davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-01-14
Allen Starts on Job
OF Cutting Democrats
OF Capitol Payroll
GREGORY
McMAHON

Replacement of several hundred
House doorkeepers, elevator oper-
ators, pages and other employees in
the near future was indicated today
as Representative Allen. of Illinois,
chairman of the Republican House
Patronage Committee, began study
of jobs held by Democratic ap-
pointeeS.
Mr.. Allen, new chairman Of the
House Rules Committee, was desig-
mated by the COP leadership sew
eral days ago for a party patronage
Craftsmanship similar to that held
in the Senate by Senator Bridges,
Republican, of New Hampshire.
He said today he does not relish
the work. His duties in arranging
committee assignments and in other
House organization activities during
the last week have kept him so busy,
he said, that he has had no time to
look into the patronage situation
until today.
900 May Be Dismissed.
"But I am going to buckle down
to it this afternoon" he said. Il
don't know how soon any decisions
will be ready. It is not likely to be
right away because I have lot
of work to do on it."
The number of House employees
who face dismissal is estimated at
about 600. Republican leaders in
dicated that they will follow the
same general policy announced last
week by Senator Bridges concerning
employment of war veterans and
students. Veterans will be replaced
wherever possible by veterans, and
some employees attending schools
probably will be kept on jobs until
June, they said.
Meanwhile, as approximately $50
dismissal notices to Senate employees
were due to become effective tomor-
row, Senator Martin, Republican, of
Pennsylvania said no decision has
been made as yet on a successor to
Ray Brown as captain Of Capitol
police.
Beckett Considered.
Senator Martin was asked by.
Senator Bridges to look into the
qualifications of several possible
candidates, including James p.
Beckett, retiring Metropolitan Police
inspector, and Joseph Piggott. for
mer Capitol and White House
policeman.
Senator Bridges was out Of the
city today, but Senate Sergeant at
Arms Edward r. McGinnis declared
I'VE have been too busy" to compile
a list of the veterans and students
among the $50 Senate employees who
received dismissal notices last Fri
day. He said he could not estimate
the number of veterans or Of stu
dents who will be retained until
Tune I
Evening star., 1947-01-14
Weorer of BuIIet-Proof Vest
Stops a Few SIugs for Police
By Jerry o'Leory. jr.

ascertained that a bullet couldn't
go through the vast, told Mr. Krause
he had more nerve than they had.
Mr.. Krause shrugged and said he
was used to it. He has been struck
in the chest by thousands of bull
lets in his rs years at the work
and never got hurt vet.
Most of the departments repre-
sented told reporters they planned
to acquire one or two of the high
manganese steel vests. AS for Leo
Krause, He can still have It'll" they
said
Evening star., 1947-01-14

Directors of Columbia Hospital. he
expressed interest in Washington's s
hospital and health problems. He
was formerly State health director
of Nebraska.
Would Revamp Assessments.
DR.. Miller said there should be a
different method of assessment in
the District, because "a tremendous
amount of real and personal prop
erty Is not being properly assessed
and some of it not even assessed at
ALL" A sales tax may be. necessary
he said, although he never liked a
sales tax"
AS for suffrage. he said, Wash
ington ought to have it, although
I am not sure of some things about
national suffrage-that may have to
be worked out. People here, how
ever, ought to have more control
over their own government"
Representative Tale, Republican
Of Iowa, serving his first assign
ment on the District Committee, Is
starting his fifth consecutive term
In Congress BY profession an edu-
Gator in economics and political sci
ence, he served in the last Congress
on the Banking and Currency Com
mittee, and will continue on that
group.
Would Study Problems.
Declaring he wanted to give good
service, on the District Committee,
he said he preferred to study local
problems here before commenting
on them.
Representative Youngblood, Re-
publican, of Michigan, new mem
ber of Congress, said his State had
a per. cent sales tax on all re-
tail sales, even automobiles, but he
definitely did not approve "a sales
tax on a mans food or fuel Such
a levy. could be effective on some
items, he said,s producing needed
revenue. The sales tax, he recalled,
was used widely through the Mid
die West.
On suffrage, he said, ut seems
wrong to deprive any citizens of the
privilege of a vote. But I shall
look carefully into the question
McGarvey on Fence.
Representative McGaryey. Re-
publican, of Pennsylvania, fresh
man member of the House, is a
former newspaperman, who went
into the investment business, and
has been active in Republican po-
litical work in the Philadelphia
area.
Although he is not too impressed
with the sales tax, he said, I'm a
way. it's the only solution to the
revenue problem"
On suffrage, he declared, II al
ways thought you shouldn't be de-
prived of the vote. Well see if we
can work something out on that
issue"
Evening star., 1947-01-14
Wife Sues SulIy Mason

LOS ANGELES, Jan. IA tP.-
sully Mason, radio singer and come
dian yesterday was sued for divorce
by his wife Lucille. She charged
"grievous suffering during their
eight years of marriage and asked
a third of his gross income, but not
less than $75 a week
Evening star., 1947-01-14

Cope MT
terms are avail
able, and .yoar
present tfano o
siH be accepted
as part payment.
Evening star., 1947-10-27

appropriations for agencies like the Civil
Service Commission. This gives q man
like Mr.. Hoffman certain power to brow
beat the commission, and he has not hesi-
tated to try to use that power.
But the commission, to it's credit, stood
out against him. 1t agreed to remove from
the file in question any cards bearing on
the loyalty Of members of Congress, but 1t
firmly refused to let Mr.. Hoffman or his
committee examine the file itself.
The reasons for the refusal are perfectly
sound. In the first place congressional
committee could not be permitted to 60
shopping through the file with slanger that
confidential sources of information would
be exposed. Secondly, this is a lead file, a
Ale containing information on persons. who
might apply for Government jobs, but who
have not yet done so. Since they have not
applied for jobs, the information has not
been verified and much of 1t may be in
accurate.
Certainly, that is not field in which Mr..
Hoffman should be permitted to wander at
will. For that would give him access to
information, possibly incorrect informa-
ton, that might be used to the great detri-
ment of innocent people. And there Is
nothing in Mr.. Hoffman's record which
inspires confidence that he would handle
such information with discretion or nice
regard for the rights of others.
Evening star., 1947-10-27
Mr.. Boruch's PIutitude

In his statement the other day to the
Senate War Investigating Committee,
Bernard M. Baruch offered advice whose
substance may be summed up by saying
that the saddest of all words are sit might
have been" and that nation, like man,
is lacking in good sense and judgment,
and is endangering itself, when it fails to
profit from experience and guard against
the repetition of past mistakes.
This is ancient and even hackneyed
advice. Like lot of eternally true and
wise platitudes, however, it is worth
repeating over and over again. No one
will deny that 1t Is right. The only thing
wrong with 1t Is that people-notably the
American people-keep on forgetting it
even though they agree with 1t when they
are reminded of it.
If at the start of the Second World
War we had kept it in mind, we might
have avoided lot of unnecessary loss Of
blood and treasure. Indeed. in Mr..
Baruch's judgment, our forgetfulness in
this sense, our failure to be guided by
experience, our 'foot-dragging and fun
bling in mobilizing our economy, "our
inability to apply corrective methods when
they were clearly Indicated" cost us thou
sands of lives. extra billions of dollars
and months of time" in winning the final
victory.
In making this point, and in making the
further point that our postwar demobliza-
ton has been similarly haphazard, Mr..
Baruch has not singled out any partic-
ular individuals or groups for major
blame. He has said, however, that Presi-
dent Roosevelt always tried to move fast,
faster than Others but some of those
around him tried to do things the easy
way, which was the worst way" He has
Implied, too, that much of the trouble had
its roots in Congress-in congressional fear
of the voters opinion, in legislative
desire to take piecemeal and faltering
steps and to temporize with situation
that demanded bold and far-reaching
measures.
Perhaps the fault is inherent in our
democracy. But Mr.. Baruch does not think
50. He believes that the American
people-the electorate-"will do anything
required of them If they are told why"
He believes-and he has given an i'm
pressive outline of one-that we can
prepare an adequate plan for total defense
at this time that this plan can be held
in readiness for any emergency, and that
the public will support it If frank leader
ship stands behind it. In any event, Mr..
Baruch is certainly right in declaring that
the Nation no longer can afford the luxury
OF forgetting experience and repeating the
errors of the past. In his words, with the
new instrumentalities of mass destruction,
we will not have time to improvise.
Bravery or resources will not overcome an
enemy who has destroyed u.s."
In short. while working ardently for
peace, we must be prepared with an over
all plan to meet any grave eventuality-a
readiness that will serve as the best pos
sible check against war. This, too, has
become platitude, but never have the
American people and their Government
had greater reason to take it as warning
they must heed to survive.
Evening star., 1947-10-27
New Soviet Ambassador

II there is any particular significance
in the removal of Nikolai Novikov as
Soviet Ambassador to the United States,
the unfolding of events themselves will
have to disclose it. There is nothing in
the mans background to warrant informed
speculation one way or the other. He
succeeded Andrei Gromyko in the post
only last year, and he was called back
home for consultation not many months
later. He scarcely had time to make him.
self known to America. He appears to
have been stickler for protocol and he
once made a speech-in Chicago-de-
claring that his country and ours could
work and live together peacefully. Beyond
that, however, the record of his activities
here offers no clue to the possible mean
ing of his retirement now.
Similarly, 45-year- Alexander Pan
yushkin-the new Ambassador designate
has background that throws little light
on the situation. From 1889 to 1914, he
was Ambassador to China where his
personality was found to be very agreeable.
This experience, which ended in illness,
was followed by an assignment to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow. His
career to date, like Mr.. Novikov's, thus
has lacked special distinctions of sort
that might indicate whether the shift in
the Soviet Embassy has more in it than
meets the eye Such shifts have sometimes
presaged a change in policy, but this one
may signify nothing more than a purely
administrative move. In any event, unless
and until the Kremlin itself begins talking
and acting differently, it will seem rather
futile to look for omens of one kind or
another in Mr. PanyuShkin
Evening star., 1947-10-27
The Needed Commemorution

A great throng of people in New York
yesterday paid tribute to the first of
Americas war dead to be brought home
from the European theater of World War
II The instinct to offer homage to those
sons of the Republic who died that it
might continue to live was natural 1t
found proper expression in a public park.
Yet in the very nature of things today, as
when Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg, the
living cannot compensate the fallen by
words. Nothing that any citizen can say
will suffice to express the Nations graft
tude.
Only in deeds can the debt be discharged.
The sole practical purpose served by SOL
emn ceremonies of commemoration is that
of rededicating the American community
to the principles which were served by
the men who were lost in the struggle with
the Axis powers. Need for such repeated
conservation is evident. The United States
is an affirmation of ideals of civilization
which constantly require reinforcement.
Armed assault Is but one of many different
forms of attack which history records. In
effect, we necessarily are engaged in an en-
deavor testing whether our Nation or "any
nation so conceived and so dedicated can
long endure" Freedom obviously must be
born anew, not simply occasionally, but
from day to day and from month to month
throughout the marching years. The men
who fought and died In the conflict Of
1941-45 were schooled in this reality of
American experience.
Some Of the dead of World War II will
remain near where they fell in lands which
they reclaimed. For those who are brought
home to sleep in their own native earth
the country as whole will stand guard
with undiminished respect as the decades
pass. But the authentic tribute of re-
membrance must arise not so much from
formulas commemorating the dead as from
the development of better patterns of liv-
ing as individuals, as group and as one
all-inclusive democracy of people,
Evening star., 1947-10-27
Diplomats as HOSTAGES

Moscow's announcement that the former
Brazilian Ambassador and his Embassy
staff have been taken under surveillance"
to be held practically as hostages for the
safety of the Soviet diplomats in Rio de
Janeiro, is another radical departure OF
the Soviet government from international
comfy.
Since very ancient times it has been
cardinal principle among nations and
peoples, even primitive and relatively
uncivilized, that the person of an accred-
tied diplomatic representative and his
immediate encourage are entitled to
immunity. breach of diplomatic rela-
tions or even a declaration of war makes
no difference in this privileged status
The state to which he is accredited is
bound not only to assure his personal
safety but to accord every facility for
in dignified manner
The action of the Soviet government is
predicated upon allegations by represent
atives of the official foreign news agency,
Tass, that the Soviet Embassy in Rio has
been attacked by "hooligans," that men,
berS of the Embassy staff have been
stoned, and that the Brazilian police on
duty at the Embassy encourage these
hooligan acts" This last allegation against
the police force of great and civilized
power like Brazil seems especially prepos-
ferrous. The whole thing looks like
provocative insult coupled with build-up
to arouse domestic antiforeign feeling;
for the Moscow radio states that "these
reports are causing great indignation
among the Soviet public"
This truly uncivilized conduct on the
part of the Soviet government looks like
return to the unhappy episodes to which
the diplomatic colony in Moscow was
subjected during the early days of the
Bolshevik Revolution. At that time, the
new Red regime had practically declared
war against the bourgeois world" and
rather gloried in it's disregard OF diplo-
matte niceties. The results were
series of heated protests by foreign gov
Evening star., 1947-10-27
Doubts Determination
. Editor Of The Star

To the Editor Of The Star:
Having read in The Star of October Is
letter signed Veteran and Subscriber" titled
Housing Discrimination in which the writer
states that he has answered ads IN newspapers
regarding apartments and was treated cool
when he said he was not Jewish, must confess
I doubt this as also have looked for apart
,nents or rooms for my wife and self IN recent
years, and the only time ever have seen an
ad which read Jewish only" was In the case
of rooms for rent in an individual Jewish home
certainly feel sorry for this veteran ana
Subscriber"
ard ARMY INFANTRY COMBAT vETEPAN.
Evening star., 1947-10-27

into the ngureS Tor tnree mOnChS.
Aided by Investigators and accountants, he
has inquired into rules and practices of labor
unions which limit the amount of work build
ing craftsman may do in one day.
He has examined all sorts of make-work
rules feather bedding rules restrictive selling
practices in building materials and out-moded
building codes, which forbid the use of time
saving and labor-saving construction mate
rials and machinery
All these restrictions and limitations on
building, Mr.. Gwinn says, account for that
precious rs cents plucked from the veterans
housing dollar.
Some Examples Of What He Finds.
In San Francisco union plasterers have re-
fused even to try out q new machine to apply
outside stucco under water pressure. All work
must be done by hand.
In Chicago the use Of ready-mixed con-
crete is prohibited by the cement f1nishers
union. All mortars must be mixed on the
site.
In Boston q maintenance engineer, earning
about $72 q week, must be employed merely
to turn on an electric welding machine In
the morning and shut it of at night. Every
power crane must have an oer In constant
MISUNDERSTANDING another $50 a week.
In most cities, union plumbers refuse to
use electric pipe threaders; carpenters may
not use electric saws; union painters are for
hidden to use spray guns. In several cities
paint brushes may not be more than four
inches wide.
In New York all the iron rods used In re-
inforced concrete must be bent on the Site
Rods bent to specifications at the mill may
not be placed by union workers. New York
unions also forbid pre-assembly OF plumbing
pipe at the factory All connections must
be cut and threaded on the job.
In Cleveland the unions demand one fore
man for every 10 brcklayers, but these fore
men are not allowed to touch TOOL Ihey
earn about Sis week.
In both New York and Chicago carpenters
will not hang doors on which the hardware
locks, hinges, knobs, etc.-have been placed
at the factory.
In Boston, union plasterers rsfane three
coats of plaster for each room although
architects insist two would be plenty.
Apprentice plasterers in Cleveland are re-
quired to work three years before they may
qualify as journeymen at full pay, but builders
insist they can train competent rough plaster
ers in three months. Hence. there are
virtually no new men coming into the trade.
Results Of QUESTIONABLE.
Ralph l.. Himmelhoch, 120 S. La Sale street,
Chicago, has been appointed special counsel
to the Gwinn Committee, to correlate facts
and figures submitted by home buyers, con-
tractors. architects, municipal bodies, and by
Evening star., 1947-10-27
DROUGHT in the Hill Country

Dry are the hills.
The farmers 1peary plOtD
Can find no darker, dnmper soil
Beneath the chalk OF this, the earths
parched face. +
No smell OF moist loan nestles
In the bilious of this turroU;
only the dust.
Dry are the Dalleys
And the stones of the creeks
Where once the ,caterDheels dripped coolly,
Are Dhite.
And the standing pools
Where the crares poised through long,
s,Deet afternoons
Are cracked into million geontetrtc shapes
OF stt1ened clay
JULIA COLLINS ARDAYNE.
Evening star., 1947-10-27
The Sane and the Insane

The Sane and the Insane
To the Editor Of The Star:
In The Star of September 26, there ap-
peared an article, Author of Religious Text
Leaves Mental Hospital After 20 Years" quoting
the judge who declared the man was mot
patient but prisoner" for 20 years.
october Is, there appeared an article War
Vet Freed from Hospital after rs Years" The
jury deliberated only five minutes before grant,
ing freedom.
The insane asylums contain too many in
nocent and harmless people, whose only 1r-
nationality Is that they refuse to conform to
some one elses standard of conduct Too
often we overlook the fact that so-called insane
manifestations are in many instances merely
gross exaggerations of traits, moods, thoughts
or acts that have normal background and
repressed existence in many, If not all, of us.
The person whose liberty has been signed
away behind his back is not allowed to see the
order and certificate on which he is confined
until after his release; that release he Is to
obtain by combating sthe statements in the
order and certificate So to get out he must
first see and contradict the lies that put him
in; but to see the lies that put him in he must
first get out. So runs the circle of iniquity.
H. E. FRIEDMAN.
Director, American Equity Association.
Evening star., 1947-10-27
stors, Men and Atoms
Life Can Exist on Mars
PhotoceII Device Proves
Presence of Carbon Dioxide Gives
Glue to Earthlike Vegetation.
By Thomas r. Henry

Glue to Earthlike Vegetation.
By Thomas r. Henry
Life on Mars, possibility of which has been de-
bated for the past half century, now seems quite
probable
The red planet, next removed to the earth
from the sun, not only has an atmosphere but
its "air' contains about the same proportion
of the vital gas, carbon dioxide, as does that Of
the earth itself. This proportion is about one
part in 5000.
The Martian atmosphere contains practically
no oxygen and It's main constituent probably is
nitrogen
Photocell Gives Answer.
These are the conclusions of Dr. Gerard P.
Kuiper, director of the Mcdonald Observatory
of the University of Chicago at Fort Davis,
Texas The determinations were made with an
extremely delicate photocen apparatus, de-
veloped during the war; which Is approximately
1000 times more sensitive to infrared racia-
tions from the planets than any device used
hitherto.
One part in 5000 Of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere is quite consistent with the possi-
bilty of vegetation somewhat like that found
on the earth. Green areas are observed to
appear on the surface of the planet with the
advance of spring but many doubts have been
raised as to whether these are due to foliage.
DR.. Kuiper hopes to settle the question when
Mars makes its closest approach to the earth
next February.
He also will make studies of the composition
OF the so-called polar ice caps. These he be-
lieves, will turn out to be ice of approximately
the same type found on earth rather than, as
has sometimes been held, frozen carbon dioxide
or dry ice." The amount Of this gas in the
planets atmosphere is too small.
Could Support Life.
With his delicate new instrument DR. Kuiper
is studying the atmospheres Of other planets,
and finds that Mars alone could possibly sup
port life approaching the type found on earth.
Mercury shows no traces Of an atmosphere.
This was what was expected since the surfacs
temperature of the planet closest to the sun
is about TOO degrees fahrenheit and any gasses
would have escaped long ago. The atmosphere
of Venus is composed almost entirely of carbon
dioxide which, in such great amounts would
be highly poisonous to life.
The giant planets Jupiter and Saturn have
heavy atmospheres composed largely Of the
poisonous cases. methane and ammonia. Their
temperatures average about 200 degrees below
zero
Life on Mars, while possible and even prob
able, would necessarily be of quite a low order
and probably entirely vegetable. 1t Is difficult
to conceive of animal life in such an attenuated
atmosphere.
Evening star., 1947-10-27

veteran & e t s
only rs cents
" o r t h O (
house.
w h o gets
t h a t missing
quarter, an
how?
r e presenta-
tive Ralph w.
VI w i II IL D !
N e W York,
chairman of
t h e H o u S e
L a bor Com
mittee's spe-
CT a Subcom-
m / t t e e on
housing, h a S
heen digging