davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1948-04-23
Another Welfare Imposse

The impasse at the District Building
over appointment of welfare dlrector 10
succeed the late Ray Huff provides new
evidence of the need for abolishing the
split Jurisdiction system in welfare admin
istration. A repetition Of past absurdltles
is in prospect as result of refusal OF the
Commissioners to approve the nomination
of Raymond F. Clapp as Mr.. HuHs
successor.
The act of 1925 establishing the Welfare
Board makes the board responsible 1or
carving out the District welfare program
but denies it the right to appoint lts
personnel. The board can only nominate.
The Commissioners hire and fire.
To complicate matters further, the
appointive power Of the Commissioners
has been held not to include the power
to nominate Thus, as in the case OF MI.
Clapp, If the board names director
unacceptable to the Commissioners,
deadlock is inevitable And it can last as
long as it takes the board to try to per-
suade the city heads to accept their noml-
nation, or the Commissioners to persuade
the board members to change their choice.
taxpayers Of permanent welfare director
for several months in 1941 when, after
the resignation of Robert E. Bondy, the
board named Mr.. HUFF as its choice. MIR.
HUFF then headed the penal institutions.
But the Commissioners wanted Paul Ed
wards. then District WPA director, and
refused to appoint Mr.. Huff. Many weeks
later both groups finally agreed on Conrad
Van Hyning as a compromise candidate
Mr.. Huff finally was appointed to the post
after Mr.. Van Hyning resigned in 1943.
To a lesser degree, but none the less
noticeably, the unsound split control car
rtes over into the preparation OF plans Tor
new welfare institutions. Plans and con-
struction are handled by the Engineer
Department under the Commissioners and
the law requires only that the plans be
submitted for suggestion" and criticism
to the Welfare Board. There is no oonga-
ton on the Commissioners to follow tne
criticism of the board.
The solution proposed by the Commls-
aoners since the Huff Edwards incident
has been creation OF Welfare Depart
ment completely responsible to tnem'
They would reduce the board to ADVISORY
status. The board has favored resolu-
tion of the split control in favor OF Itself.
The community has generally been divided
over the two proposals but all have agreed
that the present arrangement is intoler-
able. Although remedial measures have
been lost in previous sessions OF Congress
the Commissioners should continue to
press for correction.
Evening star., 1948-04-23

to go to Baltimore are not taken care Of. due
to lack Of facilities and time
The other doctor is located In Washington
and has q setup that treats these children at
the cost Of $3.50 . month! Braces play an inn
portant part in the corrective therapy, the
price of them averages around $50 and they
can be expected to last only about two years.
All sorts Of special equipment in the way Of
tables, chairs, etc., also are necessary and these
average about SIS apiece. After you have these
items, you need capable people with special
understanding of the cerebral palsied child to
carry on the day-in-day y-out work so important
in the treatment Of this type of child.
In Miss Louise Norris, the physiotherapist
whose apparently forced resignation touched
of the storm of protests. the helpless little
children and their parents had truly devoted
friend. She was sincerely interested In each
child under her care. The children quickly
responded to her inspired touch and loving
manner. Little legs that had never walked
made an effort to do so, little arms grasped
where they had not done so before, little heads
that previously dropped bravely raised them
selves under her tender care. Each secretly
despairing parent saw new ray Of hope and
that is why the fathers and mothers of these
handicapped little ones have made themselves
heard. FLORA M. COAN.
Evening star., 1948-04-23
We War Aquinst Cancer

Mankind to whon the years bring no
release
Fiohts brduely on In neDer-endtng Uo1,
For conquests Don haze earned no lasting
peace
A stealthter foe has crept inside hts
door;
4 ,oe unseen. f1sidtous, Dhose breath
rails on the sleeping child and on ths
old,
Who draos his utctims through Hrtne
death
Whose torays grow more frequent, fierce
and bold
But man uho seeks no pity for hts Ills,
Nou arms to meet the menace OF THIS Joe,
TO match his challenge ,otth stu ne1er
skills,
And auiH not rest until his oDerthroU.
This battle of the conscience, all must fghf
With generous loue, toith seI-forgett,ng
zeal,
Each mite transmitted into andreamed
might
TO rout the ancient curse, restore ana
heal.
INEZ BARCLAY KIRBY
Evening star., 1948-04-23
Good News From Steel

The announcement that there will be no
strike this year In the steel industry,
coupled with the promise of price reduc-
tions, Is one of the most hopeful develop
ments of the year on the domestic front.
Unhappy experience has conditioned most
of us against undue optimism. But If
Philip Murray and Benjamin Fairless of
United States Steel mean what they say,
and if other labor leaders and industrialists
will profit from the example they have
set, there is reason to hope that this
country will escape crash and will pull
itself together economically.
Mr. Murray is entitled to the fullest
commentator for his firm assurance that
the CIO steelworkers will live up to the
no-strike clause of their contract, despite
their disappointment at the refusal of the
steel corporation to grant any wage in
crease at this time. 1t may be argued, Of
course, that the steelworkers, having sub
scribed to the no-strike clause of a con-
tract which does not expire until next
spring, do not deserve any applause for
living up to it. In legalistic sense that
probably is true. But it is not always easy
to hold industrial relationships within
legalistic forms, and this is especially so
when the wage demands of strong union,
properly advanced under a reopening
clause, are rejected at time when other
workers are seeking and getting higher
wages It probably would have been easier
and politically safer for Mr.. Murray to
have given his union members a signal
to walk out. That he elected instead to
live up to his contract is very much to
his credit.
The industry's contribution comes in the
form of an announcement that prices,
covering mostly consumer goods, will be
reduced on May in total amount of
$25,000,000 There may be some eyebrow
lifting at this because of the price increase
for some items Of semifinished steel which
was put into effect last February. Accord
ing to Mr.. Murray, the promised reductions
will total slightly less than the sum of the
recent increases. Mr.. Fairless, on the
other hand, says that prices will be reduced
in an amount approximately twice the
total of the increases.
It is not possible for an outsider to
determine which of these versions is cor
rect. And it probably is not too important
The really important thing is that the
price OF steel has been cut back at a time
when a further increase was feared. This
is move in the right direction, and If
other industrialists can be induced to fol-
low suit there will be reason to hope for
success in the effort to get our economy
back on an even keel
Evening star., 1948-04-23
A Rational Compromise

Doctor Vannevar Bush, chairman Of the
Research and Development Board, sounded
warning before the House Armed Services
Committee this week that should be care
fully considered by Congress in connection
with the seventy-air- group controversy.
DR.. Bush told the committee that the
tempo of aeronautical progress is such as
to indicate that conventional bombers"
may be out of date by 1858.
And Defense Secretary ForreStal injected
similar note of caution in his statement
to the Senate Armed Services Committee
in behalf OF compromise sixty -six-g group
Air Force. Militarily speaking, he said, a
Seventy-group organization would be more
powerful and hence more desirable than
one of fewer groups-"provided, of course,
that the planes which are purchased are
of sufficiently advanced types that we do
not end up with large supply of obsolete
or obsolescent equipment"
The compromise plan, which, Mr.. For
restal stressed, has the unanimous approval
Of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and of Presi-
dent Truman, would rely chiefly on the
already available supply of B-29 bombers
as source of air-power reinforcement in
the immediate future. Some three hun
dred of these big wartime bombers would
be removed from storage and reconditioned
to build up ten new bomber groups. An
eleventh group would consist@of fighters
Actually the ty-siX-group program
presented by Secretary Forrestal would not
differ greatly in immediate numerical
err 1nfh ho ,fty
urged by Air Secretary Symington and
General Spaatz. Chairman Gurney of the
Senate committee pointed out that the
compromise plan would provide the Air
Force during the next eighteen months
with about twenty-five planes less than
was asked for under the seventy-group
program. The main difference would be
in contract authorizations for new planes
Thus, the striking power of the Air Force
under either plan would be approximately
the same during the period before new
planes began to come off the assembly
lines.
The compromise plan therefore would
provide the country with a conventional"
striking force, in being, of nearly the same
power as that desired by the Air Force
under the seventy-group program-with-
out committing the Nation to spend bill
lions additional for new planes which
might be obsolete before they came from
the factory. This is period of revolution
ary changes in aerial warfare-of radical
developments in propulsion, weapons and
basic design. Mr.. Forrestal gives sound
advice to Congress when he asks that the
air-power question be weighed "in a
rational and organized manner and not on
basis of emotional reaction"
Evening star., 1948-04-23
A Reasonable Requirement

The House APPROPRIATIONS Comm1ttee's s
plan to require leaders of all Federal en-
ployes' unions to sign Communist
aff1davits is certain to be protested by the
CIO United Public Workers of America.
That is to be expected, in view of the
past attitude of that union toward such
a requirement. And only recently the
unions president, Abram Flaxer, refused
to tell House Executive Expenditures Sub
committee whether or not he Is Com
munist. He considers such a question as
an invasion of his civil rights.
1t is hard to see, however, why it Is
any more improper for the Government to
require officials Of a Federal employees
union to swear they are not Communists
than 1t Is to compel Government workers
Evening star., 1948-04-23
Democracy for Washington

To the Editor Of The Star:
The continuing sniping at the sincere eff
forts Of Congress to give to the District dis
franchised citizen a large measure OF home.
rule makes me wonder as to just what democ-
racy means to these snipers.
Their arguments certainly lack validity when
viewed In the cold light of truth. The tear and
trembling expressed at the idea Of granting
the citizens of the Nations Capital the vote
makes me wonder as to just what does their
faith in representative government imply.
AS a District taxpayer and homeowner Of
nine years residence, I am reasonably capable
of assuming the political responsibility OF vot-
ing to assure well-run city. Surely, am
as capable as any other citizen of the United
States. MY concern is deeper than many
though because, as the mother of five chill
dren, am becoming increasingly aware Of
the problem of teaching children the impor-
lance OF the responsibilities Of citizenship.
The snipers express grave concern over the
fact that Washington Is a sacred trust given
into the safe-keeping of Congress by the peo-
pie of the United States. If their concern Is
really in the interest of the people Of the coun-
try, they would do well to give their whole
hearted support to the District Charter Bill
which is a real attempt to relieve Congress Of
LQc housekeeping UuIUcllS VI Iuul1llS "do1111S-
ton Surely, it would be in the best interest
of the people Of the whole country to have
their elected representatives relieved OF de-
Gliding as to whether straws shall be served
covered or uncovered in the District. Surely,
the citizens of the District are capable of elect
ing officials that can decide such a matter
In the best interest of all the citizens Of Wash
ington
In these days when the whole world is look
ing to the United States for leadership, demo-
cratic ideals must be carefully cherished and
nurtured Therefore, it behooves those who
express concern over granting democratic
processes to the Nations Capital to do little
clear thinking on what democracy means to
them. Perhaps then, they will understand and
support the terms of the District Charter Bill.
FRANCES McCLINTOCK.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Thank you for the excellent story on the
District Charter Bill and the diagram OF the
projected government which appeared in The
Sunday Star. Washingtonians will find this
most helpful. I am sure that many will agree
with the thesis of your editorial, 1.-THE Bill
Should Be Passed." printed on April IL.
A bill for local government could not be
written which would satisfy all citizens OF the
District and be equally acceptable to the
Congress. However, H. r. 6227 seems to pro-
vide a workable approach to solution of the
problem. 1t is to be hoped that groups dis
satisfied with certain features Of the bill will
submerge their differences Of opinion. as have
members of the House subcommittee, in
sincere effort to obtain for washington
measure of home rule which can be developed
and perfected by the citizens themselves
ZELLA D. LEONARD.
Evening star., 1948-04-23
Baby Adoption Difficulties

To the Editor of The Star:
Last Sundays Star carried the news that
the Board of Public Welfare Is now more
unable than ever to take care of babies whose
mothers wish to have them adopted. great
many of us have foreseen this situation ever
since a totally inadequate law was passed
little less than four years ago. This law had
the one good effect Of doing away with the
baby black market in the Metropolitan Area,
but has created too many other indescribable
situations.
Your paper In another recent Sunday edition
carried an article which admitted that many
of the current theories about adoption are
not based on scientific research. We have seen
in recent years that law which does not
have public support is almost impossible to
enforce Thus, we note the very much greater
number of babies placed independently as
compared with the number of babies placed by
licensed agencies.
Also we do not get public or private funds
for projects for which no vital need is felt.
For example, most of the couples looking for
babies to adopt want babies as young as
possible and see no need for boarding homes
for these babies Scientific research places
ever-increasing Importance on the first months
for the emotional development of the child.
These parents are sufficiently protected by
law because adoptions do not become final
for many months in which possible defects
of the children can be discovered.
Now that the Board Of Public Welfare admits
It's inability to cope with the problem, we hope
that such responsible citizens as physicians
and superintendents of hospital clinics will
be allowed to assist couples in finding suitable
babies. know this can be done to the salts
faction of all because none of our five legally
adopted children was gotten through an
agency. I also hope that mothers who wish
their babies adopted will be fully informed
about their legal right to place babies directly
with the people who wish to adopt them, with
out the aid of any agency or third party.
Evening star., 1948-04-23
Mr. Horrimun's New Job

In naming Commerce 0eCTeGdty hdiiA-
man to be rowing ambassador" to the
sixteen countries participating IN the
European Recovery Program, President
Truman has chosen a man uniquely well
equipped for the job. With the November
elections in the ofing, the Senate IS
reluctant these days to confirm White
House appointments, but if qualifications
mean anything, ordinary political con-
siderations should carry little or no weight
in this instance.
For Mr.. Harriman-who has resigned
from the cabinet to take over his new
assignment-can be equalled by few Amer
leans in the kind of experience that the
"roving ambassadorship" calls for. His
record includes a key wartime role IN
lend-lease operations and outstanding
service as Ambassador to the Soviet Union
and later as Ambassador to Great Britain.
In addition to this rich background in
international political and economic af-
fairs, he has the distinction OF having been
one of the architects of the European Re
covery Program. While that program was
still in It's formative stage, he played a
large part in hammering it into shape. He
did this as chairman of the Presidents
Committee on Foreign Aid, working in
close cooperation with Paul G. Hoffman,
who has since become chief of the ERP.
It is not for nothing that Mr.. Hoffman,
elated by the appointment, has said that
Mr.. H riman is the man he has wanted
all along for the second most important
post in the European Recovery Program.
The post carries with 1t the title of Special
United States Representative Abroad,
ranking as ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary. In that role, Mr.. Harri-
man, divorced from the State Department
and working directly under Mr.. Hoffman,
will be accredited to the permanent organ
ization of the sixteen Marshall Plan
nations and will coordinate the complex
activities of the special missions we shall
have in each of those nations in connec-
ton with the ERP. Under the law, more
over, he may be designated as our delegate
to the United Nations Economic Commis-
sion for Europe.
In Mr.. Hoffman's words, all this adds
up to more than just another job, for the
success of the whole ERP enterprise "de-
pends in major part on the caliber of
the man who is rowing ambassador" For
his own part, he considers Mr.. Hartman
the ideal choice, and it is difficult, in fact
10 think Of anybody better suited for the
Evening star., 1948-04-23
Shakespeare in 1948

Celebrating the birthday anniversary Of
William Shakespeare in the present age
may seem to some persons, perhaps to
many, waste of energy. Yet in Wash
ington at least the Bard is remembered
on April % this year with as much devo-
ton as ever. The Folger Library, the local
Shakespeare society, the English literature
classes in the several universities and many
church and club groups keep his name
alive despite the hostility of jittery times.
Not even the greatest of poets, however,
would mean much to living generations of
people If he were dependent upon the en-
deavors of organized admirers exclusively.
Shakespeare endures and prospers in the
era of the broken atom because Of his
contribution to common usage, customs
and manners. Ben Jonson in the First
Folio, dated 1923, declared he was the
"soul" of his own epoch-the glorious
Elizabethan period of English history. The
same contemporary judged him destined
for Immortality. But it was not only for
his plays as such that he was to be re-
called indefinitely.
Gradually, the basic ideas of Shakespeare
have been increasing in popular esteem
and value. AS Richard Steele discovered,
he was "a great COPPER of nature" Whether
he wrote about love or hate, peace or war,
he reflected what thousands Of other men
and as many women-felt and thought.
Dryden explained: when he describes
anything you more than see It," The
stratford playwright probably was the
most efficient reporter, the most searching
commentator, who ever lived.
Even in details the author of Hamlet"
and 'The Tempest" was modern in spirit.
He employed current slang almost as we
do now, exclaiming: What the dickens!," !"
inquiring: How goes it?" and replying:
"Not so good!" Like us, he regarded poll
ticians as willing to "circumvent God"
objected to officials "drest in little brief
authority" found tyrants "hard-favour'd," !"
sought "even- handed justice" yet realized
that without mercy few Should see saliva
ton" His attitudes were similar to ours,
his doubts and his hopes much the same.
It is in that Identification that his chance
of survival in practice lies.
Evening star., 1948-04-23
Crippled Children's Needs

To the Editor of The Star:
As the mother of one OF the handicapped
children who had been benetiting by the
services Of the District Crippled Children's
Society until the development of the present
deplorable state Of affairs, I am glad public
attention has been focused upon the unfortu-
nate conditions surrounding the children served
there.
Here is an agency, no doubt similar to others
dependent upon public support, that has an
imposing roster of names on its board OF
directors. In the majority OF instances these
directors have given no more than their names
and have had no interest or workable knowledge
of how this potentially beneficial organization
works. For them the arrangement has merely
meant free advertisement in the form of the
many letters going out in the annual fund
raising drive. When petitioned by group OF
parents for a joint meeting to investigate
the recent wave of designations among the
professional staff, they refused to assume the
responsibility that was theirs and side-stepped
the whole issue with vague promises of re-
organization.
The real victims in this public scandal are
large group of helpless children whose only
hope Of rehabilitation Is dependent upon q
highly co-ordinated program of neurology,
pediatrics physiotherapy and education. The
burden Of carrying out this complicated pro-
gram belongs to all the people and should not
be borne by a small group supported by public
donations The local society cannot begin to
help all those children desperately seeking aid
In this enlightened day no one expects the
average sufferer from polio, tuberculosis and
other grave ailments to be able completely 10
finance the high cost of treatment. Cerebral
paIsy is one of the most expensive disorders to
treat. 1t represents field crying for research
and doctors. In this area there are only two
outstanding medical men working on this prob
lem. One is q doctor in Baltimore. To see him
as a private patient costs at least $40 for the
initial visit and around $25 each for subsequent
visits. He has an arrangement with the local
society to see some children at Its consulting
clinic, but al the children who cannot afford
Evening star., 1948-04-23
Adam Smiths Theory
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The STAR
Harry Stark in his letter published April 10
makes some observations on the rewards of
labor which need criticism. He speaks, for
instance, OF the Communist theory as though
that theory we're held by the Communist
Party
The classic statement OF pure communism,
from each according to his ability; to each
according to his need" has not been advo-
Gated by any socialist party. The Communist
Party differs from other socialists only in
tactics, not in theory.
Socialists claim to be more practical with
the formula: "The laborer is entitled to the full
product of his toll" They are hazy about
measuring the value of the product of any
worker but they are all agreed that no cap
italist should get any Of it.
The full-value idea OF course, means piece
work. 1t is practiced in Russia Wages differ
more there than they do here, to encourage
the better workers The fiat rate for workers
was explained by Adam Smith, who said that
any 10 workers would do about as much work
as any other 10 taken at random.
Mr.. Stark says that employers pay some
more and some less than their due. Not If
they know it. Any worker who earns less
than his keep gets fired. Minimum wages are
fixed partly by law and partly by collective
bargaining. Any employer is at liberty to
pay more than the minimum to his better
workers. but few do and they are disliked by
other employers.
To keep employers from getting something
for nothing, and prevent internal competition
among workers, unions limit the product OF
all workers to what the least encient can do.
That is brotherly love. Nobody gets fred for
ineniciency, and the better workers content
themselves with less than they could earn in
free competition.
The failure OF capitalism Is largely due TO this
weakness "A. CRAIG.