davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1950-02-10
BETHESDA.

bEInESDA.
Dear Sir: h.
do the small animals and birds suffer
in the cold? have watched the latter
go to sleep in some of our evergreens,
and have worried at night over them.
I suppose people think one is simple to
worry over such things, but it makes my
heart sad to think of them in the cold.
rs their fur thick enough, and how do
their feathers do them any good? I
would think the poor things would freeze
when water does. Yet will admit that
have found but one dead bird in winter.
1T was a downy woodpecker, and
seemed as fat and healthy as it could be-
the thermometer was very low that
morning, and there could be no doubt
that the woodpecker had frozen to death.
Your trulysI. D.
K*** *
This kindhearted correspondent, and
others, need not worry in the least about
this matter.
Nature takes care of her own..
She has given each wild creature both.
first and a second line OF defense
against the cold.
AS odd as it may seem, the first line
is inside, not outside.
The Matchmaking mechanism of the
birds is an extremely good one.
The normal bird temperature, accord
ing to species, ranges from 101 degrees
to III degrees
This is much higher than the normal
temperature Of human beings, and was
Evening star., 1950-02-10
BY Charles E. TroceweN

These constitute the second line of
defense. and most excellent ones, too
Feathers may seem slim defenders,
but being, oiled. and finely set together.
somewhat as plates might be, they tend
to keep in the heat.
In very cold weather birds may be
seen fiufflng up their feathers. This is
to make them farther apart, thus in.
creasfng the "air chambers or spaces
between the feathers.
The result is that even on the coolest
night, the birds can keep warm, provided
only that the first line of defense, fur
nished by their stomachs. is kept at a
high level.
Fortunately, any one may help in this
by putting out such foods as sunflower
seed bread, etc. The fact that one may
not see them eaten makes little differ
ence. Feel sure that no food goes to
waste. One bird may carry some of it
away to hide In crevices of bark. Other
birds will find it. Food buried by squir-
rels is found by other squirrels even by
birds. Each creature is looking for
something to eat because nature Is prod
ding him on to it, with the sure knowl-
edge that ii he gets enough. he will not
only be warm inside, where it counts
most, but his feathers Cor fur. as the
case may be- will be in good shape, thus
capable Of resisting the cold from the
outside, as well as keeping the inner
heat in. There are too many things in
the modern world to worry about to go
out of ones way to build up picture Of
suffering that scarcely exists.
Evening star., 1950-02-10
Be Careful, Please

It is beginning to look as though Patricia
Ann Carey has won her valiant fight to live. On
Monday she regained consciousness Two days
ago. IS days after being struck by car while
on her way to school, the eight-year- old child
spoke for the first time.
These are hopeful indications. Patricia
remains critically i'll, with fractured skull and
Iacerations of the brain. Still, in these somber
days, when there is so much sorrow and heart
ache in the world it is good to be able to feel
that one little girl is going to live
There must be many many thousands. OF
mothers and fathers who have watched Patricia's
progress almost as anxiously as If she had been
their own. For no immunity from this sort of
thing is guaranteed to any child or any parent.
AL that mothers and fathers can do is hope
for the best and join in saying to motorists:
Drive carefully, please.
Evening star., 1950-02-10

next December when the White House
conference has its once-in-a decade
meeting here. With almost year to go
until next December's report, DR.. Wit
mer is now alerting psychologists,
psychiatrists, pediatricians and sociolo-
gists all over the country-asking their
cooperation in finding out what Nom
needs most to help her relax and regain
normal enjoyment of motherhood.
"All any woman needs to be a good
mother is some of the wisdom of our
grandmothers,' says DR.. Wilmer. IF
mother will use her good, sound common
sense and go ahead with her job of be-
ing a mother without letting psychiatry
scare her, we are going to have much
sounder coming generation"
She feels pretty certain that such
mother never need lie awake nights
worrying over the kids catching neu-
rosis or coming down with fancy COM
plex.
There is prime need of every child
and every mother, too-Dr. Wilmer says.
Evening star., 1950-02-10
This and That

purposely made so by nature to give the
birds every chance to weather the cold
winters.
Something Of the same may be said
of the smaller wild animals, such as
squirrels. rabbits, etc.
Although their temperature is not so
high as that of most birds, usually not
exceeding 100 or 101 degrees, such tenn
peratures are enough to give the crea-
lures just that extra degree of warmth
they need.
This first line of defense, both for birds
and animals. depends upon food.
Without food. they quickly succumb to
I. the cold.
That is one reason why too much in
reference by man disturbs the natural
balance.
Too much cleaning up in yard in fall
will cut down on the number of seeds
the birds may find.
Likewise. cleaning up to the super
degree may prevent some marauding
animal from catching bird!
Nature does not look upon such things
in the way sensitive human being often
does. Nature is not concerned, evidently,
with the individual creature. The caught
bird Is, at that moment, food, and moth
ing else. -
Therefore, from the standpoint of
nature, as worked out since creation, the
human mind with It's sometimes extra
tenderness, is lacking in common sense.
Birds have feathers. and animals fur.
Evening star., 1950-02-10
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE.

@. Is cloth ever woven entirely Of
camel's hair?-M. Il.
A. There is 100 per cent camels hair
fabric manufactured. However, camel
fiber is slippery, and is, therefore, usually
blended with wool, about rs per cent
camers hair to Is per cent wool gives
the desired finish. In 100 per cent
cameps hair material only the finer.
fabrics are used. resulting in higher cost
of spinning and labor in general than
with a blended fabric.
@. Who was called the Sunshine of
the White House?"-J. T.
A. Mary Donelson, the grandchild Of
Andrew jackson. 1t was lock OF Marys
hair that jackson sent when he was
asked for something precious to be
placed in the cornerstone of the Treas
ury Building.
@. At what age is baby considered
premature?-G. S.
A. A baby is now considered prema-
ture regardless Of his age at time OF
birth If his weight is less than 2,500
grams or 5h pounds.
c. What is the significance of octans
numbers in relation to gasoline?-
e. s. s.
A. Octane numbers of gasoline relate
solely to the tendency Of the fuel to
knock in an internal combustion engine.
They are on an arbitrary scale with nor
NAL heptane as 0-octane and iso-octane
% 1oo-octane fuel.
Evening star., 1950-02-10
New Field for Service

Gordon Gray's rise from student to president
of the University of North Carolina was almost
as rapid as his private Secretary rise in the
Army. Those who have watched the Army Sec
retary in action at the Pentagon not surprised
at his successes. He has demonstrated uncom-
mon abilities in every job he has ever undertaken
"a characteristic which undoubtedly was fore
most in the minds of the university trustees when
they selected him unanimously to succeed Senator
Graham as head of the Tarheel institution.
Mr.. Gray has the means to take life easy,
but he always has preferred to be doing things,
especially constructive things. He likes to do
them well. Although quiet-spoken, he has the
courage @of his convictions, as was evidenced
when he signed the controversial Gray Board
recommendation for liberalization of the
National Guard His service on that board led
to his appointment as Assistant Secretary of the
Army, which was just a stepping stone to Sec
retary. ;&Lt fl
The Army can i'll afford to lose the leadership
of man like Mr. Gray He has proved to be
q valuable member of the national defense team
at critical period of the uniication struggle.
But the honor offered him by his alma mater,
and the opportunities for service to his State
and country implicit in the offer, were under
standably persuasive. The University of North
Carolina is fortunate in obtaining as it's head
hard-working farsighted youthful aumnus
who can be relied on to advance the liberal
policies and program of this progressive Southern
institution. 80 ..- ts~s-
Evening star., 1950-02-10
Quit Worrying, Nom, You're Doing Fine
By, Dorothy McCmdIe

A LII over the United States today,
IA the job of restoring Mons peace
of mind is getting under way. It is being
started here in Washington by the staff
of the mid-century White House Con-
ference on Children and Youth.
DR.. Helen L. Wilmer, chief of the fact
finding staff of the White House con-
ference, is Uncle Sans deputy.
"Psychiatry never intended to destroy
the self-confidence of parents" DR.. Wit
mer told me in an interview. But that's
just what has happened"
DR.. Wilmer is small woman with
short gray hair and warm, friendly eyes,
and she has great big heart for moth
ers. She is starting on special Nation
wide study to see how psychiatry can
repair the hurt it has done them.
TOO many psychiatrists, in their
eagerness to help the oncoming gen.
Grafton, have half paralyzed the present
generation and have made them almost
unfit for their job as parents" DR..
Wilmer said. Their laundering has
scared parents half to DEATH
Dr. Wilmer didn't name names. but
she did regret that the word "Momism"
wv SASPU AAlCo UllC 1dllS udSG. 1HdG WORD
has become a big national sneer, and
Dr.. Edward A. Strecker of Philadelphia,
one of the leading psychiatrists of the
country. is said to have made that word
famous. DR.. Strecker hasn't minced
words in blaming Nom for all the worlds
neuroses. He says it's Mons fault when
Junior gets a complex.
And DR.. Wilmer agrees that it is
Mons fault-sometimes But she feels
that all blame and no credit has come
to make women very inept mothers, in
deed.
"Psychiatry has been applied to every
body but poor Mother" she says. Its
high time that people tell Mother how
good she really is. if she tries. SO that
she can get back her confidence and
start acting as smart as she really is.
eve have got to put the fun back
into motherhood, the kind of fun and
lasting satisfaction that our mothers
and grandmothers had In raising u.s."
And how is that to be done? That's
exactly what DR.. Wilmer is working on
right now. She's going to be ready to
tell mothers how well they are doing
Evening star., 1950-02-10
Scottish Pictures

The Scottish paintings now on display at
the Corcoran Gallery reflect the current alb
stractionist romanticism, but they are not mere
experiments. Stanley Cursiter, Kings Painter
and Limner in Scotland and a past president
of the Society of Scottish Artists, writes in the
preface to the catalogue: 1.-THE old standards
still apply" and ain workmanlike craftsmanship,
a sense of pattern, and an aliveness to fine
quality in color, the national characteristics are
still evident
This means that modern painting in Scotland
has received no national license to go haywire
w. G. Gillies, for example, may create "Stil-life,
Flowers and Figure" in imitation of Cezanne or
even of the numerous imitators of Cezanne but
the rationalistic, dour, matter-of-fact Scot in
vited in to admire the composition must be able
to recognize the blossoms and the dolls So, too,
William Crozier may produce vision of Edin-
burgh indebted to Picasso If not to Braque, but
the inhabitants of that city must not be denied
a tolerable facsimile of their Rock and their
Castle.
The elemental compromise which such a
philosophy connotes is the distinguishing char
acteristie OF the Corcoran exhibition. Average
visitors will find in it pictures which irritate
them. But they also will discover works which
please them nightly. On the opening night
people praised especially E. A. Hornel's Gather
ing .Snowdrops" three little girls whose grace
and charm were put upon canvas in 1909. Here
is an achievement which necessarily must be
classed as "mpressionistic" yet nobody is obliged
to take course in "art appreciation" in order
to appreciate It. The same observation applies
to A. A. McClashan's Mother and Child" and
James Cowie's "The Classroom"-both beautiful
accomplishments which demand no esoteric
explanation or apology.
Bagpipes were played and Scottish dances
danced for the preview of the exhibit, and it
deserved such send off, The Washington public
will not regret taking time to visit the gallery
while the show is available.
Evening star., 1950-02-10
Sef-Reprooch Can Be Overdone

Secretary Achesons remarks at his news
conference this week served several good and
useful purposes. Not the least of these was
to remind the American people that there is
difference between self-examination and self
reproach. ... .+.
Something akin to panic seems to have taken
hold Of many of us. Others, probably a sub
Stantial majority, are becoming Injured to cold
wars and runors of hot wars In fatalistc
sort of way, these people have resigned them
selves to long succession of restless years. They
ask only that no reasonable opportunity for i'm
proving the International climate be neglected,
and that, meanwhile, we exert every feasible
effort to insure our own security, Mr.. Acheson
was not speaking to this group. He was talking
for the benefit of. those who cannot adjust
themselves to continuing crisis, to the prospect
OF the hydrogen bomb, to the grim possibility
that our civilization may be utterly destroyed.
His remarks were not critical of the feelings of
these people, for their feelings all too easy
to understand What Mr.. Acheson did say to
them was that it does no good to clamor for
another attempt to reach a peace preserving
agreement with the Russians that agreement
merely for the sake of agreement is worthless
If one party will not keep faith, and that the
only feasible approach is to work toward the
creation of conditions in the world which both
make for peace and which are fact, and which
will have to be recognized by the Russians as
being fact.
The Secretary of State also was speaking to
these people when he warned of the dangers of
self-reproach. Perhaps he had in mind such
things as the recent call from an eminent WASH
ington clergyman for "day of national re-
pentance." What is it that we are to repent?
Is it wrong that we should be striving to preserve
that area of freedom which is left to the world?
Are we to reproach ourselves because failing to
obtain any assurance of peace in four years of
persistent, faithful effort, we now turn reuc-
family to the manufacture of new and deader
weapons? Governments, and the men who
constitute them, must be guided by the facts
fact of our time is that we appear to be faced
now with choice between arming to the extent
of our ability or eventually submitting to Red
totaltarianism Actually, however, even this
choice is more apparent than real. For if we
wish to have anything worth living for, we must
do the former.
Nor should we do this in any spirit of self
reproach. That, as Mr.. Acheson has we'll said,
creates an attitude of mind which is apt to
bring paralysis in the field of action where action
is necessary" The forces that are shaping up
fateful decision for this world are not going to
stand still while we indulge in days of repentance
Our lives and the lives of our children are at
stake in this matter. What we need is action
action based on the wisest decisions we know how
to take.
Evening star., 1950-02-10
Toxpoyers Should Share the Savings

Under the curious processes OF budgeting and
appropriating for the District of Columbia, the
people whose taxes are to be spent are kept pretty
much in ignorance of what goes on. They get
an occasional peek it is true. The Commission
ers tell them how much the department heads
have recommended, and for what. But they do
not learn what the Commissioners or the Budget
Bureau have recommended until the budget goes
TO Congress.
When the budget goes to the Appropriations
Committee it becomes secret once again. We
are now passing through that stage A good
subcommittee has spent some weeks examining
1t and marking up the bill. But when unofficial
word leaks out that S. million has been cut from
the bill, the only way to find out where and
how the cuts were made is to wait until the
bill is reported to the House That may be
several weeks from now.
Now there may be good treason for salts
faction that committee has found ways to cut
SIS million out of a bill exceeding $1l9 million.
But the bill that went to Congress this year
allowed a cushion of some 81 million or more to
take care of contingencies. And If this has grown
to a projected surplus of ST million by additional
savings, it would appear that we are collecting
more in local taxes than can be wisely spent.
AS the District is debt free, any savings from
wise economies ought to be returned to the
taxpayers in the form of reduction in taxes.
Assessor Dent has already recommended one
relatively small reduction-scrapping the OBJ
noxious personal property tax on household fur
nishings. With the excellent yield from the
sales tax, enough may be left over to permit
some additional reduction in the real estate rate.
One purpose of the tax increases and addi-
tions of last year was to raise money to permit
the city to catch up on some Of its delayed con-
struction-school buildings, bridges, welfare in
stitutions. A good start in that direction was
represented in the budget. But If we are not
going to use the money in construction, the
proper disposition of surplus is the reduction
of taxes The picture will become more clear,
of course, when the taxpayers are permitted
another look at plans to spend, or save, their
money.
Evening star., 1950-02-10

sit and think they don't like to be beset with
exhortations to patronize loan company, to
join tango class, or to Kiss Me Again" They
were vociferous in their demands for peace and
quiet, but that is their privilege in democracy.
Ironically enough Mr. Crisler's statement
appeared in The New Yorker, the magazine which
led the successful fight to silence the music and
commercials which for while assailed patrons
Of New Yorks Grand Central Station.
Evening star., 1950-02-10

"a child may be a moron so far as
his intelligence Is. concerned" DR.. Wit
mer says. But If he feels he is neces-
sary in his own immediate environment
and has his part to play, he will grow
up to be satisfactory person"
The same goes for Mother. The psy-
chiatrists want her to feel important.
too. And DR.. Wilmer is out to see
mother gets that wonderful feeling back
again.
1--WE hope to debunk some of these
modern psychiatric theories" she says.
1--WE want the country to get rid of the
feeling that parents are a threat to
the mental stability of their children
and ought to be hanged!
What we need more than anything
else in this country are parents who feel
needed. They have to feel that way if
they are to help their children feel
that way"
There you are, Nom. Everybody is
for you again, thanks to Uncle Sam.
North American Newspaper Alliance.)
Evening star., 1950-02-10
Questions and Answers

A reader can get the answer to any question
of fact BY writing The Star Information Bureau,
316 Eye street NE. WASHINGTON 2, D, 6.
Please inclose 8 cents for return postage.
Evening star., 1950-02-10
Star Threatened by Water Cure
If 1t Doesn't Watch Its, Language

If 1t Doesn't Watch It's Language
To the Editor of The Star:
With horror and dismay discovered
the word "leatherneck" under caption
United States Marine (slang) in the
glidogram in your magazine!
I fear you have not read the latest
effusion from the Public Relations De-
partment of the United States Navy,
allegedly published by authority of the
Secretary of the Navy, outlawing such
epithets.
The rack Or water cure may be your
fate. DUCKSIE.
Mr.. Ted Williams Seems to Have
Rubbed One of His Fans the Wrong Way
To the Editor of The Star:
Well, see by the paper that poor Ted
Williams is having his troubles again.
Imagine having to endure all he goes
through, and for only measly $125, 900,
too! His latest grippe seems to be the
class of people he is forced to meet in
ball parks.
Referring to the people he meets in
his of-season job. he said. They are
wonderful. They know all about fishing
and hunting, which is much more than
you can say about many you find in
baseball parks" He adds, Even the
autograph seekers are polite, not like the
ones you run into during the baseball
season."
Isn't it just crying shame that the
poor fellow has to associate with such
awful people as us baseball fans? Hor-
rid, uncouth vulgarians who know abso-
lutely nothing about Teddy-boys favor
ite sports. And think. sometimes they
have the audacity to ask Theodore the
Great for his autograph! My heart
bleeds for you, Teddy.
Isn't it about time that the pride of
the Back Bay millionaires learned just
who it is that's paying his way? Listen,
Ted, If it weren't for those crude fans,
you wouldn't be getting your fabulous
salary. We may be just bunch of
buns to Ted, but it's thanks TO- thou
sands of common, old Joe Fans that
you're where you are today. You may
be 35, but sometimes you act like a
spoiled three-year-old.
What that man needs is someone to
tell him the score. Maybe he should
have been fireman after all.
! L. A. KoEN1G.
Evening star., 1950-02-10

A long distance operator was consid-
cred to be in top profession. Her
salary was comparable to that of pri-
vate secretary or registered nurse. Her
position in the community was COM
parable to that of school teacher The
job was attractive to the girls of the
best character and education in the
community.
Now We are so much lower in the
wage scale that my Government en-
ployed friends are little amused, even
patronizing, that I work such hours
for the basic pay I receive.
OPERATOR.
Should Children of the Rich
Be Admitted to Public Schools?
To the Editor of The Star:
Our public school system was born
out Of poverty. It was organized pri-
marily for people who could not afford
Z to pay their own way.
But what is happening today?
Today we have in our public schools
children of parents who are well able
to pay their own way. The people have
in mind are prosperous manufacturers,
business and professional people of all
types, many of whom have annual in
comes of $4,000. $4,000. and 100000.
Would these people be permitted the
services of a public hospital, public
soup line, or a public poor house?
The children of these people are being
educated at the expense of American
taxpayers, many of whom are being
forced to desperation to meet increased
taxes of all kinds.
Local school boards throughout the
nation should correct these injustices
as soon as possible. READER.
Praises Editorial
On Judicial Lawmaking."
To the Editor of The Star:
Permit me to commend you upon your
editorial, Judicial Lawmaking" in The
Star of February 4 wherein you con-
denim the extraordinary" conduct OF
Judge Kronheim of the Municipal Court
in the cases referred to.
In my opinion, you call attention to a
real danger resulting when a judge pre-
sun1es to take the law into his own hands
and by subterfuge seeks to infiict punish
uleIlb IlOG autIlOflZeO Oy law because ne
apparently feels that the punishment
provided by law is not adequate.
According to the newspapers, Judge
Kronheim sought to explain his action
as intended "to protect the public" when,
in fact it would seem rather danger to
the public and a threat to the rights
and liberty of any defendant who hap
pens to become the victim of the caprice
Of judge. Whatever the facts of the
cases. it still may be we'll to remember
that this is Government of laws and
not Government of men.
FRED p. MYERS.
Evening star., 1950-02-10

MIR. Moore Should Take A Look
At st. Elizabeths Hospital
To the Editor of The Star:
I have just finished reading an article
by MIR. Dick Moore in which he states
that human life and health have alb
solutely no value in any mental hospital
in the United States, and that all are
conducted in the same fashion. I believe
Mr.. Moore should think twice and OBJ