davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1949-05-02
No Excuse for Most Accidents

There is stern truth in the National
Safety Councils comment that the 2 per
cent rise in traffic deaths so far this year
"can be explained. but 1t cannot be ex-
eused." The increase in the Eastern
States during the first three months OF
the year averaged more than II per cent
One explanation for the growing death
toll, the Council said, was the fact that
the Nations already congested highways
are carrying heavier traffic loads than
last year. Some idea of the extra hazards
on the highways may be obtained from
figures Just released by the Public Roads
Administration. These figures show that
more than three million motor vehicles
including trucks and buses, were added
last year to the traffic arteries OF the
Nation. This brought the total number
of vehicles using the streets and highways
to more than forty-one million-an In
crease of nearly per cent over 1s47. These
vehicles covered per cent more mileage
during the first two months Of is4s than
during the same period OF last year.
The increase In travel. with Its CORES
ponding increase In accident opportunities,
must be accepted ~ factor not subject
to control by safety authorities. But there
are other factors contributing to the ac-
eident toll that cannot be accepted rs In
Evening star., 1949-05-02
Wor-Lord Puttern in Chino

Out of the vacuum caused by the collapse
of the Nationalist Government q political
pattern Is emerging in virtually all parts
of China not yet under Communist mill
tary occupation. 1t Is the assumption OF
power by local leaders known as war
lords"
The pattern itself is not new. 1t has
existed ever since the downfall of the
Manchu Empire in the revolution OF 1911.
But it was overlaid by the Nationalist
Central Government like veneer OF vary
ing thickness Now that the veneer Is
being stripped off, the local pattern re-
emergeS in fuller measure.
In order to understand the strength of
these local regimes. we should comprehend
the profound dislocation caused by the
revolution. Old China was neither a ma
ton nor a state in the Western sense OF
those terms. 1t was loose-jointed ag-
glomeration of peoples and regions bound
together primarily by common culture
and outlook on life. The imperial au-
thority was light even in China proper,
the provinces exercising considerable local
autonomy, while the outlying dependencies,
inhabited by non Chinese peoples, regarded
themselves as the vassals of the Emperor
rather than as parts OF political union.
The revolutionists, headed by Sun Yat-
sen, endeavored to transform this POLITICAL
ly amorphous China into a nation-st
But such a concept, alien to Chinese
thought, was slow In taking root. So the
collapse of the imperial regime broke the
historic ties, giving free play to provincial
no1 lnIy
the rise of local strong men who seized
power and tried to hold 1t despite the
claims of the new national authority
The ensuing history of China has been a
shifting and complex game Of power
politics played between the Nationalist
Central Government and Semi-autonomouS
local regimes.
These local regimes have always been
strongest in the west and south. Western
China is largely Moslem and has strong
separatist traditions, while the southern
border provinces, such. as Yunnan and
Sikang were never fully integrated into
the Nationalist pattern. Both regions are
anti Communist and are rallying around
their local leaders in an attempt to retain
their autonomy against Communist DOM
lnaplOn. Iney therefore OlcE IkIc pcSt
native centers of resistance to Communist
penetration.
As for the dependencies, Manchuria and
Mongolia have fallen hopelessly under
Communist control. But Tibet, which
never acknowledged even Nationalist au-
thority, is strongly separatist, while Sin
kiang or Chinese Turkestan is more
exposed to direct pressure from the Soviet
Union than it is from the Chinese Com
munists, shielded from Red China as
Sinkiang is by the belt of Chinese Moslem
territory.
All this indicates the difficulties which
the Communists are likely to experience
in setting up effective control over the
whole of China and its dependencies. The
localist pattern Is stubborn, as the Nation
alists found to their cost. 1t remains to
be seen whether the Communist concept
of centralized authority can be implanted
more easily than the Nationalist concept
of the Western nation-state. An age-old
history suggests that both are foreign to
the Chinese way Of life.
Evening star., 1949-05-02
Heodwoy Against Coneer

Although it may be long time, II ever,
before man wins total victory over cancer,
he Is slowly but surely making measurable
progress to that end. The important thing
Is that he Is learning more and more about
the disease, and the more he learns. the
less formidable it becomes and the greater
the reason to hope that 1t will eventually
lose It's present standing as one OF the
worlds worst killers.
Thus, as reported at the recent Detroit
conference Of the American Association for
Cancer Research, there have been three
promising new developments. The nrst
of these is the announcement that DR..
Charles B. Higgins Of the University OF
Chicago has worked out what Is for all
practical purposes simple, cheap and
reasonably sure blood test" for detecting
the disease in human beings. The second
is the report that Dr. George w. Kidder
of Amherst College has succeeded. with
drug called guanazolo, in stopping the
growth of cancerous animal cells without
injuring normal cells. And the third Is
the fact that several Columbia University
scientists have isolated virus-like sub
stance that causes malignant breasttumors
in mice.
Since they have to do solely with mice,
the findings of DR.. Kidder and the Colum-
bia researchers do not as yet have any
direct significance in terms OF human
beings. But they are at least suggestive In
that sense, and further experimentation
with them may lead to highly encouraging
results As for DR.. Huggins new blood test,
1t has been tried out on sizable number
of men and women with apparent success.
Its Importance is that 1t seems to constitute
tool with which doctors will be able TO
detect unsuspected malignant growths and
diagnose cancerous conditions in the early
stages-the time when the disease can be
cured, by surgery or otherwise. In the great
majority OF cases.
Though not spectacular, al this adds up
to heartening evidence that science q
making substantial headway against can
cer Coupled with the promise implicit IN
what researchers are doing with radio
isotopes furnished by the Atomic Energy
Commission, the new developments suggest
Evening star., 1949-05-02
SeoquII Inlond

Stranger. ,rheelsno and crying ADORE me
irts-coioved city damn.
Abore the ndktag thunder Of mEfe6
morning racic roar,
You bring aifre forgotten summer. roe
many summer past,
Bioicn spray and crash OF surf spon far
lost snmrser shore.
And snddenIp these granite areraes asd
stone spires fail array.
sotr all dfssoipsd the nesnsbops' cries and
rlanc OF trolley ben.
And suddenly the heart, remembering.
vecapfares frnnstsnt song.
Seeing again familiar lighthouse and
senssnc rsedp salt mnrfh srssH.
Bat only for the vsorsHfs for that distGrf
shore and time are Ios,
Or II fhep Ire they tire for tons mhtfs-
sfIuev caa. alose,
Ard euen a. pour ptrions bear rcs foseayd
fhs hight and ssa.
The heart II locked asenD fogsrty IN Trees
streets OF stone.
FREDERICK EBRiOHT.
Evening star., 1949-05-02
Up to Congress

Senator McCarran has s'7rd IN the elum
clearance situation in Washington quite
accurately. There is nothing wrong with
the redevelopment program that appro-
priations will not cure. Lack OF funds has
hampered preliminary planning, has pre-
vented publication of the so-called master
plan and has even deprived the District
Land Redevelopment Agency of needed
stationery.
It is true that until the preliminary plans
are completed little use can be made OF
appropriations earmarked for land acqui-
sition and housing redevelopment. But
the planning itself undoubtedly would
have been further advanced had Congress
granted promptly the small sums requested
by the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission and the Redevelopment
Agency for preparatory work and for ad-
ministrative expenses. Offlcials OF the
agency have dug into their own pockets to
keep their office running until Congress
gets around to acting.
The letter which Senator McCarran has
sent to key legislators in support of ap-
propriations to keep the agency going and
to finance its first project at Marshall
Heights is an encouraging lnolcatlon thdt
the impasse soon may be broken. The
Redevelopment Agency is desirous of OBJ
tanning an immediate appropriation OF
s.. 400 900 with which to start the Mar
shall Heights undertaking. Plans for the
Job have been drawn up and public hear
ings on it have been held at the District
Building. If the Commissioners give the
go-sign, the work can be begun in the near
future. In short, the machinery Is ex-
pected to be ready for operation, once the
money is available.
Thus, the decision as to when the local
slum- clearance and redevelopment pro-
gram will start is strictly up to Congress
Until Congress does its part 1t Is unfair
to criticize local officials for the delay
and it is pointless for the legislators to
decry the conditions found on their an
nual tours of Washington's inhabited
alleyS
Evening star., 1949-05-02
Love and Russio's Locksmiths

Love may laugh at locksmiths in most
parts of the world but not in the Soviet
Union. Despite repeated appeals-the
latest now being pressed by Chile in the
General Assembly of the United Nations
the Kremlinis heart refuses TO melt. Ap-
parently it is a thing OF stone, insenSitive
to sentiment and unyielding TO arguments
based on the U. N. Charter and the
Declaration of Human Rights As a result,
more than one thousand Russians and
their non -Russion spouses west OF the
Iron Curtain must continue TO live apart.
however dear they may be to each other.
Most of these people fell in love during
the war. Non-Russians on duty In Moscow
and elsewhere wooed and wed the Russians,
with no objections from Soviet officialdom.
But when the time came for the nom
Russians to return to their own countries,
their brides were denied permission to go
with them. They ran into legal obstacles
of all sorts And so they have had no
chance to establish a home life and now
find their marriages in danger of dissolu-
ton through enforced separation. Com
pared with other world problems, theirs
may seem relatively unimportant, but 1t
is nonetheless poignant. and the Kremlins
refusal to do anything about 1t adds up to
heartlessness that makes no sense
For what can the Soviet government gain
from denying to this small number OF
individuals the right to live together? 1t
has made very poor case for its position
against the U. N. effort to persuade 1t to
lift the bars. Indeed, all that it has
accomplished is to create added Ill will
for itself in the Western world If the
men OF the Kremln only softened little
in this instance. if they, bowed just bit
to the pressures of warmhearted senti-
ment, the gesture would make them seem
more human and win them friends. They
are said to be masters of propaganda.
There Is no evidence of that here.
Evening star., 1949-05-02
I4aeaI I.aandrses Criticized
For Alleged Jnfairnexs
70 tAs Rcsta. Of -As Star.

10 tAs KctaS sf TIE star
The Federal Trade Commission Fair
Trade Practices Section would do well 10
investisate certain policies and practices Of
some OF the National Capitals leading lAan
dries and dry-cleanlng plants
What assurances do customers have o. the
safeguarding OF apparel delivered 10 the
firms for cleaning When losses occur. what
Is q reasonable length O! time customers
should be expected to wait for settlement
By what authority are the hrms able 10 say
for themselves the percentage OF cost pay
ment they will make as adjustment Why
should customers receiving such adjustments
be paid BY sight drafts that may be
caShed only at company ofnces by route
men. or spent with the company when pay
ing for further business
To illustrate. customer of one Of the
citys larger laundries, in January, with her
regular order included fine sports shirt
she had given her husband for Christmas.
Upon the orders return the shirt was miss
ing. An immediate report OF the loss Was
made. and the laundry requested rerifica-
ton of the shirts cost The same was
obtained and supplied. as well as the date
OF the purchase The customer was told
she would have TO wait a couple of weeks
10 see II II Was returned TO the laundry.
Weeks passed. Complaints TO the route man
collecting later ofoefs ellcited Only the Sog
geston that she talk again 10 the once.
Finally. three months after the loss nrst vas
reported land after innumersole and in
terminable telephone calls 10 inquire about
it,, the customer received a check in settle
ment However the checks amount was
only two thirds of the clam-and the shirt
was a new one, making its frst trip 10 the
laundry. Moreover. the payment was q sight
draft that could be caShed only at company
Offices. by It's route men. or used In payment
for further business.
How much longer will the public have to
stand for such unfair. selfish and churlish
treatment from Washington laundries7
JOSEPH w. MARSHALL.
Evening star., 1949-05-02
The Strike at Bendix

The current strike by the C1O united
Auto Workers at the Bendix AVIATION
CORPORATION plant in Indiana is not going
to throw the national economy into
tailspin. But the strike is important never
theless for the light that 1t sheds on the
philosophy which underlies the admins
tration's fight for a toothless labor law.
In its drive to get rid of the Taft-Hartley
Act the administration Is proceeding on
the assumption that, in the main, legisla-
tive restraints on union activities are
undesirable. The theory is that unions and
union leaders can be depended upon to DO
the right thing, and that it is not neces-
sary to regulate them by statute.
One of the innocent victims OF the
Bendix strike is the Hudson Motor Car
Company. Hudson along with General
Motors and Ford, relies on Bendix as
principal supplier Of brakes The latter
two have not been hurt because they were
able to remove from the Bendix plant the
dies used in making the brakes for their
cars. But Hudson was less fortunate
When other efforts failed, Hudson OBJ
tanned an order from a State court re-
curing that its dies be surrendered. But
UAW pickets forcibly prevented the local
sheriff from carrying out the courts order.
Walter Reuther, UAW president. accuses
: Hudson of trying to make political capital
out Of the situation, but he discreetly
ignores his own unions defiance OF q
judicial order.
This is not an isolated instance OF law
less union activity. The same thing, or
and
time again. And If the facts were faced
candidly, the advocates Of the doctrine
that unions would not abuse their power
If permitted to do as they pleased would
find themselves without leg to stand on.
Evening star., 1949-05-02
BY THE HasKIN SERVICE.

@ How many years will the sia Congress
serve?-J. @.
A. The life Of each Congress is two years,
regardless OF the number Of regular or spe.
cial sessions held. The term OF the present
Congress extends from noon. January :.
lS49. to noon. January D. 1851 Previous TO
1887 each Congress lasted from noon March
TO noon March 4, two years later.
@. What per cent OF college enrolment 10
represented by women9-0. H.
A. In the autumn OF is4s. women formed
289 per cent OF United States college en-
rollment. numbering 69e 900 out OF total OF
2408 900. Although this was an Increase In
actual numbers over is47. 1t represented q
lower percentage.
@ How long does 1t take q huge circus tent
to debate and fall TO the earth when II IL
being taken down7--D. r. c.
A. II takes approximately IS seconds for
the Big Top balloon OF the Ringing Bros.
and Barnum & Bailey Circus 10 DEBATE after
1t has been loosed from It's supports.
@ Is Humpty -Dumpty Of the nursery tale
supposed TO represent real person - RY.
A. The hunchbacked king. Richard III Of
England. is said TO be the prototype OF
Humpty Dumpty. Richard was killed IN the
Battle OF Bosworth In 1885 during the Etrua-
gle for the throne by the rival houses Of
York and Lancaster.
@ What is the best selling novel published
In the United StAtes7-~L. ID. o.
A. According 10 the latest available re-
ports IL Is Margaret Mitchelis Gone with
the Wind" which has sold over $500 900
copies since publication In 1895 and has
passed previous best sellers Foreign saies Of
Gone With the Wind are close 70 2 million
In % countries
@ How far south in Florida has snos been
known 10 fsil?LH EF
A. In February 1899. light snow vas re-
corded over northern Florida and q few
fakes fell rs far south as Fort Myers
Evening star., 1949-05-02

that the scourse may yet be conquered. or
at least greatly reduced in deadliness. The
news thus serves as kind OF witness 70
the fact that money given over 10 work
In this field Is money decidedly well spent.
Evening star., 1949-05-02

home csfenses and domestic gelAtsoax ard
/. II is al al possible. to remove the cause q.
repeated daseord IN high places. Al eyes
here a. home and abroad are turned toward
Washington. A cloac hcvefs over the IA :
t2onal horizon, Is this the s4sn O. Storm
CHARLES ALLEN RESTFRO.
Evening star., 1949-05-02
Letters to The Star

Letters for r&h'1ofsoT '@@si nes'
the sicua.ars ara address % .As
ser1te-. although II IS rer-tsrsis ~
d a1rifsr Esossa 70 -ks S's, "a &te
O aoes de ps2sas Please b h'te'
Evening star., 1949-05-02

A check written on an egg by a member
of British Parliament is held to be nego-
table, just so 1t Is cashed quickly and not
run through the protectograph.
Evening star., 1949-05-02
Unfair Criticism Seen
As Beemeranx 70 Critics

Oscar Wilde said. There ID only one thing
worse than being talked about. and that Is
not being talked about"
High-minded men that seek 10 expose pc~
litical chicanery, and various rackets. IN m
effort 10 administer social justice, often incur
the hostility OF selfish people. But IN hurting
mental missiles. greedy men add 10 the pres
tiae OF those who posseas character. while
advertising this fact to the world at large.
EDMuNp K. GCID6BOROUGH.
Evening star., 1949-05-02
Questions and Answers

rssasr can ssl the bnAwsF 70 Aas sasstlan af
.aet By .ttlns The Essnins stsF tnsefmstier
Bureau. ala / street Eg- wAshtnstss : y {
Please ineioss three t1i esnis iaE return postage
Evening star., 1949-05-02
National Security
Seen Out Of Balance
To the Editor of The star.


If important vacancies of the type occur
ring in the armed services Of our Nation were
noted in some other country. We would won-
der. and with reason. what Is happening. In
our humble opinion, a national military
establishment cannot function adequately
with several Of the principal secretaries out
Of office.
We are not giving fair example to the
rest Of the world. While China burns. We
are hddling at home. Domestic disunity
here will never unity other nations. except
to give them the opportunity to disparage
our efforts. Some bellicose elements may
even become more so. War Is more con-
tagious than the measles. And unfortunately
the rash Is just as red.
As q citizen who willingly contributes
State and Federal income taxes. rs well as
real estate taxes on a home. plus all the
other invisible taxes. am frankly inclined
to be alarmed at the condition OF our do
mestic affairs. And In turn this may invite
international complications.
Some of us have wondered how one-time
secretaries Of the armed forces continued as
secretaries under the once Of the Defense
Secretary. They declined. II now becomes
apparent. to be subordinate officials in the
services. Possibly the better plan would have
been to designate each one as undersecre-
tary Of Defense for the Navy, for the Air
Force, and for the Army. Either the three
services are TO be subordinate. In reality. to
the entire military establishment. or then
each service win continue independent. as
heretofore.
when our national security Is In the bal
ance. It Is time. We believe. to look TO our
Evening star., 1949-05-02

Dear Sir:
Concerning the mysterious animal de-
scribed by H. L. r.. In your column recently.
am quite certain that 1t was . small Arctic
rat. I observed similar one while In Juneau
during the war.
"A bartender had made pet Of one OF
these affectionate little animals. which In
sisted on mapping on the brass ran with its
tail extended.
Sincerely. =. L. H.. Jr.
Evening star., 1949-05-02

O. How far south in Florida has snos been
known 10 fsil?LH EF.
A. In February 1899. light snow vas re-
corded over northern Florida and o few
nakes fell Is far south as Fort Myers
Evening star., 1949-06-28
Brothers PIeoses Fight Fans,
But Can't Get Rinq Dates

Where do we go from here?
wonders John Carter, manager o1
Elkins Brothers, a passably good
Washington heavyweight fighter
Brothers dropped a split decision
to Arturo Godoy Of Chile las
night at Griffith Stadium. but
that's only one of Cartes's prob
lens. 1t wasn't a bad fight. there
was action most Of the way and
Brothers didn't lose any friends
But Carter's big trouble is getting
regular employment for Brothers
as a fighter.
There's supposed to be a short
age Of good fighters. unused
Carter afterward, land you'd
think that anyone who gives the
crowd a good show like Elkins
does wouldn't have to worry about
getting fights. But just try to
book him anywhere.
Suppose book Elkins out-of-
town against some local favorite.
He's got good chance Of winning
and that ruins the local favorite.
Or suppose he loses? That doesn't
help the local favorite because ]
have to admit that outside OF
Washington hardly anybody ever
heard of Elkins Brothers. You
have to have a reputation, and
you can't get one without fighting.
And we can't get fights"
Carter has other troubles. too.
Evening star., 1949-06-28
By Lewis r. Atchison

The Redskins picked the hottest
day OF the year to announce the
signing of Halfback Dan Sandifer.
Because we think he'll be one
of our hottest players" explained
General Manager Dick McCann.
The first time Sandy got his
hands on the ball last year he
went "a yards for a touchdown In
the Tribes intrasquad game. He
was a good prospect but HOWE
Livingston's early injury doomed
Sandifer to an almost strictly de-
fensive role. Even so he broke
Sammy Baugh's record for pass
interceptions. grabbing two more
than Sans II. apd upped Bill
Dudley's record for runbacks with
interceptions from 246 to 258
yards.
Coach Billick Welchel hasn't an
nounced any plans for his first
year at the Tribes helm, but some
grandstand strategists think a
backfield Of Fullback Ed Quirk.
Sandifer and Eddie Saenz at the
halves and Harry Gilmer or
Baugh at quarter. would combine
enough speed and power to make
the Skins dangerous. With Gilmer
calling plays 1t also would be one
Evening star., 1949-06-28
Di Mag Passes Full Test, Likely to Face Bosox

long absence from competition,
7 wish ] could have done
something as bat. Joe saac.
but Kirby HiSoe kept threw
ing me knucklers and ] Was out
Of practice against that dipsy
do stun"
The Yankee slusger slammed
one out Of the park In the
home run contest preceding
the Mayor ODwyer trophy
game. This qualified him for
. hi,-on with the Giants' Sid
Gordon and BOBBY Thomson
and the Yankees Johnny L4n-
dell for rtghthander honorx
In the second series, Gordon
hit two home runs ON ftse
pitches 10 win honors. Thom-
son and Lindeii hit one each
and this time Di Magg,o. who
has q career total OF sos in the
majors. failed to connect.
Di Maggio has been out OF
action since his heel became
infiamed ut Dallas. Tex. April
IL. He underwent q series Of
examinations and treatments
before returning to practice
two weeks ago.
Evening star., 1949-06-28

Ten wears sgo--~lc~ l<~&s
stopped Tony Galeto In the
fourth round. after helms
fsoored twice