davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-03-29

for any cause, of both President and
Vice President. He made this recon-
mendation during the last Congress-
when the Speaker was Democrat, Rep
resentative Rayburn of Texas. The
House at that time overwhelmingly
passed a bill for that purpose, with the
Democrats lined up for 1t practically
to a man. But the Senate let the
measure die, because Senators believed
that their President pro tempore should
hold precedence in the matter of presi-
Dental succession.
Ignoring the fact that If anything
happened to him, with both the House
and Senate now in control of the Re-
publicans, Republican would become
acting President, Mr.. Truman last Feb
ruary again sent a message to Congress
urging that the Speaker of the House
be next in line for the presidential
Office after Vice President.
His contention has always been that
the succession should go to an elected
Official and that one man, the man in
the White House at the time, should not
pick Chief Executive. He told Con-
gress fatty he did not think he should
"have the power to nominate my imme-
diate successor in the event of my own
death or inability to act"
The bill reported out by the Senate
Rules Committee appears destined to
pass both houses Of Congress, perhaps
with some minor modification. Since
Mr.. Truman has twice proposed such q
change in the law of presidential sue
cession, he will undoubtedly approve the
measure If it reaches him.
The old stumbling block-senatorial
desire to have one of their own number
hold precedence over the. Speaker of
the House in the matter of presidential
succession-apparently has been re-
moved The present President pro tenn
pore of the Senate, Mr.. Vandenberg, is
perfectly willing to go along with the
new proposal Further, the bill has been
cleared with the Republican Policy
Steering Committee and is slated to be
given place in the program OF legisla-
tion for the Senate. Chairman Brooks
of the Rules Committee has expressed
belief the measure will be taken up at a
comparatively early date, and he be-
lieves its passage certain. What the
Democratic leadership will do about it
remains to be seen.
Majority Leader Halleck Of the House
says the bill will be put through the
House quickly, as soon as 1t has been
acted upon by the Senate "Just let
them send 1t to us, and we will take care
Of It," he said.
Evening star., 1947-03-29

ter of fact, he has gone completely ber-
serk and has identified those who be-
lieve in high tax rates on the upper in
come brackets as-no less-Commun-
lists.
All this would really be very funny if
the subject were not so deadly serious.
There can be little wonder that so many
OF our citizens have been enSnared by
Communistic doctrines. How can we ex-
pect The laborer, the farmer or the teach
er to be impressed by the Communist
menace when a respected columnist sees
no distinction between those who be-
Eeve in moderate steps to bring about
a better distribution of the goods of life
and those who advocate the overthrow
OF our Government by force and yio-
lence? If we call both the sheep and
the goats by the same name, how are
we going to keep them from mixing with
one another?
Mr.. Lawrence goes on to commend the
courageous Republicans" for their stand
on the tax question. He has reference,
I presume, to the proposal for a 20 per
cent across-the- board tax reduction.
This is the bill which would add little
more than 2 per cent to the income
of the man with $4,000 net income, and
which would add approximately IL per
cent to the income of the $25 5,OOO-per-
year man.
1t may be what Mr.. Lawrence calls
"demagoguery," but still believe that
the small income Garner deserves bet
ter break, especially in view of the fact
that the elimination of price control has
already cut his buying power by near
ly 20 per cent? BY the way. where did
Mr.. Lawrence stand on that issue?)
Somehow, seriously doubt that bare
subsistence income for the great mass
of our people will contribute to the pres
ervation of either individual incentive
or the free enterprise system. Contrary
to Mr.. LaWrences statement, commu-
nis,n has resulted only where the polit-
ical and economic overlords of society
vigorously that the great mass Of the
people found their lot intolerable. Many
of our most prominent economists have
expressed the view that the growing
concentration of wealth in the hands
of fewer and fewer of our citizens consti-
tutes the most serious of all threats to
our way of life.
If Mr.. Lawrence doesn't like the prin-
ciple of taxation based on ability to pay,
let him say so. He probably has good
reason. But let's not bring "commu-
nism" into this.
WILLIAM r. NUNLEY.
Evening star., 1947-03-29
The Political Mill ,
By Gould Lincoln

The Republican leadership in Con-
gress is finding time to do something
about the presidential Office as we'll as
taxes, Government expenditures and
labor legislation. Having engineered a
proposed amendment to the Constitu-
tion limiting a President to two terms
through both Houses and sent it to
the States for ratification, the Repub-
licans now are bent on changing the
law of succession to the presidential
ity or other disqualification Of Chief
Executive.
The Rules Committee of the Senate,
headed by Senator Brooks, Republican,
of Illinois has reported favorably bill
which would place in the White House
the Speaker OF the House of Represent
ativeS, in the event of the death of a
President and the Vice President who
had been elected with him. If the
Speaker failed to qualify, or died, then
the presidential mantle would fall upon
the President pro tempore of the Sem
ate. Should anything happen to that
gentleman, then the Secretary of State
would be next in line to serve as act
ing President, and then the other mem
bers of the cabinet, depending upon
the seniority of their Offices under the
law.
If this bill becomes law and Presi-
dent Truman should die or be disquali-
fed, Speaker Joe" Martin, a Repubs
lican from Massachusetts,, would be-
come acting President And a fatal
accident to Mr.. Martin would place in
the White House, Senator Vandenberg.
Republican, of Michigan, who is Presi-
dent pro tempore of the Upper House.
Either one ~of them, however, would
only remain acting President until the
expiration of the term Mr.. Truman Is
now serving, in January, 1949.
But it would put Republican in
the White House, at the head of the
executive branch of the Government.
Under the present law of succession, en-
acted in 1886, Secretary of State Mar
shall, would become acting President.
He is Democrat. This fact may ex-
plain the attitude of Democratic men,
bers of the Senate Rules Committee who
voted solidly against reporting the bill
fayorably.
However, President Truman, who
started the present agitation for a
change in the law of succession after
he had entered the White House on
the death of President Roosevelt, has
strongly recommended to Congress that
the Speaker of the House become acting
President In the event OF the removal,
Evening star., 1947-03-29
British Labor ChuIIenoe

1t is staggering task which the
British Labor Government has
handed to Sir Edwin Plowden, newly
appointed commander In chief of
the fateful economic battle of
Britain" And the task will be made
no easier by the nonco-o Operative
attitude already being evidenced by
that so-called backbone of the Labor
Government, the Trade Union Con-
gress.
If ever there was need in England
for all-out sacrifice and all-out
unity against common foe, the
developing economic crisis faced by
postwar Britain provides the occa-
sion. The gravity of the crisis, ag-'
gravated as it has been by the furies
of a bitter winter, were outlined
recently in government white
paper. This pronouncement called
on every element of the British
economy to join in supporting whole
heartedly the continuance of ration
ing, stringent control of manpower
and materials, conservation of i'm
ports and other self-denying meas
ures for mutual salvation of the
people. Special emphasis, signifi-
cantly, was given a plea that work.
ers forgo demands for increased
leisure.
Despite the urgency of the Gov
ernment's plea, however, the TUG
has served notice that it will con-
tinue it's drive for a shorter work
week. This poses a supreme test for
a Government which largely owes
its existence to the organization
which now, in effect, defes it. For
tunately, Sir Edwin has faced other
crises and has overcome them
through his talents for industrial
mobilization. His dominating de-
termination and infectious energy
have been credited with producing
the flow of planes which enabled
the RAF to win another battle of
Britain. He will need all his native
talents, and all his experience of
war years in dealing with men on
the production lines, to win this
latest battle.
Evening star., 1947-03-29
Reds in the Open

Two much-publicized witnesses
before the House Committee on
Un-American Activities have thrown
serious doubt on the wisdom of
Labor. Secretary Schwellenbachs
proposal that the Communist Party
be outlaWed in this country. Anom-
alously enough, they are on opposite
sides of the party-line fence. They
are J. Edgar Hoover, director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation and
arch-enemy of communism, and
Eugene Dennis, general secretary of
the Communist Party of the United
States.
Mr.. Hoover expressed fear that
outlawing the Communist Party
would serve to "martyrize" it and
drive it underground, so that it
would be more difficult to ferret out
and deal with. But Mr.. Dennis did
not even have to testify to convince
many persons that some Commu-
nists, at least, are less dangerous in
the open than in disguise. All that
he had to do was to behave like
a Communist before a congressional
committee-which he proceeded to
do forthwith and fervently.
Not that communistic disrespect
for a committee of Congress is to
be condoned, either on the part of
Secretary Dennis or any of his
peculiar comrades. The fact remains,
however, that Mr.. Dennis uninten-
tionally presented to Congress and
later to newspapermen at so-called
press conference sterling example
of how silly and how harmless some
Communists can be by merely being
themselves in public. Unfortunately,
not all Communists are as stupid in
their public appearances as Mr..
Dennis seems to be.
Nor are Communists driven under
ground-as they were in Canada
SO silly, as a rule, or so harmless.
Canada found that out, to her
CONSERVATION. Outlawed in 1910,
the Communist Party of Canada
disappeared as such, with it's leaders.
In its place there came into being
the Labor Progressive Party" one
of the leaders of which, Fred Rose,
succeeded in getting himself elected
to Parliament. 1t was this Member
of Parliament who helped to organ
ize the Russian spy ring in Ottawa,
members of which infiltrated into
secret government Offices and lab
oratories during the war. The
Canadian Royal Commission found
that Rose and many other Com
munists and Communist sympa-
thizers had continued their activi-
ties in falsely labeled organizations
and under numerous pseudonyms.
1t is to be hoped that American
Communists will be encouraged to
do their campaigning in the open.
And If they all act as Mr.. Dennis did
the other day, the job of the F'BI will
be a lot easier.
Evening star., 1947-03-29
To Lift Europe From Despair
rom the st. Louis Post-Dispatch

from the ST. Louis PoSt-DiSpatch.
A thousand obstacles-political racial
and ideological-to the creation of a
United States of Europe spring instantly
into the practical mind. But how pre-
cious are the prejudices and hatreds OF
Europe, compared to plan that could
lift the Continent from morass OF
despair?
World crises like the present one de-
mand more than practically. They re-
quire vision, imagination and heroic
boldness. No accomplishment could be
more satisfying than to see this old and
bloody continent, which has seen so
much misery through the centuries,
united, peaceful and arrayed to achieve
the full promise of its cultural past.
Let those who call themselves states
men prick themselves awake with the
sharp nettles of necessity and rise to
the roles to which history calls them.
Or If it is not in them to react with
verve and vision, let them band to-
gether and act, as Kipling said, from
common funk" Like the famous advice
Benjamin Franklin gave to the Amert-
can colonies, for Europe 1t is a case OF
"Join-or die"
Evening star., 1947-03-29

sion at this time would do to our national
debt 1t might divert the attention of
Congress away from the Communists!
Mr.. Bellenger's precautionary meas
ures remind me of Caspar Milquetoasts
caution a few years ago. He insisted
that the salesgirl give him toothbrush
with green handle because he must
never let it be said of him that he had
pink toothbrush"
Perhaps we should remove the red
stripes from our flag
The world is such an interesting place
in which to live. I'd rather live in it
than any place I know.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND,
On Hawai's Status
To the Editor Of The Star
In The Star on March 8, there ap-
peared letter signed "F. H. p" The
writer Of the letter indicates amazement
at the recommendation Secretary Krug
made in speech to the Territorial
Legislature in~ Honolulu, in which he
told the Hawaiian people of Hawaii's
readiness for statehood.
Although it is perfectly within the
right of IF. H. P" to differ with Mr..
Krug in connection with Hawaii's readi-
ness for statehood, it seems that ''F H.
P's' understanding of Hawaii may be
in error in one particular point. He
indicates that he is opposed to sharing
this country with even one more immi-
grant or taking any more territory and
giving the subjects citizenship in this
country"
should like to call to the attention of
"F. H. p" that Hawaii for nearly so
Evening star., 1947-03-29
Oyertones

,Dho hare roan,ed this land for louing
years
And kno,o each grotto like my cottage
door,
Haze found there's not path I n,up
explore
That stretches ttice the same to eyes or
ears.
Strange, NTH an alien grace, the f.,
appears
That marked my trail a thousand
times before;
While the green boulder ON the canyon
floor
Looks freshly retinued ,oith terny spears
Then, on the most familiar peak on
stream,
Suddenly, In neto revealing light,
What nnsuspected forms and flashes
gleami
Only by sight, OF many seasons sight
Ons fully sees the oak, the fnches
flight,
Or penetrates the redpood's noondas
dream.
STANTON A. coBLENTz.
Evening star., 1947-03-29

BY contrast, prominence is given to
numerous foreign paintings of ques-
tionable merit. For instance, in the
English school there is large land
scape by Constable which high school
sophomore with good whitewash brush
might equal. (How it contrasts with the
two real Constable masterpieces also
there.) In gallery ss hangs Rocks in
the Forest" by Corot, which is about
as significant as the average magazine
ad. Corot himself would smile with
cynical amusement to see his after
moons diversion thus exalted.
As for French moderns, the place
reeks. In galley SO is sampls called
the House Of Pere Lacroix" which, if
the name Cezanne were rubbed out,
would not fetch nor be worth 90 cents
at any art store. 1t Is, in Roossvelt's
language, utterly banal. And as for
the two so-called portraits" by Cezanne,
one of his son and the other of Louis
Gulllaume, to which places of honor
are given-no intelligent farmer would
hang either one in his henhouse.
Must we, in this stately national
shrine, stare at foreign names" ire
spective of the worth of the work? Why
not little less of this and a little more
display of really meritorious American
work?
While on this querulous tack, might
mention incidentally another obnoxious
feature of the National Gallery-namely,
the policemen. There are enough Of
them actually to police a city of $4,000
people, and they are trained to stalk
you INCREASINGLY, until you have feel
ing OF guilt at being in the place. If
Congress wants to cut down the Federal
payroll, right there is where the budget
can be pretty nearly balanced at one
stroke. A. BENJAMIN.
Evening star., 1947-03-29
Cyprus Again

The systematic boycotting of the
reception to the new British gov
ernor by the Greek majority of the
population of Cyprus draws atten-
tion to a nationalistic movement
which has been simmering chroni-
cally for half century. This is the
perennial agitation of the Greek
element in Cyprus for union with
Greece itself
Cyprus is an elongated island of
considerable size which lies in the
extreme Eastern Mediterranean,
plugging the blight of sea between
Asia Minor and Syria. Colonized by
Greeks far back in antiquity, it has
formed part of the Hellenic world in
the cultural and religious sense
throughout historic times, though
conquered by the Ottoman Empire
in the sixteenth century. It's con-
nection with Britain dates from the
great diplomatic crisis of the 1870s,
when the Sultan granted occupa-
tional rights to the British as a base
of operations against Russia at a
time when Britain was determined
to resist Russian efforts to dominate
Turkey.
The Importance of Cyprus as
strategic link in Britain's dominance
of the Mediterranean was soon en-
HANGED by it's requirement of a vir-
tual protectorate over Egypt and the
Suez Canal in the 1906. Occu-
pational rights over Cyprus were
converted into full sovereignty when
Turkey Joined the Central Powers
against Britain in World War I.
Meanwhile, however, the Greek ma
Jorlty in Cyprus had been stirred by
a desire to unite with the historic
homeland, following the example of
Crete, which had shaken off Turkish
rule a decade before. Early in the
war, Britain went so far as to offer
Cyprus to Greece If the latter would
enter the struggle against Turkey
and the Central Powers, but the re-
solve of King Constantine to. keep
his country neutral lost Greece that
opportunity.
Cyprus strategic value was again
demonstrated in World War II,
especially in the age of air power,
and it has now become a main bas-
ton for Britain at a time when it's
hold over the rest of the Near and
Middle East is obviously weakening.
But Greek nationalist agitation has
likewise become more intense. On
the other hand, the Moslem minor
ity, numbering about one-quarter of
the islands approximately 100000
population, strongly supports the
British connection. This minority is
Turkish in sentiment, but realizes
that union with Turkey is imprac-
ticable. So it much prefers British
to Greek rule.
The reunion of Cyprus to Greece
has played part in radical propa-
ganda within Greece itself, the OBJ
1ect being to arouse antagonism to
Britain and distract attention from
Greek Communist complaisance
toward the designs of Communist
dominated Balkan neighbors on
Greek Macedonia and Thrace. Un-
der present circumstances, this
propaganda has not gotten very far
Yet it is minor irritant which must
be considered as factor in the gen.
eral Near Eastern situation.
Evening star., 1947-03-29
Greed for Public Workers

Governor DeWey'S memorandum
approving the New York State legis-
lation outlawing strikes by public
employees constitutes a creed for
civil service workers that deserves
to be posted prominently in every
governmental establishment Fed
eral, State or municipal.
In signing what he described as
the moderate but firm" antistrike
measure, Governor Dewey laid down
the persuasive principle that in
Government of, by and for the peo-
pie, a strike against the Govern
ment is nothing less than a strike
against the people, the illogic and
dangers of which should be apparent
to any fair-minded citizen. He
pointed out that there is no rational
basis for comparing the right to
strike against private industry with
any assumed right" to strike against
a public agency.
In support of this thesis the New
York Governor listed these funda-
mental tenetS: First, public service
Is a public trust" undertaken on
behalf of all the people-a trust
which cannot be evaded or sus-
pended or otherwise nullifed by
arbitrary action of public servants:
second, the people, being the EN-.
ployers of public servant, Cannot
tolerate an attack upon themselves;
third, the employer of public
servant differs from the private en-
ployer in that the public employer
cannot profit from depressed con-
ditions of employment which may
exist; fourth, the conditions of en-
ployment, including wages and
hours, are matters of public rec
ord" and, fifth, public employees
have proper redress for alleged
wrongs through their right of ap-
peal to the people, to administra-
tive officials and to legislative bodies
which they helped to elect.
The Governor summed it all up
this way: Paralysis of Government
is anarchy and in anarchy liberties
become useless. A strike against
Government would be successful
only II 1t could produce paralysis Of
Evening star., 1947-03-29
Letters to The Star From Its Readers
Why Teachers Leave SchooPonders Red Stripes in Flag
Chides National Gallery of Art-Of Poor Rich Men
Indicts Progressive Education

Indicts Progressive Education
To the Editor of The STAR
Mr.. r. B. G.'s letter in the March 25'
Star leads me to write in agreement.
We teachers agree with him and those
of us more than 80 years of age and most
OF the younger ones, know that this do
as you please" education is the real
cause of the teacher shortage!
Teaching is real Joy, and has many
advantages over other fields to which
teachers have focked. But Progress
sive Education" has made teaching i'm
possible much of the time. Added to
this is compulsory education" made
quately providing for the actual voca-
Evening star., 1947-03-29
Questions for Mr.. Weir
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
I wish I could enter into a discussion
of the long letter from Ernest Weir,
published in The Star, but I have only
the limited time for a few questions.
MI. Weir appears to believe that we
have IAN example not to enter road
which may lead to the same end as that
of the great British Empire"
Does he believe that the British En-
pire selected the road of two world
wars which caused her virtual destruc-
tion"-or that it was forced upon her
(the second time by weak appease-
ment policy such as now advocated by
Mr. Weir)?
Does he believe we sought entry into
World War II--or that it was forced
upon us by the Pearl Harbor treachery?
Does he really believe us "a weaker
nation today than ever before in our
Evening star., 1947-03-29
The Trumun MESSAGE

From the New York Herald Tribune
This is not challenge to war. It Is
q challenge to test and prove the relative
effectiveness, politically, economically
and socially, of the Russian and the
western systems. To accept the cfal-
lenge is not to invite war but to help
force the settlement which will prevent
one. There is no more danger of war
with Russia today than there was before
the message was delivered; indeed, there
is probably good deal less. That should
be the least of our worries. This coun-
try is strong enough to deal peaceably
and fairly with the Kremlin.
Evening star., 1947-03-29

Government. This no people can
permit and survive"
Governor Dewey's action in sign
ing the bill already is being at
tackled by some union spokesmen.
There are implied threats of politi-
cal retaliation. 1t is difficult to see
how any reasonable person, how
ever, can challenge effectively the
sound doctrine enunciated by the
Governor respecting the obligations
as we'll as the rights of those who
serve the Government.
Evening star., 1947-03-29
Slavery in Russia

Slavery in Russia
To the Editor of The Star:
After reading, In the current Read
er's Digest the account of human slav-
cry in Russia you not only wonder that
we ever question aid to Greece and Tur-
key, but you wonder that we ever sleep.
MABEL G.. BLISS.
Evening star., 1947-03-29

Please be brief. Short letters
are preferred, all are subject to
editing for condensation. Only
letters accompanied By name
and address of Uriter apill be
used, although pseudonym is
in some cases permissible.
Evening star., 1947-03-29

1t may be that the reason Richard
is reluctant to open that door is
that he is embarrassed because
Kilroy has not yet been there.
Evening star., 1947-03-29

British Laborites are accusing the
United States of an invasion of
Europe. Three years ago they were
congratulating us on it.