davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
The Comfort of Not Being

Although 1t may involve hoax of sorts,
the story of Arnold Henskesa Dutch
advertising man-should be of interest
to anybody seeking foolproof shield
against our outrageous, atom ridden world.
According to report from Switzerland,
he has. stunned several doctors at Zurich
University by appearing before them and
having a needle-like spear run clear
through his body, including some vital
organs. Then. after parading back and
forth with pleased look, he has had the
spear withdrawn and told them he has
done the same thing lots of times without
any i'll effects. To explain all this, he has
simply said that he is always invulner-
able" because Il just don't exist"
The DOCTORS of course, have pooh -poohed
Mr.. Henskes' claim. Though they, have
failed to account scientifically for his
seeming ability to survive the spear, they
have let it be known that the man
obviously Is not nonexistent But Mr.
Henskes has held fast to his view appar-
emily finding it a great comfort to believe
that he is neither in nor of this world-a
planet which in his judgment is not here
anyhow. This may seem slightly eccentric,
but amateur and professional metaphysi-
clans are likely to think twice before
laughing it off entirely In the 18th cen
fury, after all, Bishop Berkeley argued
cogently along pretty much the same line,
and even to this day-as an academic
exercise-there are those who will demon
strate that MIR. Henskes idea is logically
unassailable. At any rate, If we grant that
there is an Omnipotent Intelligence over
everything, we must grant as we'll an
almost infinite number of consequent pos
sibilities, including the possibility that we
do not really exist, but only imagine we do.
AS a matter of fact, with man becoming
more and more afraid of the fruits he has
plucked from the tree of knowledge of
good and evil, Mr.. Henskes' outlook
though eerie-is not altogether unattrac-
tive. Suppose all of us felt the same way,
enjoying the cosmic make-believe as much
as possible, recognizing only the meta
physical or the spiritual as the true reality,
and trying to be reasonably good within
that framework. Would the world then
or what we think Is the world-be any
worse of or more confused than now?
Who knows? Possibly, If Everybody had
Mr. Henskes' convictions, his comforting
sense OF invulnerability would be universal.
In that case, instead of fretting over exist
ence, we might all be able to snap our
fingers at things like the atom and feel
secure in blissful state of nonbeing.
Anyway, the thought seems interesting.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05

the course Of parties, especially on Saturday
night, which increase In noise from midnight
on Then there are others who consider they
have right to turn radios on as loud as they
hke-before 1880 am The fact that this
worries some actually pleases the guilty ones.
They seem to get enjoyment out of torment
ing others.
Are the authorities really going to do any
thing constructive about this or is the idea
going to degenerate the way our curing" Of
juvenile delinquency has-into calling the COM
plainsnts pills and "cranks"7 ANNE HUNT.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05

that Is no respecter of persons and ill.,.
strikes at one, out OF every eight persons,
on the average. The battle to conquer
cancer has become 4 personal war with
many persons, for few families, few social
or office groups, have been untouched by
the dreaded scourge..
The Navy Department, where the cam
paign was little late in getting started,
is yet to add its contribution to the gov
ernmental total II that department
measures up to the high standard set by
other Federal agencies, the 1947 cancer
fund campaign is assured Of success.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
But Down Is Brief

Notc, II, dd,on- s,Deet hour, / lie a,oake
And let my spirit roam at its oDn wil
Not guessing What bright highways 1t wiH
take,
gipe 1t rein to stray alone, until
Tbs hour chimes =. already 1t is seUen,
And pet my journey Uds but halt begun,
And return to earth, from sohdt tar
HedDen- e
Yet haze held communion with the
And 0alked among the stars, a. II they
Uere
Fright sparks OF deD that gHtteyed on
ths grass
OF sky and /, nsarpeHnc trnUsisy,
Stood By, to let q falling comet pass
But damn Is brief, and sloioIg arise,
Still brushing stars from my reluctant
eres.
MAE wINKIER GOODMAN. D
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
They Have q Right to 1t

One item of legislation on which Congress
should act -favorably before adjournment
is that urged by the Civil Service Com
mission and certain individuals in Con-
gress to permit dismissed Government
employees to withdraw their accumulated
retirement fund deductions, even though
they may have been In service five years
or more.
As the law now stands, an employe
dropped after contributing to the fund as
long as five years has no alternative but
to allow the money TO remain there to
serve as the base for an old-age annuity.
1t hardly can be denied that this situation
is working severe hardship in thousands
of cases where the money could be used
to advantage, now that mass reductions
are the order Of the day.
In sharp contrast with private industry,
where the Government has provided I'M
employment compensation land where
often there Is a severance pay allowance)
the worker dropped from Federal service,
before becoming eligible for retirement,
must depend on personal savings to get
by until another job shows up.
That is exactly what is happening in
countless cases here and elsewhere in the
Federal establishment, and it was in recog-
milton of this fact that the Civil Service
Commission some time ago asked Congress
to "unfreeze" accumulated retirement con-
tributions up to q maximum of ten years.
The commission moved in this direction
after trying unsuccessfully to have Con-
gress set up a system Of unemployment
compensation for dismissed workers.
Legislation in line with this idea has
been introduced by Representative Jones,
Republican, Washington, and also has been
made part Of the Langer-Chavez re-
tirement bill. The latter is having tough
shedding because of other features. The
refunding plan should not be made de-
pendent on an omnibus measure. It
would cost the Government nothing to
turn back this money, and unquestionably
1t would meet a present need just as
pressing as any to be envisioned at some
distant date.
After the First World War, as a ,elief
measure, Congress provided transportation
home for the thousands of workers i'm
ported into Washington once their services
no longer were needed. The jobless prob
lem is as real now as 1t was then, and
demands consideration.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
Greenville Verdict and Progress

Sreenv1lle verdict and Progress
To the Editor OF The Star:
The verdict freeing 2S defendants of charges
growing out Of a lynching in Greenvills, s. c.,
will be viewed by history as q significant.
though painful, step forward In American jus
tice
The rather callous mockery Of the jurys
verdict of mot guilty. in the face of convincing
and irrefuted evidence that the defendants had
been part Of the lynch mob has given rude
jolt to those who have fundamental belief
in Anglo-Saxon justice.
The defense attorney had based his entire
case on an appeal to prejudice. He asked for
q verdict based on racialism, and he got It.;
The verdict, however, represents progress be-
cause by its sheer andacity 1t adds fuel to the
growing realization, even among die-hard
Southerners. that a system Of justice which
sets up two standards Is not q system OF justice
at all but q system Of injustice.
American democracy cannot say that all men
are created equal. and then deny it. W. can
not proclaim love Of liberty and belief in the
rights Of man and then take liberty and civil
rights away from minorities whom we choose
to persecute We cannot have faith in trial
by jury and In the processes OF justice when
we see them used as machinery for avcwed
injustice.
Because our concepts Of equality before the
law, of liberty and freedom and OF justice
through courts and juries are deeply ingrained,
the Greenvilie verdict has served to shock us.
The jurors mocking voices were denying funda-
mental things In which America believes II
We adopt their code Of lynch law and the
inequality Of men. W viii become . different
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
Federal Pensions for All?

To the Editor Of The star:
Grave concern is being expressed by Congress
and in the press about the rapid growth of
communism In America-and over the world.
Various proposals have been made to eradicate
this political cancer" in America, which Is
threatening our way Of life
Communism is an idea. It cannot be "out-
1awed," arrested or jailed. II can only be
eliminated BY removing the cause of It's exist
ence, namely, poverty, fear and strife.
America Is the richest, most productive and
scientific nation on earth, yet many millions Of
or citizens live In poverty, or the constant fear
of poverty, with oil its horrors.
Let this Republican Congress provide America
with sound, adequate pay-as-you-go Federal
retirement pension covering al our citizsns-a.
pension program that viii Danish the ghastly
fear Of poverty and misery in old ags-and
communism will receive its death blow In
America. Anything less from this Eightieth
Congress viii work greatly TO the advantage and
progress Of communism the world over. II We
cannot-or win not-stop conmunism In this
great bountiful Nation. then winsrs else can
W honestly sxpect 10 stop II!
CHARLlD y MARIM.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
To Hit or to Miss?

u
Among the editorials in recent issue of The
Star there was one entitled Near Misses and
Hits" which referred to some work that did
during the war connected with methods of
aerial bombing The article made certain in
ferences, which it based in part on this work.
and concluded that it had now, been shown
that near misses were generally preferable to
hits, that many bonbardiers during the war
1ntuitlvely were aware of this but that the
Army and Navy high command had Influenced
them towards aiming for direct hits by dis
tributing "the most coveted medals" Accord
ingly. I would like to correct these statements
because do not think they are historically or
scientifically correct and also because
although I am not a resident Of Washington
have always been an interested reader of The
Evening Star and would greatly regret it If In
exact and incorrectly critical assertions should
get into its pages.
1t Is true that under certain conditions q
near-n1iss is preferable to hit. Thus, this
may be true for attacks on ships under certain
conditions and on concrete Notifications under
certain conditions although it Is certainly not
SO when arInor piercing bombs are used, which
Is likely to be the case for strongly protected
structures. In any event, this principle has
been known all along and presumably observed
in those cases where it mattered. would like
to add that my work had nothing to do with
this. So So ~ r4-a -.
My work was connected with the use of large
blast bombs. which Is type OF ammunition
that has to be used in the opposite situation, In
attacks on relatively light structures In this
case, did suggest that oblique incidence Of
the blast wave will usually be preferable to
head-on incidence. The military inference
from this is not that one should strive to miss
the objective, but that the bomb should be
detonated at certain height rather than on
the ground. This principle was tested both in
the laboratory and in the field and was found
to be correct, and was used during the war
when appropriate conditions arose.
To conclude, would like to observe that
there is not, and cannot be, general principle
stating whether hit is, or is not, preferable
to near-miss. 1t will depend on the circum-
stances. A general answer is just as impossible
here as an answer to the question What is
the best move in cless"-without any reference
to the situation in which it Is supposed to take
place JOHN Won NEUMANN.
Editors Note: The part of the editorial to
which Mr.. Won Neumann apparently takes ex-
ception (but which The Star sees no reason to
retract follows: Our wartime bombardiers
had little time to ponder the cause, but they
found that often q near-nniss would sink .
ship quicker or destroy building more COM
pletely than hitting the bulls eye. The only
trouble was that the admrals and generals
handed out the most coveted medals for only
direct hits"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05

country than We are today. Our principles
and loyalties will change
The Greenvalle trial has shown wildly the
hypocrisy Of our present racial attitude. Since
racial discrimination is . poor and unequal
contender against the principles in which this
country really believes. it viii have to give
way. That is why the GreenviIle trial IS
step forward in justice. It has been out Of
place in America---and America IS greater than
the prejudices of Greenyille.
GLENN D. EVERETT,
Member Of the Washington bureau, Raleigh
IN. ca News and Observer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05

There are
p e o pie in
Was h ington
and suburbs
who quite OBJ
viously think
they have a
right to do as
they please and
this quite fire.
ouently takes
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
Letters to The Star
Concerning Bombs That Miss Flowers for jefferson Owls
Noise and Sundry Other Things

Good Word for ScTeech Owls
To the Editor Of The star.
No doubt most readers Of your newspaper
were shocked to learn OF the slaughter Of six
small owls by Silver Spring policemen.
Surely we have q right to expect better
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05

Things OF our
officers Of the
law than that
they should be
stampeded by
the demands
of ignoran MT
citizens, who
are afraid OF
o W Is. int o.
senseless kill
ing Of our wild
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
No Flowers for Jefferson

No Flowers for Jefferson
To the Editor Of The star
On Memorial Day we visited Monticello, the
home Of Thomas Jefferson, and observed what
seemed tc be an oversight on the part Of
some one.
Jefferson is buried in the family plot a
short distance from the beautiful home and
. number Of the members OF his family, in
GLIDING several late officers in the United
States Army, are inferred in the same burial
place
The shocking thing TO us was that no one
had seen ut to place one flower, much less 1
wreath, on the grave of the author OF the
Declaration Of Independence nor the last rest
ing place any OF Of his family.
No matter how fine memorial may have
been erected to him in Washington, we are
sure that he would prefer to be remembered
at his home, Monticello, which he loved so
we'll The grounds around the mansion are
wonderfully well kept but the burial plot GER
tainly was neglected ON Memorial Day
RALPH NJ TATE
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05

Nature can be horrible. For instance,
when 1t rains cats and dogs just at the
moment when the Government offices are
letting out.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
A Little Quiet, Please

TO che Editor Of The Stal:
Your editorial re the campaign against
noise is interesting but can't help wondering
II the same thing that has happened to other
beneficial ideas will occur to this. Talk
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
Questions and Answers

rsa s ssts s In. s v.ns. sa ass
Please inclcse three (s) for return postage.
O. Does the robin sing before a rain?-T. r.
A. The robins song is often heard before .
rain, in the early morning and evening and
during the nesting season at almost any hour
Of the day.
@. Please give some information about ton
sure.-S. ". G.
A. Tons,ne is from the Latin, tondere "to
shear" It Is an ecclesiastical ceremony by
which \ baptized and confirmed layman IL
made q cleric, admitted to the privileges OF
the clerical state, and prepared for the recep-
ton of orders. A lock of hair is cut. In some
from the top of the head.
O. What birds besides parrots can be taught
to use words7-F M. T.
A. The raven crow, maybe, mynah. jackdaw.
starting and bluejay are considered talking
birds, although some of them have . capacity
limited to repeating sounds and words, but not
sentences. The magpie, raven and talking
mynah are often taught sentences.
q. How often do comets appear?-F. o. n.
A. 1t may be taken as a rough rule that
conspicuous comet can be expected about once 4
in 10 years on the average. and remarkable
one about once In 30 years. =
q. Please list some famous whispering gal.
leries in the United States.-C D.
A. There are two noted whispering galleries
in the United States, one In the Capitol and
the other in the Mormon Tabernacle In Salt
Lake City, Utah. II
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
battle-ground of Democracy

To the Editor Of The Star:
In 40 BIC. xerxes, King Of Persia, sent a
great army and supporting feet consisting
Of hundreds of ships to conquer and dominate
Greece. The Persians landed near Marathon.
A tiny army from the Atlenian DEMOCRACY
went out to meet the enemy and gave to The
world one OF the brightest victories for freedom.
In 1921 an outnumbered army OF Greeks
became involved In another great struggle
against the aggressive forces OF the Ottoman
Empire.
During the past so years Greece constantly
has been in the front line of the battle against
oppression, fighting side by side with her
1herty-loving allies. She fought until the
end against Germany in both of the last two
world wars. When the Italian armies of Mus
solini invaded Greece with 10000 bayonets,
the outnumbered Greeks answered with an in
spired offensive which pushed the Italians back
into Albania
Before 1s41 the idea predominated in Eu-
rope and in other parts Of the world that the
Axis armies were invincible, but the Greeks
proved to the world that the Axis armies could
be defeated They held the Wanted Germans
ut bay In the Albanian mountains until they
wore outnanked and overwhelmed. In those
days all nations, including the Russians, were
pEdNluE aCnleVemeNLS OF Tie S1reekS.
Now, why are the Greeks fighting today?
The answer to this can be stated in these
words: The Greeks Of today are fighting for
the same cause for which they fought at
Marathon In 400 Be This cause includes
democracy and freedom.
In Greece the Communist Party Is the small
est Of all the political parties, not exceeding
s to 10 per cent. This minority is attempting
to establish = eommunistic government. with
the aid OF northern totalitarian neighbor states.
The Communist method OF political control
Is force.
It is amazing that small nation which has
suffered SO much, and endured SO many great
cstasUrophes still has the vitality to find it
self once again in the front line of another
battle for liberty. Greece is alone In that
critical section OF Europe where the frontiers
of two civilizations meet (and clash. She
also faces the internal attacks Of the Com
munists who, reinforced from the outside, are
seeking to establish 4 Red dictatorship.
Greece needs peace In order to carry out
her reconstruction, but the restoration Of peace
and internal order requires \ policing army
with equipment. VIII this army be Russian
or American? APosToLOs KosKINIDEs.
University OF North Carolina.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05
Tolerance of Mob Violence

To the Editor Of The Star:
How long are we to see law and order made
light Of by bands of outlaw-nends? Will our
great Government continue to tolerate such
mobs taking the law into their own hands,
while the world at large looks on? Can America
preach democracy on one hand and practice
wholesale 1ynchings on the other7
AN AMERICAN
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05

e-ts5res the items omitted by the House
and insists on final appropriation of the
secretariaI and reportorial funds requested
BY the administrative Office of the courts.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-05

A reader can obtain the answer to any question
of fact by writing The Evening Star Information
Bureau, 316 street NE. Washington @ d. c.
Please inccse three CD cents for return postage.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-05-16
Move Against Aggression

The defense concept includes lhe theory of immediate retaliatory action against any aggressive move directed at the United States The very heavy bomber bases are being built in accordance with the theory.
 Here Is what the Army Engineer Corps says will be built at Mile
The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-05-16
APPLICATIONS OPEN
FOR FOREIGN SERVICE

Applications for two examina- tions leading to career positions m the United States Foreign Service will be received by the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service, of State, Washington, D. c. until June 30. 1947, accord ing to information received by M. ". Goding. District Manager, De- partment of Commerce. Juneau. AL aska.
 Written examinations for Fore ign Service Officer Class 6, will be held at Seattle. Washington and other examination centers through out the United States, September 9 to 25, inclusive Applicants must be between 21 and 35 years of age Gas of Sept. 9, 194D De, and have been, a citizen of the United States for at least ten years and, if married, be married to an American citizen The salary range for Class 6 positions is from $500 to $440O per annum, supplemented by quarters and cost of living all lowances. which vary according to post of duty outside of the United States.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-05-16
MISSING PERSON

Governor Gruenings office in Juneau has received a request for information on the following per son, reported missing:
 NILS OLOF PERSON, born Jan- uary 9, 1884, in the Parish of On alunda, Province of Kristianstad Sweden. Came to United States in 1903. Last known address was Kill lisnoo. He is believed to have gone from there to Wrangell and to have been a fisherman
 Anyone having information co1- corning the above man should communicate with the Governors office immediately.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-05-16
FLU CURE MAY LIE
 IN MOLD FROM SOIL

PHILADELPHIA - A green and black soil mold that shows promise of furnishing a drug remedy for influenza was announced to the society of American Bacteriologists here this week
 There are vaccines for flu. but no drugs that specifically cure it. The mold shows some specific eur ative effect on chicken embryos and mice with influenza It has not been tried on humans.
 The report was made by doctors A. J. Liebman, D. Perlstein and q. A. Snyder. of Schenley distnlers corporation, Larehmont. N. Y.
 The stuff that inhibits the virus that causes flu came from a bit of earth. Just where the earth came from the authors of the report said they did not know.
 The fact that the origin of this mold is not specifically known will make no difference if it should prove a remedy for flu, since cul- tiyation of the original sample would furnish sufficient seed for all purposes.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-05-16

26: A new runway; a hanger similar to the one ordered for an- other very heavy bomber base at Rapid City, s. D., having a single span of $40 feet (the B-36 has wing span of 230 feeD; barracks for 40O meu; base headquarters building and various workshops and warehouses, a spur railroad track from Ladd Field, al Fair banks.
 The announcement said that "the facilities are provided express Iy for the Strategic Air Command units stationed in Alaska in inc interest of national defense
 Interrogation Of Attack
 Presumably, Mile 26 was chosen for several operational and strate- gic reasons. It is in reasonably lev. el countgy, making fl possible for heavily loaded bombers to take off without the necessity of a rapid rate of climb to avoid mountains. As Alaskan weather goes. it is in a good weather belt with a mini mum of fog and storm. It Is situat- ed far enough inland to allow for fighter interception of an attack directed at the field from the sea.
 An improvement program also is underway for other military areas in Alaska.