davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1950-02-19


for several years. Since the days
OF Juan Vicente Gomez, there has
been a succession of revolutions
and coups d'etat. A little over a
year ago a military clique over
threw the first popularity elected
government the country ever had
and is still ruling by decree and
other dlctatorial devices.
But throughout all of the polit-
ical disturbances, oil continued to
flow out of the fabulous gushers
of half dozen different fields
and into the world markets at the
rate of more than a million and
a quarter barrels a day. Hun
dreds of millions of dollars poured
into the national treasury and
into the pockets of the oil workers,
the highest paid laborers in all of
Latin America. In fact, the even
tenor of everyday life for the aver
age person was little affected.
MAY LOSE CUSTOMERS
Today the Venezuelan petroleum
industry is confronted with three
perils. Great Britain has long
been one of the principal markets
for the product. The British gov
ernment is now insisting upon
eliminating or drastically cutting
down it's purchases from all dollar
areas, effective February Is. If
London goes through with the
plan, it will mean a loss to the
producers in Venezuela of about
% million barrels a year.
The independent and small pro-
ducers in the United States are
also calling for the curtailment of
foreign petroleum imports. In
Washington bills are pending in
both the Senate and the House
which would slash all outside pur-
chases. A Senate bill calls for a
quota restriction which would re-
duce Venezuelan imports by more
than so per cent. A House bill
would raise the tariff on oil from
1012 cents to $1.05 a barrel.
Meantime, unless we and West
ern Europe are plunged into an
other world conflict, Venezuelan
oil is destined to be less and less
in demand anyway. The product
from the vast Maracaibo and
Orinoco Valley fields is largely
heavy fuel oil. During the war
and for several years afterward
there was a demand for tremen-
dous quantities of this type. The
largest of all United States pur-
chases from Latin America under
the Marshall Plan has been
Venezuelan oil. But today the
demand is more and more for
lighter oil of high-octane quality
New discoveries in this country
Canada and elsewhere not only
increase the reserves of oil in
general but make available i'm
mense new sources of gasoline
type oil.
Venezuela lives almost COM
pletely from it's sales of petroleum
to the outside world. The greater
portion of all of it's food comes
from abroad, paid for in oil
money which means dollars. The
British move alone will be serious
enough. It will rock the local
Evening star., 1950-02-19
CABLE COMPLICATION

Another drawback of the RCA
system is that present network
cables must be modified before
they can transmit it: how long
that will take depends largely on
demand.
What brought on this sudden
surge of interest in color? Two
men are responsible, Senator Ed
win c. johnson. Democrat, of Col
orado. chairman of the Interstate
and Foreign Commerce Commit
tee, and FEC Commissioner Rob-
ert F. Jones, formerly a Repub-
lican Representative from Lima,
Ohio.
Last year both became con-
vinced that color was ready and
that the TV industry as a whole,
manufacturers particularly, was
holding it back with the intention
of bringing it forth when the
black-and-white receiver market
was saturated.
They pounced on CHS, charg-
ing it with a suspicious lack of
zeal in promoting its own develop
ment. CHS seemed bewildered.
Its president, Frank Stanton, shot
back with the assertion that CHS
had accepted the FCC's previous
decision on color and was devoting
its energies to making TV a sue
cess.
Both Senator Johnson and Com
missioner Jones make little bones
of the fact they dislike RCA's
dominant patent position in the
radio industry. Both have, at times,
virtually demanded adoption of
the CHS system.
1t is not clear, however, that
adoption of the CHS system would
hurt RCA. CHS holds patents on
a number of color TV techniques,
but RCA engineers say they could
manufacture CBS-type receivers
without ever touching those pat
ents. In fact, they say, it is un-
likely that any one could make
CHS receivers without using RCA
patents.
What effect adoption of the CTI
system would have on the patent
situation is also entirely specula-
tive. Engineers have a marvellous
facility for detouring patents in
developing equipment. And patent
litigation generally means years in
court.
i Where does the controversy 60
from here? Tomorrow CTI dem
onstrates here for the first time
On Thursday all three systems will
undergo series of rigid tests al
FCC's laboratories at Laurel, Md
On February 27 direct testimony
and cross-examination begins and
is likely to last from four to eight
weeks. Then the FEC will either
authorize system, defer a deci-
sion, or request continued devel.
j opment along specified lines.
Evening star., 1950-02-19
Ne1u Atomic Chief Gets kick Out ofJob
Seems Like Man
Who Can Stand Up
Under Criticism
By Francis P. DouoIos

The man who has just taken
over one of the biggest jobs in
the Nation said last week he has
always had it in the back of his
head he would like to go back to
Maine where he belongs and mess
around in local affairs"
He is Sumner Tucker Pike. who
became acting chairman OF the
Atomic Energy Commission when
David E. Lilienthal left the COM
mission on Wednesday.
Mr.. Pike has concrete ideas
about messing around in local
affairs" in Maine. but. he went on:
THE political ambitions had
have been shot to pieces by mem
bership on the commission. What
was the goal of those political am
billions? Member of the Maine
Legislature.
Twice Mr.. Pike has tried to re-
tire. In 1889, after he had made
a little dough in Wall Street." he
gave up business and took trip
around the world. Then, instead
of going to Maine, he came down
to Washington as an adviser to
Harry Hopkins, at that time Sec
retary of Commerce.
He filled variety of positions
here. In March, 1916, he retired
again. reSigning from the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission. In
the fall of that year he was back
as one Of the first five appointees
to the Acc. When Commissioner
Lewis L. Strauss, who has resigned,
leaves in April, Mr.. Pike will be
the only one of the original group
remaining.
A member of the commission
staff remarked at one time that
part of the duties of a commits
sioners secretary is to pull the
knives out of his back before he
puts on his coat to go home at
the end of the day. The new act
ing chairman gives the impression
that his back is pretty tough and
that the knives bounce off.
WAIVED SALES TALK
Mr.. Pike was asked about the
urge that kept him at his Job.
His answer was that he wished
he knew.
He explained that when he was
told President Truman was con-
Sidering him for appointment as
one of the five commissioners
there was no doubt in his mind
he would accept if he had the
chance.
The President called him in,
offered him the post and remarked
that Is minutes had been allotted
to sales talk to persuade him.
Mr.. Pixies reply was that if the
President was bent on giving
sales talk he would not interrupt,
but he would say right off he
would accept.
Il wouldn't have missed this
one for anything" he went
on. There's tremendous kick
in parts of the job.
Il meet people of a quality of
mind I would not meet otherwise"
he added thoughtfully.
Il would have read about them,
but never would have operated
in the same area"
He ran over the names of the
top drawer" people he meant.
There were no gradations in the
list but Dave" Lilienthal's name
came early on it. Most of the
others were scientific men whose
names have become famous.
Il wouldn't have missed it for
Evening star., 1950-02-19

economy. If on top of this the
United States should enact either
the Senate or the House bill. the
effect on the Venezuelan nation
would be catastrophe.
1t would be d severe blow to
American interests which domi-
nate the Venezuelan industry.
The major United States compa-
nies, Standard, Gulf and all the
others, have sunk So billion in the
enterprise. 1t is one of our larg-
est and most profitable foreign
investments. Most of the Latin
American countries drastically
limit and even discourage the
number of United States citizens
who may enter into business with
in their borders. But in Vene-
zuela more than $4,000 Americans
are engaged in almost every type
'of business and commerce. Near
ly all of them have prospered and
many of them have grown rich.
Venezuela is also one of the
few nations in which the system
of private enterprise still -four
ishes. There is strict regulation
of the oil industry. But so far
there has been no move to nation
alize this or any other industry
or squeeze out private capital. 1t
is one of the two or three coun-
tries in the world today from
which it is possible for American
investors to send out their earn
ings freely, and where it is pos
sible for American exporters to
sell large quantities of their prod
ucts for cash on the barrelhead,
and in American dollars.
OUR SALES THREATENED
In 1949 Venezuela was not only
our largest Latin American Gus
toner, but the fourth largest Of
all of our foreign export markets.
We sold that country more than
$500 million worth of products.
Some idea of the ramifications of
these exports may be gathered
from the fact that they repre-
sented 81 different States and
consisted of nearly every product
we turn out, from cattle and baby
chicks to automobiles and zippers.
If we shut down on Venezuelan
oil imports we may expect these
annual half-a- billion dollar cash
sales to be correspondingly cut off.
The Venezuelan government has
already said in effect that tariffs
and restrictions in this country
will mean similar restrictions In
Caracas.
The State Department is wor-
ried that paralysis Of tho
Venezuelan oil industry would
probably result in political as we'll
as economic chaos for one of the
most strategic countries of the
Caribbean. 1t will certainly fur
nish the Communists with one Of
the most fertile fields in which to
sow hemisphere dissension. And
they are already there with a
small. but effective, party organi-
zation. What's more, the Soviet
diplomatic mission in Caracas is
one of the ablest and largest in
Latin America, headed by one of
Russia's most distinguished Pc
troleum engineers.
Evening star., 1950-02-19

prospective purchasers OF sets.
Answers are not now available
Nor is it possible to tell when they
will be. But study of the three
color systems vieing for approval
from the FEC leads almost in
evitably to the conclusion that the
growth of color telecasting will be
extremely slow and that the pres
ent black-and-white system is
likely to remain the backbone of
the Nations television for some
years to come.
Here are the pros and cons of
the three systems, the background
of the color controversy and the
current speculation as to the
chances of each:
l-Columbio Broodeosting
System:
This method, called field
sequential' and currently employ
ing a mechanical disc, was con-
ceived by DR.. Peter Goldmark, the
networks brilliant young research
director, on his honeymoon 10
years ago when he saw Gone With
the Wind" in Technicolor. CHS
first asked the FEC to adopt the
system in 1916.
The FEC turned it down after
battle within the radio industry
reminiscent of, but much milder
than, the one going on today. Two
major reasons why the commits
sion denied CBS's system were:
(a) Color stations would use too
much of the ever-scarce radio
Wave-lengths-one such station
requiring two and a half times
the spectrum space" of one of
today's black white stations;
(b) color stations would have to
operate in the ultra high frequen-
cies, portion of the spectrum
which had scarcely been tested
for TV at the time.
CHS took its defeat with good
grace and threw itself vigorously
into blackand-white operation.
DR.. Goldmark, meanwhile. set
about to cure the defects found
by the FEC.
He squeezed the system into
six megacycleS, the same band
width now used by black-and-
white stations. This answered
those two objections; the system
could be transmitted by existing
stations in their present bands,
the very-high frequencies, with
their present tranSmitters,
Evening star., 1950-02-19
THE SUNDAY STAR, Washington, D. C.
FEBRUARY ~, 1880
Venezuela S New Oi|Crisis
May Have Repercussions
North Americans Are Invested Heavily
In Latin Petroleum; Our Foreign
Exports Also Endangered
By Edword TomIinson

Och Venezuela facing another crisis This time the trouble
therefore
pers
that country 1t threatens friendly
clal relations between Venezuela the United States
Political difficulties
Evening star., 1950-02-19
GOING ON OFFENSIVE

are we going on?
Evening star., 1950-02-19
Black and White Analysis
Of N Color CONTROVERSY
Federal Communications Commission
Ready to Resume Demonstrations
Of Three Foremost Systems
By Albert Weinstein
Associate Editor, Television DIGEST

The fierce color eevon struggle chambers
Of the Federal Communications months of
guerrilla warfare before the public
The public only vaguely familiar People want
merely know when teevson available Just as black
and white and what will as set owners or
Evening star., 1950-02-19
OBJECTIONS OUTLINED

But two more major objections
have risen to plague CHS, com
patability' and definition.
Compatibility means that when |
color signals are transmitted ex-
listing receivers will reproduce
those signals in black-and-w
pictures, just as if black-and-
white were being transmitted. In
brief. compatibility means that
existing sets need not suffer OBJ
solescence. CBS's system is in
compatible. The other two are
compatible. CHS color shows up
on present sets as meaningless
marks.
CHS points out, though, that
existing sets can be adapted, for
about $35, to get black and white
from its color transmissions. Fur
ther, it asserts, there are but some
100000 sets in the hands of the
public. whereas far more are to
be produced, and they might as
we'll be in color.
Here is where CBS's opponents
talk of definition" which means
capacity for reproducing the de-
tails of objects. CHS admits that
It's pictures contain some 40 per
cent less definition than present
black white TV; it's detractors
insist there is at least 60 per cent
less.
Additional defects in the system,
according to CBSs opposition:
{a) Picture size limitation.
CHS comedies that it's mechanical
disc is impractical for tube sizes
above 1912 inches. Today, the
12l2-inch set is most popular, and
the 16-inch is rapidly overtaking
it-with the 19-inch already out
of the luxury class. But CHS be-
lieves that future developments
will eliminate both the mechani-
cal disc and the limitations on
size.
(b) Brightness and flicker. It
is charged that when brightness
of CHS receivers is turned up as
high as for black and white the
pictures will flicker. CHS admits
that can happen, but claims that
its system doesn't need that much
brightness.
CHS claims these advantages to
its system:
(a) 1t is ready today. It has had
many years of experimentation.
Cd 1t is simple and inexpensive,
both for the station and for the
customer 1t offers to show that
10-inch set, magnified from a
7-inch tube. would cost about $220,
and that 12E2-inch set, magnified
from a 10-inch tube, would run
about $500.
(c) Existing sets can be con-
verted easily to color; witness the
successes of home experimenters
using bits of colored cellophane
and old phonograph motors.
I'D 1t can be sent from city to
city through the present TV net
work cables.
lI-CoIor TeIevision, Inc:
This San Francisco organization
was formed in 1946 solely to de-
velop the inventions of George
Sleeper, jr., a former associate of
DR.. Goldmark. and of famed TV
inventor, Philo Farnsworth.
CTS system, known as "line-
sequential," is the dark horse. 1t
was developed in great secrecy, and
though its officials have testified
at length before the FEC. they say
they have not yet described their
latest techniques in full. This
close-mouthedness undoubtedly
accounts for the considerable
Evening star., 1950-02-19

skepticism with which most en-
gineers regard the system.
In the last few weeks, some l 400
people have seen the system oper-
ate during public demonstrations
in San Francisco. 1t has not been
shown in the East, nor has the
FEC seen it. But members of the
public who have seen it are
enthusiastic about it.
| CTI makes these claims: (a)
compatibility; (b) high definition,
equal to that of present TV; (c)
simplicity and relative inexpen-
siveness; I'D all-electronic, no
moving mechanical parts; (e)
present TV networks will trans
NIT it.
Opponents of CTI insist the
system must necessarily have two
d e f e C cts-low definition and
crawl" Crawl means an appar-
ent motion in the picture, such as
a waterfall" effect. No crawl
has yet appeared. The opposition
maintains that under normal
home conditions it will. And CTI
is satisfied that it's definition is
as high as claimed. Demonstra-
tlonS and cross-examination should
show who's right.
lll-Rodio Corp. of America:
RCA was the principal opponent
of CHS in 1916. 1t demonstrated
compatible system then, but rec
commended that it be further de-
veloped before it would be ready
for commercialization. That sys-
tenn, like CBS's in 1946, took up
too much space.
Last year, when a sudden cam
paign developed for color, and
CHS had the only system in sight,
RCA threw its research facilities
into the development of a new
color system designed to fit pain
lessly into the present black and
white system. It's engineers
reached deep into their bag of
postwar electronic tricks in an at
tempt to build system which had
all CHS had-and more. 1t was
to be compatible, have high def
milton, use no mechanical parts.
RCA engineers came up with
the "dot-sequential" system. When
it was demonstrated last October
and November, it appeared to be
better in theory than in practice.
Rushed from the laboratory, it
scarcely worked. The colors
wouldn't stay put. They drifted
all over the rainbow.
Today the system works. 1t has
given an excellent account of
itself in recent demonstrations
Nevertheless, the system still re-
quires bulky, expensive and rather
complex receivers. But RCA says
it will shortly produce a device
which will virtually eliminate
these disadvantages, at one stroke.
This device is the tri-color, di-
rect-view tube. RCA receivers
have been using three picture
tubes; their images are superim-
posed on each other by a system
OF mirrors. A satisfactory tri-
color tube would enable construc-
ton of receivers little more COM
plex than present black-and-
white sets.
Evening star., 1950-02-19

anything in the world" Mr.. Pike
summed up.
The Acc is now "a different
looking thing" than when the
commission took over from the
Army. The Army's organization
knew it's job was coming to an
end. The postwar slump in mo-
rale had begun.
THAT happens after every
war" Mr.. Pike said parenthet-
ically. Fortunately it did not
last long. The Russians haven't
let us go to sleep; give 'em credit
for keeping us awake" But
about the Acc:
Dave is leaving us more nearly
on the rails than we ever have
been. ct was just an hour or
so before Mr.. Lilienthal leftD We
could even run without a leader
for a while.
After that session with Con-
gress last fall I had the idea that
some of the boys would be feeling
little low. I went around the
country Ito Acc plants and other
installations) to cheer them up. /
didn't have to. Their morale was
all, right. They even began nee
ding me-"
BITTER ABOUT FUCHS
The session with Congress was
the investigation by the Joint
Atomic Energy Commission as the
result of charges of incredible
mismanagement" made by Sena-
tor Hickenlooper, Republican, of
Iowa. One of Mr.. Lilienthars
parting suggestions was that Con-
gress should get off the neck" of
administrators.
In discussing his satisfaction
with his job, Mr.. Pike, on the
other hand, remarked that "at
times it is even a pleasure to meet
the Congress-" He conceded he
had never been the target that
Mr.. Lilienthal had been. He put
congressional investigations down
as part of the democratic process.
"As long as they keep the blows
Laurel outlook., 1950-08-23
More Than 200 Flower Lovers View Exhibits:
Park City Woman Is Sweepstakes Winner

surrounded the pool. Nearby a
bluebird was bathing in a white
bird bath, and a vine-colored trellis
and picket fence formed an en-
trance to the garden.
Individual tea tables were within
the garden, where visitors were
served lunches during the after
noon and evening of the show
Thirty-three exhibitors entered
179 entries in all classes.
More than 200 people viewed the
exhibits. Some visitors were from
California, New Jersey, Michigan,
Oregon, Missoula, Billings, For
syth, Columbus and Park City.
Mrs. P. T. Baker and Mrs. L. L.
Lane, both from Billings, acted as
judges.
Mrs. Conrad Mehling of Park
City won the sweepstakes prize
with 16 blue ribbons. The door
prize went to Mrs. Norman
Freund, while Amy Lee Alvin won
the prize for her Bouquet for
Teacher.
The show was ably directed by
Mrs. John Alvin, and Mrs. j. j.
Cassidy headed the r~efreshment
committee.
Laurel outlook., 1950-08-23
MACDONALD TO HEAD
SCHOOLS IN BELT

Montana State university, Mis-
soula, conferred 1913 degrees Thurs
day of last week at it's fourth an
nual formal summer commence
ment exercises. Among those re-
ceiving degrees was John G. Mac
Donald of Laurel, master in history
and political sciences. He served
here four years as principal of the
Laurel high school. He recently re-
signed the position to become u
perintendent of schools in Belt.
Others in this area who we're
granted degrees last week by
M. S. U. were:
Billings-Jack V. Malone, health
and physical education; Vennetta
Harlene Totten, sociology and o
cial administration; Donald j..
Mammen, master in education.
Columbus-James P. Graham,
Jr., business administration.
Park City-Basil l.. Halgeson
and Walter F. Truckner, masters
in education.
Laurel outlook., 1950-08-23
DOLES Of HAVRE NEW
HEAD MASONIC ORDER

T. w. Evert, past worshipful
master of Corinthian lodge No. 70,
A. F. & A. NJ, represented Laurel
at the eighty-sixth grand lodge
session last week in Missoula. Elec-
tions and installation of officers
concluded the communication We'd
nesday.
Percy w. Doles of Havre was
elected grand master for the COM
ing year. Other officers chosen
were Chandler C. Cohagen of Bill
lings, deputy grand master; Her.
bert L.. LANCE of Butte, senior
warden; George Hoole of Glendive,
junior warden; Edwin Grafton of
Helena, treasurer; Luther T. Hau-
berg Of Helena, secretary.
Appointive officers: DR.. George
S. Morrell of Helena, chaplain;
Byron F. Gather of Worden, his
torian; Ralph N. Lodge of Helena,
assistant secretary; j. f. Patterson
of Fromberg, senior deacon; f. S.
of Great Falls, junior
deacon; Charles G.. Johnson of
Plains, marshal; Lyman H. Ben
nett, Jr., of Virginia City, senior
steward; Myron Bean of Forsyth,
steward; j. T. Harrison Of
standard bearer; Lloyd N.
Jeffries of Missoula, second bear
.r; Frank E. VandeMark of Cut
tyler.
j. w. Speer of Great Falls and
Underseth of Helena
reelected to the Montana Ma
sonic home board of trustees.
The 1851 meeting will be in
Laurel outlook., 1950-08-23
Shorty DeFrance
Writes OF Service
At Far East Post

MI. and Mrs. Sam DeFrance are
in receipt of a letter from their son
Lawrence, Shorty" who is with
headquarters of a bomber COM
mand in the Far East. In it he
said: eve are on a 12-hour sched-
ule seven days a week. The mail
is not coming in very well, and we
surely could use some. | am ad-
mi~nistrative chief clerk in u sec
ton so l manage to keep busy all
day, for which l am thankful.
81 suppose you are reading in
the papers what these fellows l
am with are doing in Korea. Yes,
they are making a very good ac-
count of themselves and deserve
all the praise the U. S. papers a
give them.
1--WE are supposed to be on 90
day duty here, but you know there
is a war going on, so one never
how long 80 days can be-"
DeFrance joined the army air
force in January 1948 and was
in Washington. His wife
and two sons are living in Spo-
kane.