davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1948-03-19
Rediscoverinq the Harp

A group OF music lovers assembled in
P1ccadilly, London, recently heard the
harmonious sounds of harp played at
the funeral of British king thirteen hun
dred years ago. The instrument was found
IN buried ship, uncovered at Sutton Hoo
in Suffolk in 1899. It's condition when dis
covered was that Of "a handful Of frag-
ments of wood" But archaeologists iden-
titled the frame, pegs and other parts,
and craftsman at Haslemere made a
playable reconstruction" which, when
demonstrated before meeting of the So
ciety OF Antiquaries, aroused interest
throughout England.
II the enthusiasm thus created were to
take the form of increased study and use
of the harp. 1t would be helpful force,
indeed. No other musical invention of
man has longer or nobler history. Amer
leans who have visited Egypt and seen
with their ewn eyes the wall decorations
Evening star., 1948-03-19

ing ever since We day to drive the whole
Of Europe behind the iron curtain.
Accordingly, even though the veto can
block any move to restore freedom to
Czechoslovakia at this time, the Councils
dealing with the issue can be of great
value in educating independent peoples
everywhere to the nature of the threat
posed by the Russians and their inf1ltrating
agents. The men of the Kremlin can
hardly welcome exposure through trial
of this kind. AS never before, they have
been placed on the moral defensive. What
remains to be seen is whether they feel
sure enough of themselves to keep on
brazening things out even at the risk of
having the Soviet Union adiudged pariah
among nations and Of seeing most of the
world united against them. Put bluntly,
the question boils down to whether they
want peace or war
Evening star., 1948-03-19
The Coal Strike

II the statements of the contending
parties can be taken at face value, the
current coal strike stands as a dishearten-
Ing monument to the ineptitude of men.
The issue, or at least the stated issue,
concerns pensions for the miners. There
Is no dispute about pensions as such. The
men are entitled to them, and both the
producers and the union are committed
by agreement to provide them.
The dispute Is over details John L.
Lewis wants the pension fixed at $1OO
a month, and he wants it now. The mine
operators say that the pension fund, which
has been built up under the fermentation
royalty plan contained in the present
contract, is not adequate to meet such
payments.
Thus, the real issue would seem to come
down to simple question Of fact. Mr..
Lewis is represented as not being desirous
OF bankrupting the pension fund. The
operators indicate their willingness to pay
pensions within the limitations of the
fund. So it would seem that an obvious
preliminary step In settlement of the
strike would be to sit down and determine
on an actuarial basis how many miners
are eligible for pensions, how many would
apply for them and in what amounts they
could be paid within the fund.
Once these facts have been ascertained
1t ought to be simple matter to settle
the strike, If the present positions of the
parties have been taken in good faith. And
II they have not been taken in good faith
the sooner that fact is established the
better it will be.
Evening star., 1948-03-19

N'r' Mil $500 ssS2s Sass 's s.ssz2" .ns1p2 yes '''
Aser. 5. 900 .4s to 80 sssIYss ssz Is 8 no no
6os "a. IT.
Streets. curbs and cutters make the differ
snce between an inaccessible mudhole and .
well drained homesite that family car, bus,
taxi, or even an ambulance can reach.
Obviously the buyers Of these special homes
will have to pay the full price to have this
construction bettered eventually and building
a street after tenants arrive is q messy job
for all concerned.
The single bedroom bIthely offered by the
WHBA is scarcely adequate for the average
veteran who needs to buy home. Many
veterans have been married for several years,
and evidently the birth rate in veterans
families must be little higher than in the
families of the gentlemen who eoncocted this
dream house.
AS for expanding" the home (such q lovely,
painless phraseD, where are we to find the
time after working at our jobs in the daytime
and, as some OF us do going to school at
night? Where are we going to find the money
after making our monthly payments on what
we have? Furthermore, with big time con-
tractors buying all the available materials,
just where would we find lumber, nails, siding,
roofing and other supplies for our puny
individual construction?
The Viers Mill Village project seems to offer
twice the advantages of the veterans special
of the WHBA; yet the price of Viers Mill
home is only so per cent more than the $4,000
price tag of the WHBA. Congress is investi-
eating Viers Mill for proiteering and low
values. Why doesn't some one tell the in
vestigating committee about the "self-sacriic-
ing spirit exhibited by the WHBA?
MR.. AND MRS. G. g. DECKER
Evening star., 1948-03-19
Russiu on Trial

BY It's overwhelming vote in favor OF
dealing with the Czech coup, the United
Nations Security Council has decided, in
effect, to put the Soviet Union on trial
before the bar of world opinion. OF course,
since the men of the Kremlin can veto any
concrete action to undo the evil that has
been done already, the trial itself may
amount to little more than the kind Of
moral pressure that has made no impres-
sion ON them heretofore. This time, how
ever, the pressure promises to be excep-
tionally strong-enough so, possibly, to
sober them.
At any rate, the Councils decision means
that there will be full international air.
ing of the complaint lodged against Russia
by the government of Chile on the strength
of charges made originally by DR.. Jan
Papanek, CzechoSlovakias ousted chief
delegate to the U. N. The charges are Cd
that the coup by the Communist minority
succeeded only because it was backed by
Moscow and by the threatened use OF
Soviet force, however indirect; (0 that
the new regime in Prague is an illegitimate
tool Of the U. S. S. R., and (3) that the
resulting situation is Of q kind likely to
threaten the peace.
In bitterly opposing the Councils con-
dderation Of these charges, the Soviet
Union-through Andrei Gromyko and its
Ukrainian delegate-has done the pre-
dicted thing. In typicaly abusive Ian
guage. it has rallied against "warmongers"
and the yellow press in America, libeled
DR.. Papanek as traitor" and insulted
Chile as a no-account country acting as
the 'puppet" and "lackey" of outside
powers, meaning particularly the United
States It's big point-an argument carry
ing hypocrisy to new extreme-is that
the members of the u N. will be interven-
Ing In Czechoslovakia's internal affairs, in
violation of the Charter, if they inquire
into what Russia has had to do with the
MISUNDERSTANDING Czech coup.
But only Mr.. Gromyko and the Ukrainian
delegate have voted in keeping with what
the Kren1lin has told them to preach. AS
for the rest OF the Council, all nine men,
bers-in showdown mood-have come out
in vigorous support of considering Chile's
and DR.. Papanek's charges. Technically,
because the traitorous Czech Communists
tried hard to make their subversion seem
legal and because the Russians were care
full to move as indirectly as possible be-
hind the scenes of the coup, the charges
may be difficult to prove. But complete
airing of them should have at least this
virtue: It should serve to focus the white
light of world publicity on the ruthless,
Trojan-horse technique that Moscow and
Its revived" Comintern have been employ
Evening star., 1948-03-19
Why the Druft Is Needed

otcIeGdTy MdTSndll QeSlCancy IN making
public the alarming facts about the weak
state of our national defenses Is under
standable. The figures he gave the Senate
Armed Services Committee make it plain
that, regardless of what Congress may do
about universal military training, tenn
porary revival of selective service Is our
only real hope of quickly restoring our
military strength to meet the growing
threat of war. He succinctly described the
Army as "a hollow shell"
The difference between the draft and
the UNIT program should be clearly under
stood by those who would fairly weigh the
merits OF the two systems. Draftees would
be inducted at once into the armed forces
for combat training and for active mill
tary service. Youths drawn for universal
military training would not be a part of
the military establishment and would not
be subject to call except in time of war or
proclaimed national emergency Obvi-
ously, UNIT would provide no relief for
the plight in which the Army, the Air
Force and the Navy find themselves today
as result Of rnanpower shortages
Despite relentless struggle to Offset, by
voluntary recruiting methods, the blight
Ing effects OF too-rapid rehabilitation, the
three services remain dangerously under
manned. Defense Secretary Forrestal told
the committee there is immediate need for
$4,000 men to bring our military estab-
ltshment to authorized minimum strength.
Our Army shell" Is thin one, touching
occupational areas in Europe and Asia.
So thin Is this shell that in Korea, for
example, only $4,000 troops are on guard,
despite pleas of the American commander
for more than twice that number. The
core of our Army in the United States has
dwindled to a bare two and half divi-
sions Of striking power.
If war with Russia broke out tomorrow.
our troops abroad would be hopelessly out
numbered and overrun. And war tonor-
row or the next day Is a risk that must
be considered and planned for, If we are
to give our boys reasonable assurance
against one or more Bataans, Russian
style. Can the American people afford to
ignore these perils confronting their sons
and husbands and relatives abroad?
To ignore the risks is to encourage
further "cold-war" aggression by the crafty
strategists OF the Kremlin To face up to
them with show of strength is to serve
the sort OF warning that they understand
and which is most likely to give them
pause. Nothing would 50 upset their schem-
Ing as an immediate reinstitution of the
draft and consequent rebuilding Of our
military might within and extending to the
hollow shell Of our present forces abroad.
This Is the urgent task to which Congress
should give priority. The long g-range train
ing program can safely be considered as
supplementary step.
Evening star., 1948-03-19

OF the temples and palaces of the Valley
OF the Nile will remember the frequency
with which the six-stringed sickle shaped
"harpa" was represented. Yet the Egyp-
tians never claimed that specific instru-
ment as their own production On the
contrary, they referred to 1T as being OF
foreign origin. Seemingly it was old be-
fore the earliest pharoahs reigned.-
The King James version of the Hebrew
Scriptures credits Jubal, the first son of
Lamech and Adah, as "the father OF all
such as handle the harp" but 1t is not
clear that the word "kinnor" is correctly
translated. "Nebel" appears to denote the
harp Of ancient Babylon. In the time of
Josephus, it had twelve strings. Usually
the framework was decorated artistically
This may have been the custom because
the harp was employed especially for re-
ligious music. A certain reverence char
acterized it everywhere in the eastern Med
iterranean area.
Meanwhile, the "barbarians" to the
North and West also conceded the harp
"a prominent place" and harpists peculiar
veneration and distinction" Gaelic and
Cymric folklore abounds with mention Of
the instrument. German and Anglo-Sax-
on manuscripts Of the Ninth Century show
it developed into an approximation Of the
modern form. A Tirolese master in the
1600's made semitones feasible by system
of hooks; Bavarian in 1720 added pedals
for mechanical stopping; and Sebastian
Erard perfected the prevailing double-ac-
tiOy, achaoicno off foSau IN 1911
Notwithstanding these improvements,
however, and the great beauty of tone the
harp possesses, the domestic use of 1t in
modern times has almost disappeared"
says the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Per-
haps the current interest of people in Eng
land in their reconstructed Saxon instru-
ment may start new vogue both there
and in America.
Evening star., 1948-03-19
The Lost LuIIuby

The singing of lullabies is pretty much a
lost art in this country. The point Is
brought TO mind by news Of the death of
Mrs David Damrosch Names in New York
the other day. She had strong views on
the subject, and more than once In her
long and distinguished musical career she
tried to do something about it. But the
deficiency still exists, and America seems
the poorer for 1t.
Just what can be done to improve the
situation Is hard to say. BY and large
either because they have an inferiority
complex about their voices, or because they
are always on the go, or because they have
been discouraged by child psychologists
American mothers seem definitely dis
inclined to sing to their young ones. AS
Mrs. Names once declared, they are
mute, whereas the European mother,
singing folk tunes, lullabies and nursery
rhymes gives the infant the finest and
most natural familiarity with music" The
modern American baby on the other hand,
goes to bed to the tune of some nursery
phonograph record or radio rockabye-a
canned, chronological substitute that ap-
parently Is here to stay
In fairness to nonsinging mothers, how
ever, it should be added that the substitute
seems to satisfy the average infant. He
does not miss something he has never
heard; he gets along all right with the
lullabies that come to him from the wax
or plastic platter. Still, the adult senti-
mentalist must deplore the situation, feel
ing that nothing can be so good as the
genuine article sung from the maternal
heart. Mrs. Names espoused fine cause;
too bad it has not made more headway In
our distracted, technology ridden age.
Evening star., 1948-03-19
Tuxinq and Spending

As Joint subcommittee began hearings
yesterday on the Districts money prob
lem, this was the refrain: Before we
vote any new taxes, suppose we see what
can be done about cutting down expendi-
lures.
That is fine. The Board of Trades
Municipal Finance Committee is already
questioning the need for the 935 new Jobs
carried in the pending budget. This sub
committee, which must decide about
amending the local tax laws to raise more
money, may find other things to question.
But suppose it does? The subcommittee
now considering the sales tax has nothing
to say about the budget. The budget is
before another subcommittee. And while
such division Of authority-one committee
deciding how to raise money, another
deciding how to spend its traditional
In Congress, 1t is unfortunate that the
two functions cannot be combined in gov
erning the District of Columbia.
A Joint committee on the District OF
Columbia in charge of legislation as well
as appropriations would make for better
local government. Time after time we see
local legislation, which calls for spending
more money, under consideration by the
legislative committees at the very time
when the appropriations committees are
yelling bloody murder over the size of the
District budget.
We have a big one this year-the big
sest on record But the fiscal committee
In charge of raising taxes can only talk
about cutting 1t down. That Job will be
performed, If it can be performed, by an
appropriations subcommittee which had
nothing to do with creating the jobs for
which 1t must now supply the salaries.
AS for the budget this year, it calls for
spending about six million more dollars,
than existing taxes will produce. A sales
tax is undoubtedly necessary as substi-
tute for the unfair personal income tax
that hits only $4,000 out Of the 100000
local residents who should pay 1t.
Congress has repeatedly declined to en-
set really workable and fair local income
tax. The outrageous law now on the books
should be repealed and o sales tax substi-
tuted. For the sales tax is the only method
left Of producing the money to balance the
budget
In the meantime any suggestions from
the fiscal subcommittee on how to reduce
the local budget will be gratefully received.
Evening star., 1948-03-19
Orchestra Held Needed
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
As chairman Of the Public School Commit
tee for the National Symphony Orchestra,
would like to express what seems to be the
general attitude Of my committee at this Pc
Rod Of evaluation.
We wish the National Symphony Orchestra
to continue We have benefited for II years
from having our own Symphony. We are in
urgent need of the cultural opportunities given
the public schools by the National Symphony
Student Concert Series.
Also, We consider that DR.. Hans Kinder has
achieved . splendid objective for Our city in
developing an orchestra which ranks with the
best in our country.
We have confidence IN the Board of Direc-
tors and wish to cooperate with them to main
tain the National Symphony Orchestra.
CECILIA p. DUIH.
Evening star., 1948-03-19
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdceDell

Washington bird lovers are getting ready for
the migrating species
Food for them, houses for them
These are the chief things to keep in mind
Wood thrushes come late in April, preceded
by the catbrds
Robins already are here.
House wrens appear sometime early In May
and the Baltimore orioles the same.
Most OF these will eat raisins, apples and
bread.
A little coconut cake Is excellent
Shallow bowls Of water make big hits
with the warblers flying through.
Such little pools should be not more than
2 inches deep.
If sunk in the ground, that pAsasss the
birds most.
Food may be placed ct a given spot on the
lawn, preferably in the rear Of the house.
Such food may not be visible to the human
eye, but one can feel sure that the birds eyes
see it.
Next to food and water, the birds coming
here after the winter like houses to live in.
Just some Of them of course.
Not all birds use man-made houses, by any
means; the trees and shrubs do nicely as
nesting places for the majority.
There are four houses, however, that may be
made for an average yard.
They are for bluebrds wrens, crested fly
catchers and f1ickers
The bluebird house Is general favorite, and
even the smallest place can have this one, and
the box for Jenny Wren.
The bluebird house Is made from soft wood
according to the following plan:
Floor, by inches depth, inches; diam
eter of entrance hole, 1a inches; height Of
hole above floor. inches; height Of box above
ground, to 10 feet.
The wren house is made as follows:
Floor, 4 by inches; depth, to 8 inches;
entrance, inch in diameter; hole above floor
5 to inches; height above ground, 5 to 10
feet.
The crested fycatcher house:
Floor, by inches; depth, 8 to 10 inches;
diameter of entrance, 2 inches, and height
above ground, to 20 feet; height of entrance
above floor, inches.
The flicker house:
Floor, by inches; depth, 16 to 18 inches;
diameter Of entrance, 3 inches; hole above
floor, IA to 1e inches: height above ground
to 20 feet.
It must be realized that Just because one
builds house and calls 1t crested f1ycatcher
house" that does not mean that this bird
and this one alone will take It,
Nor does it mean that any bird at ali Will
necessarily take it.
We build them, usually paint them and put
them up according to direction, but the rest
Is in the hands Of nature.
Squirrels often take to the houses with the
largest entrances
robin bracket is good one to build.
1t is just shelf, put about 10 to Is feet high
In tree.
The floor may be made about by inches
with roof 8 inches above. This bracket may
have a roof but no sides. Robins do not like
to feel fenced in.
Posts may be put at the front, to hold the
roof up, or the roof may be held with sloping
side bars.
Do not make the sides solid
Our experience is that the robin is the least
likely Of all our birds to accept ready made
nesting site, but at any rata Il Makas o novel
addition % the average yaRd
Evening star., 1948-03-19
Tolerance in the South

To the Editor of The Star:
Senator Byrd is unduly fearful over the is
sue Of civil rights. II the United States can
protect the rights Of its citizens abroad. why
not within State at home? Granted, as
Senator Byrd says, that there are fewer cases
of lynching; yet the threat Of lynching still
hangs heavy over the heads Of Negroes in
many communities. Have we forgotten the
horrible mass murder Of four innocent men
and women in Mississippi about two years
ago? All the forces of the FBI could not
discover single lyncher.
When the Supreme Court outlawed Jim
Grow bus travel, some, like Senator Byrd. pre-
dicted dire results. But not single incident
of untoward conduct has resulted. Intelligent
Southern people are just as anxious to prove
democracy can work in the South as they
are willing to support the Marshall Plan or any
other plan to get democracy working in foreign
lands. e. B. HENDERSON.
Evening star., 1948-03-19
AppleWood

These boughs that sting together In lyric
fame
Within our fireplace, sang once to the
sky:
When springttme Hped q beauty beyond
name,
They filled the hol1o,oed air Utth
s,oeet cry;
This Dood that shtuers and breaks to
crumbHng ash,
Ephemeral as q shddotD, once held totde
A budding glory, bursting like rash
OF fragrant Whtte and ptnkness,
blosson,-eyed.
These dreams conjured by Aptng, singing
fire
Mav be no sweeter than many come
before,
And appleUood In fame cannot inspire
More gently than could birch o,
sycamore,
But apple boughs that burned In ptak
and Dhtte
Haue proudly cropned their length ptth
fame tonight.
JANE MORRISON.
Evening star., 1948-03-19
Praises WAVES Services
To the Editor Of The Star:


At first was only mildly moved by the letters
(such as that which appeared on March II
signed Navy Man, distorting the truth and
destroying hopes for the passage Of regular
WAVE bill. However. after reading the article
written by william j. Wheatley, feel that the
other side of the story should be presented.
No mention has been made Of the valuable
service performed by American girls serving
as WAVES during the war. have served over
AZ years in the United States Navy, as an en-
listed man and as an officer, and publicly state
my praise of the outstanding work accom-
plished by our enlisted and commissioned
WAVE personnel.
The peacetime Navy is supposed to be we'll
trained nucleus, composed of all the essential
elements which rapidly can be expanded in an
emergency into fighting force. 1t is obvious
that war no longer is just q mans job; the air.
plane and the atomic bomb do not recognize
sex. It is certain. therefore, In the event Of
another war; women again would be expected
to serve their country. Why. then, should not
. group Of women be retained on the active
list in order TO give continuity and shape to
the duties which they would have to accom-
plish upon mobilization of the armed forces?
It would appear that the opposition to the
WAVE bill is led mainly by men who are more
interested in retaining their present rank or
rating in shore billets, than in the security OF
the Nation. I, for one am tired OF this throat
cutting If some of those who are antagonistic
to the WAVES would spend less time peddling
false and misleading statements about the
girls in blue" and more time doing seaman-
like work, we would have more efficient Navy.
MAURITZ M. NELSON,
Lieut.. Comdr U. s. Navy (Ret)