davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-01-16
General Sutton

When Dan I. Sultan, then colonel,
was ending his tour of duty as Dis
trict Engineer Commissioner in 1888
he turned to friend and said ear
nestly: "If Washington is not a
better city for my being here. it is
not my fault, because tried hard"
1t was typical of this remarkable
Army officer that he tried hard,
whatever the job assigned him. And
the measure of his success is to be
found not only in the military an
mails of two World Wars but in the
tangible evidences of his engineering
and administrative capacities which
he left behind him in many places
including the Nations Capital
There can be no doubt of the deep
personal interest which General
Sultan maintained in the city which
he strove so ably, so tirelessly and
so effectively to improve during his
four-year term as Commissioner.
That this interest, amounting to
real love of the city and its people,
was not just passing impulse, in
spired by duty, is well Illustrated by
the fact that he could find time,
during the height of operations in
Burma, to write a nostalgia note to
friend here, recalling "those good
old days at the District Building"
'Those good old days" were any
thing but a comfortable peacetime
interlude as far as Commissioner
Sultan was concerned. From the
first day of his service as Engineer
Commissioner he made it his busi-
ness to learn all he could about
Washington and it's needs and to
seek energetically for ways and
means of fulfilling those needs. He
lost no time in applying his engi-
neering talents toward the solution
of what he considered the city's
most pressing problem-traffic. A
pioneer advocate of traffic separa-
tion," the Commissioner farsightedly
called for circle underpasses and
other street separations as the ulti-
mate cure for "bottlenecks." Many
of the highway and bridge projects
he urged more than a decade ago
have come into being or are soon
to be realized. y
The citations which General Sui
tan received for his distinguished
services in World War I, in Mica
ragua, where he surveyed a route
for proposed new interocean canal,
and finally in the Obi theater, where
he was commander of Allied forces,
attest his ability as soldier. 1t
may be doubted, however. whether
any of these military awards moved
him more deeply than the citations
which he received on the occasion
of the farewell testimonial banquet
which the people Of Washington
Evening star., 1947-01-16
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

President Truman and the Republic
car leaders in Congress, at the instance
of the President, have agreed to periodic
round table talks on the problems
which confront them, the Congress
and the country. It is bold undertak-
ing-though in line with the protesta-
tions from the White House and Capt.
tol Hill that both are willing to "co-
operate" for the good Of the country.
These meetings could help greatly or
result in q disastrous stalemate-de-
pending on the degree Of willingness
on both sides to give and take.
Although the Congress is only two
weeks old, marked differences between
the Chief Executive and the Republi-
can majority have developed on large
number of important subjects These
include labor legislation, reduction of
taxes, Federal appropriations and the
budget. Other matters Of vital import,
which can we'll become subject to dis
cussion in the bipartisan conferences.
are the matter of reciprocal trade agree
ments, national defense needs and leg
islation to check portal-to-portal pay
suits.
The conferences are to be attended by
the President, and Minority Leaders
Barkley and Rayburn OF the Senate
and House respectively, on the Demo-
cratic side, and Speaker Martin, Presi-
dent pro tempore Vandenberg OF the
Senate and Majority Leaders White and
Halleck of the Senate and House Tor
the Republicans. Presumably others
will be brought in, on occasion, when
some specific legislative problem is to
be considered-perhaps the chairmen
of committees of the House and Senate,
and ranking minority members.
The main idea back of the plan Tor
these meetings is to make 1t possible
to get something done-something In
which Congress and the Chief Execu-
tive can concur-thus avoiding the use
Of the veto power against legislation
enacted by a Republican Congress.
The Republican congressional Leaders,
although skeptical, have accepted tne
proposal of the President with good grace.
Chairman Vandenberg OF the Forelgn
Relations Committee, who also happens
to be President pro tempore OF the Senaee
and one of the consultants. gave the
plan his blessing, but supposed that the
conferences would deal mainly with
domestic issues-not international. TINS
is in line with the traditional attitude
of the Senate and its Foreign Rela-
tions Committee which claim particular
jurisdiction in foreign affairs, since the
Constitution places upon the Senate the
ratification of treaties and other agree
ments made between the United STATES
and other nations.
Evening star., 1947-01-16
Georgia Spectacle

Nothing comes to mind in Ameri-
can political experience which COM
pares with the fantastic spectacle
now being enacted in Georgia.
On one side of the stage is Gov
ernor Arnan or Ex-Governor Arnall
or Mr.. Arnall. On the other side is
Governor Talmadge (by courtesy of
the State Legislature), Pretender
Talmadge, or just plain Herman to
his friends. Both claim to be the
legal Governor and are going
through the motions of serving as
the States chief executive. Mean
while, their friends are milling
around, slugging each other and
shouting threats.
Presumably the last act of this
discreditable little drama will be
staged in the Georgia courts, for the
question at issue is legal one
which arose when Eugene Talmadge,
exponent of red suspenders and
white supremacy, died before he
could assume the Office of Governor
to which he was elected last No
vember.
Governor Arnall, forbidden by the
Georgia constitution to succeed him
self, has said that he will resign
when the newly elected lieutenant
governor, M. E. Thompson, takes
office. This was a move to enable
Mr.. Thompson to succeed to the gov
ernorship, and he is demanding the
post. But the Legislature stepped
into the picture Tuesday night and
declared Herman Talmadge to be
the duly elected Governor. The
process of reasoning was that the
death of Eugene Talmadge had
voided the votes cast for him in the
Statewide election. The son, Her
man, had the greatest number OF
write-in votes for Governor in that
election-a total of 675 cast for Gin
surance" purposes by the Talmadge
followers-and the Legislature there
upon voted 161 to 81 to declare him
Governor.
No person in his senses, especially
from this distance, would attempt to
unravel the rights and the wrongs of
this political snarl. But it is not
being presumptuous to urge that
the rival partisans stop their dis
graceful squabbling and leave the
issue to the State courts. Mr..
Arnall, or Ex-Governor Arnall, or
Evening star., 1947-01-16

A Socialist government in Great
Britain has been using the army, navy
and air force to move food during the
unauthorized strike of truck drivers In
London. despite the strikers protests
against 'blacklegs" (strikebreakers) In
uniform. The cause of the strike rep
resents a second irony. A Socialist gov
ernment might be expected to expedite
settlement of wage disputes, yet the men
walked out in protest against nine
months delay in a government poards
decision on their wage and hours de-
mandS.
Perhaps the strike itself was ironical.
OId-time Socialists used to argue that
socialism was the answer to strikes, be-
cause the workers, once they had
achieved political power. would feel that
If they struck they would be merely
striking against themselves. For that
matter, there may be an irony IN the
very existence of Socialist government
in 8 land which retains hereditary
monarchy, a hereditary upper chamber
(eyen if almost powerless) in its Parlia-
ment, and hereditary titles Of nobility.
r +
While the British SOclalSt govern
ment was using the armed forces to
move foodstuffs tied up by strike. down
in italy the Socialists split into two
groups on relationship to the Italian
Communist Party. The left-wing, re-
tanning control Of the Socialist organic
zation, stands for political fusion with
the Communists-which may turn out
to be a lady-and-the-tiger affair. The
rirat-wing win 60 its own separate way.
Yet all italian Socialists remember. or
should remember, that it was dissidence
among the various italian radical ana
liberal groups, with the resulting pieth-
ora of strikes, that paved the way for
Mussolini's march on Rome In October,
1922.
In Germany the Socialists and the
Communists made things easier for Hit
Ter, their common enemy, by refusing y
Evening star., 1947-01-16
For Cooperation

In lnauguraClng a SySUem OF Pc
riodic conferences between himself
and the Republican leadership of
Congress, President Truman has
established a wise and constructive
policy. The idea, of course, can
hardly be expected to produce an
unbroken honeymoon, but at least
it promises to encourage bipartisan
cooperation on issues that tran
scend parties and affect the inter
ests of our whole Nation.
The inaugural meeting is to be
followed by others at the Presidents
option, whenever he thinks them
advisable. The congressional con-
ferees-already labeled the "big six"
represent the two major parties:
From the Senate, Senator Vanden-
berg, as the presiding officer and
chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee, Majority Leader White
and Minority Leader Barkley; from
the House, Speaker Martin, Majority
Leader Halleck and Minority Leader
Rayburn.
1t would be politically naive to
anticipate flow of wonders from
this plan. Perfect harmony is
scarcely possible. and some of the
projected conferences may result in
little more than an exchange of
glares across the table. Neverthe-
less the Presidents policy-willingly
accepted by the Republicans-is OBJ
viously sound. If given half a
chance, it may well lead to the kind
of give-and- take that will be needed
between now and 1948 If serious
executive-legislative deadlocks are
to be avoided.
Several highly significant ques-
tions - significant not only for
America but the world as well-will
have to be acted upon in the months
ahead. If the Democratic admins
tration and the Republican Congress
fight each other over them, the con-
sequences can be grave. Thus, apart
from such issues as the peace
treaties and labor legislation, there
is the problem of international COM
merce. The administration stands
committed to the principle OF reci-
procity, to a program aimed at a
mutual lowering of tariff barriers
and the elimination of other restric-
tive devices. Several influential Re-
publicans have taken an opposite
view, however, and the "big six"
conferees may face a challenge here
to arrive at a common ground to
make our foreign policy bipartisan
in an economic sense as well as in
political sense.
Without some such arrangement
as periodic conferences with the
Republicans, President Truman
might run into fast multiplication
of difficulties. His policy is a COM
mendable effort to avoid that. If
there is a real desire for co-opera-
ton all around, he and the "big six"
ought to be able to hammer out
working agreements on every major
problem that is self-evidently non
political. In any case, the idea is
worth the most earnest trial pos
sible.
Evening star., 1947-01-16

However, House members do not
take that view. They maintain that the
proposed conferences between the Presi-
dent and the Republican and Demo-
cratic leaders of the House and Senate
can be of great value If the Executive
lays the cards on the table frankly in
regard to international situations and
our relations with the other nations.
One Of them, for example, insisted that
had the Roosevelt administration been
frank about the world situation in 1941,
there would never have been any ques-
ton about the extension of the Selec-
tive Service Act in the summer of that
year. Instead, the bill to continue the
military draft passed the House with
the margin of a single vote.
Chairman Andrews of the new uni
fed Armed Services Committee of the
House already threatens to hold up
military legislation until all the facts
relating to the international situation
have been revealed to his committee
The Congress has been asked by Presi-
dent Truman to continue the life Of
the military draft If, as reports indicate,
the drive for volunteers by the War
Department does not produce enough
men to meet the military requirements.
He has asked, too, for the adoption of
a system of universal military training.
* ~
These are both steps which the Re-
publican majority in Congress will hesi-
tate to take-in fact, will take only If
forced The draft and military training,
they fear, are politically unpopular.
Hence the demand for explicit informa-
tion regarding foreign relations. II the
Republicans can find any way to wriggle
off this national preparedness hook they
will do so. There are lot of new men,
bers of Congress, however, who are vet
Grams of the last war, and in addition
some 100000 veterans around the
country who may have other ideas and
make the recalcitrants face the music.
1t may be that this question of ma
tional defense legislation can be taken
up at one of the meetings OF the
President and the congressional leaders,
with good effect Certainly If there are
important facts to be relayed-perhaps
confidentially-the chances OF their re-
manning confidential" will be greater
in such small gathering than If they
are revealed to q large committee on
Capitol Hill.
The toughest nut of them all Is the
problem of labor legislation. The Presi-
dent, in his message to Congress on the
state of the Union, has admitted the
need of some remedial legislation-but
he fell far short of the proposals Of the
Republicans. 1t would be little short Of
disastrous if no legislation comes out of
this Congress on the subject Of labor
management relations.
Evening star., 1947-01-16
A-14 THURSDAY, January 16, 1s47
This Ought to Be No.

The purpose OF the O'Mahoney
bill, which the Senator introduced
yesterday, is to provide workable
method of measuring, each year,
what the Federal Governments
share of the expense of running
Washington should be. =.
It is not measured by anything
now except by what it was the year
before. Yet the cost of running this
expensive Capital City keeps going
up, largely on account of policies
laid down by Congress without
reference to the city's ability to pay
for what Congress orders.
The reason the Federal Govern
ment pays something each year to-
ward municipal expenses is because
Congress recognizes an obligation in
this respect. The Federal Govern
ment occupies large portion OF
available real estate in Washington,
but pays no real estate tax. Its
officials live in the community and
derive community benefits, but Con-
gress has exempted their incomes
from local taxation. Because this
is the National Capital the city is
run on scale that is beyond the
limited tax resources of the local
community to support.
These, and others, are reasons
why Congress appropriates money
each year as a Federal share of local
expenses. But the share" is not
related to anything. It is not
related to the amount of local taxes,
paid by the portion of Washington's
population which pays any taxes.
It is not related to those things that
are done primarily in the interest
of the Federal Government.
The principle of Senator O'Ma-
honey's bill is to establish formula,
based on the ratio of Government
occupied tax exempt land to the
total land area. It would not mean
a great increase in the eight million
dollar lump sum appropriated last
year; not nearly so great an in
crease as the expenses of city gov
ernment or the proposed new local
taxes. 1t does furnish a measuring
rod and it does couple the Federal
share with the local taxpayers
share.
This bill, first proposed by Senator
Overton and later changed in some
respects by Senator O'Mahoney,
should be studied by the two legis-
lative committees on the District
in connection with the local tax
boosting program. 1t ought to be
made part and parcel of the plans to
raise revenue to meet the extraordi-
nary deficit in the District budget.
It's careful consideration, in fact,
should be the Number l item of the
whole legislative program for pro-
ducing the money that Congress will
order spent.
Evening star., 1947-01-16
This Changing World
Bv Constantine Bro,cn

When 1t became necessary in recent
months to speak of the Western de-
mocracies there have always been GER
tain mental reservations with regard to
countries other than the United States
and Great Britain.
Particularly was this true Of France,
where the Communists led by Maurice
Thorez lave won an increasingly i'm
portant place in the government through
progressively increased election totals.
They have never succeeded, however, in
acquiring the ma ajority control which
nation.
In view of this tendency to regard
France as nominally within the scope OF
the term western democracies" but ac-
tually on rather uncertain fence, the
between France and Great Britain and
other signs of greater affinity with the
Anglo-Saxon nations have been received
with feeling of relief by Washington
policy makers.
venerable Socialist leader Of France,
went to London two days ago for dis
cussions which were vaguely described
dS CUllkCCJCu WILL UklC cCO1lO1l1C Sltud-
ton and coal deliveries. Even If we made
no assumption of further significance
than that, the fact that some attempt
is being made to bring French and
British economies into harmony would
be cause for some rejoicing, for Anglo
French relations have been decidedly
slow in recovering from the bitter days
of the war which saw British and French
warships in battle against each other
and British troops fighting French
troops on various fronts.
X X
Mr.. Blums tenure in Office has been
brief, and when he assumed the inglo-
rious post of interim president premier
pending election of a full government
under the Fourth Republic he knew he
would have no chance to inaugurate and
carry out long-range policies. But he
plunged, nevertheless, into program to
save the franc and restore French econ
omy In q last-ditch fight to prevent the
rest of France from falling into the
hands of Communists.
Mr.. B1um's compulsory reduction of
per cent in all French pricees, with the
promise of another 5 per cent cut in
March, was the most spectacular of his
economic measures. His trip to London
will yield vastly greater results If it
produces a closer connection between
Britain's Socialist government and the
Evening star., 1947-01-16

Leftist coalition government Of France.
In the recent election of two high
officials of the new French government
the Communists were not strong enough
to win. Vincent Auriol, a Socialist, was
elected president of the National As
sembIy, albeit with Communist support,
and Auguste Champetier de Ribes,
member Of the Popular Republican
Movement, was declared elected presi-
dent of the Council of the Republic, al
though he tied with the Communist
candidate
The new President of the French re-
public is to be named today, and Mr.
Blum intends to be home for that pur-
pose, inasmuch as his government must
resign to pave the way for the new Pre-
mier, who will be designated by the
President.
The prospects are, therefore. for the
creation of government Of mild Leftist
tendencies. Mr.. Auriol Is still in the
race for President Of the republic, and
even If he should be eliminated, the
chances all favor election of Socialist
who can stand between the Communists
on the extreme left and the MESP. which
is conservative, but not far right OF
center.
The cabinet may not escape some
Communist membership, although the
party is not likely to be given key posts
from which it can conduct campaign
to overthrow French democracy as It is
now doing in Hungary. Nor is it likely
to be given the important Foreign Min
istry, from which it could act as a
stooge for the Communist bloc in inter-
pational ORGANIZATIONS
X ~
The implications of predominantly
Socialist French government are great
for the Western democracies and for
their stand against Communists attempts
to force the world to function on their
pattern 1t was as much to strengthen
support for the Socialist Party in France
as for anything else that Mr.. Blum
journeyed to London.
We can soon speak Of France as one
of the Western democracies and have
no mental reservations as to the sound
ness of her democratic structure. Italy
now is witnessing perhaps the start of
a virile campaign against communism,
whose leader is Palmiro Togliatti. The
French Reds may now have passed the
high tide of their power in France. In
Britain, anticommunism is strong. So
cialism everywhere in Europe has taken
on new significance as bulwark against
rampant communism.
Evening star., 1947-01-16
The Little Creatures Sleep
The little creatures sleep

The little creatures sleep
The long 1Dinter through;
They haze no tryst to keep;
They hare no 1Cork to do.
They lie too deep for sound
To reach like seeping rain;
Wind, the botsterous hound,
May bay and bay in pain.
Hunger iUiu not gnaw
The ,Doodctuck in its hole
Nor can the red for's clatC
Unearth the gentle mole.
Skunk and chipn1unk knoaD
The appointed hour for sleep;
Secure beneath the snotD,
Their dreams are dark ana deep
HARRY EMORE HURD.
Evening star., 1947-01-16

Governor Arnall, has already moved
in that direction. Most certainly
the dispute is not one which can
be settled by the competing factions,
and for them to keep on as they
have been going is to invite not only
the contempt of the rest of the
country, but possibly serious trouble
within the State.
Evening star., 1947-01-16

Personal Recollection of Slasher
To the Editor of The Star:
i was much interested in the article
published in your paper of January IL,
1916, reviving the incidents relative to
Jack the Slasher, under the heading of
"Slasher of Yesterday"
Inasn1uch as some doubt was expressed
as to the date, !, as one Of his VIC
tins. would like to supply the time and
occasion of his activities.
I was married In August, 1899, and
my husband and I went to Richmond
to live. In October, 1899, big cele-
bration was held in Washington to
honor Admiral George Dewey of Span
ish American War fame, and returned
to Washington for the occasion.
The city was filled with visitors, and
on the day of the big parade many
ladies had their dresses cut. I dis
covered during the day that my hand
some gray travelling suit had a clean
cut in the skirt or inches long, and
The Star later published the facts OF
Jacks numerous activities. My hus-
band, to tease me, jokingly told friends
that I already had forgiven the Slasher,
inasmuch as The Star reported his VIC
tins all were attractive and we'll dressed
ladies' and this joke is spoken of to this
day in the family.
A SUBSCRIBER.
Evening star., 1947-01-16

Things are all mixed up these days.
Caucasians in this country have
taken to Indian moccasins in
big way while. judging from news
pictures, about half the Indians
are wearing white canvas tennis
sneakers.
Evening star., 1947-01-16
Hollywood
Prom the Ottawa Citizen.

In the very stuff OF drama on which
Hollywood prides itself it has so departed
from reality that 1t no longer can make
use Of 1t. On the other hand, the Rus
SLAMS seek their pictures In life and its
endless reactions-plus, Of course, q little
propaganda now and then-and refer
contemptuously TO Hollywood and its re.
petitive fantasias as hollywood
Evening star., 1947-01-16

gave him on his departure from the
city in the spring Of 1898. As the
late Commissioner Melvin Hazen re-
marked at that banquet, the "monu-
ments" which General Sultan Gre
ated in Washington in the way of
public works will be lasting testi-
monial to his vision and to his devo-
ton to the city he "tried hard" to
serve and make better.
Evening star., 1947-01-16

Experiments are being conducted
that may lead to new breed of hens
which lay double eggs. This will be
of little help, however, unless these
same experiments will produce a
breed of hen owners who won't
charge double price.