davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-07-24
BY THE HAsKIN SERVICE

O. Do more marriages take place in June
than in any other month of the years. 8.
A. In 1916 the month OF June led IN the
number Of marriage licenses issued. August
and May were not far behind. In 1e45, how
ever, December was the peak month, followed
by october and November.
q. Which kind OF gas gives more heat, nat
ural gas or manufactured gas?-T. M. Z.
A. Natural gas has q high heating value,
about 1000 B. T. u British Thermal Units
per cubic foot as compared with 500 and 500
B. r u for the type Of manufactured gas
ordinarily used In homes.
O. What large cities In the world are located
near the equatorial. M. s.
A. There are fewer than 50 cities in the world
with more than 100000 inhabitants. OF these
only four-Calcutta and Bombay in India. and
Rio de Janeiro and Sac PaHo in Braz1l-are
situated In low attitudes, near the equator.
@. Has capital been chosen for the proposed
state of Pakistan in India?-H. H. v.
A. Karachi has been selected as the tempo-
rary capital by the Moslem League. The nearest
indian port to Europe, Karachi owes its inn
nortance to 3ts strategic location. The city
serves productive hinterland and was Valu-
able air base during the war. =
@. Who was the Union general named by
Robert <. Lee as the ablest leader opposed to
him?-G. z. K.
A. Freemans biography Of Robert Z. Lee
ouotes Lee as saying In answer TO question
AZ to the ablest Federal general, Mcclellan,
by all Odds"
Evening star., 1947-07-24
Mr.. Ford's 'Obiter Dictums'

To the Editor of The Star:
For three months my pulse rate has been
meager Sc. A visit to my doctor today dis
closes an acceleration to "a. I am sure the ap-
pearance of Charles E. Ford's letter IN your
column of Saturday was an influencing factor
This rentleman,s legal arguments were u1-
convincing but his verbosity was pulse Initiating
to this little wedge of John Public.
Mr.. Ford unquestionably is capable at
torney ample proof of which Is authenticated
bv his successful efforts in obtaining incredibly
moderate punishments for two clients (wnat
charitable appellations to describe these char
actersD he defended in recent cases. However
Mr. Ford impresses me as attempting to serve
as two personalities at one and the same time
viz: attorney for the defendants he represented
and presiding judge. Judge Is put down
rather than Juror" for it appears from all OF
Mr. Ford's reasoning that neither OF the rape
cases was of sufficient seriousness to warrant
jury trials.
The "obiter dictums" that Mr. Ford throws
around with the abandon of Sammy Baugh
tossing footballs on an October Sunday after
noon accentuates the groove occupy as strictly
a layman About the only thing I know OF
law procedure is that hypothetical questions
arise occasionally to keep the spectators awake
so I suggest we submit one Of this kind to Mr.
Ford and ask him would he hold to his vouby
expressed views and opinions If his wife or
daughter had been one of the women attacked
by the degenerate hoodlums whom he de-
Tended?
In mot expressing to your department the
hearty accord which / felt after reading The
Stars two editorials dealing with the atrocious
case involving 13-year-old child I was guilty
of poor citizenship. Therefore, please accept
this belated commentator on the tangible
and vigorous opinions you expressed so ably on
June "a and IS. Your presentations were un-
doubtedly from the layman's perspective, out
is not the law written for the layman and his
protection7 LEONARD ). MCCARTHY.
Evening star., 1947-07-24

and EN- erg e
into a period
of peace and
universal we'll
being. This will
be determined
by the quality
of our states
men. 1t Is i'm
perative that
we make the
- ! aI,~iaa
Evening star., 1947-07-24

ARLINGTON VA.
Dear Sir:
1T seems to me starlings are staying around
this year during the beetle season, instead OF
flying off.
Il have seen quite few young, too, quite
grayish never noticed them before.
I'VE have 20 bluebirds, four of which just
Matched out born in our bluebird house, made
in 1914 according to your specifications
1--WE were away in 1945 and neighbors said
they saw the birds as usual but we are not
counting eggs we did not see Matched.
Our boy is away at camp and has Just about
finished another bluebird house in the shops
there.
I'VE don't want to put it too near the other
vet 1t almost has to be: to face the south, so
we can see it easily and to keep 1t as far as
possible from neighbors bird-hungry cat.
us 10 feet too close to the other nest?
Most sincerely. E. NJ"
Many starlings remain in and around Wash
irgton in the summer, but it does seem that
there are more of them this year.
It may be that this Is natures way of an
swering the threat of their destruction.
Or 1t may be nothing more than innical con-
ditions in Canada in recent years
We believe that there are more soft-billed
birds in this vicinity this season than at any
time during the past decade.
These include the startling, catbird, robin,
wood thrush and mockingbird.
The large gray startling young are the noisi-
est of bird babies. They not only call constantly
for food, but demand it of any other mature
bird regardless of species
The surprising thing is that often enough
they get fed.
Starlings as we'll as tarsiers (disk-eyed pri-
mates at the Zoo, like japanese beetles.
Large startling bills make short work of the
insects.
Ten feet is too close to put bluebird houses,
but it might be tried just the same.
Twenty five to fifty feet would be better.
It is always interesting, however, to put bird
houses close together, just to see what results
may be had.
Our observation has been that about three
bird families are raised to the average so by $50
foot lot.
There will be many exceptions, however One
writer claimed that he had so thriving bird FAM
lilies in half-acre.
As for the starlings, there is no telling what
effect widespread use of DOT sprays may have
haL~upon their migration habits.
Spraying kills out insects in strips, leaving
unkilled portions of land. Both inimical and
beneficial insects are killed at the same time.
It is possible that the wise starlings have
discovered that conditions in and around Wash
ington are more to their liking this year than
in the past.
Part of this may be due to the humid condi-
tions Of the recent five years. Despite what
some say, we are becoming a summer tropical
capital, In which insects, birds and politicians
thrive,
Evening star., 1947-07-24

operation between any Communist Party
and non Communists anywhere.
The fact that General wedemeyer will
also examine the chronic deadlock be-
tween the American-Soviet occupation au-
thorities in Korea invests his mission with
broader implications, embracing the whole
Far East and American overall policy
therein. Hence, his conclusions and re-
concentrations will be of truly vital i'm
portance.
Evening star., 1947-07-24

Letters for publication must bear
the signature and address OF the
,oriter, although it is permissible for
,oriter kno,on to The Star to use
nom de plume Please be brief.
Evening star., 1947-07-24
Ferns Have No Winehes

Ferns haze no t1incheS,
Yet their green ur1,otndiag
Is more miraculous
Than other toood finding.
No one sees the spiral loosen,
The spring released
The stem reach sky,Dard,
The crunpled frond increased.
No one sees the matrices
Unseen hands apply
To stamp the fern patterns
With their nadtchless die.
CHRISTINE TURNER CURTIS
Evening star., 1947-07-24

Kluchevsky, P.
Lubavsky, N.
K S e W e tier
and r. Wiper
all of the
Moscow Uni
versity, from
which I gradu-
ated in 1903
C a n n OF but
e X pr ess m y
a m a z e m e mt
over the dis.
Evening star., 1947-07-24
Eisenhower for President

To the Editor of The Star:
We have now come to turning point in his
tory. The next few years will decide whether
we shall drift into final catastrophe through
another world war, or weather present storms
Evening star., 1947-07-24
Ivan the Terrible

To the Editor Of The Star:
The Soviet motion picture Ivan the Ter
rible is now showing in Washington After
having seen it, I, as student of Russian
history and a disciple of Tn. Korsch, o.
Evening star., 1947-07-24

Keeping up with the Joneses is sorrowful
business when we discover that the
Joneses are trying to keep up with us.
Evening star., 1947-07-24
Questions and Answers

A reader can get the answer to any question
of fact BY writing The Evening Star Informs ton
Bureau. 316 I street NE. washinston 2. D. c.
Please inclose three go cents for return postage.
Evening star., 1947-07-24

Many of us would be willing to 60 back
to the farm-if only we were sure that we
could find living quarters there,
Evening star., 1947-07-24
This and That
By Charles z. TruceuelI

FIRST STREET S.W.
Dear Sir:
my family and myself enjoy your column
every evening.
The most amusing sight have seen for some
time was mother startling feeding her four
babies.
They were much larger than the mother
and very different in coloring, very pretty,
thought, and squawking loudly all the time.
She ran from one to the other stunning food
into their mouths
Il have found that all the birds like canta-
loupe seed, so put out some every day.
Sincerely, H. D. S."
Evening star., 1947-02-22

Washington, however. as Mr.. Brown
points out, is that The Spanish cops are
polite in enforcing Dictator Frances
safety orders, and do hope that you
have acquainted your Commissioner
Young with the news, as Constantine
suggested.
After all, Washington being the wet
test community In the United States,
and probably the. world. in addition to
being the largest used-car market,
pedestrian control is perhaps the lesser
of two evils since the only right Of way
pedestrians are given here is when they
are in an ambulance.
Your correspondents ruse In outwit-
ting the Spanish traffic officer by dis
playing an ignorance of the country's
language suggests that Washington
pedestrians could profltably learn some
foreign language with which to battle
local police when nabbed for jaywalking.
Seriously, though, think that when
your correspondents visit foreign coun-
tries they might set a good example
by obeying a traffic regulation that your
paper has so laboriously eGpoused much
to the disapproval of many of your
readers. LEWIS L. YOUNG.
Evening star., 1947-02-22

hat check racket is just as pad as in
New York. At recent meeting in one
of Washington's leading hotels noted
a couple hanging around the outside
of the two hat check rooms, which were
being served by bevy of beautiful hat
check girls. I stopped to observe the
procedure. A few quarters were allowed
to remain in the baskets and every few
minutes the people on the outside would
remove the surplus cash. Many men
would leave dollar or 50-cent piece,
thinking they were doing favor to the
beauty that served him, little knowing
that she probably only received a
measly IS for the evenings work. In
view of the tariff these hotels charge
for their services, one would think they
could take care of their victims hats.
Nothing will be done about this situa-
ton in Washington as the people here
have nothing to say about laws for the
District. w. H. CORKREAN.
Evening star., 1947-02-22
A Wrong System

Chairman Shafer of the House
Armed Service Subcommittee states
the obvious when he comments that
there is something wrong with a
law which makes it mandatory for
the Army to recommend for promo
tion an officer convicted by a court
martial" His observation was
prompted by the War Departments
action in including the name of
Colonel James Kilian in a list of
officers scheduled for promotion.
Colonel Kilian not long ago was con-
vlcted of permitting "cruel and un-
usual punishment" at the Litchfield
(England Army prison camp while
he was commander there.
The Army promotion system was
established by the National Defense
Act. 1t provides for automatic pro-
motion of officers according to
seniority, provided they meet GER
tain requirements as to service and
eligibility in general. Apparently no
one in the Army or Congress envi-
stoned the possibility when the sys-
tenn was being established that an
officer up for promotion might get
involved in a court-martial-might
even be in the guardhouse.
The Kilian case first focused at
tention on the anomaly. Colonel
Kilian's name was sent to the Sen
ate for confirmation a year ago,
although chargse of brutality
against his regime at the Litchfleld
camp already were under investiga-
ton. The Senate on that occasion
confirmed his promotion to the per-
manent rank of colonel before his
connection with the Litchleld case
was revealed, whereupon the con-
firmation was revoked. Now Colonel
Kilian's name is due to go back to
the Senate, but this time the Army
plans to attach note concerning
the officers conviction. In short,
the War Department will recon-
mend the promotion, with reserva-
tionS.
Meanwhile the department is said
to be studying a proposal to change
over from the seniority promotion
system to one resembling the selec-
tion plan used by the Navy. Under
the latter system seniority and
other service qualifications are
Evening star., 1947-02-22

spring, LET me drive" My own child,
barely 16, has been worrying me for
year to allow her to get drivers permit.
Raising the age limit would also prevent
the feeling of Illustration in children
who are not permitted to drive, because
then none would have the privilege.
There is altogether too much ire
sponsible joy riding among youths OF
both sexes today, and the responsibility
for a lot of it rests with the schools
that tend more and more to school,
night social enthusiastically those
with good box Office receipts, such as
night basket ball games.
Parents don't want their children to
kill or to be killed, they don't want
their children to MAIN or to be manned.
Please use the fine influence of your
paper to help them prevent these oc-
currences. The privilege of driving
Evening star., 1947-02-22
Purlor Organ

Parlor organs are part of the rich
tradition of a Nation that has grown
from a few settlements by the
Atlantic to country of 100000
that stretches from ocean to ocean.
Half century ago men and women,
boys and girls gathered around
organs in the corner of the living
rooms on wintry nights when the
red glow of burning chunks cleaned
through the isinglass windows of
nickel trimmed base burners and
sang the old songs.
It was a memorable event in a
farm family when the countryman
announced one evening, II think we
can afford an organ. Let's get out
the mail order catalogs and see
what there is" Fortunately, mail
order catalogs in those days, the
same as seed catalogs, carried
standard items along from year to
year. Thus each member of the
family could have one of the big
bulky books to study. Advertisers
= in that era, even as today, knew
how to use appealing adjectives.
The names themselves conjured
pictures in ones mind: Acme Queen,
Six-Octave Cottage, New Home
Cabinet, Royal Grand, Queen Chapel,
Choir Gem, Chapel Chimes, Cathe-
dral Chapel and Imperial Grand.
One could have a choice from $27.45
to $4425.
Eventually the family agreed on
the Imperial Grand. AS the adver-
tisement said, Nothing like it ever
offered by any other manufacturer
or dealer. It's design will please
the most exacting. It will grace
the homes of the wealthy and at
the same time is so low in price as
to be within the reach Of ALL" The
Imperial Grand had handsome
mirror and shelf for bric-a-brac.
It had sets of "exquisitely sweet
Melodia reeds, rich mellow Diapason
reeds, and charmingly pure Celeste
reeds, 122 notes in all" It took
but few moments to memorize
the eleven stops: Diapason, melodia,
bass coupler, principal, celeste,
treble coupler, dulciana, cremona,
diapason forte, principal forte and
vox humana. For many years the
Imperial Grand furnished good
music. Neighbors would drop in for
an evenings sing. One knew all
the stanzas of the old favorites by
heart: The Southern songs, Scotch
songs and other pieces that have
long been a part of a Nations
musical heritage. Humble, unpre-
tentious, yes, but boys and girls
who sang those songs around a
parlor organ went forth to dfe's
adventures with a background that
has helped a Nation grow toward
its destined stature.
Evening star., 1947-02-22
China and UNRRA

dtIleIdl LOWGll w. HOOkS, IledQ VI
the United Nations Relief and Re-
Mobilization Administration, has
denied the accuracy of reports that
China is seeking permission to sell
UNRRA goods in the black market.
The denial, however, is somewhat
qualified According to General
Rocks, the Chang government has
asked for the shipment of about
5000, 900 900 worth of cotton and
wheat instead of the heavy durable
items scheduled for shipment 1t
has asked this because 1t feels that
] distribution of these basic consumer
supplies would be more effective in
. bolStering the crisis-ridden Chinese
economy. At the same time, the
! request involves an implied pro-
: poSal" for the sale of UNRRA food
In the country's free markets"
: General Rocks qualification re-
! vclves around this implied pro-
!. posal." In effect, although the Chi
: nese have no black market because
they have no real rationing and
sprice controls, their free market is
"a place where everything goes to
the highest bidder. Accordingly, if
the Chang government were per-
mitted to sell UNRRA goods in such
-san outlet, it would make a tidy
profit that might be helpful to it
at the moment. However, although
AChina's economic plight is grave
in the extreme, it is doubtful
that UNRRA's central commit
stee-which has yet to decide on this
matter-will go along with the "im-
piled proposal" UNRRA was
founded to bring succor to the
hungry and to help war-ravaged
countries rehabilitate themselves.
In the past it has permitted the
sale of its goods in legal channels to
people able to pay, but at the same
time it has made sure that the
needs of the poverty stricken have
been equitably met, with the money
derived from any sales going back
into relief. AS General Rocks says,
it has heretofore refused to permit
selling in markets lacking an "effec-
tive rationing system combined with
price controls and free issues to
indigents."
= These things-rationing, price
controls, free issues to the pennileSs
the "free markets" of China do
not have. If the Chang govern
lnent's implied proposal" were put
into effect, grasping spectators
might enjoy a field day while the
Evening star., 1947-02-22
An Admonition to Congress

To the Editor of The Star:
There are several very important mat
ters that those now in control of Con-
gress should continuously bear in mind.
The foremost is that the voters through
out the Nation by their votes last No.
vember registered overwhelmingly their
demand that the conduct Of the Ma
tons business be in accord with the
best interests of the people. Let there
be no mistake about that. The people
as a whole had become "fed up" with
the conduct of public affairs by un-
scrupulous politicians whose sole pur-
pose seemed to be personal emolument
for themselves and for their politically
minded supporters.
There are two things in particular
that the present Congress must rectify:
excessive Government spending and
labor domination, and the people don't
mean maybe. AS a starter cut the ad-
ministration budget not by six billions
but by ten billions. Let the politicians
remember at all times that they repre-
sent the people and not the Republican
Party or the Democratic Party.
The labor situation is still more seri-
GUS. 1t would almost seem as if the
political-minded portion of CIO is Rus
sia,s underground army in this country
and they have been instructed to strike
time after time, each time forcing in
dustry to raise prices of products until
the people can no longer afford to buy.
With this climax will come bankruptcy
and Communism. That perhaps is the
way in which Moscow hopes to conquer
without war. To facilitate this end the
master minds behind the iron curtain
would seem to be trying now to unite the
two main labor organizations so they
may act unitedly. If this is true, 1t is
now or never for our representatives IN
Washington to think and act as states
men. r. WARREN ALLEN.
Watertown, N. Y.
Evening star., 1947-02-22
Traffic Siqn Maze

Traffic Director Keneipp has Of
fered a measure of hope to motor
lists suffering from acute bewilder-
ment induced by Washington's
over-abundance of traffic signs. 1t
is said that no other city of COM
parable size in the United States
possibly in the world-has so many
signs with so many conflicting, con-
fusing and nerve-shattering admo-
nitions. There we're more than u.s.
900 of them at latest count. Worse
still, there has been no indication
of any letup in sign production in
spite of war, strikes or other OBJ
stacleS.
Mr.. Keneipp thinks the situation
has reached a point where he is
justified in trying not only to stem
the flood of new signs but in seek
ing to reduce the number of mark
ers which now vie for places of
vantage on lamp posts, trees and
other handy display objects. He has
in mind, no doubt, signs within a
few feet of each other with contra
dictory dos and do-nots; no-park-
ing signs which do not jibe with
curb markings and even signs which
say the motorist is prohibited from
stopping long enough to read them.
1t is right that the Traffic Di-
rector should consult with the judges
at Traffic Court concerning ways and
means of dealing with the sign jum-
BILE. Many of the signs have been
hung where signs never hung be"
fore because of court rulings that
traffic warnings should be posted
conspicuously enough to be plainly
seen by the unwary. It has not been
unusual in the past for rash OF new
signs, to break out on downtown
streets following acquittal of park
ing defendant because the no-park-
ing notice was not posted in the
immediate vicinity of the alleged
violation. This custom can be-and
has been-carried to an absurd ex-
treme on some of our streets.
An overhaul of the tramc-sign
system is long overdue in Washing
ton. A system which battles rather
than enlightens motorists is basic
ally wrong. The city's motorists
especially the many transients-will
welcome any simplification which
may be worked out as a result of Mr..
Keneipp's conferences with the
Judges.
Evening star., 1947-02-22
Dim View of Diplomatic Parties

Dim View of Diplomatic Parties
To the Editor OF The Star:
A recent issue Of The Star stated that
the Egyptian Ambassador gave party
at which there were TOO guests. Several
months ago you reported that the Chi
nese Embassy had reception for sew
eral thousand people.
These big parties must require lot
of dough.
Most of this party money is borrowed
from the United States. Certainly
China's was. I resent the diplomats
having parties on the money which
came from my taxes. I don't have
enough money to give party of my
own.
Let the diplomats do their business
during the daytime, like the rest of us.
Then maybe our own diplomats will get
some sleep and not be outsmarted by
the British and the French and others,
as seems to have been the practice for
the last hundred years.
EPHRAIM E. DILL.
Falls Church Va