davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Wartime 'Pi|feroge' Is an Old Story

1000 former cargo security officers of
the Army Transportation Corps who
fought pilferage and black markets in
dozens Of ports in the last war Given
the resources the unorganized variety
is easier to combat.
1t is a matter of knowing the tricks,
and forestalling them. 1t is matter, for
instance. OF placing an MP on the
usually forgotten outboard side of ship
discharging cargo-the side away from
the dock. This MP will halt, as one did
in New Guinea, cases of beer being
slipped overheard to a small boat, while
everybody'S attention is focused on the
other side of the ship.
In World War II. the greatest diver
sion Of military and relief cargoes gen.
orally came right after the opening up
OF new, large port-Naples, Marseille,
Manila, Shanghai. The combat forces
had moved ahead. and the United States
was pouring supplies in behind them.
These goods came into proximity with
civilian population which had been with
out them for years. On the other hand,
inflated currencies supplied everyone
with money. The resulting demand for
goods was almost Unsuitable Looting
passed from the casual to the organized
stage, which meant that some of our own
troops were participating.
OF all ports open to organized pill
ferage in the roaring days of 1945 Ma
nila probably was the worst. "a security
officers nightmare" some one labeled it.
One young officer, making port there,
found on his ship positive evidence of
pilferage of As different items, from ata-
brine to X-ray films He was deeply con-
cerned, but port officers reassured him.
They said his losses were below average,
and amounted to only fraction of what
would be lost after the goods left the
pier.
Another cargo security officer arrived
that year on a ship carrying 81 million
worth of general cargo. He delivered
Evening star., 1951-02-02

the Board of Supervisors to consider the many
problems that they pose. special agency
empowered to devote all it's attention to the
general sanitation field has become real need
The county now has six different public water
supply systems and several dozen private systems
Right now the county is under pressure from
the State Water Control Board to abate pollution
in the Potomac River situation which has led
to bond issue for sewage treatment plant
The building of this plant has been deferred
pending an interjurisdctonal engineering sur
vey to determine the feasibility of joint sewage
disposal There is no apparent reason why
creation of sanitation authority would conflict
with possible plans for joint solution of Northern
Virgnias age-disposal problems In fact
centralized authority in the county is almost
essential to- any plan for co-ordinating the
countys separate systems and tying them in
with regional disposal program.
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Militory Personnel Overpoid?

The times in which we live indeed are
serious, and many sacrifices confront us.
People are willing to make great sacri-
fees to preserve democracy; but there
should be equality of sacrifice and we
should be sure we are preserving democ-
racy and not substituting militarism in
its place.
The men who actually serve their
country in combat deserve all benefits
and privileges, but how can the favored
positions of the thousands who sit at
desks in the Pentagon, Navy Depart
ment and other military installations in
this country be justified?
Men and women in uniform make good
salaries. Part of those salaries is exempt
from income tax. Servicemen buy their
food at commissaries for about 40 per
cent Of what the civilian pays in the
chain groceries. Service personnel and
their families have no worries about
medical. dental or hospital bills. They
get such care for nothing. Ever since
the excise tax was imposed, they have
been able to buy luxury items at the PIX
tax-free. Gasoline for their personal
cars and laundry service are provided
at cost at the various military posts.
Men in uniform also are exempt from
certain automobile taxes in the various
localities where they live. When they
retire, they receive generous pensions
toward which they have not contributed
a penny. No deductions are made from
their pay for retirement, whereas civil
service employees loses per cent OF their
pay for retirement. When servicemen
or members of their families die, the
Government provides funeral and burial
services. 1t is no wonder that the Navy
boasts in one Of its television recruiting
programs that "one Navy dollar is worth
four civilian dollars"
Except for the draftees, practically
every man in uniform gets more money
than he could in civilian life. All of us
in and around Washington remember
the dismay with which many reserve
officers faced a return to civilian income
at the end of the last war and how
they rushed to get commissions in the
Regular Army or Navy.
The Defense Department admitted in
a report last spring that of the so bill
lion dollars spent on defense" during
the five years after the close of World
War II, only one dollar in seven was
oPCllU AOl PAOVCSG1oi1 anu VIC OUIlCI
six dollars went for housekeeping.
which included the various benefits re-
ferred to above. Huge overpayments
to dependents and other Irregularities
were discovered at the Army's st. Louis
branch, but those misuses of public
monies have been CLOSED over and the
case has been closed with no action
taken against any one.
The late, greatly respected Senator
George Norris said he feared the United
States would take the road which led
to one-half of the country's popula-
ton walking around in rags to support
the other half staggering around in
hashy uniforms.
There should be a revision of the
benefits and privileges accorded mill
tary personnel and their families. AS
long as they do not participate in actual
fighting, they should do their part in
paying for the huge defense program.
C.. w.
Evening star., 1951-02-02

creature had got entangled and could
not get loose. If that were the case the
bird should be dead by now. because
there was not the slightest sign of move
ment.
just then there was a squawk and
flash and into the vine on the tree trunk
flew male blue jay.
He lit on the trunk about feet around
the circumference of the tree but at
exactly the same height of the bird
we thought dead. AS he did so, he must
have set up sort of sympathetic vibra-
ton in the ivy, for the tail sticking out
of the mass of leaves suddenly moved.
It was a welcome sight!
She was not dead but alive and well.
She had, it was plain just gone to sleep,
as any sensible bird has right to do.
She turned bodily revealing the splen-
dor of her feathers. then cuddled back
into the leaves, disappearing entirely
except for that tail.
Her mate dived into the leaves on his
side, and disappeared from view. Even
after one had seen him go in, one found
it difficult to believe the bird was in
there.
An hour or so later, just at dusk. we
saw the females tail hanging down from
the leaves.
The next day. much brighter one,
neither bird showed up at such an early
hour.
1t was just 4:3o o'clock when the fe-
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Questions Rees' Proposal

Your editorial of January 20. entitled
Permanent Hoover Commission'?" dis
cussed some hopeful possibilities in Rep
resentative ReeS' bill to create a con-
gressional Commission on Government
Efficiency and Economy but did not
provide answers to these questions which
the taxpayer might want to raise:
Why, instead of setting up a new
commission to investigate waste, does
Congress not proceed to adopt the
Hoover Reports, which represent two
year study by 12-member. bipartisan
commission and it's staff of 800 experts?
Would the creation of such commits
sion provide further excuse for delay
ing action on the most vital and vir-
tually untouched Hoover Commission
recommendations, such as those for
real overhauling of the Federal person.
mel system, the Veterans Administration,
the Agriculture Department, and for
consolidating Federal medical services?
Would the presence of a new COM
mission make it possible for those
Federal agencies (and their supporting
pressure groups) who do not want to
be reorganized to argue that since
the Hoover Reports already are two years
old, and conditions have changed. why
not wait until the new commission has
had look at us?"
Would the same agencies be able to
argue: Eyes, the Hoover Commission
said to do it one way. but new COM
mission has Jurisdiction now and it
may have better suggestion, so don't
disturb us yet?
With the very intricate roads to re-
forms already clearly mapped by the
Hoover Commission, might not a new
commission confuse the public by de-
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Fronco-Americon Comparison

The following letter appears to be
an enlightening document. Written by
a French steel mill worker. it says:
II wish to thank you for the parcels
you have sent us. The standard OF
living for the French worker is so low
that it would be very hard not to ap
preciate your devotion. I have just
read a bulletin published in French by
some American unions. The comparison
between the life of the average Ameri-
can and French workers is easy to
understand when the price of necessities
and luXuries thus is converted into
working hours:
Bread: Kilograms minutes of work
in the United States: 80 minutes of
work in France.
Meat: Kilogram-82 minutes of work
in the United States; 5 hours of work
in France.
Butter: Kilogram-88 minutes of work
in the United States; hours, so min
utes work in France.
A mans suit of wool-32 hours 43
minutes of work in the United States;
1877 hours, 80 minutes of work in France.
A small car-140 days of work in the
United States; 2 years of work in
France"
If these figures are correct. could you
tell me why American labor resorts to
strikes so often? If the Western Eu-
ropean nations are expected to match
our sacrifices certainly in the case of
France the sacrifices cannot come from
the working class.
L. Johnson.
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Degradation of the Dollar

In the past two years. you printed
letters of mine in which warned against
the impending perils of imitation. These
warnings were not due to any prescience
on my part but were based largely on the
views of the truly profound thinkers in
America. viz, President Hoover, Senators
Byrd and Taft, Gov. Dewey, etc.
Today, the American dollar steadily is
sinking against all foreign currencies
(even the Russian ruble). Gold is taking
flight from our shores. Millions in gold
are being called home by foreign powers.
Who is to blame? You know.
1t has been urged that Secretary
Acheson resign. But what about Secre-
tary Snyder whose voice is never heard
protesting at the widest orgy of (deficit)
spending the world has ever seen? This
supposed watchdog of the Treasury"
says nothing. does nothing, sits tight.
while the dollar sinks daily in purchas-
ing power.
Never before, excepting in two of the
Civil War years, has Federal credit been
so debased.
Franklin Snow.
Evening star., 1951-02-02
NUNS the Word on Nevada

The Atomic Energy Commissions press con-
ference the other day was rather dull. The COM
missions ninth semi annual report to Congress
though important like each of its predecessors
was just bit too technical and specialized to
encourage questions and answers of sort that
could be translated into attention-g getting head
lines and genuinely absorbing news stories After
all, the report had nothing to say about those
fascinating experimental nuclear detonations"
being set off in rapd-fire order out in Nevada.
That was the subject that everybody really was
interested in and wanted to ask about But
Chairman Gordon Dean wrapped an iron curtain
around it, and that was what made the con-
ference more or less dull
But dullness in this instance is one of the
prices that must be paid for the sake of our
national security The Nevada "detonations'
may we'll mean that the United States is on the
threshold of producing some profoundly far
reaching new type of A-weapon for tactical
purposes, as distinct from strategical purposes
Maybe for example, coming close to the
atomic artillery shell or the atomic guided
missile, either of which would be development
that could revolutonize the nature of warfare
and render futile the maintenance of huge land
armies like Russias. Be that as it may how
ever, Mr.. Dean and the rest of the Aces men,
bership are not going to say anything one way
or the other. We can all speculate until we
pluS III tIlS UuI GIley ildVe ldlQ IL GOWN
as firm rule that they will not give us the
slightest hint-even by quick CLINT in the eye or
barely perceptible twitch of the lips-whether
we are right or wrong. NUNS the word-an
extremely strict mum. The tests in the Las
Vegas area may succeed or fall but we probably
will be kept in the dark about them for a long
time to come
This, of course, is as it should be and must
be. For there can be no doubt, as Mr. Dean has
explained, that the Acc neither affirm nor
deny current or future speculation on the sub
ject without revealing information that could
be of great value to our actual or potential
enemies. The Russians would like nothing better
than to know just what we are up to in Nevada
Why should we tell them? Why should we let
them have even the inkling of an authoritative
inkling of the things we are doing in the field
of A-weapons? Why not keep them guessing?
Why not befuddle them with food of unofficial
surmises, much of which may be sheer moon
shine? Such policy can help throw them off
balance and put them in the anxious seat.
Certainly If 1t will do that, the American people
will gladly pay the price of not having their
own curiosity properly satisfied.
Evening star., 1951-02-02

lost 40 per cent. New York maritime in
surance companies threatened to refuse
insurance. at any rates. for cargoes
clearing United States ports for Manila.
The Army finally controlled that
Manila situation in one of it's hardest
administration fights. Pilferage can be
halted, but in only one way-strong re-
liable guards in shipholds, on piers, on
trucks and at warehouses or dumps.
Col. Hutchinson voiced an age-old cry
last week in revealing current discrep-
ancies between Korean inventory lists
and actual stocks: You never have
enough MPs to take care of the situa-
ton adequately"
Evening star., 1951-02-02

chandise disappeared in Manila in 1945
the officer in charge solemnly reported
they had been "pilfered."
Civilian refugees are responsible for
the present thefts in Korea. according
to Col. Cary B. Hutchinson, assistant
chief of the supply division of Armys
GA, who has just returned from trip
to the battle zone. They are hungry
and won't hesitate to risk getting shot,"
Col. Hutchinson explained, adding the
refugees were croWding highways and
towns behind our lines.
That means unorganized looting as
opposed to the organized variety, as will
Immediately be understood by some
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Food Crisis in India

India, whose people normally have barely
enough food to stay alive, is threatened with a
famine Much of it's grain crop was destroyed
last year by earthquakes. floods and drought,
with the result that hundreds of thousands of
Indians face the prospect of starving to death.
The Indian government two months ago ap
pealed to this country for help. It asked for
10000 tons of grains-either free or on long
term loan basis This request went to the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee and has been
referred by Chairman Connally to subcom
mttee. Senator Connally has said that no action
will be taken by this group until it looks into the
whole question of our relations with India.
This might easily be interpreted as threat.
Prime Minister Nehru, during the United Nations
debate over Korea, has proved to be better
friend of the Chinese Communists than of ours.
And that has earned for him measure of Ill
will in this country that will not soon subsde.
Nevertheless, any suggestion that we might use
the threat of starving the people OF India as
means Of coercing Nehru is thoroughly repug-
nant. The United States has never dealt in that
eoin, and The Star does not believe that the
American people want to do so now.
This request for aid should be considered on
Its merits. Pakistan has charged that the New
Delhi governments policy of self sufficiency is
in large part responsible for the food crisis. Ac-
cording to the charge great areas of Indian land
have been diverted from agricultural production
to the production of jute and cotton, which
Pakistan can supply to India. This diversion has
been described by some Pakistan officials as part
of deliberate plan to wage economic warfare
against Pakistan-even at the expense of starving
the Indian people
If this is fact, then the Indian government
has made a grave mistake that needs prompt
correction. There still remains, however, the
reality of the food crisis, no matter what caused
1t. Accordingly. if it is within our means to help
avert famine in india we should do what we
can to that end This indirectly will help Prime
Minister Nehru, and that, in the circumstances of
the moment, is not an appealing prospect. One
may hope, however, no matter what the COM
pleXion of international policies may be- that this
country will never adopt strategy which en-
braces as means to an end the starvation of
innocent and helpless people.
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Modified Hiring Rule Needed

The purpose of the Whitten rider on last
years supplemental appropriation bill was a
good one The idea in placing all civil service
appointments and promotions on temporary
basis was to prevent the overstafing of the
Federal establishment with employees who, after
the emergency, would not be needed. 1t is al
ways easier to lay off temporary employees than
permanent ones in time of retrenchment. But
experience with the rider has shown that some
modification is necessary, in the interests of the
national defense program.
According to the Civil Service Commission,
the ban on permanent appointments has seriously
retarded the desirable movement of old-line en-
ployes from nondefense to defense agencies.
Even though permanent employees have been
assured that they would lose no civil service
rights by shifting to a temporary job in defense
activity, they have evidenced reluctance to give
up their permanent jobs for temporary ones.
The circumstances justify modification of
the ban on permanent appointments to permit
the Civil Service Commission certain amount
of discretion in enforcing the restriction. While
the commission is in general sympathy with the
congressional determination to keep Govern
ment employment under control during the
emergency period it feels that too rigid restraint
will be detrimental to the defense effort. 1t has
been found, for example. that the prohibition
against permanent appointments has deferred
a number of experienced former employees from
applying for Government jobs for which they
are needed
The Whitten rider was passed at time
when many persons believed the Korean crisis
was of temporary nature 1t was logical then
to insist that the Government take on only tenn
porary workers. But now that the emergency
gives every indication of continuing for long
time, there is merit to the commissions con-
tention that more flexible hiring policy is
advisable
Evening star., 1951-02-02
By Fletcher F. IsbeII

THE revelation at a Pentagon brief
ing last week that there has been
heavy increase in pilferage of Army
supplies in Korea occasions no surprise
among those accustomed to moving
cargo in the wake of war. Where there
is hunger or the opportunity for profit,
pilferage always f1ourishes in inverse
proportion to the number of guards.
If adequate guards are lacking too
long, pilferage will grow to such proper
tions as to make the usual definition of
the word-petty theft-look pretty silly.
But the Army still calls it pilferage.
When three trucks loaded with ner-
Evening star., 1951-02-02

his manifests and then stopped for a
cup of coffee with his pier superintend-
ent before the stevedores came aboard.
You'll have is per cent of your cargo
stolen while unloading" the superintend-
ent remarked casually.
He was conservative. The lieutenant
was disturbed by the thought of losing
$150.000 in Government property, for
which he was technically responsible
But actually at that time. looting of
Army cargoes in the war-wrecked port
was averaging % per cent of the load of
every merchant ship, and some vessels
Evening star., 1951-02-02
To q Grounding on His Day

With ,Ohat delicious stretching must you
make
This early from your deep sleep and
arise
And ,Daddle to your BURROWS door to
take
Your famous observation of the skies!
Did dreams OF clover patches stir your.
hunger
To brave again the Dorld ,Dhere you
must reckon
With dogs and traps eDaded in your
younger
And spriqhtlier days? or does the
season beckon
This early to larger hunger fo,Ding
Beneath your grizzly bro,Dn and coars-
ened fur?
No matter-tor, With sun, you wiu be
going
Back to your neither regions, Burroyer.
Without delights OF lope or of tho
nleGdOD-
But need sir weeks of aDinter dog yotv
ShGdotD?
ELAINE v. EMANs.
Evening star., 1951-02-02
By THE HASKIN SERVICE.

Dy 1HE dAShlN SEht1CE.
@. What is the cactus that Is popu-
larly believed to jump at persons and
animals as they pass?-C. B.
A. This is often said Of the cholla
cactus of the Southwest, the spiniest
Of all, which will penetrate the hide of
almost any animal. Curiously enough
pack rats transport the prickly joints
and use them to protect their nests and
cactus wrens lodge their nests in the
spiny branches
Q. What kind of headlights were first
used on railroad engines?-F. r.
A. At first trains ran only in daylight
hours. The first light for using a train
at night was bonfire of pine knots,
placed on load of sand on fiat car,
pushed ahead of the locomotive Large
candles protected by glass covers and
equipped with reflectors were also used.
Whale oil lamps were used from about
1910 to 1859 when kerosene lamps were
first used.
Q. Can a newborn baby cry tears?-
A. j.
A. A newborn baby does not produce
tears when it cries. The first tears appear
when the infant is about three months
old.
c. Were there any collisions between
United States battleships during World
War II?-M. R. N.
A. The only collision occurred be-
tween the Washington and the Indiana.
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Tuxes on Pensions
Franklin Snow.

In all fairness. no pensions. annuities
or old-age benefits of any kind should
be taxed. Surely, pensions are small
enough as it is, considering the advance
in the cost of living since the pension
was earned. The aged need every cent
they receive for their subsistence.
Lawmakers have exempted all social
security benef1ts-a very fair and equi-
table gesture. But how about the civil
service pensions paid to retired Govern
ment employees? These pensions always
have been taxable and are still, and
this works a great hardship on retired
Government employees who are depen-
dent on their pension for their living,
as the vast majority of them are.
M. HI. Reid.
Evening star., 1951-02-02
Questions and Answers

The Stars readers lean get the answer 70
any qestion Of fact by either writing The
Evening Star Information Bureau, 1900 street
NV, Washington 5, D c., and inclosins cents
return postage. or by telephoning ST. 5000.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-05-09
w. Moves to Permit Greece
And Turkeyto Join Atlantic Pact

COW domination, is the logical i'm
mediate target. Military build-up
in satellite countries bordering
Yugoslayia has been reported fol-
months. Greek military leaders
fear a double attack that would
bring them into the fray.
Unconf1rmed reports Of recent
Soviet warlike preparations in AL
Ibania have reached Washington
Some Russian fighter planes and
"technicians" have been reported
there. Other reports are that
Russia has established a subma-
rtne base on Albania's Adriatic
coast.