davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1950-03-24

In duplicate bridge, when the
scoring is at match points, each
deal constitutes a separate and
distinct match and 1t is not at all
uncommon for a match to be won
or lost by 10 points. One team, for
example, may score 420 points for
making a game in hearts. (There
is a bonus of 300 points for max
ing a non-vulnerable game) while
another team holding the same
cards may have elected to play the
hand at no-trump and make the
same number of tricks for a score
of 430.
Dog fights for part scores are,
therefore, far more frequent in
occurrence than in rubber bridge.
In today's hand. West opened
with one spade and, when partner
responded with one no-trump,
elected to make the somewhat
doubtful bid of two clubs.
When the bidding stopped there,
South backed in" with bid of
two hearts. This involved prac-
tically no risk, since the bidding
clearly indicates that North holds
some values. Otherwise the oppo-
sition would surely not have given
up at two clubs. North did not
raise at once because it was quite
apparent that partner was making
no effort to 60 places, but was
merely contesting the part-score.
East, in an aggressive frame Of
mind, pushed on to three clubs,
which was passed around to North,
who was torn between doubling
and going on to three hearts. He
chose the latter, though I do be-
lieve a double of three clubs would
have been sounder procedure.
The seven of clubs was opened
and taken by the queen in dummy.
A low heart to the queen held the
trick and the next heart was taken
by East's ace. A club came back
and the trick was taken by dunn
mys ace. At this point, declarer
stopped to picture the high cards
outstanding.
West is known to have the king
Evening star., 1950-03-24

and probably the jack Of clubs and
at most the ace in spades. Since
he held nothing In hearts, he Is
definitely marked with the ace Of
diamonds for his opening bid. Ap-
parently, therefore, two diamond
tricks must be lost, unless East
holds both the jack and ten Of the
suit. The deuce Of diamonds was,
therefore, led from dummy and
when East played the three, South
played the seven, forcing the ace.
Note that it would have availed
East nothing to put in the ten Of
diamonds, since the queen would
force the ace and dummy would
subsequently regain the lead and
flnesse the seven against East's
jack.
So played, declarer scored ITO
points. CA bonus OF so points Is
awarded in tournament play for
the fulfillment of a part-score.) A
double of the three-club bid, as
the cards lay, would have yielded
only 100 points.
Copyright 1850. by Charles H. Goren)
Evening star., 1950-03-24

Opening lead, seven of clubs.
Evening star., 1950-03-24

Mother-Your teacher says
you're so slow you never get your
work finished. II you'd try enough
I believe you could work as fast
as the other children do.
Evening star., 1950-04-20
Local Flood Control

There may be lot of pork in the billion
dollar rivers and harbors bill-there usually is in
such legislation-but there are many worth while
items in the omnibus measure, too. And one of the
latter is the authorization for 81 531 200 flood
control project in the Anacostia River area.
Floods along the Anacostia and its tribu-
taries have been recurrent nuisance for more
years than residents of Prince Georges County
can recollect. Bladensburg always is the hardest
hit by these periodic overflows, as any one who
regularly uses the Bladensburg road approach
to Washington well knows The Bladensburg
floods are of concern not only to inhabitants of
the affected area but to the travelling public and
freight shippers on U. S. Route No. /.
The Federal Government proposes to solve
the Anacostia flood problem by dredging the
channel deeper and installing special flood
control levees, conduits and other facilities at
strategic points. The dredging, incidentally,
would reopen Bladensburg as port for small
vessels. Another item in the bill would authorize
f1fteen-year war on the water chestnuts which
clutter up the Potomac and interfere with navi-
CATION Both of these items will have to be
backed later by appropriations to make them
effective. But the authorization measure is a
necessary first step toward desirable river i'm
provements in the Washington area.
Evening star., 1950-04-20
Teachers Pensions

Our teachers in the public school sys-
tenn are eligible for pensions after long
number of years of service in State.
AS in so many instances their pay has
been woefully inadequate, so the pension
for their years of faithful service has
been meager.
However, aside from this, wish to
mention another inequity in the teachers
pension system. am personally ac-
quainted with a teacher. who rendered
Is years of faithful and efficient service
in one locality. but finally had to give in
to her sense of duty and accept posi-
ton nearer her home to help care for
her feeble mother. This necessitated
transfer across State line. The result
is, as things stand at present, that after
those Is years of teaching, this teacher
has to start all over again to accumulate
the number of years of teaching required
for pension.
Could not some solution be worked out
in such cases? Possibly a transfer of
credits between States? Or some re-
gional Office for handling pension funds
such as would ignore State lines? Or
an insurance company which teachers
might join at special rates and pay for
retirement insurance, with greater free
dom of transfer? Surely something
should be done in this direction.
John A. Lacy.
Evening star., 1950-04-20
By Charles E. TroceWeH

melodies on his light operas. while
lamenting often that the work was fool
ish and not to his liking
1t made no difference. Melody was
in him and out it came. Just how much
inspiration he got from the words by
Gilbert will never be known; the only
thing we know is that the two made
good mixture of truth and foolishness.
Time leaves the music intact.
The lyrics tend to grow more old
fashioned and silly as the years go by.
Templeton Jones righted his fallen
chair then sat down in it squarely. With
four legs and his own two feet on the
ground, there was no real reason for
tipping over.
He sat well back this time and would
so perch until he forgot about it, some
day, when he would lean over hastily to
catch a falling paper. And then over
he would topple again. Executives sell
dom learn anything. he thought. any
more than chair manufacturers. We go
right ahead. between wars, making the
same old chairs that catch you off guard
and tumble you out when you least
suspect it. And we go right ahead
pearching in them with never thought
that we may conk our heads for keeps
some day. Between chairs In the Office
and A and H bombs In the off1ng. the
modern businessman leads sort of dogs
life. Fortunately for him, he doesn't in
the least realize It.
Evening star., 1950-04-20
This and That

between. so that if the body of the execu-
tive gets to one side the whole thing
tends to tip over, just as easily as If the
chair had been tripod.
Somebody, Jones thought to himself,
ought to do something about Office chairs.
They are much too tippy and all the
worse because they do not seem to be so.
This idea made him think of Gilbert
and Sullivan, their operas and their
songs.
The Jonesian mind is given to these
flashbacks. The typical executive. it
must be admitted, harbors no flashbacks.
He thinks right along one line. Jones
is no typical executive, certainly.
To think of a tippy desk chair was,
van, especially at the idea that such
chairs are all the worse because they do
not look to be tippy.
Things are not just what they seem.
Skim milk masquerateS as cream"
Jones sang this happily to himself;
although his words might not have been
exact, his tune was correct.
Gilbert and Sullivan always struck
him this way.
The music was the thing, not the
words, no matter how much one was
struck by the latter.
Sullivans music was the better part
of the combination.
How recklessly he lavished his hearts
Evening star., 1950-04-20

An Office desk chair is not exactly a
broncho, but it can throw you. just the
same.
Templeton Jones was leaning over to
retrieve a paper from the waste basket.
when over he went.
It was in slow motion.s
AS ne toppled, Jones thought he must
be making an absurd picture and no
doubt he was.
A swift fall is all over as.it begins. but
a slow topping. going down inch by
inch. is another thing.
The first question always asked is,
"Are you hurt?"
"Oh. no, not at ALL" one answers.
briskly.
The harder the landing, the brisker
the answer.
This time. however, Templeton Jones
was quite right, when he replied. "Oh.
no.
He wasn't harmed in the least, aside
from a smudged left little finger and a
little dignity rubbed off,
Since dignity is one thing Jones sell
dom worries over, he arose with the
assistance of kind Office mate) no worse
for his tumble.
This was the second time in memory
that he had so fallen out of chair.
The four columns, with rollers on the
bottoms, had been responsible.
These four columns leave wide spaces
Evening star., 1950-04-20

Yet the success of the theater with its
1850 spring bookings will determine what
happens in the fall when the Gayety re-
opens. There is an enormous interest
in it as theater. But this interest has
its qualifications.
The biggest of these qualifications has
nothing to do with the Gayety itself,
its location on Ninth street, its stage
limitations, its dressing room problem,
or whether it can develop a stage crew
expert enough to handle new or big
productions, should they come here.
It relates rather to the future of the
National. Marcus Heiman has said he
will not open the National save on his
own terms, presumably including the
former policy of segregation. And he
says his theater must be free from what
he calls dictation by labor union, in
this case Actors Equity
Mr.. Heiman is man of fervid firm
ness.
Nevertheless, there are those who Won
der. There have been no incidents" at
the Gayety as result of bi-racial at
tendance. Negroes have constituted
small percentage of the audience, less
than five per cent. Some of his best
friends. along with his bitterest enemies,
feel that this might influence Mr. Hell
man. They also feel that his refusal
Evening star., 1950-04-20
Who Makes Policy?

The letter from William P. Thomas,
jr., TOO Many Gentlemen" raises
an important question: To what
extent does the Foreign Service make
our foreign policy? Mr.. Thomas implies
that the Foreign Service was responsible
for alleged appeasement of Japan and
Germany. This presumably refers es-
pecially to the period between 1888 and
1941 when Hitler and TOTO went on the
rampage.
In those years, if one can rely on
public opinion polls, the greatest issue
before our country was to keep it out
of war; this objective was stressed in
the platforms of both our major political
parties in 1910, and in 1941 the ex-
tension of the selective service passed
the House of Representatives by the bare
margin of one vote. If by "appeasement"
Mr.. Thomas refers to the failure Of our
diplomacy to halt the aggressors, it is
not clear to me how the gentlemen"
in the Foreign Service could have &C
complished anything by talking tough,
when Hitler and TOTO could see from
reading our papers that we did not
mean business. Was it not the American
public rather than the Foreign Service
that made policy then?
Machiavelli. Jr.
Evening star., 1950-04-20
For Better TIL Act Enforcement

Rejection by the Senate Expenditures Com
mittee of the proposal to abolish the office of
general counsel of the National Labor Relations
Board cannot fairly be called a setback for gov
ernmental reorganization. Plan No. IL, re-
organizing this important post out of existence,
is President Truman's plan, not that of the
Hoover Commission. While it is true that the
commission broadly advocated Capitalization of
administrative authority in the chairmen of
regulatory agencies it did not specifically suggest
that the controversial NLRB job be done away
with. The Citizens Committee for the Hoover
Report, which generally reflects the views of the
Hoover Commission, has declared that the plan
involves questions of national policy which de-
serve to be weighed against administrative ad-
vantages of centralized authority.
The Senate committee has weighed the
advantages and disadvantages of Plan No. IL
and has found, by nine-to-four vote, that the
disadvantages Of eliminating the Independent
general counsel Setup are such as to warrant
disapproval of the idea. 1t is true that the
present arrangement Is not working out well,
because of regrettable conflict of personalities
but the solution does not necessarily lie in abol-
ishing the Office. On the contrary, there is
good reason to believe that maintenance of the
office as an independent watchdog for enforce
ment of the Taft-Hartley Act is highly desirable
especially against the background of general
administration antagonism toward that law.
Nor can it reasonably be said that the
Senate committees rejection of Plan No. /,
transferring the independent Office of Controller
of the Currency to the Treasury Department, is
major blow to reorganization Strong argu-
ments were made against such a transfer, on
the ground that the controller is less susceptible
to political pressureS in his independent capacity.
Whatever the ultimate fate of Plan No. 1, how
ever, the Senate will be contributing to good
government in general and to honest enforce
ment of the Taft-Hartley law in particular if it.
musters the forty-nine votes necessary to kill
Plan No. IL.
Evening star., 1950-04-20
Poeket-Size Pornogrophy

The Catholic Review recently con-
demned the pocket-size, quarter-priced
literature being sold in many drugstores
as plain propaganda for sensual and
sexual indulgence" and warned parents
of the danger to early adoleScentS which
lies in such filth"
How can we control those who create
the demand for these books-the curious,
the would-be sophisticateS, the sensa-
tionalists, the immoral. and the ignorant?
The answer is that We cannot control
them directly, unless we happen to know
some of the people who fall into these
categories and use our influence to
dissuade them from their practice of buy
ing such books. But all of us who are alert
enough to see the danger in these pan
derers in print" can do these things: Re-
fuse to buy them, boycott the stores which
sell them. write letters of complaint to the
publishers, write to the members of
Congress, and use our influence with our
children, relatives, and friends. If all of
us do our part, it won't be long before
Evening star., 1950-04-20
What's Happening in Germany?

For some months now there have been per-
sistent rumors and reports of ugly developments
and trends not only in Soviet-occupied Eastern
Germany but in Western Germany as well. Un-
doubtedly the actual facts of the situation have
been exaggerated or fctionalized in several
respects, but still the overall impression remains
that events over there have been moving in a
direction much too disquieting to be ignored.
That is why Senator Gillette, together with
seven of his colleagues from both major parties,
has introduced a resolution calling for special
presidential inquiry into "al matters relating to"
the policy of the United States in Germany.
Several reasonS-including the fact that Amer
ican British and French occupying authorities
appear to have been keeping fairly good check
on developments-may persuade the Senate to
pigeonhole this proposal on the ground that there
is no need for elaborate investigation. That
may well be true. Yet the situation is such as
to suggest that authoritative clarifcation,
in one form or another might be helpful in
promoting a better public understanding of just
what is going on.
The stories that have been disturbing Mr..
Gillette and his group, along with lot of other
Americans have been many and varied Thus,
as far as Eastern Germany is concerned they
have included what the Iowa Senator describes
as "ominous reports" of Cd a revived German
army under Communist command in the Soviet
zone of occupation, and (2) plans by the Red
dominated "free youth to stage kind of putSch
against the Western sectors of Berlin late next
month. AS for the zones occupied by France
Britain and the United States the rumors and
news dispatches have been full of references to
such things as burgeoning nationalism, resurgent
naziiSm, the formation of veterans groups into
semimilitary organizations, and a conspiracy
among certain anti-democratc political elements
waiting for the day when they will be able to
rearm new unified Reich and ally it with the
Kremln in another Ribbentrop- -Molotov deal, but
q deal that will stick.
Regardless of the eXaggeration involved IN
some of them we be pretty sure that there
is considerable truth in these reports. There
Communist East German army exists and
there is no doubt whatever about the off-again-
on-again threat of Berlin putsch-a threat
which the Anglo French American comman-
dants have countered by publicly proclaiming
that they will use force to suppress any such
move AS to Western Germany, no less an
authority than John J. McCloy, our High Com
missioner there, felt moved as recently as last
February-in his speech at Stuttgart-to speak
out sharply against the authoritarian habits and
nationalstic tendencies of certain German off,
cials and to warn them that the United States,
Britain and France will never tolerate the re-
vival of militariStic and totalitarian Reich.
OF course, as Mr.. McCloy and other in
formed officials have indicated, German develop
Evening star., 1950-04-20
Burying the Hotchet

In the long rum nothing may come of the
Presidents efforts to patch up his differences
with Senator Bridges, and, through him, with
other Republican critics of his foreign policy.
At the least however, it is notable advance
over the state of things few days ago. when
Senator Bridges was announcing parade" OF
Republican Senators to "go after" Secretary
Acheson, and the President was denouncing Mr..
Bridges as one of the Kremlin's greatest assets
in this country.
Two days ago Mr. Truman invited the New
Hampshire Senator to the White House for a
conference with Secretary Acheson and himself.
When the meeting was over the President said
that he and Secretary Acheson wanted not only
to keep the members of the Republican minority
informed, but to solicit their views and take
them into serious account in both the formula
ton and implementation of our foreign policy.
In other words, the Republicans, who have been
complaining of their rubber stamp function
and demanding voice in shaping foreign policy,
have been told that Mr.. Truman is favorably
inclined.
Senator Bridges was cautious but not un-
friendly He said he viewed this assurance as
a very evident gesture on the part of the
President and his Secretary of State to establish
closer relationship with the Republican minor
ity in the Senate. He added that he believed the
OuVAOOh 4OI ClUScI CO1dUOIdIlOu Is encouraging.
All of this looks like hopeful turn for the
better. When Senator Vandenberg was active,
he was able, because of his ability and personal
prestige, to maintain respectable measure of
bipartisanship. But this has been crumbling
since his Illness Senator Bridges is not apt to
become another Senator Vandenberg. But he
is the ranking Republican member of the Senate
and he is also man of ability in his own right
If partisan politics can be put aside, there is
no reason why he and Mr.. Acheson should not
be able to work together.
Bipartisanship however, is not one-man
or two-man job If any lasting good is to
come of this latest development, the President
will have to translate his assurances into action
And the Republicans in the Senate, or at least
majority of them will have to make genuine
effort to play the game and play it fairly
Some of the rumblings which have been heard
since Senator Bridges White House visit are not
reassuring. But if the next moves are made
with care, and if the diehard Republicans will
take to heart Governor Deweys warning that in
matters of foreign policy we will sink or survive
together, the hatchet-burying ceremony at the
White House on Tuesday may mark the beginning
of better days.
Evening star., 1950-04-20
Star Staff Photo.

"to break the community pattern of
segregation" is no longer as valid in
that it already has been broken by the
Gayety.
So long as this doubt remains. the
Gayety will be kind Of haunted house
haunted by the ghost Of great old
traditional American theater four blocks
away down E street.
If the National opened. the Gayety
could hope only to be WaShington's
second theater. dependent for bookings
upon secondary fare.
It probably could make ends meet on
this basis the limitation being not so
much Washingtons capacity to support
two theaters as the producers ability
to supply dual bookings here.
All this, however. is in the realm of
conjecture. While it cannot ignore the
Gayetys future. the management is
most concerned with its present. Here
1t has evidence to go on, and the evi-
dence is somewhat reaSsuring-in spite
. Of the fact that an occasional old bur-
lesque customer gets into the audience
and does not quite understand the
change that has taken place.
So far, the adventure of conversion
has been the most dramatic thing of its
kind in Washington since legitimate
drama died at the National.
Evening star., 1950-04-20
Letters to The Star
A pseudonyn, is permissible only
V1,en letter carries correct name
and address of Uriter. Please be brief.

know that it uniformly forbids usury-
interest on money at any percentage
whatsoever. Jesus himself defines in
terest as the unjust gain of one who
reaps where he has not sown. And yet, if
we abolish usury, we will undermine the
whole superstructure of capitalism, of
course. Indeed. capitalism and COM
munism were jointly denounced by the
World Council of Churches meeting at
Amsterdam last year. Following that
brave stand, we must wake up both Rus
sia and the United States to basic re-
construction. Both countries must be
converted to Christ. OF course, this will
spell a global revolution. It will well
come the Easter of pure socialism, the
bright sunrise of worldwide brother
hood.
James L. Smiley,
AnnapOliS Md
Evening star., 1950-04-20
At the SheII-Heup

Where red-skinned PeQuots. chipping
fints tDtth skill
Hard to imagine in these days OF
casting,
CunninglG shaped Nth thong bound ar
and drill
Weapons and tools to keep the tribs
from fasting,
Could that tall shadoD By the ping
trtnged shore
Be some skilled sachem's ,Uratth. come
back to earth,
Reuisittng his Grmory once more,
Watching. no doubt tOtth silent sapaos
mirth,
A pGletcce ptcnicker-decddent mani
Serre squatDs Nth food by opening Q
can?
HAROLD WILLARD GLEASON.