davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1950-06-29

plosive. whirling song Of Jenny Wren.
the whistle of the cardinal and the
cheerful chatter of swallows.
In the summer there are some pleasant
compensations for waking early. Not
the least Of these is the drowsy Growing
of the rooster. furnishing tone contrast
to the songs Of the small birds"
L. r. of Thirty-second street writes
more about wrens:
For several years ! have had two
flower pot wren nests about feet apart
on limb reaching from the street to
my side porch.
TN 1948 the wrens reared their young
as usual.
'"They had scarcely left when nest No.
2 was occupied and another brood reared.
Last year. for the second time In
about Is years, had no wrens at all. I
have felt that the first failure resulted
from my carelessness in allowing the
nest to become filled with too much nest
ing material. This was not true of the
nests in 194e. I have been wondering
whether the two females we're penalizing
MIR. Wren for his vagaries.
This year a pair arrived about May 3
as usual, reared their brood, with usual,
one might almost say continuous singing
Of Mr.. Wren. unequaled by any other
bird known to me.
They moved away June Is. In the
afternoon of June II. Mr.. Wren was back
for short visit. singing Justify.
II thought detected the low note Of
Evening star., 1950-06-29
Hiqher Fares and Patronage

Transit patrons who have kept in touch with
the fare-raise hearings before the Public Utilities
Commission will not be surprised by the COM
missions decision to grant the company another
rate increase. They would be able to accept the
inevitable with greater resignation however, If
they could reasonably hope that the higher fares
would solve Washington's transit problems. Un-
fortunately there is no such assurance. For the
history of recent fare raises, both here and in
other cities, is that patronage goes down as
fares go up. And Capital Transit can i'll afford
to lose any more customers.
The company is fully aware Of this danger of
falling patronage and SO is the PUG. The ques-
ton yet to be answered is whether the new Is
cent cash fare 1315-cent token and 81 weekly
pass will be offset by diminishing customers to
the serious extent indicated by experience. It
is the commissions hope that the number of
riders will not decrease disastrouSly. The de-
cison to retain the weekly paSs-against the
wishes of the company-apparently was infiu-
enced by feeling that elimination of the pass
might deprive the utility of valuable nucleus
of regular patrons. What effect the increase in
the price of the pass from SITS to So will have
on this group of regulars" remains in the realm
of speculation Aside from its revenue-gener-
ating possibilities, the pass is factor in expe-
Evening star., 1950-06-29

diting loading OF passengers and hence helps to
speed up traffic. The PUG Is understandably
reluctant to abandon the pass at this time.
The commissions critical comments on the
tree-cent fare for school children are well justi-
fed. The concession to school children, it pointed
out, puts an unfair burden on all other passen-
gers. But the PUG can do nothing to correct
this inequity. The three-cent fare was fixed by
Congress in 1933-at time when the regular
fare was 712 cents. 1t has not been increased
since, despite the higher cost of providing this
transportation. If school children are to have
a special rate, the subsidy should not be borne
by the company or by its patrons. 1t should be
borne by the public at large, through govern
mental subsidy. And speaking of subsidies, If
the present disturbing cycle of wage boosts fol-
lowed by fare increases is not arrested, the time
Is bound to come when Washington's transit
system can survive only through grace of gov
ernmental subsidies or, worse still, of govern
mental operation.
Evening star., 1950-06-29
Mr.. Pike and the Senate

At midnight tomorrow night the current
terms of all present members of the Atomic
Energy Commission will come to an end. In
anticipation of that event, the Senate has con-
firmed the Presidents reappointment OF three
of the four now serving on the fve-man agency
Gordon Dean for three years, Thomas E. Muir
ray for two, and DR.. Henry DeWof Smyth for
one. For some unexplained reason, however,
no action at all has been taken on the nomina-
ton of Sumner Pike.
MIR. Pike is the last survivor of the five orig
inal members of the Acc. An able administrator
and uniquely we'll informed in atomic matters
he has been acting chairman since the resig-
nation of David E. Lilienthal early this year.
The Presidentr-who presumably will name some
body to the regular Craftsmanship when he fills
the vacancy still remaining in the commission
has reapponted Mr.. Pike for four years. But
now, with his current term scheduled to expire
within a matter of hours, the Senate appears
to be deliberately sleeping on the nomination.
Why? Nobody seems to know. Some Sena-
torS-notably Mr.. Hickenlooper of Iowa-have
indicated that they are against Mr.. Pike, but
they have not said in public just what it is they
object to. This is a strange way to deal with a
man whose record is very much in his favor. If
his opponents are afraid to oppose him in the
open, they must have poor case against him.
The Senate should act at once on this matter.
Petty politickng-if that is what is involved
ought to have no bearing whatever on appoint
ments to an agency as tremendously important
rs the Acc.
Evening star., 1950-06-29
By Charles E. TroceweH

Mrs. Wren. but evidently she wasn't in
terested. On the morning of June 10
he was back again, singing the ad-
vantages Of his home-no success.
Incidentally, some Of the bird books
speak of the nests being made of grasses
and weeds. Those in my wren houses are
mostly of twig, some so long that one
wonders how the bird manages to get
them through the small opening"
M. B. B. Of Derwood, Md, writes:
Let no lover of birds tell you that the
male cardinal does not bathe. As we sat
on the front porch this afternoon. about
so feet away from the large mill stone.
which makes wonderful bird bath, and
Is always kept filled, our cardinal that
has been singing so near the house
through the winter and spring, few to
the stone, looked around to be sure
there was no enemy in sight, and then
plunged into the deepest water to bathe
for two or three minutes. and no husky
robin ever splasi1ed or dipped or fluttered
his wings with more enjoyment.
Perhaps the quiet and peace Of a
country place make him feel safer. This
morning after pair of bob whites
walked slowly across the lawn. How can
any one not love the birds? With ever
increasing appreciation of your notes, !
am" etc.
In our bird book it says Of the wren
nest. Constructed of small twigs. grass,
feathers. spider webs, and lined with soft
strips Of bark. down. or feathers"
Evening star., 1950-06-29
Night in Venice

Strange to remember tpisp-like cloud
That hung on the moons bright face
This Das the uotD ,0e together had
potDed: ---
To pisit this place. ays4ss-
4sas.
Strange to remember the gondolier's song
Flung back from Venetian skies
Past the Do0eS' palace zoe Olided along
And under the Bridge of Sfohs.
Sweet to remember you clasped py N
hand
This toas our dream come true--f a -
Gone are the years that cannot be- " ~
Spanned
sgssas
II tonight another ttDo "a
Are finding the same enchGntment Tiers.
Are lost in the selfsame spell -
! take this moment to breathe praver
That all for them be iDeu. -
3. Z. wILI.IAH19.
Evening star., 1950-06-29
More Too Late Thinking

Senator Taft, if he wishes to do so, can say
with some justification that he was right earlier
this year when he urged that the Navy be used
to defend Formosa, and that the administration
was wrong when it rejected, and even rid1culed,
that proposal. But there is no justification for
the Senator's criticism of the President for going
to the aid of South Korea without obtaining
prior congressional approval.
There is no clear and comprehensive defini-
ton of the powers of the President in situation
of this kind. AS Commander in Chief, he GER
tainly has some authority to use the, armed
forces, without consulting Congress, to protect
our national interests in an emergency. 1t has
been done dozens of times by other Presidents.
What the precise limits of this authority may be
Is a debatable question Constitutional lawyers
could, and probably would, argue themselves
blue in the face about it.
When the North Koreans attacked, however,
the President was confronted with fact, not
q constitutional theory. 1t was clear then and
1t is even clearer now, that time was OF the
essence. If anything effective was to be done
in Korea, 1t had to be done at once. delay of
rs much as few hours might we'll have been
fatal and the latest reports from the battle front
raise question as to whether American aid, even
with the Presidents prompt action may not have
come too late.
Senator Taft says the President should have
obtained congressional approval before acting,
although he approves in general of what the
President did But the strong probability is
that if the President had sought congressional
approval, the South Korean defense would have
collapsed while the Senators were debating the
Issue. Approval undoubtedly would have been
forthcoming in the end, but by that time it
would have been too late. The fight would have
been over and there would have been no South
Korean government or army for us to assist.
Herbert Hoover sounded the proper note
when he said that now is not the time to argue
origins, mistakes, responsibilities or conse-
quences" If the President was right in going to
the aid of Korea-and there seems to be no
dissent on that score-he was also right in acting
with all possible speed. 1t would have been
utterly senseless to have waited until 1t was too
late to act at ALL
Evening star., 1950-06-29
ReeIoiming the Sahara

Food officials of the United Nations have
been discussing the feasibility of reclaiming the
Sahara desert as source of bread and butter
for peoples existing too near the starvation line
The vast area to which they refer was not always
barren waste Within historic times it has sup
ported populations much larger than any which
are to be found within its borders today. Three
and half million square miles of territory is
considerable portion of the surface of the planet
to remain unproductive, and any development
which returns it to use would be welcomed.
But how can the Sahara be salvaged? Geol-
ogiSts say that the desert consists of Cretaceous
rocks covered by dunes of sand. The elevations
generally are extinct volcanoes. Between and
among them runs an ancient river system, dry
for three or four thousand years. Yet water is
present in many, if not in all parts of the arid
waste. 1t is possible to sink artesian wells and
thus tap subterranean streams. Even the most
desolate stretch of wilderness thus can be made
to blossom like the proverbial rose.
The principle involved, according to modern
agronomiSts, is that topSoil is created by vege-
table growth-and held together by the same
United Nations officials realize how true this is,
and they have deplored the habit of the Sahara
tribes in burning the desert bushes. What is
wanted is the steady and systematic encourage
ment of grass, shrubs, small fruit trees and vines
Water to nourish such program of restoration,
it seems, must come from underground perhaps
for centuries before nature brings normal rainfall
1t is not necessary, however, to wait several
hundred years for justification of policy of
desert revival. The Italians have had handsome
profits out of their investment in the develop
ment of Tripolitania There are good results
accruing from similar endeavor in the Anglo
Egyptian Sudan. And Algeria now has recla-
nation and soil conservation agency patterned
on American models which is proving productive.
Evening star., 1950-06-29
'GoId-PIoted Patriotism

In The Stars letter forum, one WAL
ter Jarvis evinces some slight offense at
my recent comment relative to self
styled "red-blooded, two-fisted Ameri-
caniSm." Doubtless there are two sides
to everything except perhaps the fourth
dimension, so it is foolish for people who
basically agree to wrangle words espe-
cially when the available space Is ex-
tremely limited. But must insist that
there are gold-plated patriots and sum-
mer soldiers among us.
don't like to kick a man when he
is down. but a certain ex-senator who
screeched his patriotism" and 100 per
proved himself to be~a gold-plated pa
triot. This variety of patriot" also
supplied Cat price, George Washing
tons Continentals with shoes" that dis
integrated and left bloody tracks on the
icy Delaware at Valley Forge.
Mr.. Jarvis modestly hints that some
In his family have given their lives in
our wars. Well. I'm also from the pos
sum and magnolia section of our coun-
try-Tennessee, "the Volunteer State"
My grandfather was Union soldier, and
his brother was killed in the Mexican
War (of 1845) and he's buried some
where on the wind-swept plateau near
old Monterey. And during the last big
melee. was an Army infantryman in
the bloody, muddy Italian campaign
from Napoli to Bologna and Venice.
And two of my brothers went through
the South Pacific troubles. one in the
Air Corps and one in the paratroopers
To me war and ,militarism in general
are Knockers and deceivers, seemingly
necessary evils to be gotten over with as
quickly as possible and forgotten. War
is hell. regardless of how righteous" 1t
may be.
David Fl. Weisgarber.
Evening star., 1950-06-29
japanese Might Fight in South Korea
By Hal BOYLE

IT may take longer to drive Northern
Communist invaders out of Southern
Korea than most Americans think.
Why?
Because the United States 50 far has
limited its assistance to the shipment of
war supplies and battle aid by ship and
plane.
These factors are hardly as immedi-
ately decisive in warfare as most civil
ians like to believe. Their weight takes
time to make itself felt.
This will be particularly true in q
mountainous land such as Korea il the
Soviet-trained Communist armies have
built up hard core Of ll-disciplined
troops. And there is reason to feel sure
they have. since they have had almost
five years in which to do it.
Reports from the fighting front indi-
cate the invaders are well equipped with
modern Russian-type armor. Undoubted-
ly they also have great stores of weapons
and ammunition left behind by the jap
anese.
The next few days should give strong
indications whether the Communist Ko-
reans are only making a great test foray
in force. of the South's defenSeS-or
whether they are gambling on surprise
knockout.
If they do choose to fight to the bitter
end. then they may be as dificult to
drive back as the Northern Communists
were In Greece.
Bombing cities they have taken is Ger
tain to annoy the Southern Koreans who
live there, but it is doubtful that this
will really dislodge the invading troops.
They won't stay in the cities. They will
move like hordes of locusts across the
rugged countryside. just as the Russians,
wearing tattered clothing but carrying
brightly polished machine pistols, swept
across Germany to the Elbe.
And guerrilla troops like these are al
most as hard to destroy by airpower as
If they really were locusts. They can
camouf1age their positions by day, and
move by night. They can live off the
land, scrounging as they do. They can
take almost endless bombing and straf-
ing so long as they are going forward
and morale is high. 49,
The best and quickest way to halt
them, OF course, would be to pour In
trained ground troops-infantry and ar
tillery-to lock with them on the land.
A regiment Of Marines, a battalion or
two of U. S. paratroopers strategically
Evening star., 1950-06-29
Landlords Accounting


In recent letter to The Star. a certain
D. A. Snyder presumed to give an Equity
Lesson" on rent control Like all other
rent control fanatics, he used neither
logic nor reason qualities which all
teachers shouldLhave. He cited as an ex.
ample man he knows who, Is years
ago, built or acquired an apartment
house of so units for the sum of 5000. 900.
Mr.. Snyder writes that the yearly in
come is $45 900. He states the yearly ex-
penses including upkeep and taxes as
$4,000. Then he simply deducts the
smaller yearly expenses from the larger
yearly income, the difference being $20,-
900, and calls this met income"-at the
rate of 10 per cent yearly-stating fur
ther that his friend is not engaged in q
losing proposition.
wonder what line Of reasoning
prompts Mr.. Snyder to imply that this
man, or any other person who has rental
property. should engage in any business
and lose money.
Now Mr.. Snyder writes of "upkeep"
But spending for upkeep does not prevent
depreciation of property. The Treasury
Department. Income Tax Division, allows
A per cent of the original investment
yearly, the gross amount, of course, grow
ing less as the years go by. Or rather as
the original investment is decreased by
the depreciation. In this particular case
the average depreciation amounts to
about 5000 yearly.
A vacancy allowance at 10 per cent is
also charged every year on the gross in
come. On an income of $4,000, this
yearly reserve is $4,000. No matter that
the war years did not show this loss; any
prudent man who has put his 5000, 900
in building of this kind must take it.,
because he knows there will be lean years.
Then, too, a man who had the ability
and invested 100000 of his money in a
risk venture is entitled to the small per
cent brokerage. This amounts to only
$2,250.
Like any other business man. he should
Evening star., 1950-06-29

dropped and supported. might turn the
tide at once.
Naturally. however, the American gov
ernment is reluctant to take this meas
ure. For ground fighting means heavy
casualties. and the hope is that the
Korean situation may be held to an In
ternational incident rather than allowed
to ripen into full-scale bloody war.
But, should the. invasion continue long,
there is another possible source of man
power. In 1945 saw the last of some
100000 Japanese troops being ferried
from Korea back to their homeland.
Couldn't the United Nations authorize
Evening star., 1950-06-29
Naturalization

Very few Americans know what ma
tionalization means. Federal aid means
eventual Federal control.
You may think you can carry on
your business as before, but with strin-
gent Government controls. Not so!
You soon pick up your hat and coat
and the photograph of your family which
stands on your desk and walk out. never
to return, and the bureaucrats take
it over.
This is exactly what is going to hap
pen in our United States If the Gov
ernment does not get out of business.
No citizen can compete with the Gov
ernment.
Pearl w. Norman
Evening star., 1950-06-29
David Fl. Weisgarber.
MiIkmun's View

Being a "swingman" (relief milk
driver have the opportunity to make
IL different rounds in a two-week
period. My heartfelt thanks are out to
the average Washington housewife for
her patience in the recent milk strike.
The great majority of our customers
have borne the great inconvenience ad-
mirably. In our work we are servants
of the people. The present attitude
makes this service pleasure.
Ray Owens.
Evening star., 1950-06-29
Letters to The Star

build up every year a reserve for the re-
production cost of the plant or building.
at the rate Of 6 per cent based on the
reproduction cost of the building, less
normal depreciation. Even at per cent,
after Is years. this apartment house own
er has an amount of $108,168 that has
never been taken care Of Starting the
18th year, he should set aside. at per
cent, $4,327 for the year 1851.
So we have these items, which must be
deducted from Mr.. Snyder's $4,000:
Depreciation --$5. 200 yearly
Vacancy allowance 4,500 yearly
Reproduction cost 4,327 for 195D
Brokerage fee 2,25o yearly
$16,277
Instead Of $4,000, the net is 1923.
Just add this to the mans brokerage,
and you will see he is not getting salary
commensurate with his ability, nor a
proper reward for his thrift.
.- william H. Sweitzer.
Evening star., 1950-06-29
Questions and Answers

The stars readers can get the answer 70
any question OF fact by either writing The
Evening Star Information Bureau. 1900 1 street
NV. Washington 5, D. C, and inciosing cents
return postage, or by telephoninE ST. 5000,
Evening star., 1950-06-29
-AP Wrephoto.

the recruiting Of q force Of volunteer
Japanese troops to fight in Korea under
international military leadership? This
would be going only one step farther
than the United Nations already has
done in the matter.
And certainly 1t is the body that
should organize the worlds first mer-
cenaries for peace. 1t is also simple JUS
tice that the Japanese should take part
IN keeping free now the country they
held In subsection themselves for almost
40 years. And I think they'd volunteer
If the pay were right.
ASSOCIATED PresO
Evening star., 1950-06-29
BY THE HAsKIN SERVICE

@. What countries besides the United
States use the quota system to limit i'm.
migration?-C. r. E. 0
A. Only the United States. the Philip
pine Republic and Brazil employ quota
systems. '.7N
Evening star., 1950-06-29

Name Of the Lord Jesus Christ above
that of our fellow mortals?
Ere it Is too late, be warned that The
Star is burdened with a great respon-
sibility in this matter which. sooner or
later. will be the subject of an account
ing before Almighty God.
w. A. McEwen.
Evening star., 1950-06-29
$16,277
What Is Excessive Hurdship'?

In your editorial on rent control (June
24) you state that IS. . the important
objective of rent legislation hencefor-
ward should be to end all Federal con-
trolls as soon as this can be done with
out excessive hardship to low -salaried
tenants"
In other words The Star does not mind
If low-salaried tenants suffer from pos
sible removal Of controls, so long as they
do not suffer excessively. My question is:
Why should The Star want the low-sal-
aried tenants to suffer any hardship at
all? Please try to answer 1t, If you can!
Pro-Rent Control.
editors Note: The Star feels there
must be some point beyond which the
landlord is not required to continue
his personal subsidy OF the tenant.)
Evening star., 1950-06-29
Critic Of Dr.. Harris

It would be most interesting to know
just what spirit" Is meant in Spires of
the Spirit which appears in The Sunday
Star.
Is it possible that a newspaper turns
out such wonderful editorials and yet
apparently is lacking enough in spiritual
discernment as to permit inclusion in
its pages Of the subtly veiled paganism
under the heading ip question? How.
for example. can anyone who knows
something of his Bible allow to go un-
challenged such a statement that a
person is child Of God" on the basis
Of his being good American? Or the
placing of Gods Word on q common
level with the literary works of men?
For the sake of misguided souls who
fancy they have something Christian"
in this poor stuff. why not introduce
some material ringing true to the cap
toned title and 50 at least honor the
Evening star., 1950-06-29

@. Why is India Ink so called?-E.
s. M.
A. Because 1t reached Europe by way
of India. It was invented In China.
Evening star., 1950-06-29

@. How many bricks did 1t take 10
build the Empire State Building?-C. T.
A. 1t required approximately 10 mil
lion bricks to build the Empire State
Building in New York City. p"
Evening star., 1950-06-29

! @. How long does q copyright last?--
w. L. 1a'h
A. A copyright lasts for % years and
may be renewed for another 20 years,
making an entire period Of So years.
Evening star., 1950-06-29

A pseudonyn Is permissible only
Dhen letter carries correct name
and address of aDriter. Please be brief.
Evening star., 1950-12-17

Beautifully designed wotch for the
diseriminotise lady. Plosinum do
mond wotch with ~ diamonds sroe-
ing II. Dependoble Homiitoa move
ment $4Z0
Evening star., 1950-12-17

In classic good toste white gold,
diomowd woseh. studded with II bril-
liaat diamonds. Watch hos Hose
iIton movement. An exesptional pss-
Evening star., 1950-12-17

outssondins exompIe Of jewelers.
craftsmanship. A pIosinum- diamoad
wotch with rs Iosss. fslI-est do
nsoads oad homiltoa movement,
$2,235
Evening star., 1950-12-17

Diamond wutch attachment with 80 love-
" diomonds to enrich ony diamond wutch,
S264