davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-10-03
We Lose q Good Friend

Representative Karl stefan's association
with District of Columbia affairs began soon
after his first election to Congress in 1882. A
member of the Appropriations Committee, he
was put on the subcommittee handling District
appropriations. With seniority he became its
ranking minority member and then chairman
before moving on to other committee assign
ments. This service brought him into contact
with officials of the Municipal Government and
many members Of the community. His friendly
interest and a sympathetic understanding of
their problems were influential in effecting
change for the better in the attitude of the
Appropriations Committee-which had been
unco-operative and even hostile for many years
toward local affairs. Even after he left the
subcommittee handling local appropriations, he
took a leading part in discussions of the annual
appropriation bills and other local legislation,
defending or championing local interests. He
leaves about as many friends in Washington
as in Nebraska's Third District, which he repre-
sented for sixteen years.
Evening star., 1951-10-03
By Charles E. TroceweN
d. A. H.

wary. and to build up the ability to find
their own food.
Young birds. drought up by hand"
usually are able to take care of them
selves upon being released Nature takes
care of that. For few days they may
hesitate between the helping hand and
the outdoors. but the outdoors always
wins.
Specimens picked up too late. how
ever, run a chance. if released in the
fall, of not being able to take care Of
themselves. sometimes owing to the sud-
den approach Of cold weather.
In such cases undoubtedly it is better,
and better serves the purposes Of con-
servation. to keep the creature until
spring.
Ordinarily bird with one foot can
take care Of itself. if it is injured after it
has had some experience In the open.
Almost every person who serves seed
to birds in the home yard knows of one
or more one-legged specimens.
These soon learn to hop on one foot,
and with the aid Of their wings and tail
manage to get around In fairly good
style.
The longer one cares for a bird, the
more attached one becomes to it, but it
should be released in the spring, and
permitted to rejoin its own kind.
Release Of robin is best made in
April, after all the others are here. Then
the stranger to the world feels perfectly
at home after few days.
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Promising Presidents

Why do we have war with every Demo-
cratic administration? Is this the only
way they can have the prosperity they
brag about? And is it prosperity when
the dollar is worth half what it was 10
years ago, when thousands of boys are
miles away facing death, when those who
still survive are receiving about $75 per
month, when munitions factories are
working full speed? Just who is pros
porous?
We are as bad as Europe ever was
They have always been fighting and
always will. Now we have committed
ourselves to fight every time they fight.
What bright thought for parents of
boys to know that when they are 18
years old they will have to send them
away to fight somebody elses wars.
And we are told ''You voted for the
President, you must go along with him.
We voted for Wilson because he
promised to keep us out of war. We
voted for Roosevelt because of his i
say it again and again and again"
speech. We voted for Truman for his
promises that were broken. Let the next
candidate for President promise to sup
ply weapons and ammunition to any
country that wants them but no men.
and he won't need any other platform to,
win. But make him keep his promise
and we will have real prosperity and
keep our boys and have peace here.
Tired.
Evening star., 1951-10-03

of Maj. Gen. Clayton Bissell, then chief
of War Department Intelligence.
Representative Ray Madden, Demo-
crat. of Indiana and chairman of the
new investigating committee, believes the
report never left the Pentagon"
Apparently this report has never
again been seen or found" Represent
ative Madden told the House last week.
after numerous inquiries at the Depart
ment of Defense and of the Department
of State, no one seems to have any
knowledge of the present whereabouts
of the Van Vliet report" He declared
every effort will be made to secure the
report or substitute.
It is known that some Polish officers
escaped the massacre by masquerading
as privates. Whether any Of these will
be available for questioning was in doubt
as the committee made plans for the
inquiry. expected to open this fall and
continue into the next session.
However, several investigating groups,
including one headed by Arthur Bliss
Lane, former Ambassador to Poland,
have been collecting evidence since the
wars end. This includes diaries, notes.
letters and newspapers found in the
clothing of the victims.
Too, forestry experts have examined
the trees over the graves to establish
the time they were set out.
Several members of the committee
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Visitors Coming From Afur?

The Star is to be commended for its
new educational strip Space Cadet"
and also for bringing the flying Saucer
subject out into the open. I have a.
recent letter from a research man in
California which says that the identity
OF the famous scientist whose (fict!tiousI
name has been connected so strongly
with this subject soon is to be revealed.
Visitors from another planet would
be great news! Why don't We try to
signal them?
Saucerians who have had sense
enough to conquer space may be ahead
OF us in other ways, even to knowing
how to outWit war
On the program of London scientific
society this winter is a lecture entitled
The Problem of Communication with
Extra-terreStrial Beings" in which Pro-
fessor Lancelot Hogben, F. R. S., will
discuss "the difficulties which may have
to be overcome in establishing contact
with the inhabitants of other planets"
1t looks as though it might be time
for us Earth folk to curl our back hair
and get ready for visitors!
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Defends Administration

Those who speak with contempt OF
the man in the White House ignore the
fact that every Russian reverse is an
American diplomatic victory. For ex-
ample: Turkey and Greece would be
Soviet satellites today were it not for
the anti-Soviet strategy evolved by the
State Department in 1947. When Hitler
ventured into Russia. he had to first
knock out Greece and then insure the
neutrality of Turkey. Remember the
trouble he had doing it?
In the same fashion, Russia could not
strike into Germany or France without
first dealing with these tough little
countries, whose armies, anti-Russian
from the ground up, now stand (thanks
to a President and Secretary of State
without a foreign policy?) on the
southern flank of the Red army The
Soviet would have to tear through
Greece, as the Nazis did, thus weaken
ing their power. or else allocate large
armies to guard their frontiers, as the
Nazis did, thus again. weakening their
power. The desertion of Yugoslavia from
the Red orbit. the Berlin blockade and
the japanese peace treaty are forceful
examples of other United States diplo-
matte victories. And as the reverses
grow, so, too. does the stature of the
Evening star., 1951-10-03
"CHURCHTON, Md.
Dear Sir:

Dear Sir:
1--WE have a problem on our hands
About Jour weeks ago during a very
heavy thunderstorm baby robin was
blown out OF the nest and was battered
around all night.
"Re was found next day and brought
in the mouse. His right leg was injured
anG he still has no use of his foot.
we have fed him raw beef. liver,
egg yolk, bread raisins, and, of course,
water.
"He picks food from the bottom OF
his cage, which is big wire basket.
but wants us to feed him, too. He talks
to us and calls If we don't come when
he IS hungry.
"Now the problem is, what shall we
do with him? We don't want him to
be caught by cat or hawk, so please
come to our rescue.
Sincerely yours, r. T. M"
It is against the law, of course, to
keep wild bird Gagged.
The law is supposed to be just, how
ever. and little illfractions in the spirit
Of helping helpless creature may be
overlooked by what we all hope is
great and good Government.
No one would advocate that any one
should break the law, but now and then,
as in this case. something very close to
it may be perpetrated, if one is sensible
enough to keep ones mouth closed.
Evening star., 1951-10-03
This and That

Too muck talk, and then the dear old
authorities must move in, for, after all,
the law is the law and this little portion
OF it they have sworn to uphold.
Sometimes the honest man is slightly
mJstif1ed at the way little infractionS of
laws are sternly punished, while appar-
ent.y large infractions get off scot-free.
However that may be. good deed
is good deed. and a robin with an
injured foot might be kept while the
injury heals That is all.
This may take little time.
The bird is only being treated, not
held in durcss
This is the line to take, and an honest
line it is. holding in its small portion
much goodness, mercy, and just plain
common sense.
Every such bird treated and brought
to flying ability is Just another native
bird that would have died without hu-
man aid.
Doubtless many thousands Of such
birds. of many species, are helped back
to good health and their native outdoors
by kind-hearted persons both here and
elsewhere.
The usual thing, If the bird is healthy,
is to turn it loose. not too late in the
summer so that it may join others Of its
kind on the southwark journey.
Most birds are born in June and July,
some in early August. and this gives
them chance to grow strong and
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Contrast

The trees that shade the city streets
are bound,
They stand in strictly regimented rops.
Each one assigned meager plot of
ground
Where pruled, and urged. and dis
ciplined, it gro1US.
Its tutored boughs accept their giuen
spread,
And none may hope to gain farther
reach.
In taultless unison they leaf and shed,
The ,Dhole, iDide expanded range of
each.
The forest trees reject the ordered Day,
They spread their hungry bough and
roots to grope
For such unrationed bounty as they naay,
Their frames alive With never-censinq
hope.
With tDonder each may uiew the other
tree;
The nurtured one Is bound, the wild
is free.
Florence Pedieo Jonssoa
Evening star., 1951-10-03
The Ex-SeIf- EMPLOYED
Joseph d. Kaufman.

While consider alton is being given to
increases in salary of Government
workers, and to those on pensions, there
are many aged persons to whom no
thought is being given, though year
after year they have paid substantial
State and national income taxes while
self-employed.
because this segment of the taxpaying
public was not dependent on the Govern
ment, the Social Security law excluded
its members from the privilege Of shar-
ing in its benefits. When age forced
retirement. these citizens hoped they
might have security. Instead, with the
value of the dollar cut more than
halt. and with frequent illness, hospital
izat;on doctors bills, they now are living
in fear and encouragement.
Ironically enough the forgotten ones
will have 70 help pay for the increases
which those more fortunate will re-
ceive. as, of course. the cost of those
increases will be added to all that the
shrunken dollar will buy.
d. A. H.
Evening star., 1951-10-03

ward governmental reorganization is well de.
served. In contrast to the fine progress made
last year in the reorganization field Congress
and the Presidentshave Jagged badly this year.
President Truman took the initiative in 1949
and 1850, presenting Congress with total of
"a reorganization plans based on the Hoover
Commissions recommendations. Many of these
plans were accepted in one form or another, with
the result that nearly half of the reforms urged
in the Hoover report have been adopted. This
year, however. Mr.. Truman has sent only one
fplan to Congress-the one for reorganization of
the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Even
this plan did not follow the suggestions of the
Hoover Commission. which favored transferring
the RFC to the Treasury Department.
Among plans still pending are those for
taking the Post Office Department out of politics
and for undermining the business methods of the
department. for further improving Federal per-
sonnel policies, for reorganizing the Department
OF Agriculture, for separating airman subsidies
from airmail costs, for setting up commission
to study Federal-State relations and for similar
study of the Governments operations overseas.
There are possibilities for substantial savings in
these proposals.
But there seems little prospect for action at
this session of Congress. Under the reorganiza-
tion program, plan submitted by the President
must be acted on by Congress within go days.
If neither side vetoes it, it becomes law. Unless
Congress decides to extend the session until
December l, presidential plan submitted today
could not be acted on this year. The Citizens
Committee, in letters to Vice President Barkley
and Speaker Rayburn. urged thai Congress re-
main in session until at least few more reforms
are legalized. The request is reasonable one,
but Congress is not in reasonable mood to
consider suggestions that it stay in Washington
any longer than absolutely necessary. And it
has become apparent that Congress does not
regard governmental reform through the Hoover
Commission plans as essential as governmental
reform through the congressional investigation
method
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Letters to The Star =.

President and the caliber of American
foreign policy.
Turkey has been urged for a long
time to take the lead in Middle East
ern Security Pact. This she has refused
TO do for fear of evoking the ire of the
Soviet Now that members Of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization have
agreed to admit these two strong desir-
able allies, Turkey may take the initia-
tive in some Middle Eastern coalition,
thus again, weakening the striking
power of the Soviet. These things are
real and real Americans will not forget
them any more than Republicans will
continue to distort and discredit and
belittle them. thus again, weakening
their striking power
What makes a good President is not
his mistakes but what he learns from
them. Americas growing strength and
prestige bears testimony to what Mr.
Truman has learned. The COPS criti-
cism serves a dual purpose It helps to
make both the Presidents enemies and
his mistakes fade away.
Rudolph J. BerdauS.
Cincinnati
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Who Were the Sovoqes Of Kotyn Forest?
By w. H. Shippen

THE dark secret long buried in Katyn
l. Forest on the banks of the Dnieper
may yet come to light, documented for
future generations.
What happened deep in the forest
during World War II, under cover of
darkness, treachery and terror, Is of
such import to the world that ample
proof must be unearthed before history
can credit the evil story.
Either the Nazis or the Soviets struck
a double blow at civilization by liquidat-
ing in Katyn Forest both the flower Of
the Polish Army and the hope of restor-
ing the fallen republic. The crime. being
political rather than military. and pre-
meditated as well. seems to out-do
Genghis Khan or Attila the Hun.
Almost 5000 captive Polish officers,
virtually all citizen soldiers and substan-
tial men in their home communities,
were murdered in cold blood. one by one.
Each was shot from behind, with sin
BILE bullet through the base Of the skull.
The appalling nature Of this crime
was at once apparent even to its per-
petrators. Every effort was made at
concealment Every known witness or
surviving relative was liquidated or
terrorized, and the mass murder graves
were carefully planted with young pines
in hope they would merge with the sur
rounding forest.
This stroke of savagery has become
the subject of inquiry by a special COM
mittee set up in the House to subpoena
witnesses, hear testimony and compile
evidence before the record is further
distorted or wholly lost behind the iron
curtain.
The blood guilt rests upon a time
factor long in dispute. Did the mas
sacre occur in March and April of 1910,
while the armies of the Soviet Union
were in complete control of the Smo-
iensk area? Or did it happen on the
following August, as claimed by the
Reds, after invading Nazis had seized
the area?
On April 13, 1943, the Berlin radio
announced the startling discovery of
the mass-murder graves and accused the
Soviets. Two days later the Moscow
radio laid the crime at the door Of the
NaZiS.
Shortly after Col. John Van Vliet, jr.,
and Capt. Donald B. Stewart, American
prisoners of war in Germany, were taken
to Katyn Forest by the Nazis to inspect
the scene of the massacre.
After the defeat of the Germans, Col.
Van Vliet made report of his investiga-
ton, debating 1t personally in the Office
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Local Youth Correction Plan

The amendment to the Youth Corrections
Act approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee
will correct defect which prevents the District
of Columbia from taking advantage of the penal
reforms of the 1850 law. The act, supported
by the Department of Justice, the Federal ju-
dietary and penologStS generally, authorizes
separation of youthful offenders from hardened
prisoners and provides system of special re-
habilitation for the young novces in crime. The
law as it now stands applies to every part of
the United States except the District. Washing
ton was left out of the original legislation be-
cause its sponsors feared that the city's incu-
sion would raise jursdictional and budgetary
questions that might hamper passage of the
national law
The amendment advocated by Federal au-
thorities. District Court judges and District off,
cials and approved by the committee would re-
solve the difficulties in way that would permit
inclusion of the District in the national pro-
gram. Jurisdiction and powers of the District
parole and probation agencies would be pre-
served, as are the powers of District courts, in
cluding the Juvenile Court. AS for budgetary
considerations, the committee reported that the
pledged cooperation of Federal prison officials
assures the relatively low cost of District par
ticipation.
The proposed legislation will in no way
restrict the authority of the local courts. Chief
Judge Laws of District Court has been leading
advocate of both the national law and the Dis
trict amendment The legislation is not man
datory but permissive. 1t gives the judges an
alternative method of sentencing violatorS who
are under % years. Instead of sending them to
prison, they are able to commit them to penal
institutions for special training and treatment
designed to reform rather than just punish.
District offenders should not be excluded from
this advanced system of caring for young
prisoners
Evening star., 1951-10-03

Brockman and DR.. Harris should take
a look around at what a wonderful
country this is. Certainly there is
wrong. There has been and probably
always will be, but we are constantly
trying to improve it.
And if Mr.. Brockman would check
back in history, he would find that the
infallible Catholic Church once had the
chance to make the world perfect. or
at least make perfect several countries.
but it failed miserably in its adventure
into politics and education.
The Protestant churches have gen.
orally been proclaimed to be the cham
pions Of the separation of church and
state which includes free public edu-
cation.
Strange as it may seem. the countries
with the highest living standards and
the highest literacy rates seem to be
the countries where the Protestants
dominate, including our own great
country.
r.
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Give as You Live

In President Truman's warmhearted,
honlespun speech launching the Com
munity Chest-USO Red Feather cam
paigns. he is reported as saying he
could not tell an individual how much
he should give. Here goes an answer
think the President would OK: Give as
you live" If you cut wide swath soci-
ally Cocktail parties, dinners, travel.
autos, etc. give in proportion. Square
your givine account with your living ac-
count. Give as you live.
Joseph D. Kaufman.
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Worse Places Than U. S.

A recent letter by Gilbert j. Brockman
referred to the Rev. Frederick Brown
Harris as the first notable religious
leader. other than Catholic. to strike
boldly at the heart of what really ails
America, to wit: 1--WE are strangling our
educational system by leaving out the
fundamental meaning of life itself
God"
In the first place, I think both Mr..
Evening star., 1951-10-03
BY THE HAsKIN SERVICE.

BY THE HASKIN SERVICE.
@. Does the Constitution make any
provision for presidential executive
orderS?-E. L. w.
A. The Constitution does not define
the circumstances under which the Pres
ident may issue executive orders, but
his right to do so is assumed to be i'm
plicit in the statement that executive
power shall be vested in him. The Presi-
dent does not have to have authority
from Congress to issue such orders.
@. At what height above the earth's
surface does the stratoSphere begin? Has
any one ever parachuted from there?-
D. K.F
A. The height at which the stratos-
phere begins varies over the earth I'D
to just under miles. Parachute jumps
nave been made from the stratosphere
from attitudes up to 8 miles.
Q If the stars are moving in space at
terrific speeds, how is it that they ap-
pear to be scationary?-A. A.
The stars are at such enormous
distances from us that they appear not
to move. Changes in the positions of
the stars can be detected by careful
measurements with great telescopes.
q. Why were bands originally placed
around cigarS?-C K.
A. The custom began in Cuba, because
the green" or moist cigars popular there
stained the gloves of the fashionable
young Spaciards who smoked them.
Later on, cigar merchants began to print
their names on the bands.
Evening star., 1951-10-03

are of the opinion the evidence precludes
the possibility that the murders could
have been committed later than the
spring of 1910.
"Stalin and his lieutenants have con-
tinually blocked all efforts to make an
impartial inquiry on the deaths of these
thousands Of Polish officers" according
to Chairman Madden.
Efforts were made at the Nuremberg
trials to learn if the Nazis were respon-
sible. Mr.. Madden declared in the House,
but these were blocked by COL Pokrov-
sky, the Soviet representative, when it
became apparent the inquiry would be
fair and impartial
In 1943 the Polish Council of Ministers
applied to the International Red Cross
for complete investigation of the mur-
ders. The Soviets, Mr.. Madden said,
broke off all diplomatic relations with
the free Polish governments as result.
''The Katyn massacre is but part of
the untold story of $4,000 Polish officers
who have disappeared from the face
Of the earth," according to another
member Of the committee, Representa-
tive Sheehan, Republican, of Illinois.
IF it was the Germans and not the
Soviet authorities who were responsible
for the murders at Katyn. why have
not the Soviets made known the fate
of the Polish Army officers they took
in 1892"
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Reorganization Is Logging

The chiding which the Citizens Committee
for the Hoover Report has directed at Congress
and the President for their relaxed attitude to-
Evening star., 1951-10-03
Questions and Answers

The Stars readers can get the answer "a
Evening Star Information Bureau, 1900 street
NV, Washington s. D. C., and inclosins 8 cents
return POSTAGE or by telephoning ST. 1868.
Evening star., 1951-10-03

Per-7aan1eS may be used if letters carry
1Oriters' correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.
Evening star., 1951-10-03

X. E. G..