davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-05-09
Defense Is Dead
By George Fielding Eliot

One of the best features about Pres
ident Truman's admirable inter-Ameri-
can military cooperation plan is its
name. 1t is to be hoped that nobody,
in discussing it, will ever use the obsolete
expression hemisphere defense" Mill
tary cooperation is still essential to the
security of the American nations in
world not yet ruled by law. But defense
is a dead duck 1t is a word which we
must forget in our military planning
and thinking Importantly, in tie
citizens thinking on these subjects.
There is just no such thing as "de-
fense" any more, as far as major STRAIT
egy is concerned. If there is such a
thing as military security-or perhaps
one had better say, if military measures
can make an appreciable contribution to
national security-it is to be found in a
position of offensive readiness so formi-
dable as to be beyond hope of successful
challenge.
Let me use a homely Illustration of
what this means. Suppose you, dear
reader, are extremely annoyed with Joe
Louis. Suppose you see the Brown
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is not looking at you. His guard is
down. He does not even know you are
approaching. Do you walk up quietly
and sock him in the jaw? No, you do
not. Why? Because you know quite
we'll that you are not going to knock
him out with your first blow, and you
know that he is then going to turn
around and knock your silly block off.
He is in position of offensive readi-
ness which you cannot challenge. So
if you have anything against him your
recourse is to the law-courts and not
to violence. -
1t is much the same, today, with this
Nation and indeed this hemisphere. AS
far as our security depends on force.
that force must be offensive force. We
may pray that we shall never have to
use 1t, but we must be ready to use It.
One Of the best ways Of assuring this
Evening star., 1946-05-09
Old Salt Gourd

The seed for this old gourd came out
BY ,uagon train,
Tied in little square OF minoled
calico,
So grandma said: Missouri soil and sun
and rain
Nurtured the alien, far brought seed
and made it groU.
Grandma fetched her treasures, the
hobnaa butterdish,
The candle molds, the peWter pitcher,
graceful, tall,
But blossoms ON the running zines jul-
filled her aUish
And soon the gourds hung heavy by
the cook room door.
And then 1Dhen autumn frost had
darned the hills ,Dith red,
She gathered the gourds in like anu
thrifty Dite.
Grandfather cut the holes and strung
the bees-Uared thread
And made the moon-Shaped opening
1Dith his hunting knife.
Today I touch the old bro,Dn gourd NTH
gentle hands:
Within the quarter -bushel scoop OF
it the years
Lie dreaming. Part OF grandma's life,
to me it stands
Tor salt OF ,uisdom that seasoned hsy
joys and tears. g.
ALMA ROBINSON H1GBEE.
Evening star., 1946-05-09
Russia and the World

1t may be that Russia has already
withdrawn all of its armed forces
from Iran, but if it has it has not
so reported to the United Nations
Security Council in keeping with the
Councils request of April 4. On the
contrary, when that body met yes
terday-the first anniversary of We
day-Mr. Gromyko. the Soviet dele
gate, absented himself from it, max
ing good his threat not to participate
in any further discussion of the
issue.
Meanwhile, with Moscow remain
ing completely and almost con-
temptuously silent on the subject
and with Azerbaijan still closed to
direct 1ranian observation, Teheran
could not say definitely whether the
Red Army evacuation had been
carried out in its entirety. In the
circumstances the Councils ten sit
ting members did aboIt the only
thing they could do in voting
unanimously to postpone the case
once more, this time ignoring Russia
and calling upon Iran alone to
report to it again no later than
May 20.
This is an unhappy situation, but
If it reflects discredit on anybody
it reflects it not on the Council but
on Russia. No matter how much
Moscow may seek to justify Mr..
Gromyko's boycott on a narrow
legalistic basis or from the stand
point of upholding it's dignity, it
cannot get away from the fact that
it stands by itself on this issue, with
every other member of the Council
including even Poland - voting
against it. It alone is out of step,
and if that fact has the effect of
complicating matters for the Coun-
Gil it has the effect also of making
the Soviet Union appear to the rest
of the world to be petty and obstruc-
ZIONIST.
Taken together with Russia's un-
compromising views on other and
even more important issues, all this
is the more discouraging because it
has come to head only a year
after the common Allied victory in
Europe filled so many nations with
lively faith that the victors would
continue to work together, in a spirit
of fair give and take, to build
decent peace. No one can relish the
fact that that faith has since been
weakened, even though the onus
seems to rest chiefly on the Soviet
| Union and is hardly calculated to
Evening star., 1946-05-09
This Changing World
By Constantine Br0,cn

The Foreign Ministers Conference is
adjourning without having . single
constructive agreement.
This was to be expected. Secretary OF
State Byrnes warned the American pub
lie that things might not turn out to
be easy in Paris. He talked much more
openly to the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, in an executive session, a
few days before leaving for the confer
ence and told his former colleagues that
the chances of even a limited agreement
were extremely slim.
His predictions have been fulfilled.
Foreign Minister Molotov was ex-
tremely pleasant and cordial at the
social functions where the representa-
choice French food and drink vintage
wines and champagne. But in the con-
ference room, he is reported to have
lived up to the nickname frozen face
which has been given him by his fellow
Communists in Russia.
According to reports received in Wash
ington, there was not the slightest at
tempt on the part of the Soviet Foreign
Minister to meet even halfway the
point of view of the other conferees.
When confronted with the tight logic
of the American and British foreign
secretaries on matters which he could
not refuse, he used the well-known trick
of stating that the matter was not on
the agenda In other instances, he
falsified geography. For instance, when
Mr.. Byrnes raised the question of evacu-
ating the 10000 Russian troops from
Bulgaria, Mr.. Molotov answered that
their presence was essential to secure
the lines of communication of the Rus
sian armies in Austria. This line is
fully assured through Hungary and
Slovakia. When the American Secre-
tary of State countered that the Rus
sian occupation forces could be i'm
snediately Withdrawn by signing peace
treaty with that republic, Mr.: Molotov
replied that the matter was not on the
agenda and consequently could not be
taken up.
X u
Even on the few items on which an
agreement has been reached there is
a good deal of doubt in the minds of the
American observers as to what may
result eventually. The Big -Four pro-
claimed that all the Fascist organiza-
tions in Romania should be dissolved.
But there is still divergence of views
between the western and Russian def
milton Of the word Recently Ilya Ehren-
burg, the well-known Soviet war cor
respondent and writer, said in Washing
ton that all those who oppose the Rus
sian policies are Fascists. If this def
milton is correct, then the Romanian
liberal and peasant parties headed by
Evening star., 1946-05-09

latter requirement is to be found in
wide dispersal of offensive bases, es-
pecially the bases of the long range air
power which is our principal offensive
weapon at the moment. Since our ma
jor strategic orientation is northward,
we see in this fact the need for the
closest sort of military cooperation with
Canada. We already have a mutual
security pact with Canada, and it is to
be hoped that it will be further imple-
mented and extended so that the Sc
curity arrangements of the two nations
will operate virtually as a unit. The
proposed inter-American military CO.
operation plan will reinforce this Ameri-
can-Canadian arrangement by bringing
the other American nations into
hemisphere agreement. 1t is not to be
expected that any of the Latin Ameri-
can nations can make great contribu-
tion of offensive fighting power. Their
budgets and their industrial resources
are insufficient for such a purpose
Only the United States and to some
extent Canada can provide modern Of
fensive combat units on anything ap-
preaching major scale.
But the Latin American states can
nevertheless be a source of help just
as they could under some conditions
be source of danger If we ever have
an enemy, we may be quite sure that
as long as the United States Canadian
offensive position in North America is
adequate in power and readiness, it will
not be directly attacked. Attempts will
be made to soften it up, to gain posi-
tions in its flank or rear; and these at
tempts will begin, almost certainly, by
political and psychological offensive di-
rected against one or more Latin Ameri-
can states, or by the stirring up of in
ternal strife in Latin America. To the
extent that the proposed arrangement
minimizes this danger, gives stability to
the governments of our neighbors and
affords them confidence, 1t will make .
direct contribution to our own security
Evening star., 1946-05-09
Fortnight Action Needed

A few women serving as nurses
aides during the war were so ap-
palled at conditions in Washington
hospitals that by their persistent
efforts they succeeded in obtaining
Senate approval of a measure
to construct an adequate hospital
center.
While this measure was before the
House District Committee a study
was begun by outside experts of
health and hospitals in Washington
and the hospital investigator found
that "the condition of the hospitals
plants is the worst which could be
encountered in any area in this
country of comparable Importance. :"
In fact, he said, "the hospital con-
ditions which now exist in the Dis
trict are disgrace to the Nation
In a Capital City which, in so many
other respects, does honor to our
great country" He found other hos
pital practices in Washington "twen-
ty years behind modern standards. +"
There was also underway, at the
time OF this study, an independent
investigation of hospital conditions
by the Federal Works Agency. Gen.
eral Philip B. Fleming, the admin
istrator, wrote Chairman Mcmillan
of the House District Committee
yesterday that eve are convinced
that the hospital situation in the
District of Columbia is deplorable
and that fortnight measures will
be necessary to remedy it,
The fortnight measures" are
contained in the provisions of the
hospital bill now before Representa-
tive McGehee's subcommittee, al
ready approved by the Senate. The
pri1ciple of that legislation is that
at least three of the city's largest
voluntary hospitals should pool their
own resources, accumulated over the
years, and with Government aid
and a limited amount of Govern
mental participation, erect an ade-
quate hospital center.
1t is difficult to see how the emer-
gency can be met in any other way
The Municipal Government is up to
its neck in support and participation
in the.expenses of four great public
hospitals. Private funds are simply
not available. The National Gov
ernment, the city's only great in
dustry and by far the largest single
employer, has unique and direct
responsibility in the provision o1
adequate hospital facilities for its
own employees.
There is great opportunity here
for progressive action by members
Evening star., 1946-05-09
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

The President of the United States
and the Congress are worried and an
cry over the coal strike, which Is tying
the American people gradually into
bowknots a The Chief Executive and
his predecessor and the Congress and
its predecessors are responsible for the
condition that confronts the country.
For IA years the legislative branch and
the executive branch of Government
have aided in building lopsided laws
which give tremendous power to labor
leaders and their unions-and the Su-
preme Court in recent years has gone
right along with them. Today none
of them seem to know what to do about
the situation-or if they know, with
an election coming on, they are afraid
to do anything that really counts.
Many attempts have been made to
amend the labor laws in recent years
principally by the House-but the late
President Roosevelt would have none
Of it, and President Truman has so far
adopted the same attitude. Members
OF Congress are inclined to pass the
buck to the Chief Executive, content
ing themselves with saying that unless
a bill to amend the labor laws, placing
greater responsibility on the labor
unions and their leaders and defining
unfair labor practices by unions. has
the backing of the administration it
has no chance of passing both houses
OF Congress and becoming law.
John L. Lewis. president of the United
Mine Workers, is damned up and down
the Capitol and in the White House
because of his insistence upon calling
a coal strike, with the country strug-
Cling back to peace time industrial pro-
duction. Piled on top of the automotive
and steel strikes-and with a railroad
strike in the of1ing-the coal strike is
one too much. Mr.. Lewis, however, is
doing just what other labor leaders
have done-only more so.
1t was obvious that when the war
came to an end, there would be strug-
gle between labor and management on
a huge scale Yet nothing was done
about it, either at the White House or
in Congress. Armed with the existing
laws-and lack of law-the labor lead
ers were in position to dominate the
situation, and they have.
Unions were entitled to some pay in
creases. They could have had them.
without the terrible dislocations that
have taken place, halting the peace
time recovery of the country by many
months. They made, however, great
Evening star., 1946-05-09
Twere Better So!
From the Rocky Mountain News.

From The Rocky Mountain News.
Montanas Senator Murray, address,
ing Ohio's Senator Taft in committee
meeting:
Shut up!"
Why, Senator Murray! Surely you
study your Congressional Record. From
this Emily Postish guide to parliament
tary elegance, it would be better to
pursue custom and utter:
If, with the warmest of personal
regard and esteem, may beg to address
the erudite and distinguished senior
Senator from the prospering and cul-
tured Buckeye State of Ohio, might
implore him to at this crucial juncture
of circumstances maintain becomingly
judicious and if I may be privileged so
to term it, strategic, silence"
Evening star., 1946-05-09
Death on the Highways

Police Superintendent Callahan's
traffic accident prevention cam
paign, announced as the Presidents
Highway Safety Conference con-
vened here. is part of Nationwide
movement by police and highway
authorities to combat an alarming
upward trend in highway casualties
that has developed since the lifting
of gasoline and tire restrictions.
President Truman, in opening the
conference, emphasized the urgency
of the problem by citing the fact
that traffic accidents took 8,l20 lives
during the first three months of
this year. A survey by the New York
Times in IS States resulted in the
estimate that. at the present rate of
increase, the 1946 death toll will ex-
ceed the 1941 peak of 10000.
The only new factors in list of
principal causes of today's traffic &C
cidents- with those of
prewar days-are defective cars and
deteriorated highways. Both of
these factors have begun to worry
safety officials more and more with
the increase in the number of old au-
tomobiles on the streets When these
hazards are combined with such
perennial factors as speeding,
drunken driving and other forms of
folly-of the adult as we'll as the
juvenile varieties accidents are
bound to follow to an increasingly
disturbing degree. 1t can readily be
understood why authorities con-
cerned with highway safety are any
thing but optimistic over the situa-
ton which confronts them.
Complicating the general outlook
is what appears to be a spirit of
Indifference to elemental rules of
safety. One safety official attrib-
uted a widespread disregard of
individual responsibility" to a post
war letdown on the part of
considerable section of the driving
public. Many drivers, he declared,
do not seem to care whether they
run fatal risks or not. In several
States where the accident rate has
been kept down. it has been found
that traffic enforcement was strin-
gent and thorough. A drop in
accidents in Illinois was credited to
a State drive against defective cars,
attended by an educational cam
paign on the dangers of driving a
mechanically imperfect automobile.
1t is this type of campaign which
Major Callahan will launch here
next week. 1t is the duty of every
citizen to cooperate Fundamentally
with the police in this life-saving
drive. Without public co-opera ton,
the concerted battle against death
on the highways of America has
little hope of success.
Evening star., 1946-05-09
Mr.. EccIes' Statement

The statement which Chairman
Mariner Eccles of the Federal Re-
serve Board has made to the Senate
Banking Committee, coming as it
does from man who has been
closely identified with the Demo-
cratic administration, is deserving
of the most careful consideration.
Mr.. Eccles undertook to make two
basic points. First, he said that no
group, whether labor or manage
ment, has right to threaten the
public. ''Dictators." he stated, "as-
sumo such right. 1t has no place
in democracy" Secondly he
sought to emphasize the point that,
while it is necessary to extend the
life OF the OPA, it is wrong to as
sumo that mere continuation of
price controls can prevent imitation.
The country's chief need. Mr..
Eccles continued, is for full produc-
ton, and, without passing judgment
on the merits of the various dis
putes, he said that the shutdowns
in industries like coal. steel. lumber
and automobiles have been the
major obstacles to full production.
This candid testimony from re-
spected public official should be
helpful, for there are too many peo-
pie in the administration who are
disposed to gloss over the injurious
effects of the strikes to which the
country has been subjected. Men
like John L. Lewis and Philip Muir
ray, for instance, have not hesitated
to set back the reconversion pro-
gram by calling strikes in the indus
tries which they control. These
strikes undeniably have retarded
production and. to that extent. have
stimulated imitation. Mr.. Murray, in
the case of the steel strike, OBJ
tanned - with administration sup
port-the wage increase which he
wanted. And Mr.. Lewis, in all prob
ability, is in process of getting the
substance of what he wants. But,
with the exception of Mr.. Eccles. no
one in the administration has come
forward with an indictment of these
and similar strikes as major con-
tributing factor to the growth of the
inflationary trend.
1t should be made clear, however,
that the inflationary aspect of
strikes at this time, while serious
enough, is secondary to the basic
proposition that there should be no
federation of any strike which is
staged at the expense of a substan-
tial public interest. Mr. Eccles pro-
poses 9some court" in which indus
trial disputes affected with a public
interest can be settled without
strikes and with justice to both
parties. Unquestionably, the ulti-
mate solution of the problem lies in
the setting up of some such ma
chinery as this. First, however, it
will be necessary to overcome the
reluctance of politically minded men
to incur the risk of offending what
has come to be known as "the labor
vote" Frank expressions of opinion
from men like Mr.. Eccles will help.
But in the final analysis the pressure
will have to come from a people who
have learned that abuse of power
by "big labor" is just as harmful as
abuse of power by "big business"
Evening star., 1946-05-09

increase Soviet popularity abroad.
One can only hope that the Russians
will yet see how they are alternating
world opinion for themselves, and
that they will act accordingly, before
it is too late, to check the present
trend toward their self isolation.
Evening star., 1946-05-09
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceDeU.
EIGHTEENTH STREET

Dear Sir:
Last evenings edition of The Star
contained letter from one of your
correspondents relative to the cater
pillar nuisance, the ugly and obnoxious
pests that are at present appearing in
great numbers, crawling along the pave
ments, and building their cocoon nests
in the branches of our fruit trees.
Last year they gave me plenty of
work and trouble trying to eradicate
them and their nests from my beautiful
crabapple tree. I must admit that I
did not succeed in doing so, and I all
most killed the tree by burning the
cocoons, that would reappear in one
night.
This year have been successful in
destroying the pests completely, and I
suggest that your Arlington, CVa) corre-
spondent follow my directions for a
complete and satisfactory relief.
"A roll of hospital cotton, 80 cents
per roll, doubled and tied around the
body of the tree, two or three feet from
the ground. Sprinkle or dab the cotton
with liquid creosote, which can be pur-
chased at any paint or drug store, a
small bottle only will be necessary.
"The caterpillars cannot crawl on or
over the cotton, and the creosote fumes
kill them quickly. 1t is amusing to
watch them vacate the premises at the
first whiff.
MY pet catbirds that have returned
regularly each year for several seasons
have not as yet put in appearance. I
am expecting them any day now Your
editorials have given Mrs. M. and my
self much pleasure in reading them
daily. Kindest regards and best wishes
always. Sincerely yours, W. M. M"
"LANDOVER HILLS, Md.
Dear Sir:
IF nothing else gets read, your COL
umn does.
Have become more interested and
better acquainted with birds since read
ing it. have pair of bluebirds as
steady customers.
What really prompted this letter,
aside from a desire to thank you for
the pleasure your column gives, is to
ask about the birds I have seen in my
front yard today
heads and necks, black white wings,
smaller than sparrow. Some were
brightly colored, some dull olive tops
They all seemed to fly into and out
of the yard in company, and seemed
to be eating the dandelion flowers.
Were they orioles?
Gould you coax them to stay by sup
plying any particular food? My blue
birds like peanuts, raisins, cookies, and
egg yolk.
"Will watch for your answer in paper
Sincerely, A. F.''
The birds were goldfnches. .
No one has seen all the bird sights
onto dandelion.
Sometimes the stalk will bend down
so that the bird touches the ground
but he will never let go.
Goldfinches, or wild canaries, like
chickweed
Any lawn with plenty of chickweed
in it-and most of them have twill
have goldfinches.
There is not much that can be put
out for them, because they prefer their
food Ion the hoof," as it were, straight
from the hands of mother nature.
They love all weed seeds, and will
come wherever these are to be found
Hence score one for not cleaning up q
yard too thoroughly. A few weeds, a
few brambles, some berry bushes-these
always attract birds, even if they offend
the sense of neatness of some garden
ers. After all, birds are worth more
than neatness.
Evening star., 1946-05-09

1t is fashion to blame Providence
for everything-even now, more than
three hundred years after Cervantes
wrote in Don Quixote":: Every man
is as God made him, and often a
great deal worse"
Evening star., 1946-05-09
Let's HOPE So!

From the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Since the Paris Peace Conference, set
for May l, seems definitely of, it appears
that Europe will have a peaceful May
Day for once.
Evening star., 1946-05-09

of the House to end the disgraceful
conditions in Washington hospitals
by joining the Senate in approval,
without more delay, OF the Tydings
hospital bill,