davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1948-12-30
Fiqhtinq Potomac Pollution

The annual report of the Interstate
Commission on the Potomac River Basin
shows that such pollution troubles as the
Groveton, Virginia, area Is having are
widespread in the great valley of the
Potomac and its tributaries. And the
report discloses that, like Groveton, many
communities are discussing their sewage
disposal and industrial al-waste problems
with view to finding an early solution
of them. That means that the earnest
educational work of the commission and
similar antipollution groups is beginning
to produce tangible results.
Virginia, one Of the signatories to the
six-member compact, has achieved some
progress toward the common goal of max
ing the Potomac River safe for all who live
along its shores. BY creating its new
Water Control Board, it has implemented
it's pledge to join actively with Maryland
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, the District
of Columbia and the Federal Government
in purifying the river This board recently
has cracked down on further moves to
add to the filth already emptying into
those waters Its refusal to approve any
further plans for the dumping of raw
sewage into the Potomac-at GrovetOn or
anywhere else-has forced serious con-
sideraton Of sewage treatment programs
financed by bond issues. And, as reported
in the first of a series of news articles
elsewhere in today's Star, the boards
action has brought to light the fact that
Federal funds have been used recently to
build sewers that carry raw sewage from
new construction projects into the river
in violation of State laws. It is high time
that the board took action to prevent
further violations and to see that the laws
are complied with as soon as treatment
plants can be financed and constructed.
Virginia is not alone In the pollution
Evening star., 1948-12-30
To Control the Ruhr

The new agreement on the control OF
the Ruhr represents a far-reaching step
to prevent the resurgence of militaristic
Germany and at the same time promote
the recovery and long-term economic we'll
being of Europe. The German and Russian
reactions to it, however make clear that
its enforcement probably will not be easy.
Drawn up by Luxembourg, the Neither
lands, Belgium, France, Britain and the
United States, the agreement provides for
the creation of an authority under which
those six powers, together with Germany
will exercise strict control over the Ruhr's
production for an indefinite period with
three major objectives in mind: Cd To
prevent the area from ever again being
harnessed for war; (2) Ito further the
recovery of the countries of Europe, includ-
ing democratic Germany; and 81 "to
promote that intimate association of their
economic life which in the last analysis
alone can assure peaceful and prosperous
Europe"
AS part of the mechanics of control
which will include policing System-the
projected authority will arrive at decisions
on the basis Of majority rule. Each of the
Benelux countries will have one vote; +;
France, Britain and the United States will
have three apiece; and Germany, as soon
as it develops legal government will have
three, too. AS for the Russians, they will
be excluded from the authority, though
presumably they will be admitted to mem
bership when, as and If the cold war comes
to an end and they enter into new and
genuinely cooperative agreements with
the West.
In agreeing to all this, the six Western
Powers have left up in the air the crucial
question Of who will eventually own the
Ruhr'S industries. Heretofore, American
policy has favored the idea of returning
them to private German ownership, while
the British view has been that they should
be socialized by the Germans. But the
French-acutely aware of how the region
has been the powerhouse behind three
invasons of their country within the past
seventy-fve years-have argued for the
permanent Observation-Disclosures of the
whole area in order to detach it completely
and forever from Germany. To the extent
that the new control authority will be
roughly akin to that kind of International
ization for an indefinite period, an i'm
portant concession has been made to
Frances security interests. Eventually,
however when it becomes possible to draw
up final, definitive peace settlement, the
status of the Ruhr may be quite different.
Meanwhile, as indicated by their first
reactions to it, the Western Germans are
not likely to submit meekly to the new
authority when it goes into operation in
the next two or three months Bitter
Evening star., 1948-12-30

fight Maryland is taking steps to reduce
the amount Of raw sewage and other
poisonous waste that finds it's way into
the river. So are West Virginia and
Pennsylvania. The District plans to pro-
vide more sewage treatment plants as
rapidly as funds become available. All the
jurisdictions involved in the compact, in
fact, are paying increasing attention to
what they realize is mutual public
health problem, requiring cooperation of
all concerned. Thanks to the commits
sion, the antipollution movement is gain
ing headway month by month. Given
continued support-hnancially as we'll as
morally-the program should reach it's
goal of safe river for every one before
many more years have passed
Evening star., 1948-12-30
This and That
By Charles E. Trace1DeH

In everyday life. one of the most heroic
feelings Is to 60 without food.
This might make a European laugh with a
peculiarly bitter sort of laugh; but, after ALL
Americans are not to blame for the mess those
people get themselves into every Is years or SO
The average well-fed American-and why, in
the name of heaven, should we feel ashamed
OF the gifts of Gods not noted for being
abStemiouS, when 1t comes to good things to eat
He likes plenty Of food-and so does she!
To refrain from eating, now and then, is both
physical and spiritual experience.
Our Bible is full OF instances of fasting.
We do not refer, exactly, to real fasting but
merely to "a to 40 hours without eating bite.
Fruit Juice is out
Orange Juice, for instance is a sort Of food.
Some people even think drinking all the milk
they can hold is fasting"
No. going without food means just that
going without food.
And after the holiday feasting, food will not
have its old appeal, at least for few days.
Then almost any one will be able to go on a
real fast.
He will think so, that is, until he tries It,
1t is remarkable fact, that there are
millions of Americans who never have known
what 1t is to be hungry. Even when they are Ill
they still have had their three meals day.
Il Il X
1t is a good idea to try going without any
food, now and then, just to see what 1t is like
Templeton Jones, that austere man. who is
almost saint, anyway, tried 1t recently, and
was telling about it..
He didn't do 1t willingly, of course.
He had acquired a virus, or something. ct
used to be germs, now it is viruses)
Well, Jones had a virus playing hob with his
colon lining
And he didn't feel like eating thing
Being essentially heroic soul, by nature, he
had no dffculty in doing what nature plainly
commanded him to do, or not to do, that is.
He did not eat.
At the end Of "a hours, Jones was feeling real
proud Of himself.
He began ticking of the hours on his fingers,
just to keep up with his progress.
When day and half had passed, and still
no food had passed his lips, he was positively
unbearable.
At 48 hours he became impossible
ANY one who really tried" he said could
go without food.
II was easy.
All one had to do, Jones insisted, was to
not eat.
What could be easier?
Templeton Jones found it easier to not eat
when he also did not drink, not even water.
Even little liquid, even orange juice. the
great standby, upset the inner mechanism
1t was at two days and half, totally with
out food Cor liquid Of any kind, that Temple
ton Jones began to feel like hero.
His family found itself or themselves prac-
tically unable to live with him.
Food, he averred, was something for weak
lngs. All would be better off not to eat so
much. Remember poor Gandhi. And 50 on,
and so on, for hours at q time.
Finally, just as the family was in despair
Jones saw a boy going by the house eating an
ice cream cone. <a
That did It,
Evening star., 1948-12-30
A Plea for Children Overseas

To the Editor OF The Star:
The plight OF children in some OF the coun-
tries overseas is appalling. We are too SELL
satisfied, too complacent, to be mindful OF
even their basic needs, food, clothing, shelter
and health. Theirs is a starvation OF ootn
body and soul. These are the future cltlzens
OF tomorrow How can they in their present
status even expect to grow up' If they reach
adulthood. 1t will be in the shadow OF malnutrl-
ton and tuberculosis. We must help these
little "old people"
We can help. There are many agencies 70
which we can send both money and clotnlhs.
We have all heard their appeals One agency
the United Nations International Chliorens
Fund, distributes food, clothing and meolca-
tions to children in countries where the neeo
seems greatest Need is the sole criterlon'
without discrimination because OF race creeo
nationality, status or political belief.
What better way could we celebrate tns
soiritual season than by feeding few hungry
mouths, clothing q few ragged bodies or I'M
munizing few emaciated youngsters?
MARY HELEN MORASEA.
New York, NJ Y.
Evening star., 1948-12-30
Airport Segregation

The effort to whip up racial controversy
over the issue of segregation in eating
facilities at the National Airport is hardly
warranted by the facts.
At the heart of this matter Is legal
question. If that question were put aside,
the dispute would evaporate. For there
is no more reason to segregate Negroes at
the airport than, say, at Union Station,
and if spokesmen for the Airport Terminal
Services, Inc, which operates the reStau-
rants. can be believed there is no desire
to segregate them.
But the legal question is one which
responsible officials at the airport cannot
be expected to ignore. They say they be-
lieve the Virginia segregation law applies
at the airport, and that they might expose
themselves to its penalties If they disobey
it, Perhaps they are wrong about this.
1t can hardly be said, however, that they
are simply quibbling, that there is no basis
for their view.
Just a year ago the then Secretary of
Commerce Hartman, whose department
was generally responsible for policy at the
airport, wanted to do away with segrega-
ton there. But he was of the opinion that
the Virginia law governed the situation
and he wrote to Congress asking for legis-
lation to establish the authority of the
Federal Government with respect to segre-
cation at the airport Since Congress took
no action on this request, the Airport
Terminal Services people can hardly be
condemned out of hand If they now believe
that the view which Mr.. Hartman held
year ago is still the right one.
1t is for the purpose of testing the
correctness of this view that the injunc-
tion suit against the Civil Aeronautics
Administration has been filed. The CAA,
acting on Department of Justice inter-
pretation Of the law, had issued an order,
accompanied by threats of fines and Jail
sentences to abolish all segregation in air
port facilities. But the management there
thinks it ought not to be put in the posi-
ton of having to choose between possible
violation of Federal order or State law.
So it has asked the Federal court to decide
which is the controlling authority. That
is the way matter of this kind should be
handled, and the threats test cases, etc,
should be held in allegiance until the court
can rule.
Evening star., 1948-12-30
Revolution in the Mokino

Ever since Hiroshima, it has been taken
pretty much for granted that the world
will eventually see atom-driven warShipS.
That they are on the sWay-that they are
not merely theoretical dream-is clear
from the announcement that the Westing-
house Electric Corporation of Pittsburgh
has been commissioned to construct an
experimental nuclear reactor of a type
designed for adaptation Ito the propulsion
of a Navy vessel within the shortest
practicable time"
The announcement-made by the Chi
cago Operations Office of the United States
Atomic Energy Commission-leaves little
room for doubt that the project is being
undertaken with confidence that its objec-
tive will be achieved. Apparently research
and experiment have demonstrated that
practical application now should be tried
Considerable time may pass before the
Westinghouse people succeed in building
what is needed, but the mere fact that
they are under contract to built it strongly
suggests that the atom-powered ship may
be much nearer than most of us have
imagined
The advent Of such a ship-whether
submarine or surface vessel-would of
course revolutionize naval power and all
types of seagoing transportation. Speed,
weight, armor. range, ETC., would be trans
formed for war fleets, and passenger
carrying ocean liners would be far differ
ent from what they are now. Atomic
energy-a weight unit of which is esti-
mated to be as potent as 100000 weight
units of gasoline-would simplify every
thing, something like spoonful of it being
enough fuel for very long voyages.
Moreover. once the atom is harnessed
to drive ships, 1t will certainly be harnessed
to drive industrial engines on land, and
quite conceivably the day will come when
way will be found to make 1t drive
things like locomotives and big airplanes.
All this may not be just around the corner,
but we can be certain that considerable
part Of it will be seen sooner or later. The
new Westinghouse contract is good
reminder that we are smack in the middle
of uniquely revolutionary age.
Evening star., 1948-12-30
~.'s'''.%~.i,. Letters to The Star
Would Give Use Koch the Limit

would 1--WE llSe NOcn the Limit
To the Editor OF The Star.
All this controversy about the guilt or in
nocence Of 1lse Koch Is quite ridiculous to lis
here and atrocious to the memory Of her VIC
tins. 1lse Koch is undoubtedly guilty Of mass
torture and contribution to mass murder.
Maj. Marmon according to The Star Of De-
cember a. stated that the -four witnesses who
testified at the trial were not worthy OF belief,
and their testimony had to be stricken from
the record" Who is Maj. Marmon, in COM
parison of all the skeletons Of the bodies that
were burnt in the incinerators Of Buchenwald?
Has Maj. Marmon or 1t. Col Straight ever
lived under Ilse Koch's whip in Buchenwald
or should have said suffered? How can
either Of these gentlemen assert that Ilse
Koch "only had some prisoners punished, be-
cause they dared to look at her, and beat only
one prisoner with her stick? If Ilse Koch
were as many years old as the number Of
prisoners she has beaten, she would not be able
to walk or sit up any more.
William D. Denson prosecutor of the Buch-
enwald case, said that Ilse Koch was un-
doubtedly guilty, and Gen. Clay took the re-
sponsibilty of reducing the sentence of Ilse
Koch entirely upon his own shoulders, for the
sake of the history reading people of the
coming generation" All can say to this is
Bunk"
The people Of the next generation should
read that crime does not pay" and not "if
you commit crime, and you have good de-
tense attorney, you may get only four years
imprisonment, and then go scot free" Since
Ilse Koch cannot be tried again for the same
charge, on which she was convicted and origi-
nally sentenced for life, why not try her for
contribution to mass torture and mass murder,
first degree? Murder is still against the Law,
is it not? WILLIAM OSTEN
Evening star., 1948-12-30
On Christmas Music

To the Editor Of The Star:
I would like to reply to whoever wrote the
editorial in The Star entitled OVERRIDING
Christmas Music" To me we can't overdo any
thing related to Christmas. The carols and
other Christmas songs are beautiful and as
there is only one month out of the IL that we
hear them, for one am glad that for a short
time we can hear less Of what we ordinarily
have to listen to on our radio.
AS write these lines the Arlington Church
of the Air is on the radio and they are singing
Silent Night" and it sounds as refreshing as
it did last November Keep up the singing of
carols during the holiday season; it is all many
thousands hear of anything religious
MRS. IRWIN C. PARSONS.
Fairfax Va
Evening star., 1948-12-30
Thoughts on Americanism


To the Editor Of The Star:
I have always been rather proud Of the fact
that I am able to call myself an American
although that status came to me purely as
matter of birth. With the exception of volun-
teer service through two World Wars, a review
of my life discloses no great service that would
entitle me to take my place along with great
Americans the great pioneer army of real men
who laid the foundations and helped to build
the structure of America as it is today.
suppose that I am one of the some hun
dred and forty million other so-called Amer
leans who feel that the saturation point has
been reached in the building of this great
country and am content to bask in the reflected
glories Of its past I say to myself I'm neither
Democrat or Republican and my poor little
vote would not help conditions that certainly
don't like, so I stay away from the polls con-
soled by the asinine thought that personally
did not have anything to do with the wrong
man" getting into Office. am thinking to
myself out loud today: am q citizen of the
greatest country in the world, the richest when
we count our store of material things, and yet,
less than 10 city blocks from where sit there
are slums and housing facilities UNIT for hui
man habtation. My daily papers tell me that
my Governments high-level Offices are peopled
by dlsloyal, crooked and cheap pawns OF
low-level political system that our Nation s laws
are the product of political compromise" much
too often.
Today, as one of the millions of so-called
Americans, feel bad about these things and
I am going to beat the gun for New Year.
resolve that for the year 1949 and thereafter
will do everything in my power as an in
dividual to further the cause of Americanism
and earn the right tn he called po0d Amer.
ican." w. w. C.
Evening star., 1948-12-30
For the Spiritual Side

To the Editor Of The Star.
Woodward and Lothrops store should be
commended for the simple but tastefully dec
Grated window display of Mr.. Houghteling's
Life of Christ" painting during the Christmas
week
1t is significant in that it lent true religious
color to its window displays during Christmas.
1t would be indeed a good gesture on the part
of Washington merchants, and particularly
large department stores, If they each would
have one window display that would convey the
true religious significance of Christmas and
Easter. L. j. E.
Evening star., 1948-12-30
Threnody of q Sort

They should haze met sohen they toere noe
And magic t0as the 1oorld alsUe.
They should haze loved at seventeen,
When nothing sad stood in between.
They should hare lored again tphen otd
Enough to tell the dross from gold.
And at the last they should hare seen
Ho,D much the best OF lore con mean.
ALDEN WARD.
Evening star., 1948-12-30

OF all his presents, the old rounder liked
most the eight-year old before-shave stuff,
for bracing man to meet his own face in
the morning mirror.
Evening star., 1948-12-30

Letters for publication must bear
the signature and address OF the
oriter, although 1t is permissible for
,Driter kno,on to The Star to use
a nom de plume. Please be briet.
Evening star., 1948-12-30

ALos Angeles woman says her husbands
inhuman treatment caused her to lose
twenty-five pounds in twenty-one days
Strangely enough, this testimonial is
offered as a reason for divorce.
Evening star., 1948-12-30

Without knowing, one must assume that
London's Tory press, in relating the Incl
dent at Concord Bridge back in ITS, made
allusion to local terrorists."
Evening star., 1948-12-30
Questions and Answers

ssis; sS:sSs
Piease nsos. three tsS Cents FOR return pos.ss
O. Has the Vice President of the United
States flag of his own?-E. A. M.
A. The Vice President has flag which con-
sists of a white rectangular background on
which appears his coat Of arms in its proper
colors The coat of arms consists Of an Amer.
can eagle with wings displayed and inverted
holding In his right talon an olive branch and
in his left an arrow. In the oeak Is scroll
inscribed with the words "E Pluribus Unum."
Surrounding the eagle are IS blue stars The
nag was prescribed in Executive Order No. 1879
of February T. 1895.
@. Which Is heavier damp or dry air?-
p. N. A.
A. Damp air weighs less than dry air. as the
dampness is due to the yapor OF water IN the
air, and water vapor Is lighter than most OF
the other gases of the atmosphere.
@. What is the status of the Island OF Ceylon?
Does it belong to India?-M. L. L.
A. Ceylon became virtually Independent IN
1947 and attained dominion status and fulI
self government in November OF that year.
@, In buying nylon hose what Is the signln-
cance of denier and gauge?-L. r. G.
A. In nylon hosiery, the denier number re-
fers to the weight OF the nylon yarn used In
making the stocking. The higher the number
the heavier the yarn. The term gauge refers
to the fineness Of the stitch. The higher the
raupe number the finer the stitch.
Evening star., 1948-12-30

1t is some kind of a natural law, affect
ing the child in its sixth year, that it never
loses the second mitten.
Evening star., 1948-12-30

or the Bureau Of Engraving and Print
ing and see for yourself and be convinced.
This is time to pray for peace and not to
make trouble. 1t is time the white people
awakened and demanded their civil rights.
A CONSTANT READER.
Evening star., 1948-12-30
Fairfax, Va.
For Birth Control

To The Editor of The Star:
In your paper of December 23 appeared
letter deploring birth control, signed F. d.
~ would suggest to F. D. that Owen j.
Roberts is very honorable gentleman, man
much learned and of great wisdom, and as 194s
chairman of the Nation wide Planned Parent
hood Campaign. he will most certainly bring
to this organization considerable prestige.
long have believed that we should have
compulsory birth control; that without such
control this country would, in the not far
distant future, fall upon evil days think that
much Of our present-day economic stress Is in
large measure due to the lack Of such control.
Despite the broadening Of public welfare In
comparatively recent years, the gap between
public welfare and the minimum necessities OF
life for all too many children has, 1t would
seem, become too great for private charities to
fill, as witness the repeated failures OF our
Community Chest campaigns.
SocologiSts tell us, and think with much
logic, that juvenile delinquency increases Or
decreases with the broadening or narrowing of
this gap And you may be sure that delinquency
in the children of today will most certainly be
reflected in the men and women of coming
years. H. K. LONG.
Negroes Not Disseminated Against?
To the Editor Of The star:
Nearly every day there are articles in the
newspapers about civil rights, discrimination
against Negroes, segregation, etc.
But the Negroes have churches, schools, hos
pitals movies just as the white people have.
They live in just as good houses. If you don't
believe 1t go out Thirteenth street NV, Seven
teenth street NV. w or streets NV. Go
out Benning road and see the residential de-
velopments for Negroes and ask yourself If
they look like slums White people do not
have better housing.
You will find as many colored people owning
and driving cars as white people. Are they
Disseminated against in buying them? As
for positions: the Government departments
are filled with Negroes. Go to the Internal
Revenue9 Bureau, Agriculture Department
Evening star., 1948-12-30

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