davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1950-07-20
ST STREET.

04QGG i.
Dear Sir:
I'VE have an eleven-acre place on top
Of the Blue Ridge near Bluemont. Va.
The place has stone cottage and large
lawn where dozens Of birds make their
home. Among them are lots of robins.
This year a strange thing occurred.
For more than month robin has been
pecking at various windows around the
house and at times has apparently been
roosting in certain windows. We wonder
whether you can tell us why this robin
pecks at the glass window? Has he lost
his mate and sees his image in the glass?
Or is this a robin that wants to fight?
"We are not very superstitious, but
mountain folk tell us that this Is sign
Of death in our household II that robin
gets into the house.
VERY truly yours, r. D. B."
Fighting is the word for it.
Birds in springtime stake out terri
tories, and defend them against all
comerS.
Sometimes. especially among robins
and jays. they try to fight of non-exist-
ent enemies.
That state of affairs is not entirely
unknown among human beings.
Usually, after few days, they give
over the pursuit We have watched jays
fight their reflections In chromium hub
caps, as well as In windows.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
By Mortin S. Hoyden

rs THE GOVERNMENTS loyalty pro-
l. gram tough enough to give maximum
protection against preSent-day Alger
Hiss? The man who runs it admits he
does not know.
What's more, Seth w. Richardson,
chairman of the Presidents Loyalty Re-
view Board, doubts that any positive
answers would be given and publicly
accepted if, as Congress currently de-
mands, President Truman appoints q
new citizen study commission to review
the whole loyalty setup.
After three years as the loyalty boss,
q lawyers maybe yes and maybe no" is
the 70-year- Republicans answer
when asked whether mere suspicion of
disloyalty should be grounds for ousting
a Federal worker. He says he can argue
either side Of the question and document
his contention with proof" from the
record.
Now, Mr.. Richardson and his COL
leagues work under presidential direc-
tive saying an employe shall be fired
whenever ION all the evidence, reason
able grounds exist for the belief that
the person involved is disloyal to the
Government of the United States"
This, Mr.. Richardson says, was a COM
promise.
Some" he states, "who boast that
they are liberals. would have limited
disloyalty firing to cases where. as re-
quired in courts of law, there was proof
beyond reasonable doubt Others
would have had dismissal whenever the
facts indicated real suspicion or doubt
My mail indicates a lot of people still
hold the latter view"
When he chooses to defend the tougher
regulation, Lawyer Richardson puts
these points in his brief:
Cd I'm these tense days when we
know the danger Of Communist infiltra-
tion, the Government. to remain strong,
must have thoroughly loyal personnel
CD "The right to Government joo
is not among citizens constitutional
privileges, and the Government has
right to make job qualification as tough
as it wants it.
90 Experience has shown that the
Governments only past warning as to
those who later proved disloyal was in
the form Of suspicion undocumented
until after the traitors had done their
damage.
"a "The associations and activities
giving grounds for suspicion are almost
invariably Of the employees choice and
fault. and the Government should not
be forced to take chance that these
indicators will prove meaningless"
MIR. Richardson cites the Hiss case as
an example where "undocumented sus-
Evening star., 1950-07-20
This and That

Early spring peckings at glass must
come to an end sometime, and usually
shortly, because the birds have work
to do.
Whether they realize the project is
silly is not known. Probably they do not.
It is just the case of one instinct giving
in to a more powerful one.
Country folk are always full of super
stitions
The one about bird getting into the
house is very old.
It was based upon the general idea
Of the soul. and angels possessing wings:
birds have wings. so birds are sort Of
angels, or souls in fight.
Birds are supposed to stay outdoors. If
one gets in, it is general reversal Of
things as they should be.
The home has long been held to be
ones castle. An intruder from the out
side is an enemy.
A bird comes in where it is not sup
posed to be, and SO is an enemy.
An enemy brings disaster; but every
one knows bird, small and weak, brings
no particular trouble. Therefore it must
be trouble predicted for the future.
Thousands Of birds have got into
homes and Offices without any one dying
as q result.
Yet perhaps . death shortly after .
Evening star., 1950-07-20

of American landscape and dropping seeds which
would produce health giving fruit. He has been
dead more than a century. but nevertheless,
he is the honorary chairman" of the nursery
mems conclave.
OF course, many other organizations are CO.
operating with the A. A. N. The Federal Govern
ment naturally is interested. So are the State
governments and many municipalities. Local
garden clubs, the All, Boy and Girl Scouts,
schools, colleges, universities, newspapers radio
stations, real estate bodies, banks and an army
of individuals are supporting the movement.
The nurserymen have assumed leadership be-
cause they are professional planters and have
had abundant professional experience with all
the difficulties involved-and the satisfactions
to be had from overcoming those difficulties.
So, Johnny Appleseed's" work is going on
under skilled management. 1t would be great
pity If no such effort were being attempted on
q scale commensurate with the need.
Evening star., 1950-07-20

found the suspicion had some basis In
fact
How about the other side?
Lawyer Richardson says the brief for it
is strong. substantiated by fact and
based on good American doctrine Of
justice and fair play.
He notes that Government employe
removed for disloyalty loses more than
just his right to future Government pay
checks. A Loyalty Board directive of
July 26, 1949, told all Government agen-
cies that. when queried by prospective
private employer as to the reason why q
man fired for disloyalty quit, the answer
should be that his employment was ter
minated "after proceedings pursuant to
Executive Order 1885. dealing with the
Government loyalty program"
That" says Mr.. Richardson, means
a man is ruined everywhere and forever.
No reputable firm is likely to take a
chance on giving him job"
Based on that situation, the Loyalty
Board chairman gives these arguments
for the status quo in the present pro-
cedure:
Cd Since our records so far show not
one case where an employe has been
passed, and later proven disloyal, there
is no proven need for change.
Cd Though Government employment
Evening star., 1950-07-20
Hoordinq Cartoon

Your cartoon on boarding should be
posted in every shop, Office, and home
in the Nation; especially in the kitchens
Of those homes. But 1t won't be. The
"hogs" are back with us, and hogs can't
or won't read: and never, never look at
such nasty pictures.
How can a people whose god is money
expect to stand OF the fanatical, savage
determination Of the Communist cru
sade? For that is what we are facing:
religious" fanaticism as strong as
any the world has ever seen. It will
take more than love Of property and
money to give us the strength to de-
feat 1t. If our faith in our way Of life
does not rise above these little selfish
interests. God help us. - s,1
Only He won't!
A well-deserved pat on the back to
your artist, Jim Bergman. for his in.
depreciation Of Reactions at Home to
Tragic News Abroad"
Let's hope it brings across q point
to our imitation mongerS.
John e. Coleman.
It would be a service to the country
to have this cartoon reproduced in guam
titles. Patriotic merchants could display
it conspicuously and the rest of us could
find other appropriate uses for 1t.
Gwen Hurd Hempel.
The cartoon was most unkind to those
Of us who do not hoard.
s. Thornton.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
The Plant America Movement

The 1000 members and friends of the Amer
lean Association of Nurserymen, now meeting at
the Statler Hotel, are engaged in a worthy
undertaking. The assembly represents move
Sment summarized in the words plant America"
1T seeks Ito conserve the land and to beautify
the country"
h That means, in effect, campaign to oppose
waste and to counteract any and all develop
mentS which would make the United States an
sugly, desolate, impoverished land. The drive
began with John Chapman, famous as Johnny
lAppleseed," planting missionary who spent 81
years Of his life wandering over 100000 miles
Evening star., 1950-07-20
Foolish and Selfish

President Truman's warning that continu-
ance of the upward trend of prices may bring
rationing and price control is most timely. 1t
comes as reports from all sections of the country
tell of wave of retail buying and an accompany
ing markup of prices on commodities most in
demand. The hoarders and the profteers will
be the first to complain if the Government i'm
poses drastic controls on sales and prices-but
these people are asking for just such universally
hated measures. 4 :,
Now is the time for what Mr.. Truman de-
scribed in his message as sensible and restrained
action by businessmen, labor, farmers and con-
SumerS" If this common sense and this restraint
are not more evident henceforward than in the
past few weeks. the restraining will have to be
done by the Federal Government. There is no
other sure way of preventing runaway infla-
tionary spiral that could be disastrous to every
body-and especially to the boys who are fighting
1t out with the enemy in the Korean mud
Coincident with the rush of consumers to
retail outlets for food clothing, tires and other
goods that were in short supply during World
War H. headlines reveal soaring price tags on
sugar coffee pepper, lard, wheat, cotton, WOOL
tires and gasoline. Some of the rises are blamed
on seasonal" shortages and similar normal
factors, but the trend is too general to
be considered normal phenomenon. Some
grocery stores had long lines of customers wait
ing to check out with extraordinary purchases
of packaged and canned goods and many OF
the customers frankly admitted they were stock
Ing up in preparation for any scarcity. These
buyers seem utterly oblivious Of the fact that
they are adopting the worst possible plan Of
meeting the shortage problem, for they are
accelerating the very evil they fear. This Is
the wrong sort of preparedness-the kind that
plays right into the hands of those who would
like nothing better than to see US suffering
from economic chaos at home while our troops
abroad are waiting for more guns and an1nfuni-
tion The President was right in describing the
instigators Of artificial scarcity as foolish and
selfish" "a 4
Evening star., 1950-07-20

Before this long. long struggle with
world communism comes to an end,
we are going to be squeezed as we have
never been squeezed before. Among the
many things that are going to be
squeezed out of us are boastfulness
wastefulness. dislike of discipline, SEN
timentality, wishful thinking, material
mindedness, moral f1abbines and ire
ligion.
What will it be worth to lose these
deplorable weaknesses? Enough to help
sustain our spirits through these days
and months and years which are going
to try our souls.
Had we allowed conscience to be our
guide more completely, we would not be
suffering from major weaknesses today.
We would already be so strong in ma
tional character that the enemies Of
Evening star., 1950-07-20
Our Reserve Monpower

In taking advantage of presidential author
ity to call up their reserve forces "as may, be
required" the armed services will find this re-
servoir of manpower largely Il-prepared to
Jump into combat. Much recruiting Will be
necessary to bring many units to full strength,
and much equipment will have to be supplied
them After that period of intensive training
will be required to put them in condition for
front-line duty.
The Korean war comes at time when the
Army and Air Force are still trying to catch up
with the Navy in developing efficient postwar
reserve organizations. Both the ground and air
branches were slower than the Navy in building
up their reserve components after the close OF
World War II and both incurred presidential
criticism as result. The Navy, on the other
hand launched comprehensive reserve training
program right after the war and 1t has con-
tinued to give special attention to the reservists
ever since Consequently it is generally agreed
that the Naval Reserve is better prepared to
respond to an active duty call than the reserves
of its brother branches The Air Force of course,
was delayed by the defense reorganization which
gave it independent status.
Recent figures show the total organized re-
serve strength of the three services at close to
600. To this may be added the National
Guard pool of about 350,000 men, The Army'S
Organized Reserve has about 245, 900 officers and
men, the Navy has about $4,000, the Air Force
900 and the Marine Corps less than 50,000
Organized reserve units hold weekly or BIZ
weekly drills the year around and, in addition
provide two weeks of active training duty each
summer. Unfortunately, inadequate equipment
and inadequate facilities for drilling have
shampered all reserve organizations in condition
{ ing themselves for battle Some air units have
had difficulty in obtaining sufficient planes to
keep their members fit, and the planes that were
available usually were veterans of World War II.
/ Behind all these difficulties lay the familiar
deterrent, insufficient funds. Shortage of funds
has caused materiel shortages and has limited
the active duty training periods with pay The
picture is due to change for the better, now that
there is prospect of large additional funds for
defense. 1t will take substantial appropriations
; to put the reserves on a war-readiness footing
and this obviously cannot be done as quickly as
the demands of the present emergency require
The sooner the job is begun, the sooner will our
standby ground, air and sea forces be ready to
undertake any task assigned them.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
EvongeIine Booth

General Evangeline Booth, dead at 84 was
"the supreme commander" of the international
Salvation Army from 1884 until 1939 Previously
she had been the active head of the movement in
Canada for nine years and in the United States
for 80 years. Her career may be summarized in
those dates. But the story of her life is not told
in any such commonplace way. She was one of
the great women of her time, and the narrative
of her development from shy, backward girl
in rural England to the veritable sovereignty of
universal religious empire reads like fiction.
Her fathers crusade to save people from sin
was joke in England when she was child. It
also was an object of persecution, and she had
ample experience with mob prejudice-and mob
violence-in her youth. But Evangeline inherited
her parents eloquence, and she seems to have
known instinctively how to use it successfully
Even when she still was mere slip of girl she
could hold crowd spellbound. Her oratorical
skill remained her principal asset throughout
her active life.
General Booth, however, was no mere talker
She was doer all her days. and the fruits of
her labors are manifest wherever the Salvation
Army operates. The, value Of the real estate
owned by the organization in this country in
creased from less than So million to $35 million
during the three decades of her management of
the American branch. She earned the Dstin-
guished Service Medal in World War I through
the efficiency of her leadership in volunteer aid
to the fighting forces and on the home front. Her
ability as an administrator was noteworthy
wherever it was called into play
OF course, the General had her share of
trouble. She was involved in family strife and in
partisan conflict within the Salvation Army and
these difficulties saddened her spirit. But grad
ually she rose above the turmoil; and once she
was free Of it, her achievement was of the highest
order and had the most constructive effect.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
House of Penitence

1t is gone now, the old DOLLHOUSE,
That dim place 1Dtere 1Ue tDere sent
When iDe had been Gnti-SociGl.
To repent.
Up crooked, dusty stairway
In shGdotDy. clGttered room
Huddled sad, disItonored objects,
Deep in Oloons;-
Rusty tools, retired ploughshGres,
Aforementioned furniture
(Which mould be collectors Items
NotU, Pm Snre.)
Operhead an1ong the rntters,
Pigeons futtered out and In
With soft croonings to repro1ch US
For our sin.
While outside the broken lUindoU,
Vestol-,DF1ite, pear tree stood
Whose pure beauty seemed to prompt US
To be good.
Would the tOGy OF all tr1nSoressors
Led TO memories like thts:-
Gentle sass, tool-house repentance,
P1rdontnO kiss. ...,...
ntEZ BARCLAY KIRBY.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
Nothing but Everyday Chatter

From the North American-Paraguayan
Cultural Center. an official institution
Of Uncle Sam in our country, I got
some days ago one copy Of your paper.
Well. sir, want to confess to you that
am not content with it's contents. On
the contrary the contents of this copy
discontented me very much. Do you
know why, sir? Here we are living in
the Southern Continent of America, and
day by day they say to us officially that
the colossus of North America is the
best democracy Of the world. And we
believe it, because we cannot examine
whether this is true or not.
Well. Do not believe, sir, that want
to put my nose into your or Uncle Sans
affairs, but I am discouraged after hav-
ing only perused one page of the above
copy of your paper. Where is this pure
democratical paradise they speak of in
reality?
In midst Of economical and social
disorder. there is only the dirty money
which reigns In all parts, slaving man.
Well. sir. do not want to criticize
Evening star., 1950-07-20

Is not right 1t Is permiSson Of great
value and could bear protection.
90 Punishment by doubt and suspi-
cion is contrary to American principles
of Government and, while these causes
might serve to reject an employment ap-
plication, there should be something
more substantial before a man. once
hired, is fired and ruined forever.
~ Lowering the discharge grounds
would destroy employe morale. make
Government employment less attractive
and put too much autocratic power in a
Government Loyalty Board"
Mr.. Richardson cites an unnamed
Negro employe as typifying case where
man who would have been fired under
the real suspicion" rule is today still
working. The man, married and the
father OF several children. had perfect.
15-year Government employment record.
Then the FBI discovered that. for the
whole Is years. he had been a dues-pay-
ing member of proven. Communist
front.
"His dismissal was ordered and he ap-
pealed to u.s." Mr. Richardson says. "One
of our panels of representative, estab-
lished citizens heard his defense. He said
he joined the organization because 1t
had an insurance plan and cemetery.
He had invested Is years premiums in
his insurance, which he would lose If he
quit. Quitting would also mean that no
other member Of the family could be
buried near child already inferred in
the cemetery He insisted he had never
done anything but pay dues to the or
ganization. The board believed and re-
instated him. Maybe that was wrong"
Mr.. Richardson's skepticism of the
commission" idea, which has resulted
from Senator McCarthy's "red" charges,
Is based on his assumption that members
of the group would be coming in brand
new.
Our board members. sincere, capable
citizens who have lived with this prob
lem for three years, do not presume to
speak positively on these questions" he
said. Right now the courts are trying
to decide whether or not to throw the
whole procedure out. doubt whether
new citizen commission could come up
with unassailable answers. and partic-
ularly doubt the wisdom Of including
Congressman on such commission.
"They, quite properly, have political
responsibilities they cannot forget and,
knowing something Of congressional OBJ
legations, know no member could devote
to q loyalty study the days and days
of time that would be required for
final and informed answer"
North American Newspaper Alliance.)
Evening star., 1950-07-20
How Loyalty Program Looks to Its Boss

picion" was the red nag indicating some
thing wrong.
There" he said, "was a case where
an unpleasant character named Whit
taker Chambers made unsupported
charges against an official of good re-
pute. On the ground that mere sus-
picion' was not enough, nothing was
done. It was IL years later that court
Evening star., 1950-07-20
Lutheran Coveroee

AS one of many thousand Lutheran
readers Of The Star who appreciated
reading the news coming from the recent
convention Of the Lutheran Church, Mis-
souri, Synod, should like, even at this
late date, to thank you, and especially
Mr.. Names, for the very accurate ac-
counts that appeared in your newspaper
from day to day. These articles were No.
l on my reading list during those days.
and since they were so well placed and
presented it was an easy matter to spot
them Immediately. Thekla L.. Frey.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
One Who Questioned

Congratulations on your editorial,
"Why Have a Navy?" Until the recent
debacle in Korea, it was treason to
question the atomic blitz strategy of
war
The address of one man who ques-
toned it is Admiral Louis Denfeld
r. r. D., Westboro, Mass
Naval Reservist.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
Questions and Answers

The Stars readers can get the answer TO
any question of fact by either writing The
Evening Star Information Bureau, 1900 street
NV, Washington 5, D. C., and inclosing cents
Extension 35S.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
Letters to The Star

your paper One sees, however, that it
is an official, reactionary paper, and not
progressive, in any way.
Why, for example, do you not insert
articles Of a progressive kind into your
paper? AS for the economical disorder,
I want to see articles on Silvio Gesell'S
"The Natural Economical Order" book
published more than Is years ago. Please
read this book. study It, and then have
the moral courage to stand for Gesell.
Then send me some copies Of this your
paper, but not before. please. Discon-
tirue mailing your paper a1.is 8a.t
Beside do not see anything in your
paper Of theosophy or Divine Wisdom.
Nothing you bring on occult medicine.
for example, nothing on vegetarianism,
nldism. etc. Nothing but everyday
chatter ssgefx aI4ts b
Well. sir, before closing this letter,
tell you that want to serve you in tn.
best theosophical sense, asking you to
write me what I can do for you from
here In any way and any kind. Mean
while, I am, sir, cosmopolitely yours,
Otom Carlos Bauer.
Asuncion. Paraguay.
Popular Action
The homeowners Of Prince Georges
County appreciate the action Of the
County Commissioners in holding the
taxes down, It is particularly noticeable
that no group Of taxpayers has objected
to the action of the Commissioners.
Special praise is due the Commission
ers for resisting the unreasonable de-
mands OF pressure groups. The majority
OF the members of these groups are
temporary residents and have no perma-
nent interest in the county. These groups
never include in their plans provisions
for payment for the Improvements.
III. L.
Berwyn, Md.
Evening star., 1950-07-20

@. Have snails any teeth? E.E r.
A. A snail has teeth on its tongue.
According to observers there are 1876
rows of teeeth, with 105 In each row.
Evening star., 1950-07-20
By THE HAsKIN SERVICE

Q. Is the natural color Of hydrangeas
pink or blue? v. S.
A. The normal color of the flowers is
pink but by the influence of various
agents in the soil, such as alum or iron,
they become changed to blue
Evening star., 1950-07-20

@. How long ago was the annual rose
festival in Portland, Oreg.. begun? F. C.
A. The festival originated in June,
1907.