davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Virqiniu Primaries

About the only conclusion to be drawn
from the extraordinarily light vote in Vir-
ginia's primary elections yesterday is that
the voters in the Old Dominion are more
interested in the hot presidential contest
shaping up there than in routine nomina-
tions for lesser posts. 1t is evident from
the returns that Democratic and Republi-
can voters stayed away in droves. There
were recorded less than half the votes
cast in the last general election for the
State as a whole, and in Arlington the
combined Democratic and Republican total
was. less than the vote given Senator Byrd
in that election.
The chief surprise was the narrow mar
gin by which incumbent Representative
Howard w. Smith eked out a victory in his
own home town, Alexandria,, over Arthur
F. Souther, Arlington businessman. Alex
andria has heavy and well-organized
labor vote and labors campaign against
Mr. Smith proved effective. Jumped with
the union voters against the Eighth Dis
trict's outspoken foe of union boSsism and
the New Deal were many liberal-minded
Democrats who have bought homes in the
historic city in recent years. But Mr.
Smith and Senator Willis Robertson had
no trouble in piling up comfortable
lead over their opponents in the over
all contest.
A novelty in the Eighth District was
the Republicans primary, which resulted
in the selection of Newspaper Columpist
Tyrell Crum over Attorney Charles 70.
Pratt for the congressional seat held by
Representative Smith. The Republicans
mustered scarcely more than a thousand
votes in Arlington, as compared with more
than three times that number of Demo-
cratic votes in the parallel primary.
Strangely, few voters refused to declare
themselves as either Republican, or DEM
ocrats and left the polls forthwith.
The significance of these results, insofar
as the November election is concerned,
is not Immediately apparent. While Sen
ator Robertson had announced himself for
President Truman, Representative Smith
maintained complete silence. There were
no States rights issues to be resolved in
yesterdays primaries. The issues are
there, beneath the surface, however, and
many of the voters obviously preferred to
save their strength for the big battle in
November Then record turnout OF the
electorate may be expected.
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Senate Deadlock

Senate Republicans would do we'll to
take the opportunity presented to them in
party conference today to try to abolish
the poll tax by constitutional amendment
instead of by Federal statute.
Events of the past week have demon
strated they cannot pass repeal bin over
to stay in session for months, and there
is no apparent disposition to do that.
The alternative is to give the constitu-
tional amendment method tryout, or
admit to the country that they are help
less to dc anything this year.
Senator RUSSELL Democrat, of Georgia,
a leader among those who fear abolition
of the poll tax by act of Congress would
pave the way for complete Federal con-
troll of State elections, has indicated there
would be no long -drawn-out debate
against submitting the poll tax issue to
the States as constitutional amendment.
While it would take a two thirds vote
in Congress to submit an amendment and
three fourths of the States to ratify it,,
these hurdles look no higher today than
the stone wall of unlimited debate which
has the poll tax bill blocked in the Senate
Even if Senate rules could be amended
next January to limit debate and pass the
BILL its constitutionality undoubtedly
would be challenged. If, on the other
hand, the poll tax could be outlawed In
the few States that still require it by
amending the Constitution, the verdict
would be final and unassailable
What if it took several years to get the
required number of legislatures to ratify?
The advocates of repeal by act of Con-
gress have waited longer than that, and
still have no assurance of victory.
If the Republicans choose the alternative
of doing nothing, and pinning the blame
on division in Democratic ranks, they may
reap some temporary political advantage
in this years campaign by arguing that
it shows the need for electing a Republican
President and Congress.
But they should beware lest substan-
tial number of voters take different view,
namely, that the Republicans have had
control of Congress for nearly two years
without being able to pass any civil rights
legislation
In any event, repeal of the poll tax is
but fragment of the civil rights pro-
gram. If the Republican leaders could
dispose of it now, they would still have
plenty to do in January, trying to get
action on the fair employment practice
and the antilynch bills.
Evening star., 1948-08-04
The Army Wants q Soma

Come to think of it., it does seem strange
that the Army lacks an official marching
song OF it's own. 1t is not surprising that
the Army has decided to launch Nation
wide contest to find tune worthy of
becoming an overall Army song-as diff
ferentiated from songs of the various
arms or service, such as infantry, artillery,
ETC."
The Navy has its stirring Anchors
Aweigh," the Marines their familiar
"Montezuma" hymn and the Air Force its
wild Blue Yonder" song. But for march
ing songs the Army has only its "Caissons,"
dedicated to the Field Artillery; its "Kings
of the Highway" for the Infantry and
other less familiar songs for various
branches of the service. It also has, of
course, that popular veteran of two World
Wars, you're in the Army Now you're
Not Behind the Plow)," but the words of
this classic make it unsuitable for dress
parade purposes.
AS matter of fact, it will have to be a
mighty catchy song to shove you're in
the Army" into oblivion, in so far as the
average soldier or veteran is concerned.
Or to replace in popular esteem those first
World War products, "Oh, How I Hate to
Get Up in the Morning." and "Mademoi-
selle From Armentieres." The Army is
justified in trying the contest idea, how
ever, for it deserves to be on equal foot
ing, musically, with the Navy, Air Force
and Marines. And eventually, perhaps,
there will be contest for an overall
unification song, dedicated to the merged
National Military Establishment. The
time will be ripe for such a medley when
Secretary Forrestal finally achieves close
harmony among his still somewhat dis
cordant forces.
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Craftsmanship in the House

It is a wise and timely decision which
has brought a favorable report from the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs on
the bill for a $65,000,0OO loan to build a
permanent United Nations headquarters
in New York City on site already selected
and acquired.
The Senate has passed this bill. 1t
might have been approved before ad-
journment of the regular session in June.
But the House committee had incor-
porated the loan provision in another bill
which contained additional important
items relating to the United Nations and
our participation therein. There was not
time to take up that bill with any hope
of enactment in the regular session and
leadership policy barred it from the Spe-
cial session.
The resulting inaction was unfortunate
and might have exercised profound in
fiuence on the future of the United Nations
itself. AS Nation we were placed in the
position of having invited the United
Nations to select its permanent home in
this country and then of denying it the
means to make the selection stick. There
was the serious risk that the United Ma
tions might move elsewhere, to Geneva,
for example with resulting loss of prestige
to itself and of support by the people of
the United States and consequent injury
to the cause of world peace.
That prospect seems to be happily
averted now. The House Committee on
Foreign Affairs has taken statesmanlike
action to divorce the loan bill from the
rest of it's omnibus measure. House
leadership will bring it before the House
tomorrow or next day with the likelihood
of approving the loan, completing action
on the legislation and sending it to the
President. The loan will provide means
for beginning construction on the site
already donated by John D. Rockefeller
on which New York City is spending some
$13,OOO,0OO.
AS financial transaction the loan is
amply secured. AS an expression of our
sincerity and good will in making the
United Nations live and grow in strength,
with the complete support of the American
people, the loan had assumed the i'm
portance of a symbol. Its approval,
coming as 1t does at this particular time
and in the particular circumstances, will
carry significance far more valuable to
the cause of the United Nations than the
mere provision of an adequate head
quarters.
The other important provisions of the
House omnibus bill delayed for the consid-
Grafton of the Eighty-first Congress in
January can well afford to wait Our
delegation to the United Nations General
Assembly in Paris this fall, in the mean
time, can report with some pride that. the
United States has completed it's part of
the agreement to locate the United Nations
headquarters in New York
Evening star., 1948-08-04
William Cullen Bryant

efSeven in the evening q son born"
From the diary Of Bryant's mother)
she had neu dreams totthtn that per,siue
epenfng
After the lDelcomed coming of his birth,
For she had Dte,oed the ornaments bright
heaven
Adore the most high summit OF the earth.
She knew betrothal as golden circlet,
Yet In his natal daDning she had found
How constancy and beauty OF affection
Gently but all the more securely bound
She looked on innocence OF Hte,,s becinning
And saw the shintng tDonder OF hfes
span.
So distant seemed chill death and Its deep
shddoiO,
And lost to pision toas "the tomb OF man"
ROSE MYRA PHILLIPS.
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Archaeological Quest

FlOOd control, irrigation and hydro
electric projects sponsored by the Federal
Government are accelerating interest in
American archaeology. The Smithsonian
Institution has announced that scientists
working under its direction are exploring
the Savannah River basin in anticipation
of the building of Clark Hill Reservoir.
This means that considerable area in
Georgia and South Carolina is being
checked for evidence of pre-Columbian
and the Army Corps of Engineers are CO.
operating in the work. Thus far approx
mately one hundred and fifty sites have
been located. Some of them are COM
paratively recent Creek Indian deposits"
Others date back at least ten centuries
and represent aboriginals who practiced
the very earliest and crudest forms of
ceramic industry
When construction of the reservoir has
been completed, an artificial lake with
shoreline of a thousand miles will be
created. The sites it covers never can be
reached once they have been flooded.
Hence the Smithsonian groups anxiety to
explore them thoroughly-and soon. If
they contain artifacts worth excavating,
now Is the time to retrieve them. The
same principle applies to areas in Nebras-
ka, North and South Dakota, wyoming,
Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and the State
of Washington where survey parties made
up of agents of the Institution, the Park
Service the Bureau of Reclamation and
the Army Engineers are endeavoring to
discover and examine prehistoric Indian
settlements which also are threatened by
inundation. On Medicine Creek a tribu-
tary of the Republican River in Southern
Nebraska, an earth-lodge village is being
dug up It's age indicates that it was the
habitation of people who long preceded
the Cheyennes and Arapahos. Near Heart
Butte in North Dakota rock shelter has
been found adjacent to bone deposit
containing the remains of so many bison
that investigators are puzzled as to how
such large number were slaughtered.
Were they driven over cliff, were they
domesticated and butchered as needed
during successive decades or were they
assembled in the cemetery" by collabo-
rating tribes who brought them there in
single sweeping roundup? These are
snly few of the simplest questions raised
by the researches currently in progress.
The utility of the quest is obvious
Evening star., 1948-08-04
By THE HAsKIN SERVICE.

@. When George Washington was President
what was the average life span in the United
States?-M r. G.
A. In the time of Washington's presidency
the human life span averaged about 38 years.
When he was born only 26 out of every hundred
newborn babies lived to be five years old.
O. Please explain the difference between the
Offices of Secretary of the Treasury and Treas
urer Of the United States.-G. D.
A. The Secretary Of the Treasury Is cabinet
officer who is charged by law with the man.
agement of the national finances. The Treas
urer OF the United States Is charged with the
receipt and disbursement of public moneys
that may be deposited in the Treasury at
Washington and in the other repositories
authorized by the Secretary Of the Treasury
to receive deposits Of Government funds for
credit IN the account of the Treasurer Of the
United States. The Secretary of the Treasury
is the head of the Treasury Department in
which the Treasurer Of the United States Is
an official.
Q. Can dahlias be grown successfully from
seed?-E. G. r.
A. DahliaS can be grown from seeds which
usually are planted indoors several weeks be-
fore the time Of the last killing frost, and set
out when danger from frost is past. 1t is we'll
to remember, however that dahlias do not
come true from seed. that there is tendency
to revert to semidouble or single forms, and
that at best the flowers are often disappointing.
O. What Governors of New York have be-
come President of the United States?-W. H.
A. Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland,
Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt
all were Presidents who had served in this
capacity.
O. How many countries are represented at
the Vatican?-S. L. S.
,fnir, Jix.1or
relations with 10 states. The status of several
countries was unsettled because OF disturbed
conditions.
G. When were crutches first used?-J. N.
A. Clutches have been in use since antiquity,
Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and other early
peoples had devices to help the crippled to
walk.
G. Are the people who live in the Soviet
Union all members Of the white race2-H. g. r.
A. OF the 1859 groups studied by ethnologists
some years ago, three-fourths were white
skinned and the rest Of varying degrees OF
yellow.
@. For whom is Mount Mitchell in North
Carolina named?-L d.
A. The highest peak in Eastern United
States is named for Elisha Mitchell Of Con-
necticut, minister and professor OF mathematics
at the University of North Carolina. He lost
his life in 1857 during an expedition to the
crest of the Appalachians.
@. Where were the first equestrian statues
in the United States?-L G. w.
A. The first equestrian statue erected within
the boundaries of the United States was that
Of George III In New York City. The second
usually is said to have been the statue OF Gen.
Jackson in Lafayette Square. Washington, p. G.
n
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Key to Life's Mysteries
Carbon H. Product of the Atomic Pile, May Open Door
Brighter Era of Human Welfare

able to measure it. Carbon II, however, has
half-life of 5100 years. In this time half
Of any given number Of atomic nuclei will
have emitted an electron at approximately
the speed of light. The nucleus originally
consisted of six protons and eight neutrons.
Loss of an electron changes one Of the neu-
irons into a proton and another electron is
drawn into its planetary system. In other
words, Carbon IA has changed into Nitro
gen H. the gaseous element which comprises
98 per cent of the atmosphere. 1t win re-
main in this changed form to the end Of time.
These six forms of carbon differ only in the
weights of their atoms. Their chemical prop
critics are precisely the same. They will behave
in the same fashion in all chemical reactions.
All the chemistry Of life is carbon chemistry.
Any one Of the five other isotopes can be SUBJ
stituted anywhere for the all-important Carbon
IL. Essentially every reaction that goes into
the building up of the body of plant or an
animal can be followed by detecting the radia-
tions OF any of the radio active forms.
Transmutation Of Elements.
Obviously Carbon 10, IL, and 15-even the
existence of the latter is little questionable
are essentially useless. They would have dis
appeared before the process in which they
were taking part was well under way With
Carbon IA there is time enough for any biologi-
cal procesS-even the disintegration of the
bones of prehistoric men. 1t has, in fact, been
used to determine the age of Egyptian num-
mics
1t is produced by bombarding nitrogen with
neutrons. The same trarismutation of ele-
ments also takes place as result of nitrogen
atom bombardment by cosmic rays in the upper
atmosphere. Some of the explosive carbon
sinks to the earth's surface and enters into the
basic processes Of plant and animal tissue
building. The amount in existence is extremely
minute but it is well mixed among the MOLE
cules composing the body Of every living thing.
Some of it goes into the bones, and one man
has about as much Of it as another. There was
approximately the same amount of it in the
bones of q Neanderthal cave man as in those
of living American. Suppose fossil skulls
characteristic electron radiation from Carbon
IA is only half that from the skull of a man
who died yesterday. 1t is fair Interpretation
that the individual to whom the ancient skull
belonged ceased the chemical processes of living
about 5000 years ago. If the radiation is only
fourth normal it can be assumed that the
man died about 10000 years ago. This would
be the time required for half of the half that
remained after the first half life was exhausted
to disintegrate. Carbon IA promises, among its
probably minor functions, to be an invaluable
tool for the archeologists when some sort Of
procedure has been standardized
The third article of this series win be printed
Friday in this space)
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Sfors, Men and Atoms
By Thomas r. Henry

(Second of q series of articles describing
the progress being made in the field OF
radiois0t0pe reseGrch.)
key to lifes profoundest mysteries-its
dark beginnings and the inscrutable intrica-
cies of its changes through the ages-is Car
bon IL.
Throughout the world it is by far the most
in demand of the exploding atoms" produced
cy the Atomic Energy Commissions uranium
piles.
1t Is purely a tool of research. Used as q
medicine in amounts sufficient to do any good,
it certainly would kill the patient. But 1t
promises to bring new knowledge of the ut
most Importance for mans welfare. 1t Is the
most promising instrument for shedding light
on the genesis or development Of various forms
of cancer It shows what happens to food
in the body Altogether 185 such projects
are in process all over the world. Seventy
two of them are in the United States and are
described in the commissions latest report to
Congress. The average amount supplied to
an investigator is one three-hundredth of
an ounce. In this almost invisibly minute
amount 100000 atoms are disintegrating
every second Yet if this quantity were dis
tributed among a million rats the radio
activity in each still would be easily detect
able for the next 5000 years.
Life on this earth is ferment Of carbon,
oxygen and nitrogen.
Carbon Is Cornerstone.
The cornerstone of every organism that has
existed since the world began, from hchen to
man, is the nonmetallic element carbon. 1t
is one of the eight or ten most abundant
materials in creation, found in all the stars
and all the dust clouds between the stars.
The carbon atom now is known in six dif-
ferent forms-or isotopes The most abun-
dant, comprising 989 per cent of all the ele-
ments found in nature is Carbon II. The
nucleus of this atom is composed of six pro-
tons and six neutrons, packed closely to-
gether, with six electrons revolving around
it like planets around the sun. In this form
it exists forever. About ten years ago a Sec
ond form was Standardization Is. There was
one more neutron in its nucleus 1t COM
prised IL per cent of all the elements on
earth. 1t also had an eternal life.
Only when atomic piles and cyclotrons came
into operation were four other isotopes pro-
duced-Carbons 10, II, IA and Is With one
lately discovered exception, they do not exist
in nature. AL are radioactive The first has
half-life of nine seconds-that is, in this
brief period half of any given amount will
have disintegrated. Carbon IL has a half
life of 21 minutes The half-life of Carbon
Is is so short that physicists have been un-
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Closing of National Theater

To the Editor Of The Star
Saturday evening saw the last performance
of the musical "Oklahoma!" at the National
Theater. Rather than change its policy of
segregation, the management of the National
chose to deny the patrons of the legitimate
theater in Washington this much-needed cul-
tural entertainment. AS the strains of "Auld
Lang Syne" died away, the sinister shadows
of three gleefm actors trod the boards in
fendish triumph: Discrimination, segregation
and American fascism gave performance.
Chalk up another victory for bias and bigotry
as decent fairminded Washingtonians look on
in shame. REV. JOSEPH F. HASKINS
Evening star., 1948-08-04

Americas prehistoric past is part of its
continuing story. It merits study exactly
as modern times do. The experience of
the human race is a single inclusive
development. People understand them
selves through knowledge of the ages
through which they have come as well
as through aspiration for the future into
which the heirs of their toll are moving
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Waste and Want

The bottom has fallen out of the New Deal
bucket and while Harry Truman continues to
tinker with it, his efforts have proved COM
pletely futile.
For over a decade, during the Roosevelt
regime. American money was ballooned to
undreamed-of heights and, as a natural con-
sequence, prices have reached an all-time
peak Our currency has lost much inherent
strength by piling up deficits. The unsound
theory that we must spend in order to save,
as advocated by Harry Hopkins, has produced
fiscal chaos. The ancient adage, "Wilful waste
brings woeful want" still holds good.
EDMUND K GOLDSBOROUGH
Evening star., 1948-08-04

Falling down on his promise of lower
taxes and bigger handouts, the undaunted
politician is in with another. This calls
for a controlled economy within the
framework of free enterprise.
Evening star., 1948-08-04

Friends of Wallace say he has a sense
of humor, but we wonder The true comic
would have prefaced that acceptance
speech with: well, boys, you talked me
into it -
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Answers to Questions

reader can get the answer to any question Of
fact By writing The Evening Star information
Bureau 3!6 Eye street NE, Washington 2, D. C.
Evening star., 1948-08-04
Good Reporting Commended

To the Editor of The Star:
wish to commend most heartily the superb
reportorial accuracy Of the article on page
B-4 of The Star for July % concerning the
nominations at the District Caucus of the
AFGE the previous night.
This was difficult topic to handle, and good
reporters have made very sad messes indeed
In trying to deal with issues much less COM
plicated than those that have beset DUR organ
ization recently. The story was tactfully pre-
sented, and, as said above, with phenom-
email accuracy on even the smallest details.
Please convey to the reporter concerned my
personal appreciation and that OF many
AFGE members in Washington for good job
very we'll done. FLOYD SWIGGETT, Jr.