davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1948-01-26
The Hong Kong Issue

The destructive ahti-British riots in
Canton and mass demonstrations at
Shanghai and elsewhere, now somewhat
subsded, were fare-ups of an issue that
has beclouded relations between Britain
and China ever since the close of the late
war. This issue is the destiny OF Hong,
Kong.
1t is more than century since the small
island of Hong Kong was ceded by China
to Great Britain. At that time, it was
barren rock the haunt of smugglers and
pirates. It's potential Importance lay in
the fact that 1t was situated at the mouth
of the estuary which leads to Canton, the
porG-metropolis of Southern China. A
deer-water inlet between the island and
the mainland forms a natural harbor for
ocean-going shipping, of which the British
made full advantage. The result was that
British enterprise presently raised Hong
Kong to a fourishing seaport which at
tracted much of the shipping, trade, and
banking of this part of Asia. None bene-
flted more by this development than the
Chinese themselves, who f1ocked to the
colony in vast numbers and accounted
in gr eat part for its rapid growth In wealth
and population.
In those early days national feeling in
China was virtually non-existent. So when
the island had become cramped for trad
ing and living accommodations, the i'm
perial government readily ceded the op-
posite peninsula of Kowloon in 1850, while
in 1898 Britain obtained 99-year lease
of adjacent mainland territory of con-
siderable extent.
With the rise of Chinese nationalism,
especially after the revolution of 1s11
which supplanted the Manchu empire
with a republic pledged to turn China
into a nation-state along Western lines,
the Chinese began pressing for the aboli-
ton of various foreign concessions such
as the treaty ports with their extra
territorial" rights and privileges In the
decade after World War I, most of these
were abrogated, and Chinese Nationalist
turned their attention to the recovery. of
territories ceded outright such as British
Hong Kong and the nearby Portuguese
settlement of Macao.
This recovery" movement was over
shadowed by the Japanese Intervention in
China and World War II. But one of the
first japanese acts in that war was the
capture of Hong Kong, which was held
by the japanese until the end of the war.
At that time, strong arguments were ad-
vanced in China that Hong Kong should
be retroceded to China, but Britain went
ahead to restore its authority and soon
restore much of the colony's prewar
prosperity.
Indeed, the peace and security of British
law and order attracted immense numbers
of Chinese who swarmed in as refugees,
many of them "squatting" on the leased
territory In improvised shacks which be-
Evening star., 1948-01-26

for one reason or another, had been only half
hearted This fact and the fact that much Of
the surplus had been used domesticaly for
school lunch programs feeding In institutions,
alcohol distilling and the like were conveniently
overlooked in the report. The Reorientation
Branch prepared comprehensive factual story
and transmitted 1t to all Austrian media.
The unit has been more active in Germany
than In the other occupied zones. It still
publishes and sells to Germans one daily
newspaper and three magazines. After the
collapse OF Goebbels' gigantic propaganda
machine the army first began publishing seven
semiweeklies and operating three radio sta
tions.
Dena, the German news service, which
had been operated for Is months by the
military, government was licensed last Octo-
ber and turned over to the publishers of the
48 licensed newspapers in the American zone.
Establishment of the foundations for free
press as understood in the United States.
has been cne of the prime objectives of the
military government in Germany and Japan
and the newspapers are not required to pub
lish any material sent them by the Reorienta-
ton Branch.
However, the military authorities have found
an eager field in all forms Of public media
Editors are anxious to get a complete picture
of America and Americans. The people in
the occupied zones are reading a balanced
report of the worlds news which was denied
them for many years by their governments.
Their editorial writer's are free to analyze
public issues or to criticize their governments.
But neither Germany nor Japan has COM
pletely free press yet. few basic necessary
controls are still exercised.
No Competition With Press.
The Reorientation Branch's material, sent
via mail and Signal Corps wireless, is not spot
news which would compete with the regular
press associations which deal directly with the
German newspapers. 1t is more of a supple
mentary service to round out the picture of
America for people who are completely in the
dark about our way Of life.
The foreign publication rights to American
books are obtained by the branch for publish
ing houses in an effort to place as complete a
picture possible before the occupied zones.
The set-up will probably continue to operate
as long as military governments remain and
should civil government replace them such
program might be undertaken by the State
Department. Should that transition come it
will require an even greater "reorientation or
re-education job,' Col. Hume said.
We've got to remember that you can't
democratize nation in IL months especially
when the people are on their backs" he added
Evening star., 1948-01-26
Articles on Auchincloss Bill

To the Editor II The Star:
I wish to commend The Star on the excel
lent series of articles by Don Warren which
appeared in your paper last week. I have
read these articles with considerable satisfac-
tion and, in my opinion, they represent COM
plete and objective analysis of the provisions
appearing in S. 1868 and H. r. 1902, companion
bills. introduced into Congress by Senator Ball
and myself this month. @~
In analyzng these provisions for home rule
and reorganization of government in the Dis
trict of Columbia and presenting them in such
an understandable manner, Mr.. Warren and
The Star have performed valuable public
service to the residents of the District Of Colum-
bia. Only by thorough understanding Of what
is being proposed for government Of the Dis
trict can the residents of the District hope to
take an intelligent position with respect to
the future government of their city.
Again let me express my appreciation to
you and Mr.. Warren for an excellent Job Of
public information
JAMES c. AUCHINCLOss, M. c.
Evening star., 1948-01-26
Is Ii Constitutional?

The question which has been raised In
some quarters recently as to the constitu-
tionality of the Air Force is an interesting
one from the academic viewpoint. But
there is not likely to be any great to-do
about the matter at the Pentagon, where
1t is evident that the feeling prevails that
the separate Air Force is here to stay,
despite the failure of the founding fathers
to foresee the air era.
The Army and Navy Bulletin discussed
the question editorially, after a corre-
spondent called attention to the fact that
the Constitution specifically provides for
an Army and Navy but not for an Air
Force as such. AS long as the AAF was
a component part of the Army no question
was raised as to It's constitutionality. But
with passage of the armed forces unifica-
ton law, third defense arm was created
-one not authorized in the Constitution.
That document states that Congress shall
have power Ito raise and support armies" !"
ito provide and maintain Navy" and to
makes rules for the government and reg
ulation of the land and naval forces" "
Also, 1t says that the President shall be
COmmaTQeE III @CIllcl VI tAAC h1AAy aAo
Navy. The Bulletin comedies that there is
little likelihood that any legal contest will
develop over the constitutionality of the
Air Force part of the unification statute,
but suggests, as matter of good govern
nent, that the Constitution be amended so
rs to substitute armed forces" wherever
Army and Navy are mentioned.
Representative Claude I. Blackwell, Re-
publican, of Missouri has introduced bill
which would eliminate all possible doubt
by specifying the Air Force in addition to
the Army and Navy in the Constitution.
How far such bill can get in session
crowded with legislation of far greater and
more immediate importance to the Nation
Is matter for conjecture. 1t is safe
bet, however, that whether the Constitu-
ton Is amended or not, the Air Force will
be at the spearhead of our armed forces in
any future war-fghting to the limit Of
Evening star., 1948-01-26
LeqisIotine by City Council

In studying the implications Of the
Auchincloss home rule bill it is well to
keep it's first objective in mind.
This first objective, in the language Of
the report accompanying the bill, Is:
"Relieving Congress as much as possible
Of the burdensome housekeeping functions
Of the District of Columbia while still
retaining essential control in Congress as
required by the Constitution.
; How is this to be done? Serious
questions have been raised in court deci-
sions and by lawyers with respect to the
constitutional power of Congress to
delegate legislative authority to District
government.
Yet failure to delegate would leave
Congress still burdened with the respon-
sibility which the Auchincloss bill hopes
to remove. And without the power to
exercise legislative authority, local gov
ernment would be sham and a pretense
In so<far as offering any means of home
rule.
The Auchincloss bill resolves this
dilemma by a novel approach. Instead
of delegating the legislative authority to
the elected city council, Congress gives to
the elected city council a new power OF
initiating legislation. Retaining the power
OF approval, Congress-and the President
would express such approval by the
negative act of failing to disapprove within
thirty days after a council bill reached
the Capitol, or ten days after it reached
the White House from the Capitol.
Some learned lawyers have expressed
the opinion to the subcommittee that
such method of tacit legislative approval
would be valid There are others who
question it, AS precedent, the subcom-
mittee relies on the delegation by
Congress- to the President, of power to
reorganize the executive departments,
subject to review and veto by Congress;
and a similar delegation to the judiciary
to enact administrative rules. 1t is con-
tended. however, that in these two
precedents there was no question OF the
valid power of Congress to delegate such
authority and that 1t retained the right
of review and veto for other reasons In
the District, there is the question of the
extent of delegated legislative powers
possible under the Constitution and the
additional question whether the method
proposed for approval Of council-initiated
legislation does, in fact, represent the
legislative process
This question could be answered only
by the courts. The subcommittee and Its
staff are confident that they have followed
a sound course, which would be upheld.
But the questions nevertheless would re-
main to cloud the acts of city council
until clarified by litigation.
If Congress cannot delegate to local
government its general legislative author
ity over the District by the device recon-
mended, Congress will not be relieved OF
the present duties which some OF Its
members find burdensome. IT local
government does not possess such legis-
lative authority, limited though it may be
by the power of disapproval remaining
with Congress, the local, government will
lack the autonomy usually associated with
home rule.
Evening star., 1948-01-26
Telling the Truth Abroad
Army's Reorientation Branch Supplies Our Former
Enemies With Facts About American Democracy
By John A, Giles

A comparatively small, little known but
active reorientation branch Of the DEPART
ment of the Army's Civil Affairs Division
has as its mission the production, processing
and distribution of food for democratic
action" to the people Of the occupied areas.
The unit works in conjunction with our
military government forces in occupied areas
and is not in competition with the State
Departments cultural and information program
in the liberated countries.
"Of course the acquisition of food for
hungry stomachs is the heart of the occupa-
ton problem of our military governments, :
Col. e. E. Hume, chief of the branch, said,
but really the core Of the whole program
is the re-education and reorientation of peoples
who have been told only what their govern
ments wanted them to know for generations.
TT is hard for the average American who
has been used to democracy to understand
this problem but it is one which will remain
with. us for some time" said the colonel, who
was chief military officer with the Fifth Army
during the war and until recently chief Of
military government in the United States
zone of Austria He is native of Frankfort.
KY, and lives at 2118 Massachusetts, avenue
NV.
Not Propaganda Agency.
"We do not run a propaganda agency" Col.
Hume said emphatically. 1--WE. try to answer
in small part the tremendous yearning for
knowledge of America on the part of peoples
in the occupied areas.
I'VE don't want to be Pollyannas but def
nitely we must put our best foot forward"
he added
Through every means possble-the press,
radio, magazines, books, the theater, movies,
visual displays, reading rooms, etc.-the word
of commonplace American matters, much OF
which would bore Americans, Col. Hume said,
Is sent to the occupied areas.
The branch deals with Germany. Austria,
Korea and Japan. When the unit was first
established much time was spent negatively"
in giving complete stories in answer to dis
torted and half truth articles published by
foreign government propaganda machines. A
lot of time still is spent that way but now
there are more positive" actions.
"U. S. A. Destroys Million Tons of Potatoes
While Austria Starves." That headline in an
Austrian newspaper in the Soviet zone last
March caused already confused Austrians to
become even more bafied and brought an even
bigger headache to the military commander.
The whole truth was that the surplus spuds
had been offered foreign governments at less
than one -fiftieth the price the United States
Government had paid in the price-supporting
program but the response from foreign nations,
Evening star., 1948-01-26
stors, Men and Atoms
Guyot, Underseo PIoteou,
Found in Atlantic Ocean
Submerged Flat. Tops, First Noted
In Pacific, Are Geologic Mystery
By Thomas r. Henry

Discovery OF "guyot" in the Atlantic about
500 miles due east of Washington has just been
reported to the Navy photographic ONCE
A guyot is an hitherto unknown type of un.
dersea mountain, discovered by Navy ships In
the mid-Pacific during the past two years, the
origin OF which is an almost complete mystery.
It is q fat-topped mountain submerged from
5000 to 5000 feet. In some cases the level tops
are as much as 50 square miles In area.
string of these strange structures first was
found extending across the Pacific from
Hawaii to Guam, between 10 and 40 north lati.
tude. The explanation at the time was that
they probably were huge coral islands whose
crests at one time had reached considerably
above sea level but which had been leveled
down to fiat plains by the action Of waves
through thousands of centuries. This meant.
however, that at some time there must have
been far less water in the Pacific. The present
tops OF the guyots some nearly mile under
water, would represent the sea level at the
time the erosion took place.
Thought Peculiar TO Pacific.
The fat-tcpped undersea mountains sppar-
emily were confined to this particular part OF
the Pacific A possible alternative explanation
was that the floor OF the ocean had sunk be-
tween a half mile and mile, since the sum.
mits of the guyots were leveled.
Following the original discovery, no other
such structures were found in any part OF the
world by ships taking sonic depth observations
until one was picked up at Is south latitude
in the Pacific by the Coast Guard icebreaker
Northwnd on its way back from the Antarctic
last spring The find was important because
it showed that whatever the explanation-less
water in the sea or subsistence Of the sea
f1oor-it must have held true for the entire
Pacific basin.
The discovery of an Atlantic guyot now
shows that the phenomon responsible for the
structures must have been worldwide. Sinking
of the floors of both seas Is, considered highly
improbable and the conclusion Is almost un-
escapable that at some stage In geological
history there was a stretch of many thousands
of wears when there was vastly less water In
the oceans than today. This must have been
a time Of unparalleled drought
Coral Island Theory Unaffected.
The coral island hypothesis remains unal-
fected. These apparently existed in the Az
lantic at the time of the great drought when
millions of square miles now covered by sea
were drv land. The search will be continued
for the same type Of structures in other
oceans.
The ternf "guyot," which henceforth will be
included in all geography textbooks, was given
the undersea mountains in honor OF Frencn
peoerapher. The structures are considered
significant not only because Of the light they
shed on the history of the earth but because
of their value as possible landmarks Tor
navigators.
Evening star., 1948-01-26
Slip of the Tonoue

At meeting in the United Nations the
other day, Andrei Gromyko of Russia made
a speech about controlling armaments.
Thereupon, through wonderful slip of
the tongue, a young interpreter translated
one of Mr.. Gromyko's phrases to mean
advocacy of plan for the general regula-
ton and reduction of arguments" Every
body laughed, including Mr.. Gromyko, who
made point of saying that such plan
would be good thing.
1t certainly would be. What a boon to
living if something like it were in effective
operation! Quarrels of all sorts could then
be held to a minimum, whether between
lovers, husband and wife or country and
country. There would be magic formula
to cut short the sharp word, to soothe the
ruffied feeling to scatter the gathering
frown to bring out the warm smile, and to
make anger yield to comfy and amiable
ness in general. The pity is, though, that
the harsh realities encroach upon the
dream. The egg in this case comes before
the chicken. The egg Is the source of the
quarrelling, and it must 60 before the
quarrelling itself can end. Thus, with
nations, the problem is to eliminate the
clashing interests, the ambitions, the
mutual fears, the jealousy and envy that
make them engage in both long range and
short-range invective. The invective is the
effect, not the cause, of what ails our
globe.
In short, until the cause itself is re-
moved or moderated-until we can have,
for example, fairly foolproof inter-
national agreement on the general regu-
lation and reduction of armaments"-ta
about the general regulation and reduc-
ton Of arguments" will remain nothing
but an amusing slip of the tongue. 1t will
be. joke at which everybody, still in
cluding Mr. Gromyko, will have to keep on
laughing. And the laughter-this being
the atomic age-must perforce grow more
and more hysterical as time goes on and
nothing is done to justify something better
than frightened giggle.
Evening star., 1948-01-26
Prince Georges Library Plans

Prince Georges Library Plans
To the Editor Of The Star:
Recently your paper reported that the Board
Of Trustees of the Prince Georges County
Memorial Library had requested an increase
in the county levy from cents to Al cents
per 500 valuation. AS one of the trustees of
the library, I believe it important that the
people of the county should know why the
increase Is needed. The county commissioners
always are sensitive to public opinion, and 1t
is important that the public have the in
formation that lies behind this request so that
they can form an opinion about it.
The library Is the newest public agency in
Prince Georges County the bookmobile having
been put on the road only last September 1t
makes 81 stops on regular four-week schedule
Interest in the bookmobile is high; the travel
ing librarians report .thst they often have to
move on to the next stop before all the people
can be served. Communities not on the sched-
ue OF stops are requesting service that cannot
be given among them Mount Rainier, Colmar
Manor. Newton Village Tuxedo, Decatur
Heights and Hampshire Knols. The library
has ordered another bookmobile in order to
expand this service and has included
SUFFICIENT amount in the budget to buy books
and pay the salaries of the professional and
clerical stan required to put the second truck
in operation. Without the increase in income
the order will have to be Cancelled and plans
for increasing the number of stops and the
tiuie spent at each and for covering the route
more frequently will have to be abandoned
The Board Of Trustees plans to establish
part-tme community libraries in Bowie, Dis
trict Heights, Sutland, College Park and
Marlboro Hyattsvle and Laurel libraries are
already open, and Farmont Heights will open
within the next few weeks 1t Is important
to emphasize that the establishment OF COM
munity library Is a joint enterprise the COM
munity furnishing the space, light, heat
furniture and all janitor service; the county
library furnishing the books, the librarian
and all professional services required. The
places listed above are ready to do their share,
but without more money the library will not
be able to establish these branches. .-
HELEN DITdAN.
Citizens Association Commentator
the Editor Of The Star:
We, the members of the Fort Dupont Citi-
zens' Association, Sc, of the District of Collm-
bia. wish to extend to you our appreciation Of
your journalistic efforts that makes The Star
one of OUR leading papers
1t is gratifing to know that a newspaper
realizes the extent to which it can influence
public opinion. Your efforts to suppress the
lurid criminal stories that hinder law enforce
nent as well as your coverage OF civic events
have been constant reminders to all that you
are not Sinking your moral and civic respon-
sibilities to our community.
GEORGE E. BENTLEY. President.
R. L. SHOAP, Secretary.
W. A. WHEELER. Chairman,
Education, Parks, Fairgrounds.
Evening star., 1948-01-26
them are physically incapable Of the gymnastic.

them are physically incapable Of the gymnastics
required to reach the fire escape.
Nor is the possibility Of fire something re-
mote and improbable. The fire marshal of the
Public Building Administration itself has con-
demned the space for the purposes for which
1t is being used. Several fires in the downtown
area recently should emphasize in our minds
the possibility of still another tragedy.
The District fire inspectors have no authority
over such federally controlled space, but it Is
definite hazard for those of us who live and
work in the District and believe we should try
to do something to force correction Of the stua-
tion before it is too late. The Federal Govern
ment has access to many desirable sites for Its
agencies in this city. The Social Security field
ofnce is one that is used by many of us. 1t is
set up for the purpose of serving the public.
The present location Of the Office Is potential
danger spot. I feel certain that if the officials
of the Public Buildings Administration were
shown this office, they too would realize that
the agency should be moved to safer location.
]. A. B.