davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-06-06
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

AS the congressional campaign moves
forward, the struggle for control Of the
Senate promises to become both intense
and close. It has been generally believed
it will be impossible for the Republicans
to gain a ma jority in the upper house in
this years elections. However, with dis
content manifesting itself more and
more among the voters Of the country,
Republican prospects are looking up in
number Of States which have been
Democratic since 1882. Strikes, short
ages in food and consumer goods OF
many kinds, increasing prices and high
taxes are all playing their parts.
The present makeup of the Senate is
56 Democrats. 80 Republicans and
Progressive Since Senator La Toilette
of Wisconsin, the sole Progressive, has
announced his return to the Republican
fold and that he will seek reelection rs
q Republican-provided he can win the
COP nomination-it is obvious that
the Republicans start their drive for
control with 40 seats.
To have q bare majority, the Repub-
licans must pick up nine seats now held
by Democrats and retain what they now
have. Whatever happens in the Wis
consin Republican primary - whether
Mr.. La Toilette is nominated or Judge
Mccarthy, his principal opponent-there
seems no chance OF a Democratic vic
tory there.
On the other hand, one Senate seat
held by Republican-from Kentucky
is in jeopardy, although the Republicans
maintain they have a good chance of
winning there. II the Republicans lose
this Senate seat, it will be necessary for
them to take 10 seats from Democrats
to gain a majority. Where can they
hope for such victory?
Their best chances lie in the following
States, now represented by Democrats
who are compelled to run: Ohio, Penn
sylvania, New Mexico, Idaho, Massachu-
sets, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Mis-
souri,, West Virginia, New York and
Delaware-12 States Maryland might
be an outside possibility-but it is SO
outside as to be improbable. Rhode
Island, where Senator Gerry, Democrat,
has announced he will not seek renomi-
nation, is another outside chance. That
State, however, has been consistently
Democratic for a long time.
The Importance to the Republican
party IN this senatorial struggle is par
ticularly great if they win presidential
election in 1s48. The senatorial elections
Of 1948 leave slim pickings for Repub-
llcan gains, since, outside of the Solid
South. the only States which are repre-
sented by Democratic Senator'S who
Evening star., 1946-06-06

thus III Yu-ming may spread his forces
all over the Manchurian landscape.
Ihe Communists able night-raiding
troops have suspended all attacks on
the northward-flowing forces, even re-
fusing to harass Nationalist trains and
supply conveys.
In recent talks at Changchun with II,
Yu-mIng, Generalissimo Chang Kai-
shek is believed to have cautioned his
Manchur1an commander against over
extending his lines.
More serious to the Communists than
any gains OF territory are Nationalist
efforts to open up q second railroad into
Manchuria. Special restrictions, invoked
by the Soviet Red Army apparently to
protect the Chinese Communist troops
have held the central governments
troops down to the use of only one of the
Tour railroad lines leading into Man.
churia-the Tientsin- Chinchow-Mukden
line.
The NationaliSts, however, recently
got a single Manchurian seaport
opened at Yingkow, where lend-lease
supplies were being shipped north by
railroad to Mukden. This move was q
real threat to the Communists be-
cause, as more Nationalists continued
landing, the difficulty OF keeping them
separated, after they have been scat
tered by the new policy Of non
resistance. increased.
The Communists, therefore, broke
this line at the big iron milling city of
Anshan, which they stormed success
fully last week. Though the Nation
alists claim to have recaptured the
town and reopened the railroad for
inflowing supplies, reliable observers
who arrived here Friday night said
then Anshan was still Communist
held and that the railroad was still
interrupted.
The Communists are making every
effort to turn their well-ordered Man
churian retreat into . political victory
In Gen. Marshan's Marking negotia-
tions. Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek
refused Marshalls request to treat with
the Chinese Reds, until Changchun
was recovered. Now, in the words Of
one Communist general here, Its up
to Chang to yield to Marshall and
negotiate"
tchieass Daily News Yorsign ssrvtee.l
Evening star., 1946-06-06
Strategy in Manchuria
By Georfe WeHer

(The tollotoing discussion OF mill
taTy strategy IN Mdnchuria iras iDrit-
ten on the eDe OF the current truce
announced there yesterday.)
MUKDEN, Manchuria. Have Gen.
eralissimo Chang Kai-shek's armies
conquered Manchuria, or are they being
sucked into q huge mantrap prepared
by the Communists able young COM
mander in chief, Gen. Lin Piao?
Though their press Is loudly beating
long-range success is far from firmly as
sured as yet. q,
Long railroad culverts, characteristic
Of Manchurian communications. are a
twisted chaos of iron girders. blown by
Communist engineers. Nationalist
troops have occupied without Commun-
ist resistance Changchun.
But in terms OF supply and commune
cations, the Nationalists are still stuck
at Ssupingkai, IS miles to the south.
Linn Piao's democratic unity" army,
of trained "old Communists from
Shantung and Manchurian irregulars,
has blown every bridge between Ssup-
ingkai and Changchun, compelling the
Nationalists to rely on horse-drawn sup
ply ana 1eW american CrucKS TO keep
their Mukden headquarters in touch
with Changchun.
X 4 X
Investigation here shows that the
Communists. after allowing the Ma
tionalists to accumulate three full
armies and equipment at Ssupingkai
bottleneck, simply fell back, cody trad
ing time for distance. Communist ON
GERS connected with United States Spe-
cial Envoy Gen. George c. Marshalrs
peace-enforcement teams in Manchuria
are completely calm and suspiciously
self-possessed about their defeat"
One prominent Communist general
here in Mukden says, serenely: I'VE re-
treated according to plan"
In capturing Changchun from the
Nationalists, April Is, the Communists
took more than $4,000 prisoners. But
the Nationalists, according to their COM
mander for all Manchuria, Gen. Tu Yu-
ming, gathered only between 100 and
200 Communists in its retaking
Casualties on both sides in this latest
Changchun siege and capture were prac-
tically nil. Linn Piao's reason for his
orderly retreat which has many marks
Of gigantic mantrap. seems to be that
Evening star., 1946-06-06
Senator Austin's New Post

The 1914 issue of Current Biogra-
ply says that Senator Austin OF
Vermont is "one of those men who
in any legislature, although they
are strong party leaders, are ca
pable of rising above partisanship
when national crises arise"
This has been eminently true OF
the career of the Vermont Republi-
can in the Senate, and it is because
of this that the feeling of gratifica-
ton at his appointment by Presi-
dent Truman to succeed Edward r..
Stettinius as American representa-
tive to the United Nations is tenn
pered with regret at the prospect
of losing his services in the Con-
gress.
Senator Austin did not see eye to
eye with the late President Roose-
velt on many domestic questions.
But when the war clouds began to
gather he became one of the earli-
est and most effective supporters Of
the Presidents foreign policies At
time when many members of his
own party were still blinded by iso-
lationist sentiments he was fighting
for such things as a se1ective serv-
ice law. repeal of the Neutrality
Act, aid to Britain and Russia and
a comprehensive program to pre-
pare. the United States for the
ordeal which he saw coming. Sena-
tor Austin also was among the first,
If not the first man. in the Senate
to call for some new machinery for
the maintenance of peace in the
years to come, and he has been un-
wavering in his support of the United
Nations and of the proposition
that this country must be prepared
and willing to assume the response
bilities and obligations that 60 with
international cooperation for peace.
There is not the slightest question
that, as successor to Mr.. Stettinius,
he will continue to fight courageous
ly and we'll for the principles he has
espoused in the past. His place in
the Senate will be hard to fill, but
there can be no doubt that he is
moving up to post in which his ex-
ceptional talents can and will be en-
ployed to even better advantage.
Evening star., 1946-06-06
Our Insecure Jail

Inc more the pubic IS permitted
to know about conditions prevailing
at the District Jail at the time of
the escape last April of death row"
convicts Joseph Medley and Earl
Mcfarland, the more surprising it
becomes that the antiquated, laxly-
operated institution has not long
ago been the scene of a general jail
break. With the release by the Com
miSSioners of most of the remainder
OF the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion's report on the jail, many addi-
tional disclosures regarding the
near-incredible incompetency and
ineff1ciency of staff members and
deficiencies of the plant have been
revealed.
1t is sordid account of personnel
stupidity, carelessness or worse; of
shattered morale that seemed to
blind public servants to their tre-
mendous responsibilities as custodi-
ans of dangerous criminals, of in
adequate and outmoded facilities at
penal establishment that right
fully should be model for the Ma
tion. One of the amazing revelations
by the FBI is that jail guards ig-
nored a warning of a nurse who
heard suspicious noises in the death
house on the morning of the Med
ley-McFarland break. Had the warn
ing been needed, the condemned
convicts probably would have been
detected in the act of escaping. The
report also tells of whisky drinking
by guards while on duty. the snug
Cling OF women into the jail for the
qualification of prisoners, the SNUG
Cling of prisoners letters by guards
at five dollars a letter and many
other reprehensible and irregular
practices.
Those parts of the report calling
attention to defects which, il taken
advantage OF by the prisoners, might
lead to further escapes were with
held by the Commissioners. Some of
the defects already have been cor
rected since the visit of FBI agents
to the jail. Others will require legis-
lation. This is the case not only with
respect to major plant improve
ments, but to administrative re-
forms. The immediate legislative
need is authority to vest full ad-
ministrative responsibility over the
Jail in Department OF Corrections
under the Commissioners. A bill to
Evening star., 1946-06-06
Tennessee Exhibition

Living generations OF Americans
should be interested in the current
Tennessee sesquicentennial exhibi-
tion at the Library of Congress if only
because it very notably demonstrates
the fact that the United States
actually is a federation of nations.
What DR.. Luther H. Evans and his
colleagues have done is to bring
together books, manuscripts, maps,
newspapers, broadsides, cartoons,
sheet music and other material
illustrating the development of one
important integral part of the
country during several hundred
years. They have started their
display with the Indian tribes-the
Cherokees and the Chickasaws- -
which occupied the Tennessee ter
rain in prehistoric times. Not much
remains to prove that they possessed
a civilization, culture, legends and
traditions of consequence at least to
themselves, but such papers and
printed volumes as could be found
are shown.
Next follows the portion of the
exhibit relating to the Spanish and
the French explorers-De Soto,
Marquette, La Sale, Charlevoix and
Du Pratz-and their experiences in
the Tennessee wilderness - which
really was not exceptionally wild.
They are mysterious figures, and the
Library does well to strive to make
them known to the heirs of their
courage and fortitude. 1t similarly
serves to reintroduce to modern
students the names OF Gilbert Inlay,
Andrew Ellicott and other travel
ers" of the past who blazed new
trails or kept old trails open in
their progress.
Particularly interesting is the
material relating to the part which
Tennessee men took in the Revolu-
tionary War and the organization
of the State of Franklin, so desig-
mated in tribute to Poor Richard.
The latter was an independent COM
munity in the northeastern corner
of the present State. It's Governor
was John Sewer, who also was the
first Governor of Tennessee when it
had been established as a full -fiedged
sovereignty. The other great leader
of the age was Andrew Jackson, and
the exhibition naturally includes
many items referring to his long
and colorful career.
But it is Tennessee as a composite
whole-a unit-freely associating it.
self with its neighbors in a single
all-embracing republic that the
Library exemplifies in its assembly
OF significant data. The State did
not spring into existence spontane-
ously any more than the Nation did
Both grew. both are growing, and
Evening star., 1946-06-06
ViiIunelIe

Red Star-grnSs, close your eye:
StDeet tDas your transient day,
Night comes and you must die.
The t0inds OF epening sigh,
Whispering toinds that say
Red Stdr-grnss, close your eye.
On aDings that softly fy.
On shGdot0y tDings and cray,
Night comes and you must die.
Seek not to question iphv:
Accept the bitter ipny.
Red Stdr-0rass, close your sye.
Bid the bright tporld goodbye:
You cannot long delay.
Night comes and you must de.
The darkness dra,ping nigh
Nor 1oicef- nor man can stdu.
Red Star-grGss, close your eye:
Night comes and you must die.
NEz BARCLAY KIRBY
Evening star., 1946-06-06

provide this reform has passed the
House and is to be considered by the
Senate District Committee tomor-
row. Prompt enactment of this bill
will be an important first step to-
ward complete overhaul and mod
ernization of the Capitals too-long
neglected penal establishment in
Southeast Washington.
Evening star., 1946-06-06
judges and the Press

In reversing contempt OF court
judgments against the Miami Her
aid and its editor, the Supreme
Court has dealt once again with the
difficult problem of balancing what
Justice Frankfurter aptly calls "the
two basic conditions of our consti-
tutional democracy-freedom OF ut
terance and impartial justice"
This latest decision gives no final
or conclusive answers to the deli
cate questions which arise when
newspaper undertakes to criticize
the decisions of judge, or when a
judge, feeling that the limits of
legitimate criticism have been ex-
ceeded, undertakes to punish an edi-
tor for contempt. Nor will future de-
cisions supply the final answers, for
what is legitimate criticism against
one background may lose its legiti-
macy against another, and it will
continue to be the function of the
Supreme Court to appraise each case
on the basis Of its facts.
Nevertheless. the court has enun-
ciated certain principles which can
serve as useful guides. Applying
these principles to the case before it,
the court held that two editorials
and a cartoon in the Miami Herald
adjudged by the Florida courts to
he c0pfaropfyo,e d;d x,o4 L.. s>.A
constitute contempt of court. The
editorials were severely critical of
some Florida judges and the Su-
preme Court accepted the finding of
the Florida courts that they con-
tanned distortions and misrepresen-
tations of fact. Despite these fail
ings, the Supreme Court concluded
that the published material, in the
circumstances, was not calculated to
impede the fair and orderly admin
istration of justice.
The details OF this particular con-
troversy are not Of general interest,
yet it may be useful to set out some
OF the generalized observations OF
Justice Frankfurter in his concur
ring opinion.
"A free press" he said, "is not to
be preferred to an independent ju-
dietary. nor an independent judici-
ary to a free press. Neither has
primacy over the other: both are
indispensable to free society. The
freedom of the press in itself pre-
supposes an independent judiciary
through which that freedom may,
if necessary. be vindicated. And one
OF the potent means of assuring
judges their independence is a free
press" Justice Frankfurter went on
to say. however. that the public
junction of the press to criticize and
to advocate makes it an obligation
OF honor to exercise this function
only with the fullest sense Of respon-
sibility. Without such a lively sense
OF responsibility a free press may
readily become a powerful instru-
ment of injustice"
Very few editors will be unable to
grasp the import of these observa-
tlons. They have right of criticism
which, while not absolute, is very
broad. Yet it is right which, in its
exercise, must be accompanied by a
devotion to truth and sense of re-
SponSibility and self-reStraint. There
will not be many instances in which
an intelligent application OF these
principles will fail to indicate the
line between proper criticism and
improper interference with the
functioning of the courts
Evening star., 1946-06-06
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceveH.
"TAKOMA PARK.

"TAKoMA PARK.
Dear Sir:
"A bird strange to me came to our
yard the other day. 1t had a brown
back, with spots on = white or light
gray chest and stomach.
This bird has a beautiful song, one
divided into four parts. That isn't a
very good description, but no doubt you
can tell.
This is a fine bird, and I would like
to call 1t by its right name.
.- Sincerely, e. De j."
Right name for this one is wood
thrush.
Its discovery Is always an event.
Thousands may and do know 1t, but
what does that mean to the one who
does not?
There must always be = first for
everything.
We can recall the first time we ever
saw the gladiolus. saw 1t, that is, to
marvel over it.
Before that meeting-in = florists
window-we had seen this wonder
flower, it is true, but in the way that
many persons see flowers without
really looking at them.
This time it was different
For our first time we had seen the
gladiolus.
Thereafter we have never been able
to pass it without looking long.
Thrips, small insects, in recent years
put this beauty in the hard-to-grow
class, but now some control over the
pest has been achieved.
1t is safe to say that no one who
has come face to face with a wood
thrush and wondered what it is. but
will always marvel at it from now on
1t is that sort OF bird.
Clean, interesting, beautiful in color,
with steady habits and a fine song
where.
Ondcial bird of the District OF Co.
1umbia it is called, but it is just as
"ofdcial" everywhere it comes. being
one of the very best.
It ranks, in this respect with the
catbird, bluebird and cardinal-every-
bodys favorites.
The clean appearance of the bird is
one Of its great assets. Not every
species gives this impression, often
through no fault of the bird itself.
The spotting of the thrush, combined
with the reddish brown Of the back
and wings, offers something out of the
usual line in bird feathering.
It is the song, however, which makes
this bird the most friends.
1t is four-part song, as our corre-
spondent says, but with a sort of VEN
triloquist effect. Some have called it
Ginning. Perhaps that is as good a
description as any. This Is heightened
by the favorite trick of two thrushes
answering back to each other, so that
the triolet of one is scarcely out before
it is echoed.
There is more song pattern to this
music than most bird songs. Pattern
is the way song is built, the number
Of phrases, the musical ideas it contains
There is little song pattern to the
house wren song, for instance. It Just
bubbles out.
The wood thrush music gives the i'm
preston of having been planned in ad-
vance. This might give the idea that
the bird has superior intelligence, but
there is no particular sign OF it. This
thrush is much as other species, thrust,
or otherwise, even seeming q bit foolisl,
to spend so much time on the ground
Hard realists might say that its com.
ing to the suburban gardens and fond
ness for the homes of man is nothing
but chance, but we prefer to believe
that it does so because 1t wants to
and 1t wants to because it still has some
hope for man, even II man has given
up hope for himself.
Evening star., 1946-06-06
Mr.. Meyers Appointment

Having passed the span of three
score years and ten which encom-
passed successful ventures in three
distinct fields of useful activity, Eu-
gene Meyers election as the first
president of the International Bank
for Reconstruction and Develop
ment confers upon him a unique
distinction.
This important position calls for
a rare combination of executive
ability, sympathetic knowledge of
the aspirations and abilities of other
peoples and the practical common
sense which is a mark of successful
flnanciering. Mr.. Meyer possesses
such qualities but it is an added
tribute to him that he is called upon
to devote them to a new undertak-
ing in the public service at a time
when most men have a right to feel
that the hard work is done and to
rest on what has been built.
Mr.. Meyers acceptance of the
position makes advisable, in his
opinion, the temporary severance
OF his working relations, as editor
and publisher. with his newspaper,
the Washington Post. To those who
know him, such a decision called for
genuine personal sacrifice. He is one
OF the few men who have turned
successfully from wholly unrelated
activities to the editing and publish
ing OF fine newspaper, and the COL
umns of the Post have attested the
fact that Mr.. Meyer brought to
newspaper publication a well-de-
fined comprehension OF its proper
place in our society, based on gen.
ulne respect and love for the role
OF Journalist. It will be difficult for
him to leave it. even temporarily.
Evening star., 1946-06-06

Woodrow Wilson was the author of
many keen observations, but perhaps
the truest thing he ever said was:
ut is just as hard to do your duty
when men are sneering at you as
when they are shooting at YOU"
Evening star., 1946-06-06

Grover Cleveland was a man wise
in his generation, and he was not
dreaming out loud when he said In
1888: Il believe that our Great
Maker is preparing the world, in
His own good time, to become one
nation, speaking one language"
Evening star., 1946-06-06
Millions and Millions

From the Boston Herald.
There has been 80 per cent increase
in the birthrate in the last 10 years, and
that's fine. Uncle Sam is sure going to
need lot OF extra citizens to help set
tie that debt of his.
Evening star., 1946-06-06

Apparently the great success novel
of the future will be one wherein
the hero works his way up from
some humble job like President OF
the United States to become a union
boss.
Evening star., 1946-06-06

Major General Curtis LIE May has
said that the next war may last
only 40 minutes. In the last two
wars it used to take that long to
learn how to pronounce the names
of the backgrounds.