law and order However. until the cur
rently accepted modern approach" to
punishment and discipline is abandoned
we may be unable to prevail against
and local police officials agree Is
upon us.
1t seems to me particularly unfortu-
nate that efforts to combat crime are
being hampered nightly by the very
persons who point to police records with
the greatest alarm - sociologists, psy-
chologists, "uplifters" in their various
guises, judges and millions of sincere
but maudlin citizens. The popular no.
ton is that any transgressor. be he e
bratty child, proved juvenile delinquent,
flaming youth or confirmed adult Grim
inal, should be coddled and pampered
and given to understand that he is
naughty because society has failed him.
Above all, 1t seems, self elf-expression must
be encouraged, and what If healthy
extroverts penchant is matricide with q
hatchet? Better that than to be OBJ
sessed with inhibitions.
Result of naanby -pamby application
of the law Is that In some States the
average prison term served for murder
Is under five years (the result of lib
eral parole), with correspondingly light
penalties for other malefactions. There
is growing conviction that considering
the odds OF being caught, crime is worth
the price. Youth, especially, has little
fear Of the penalty for crime-witness
the brutal Staying of policemen In Wash
ington,' Philadelphia and Wilmington,
Del, in recent two-week period by
boys of IA to II. Possibly these cop
killers" who have expressed satisfac-
ton in their achievements. will be sent
to reformatory. There they may be>
come eligible for one of so scholarships
at the best military and preparatory
schools in the country, If plans of the
United States Attorney General are
consummated
One also must wonder at the wis
dom" of many judges. Some time ago
a Midwestern judge refused to imprison
an embezzler on the ground that the
man was underpaid by his employer
and that consequently the criminal act
somehow was justifiable. This Christ
mas, one Of the magistrates in WASH
ington's Municipal Court dispensed
charity, not justice, when he released
80 men and women charged with in
toxication. To some, these cases are
manifestations of true Christianity, but
I consider them examples Of frivolity
and application OF the law by whimsy.
Until all statutes are vigorously en-
forced and penalties stringently ap-
piled, the law-abiding will be fair prey
for the lawless. C. L. A.
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Wages and Automobiles

From the New Orleans Times Picayune
Several of the largest unions have
settled on a campaign to raise wages
2 per cent early in 1947. Replying in
directly to the union policy makers.
c. E. Wilson. president of General
Motors, says: Gar prices will go up Is
per cent if wages 60 up Is per cent"
Labor economists" insist that the
proposed l947 wage raises can be effected
without increasing prices. They said
that when they began the 1916 drive a
year back, but the increases they got
then have been followed by the steepest
price advances since the war began.
The General Motors president prob
ably is not far of with respect to the
effect of wage changes on prices so far
as the automobile industry is concerned.
For, as he points out, nearly the whole
cost of automobiles is in wages and
salaries. 1t is in wages either paid out
directly at the automobile plants or in
the pay of the people working in the
steel mills, coal mines or the plants Of
automobile parts manufacturers. Due
to relatively poor year some auto
builders have had to cut dividends so
there won't be much to squeeze out Of
the profits of the producers for higher
WagerS.
Manufacturing industries in general,
however, have had prosperous year.
In some cases profits reached an all-time
high.
According to the Department Of Com
merce, dividends paid out in the Sep
tember quarter were IA per cent larger
than they were during the correspond
ing quarter of last year. Still. the total
of all the dividend increases would not
amount to a bean in bushel If ap-
piled to wage raises.
1t may be doubted that the labor
economists themselves take very seri-
ously their theory that new round OF
wage raising can be put into effect with
out also forcing another round of price
hiking. They could more soundly advise
a round of hard work and large pro-
duction to restore the competitive ball
ance in consumer goods and turn the
edge of the high prices. A cut in the
cost of living would return much more
in the form of real wages to the worker,
than money increase in hourly rates
that certainly would be followed by
higher prices at the stores.
The wholesale commodity price index
has weakened a bit lately under the
effect Of increasing stocks. A little more
production and the cracking of bottle-
necks in the right places might do .
great deal toward giving the relief that
the labor unions and their economists
futilely hope to get by another try at
wage hiking.
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Maturity and Progress

Maturity and Progress
To the Editor OF The Star:
AS the earth begins a new circle
around the sun, we mortals wonder
what lies ahead. viii men and nations
work together for peace and prosperity?
Or led by uncompromising zealots of
extreme left and right-dogmatic
Marxists, know-it-all economists. in
fallible ecclesiastics-will they snarl
the machinery OF production, preach
war is inevitable" between contrast
ing ideologies and hence poison the
atmosphere essential to the next great
step toward peace-universal dis
armament?
sign of maturity is readiness to
accept reasonable compromise. Labor
can no more justly oppose legislation
curbing its power to paralyze great
sections of the world economy, restrict
output and unfairly initiate costs, than
the utilities a generation ago could
justly oppose rate regulation or big
business resist enactment of the Sher-
man antitrust law.
Progress in 1947 will depend on in
telligence and good will. Good will
can be increased through better OBJ
servance of maxim common to every
great religion-the Golden Rule. In
teliigence will become more wide
spread If every citizen takes it upon
himself to learn more about public
questions. as by reading good news
papers, books and listening to radio
forums and discussion groups.
ROBERT S. FIELD.
Vineland, N. j.
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Slight Recession?
By Berfram Benedict

had fallen from its wartime levels to an
estimated normal dndexes of the Cleve-
land Trust Coz. Then it slipped below
normal. AS for the general wholesale
price level, in February it was perhaps
5 per cent lower than at the time Of
the armistice.
Then, in March, 1919, wholesale prices,
on the average, began to go up again.
BY April, 1919. they were back to the
level of the preceding November. They
were to continue to rise, and sharply,
for another year.
Business activity did not pick up at
the same time as general wholesale
prices The average for March, 1919,
was per cent below estimated normal,
and almost Is per cent lower than at
the time of the armistice. There was
slight improvement in April, then a
falling of again in May But in June
business went back rapidly to estimated
normal-the decline had lasted about
five months.
This pickup which ended the slight
and brief recession of 1919 continued
for more than a year, during which
business activity in general hovered
around its level at the time of the
armistice. Then, in the latter half of
1920, began the real postwar depression.
The Department OF Agriculture pre-
diets that the average price level OF
farm products will be lower, perhaps by
10 per cent, than in the latter part Of
l946. However, the income of farmers
depends ON production as well as on
prices, and the prediction is for another
year "of top production" in l947. In
the recession of the first half OF. 1913.
farm prices held their own for several
months, fell by about per cent on the
average during February, 1919, then
started to climb again In March. In
other words, they behaved little better
than business activity in general.
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Vocabulary of Crime

From the Vancouver Province.
One of the influences that go to the
making of criminals is the haze OF
glamour and romance which writers tend
to throw about crime. Words are used
nouns and adjectives- which suggest
that the bad man is brave and excit-
ing personality. :. If the criminal were
only Inscribed as what he is-a fool, an
idiot, a moron, a Ounce. simpleton. q
blockhead-one who never reaps any
thing but grief from his illicit Efforts
there would be less tendency on the
part OF youth to emulate him. Youth
does not like to be made an object Of
ridicule,
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Liquidoting Leose-Lend

In lLS CWenLy-CIllfQ report W NoIl-
gresS on the subject, the admins
tration makes clear that the historic
lease lend project-one of the wars
biggest and most vital operations
is we'll on its way toward complete
liquidation. Altogether, as of last
September 30, goods and services
furnished by the American arsenal
amounted to dollar value of $5O,-
692,000,000. In return, with final
settlements still to be negotiated
with several recipients, the United.
States so far has been reimbursed
to the extent of more than $10,-
100000, 900 in the form of cash, pay
ments to come and reciprocal aid.
This reimbursement has been &C
counted for in settlements worked
out with the United Kingdom,
France, Belgium, Turkey, Australia,
New Zealand and India. These
countries received approximately 10
per cent of all our lease-lend ad-
vances, the British Commonwealth
and Empire being by far the big
gest recipient, with IS per cent. The
balance went to the other Allies with
whom final accountings have yet to
be negotiated. These include Russia
(23 per cent?, China, Greece, the
Netherlands, Norway and South
Africa. When agreements are con-
cluded with them, the overall re-
turn to the United States probably
will be substantially in excess of the
$4,000, 100000 already realized.
The full American outlay, of
course, will never be paid back In a
monetary sense. The larger part
of it represented our economic con-
tribution to the common victory of
the United Nations. 1t was offered
without expectation of cash repay
ment or without narrow bookkeep-
ing considerations. With our ships,
guns, tanks and planes, our Allies
fought valiantly at immense cost to
them in terms of blood. Using our
equipment, they won precious time
for us-time to prepare-until the
day came when all of us together,
in a tremendous inter Allied battle
effort, crushed the Axis.
This factor-the inability to meas
ure reciprocal aid solely in terms
of dollars and cents-has figured
largely in the final settlements
already reached and will figure in
those yet to be negotiated. Goods
lost, destroyed or consumed in the
course of the war have been written
out of the accounting. AS for ma
terial of postwar civilian value, the
recipient countries are to pay for
any still in their hands as of VI
day, and they may hold on to lease
lend military equipment subject
Evening star., 1946-12-28

Everybody seems to be predicting
slight and brief economic recession in
the first half of the year ahead, to be
followed by a resumption of the post
war prosperity. The most frequent
cause given is the need for prices, both
wholesale and retail, to drift to lower
levels before consumers will buy and
producers will order.
OF course, there are many ifs-some
that might operate to obviate the re-
cession altogether, others that might
prolong and deepen it: Wage demands
and strikes. Or, conversely, willingness
of labor to settle quickly for relatively
small wage boosts. The misnamed
portal to- portal wage demands as
result of the Supreme Court decision
in the Mount Clemens pottery case.
Conversely, interpretations OF that de-
cision which will allay the fears 1t has
evoked in the breasts Of management
and investors
Political developments in Washing
ton. Frightening or darkening OF the
international skies Much or little tax
reduction; budget balancing or contin-
ued budget unbalance. New inventions
like television (the development OF
radio helped to restimulate industrial
production in 1924. Behavior OF the
stock market-which can be cause as
we'll as effect. And so forth.
u
II slight and brief recession does
come in l947, history after the First
World War will be repeating itself to
some extent, except for the time element.
A recession in the spring OF 1947 would
come about 1.a years after vi day; the
first recession after the First World War
came almost Immediately after the end
Of hostilities on November II, 1918.
Business activity turned downward IN
December, 1918. So did wholesale com-
modify prices in general. Before the
end Of January, 1919, business activity
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Russia Looks at Asia
By George Fielding Eliot

Are the Russians turning from Eu-
rope to Asia as their principal field of
expansion for l947?
A great many people in high places
on both sides of the Atlantic land the
Pacific, too) would like to know the
answer to that question. 1t may well
be the key question of the coming year
the question whose answer will de-
termine whether or not. the hope born
of Russian reasonableness these past
few weeks will continue to grow in the
hearts and MINDS of men and women
throughout the world.
Those who reason that Russia may
be turning eastward point to the pres
ent military condition of the Old World.
Russia, they say, is surrounded by a
series of military, political and economic
vacuums-Western Europe. the Middle
East, India and China. There was some
reason to think that the gentlemen of
the Kremlin, observing the instant dis
solution of the American armies after
WI day, entertained bright hopes of
Soviet Europa Soviet Germany, a
Soviet France, Soviet Italy, Soviet
Spain. These hopes were not realized.
American diplomacy was no longer sup
ported by great army on European
soil. but America did not turn its back
on Europe-and America had the atomic
bomb, powerful Navy and long
range Air Force. Nor did it prove pos
sible, despite efforts of various kinds,
either to undermine the popular sup
port for Byrnes' policy of patience and
firmness or to drive any kind Of wedge
between America and Britain. The
local Communists of Western Europe
proved disappointing allies-they were
neither as strong nor as amenable as
the Kremlin had anticipated. The
Americans and British refused to give
way in such matters as Trieste, the
navigation of the Danube, Greece, the
Dardanelles, or German reparations.
Indeed, they lost patience with quadri-
partite agreements in Germany and
started to unite their own two German
zones on a sound economic basis.
To boil 1t all down, the Russians may
it is reasoned-have.d decided that fur
ther expansion in Europe and perhaps
in the Middle East as well can be
bought only at the price of complete
rupture with the two western powers
at moment when such a rupture would
not only deprive Russia of all hope of
western economic aid, but would place
upon Russia the full responsibility for
the breakup of the international order
and would perhaps bring about war
under unfavorable conditions, in an area
where the western powers can most
easily and effectively employ the spe-
cially powerful weapons on which their
armament is centered.
Hence We may see the Russians turn
Evening star., 1946-12-28

Looks Askance at Stars Pants
To the Editor OF The Star:
was much surprised, indeed, to find
on your editorial page of December %
an editorial entitled, ''Two-Pants Suits, :"
in which editorial you continued to use
the term pants" If you will consult
the dictionary, you will ind that this
particular term is not used by those
careful in the choice of words, and it
is listed as "colloquial" Certainly
there is no room for "colloqulalisms" on
an editorial page where space is reserved
for serious and conservative comments.
However, the following items may be
of some interest to you.
"The things called pants in certain
documents
Were never made for gentlemen, but
gents"
DIR. Oliver Wendell Holmes
''In the parlance of some, gent has
come to mean a man who has the
money and clothes, but not the breeding.
of a gentleman
From Practical Rhetoric" by John
Duncan Quackenbos 1896. page
), 148.
pants. This abbreviation is not
used by those that are careful in the
choice of words. The purist does not
use the word 'pantaloons' even, but
trousers Pants are worn by gents
who eat lunches and open wine, and
trousers are worn by gentlemen who
eat luncheons' and order wine.
From THE Verbalist," by Alfred Ayres,
page 1893, 1896. New York, D. Apple
ton 81 Co.
ROBERT EMMETT BURKE.
Evening star., 1946-12-28

There is a difference Of opinion be-
tween American otiicials In China and
State Department officers regarding
what constitutes an ultimatum.
According to Washington officials. the
peremptory notice given by the Soviet
official In charge of Dairen harbor to
the American courier ship to get out
within 20 minutes after the expiration
an ultimatum.
This Interpretation Is based on the
State Departments peculiar conception
that the U. s. S. r. has full control OF
the harbor and territory In and around
Dairen. The Russians, our Far Eastern
Division officials say, permitted the ship
to come in for 48 hours and that is all
there is to It, Since the ship oyerstayed
It's welcome, it had to get out.
The Navy takes different view, how
ever. Besides carrying mailbags for the
consulate, the ship also had three pas
sengers-a businessman and two news
papermen. These men thought, on the
basis of previous negotiations. that they
had permission to land. When this was
refused by the Russian harhor master.
the officer in command of the unarmed
courier vessel went ashore and tried to
straighten out the situation. with the
assistance Of the American consul gen.
eral In Dairen. They received humiliat-
ing treatment from the Russian COM
mander in chief, who outranks the ci-
william Soviet official, but decided not to
give up.until permission for the three
to land had been granted.
This was known to the harbor mas
ter. While the ships commanding officer
was still ashore the Russian ordered the
vessel to leave within 20 minutes or he
would not be responsible for conse-
quences.
This is very plain military language.
and regardless of how much the State
Department may wish to doctor his
order, 1t is considered an ultimatum by
. men who are accustomed to handle
such matters.
Naval officers and civilian officials In
the Far East consider the action of the
Soviet underlings as an insult to the
United States. 1t Is understandable that
the State Department wishes to reduce
the incident to its minimum proper
tions The overall picture of relation.
ships between the U. S. S. r. and Amer
lea shows distinct if superficial, i'm
provement, and the State Department
wishes to avoid any kind OF fresh fric-
tion.
Evening star., 1946-12-28

build up a well-rounded and rela- :
lively self sufficient economy, in
cluding a free port on the Pacific.
It likewise gives him an economic
leverage on the smaller nations Of
South America, especially Bolivia,
Paraguay and Uruguay, which can
be used to bring them into his pro-
jected economic political bloc. And
judging by the pressures already re-
portedly exercised against Bolivia
and Uruguay, the creation of such
a bloc may not be far away.
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Democratic Liberals
Look to Lister Hill
Remaining Senate New Dealers
Hope to Raise Party Standards
By Doris FIeeson


By Doris Fleeson
New efforts to assemble liberal DEM
ocratic cadre in the Senate are centering
on Lister Hill of Alabama, who has
bowed out as party whip in order to
devote more time to legislation.
Those inveterate planners, the New
Dealers, having surveyed their depleted
fortunes, fealize that the best they can
do at this low ebb is to raise standard
to which-they hope-the brave and
honest can be lured.
They also know that their customary
spokesman, Senator Claude Pepper Of
Florida, could not even lead his COL
leagues to bonded bourbon. Zone, Sem
ator Byrd, used the term skunk" in
Senate debate,) This, in the New Deal
view, Is reflection on the Senators
and they put it down to JEALOUSY,
but they recognize it as fact.
Difficulties Are Many.
Hence their plan to put pressure on
Senator Hill to assume leadership of an
informal group Of Democratic liberals
TO safeguard as much as possible the
Roosevelt domestic program. The diff
culties are many.
Liberals OF all parties are notoriously
prima donnas. During the Harding
Coolidge Hoover era Republican Pro-
gressives were the ablest men on the
scene, but they insisted upon charging
up the hill separately to their common
objectives.
1t remains to be seen also how many
Roosevelt liberals will stay hitched to
left-of center now that the golden voice
no longer packs the paying customers
into the Democratic side. Most of them
arrived on the national scene riding
the Roosevelt coattails. Few had active
and toughening State records of pro-
gressivism before they reached WASH
ington.
Geographically the remaining New
Deal handful of Senators reaches South,
Far West, North and one border State.
and they are equally divergent person.
ally Most of them defended the pecu-
the New Deal. Few have common back
grounds and interests.
RoIl-CalI Defections.
The politically astute among them
may also recall that Mr.. Roosevelt, a
politician of the first order, himself said
the New Deal was dead. All this adds
to roll call defections. Last session Sem
ator Pepper, citing key vote, agreed
that the best the New Deal could muster
in the Senate was Is. A third of those
are gone now.
Although the resurgent Republican
troubles have blacked out the Demo-
cratic headaches, another source OF
backstage maneuvering among the new
minority is their reduced committee as
| signments.
| Democrats must be dropped from such
| powerful spots as appropriations, for
| eign relations, finance and commerce.
Here again the New Dealers are srspi-
ciously watching the conservative South
erners, who. with their long seniority,
are comfortably at the top of most COM
mittee lists. 1t is quite in the cards that
there will be a public outcry before all
Is settled.
Mr.. Hills successor as whip has not
been chosen. Among those suggested
are Brien Mcmahon of Connecticut,
Carl Hatch of New Mexico, Joseph
OMahoney OF wyoming and Scott Lucas
of Illinois. Senator Alben Barkley, Of
course, will be minority leader.
Released by the Bell Syndicate Ine)
Evening star., 1946-12-28
Lichen on Stone

Lichen on Stone
Lichen clothes the stone
Like flesh on barren bone:
Its beauty thriues to mock
The somberness OF rock.
The green OF blade and bouoh
Lies Quiescent no1D,;
Life, ,uhich is spark.
Slumbers in the dark.
But to,Dly lichens oroto
Green against the snoD.
HARRY ELMORE HURD.
Evening star., 1946-12-28
For Another Year!

From the Crystal City Mirror
Now. Christmas being over, the kids
can be normal again.