davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1950-02-24
By Chris Mathisen

The cloud that hung over the House
since it convened last month has now
drifted over toward the Senate. But
now it is not much bigger than a mans
hand.
The cloud is the question of an FEPC
bill. The House passed one Yesterday.
though 1t was not the bill which had
been worrying the legislature for so long.
For weeks, the cloud had hung om-
lnously over House members, influencing
almost everything that happened. Many
Representatives hoped it would be dis
sipated without their being forced to
vote on any bill intended to combat
racial and religious discrimina ton in
employment.
Neither the most enthusiastic sup-
porters nor the bitterest opponents of
the FEPC idea were satisfied with what
happened yesterday. The pleased mem
bers were those who wanted to get off
the hook-those who didn't like the
FEPC proposal but didn't want to be
caught in a fat vote against it.
The way to get off the hook was
offered them in a bill introduced by
Representative Mcconnell, Republican,
OF pennsylvania. President Truman had
asked for Federal Fair Employment
Practice Commission with teeth. The
administration bill was offered by Rep
resentative Powell, Democrat, of New
YORK, one of the two Negro members.
Mr.. Mcconnell, on the other hand.
proposed that the Federal commission
be merely an investigative and advisory
group with no enforcement authority.
In general, Southern Democrats wanted
no part of an FEPC-with or without
teeth. They contended it was no busi-
ness Of the Federal Governments how
an employer chose his workers.
What were the delaying tactics which
kept the FEPC bill so long from being
brought to vote? They began in the
Rules Committee. Most major legisla-
tion is scheduled for debate in the House
after the time to be allocated for con-
sideration has been fixed by the Rules
Committee.
Evening star., 1950-02-24
The Senate Goes Too Far

Granting that the executive establishment
always should cooperate with Congress in efforts
to rid the Government of subversive elements
there is a limit to such cooperation. And the
Ferguson amendment to the State Department
inquiry resolution would project executive CO.
operation beyond reasonable and traditional
limits.
In voting to have the Senate Foreign Rela-
tionS Committee investigate Senator McCarthy's
sensational, though unsubstantiated charges
that Communists are on the State Department
pay roll the Senate approved Senator Fergusons
amendment to require production of confidential
loyalty files bearing on the charges. The Michi-
gan Senator declared there should be "a show
down once and for all" on the issue of giving
congressional committees access to secret per-
sonne records, including those of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
1t would be good thing if there could be
conclusive showdown on this matter. There have
been "showdowns' many times in the past, in
variably ending with positive NO from the
executive branch, but Congress does not want to
take NO for an answer. 1t Is hard to see how
the rejection could be made any more positive
or final than on numerous occasions In this and
previous administrations, however President
Truman and number of his predecessors have
tried to make it plain that it would be against
the public interest to release certain information
in departmental files and that therefore, 1t will
not be produced even If subpoenaed
Assuredly, it would be against the public
interest to risk release of some of the data in
the Governments loyalty files or at the FBI.
AS has been pointed out repeatedly, these records
contain reports Of rumors as we'll as facts
rumors which may or may not have some founda-
ton. 1t would be gross injustice to pass these
rumors to congressional committee which
might decide to make them public or some mem
ber of which might "leak' them to the public.
Also, the papers contain names of confidential
informants who should be protected against
accidental disclosure 1t Is true that the Foreign
Relations Committee is highly responsible
group, but the chances of such accidents are
immeasurably increased whenever the files leave
departmental safes.
1t is because of these dangers that the
President has instructed loyalty officials not to
surrender confidential papers even upon Sub
poena or demand" The policy is a sound one
and should be adhered to as before OF
course, the State Department should lend every
possible assistance to the Senate in its inquiry,
short of producing secret files 1t will do so if
it has nothing sinister to hide-but the burden
will be on Senator Mccarthy to prove his vague
charges of ed-infested State Department.
Evening star., 1950-02-24
The Webbed Hour

Neuer could these unsteady fingers Wteld
Brushes teathered Nth irtdescent tr1ts,
That this far corner might be caught md
sealed
Into series of incredible prints:
The spiders rin1less ,U11eel is tense NTH
bright
Hobnails of siluer, and the ta0ios that
rack
The traa, spoked lace are knuckled Gith
the light;
Mercurial beads no,D shrink; the soeb
groDS slack.
The dark perspective honeycon,bs .ths
suns
Wild amber, and the circle of qosSa1ler
Is lost i'm lancing shado1Ds; skeletons.
OF summer thickets lose the treSt's
Dhite fur
And eUert as speak my UordS droto
faint
What could these &star-spread fingers
do Dith paint?
COSETTE MIDDLETON.
Evening star., 1950-02-24
Radioactive Carbon
In Fossils Key to Age
New Method Measures
Age Up to 10000 Years
By Thomas r. Henry

About 20 tons of exploding carbon are
produced in the high atmosphere every
second.
They join with oxygen to form radio
active carbon doxide, which is the key
stone of the living world They are in
the air that people breathe and all the
food they eat, They become incorporated
in all the tissues of the human bodies.
AS result, every living thing, plant
or animal, will have about los atomic
explosions a minute for each gram Of
carbon it contains.
These calculations have been made by
DR.. w. F. Libby of the University of
Chicago for the Committee on the Meas
urement of Geologic Time of the Ma
tional Research Council. The objective
is to make use of radioactive carbon in
fossils to determine the time that has
gone by since the death of the organisms.
Radioactive carbon has a half life Of
about 5000 years. This means that half
of any given number of atoms will ex-
plode in this period. Presumably once
a plant or animal is dead and buried, it
accumulates nothing new. Hence the
skull of man, for example, who had
been dead for 5000 years would give
only about five atomic explosions per
been buried for 10000 years, the rate
would be reduced to two or three.
The latest work makes it seem prob
able, DR.. Libby says that it will be pos
sible to determine ages between 5000
and $4,000 years with an accuracy Of
from to 4 per cent 1t is probable
that the method cannot be used to meas
ure ages much greater than 10000 years.
Finding of two pelvic bones and part
OF the face structure of the strange
dwarf ape-man, Australo-pithicus pro-
metheus, who lived in South Africa
somewhat more than 100000 years
ago has been reported to the American
Association of Physical Anthropology.
They were uncovered in lime pit
at MakapanSgat, not far from the site Of
the original discovery of fossil remains
of this creature who more and more
appears to be in the direct line Of
human ancestry. 1t is about a million
years older than such grotesque ape-men
of the Far East as pithecanthropus and
sinanthropus, which until recently were
considered the first human-like animals
on earth.
OF the new South African discoveries
the pelvic bones are considered by far
the most important. They show, accord
ing to the Interpretation of DR.. Raymond
A. Dart who reports the find, that the
little ape with the teeth and leg bones
OF man but the brain of q lower
anthropoid walked erect like a man.
The structure of the bones is such that
1t would not have had the slouching pos
ture of such a creature as the CHM
panzee. DR.. Dart compares It's posture
to that of the modern bushmen. There
can be no doubt, he declares, of the
authenticity and antiquity of the find.
This leads to the interesting specu-
lation that the human erect posture may
have preceded the development of the
human brain in evolution. The two
hitherto have been considered as having
progressed side by side There had been
some question as to the association be-
tween human-like teeth and leg bones
previously found in the same general
locality.
Evening star., 1950-02-24
Mr.. VOgeler May Not Be a Spy,
But Reader Says We Have Them

The trial of an American, Mr.. Vogeler,
and his British counterpart, Mr.. Sanders,
in Hungary on spying, seems to fill our
editorial writer's, newspaper columnists
and radio commentators with righteous
indignation. Cries of trumped-up
charges, false testimony. forced confess
sions obtained through mental and
physical tortures. use of unknown, mys-
terious drugs and what not, are filling
our newspapers, magazines and radio
waves.
1t would be an insult to the intelli-
gence of American people, however, to
assure them we are so lily white that our
Government wouldn't stoop so low as
to try to secure military and industrial
information from the countries behind
the Iron Curtain.
Our Government must do everything
In its power and by any means at its
disposal to obtain all usable informa-
tion about the military and industrial
strength of our enemies and spying is
one of them. If our Government doesn't
do that, it would be criminally negligent.
Mr.. Vogeler may, or may not be guilty
OF the charges brought in by Hun
garian court. But it is ridiculous to
deny that some of our nationals are
engaged in spying behind the Iron
Curtain, just as spies belonging to
the countries of our potential enemies
are doing similar work in America,
Britain. France and other allied coun-
tries of the Atlantic Pact.
EUGENE ESTEN.
VA Held Responsible for Abuses
1t discovered" in GI Education
take issue with The Stars recent edi-
torlal claiming an expose for the Vet
erans Administration and the Bureau of
the Budget in suddenly discovering
abuses in the Governments CT educa-
tlonal program-after 1t has been In op-
GRAFTON almost five years.
In large measure, the Veterans Ad-
miniStration is to blame for operating the
educational training program in a mo-
rass of endless red tape and attempt
ing to cover up it's sins Of omission by
more serious sins of commission. Con-
gress is to blame for legislating hap
hazardly on SO important and costly a
program. And the Bureau of the Budget
is to blame for giving lip service to the
VAS fumbling and inexcusable handling
OF the CT educational program
No one questions for q moment that
there have been and there are now
abuses by schools and veterans alike in
the training program. However, may
I point out that the VA report itself
only lists 258 abuses in over $500 voca-
tional schools taking part in the GI
educational program? This means that
less than go of the schools are bad
apples. The irresponsible smearing of all
the schools by the VA over comparative
few has done great injury to veterans
seeking bona fide education and train
ing and has worked unconscionable
hardships on legitimate schools
I emphatically dispute the VA ad-
ministrator's statement to Congress that
the value Of and the need for. the GI
training schools is questionable. A survey
Evening star., 1950-02-24
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE.

@. How many registered brands of
cigarettes are being made and sold. In
this country?~J. D.
A. list recently published in one Of
the trade papers, which included virtu-
ally all OF the more prominent cigarette
brands but was by no means all compre-
hensive, embraced about 70 cigarette
brand names.
@. Are there many bison left in the
United States-H. L. F.
A. The slaughter of bison by white
men began with the opening up of the
western country, at the time of the IA
NOUS Gold Rush to California in 1849 In
the succeeding three decades the bison
were almost eXterminated. In 1880, the
completion of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road led to the final attack upon the
northern herd, when, during the winter
of 1882 and 1888, the last of the great
herds were killed in southwestern Da-
kotas. Only about 10000 bison remain.
Q. What is the average life expectancy
In China compared with that in the
United States-G. "
A. In China average life expectancy is
still only 27 years compared with almost
ST years in the United States.
Q. Is the nectarine a separate species
Of peach?-W. B. P.
A. 1t is not separate species of peach,
but type of smooth-skinned peach The
occurrence and repeated appearance of
nectarines on peach trees and peaches
on nectarin trees is one of the most in
teresting phenomena in the fruit world.
@. Where is the mountain upon which
Moses received the laws?-C. OR.
A. Christian tradition places the giving
of the laws somewhere in the range of
Sinai in the south central part of the
peninsula. This range is dominated. by
three peaks known today as Jebel Serbal.
Jebel Musa (Mountain of Moses and
Jebel Catherine. Sinai Peninsula lies
between Egypt and Arabia.
@. What was Izaak Walton's profess
sion?-A. E. L.
A. He was linen draper in London
but at the age of so retired from business
to devote his time to writing and fishing.
Evening star., 1950-02-24
The Vote They Didn't Want to Take

ures their groups have indorsed, pro-
vided they can obtain recognition from
the Speaker Speaker Rayburn, no
FEPC enthusiast, recognized other chair
men in preference to Chairman Lesin-
ski OF the Labor Committee.
2. A discharge petition, requiring 218
signatures-a majority of the House.
Mr.. Powell and Representative Franklin
D. Roosevelt, jr, Democrat-Liberal, of
New York. started petitions But they
didn't get much Republican help.
3. Calendar Wednesday, occurring each
week unless dispensed with by unani-
NOUS consent. On this day, committees
are called in fixed order and given
a chance to bring up any legislation
they have recommended
Southerners used repeated quorum
roll call demands and adjournment
motions to slow down Calendar Wednes-
day procedure and put off the day on
which Mr.. Lesinski would get his turn
He finally got his turn last Wednes-
day. Still the Southerners used repeated
rollcalls and collection of other
parliamentary tricks as delaying tactics
1t was not filibuster, for the House,
unlike the Senate, limits debate But it
had the same effect
AS finally passed by the House, the
Mcconnell substitute bill does face the
threat of a filibuster by Southerners in
the Senate. But the fight is not likely
to be as bitter as if the measure had
enforcement provisions. Majority Leader
Lucas has promised early consideration
AS for the House, in the showdown
voting yesterday, Mr.. Powell and other
enthusiastic FEPCrs found themselves
aligned with the Southerners. They
voted to send the bill back to commit
tee, and, failing in that, voted against
it's passage. The Southerners wanted
no FEPC. Mr.. Powell and his friends
thought the Mcconnell substitute was
worse than nothing.
But most administration Democrats,
and the bulk of the Republican men,
bership, decided they could justify sup
port of the compromise" as step in
the right direction.
Evening star., 1950-02-24

equal in size and equipment to that OF
Israel whose population is l million.
In the event of war between the United
States and Russia, it would be most un-
fortunate If the Arabs were caught un-
armed and without the means of de-
Tending themselves. True enough, the
Arabs alone, no matter how well armed.
will not be able to stop a Russian ad-
vance earnestly undertaken. But, given
the necessary arms, they can delay it,
To say that of the Middle Eastern
countries Israel alone should be armed
so that she may act as a buffer against
communism is not only an affrOnt to
the 40 million Arabs which surround the
new state, but also is unreasonable since
it ignores the known facts.
Instead of acting as buffer against
it, Israel has been a hotbed OF commu-
niSm. 1t should not be forgotten that a
majority of her people came from East
ern Europe, the home of communism
They not only feel kindly toward COM
munism, but many of them have led a
Communist life in the Kibutz since their
coming to Palestine. Most of the Israeli
political parties are leftist.
Obviously, Israel cannot be relied on
to defend the Middle East against COM
munism. That job must be left to the
Arabs, and the Arabs must be allowed
to have the tools to do it. Certainly.
Egypt, where the Suez Canal is located,
and which today holds the key to Africa
with all its riches, should be sufficiently
well armed to enable her to defend her
self from attacks either from within or
from without.
NAGENE CAMPBELL BETHUNE.
Miss ThOmpsOn's Source
Called Agent of Mufti
Dorothy Thompson quoted one Yusif
El-Bandak as the source of her story on
Palestinian Christian Arab refugees
which appeared in a recent column.
This Yusif Bandak, although Christian.
has been a close collaboration with the
Moslem Fascist. Amin el Husseinl the
ex-Mufti of Jerusalem: he was the pub
Usher and editor of one of the Mufti's
papers.
While Yusif works for the internation-
alization of Jerusalem, his father Issa, the
Mayor of Bethlehem, is trying to win
over Catholic and other circles to King
Abdullah's view opposing International
ization In lending herself to this un-
SdFOly OPpOl PloPd6oAua, 31ioo
Thompson has once again demonstrated
her violent animosity toward Israel.
CHARLES H. SEWN.
Theater GOer, Not Theater Owner,
Pays the 20 Per Cent Amusement Tax
: Your letters column of last Sunday
includes one which presents some strange
thinking about excise taxes. particularly
the tax on movie tickets. That 20 per
cent tax isn't on the theater owners.
They don't pay it. The people who go
to the movies pay that tax.
The movie people might do more bust
ness If the tax was removed and it was
cheaper for people to attend and I sup
pose that is why they want it taken off.
Anyway the Government promised that
these war taxes would be taken off when
the war was over.
L. LEONARD HAMILTON.
Evening star., 1950-02-24

Questions and Answers

reader can get the answer to any aues-
tion OF tact by writing The Evening Star In
formation Bureau, 316 Eye st. NE. Wash
ington 2, D. c. Please inclose three (3)
cents for return postage
Evening star., 1950-02-24

In the 1Uee hours OF the morning
Speaker Rayburn s1Deats out the
FEPC fight. -AP Photo.
Four Southern Democrats on this
committee opposed clearance for FEPC.
The Republicans showed little interest
in getting the Administration members
off the spot by voting solidly with them
to clear it. On final showdown in the
committee, the vote was six to six, with
two Republicans joining the Southerners.
Faced with this road block, the FEPC
hackers looked for detours. They found
three:
/. Discharge Day-the first and fourth
Mondays of a month-when committee
heads may ask consideration of meas.
Evening star., 1950-02-24
Right Of Arabs to Buy Arms
In United States Upheld

Israel and Israeli sympathizers in this
country have raised storm over the
purchase of arms by Egypt from Eng
land. Representative Jacob K. Javits
of New York, has written the Secretary
OF State suggesting that the United
States intervene and put an end to the
delivery of arms to any Arab country.
The reason given for this strange re-
quest is that the purchase Of arms by
any Arab state would result in an arms
race" with Israel.
In the opinion of the writer. this at
titude is both unfair and shortsighted
Egypt, like any other sovereign state,
has legal right to purchase arms. espe-
cially for defense purposes. Surely
Egypt, whose population Is 20 million.
has right to maintain an army at least
Evening star., 1950-02-24
Letters to The Star

just released by the National Rehabili-
tatlon Association shows that the esti-
mated annual rate of earning was in
creased from $19 million to $40 million
after training of GIs in 1949 Under
scoring these figures, the Federal Secur-
lty agency reports that the average
tralnee will repay, in Federal income
taxes alone, $40 for every Federal dollar
spent on his training.
The one way for Congress to clean
up the present state of affairs in the
CT educational training program Is to
pass the Taft-Teague bill now pending
in the House. This bill spells out the
responsibilities and duties of the VA and
lays down sensible line of operation,
Passage of this bill will do much to COR
rect the abuses discovered" by the Vet
Grams Administration and the Bureau
of the Budget. LOU BROTT.
Persons washington" Nominated
As SesquicentenniaI Song
Mrs. Elizabeth Arnold, who composed
the new song, washington Rhumba,"
was mistaken when she said hers is the
first song published about Washington.
AAAAoA2 ~. 1 lSl oCll, dllAlOuIlNCl VA CAAS
former radio station WCAP, later
WMAL, composed song, "Washington,"
in 1920. I heard him sing it many times.
Here is how it went:
Voices raise in song Of praise
For the city great and free,
With the goddess tall, rising high DER
all
AS the sign of Liberty
Standing where the Potomac fair,
AS 1t flows to meet the bay,
Links it evermore to Mount Vernon's
shore
BY shining silver way.
Chorus:
Washington, Washington, we love thy
Washington, Washington,
Long live thy fame
Down thy great avenue
Earths patriotics trod;
Heart thou art of all the Nation
Gateway to God"
Why not use this song during the
Sesquicentennial celebration? 1t is
stirring and patriotic, as well as written
by Washington resident.
RUTH N. INGLING.
Evening star., 1950-02-24

A pseudonyn1 is permissible only
When, letter carries correct name
and address of 1Uriter. Please be brief.
Evening star., 1950-02-24

@. What was Izaak Waltons profess
sion "A. E. L.
A. He was linen draper in London
but at the age of so retired from business
to devote his time to writing and fishing.
Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1950-03-11
Sees World System
OF Rights Coming

NEW YORK-A prediction that
the world eventually will establish
a system of universal enforcement
of civil rights was made at a
dinner party in the Waldorf As
toria Hotel by Roger n. Baldwin,
white retired director of the AM
erican Civil Liberties Union here
Tuesday.
He said, "Despite the confusions
of divided and disordered world
civil liberties stand out for the
first time in history as top polit-
zeal issues. Both in Congress and
the UN they are the fighting
front of democratic expansion.
Baldwin, IS, is now international
affairs chairman for the ACLU.
An announcement was made at
the dinner Of the organization of
a $4,000 Roger n. Baldwin Civil
Liberties Foundation to encourage
the study of civil liberties by stu
dents here and abroad.
Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1950-03-11
Research Shows Only 1 Child
in 8 is Ready to Read at
the Ace of 6

Only one child in five is mature
enough at the age of six to start
reading without danger of devel-
oping visual problems that may be
handicap later in life, according
to extensive research at the Tenn
pie University Reading Clinic.
About Is per cent are not usually
mature enough to read until they
are nine.
Parents should recognize that
there are marked differences in
children, particularly in visual
development" said DR.. Marguerite
Eberl, chairman Of the Committee
on Visual Problems in Schools of
the American Optometric Associa-
ton. Serious harm can come from
expecting every child to enter the
first grade at six, and then to pro-
gress grade year in lockstep."
DR.. Eberl said that most very
young children are normally far
sighted. II they concentrate for
long periods on near-point focus
ing, as is necessary for reading,
at too early an age, it may inter-
fere with the normal growth and
development of the eyes and the
muscles and nerves used in seeing.
She said the child actually learns
improper seeing habits in his effort
to compensate for his inlmaturity,
and these habits handicap him in
later life.
Reading is not the only activ-
ity that may interfere with proper
development Of vision" said DR..
Eberl. Trying to button or hook
tiny garments of small doll or
tinkering with the mechanism of
an intricate toy for long periods
Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1950-03-11

An Army Quartermaster Laun-
dry Company can furnish laundry
service for $4,000 individuals a
week.