davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Stars, Men and Atoms
Acid Weed Killer Found
Aid in Ripening Crops
Agriculture Department Tests Show
New and Curious Uses for 2, 4-D
By Thomas r. Henry

Agriculture Department scientists are find
ing new and curious uses for the most potent
OF the weed killers developed during the war
-dfchlorophenoxyacetic acid, generally known
as 2,4-D
IN carefully measured amounts, 1t Is the
pest preventive of fruit drop-the tendency
OF fruits to drop from trees after they ripen.
rests at the Departments Beltsvile expert
ment station show that. in the case of apples,
this can be delayed one or two weeks.
Bananas have been made to ripen faster
by spraying them with mixture of this ma
terial and water. Both pears and apples
nave been made to ripen more evenly and
parsnlps to cure In relatively short time
after harvest by spraying with water mixtures
OF the chemical
Stagger Harvest Periods
The acid has been found of particular value
IN causing pineapples to flower and ripen
faster. Some growers spray plants in part of
their fields with the substance so as to
make the fruits mature at different dates.
Thus they can stagger their harvest periods.
The general effect Of the substance Is
enormously to increase plant metabolism so
that reserve food materials are burned up
and the plant essentially starves to death
When extremely minute amounts are applied
to one part Of plant, however, there is a
very different response. Reserve food ma
terlals shift automatically to the treated part.
New cells are formed which eventually become
new roots inside the stem of the plant itself.
These later push their way to the outer sur
face OF the STEM II this is covered with moist
soil, the roots grow out into the soil and
function as ordinary roots in supplying the
plant with water and nutrients.
If about millionth of an ounce is placed
on one side of bean Seeding this side will
grow faster than the other and the plant
will bend in the opposite direction.
Rheumatic heart disease is 10 times more
prevalent than commonly is supposed
1t Is the preponderant cause of calcihca-
ton of the aortic valve OF the heart, which
in turn is one of the principal causes of
heart maladies which now are the leading
cause of death in this country
Autopsied 200 Hearts
This finding has just been reported bv Drs
Howard T. Karsener and Simon Koletsky
Of Western Reserve University who have
autopsied more than 200 hearts About rs
per cent showed evidence of injury by rheu-
matte infection. The autopsies indicate, the
Western Reserve scientists report that many
OF the victims of this infection never know
about it-just as people may have tuberculosis
or poliomyelitis all their lives without being
aware OF the fact. They never are crippled
or otherwise noticeably handicapped
The disease however Is the first cause of
deaths from heart failure under 40 and a
badly crippling disease among children. Hearts
affected with rheumatic infection, 1t was
found, were usually enlarged and showed
signs of angina pectoris. The victims had
complained of sharp pains In the center OF
the chest, weak and slow pulse, and heart
murmurs.
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Europe and the CIO

Despite its splinter element of Com
munists and fellow-travelers, the Congress
OF Industrial Organizations is made up
for the most part of good Americans The
ovation accorded Secretary of State Mar
shall at its convention in Boston is evi-
dence of that. &c. too, is the CLOS unani-
nous adoption of a resolution calling for
prompt action" on European aid-aid of a
sort designed to help our friends help
themselves and preserve their indie
pendence against the encroachments of
Red totalitarianism.
The conventions wildly applauding
response to Secretary Marshall's address
is significant measure, moreover, of the
CLOS awareness of labor's vital interest
in what. the Secretary has called '.the basic
issue" of our time namely, whether or
not men are to be left free to organize their
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Speaking FrunkIy'

Former Secretary of State James F.
Byrnes has chosen to call his new book
Speaking Frankly" and as that title I'M
plies, the book discloses details which shed
light on numerous aspects of our war and
postwar international negotiations which
hitherto have been little understood or
sadly misunderstood. 1t Is fair assump-
ton, however, that much remains to be
told: that Mr.. Byrnes has not told all that
he might have told
Without question, this is an important
book-a book which deserves to be widely
read. 1t is to be expected that Mr.. Byrnes
will be criticized for deciding to join, SO
soon after leaving the State Department,
traitors who almost seem to be competing
for the privilege of being first to get their
memoirs into print. But, other considera-
tions aside, Mr.. Byrnes enjoys the justifi-
cation of having significant and timely
story to tell.
We are reaping now the bitter fruit OF
mistakes made in the period of which
Mr.. Byrnes writes-roughly, from July,
1945, to January, 1947. This is not to say
that other policies than those adopted
necessarily would have produced better
results. But the fact remains that we are
paying high price now for the policies
that were adopted, and few If any men
are in as good position as Mr.. Byrnes to
appraise those policies and the reasons for
them, to point out wherein they have
failed, and to put an informed finger on
the causes Of the failures. AS our relas
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Meat for the Comintern

Reports do not agree on who started it
or why, but the Paris transit strike-now
followed by new seamen's walkout
threatening to cripple all ports in France
certainly has all the earmarks, as Pre-
mier Ramadier says, of a political ma
neuver. The French Communists have in
dorsed it after having at first opposed it,
and undoubtedly they will indorse the
maritime tie-up as we'll. Their sudden
about-face is In line with the recent mani
festo of the revived" Comintern. They
can be expected to make the most of the
trouble. 1t Is meat for them and meat for
their masters in the Kremlin.
In itself, the paralysis of subway and
bus services in Paris may amount to little
more than distressing but not grave in
convenience in the life of the city, and 1t
may be ended soon by the special measures
being taken by the Ramadier government
to mobilize all available private and mill
tary transportation facilities But its sig
n1ficance as a symptom, as an indication
OF deep and continuing restiveness in the
ranks OF French labor, Is too disturbing
to be ignored. Here is a country urgently
In need OF industrial peace and more and
more production. Yet, despite It's critical
economic situation, It's workers follow a
union leadership that stands behind not
merely the transit strike and the poten-
TALLY far more serious nation wide mari
time strike, but also a strike vote in the
Renault automobile plant and possible
railroad strike
Accordingly, unless the majority of
workers follow the example of members
OF two independent unions-who returned
to work yesterday, what France is likely
to suffer now is a repetition of last sum-
mer's widespread walkouts that shattered
the governments efforts to curb imitation.
To have this happen all over again-at
moment when the country Is more than
ever in need of internal economic stability,
hard work, and steady output-would be
blow of the first magnitude 1t would
be such a blow even If the Communists
did not exist to exploit disorder and chaos
on behalf of Moscow's drive to expand It's
totalitarian sway westward through
Europe.
But Frances Communists do exist. They
exist in large numbers, with exceptional
power, and the prospect is doubly serious
for that reason. If large scale industrial
strife breaks out, they can be counted
upon to intensity it as much as possible
to undermine the projected Marshall re-
covery program and otherwise promote the
Cominterns dominance seeking objectives
This ought to be obvious to all Frenchmen
in labor's rank-and-f1le. The question is
whether they will see 1t clearly enough
and in time, to avoid victimizing them
selves and their country.
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Buses for Bennina

The Public Utilities Commissions re-
versal of its position against substitution
OF buses for streetcar service to Benning
is an expedient that seems justified on
the basis of new cost data submitted by
the Capital Transit Company. The PUG,
while still recognizing the Importance of
rail transportation, could not we'll ignore
company figures showing that the bus
plan would mean a saving of nearly
million dollars in cash outlay. To have
required the transit company to expend
this additional amount in undermining the
old track system on H street Northeast
would have imposed a heavy burden on
firm already faced with declining rev.
enues and increasing expenses
AS the PUG commented in reversing it's
stand, 1t is unfortunate that it was not in
possession of all the facts bearing on this
change-over proposal at the time of its
earlier decision. Subsequent data con-
corning cost of modernization of the street.
car line and ability of buses adequately to
serve the Benning area put new light on
the company's petition. A factor tending
to force an early decision was the widely
recognized necessity for reducing street
car traffic through the bottleneck in front
OF the Treasury Building and the White
House. Abandonment of the Benning
streetcar line will result in substantial
traffic relief at that critical point Other
wise 1t would have been necessary to build
a turn-around loop somewhere east of
Fourteenth street, costly project and one
that involved numerous sdiff1culties. The
buses will solve this problem.
There is no reason to believe that the
demise of the Benning streetcar line pre-
sages the approaching end of street railway
transportation in Washington. Transpor-
tation experts still regard the rail lines as
the real backbone" of the mass trans
portation system here. Buses will con-
tinue to grow in Importance, however, as
corollaries and feeders of the local car
lines.
Evening star., 1947-10-17

social, political and economic existence in
accordance with their desires; or whether
they are to have their lives arranged and
dictated for them by small groups of men
who have arrogated to themselves this
arbitrary power"
There can be no doubt, as Secretary
Marshall has said to the CIO, that the
police state makes free labor one of its
first victims. There can be no doubt
either, that the police state will spread
throughout Europe and create a grave new
threat for the liberty and security of our
own land unless we act resolutely and with
vision in extending help to the sixteen
nations cooperating in the projected
Marshall plan. Without that there will
almost certainly be political, economic and
psychological disintegration of kind that
could eventually destroy all of western
civilization, ours included
The need is urgent. It is so urgent, in
Mr.. Marshall's words, that we must under
take not merely the long-range program
proposed to promote the recovery of our
friends abroad but also positive interim
measures" to guard against their collapse
this winter. That is to say, stopgap aid,
particularly to cover desperate food and
fuel requirements, is imperative, and it
must be extended promptly. This may yet
necessitate, as President Truman has Just
declared a special session of Congress, but
whether it does or not, the aid itself-both
short term and long term-can be held
back only at great peril to ourselves The
Marshall address to the CIO has left no
room for doubt as To that
Evening star., 1947-10-17
The Greater Gift

She surely must hare been a country maid
fHer old eyes brighten so, at simple
blooms:
Eating her hard, black bread IN those
bleak rooms
Vie,oing a lonely future, unafraid.
She mould resent 1t, If offered aid:
Seeing her pride, cannot then assume
Her obvtous need, nor could / dare
presume
To profer charity that might degrade.
So, ,chen call to buy loaf OF bread
try to bring her simple foacers, and
stDeet,
"You hat a garden, yes7" she beams
at me.
! nod, and seek my bare room, comtorted,
For she has gtuen me more than bread
to eat
Forgetfnlness that am poor as she.
FLORENCE MARSHALL sTEILWAGEN
Evening star., 1947-10-17

Q. BY what means is tlght-rope walker
able to walk along wire?-B. M. B.
A. tight-rope performer is able to main
tain his balance because he has learned by
practice to keep the center of gravity of his
body directly over his base of support, the wire.
@. Does the cheetah belong to the cat or dog
family?-G E.
A. The cheetah or hunting leopard belongs
to the cat family. The animal has catltke
head and muzzle, but its paws are like those of
a dog. When running 1t has a characteristic
greyhound gait and Is the only member of the
cat family equipped to run in this loose
limbed manner
@. Are any of the large Army guns being
preserved for future use in the same manner
as airplanes?-L. I. S.
A. A process has been developed for effec-
lively storing all types of Army ordnance for
so years. The guns are inclosed in steel or
aluminium containers which are dehumdfied.
@. What is the most valuable food fish OF
the United States?-O. FF
A. The Pacific salmons are the most valuable
fishery resource belonging to the United States
They yield about 600,00000O pounds of fish
year.
O. Who are the Waloons?-N w T
A. The term Walloon is applied to French
Belgians and to their language They live in
the southeastern province of Belgium and the
neighboring district of Northern France OF
Celtic origin, they are supposed to be descend
ants of the Gallo Belgae
@. Is hurricane the same as tropical
cyclone?-B. j.
A. Tropical cyclone is the general scientific
term for all big rotating storms arising in the
warm seas of the world. These storms have
various local names In the Western Atlantic,
Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico they
are called hurricanes In the Western Pacific
and the China Sea, they are typhoons.
@. Has decision been reached In respect
to new set Of locks for the Panama Canal7
M. E. B.
A. Suggestions for enlarging the capacity of
the canal include: A third set of locks to the
present canal, conversion of the present lock
canal into sea-level canal and construction
OF new sea-level canal in another part of
the 1sthmus. No decision has been reached.
@. Was there Roman goddess of Libertyr
w. F. w
A. Ltbertas was not Roman goddess
Among the Romans she was the personfaca-
ton OF liberty. On coins she is represented
as beautiful and richly adorned matron At
the end of the republic, after the assassination
of Caesar. she appears with dagger and
cap of liberty or laurel wreath
Evening star., 1947-10-17
.~s Letters to The Star
Serving Liquor to Minors


To the Editor of The Star;
The intent Of the Alcoholic Beverage Con-
troll Act Is clear beyond any reasonable doubt,
lie, the enactment was made to prohibit
minors from obtaining intoxicating liquors.
The words sale or delivery" stand out as
prominently as the Empire State Building.
AND the District of Columbia ABC Board
straddles the issue whenever case appears
before them that relates to the sale or delivery
OF 1ntoxlcants to minors due to the decision
OF Corporation Counsel Vernon E. West rela-
tive to the Mayfiower Hotel case. Mr.. West
Is considered by many very able LAWYER.
How did he get SO far away from the law
on his decision that minors legally could
secure intoxicating liquor if the drinks that
the minors consumed were purchased bv and
delivered to adults?
Recently was an aspirant for the position
OF ABC Board member. I withdrew nv appli-
cation. However, should have not withdrawn
my application and been appointed to the
board, or should ever be appointed to the
board in the future I serve notice now to all
concerned that would exert every effort to
permanently close all licensees that knowingly
served intoxicating liquors directly or indi-
directly to minors. FRANK D. TIPPETT.
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Different View of Europe's Population

Different View of Europe's Population
10 the Editor OF Tn. star
In The Star of October 3, appeared an article
entitled, Permanent Food Problem Seen I'm
less Europe Birth Rate Drops" This article
was credited to the Population Reference
Bureau. 1t should be brought to the attention
OF the readers that not only are some of the
facts incorrect as stated in this article, but
the line Of reasoning advanced is, to say the
least, unscientif1c
The basic thesis of the article is that the
Eumber of people in Europe is growing at
very fast rate and will continue to grow rapidly
in the future This growth in the numbers of
people is outstripping food production with
the result that Europeans must starve or be
supported by the rest of the world So runs
the argument.
Now, the truth of the matter is that the
number OF people in Europe has not grown very
FAST in the last few years and, as far as compe-
tent students of population can foresee, will not
increase in the future to the extent claimed by
the Population Reference Bureau.
Europe. excluding the Soviet Union, did not
gain 100000 in population during the war as
claimed by the Population Reference Bureau.
The best estimates available today lead to the
conclusion that both parts of Europe-the
Soviet Union and the rest of Europe west of the
U. S. S. Reach remained substantially un-
changed in population between 1899 and 1916.
There were some $4,000 900 of persons resid-
ing in all of Europe at each date. (The source
OF these figures is the League of Nations Statis-
tical Year Book. 1942-1944, and the August, 1s47,
issue of the United Nations Statistical Bulletin.
Data for the U. S. S. r., 1916. obtained from
Trud, issue of December "a, 1946.)
This article also stated that Europe excluding
the u S. S. r., will gain another 22o0o000
in the next 10 years. No recognized population
expert has ever made such a prediction.
Population experts such as.those from the Once
of Population Research at Princeton University,
have thought that Europe, excluding the u S.
S. r., might possibly increase by some 10 900, 900
or II 100000 between 1945 and 1855. No compe-
tent student of Europe's population has even
suggested an increase of %, ,0OO, ,OO0
1t Is true that there has been an increase of
some one-quarter in the numbers of births in
the nations participating in the Marshall plan
ds46 as compared with 1880. Whether this
increase in fertility will continue into the future
cannot be foretold with any certainty
The figure of "only IL acres of crop land to
feed each person" in Europe as reported by the
Population Reference Bureau, is correct only
for Europe west Of the U. s. S. r., prior to
World War II.
Regardless OF what happens to the number of
people in Europe, however, it does not mean
that the rest Of the world has to support that
continent. The idea that every nation must
raise enough to supply all Its own needs is pre-
posterous One might as well insist that every
State in the United States should have enough
crop land to feed all its own people.
Europe Is In exactly the same position p New
Evening star., 1947-10-17

deal Of COM
mercial build
ing has been
prom o t e d
S t or s, both
S m a III an d
large, in the
downtown area
h a v e b e e n
renovated, ex-
panded, or In
Evening star., 1947-10-17

t u r b a n C es
creating a tre-
mendous flow
Of efug e e S,
m e n, women
a n d children,
from one Do
minion to the
o t h e r. The
question Of re-
lief and re-
ANtl ~ .
Evening star., 1947-10-17

these refugees has become by far the most
serious OF the problems with which the new
states Of Pakistan and India are confronted,
In Pakistan the number of refugees has already
reached two and one-haf millions and the sad
procession shows no sign Of Abatement A
large proportion of this number is badly
wounded and sick. In many cases the refugees.
particularly the aged and the children arrive
In state of extreme exhaustion and starvation
The Pakistan government is straining every
nerve to provide relief and to arrange for their
settlement within Pakstan. Public institutions
in Pakistan and private individuals are also
doing all they can within the limits of their
resources to afford relief, but the problem has
assumed appalling dimensions and relief on a
very large scale Is urgently needed, particularly
in the form of trained relief workers, drugs,
vaccines, sera and nourishment for the chill
dren and the sick An added element of suffer-
ing is apprehended from the swift approach
of the severe Western Pakistan winter. This
will necessitate the supply of blankets on a
large scale as in the vast majority of cases the
refugees were able to escape only with their
lives and the clothes that covered their bodies,
Pakistan has unfortunately no woolen mills
and the need of blankets and warm clothing
is being keenly felt as the lack of these neces-
sary articles might result IN the loss of hum
dreds of thousands of lives from pneumonia
and similar diseases.
Some amount of aid has already been re-
ceived from the United Kingdom and the
United States and more is on the way. The
Pakistan government desires to express its
grateful acknowledgment of this timely and
generous help, but the situation requires a
more widespread and generous response to the
distress which has so suddenly overtaken so
large number of men, women and children.
wish to appeal through your columns to all
charitable and humanitarian institutions In this
great country and to its citizens who have al
ways put themselves in the forefront in all
cases where relief has been needed for dis
tressed humanity. Offers of assistance
may be directed to the Pakistan trade COM
missioner, So East Fifty-second street, New
York City. NJ A. H. ISPAHANI
Ambassador of Pakistan
Evening star., 1947-10-17

Letters for publication must bear
the signature and address of the
,oriter, although it is permissible for a |
toriter kao,on to The Star to use. a
nom de plume. Please be brief.
Evening star., 1947-10-17
EVERYTHING,
Wants Local HOUSING Drive

Wants Local Housing Drive
To the Editor Of The Star:
I suggest that an endeavor be made on the
part of the Government and private industry
to improve the general housing situation in
Washington.
have observed that since the end of the
Evening star., 1947-10-17

many instances, whole buildings demolished
and new ones built
But how about the home situation? After
person is through with his days work down.
town, where Is he to lay his head? Is he
supposed to sleep in his Office or place of busi-
ness, or lie down on a bench in the park?
I think the construction companies, real
estate agents and architects of Washington
should be encouraged to hatch out few ideas
for providing comfortable. attractive and in
expensive private dwellings and apartment
houses.
We read encouraging reports from the vari-
Gus national associations and Government
agencies to the effect that the housing situation
Is being remedied all over the country. But
one has only to look at the apartment wanted
advertisements in the newspapers to learn
that Washington still is suffering from a lack
Of adequate housing.
MILDRED U. MICHAELSON
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Simpl;fed Ethical Practice

Simplifed Ethical Practice
To the Editor Of The Star:
Ella Wheeler Wilcox truly wrote
80 many gods, so many creeds,
So many ways that wind and wind,
When just the art Of being kind
Is all the sad world needs"
And William Gladstone said. Zone example
Is worth thousand arguments"
EDMUND e. GoLDsBoRoUdH.
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Doubts Food Saving

To the Editor Of The Star:
Why won't some one kindly tell us how any
saving Of food can result merely from the eat
ing OF beef on Thursday, instead Of Tuesday,
and Of poultry on Tuesday. instead Of Thurs
day7 ONE WHO DOESN'T SWALLOW
EVERYTHING.
Evening star., 1947-10-17

An Appeal in Pakistan's Behalf
To the Editor of The Star:
I crave the courtesy OF your columns for the
following appeal
For Just over two months, the Punjab and
Delhi have been in the grip of widespread dis
Evening star., 1947-10-17
Questions and Answers

A reader obtain the answer to any question
Of fact by writing The Evening Star Information
Bureau. 316 street NE, Washington 2, D. C.
Please include cents for return postage.