davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-03-03
How to Save $3.50 Million

President Truman has presented Congress
with practicable plan for saving the taxpayers
more than $3.50 million year in the operating
expenses of one non-defense department of the
Government. That would seem to be most
inviting prospect at time of enormously in
creased defense spending. There is q hitch
however. The department concerned is the
deficit -burdened Post Office establishments
Congress has evidenced curious reluctance in
the past to effecting any substantial economies
in the postal service. 1t can only be hoped that
the appalling costs of rehabilitation and re-
armament may cause the opponents of increased
postal rates, reduced deliveries and overall
departmental reorganization to reconsider their
position.
The President has been making requests for
postal-rate increases over period of years. but
little has been done. rate-increase bill man
aged to receive House approval last year. but 1t
died in the Senate Post Office Committee But
the House, with strange inconsistency, adopted
resolution ordering Postmaster General DON
aldson to cancel certain delivery economies he
had effected. Only the rush of adjournment
may have saved this unwise resolution from
receiving Senate approval. Lost in the rush.
too, was the Hoover Commissions proposal for
taking the Post Office out of politics and
achieving other needed reforms
The past Congress made one concession to
postal economy, however. It directed the Post
master General to apply to the Interstate Com
merce Commission for an increase in parcel post
rates This application is pending. If granted,
the parcel post system will be put on self
supporting basis, ending yearly deficits in this
service of more than $100 million. In addition to
this increase the President would double second
class mail rates covering newspapers and maga-
zines, raise the postcard rate from l to cents
increase from to 2 cents the cost of mailing
circulars and advertising matter and boost the
fees for registry insurance, special delivery and
COD. service.
If these reasonable things are done, the
perennial half billion-dollar deficits incurred by
the Post Office Department would be reduced
to about $3.50 million year Most of this re-
naming deficit would include services to other
Federal departments and airmail subsidies The
effect would be to reduce another kind of sub
sidy-that which the public generally has
been paying for certain postal services which
have not been paying their own way. The esti-
mated reduction would be seriously Offset, of
course, If petitions for increased payments to
railroads and airlines for mail transportation
should be granted The possibility of such an
increase in cost of carrying the mail makes even
more urgent an upward revision of postal rates.
And action on the Hoover plan for putting the
Post Office Department on more efficient
basis becomes equally imperative.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
Keeping Cozy With Jonkei

Perhaps the testimony thus far of Jon M
Jonkel, Senator Buffers campaign manager,
"Clears Senator Butler in Fund Report" as our
neighbor, the Times Herald, optimisticaly put it,
But reading of Mr.. Jonkels testimony on
how he spent money in the campaign and a
reading of the Maryland law which in precise de-
tail defines the steps to be taken in such ex-
penditures leaves the reader in grave doubt as
TO how far in the clear Mr.. Jonkel himself may be-
He was not, of course, familiar with the
Maryland law. And why should he be? He is
not from Maryland. Senator Butler, an old
Marylander, did the most natural thing in all
the world when he was looking for a campaign
manager. He imported one from Chicago. And
1t is rather absurd to blame Mr.. Jonkel for un-
familiarity with Maryland campaign laws when
his political campaign experience has been gained
In that great but specialized school of experience
-Chicagol
There is a time in the campaign said Mr..
sonkel, rcnrini iccently, when you have to decide
are you gong to win an election, and reach an
Evening star., 1951-03-03

It is impossible to feed them on bread
soaked in milk. All one can do is to offer
small bits of liver, or the jelly from
multi-vitamin capsules.
The spring day in winter brings out
many odd bits of insect life.
Only the expert will be able to
identify them.
The rest of us will be content to watch
their whirling up and down, up and
down, occasionally around and around
Their lives, at any time of the year,
are only for few hours, or days at
the most.
Perhaps it is just as well that they get
themselves over with on such q fine day.
The simplest definition of an insect is
that it is an animal without backbone.
That isn't quite enough. 1t must have
a body divided into three parts, and
three pairs of legs.
Spiders, for instance, are not insects.
They have but two body parts, and four
pairs of legs.
How many kinds of insects?
Probably more than million kinds,
altogether. but by no means that many
have been identified.
One, Investigator estimated that there
are more than 5000 kinds in an average
back yard.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
This and That
BY Charles E. 7roceweN

Spring days in winter often cause the
egg cases of the praying mantis to pop
open, dumping so to 10 innocent insects
into the world, only to die when the
cold strikes again.
Once they are into the open, not even
the most well-meaning person could
find them.
The only thing to do If such gray
cases are known to be hanging on shrubs
is to cut them off and bring them in
doors.
There they will open, and the in
sects, exactly like their mothers in
appearance, will step forth, and very
gravely eye their strange world.
There are no insect eyes quite like
these.
Eyes that look intelligently, and see
carefully.
They seem, even in the little ones to
know exactly what they are seeing.
For an insect, and what we term a
cruel insect. these little fellows are not
half bad.
Feeding them is difficult.
Not only do they tend to eat each
other, but they hop around, fall on the
floor, get behind the picture frames, so
that most of them die, one way or
another.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
To the Editor Of The Stor:

" OUR paper published on February 27
L an Associated Press story headed
"Czechs Jail Clements and -Four Others
in Plot to Murder Gottwald." The ac-
ton taken against Clements and the
other incriminated Communists is, Of
course, based on grossly perverted ac-
cusations designed to conceal deep con-
f1ict within the Party. AS. however, we
must expect to hear the well-known con-
fessions and self-accusations of the
disgraced Communists, it may be worth
while to shed some light on the back
ground Of the oncoming trial.
In essence, the crisis in the Czecho-
slovak Communist Party reflects the by
now familiar pattern Of conflict between
two broad trends within the Communist
movement. On the one hand, there are
the Moscow-trained internationalists,
subscribing to the Identification Of the
interests of the working class with those
of the Soviet Union. On the other. there
are Communists not quite so willing to
sacrifice national interests to the needs
of the Soviet territorial power.
Thus. Clements. Husak. Novomesky
and the others now facing trial are Com
munists of long standing. They did not
oppose the Moscow line on principle, and
they rendered useful service to the cause
of world communism. Their national
feelings, however, must have been grad
ually exasperated when they saw the
ruthlessness with which Moscow ex-
plotted and used Czechoslovakia as
mere tool of its power political designs.
Now they are being removed from
positions of prestige by the internation-
alist clique, which has long welded the
actual power as the party's shadow
leadership" The latter are the men who
are moving more and more to the fore in
Czechoslovakia and elsewhere, as the in
ternal and external pressures build up
and the patriotic" Communists fail to
earn the complete confidence of Moscow.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
The Patrons Should Be Heard

Civic groups in Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties have good cause to request
public hearing on the sudden decision of the
Capital Transit Company to discontinue bus
service to eight fringe" communities in nearby
Maryland. Capital Transit contends that the
annual permit system under which the service
has been operating requires no hearing-that all
that is needed is formal notice to the Maryland
Public Service Commission that renewal of the
permits is not desired Whatever the legal re-
quirements may be, the company, as a matter
Of good public relations should not object to
an airing of the drastic plan in a public forum.
The patrons side of the story ought to be heard
along with that of the company. 1t may be
possible for the Public Service Commission to
require such hearing in connection with the
companys application for renewal of other bus
line permits in the general area.
The citizens find it hard to understand why
Capital Transit in less affluent days was able to
maintain the fringe service year after year, but,
now that it is making profits and paying divi-
dends, cannot afford to continue the service.
1t may we'll be that the deficits from these
feeder-line operations have mounted to such
an extent as to place an intolerable burden on
lines which are paying their way. The COM
pany's notice to the PSC said that revenues from
the lines "fail by wide margins to cover the costs
of operators wages, maintenance of buses, gaSo-
line, OIL tires, claims and license fees, exclusive
of managerial costs, depreciation and return on
investment" But there should be some way to
bring out the facts in more detail for the public
record.
OF course it is right that the company should
be looking out for it's stockholders, without whom
1T could not operate. It should be just as jealous
In looking out for its patrons, who also are es-
sential to its success. The interests of the
patrons deserve more consideration than they
seem to have been given in this instance.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
Our Bombers Are Faster,

Air Force Secretary Finletter has released
some reassuring information about our jet
bomber progress. The record-breaking Atlantic
night recently of British twin-jet bomber gave
rise to speculation that the British were far
ahead of us in this field. Publicity attending the
British feat overshadowed another dramatic
transoceanic hop day later. The latter fight,
partly shrouded by military secrecy, was by an
American BAT sx-jet, swept-wing bomber. 1t
flew from California to Hawaii, 2,4OO miles, in
six hours. Although neither the British nor the
American plane attained maximum speeds, both
are rated above 800 miles an hour. And now Mr..
Finletter, in an interview with United States
News and World Report, states fatty that the
BAT is "the fastest bomber we know of in the
world"
More interesting yet is the news that produc-
ton of bigger and faster jet bomber, the B-52,
has been ordered. Whereas the BAT is not
considered to be an intercontinental bomber
in the long-range class of the B-36, the B-52
will have true intercontinental range, the Air
Force Secretary says. Both the BAT and the
B-52 can carry the atomic bomb-as can the
B-36, the B-29 and the B-50, an improved B-29
The B-36, which has a range of 10000 miles, is
to be improved by the addition of what Mr.
Finletter calls "real jet engines" in place of
the conventional six piston-type engines. The
new B-36 will have swept-back wings. These
radical changes will add undisclosed speed to the
big bombers
From all that we know, then, we are in a
better position to strike devastating air blow at
Russia than she is to attack us. AS MIR Finletter
indicated in the interview, however, we do not
know everything we would like to know about
Soviet airpower. The Russians, too, have shown
ability to build good jet planes-the MIG-15 be-
ing typical example The MIG-15 outperformed
the F-80s we first used in Korea, but not our
F-86s, now operating there. The Russians, too,
have several types of jet bombers, but Jane s
and other authorities believe them to be inferior
to British and American designs. If the balance
Of airpower really is as much in our favor as we
believe and hope, Russia has good cause to hesi-
tate in carrying out any Kremlin plan for d.
rect attack on us or our allies.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
The Mats Again

Well. it's just about time for the familiar
cry PLAY BALI" to ring out lat Griffith
Stadium, which brings to mind the Ques-
ton of what Mr. Griffith has done this
year to improve his ball club; something
the people of Washington have reason
to expect in view of the fact that 1t has
been some II or 18 years since we last
won the American League pennant.
It is fact that Mr. Griffith is kindly
old gentleman; that his donations to
charity and the use of his stadium for
countless events have made him an out
standing citizen and well loved by many.
But primary duty, and one which he
seems to have lost track Of, is that Of
turning out, or attempting to turn out,
a good baseball team. Sometimes 1t
seems that We have to have war so
that Mr.. Griffith can recruit draft-ex-
empt Cubans, while the other clubs are
riddled, in order to wind up in the first
division. From all Indications if it wasn't
for Bucky Harris we would now be with
out the services of our only capable
catcher, Mickey Grasso, merely because
he had the audacity to ask Mr.. Griffith
for a raise.
think it high time Mr.. Griffith
stopped trying to run his ball club 20
years in the past. Last year he put out
good money for new manager, Bucky
Harris, and new outfelder Irv Noren,
both of whom probably. to no small
degree, kept us out of the cellar. Which
should be proof that you don't field good
teams with castoffs. The slogan, you
don't get something for nothing" might
apply. The Yankees win pennants and
don't stand pat; consequently it would
not appear to be good practice for
second division team. AS it stands now,
Evening star., 1951-03-03
Muddy Bus Landings

Whenever it SHOWS or rains. and often
for days after. bus transportation on
upper Sixteenth street NV. is very
unsatisfactory on account of the muddy
landings.
At many stops passengers are COM
PEELED to wade through mud to get on
or off the bus Furthermore. it is
dangerous situation. since many. rather
than wade through the mud. try to
balance themselves on the narrow euro
until the bus passes on. They could
easily lose their balance and be thrown
into the mud or under the wheels.
With a little consideration for the
comfort or safety of its passengers. the
responsible party could and should
quickly and cheaply remedy the situa-
ton.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
--AP Photo.

In Czechoslovakia, these International
lists are mostly of German and Hun
garian background. Their unquestioning
allegiance to Moscow is guaranteed by
their very nature. They are uprooted in
dividuals without country. Many of them
do not speak, or do not speak well, the
Czech and Slovak languages. Often they
favor aspirations aimed against Czecho-
slovakia from alien quarters to which
they are vaguely related by origin or
cultural affinity. Invariably. they are
utterly unscrupulous when the benefit of
the Czechoslovak people is involved.
Among them is Josef Frank, who pre-
sented the report about the purge to the
Central Committee of the Communist
Evening star., 1951-03-03
The Thinkers

With reference to the letter on Capt.
tai Transit music signed by Passenger"
published in The Star on February Is,
would like to point out fallacy in his
argument:
Passenger Classics himself, along
with everybody else, when riding Tran
sit vehicles, as doing one of three things:
Reading, talking or staring off into
space" Although Passenger" may be
mostly correct in his analysis, he omits
one important category: Those who
wish to think. John Peters.
Evening star., 1951-03-03

objective, or are you going to be cozy about
keeping everything in proper order"
Well, that may be. But after due considera-
.tion OF the spot he now occupies one is inclined
to believe that the next time Mr.. Jonkel is faced
with choice between these grim alternatives
in an election campaign he is going to decide to
be cozy. Sometimes it pays off, in the long run
Evening star., 1951-03-03
Discipline

Rowdiness among military personnel
In public places, as complained of by
Messrs. Shapiro, Beall and Mcdowell in
your columns recently, can be ascribed
to one thing and one thing only: The
lack of indoctrination of officers and
commissioned officers. Too many Of
them are not officers or non commits
stoned officers at all. They are civilians
in uniform. They have entered the armed
services as specialists, been handed uni
form and told to go to work. When they
are confronted with the situation de-
scribed by the aforesaid correspondents.
they assume it to be the duty of the
police. the military police in this in
stance, wholly unaware that they them
selves could be punished for their failure
to act.
The creation Of special corps Of mill
tary police has perhaps encouraged this
attitude. In the old days of the Regular
Services, before World War I, there was
no special corps Of military police. Every
one was liable for that duty. All officers
and non commissioned officers were held
strictly responsible for the conduct Of
their subordinates in their presence in
garrison or aboard ship-on leave, liberty
or furlough. But two world wars, and the
influx of so many civilians into the armed
services with little or no indoctrina-
ton, have produced the condition COM
planned of.
Nor is that baleful influence confined
to public demonstrations among civilians.
It's effect is felt in every phase of mill
tary and naval life, except perhaps upon
the battlefield. So let civilians take COM
fort, If they can, that they do not suffer
alone. The armed services are also suf-
fering. But theirs is form of indiges-
ton.
"Observer."
This letter Is not be misinterpreted as
an approval of drunkenness. Neverthe-
less, shall not sit calmly by, while
others shift the blame on the American
serviceman, who has had little or no
choice in the matter. He was sum-
moned to leave his home, family and
job, sacrificing his future plans to go
fight in war. perhaps die. to keep
America a safe and secure place for the
ungrateful as we'll as the grateful to live
and prosper.
We have all slipped in our best efforts.
otherwise it would not have become
necessary to send men to fight wars We
know the bad effect on morale of severe
criticism, ingratitude and inconsidera-
tion. We know, too. the good effect on
morale of praise, gratefulness and ap-
preciation-from our own individual ex-
perience. Since it has become necessary
Evening star., 1951-03-03
By THE HASKIN SERVICE

BY The HASkIN SERVICE
@. When were laws first passed in this
country to pension wounded war vet
erans?-C. j.
A. The Pilgrims of the Plymouth
Colony were the first group to enact
such a pension law. which stated, IF
any man shalbee sent forth as a souldier
and shall return manned hee shalbee
mayntained competently by the Collonie
during his life" One of the first acts
Of the first United States Congress was
to enact a pension measure on Septem-
ber 20. 1889.
@. What is the origin Of r-in-hand
as applied to a mans necktie?-M. r. Y.
A. This word is probably taken from
the type Of neckwear worn by those who
rode to sporting events in vehicles drawn
by four horses-the driver having -four
in-hand."
Q. When and where did steeplechas-
ing originate?-A. E..
A. The sport originated in Ireland in
the 18th century and is an outgrowth
of fox hunting. The name derives from
the fact that early match races ACROSS
country were run toward some promi-
@. When was the first roll film camera
produced in this country?-J. G..
A. The first roll film camera, Kodak
No. 1. was announced by George East
man in 1888 The patent Is dated Sep
tember Of that year.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
Questions and Answers

The Stars readers can get the answer TO
any aussstion ss Of fact by either yritins The
NV. Washington s. D. C.. and inclosinE 8 cents
return postage or by telephoning ST. 1868.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
Movies and Popcorn

was interested in your editorial page
article, "Are the Neighborhood Movies
Washed Up?" If they are, it is the the
ater owners and uninterested manage
ment which are to blame. as well as
television. I have no television, but I
rarely go to my neighborhood movie.
When they installed popcorn machine
in the lobby, complained about it.
was told that popcorn was here to stay,
and if wanted to attend the movie I
had to take the popcorn with it.
Now. am not prejudiced person. I
never thought trip to Glen Echo was
complete without box of popcorn. It is
popped frequently IN my home. My
neighborhood theater, however, uses
very strong disinfectant which I grant
Is necessary. Now take lobby. closed
and practically airleSs, and mix the odor
Of the disinfectant and the odor Of pop
ping popcorn, and believe me you have
something. There is something about
the mixture that my stomach won't take,
and wave of nausea sweeps over me
every time get Whit of it. Inside the
theater, popcorn and boxes are scattered
all over the seats and floor. Step on
kernel that hasn't popped and you are
likely to wind up on the floor looking
at the pretty lights on the ceiling.
I miss going to my neighborhood
movie, and many of my neighbors do.
One neighbor complained of dangerously
broken seats and no interest taken when
these were reported-the comment being
that kids of today are destructive and
the patron was lucky to find even the
theater standing.
The kids of today are no different from
the kids of yesterday. When the kids of
yesterday started being unruly, they were
told to behave or leave. Today anything
goes, and you can't blame the kids for
taking advantage of it. If the theaters
would become again the places of peace.
quiet and comfort they were few years
ago, they wouldn't be crying "television."
At that. it may be too late. It may
be television now. But that isn't what
started it.
L. M. T.
Mr.. Macarthur omitted one of the
reasons why business in the neighbor-
hood thesters has dropped off, and that
is the introduction of popcorn and candy
selling in the lobbies. It's not pleasant
to try to listen to what people are say
ing on the screen with someone crunch
ing candy in your ear or dripping greasy
popcorn all over you, to say nothing of
the rattling of paper next to you.
would rather stay home, which I do
three-fourths of the time. And I don't
have television set.
A. M. Aman.
Evening star., 1951-03-03
What's Behind the Arrest Of Clements?

Party. Others are Bedrich Geminder,
delegate of the Communist Party of
CzechoSlovakia to the Cominform; for
mer Sudeten German Deputies Kreibach
and Koehler: the wife of the latter,
Mime. Ludmila Koeh1er, the secretary"
Of Prime Minister and now President
Klement Gottwald. Gottwald is not of
the group.
Josef Frank is not, as your article sug-
geSts Secretary General Of the party.
That functionary is Rudolf Slansky, one
of the leading members of the interna-
tionalist or Moscow group. Frank is only
Deputy Secretary General. He got that
job in May. l949.
About As years Of age, he Joined the
party before World War II. He was
trained by Moscow but practically un-
known in Czechoslovakia until May, 1948.
Then he became member of Parlia-
ment. political nonentity, he is the
obedient mouthpiece and executioner Of
the Politburo.
To return to the particular case Of
Clements, the frontal attack against
him and his political friends Is con-
Quoted by his old opponents in Slovakia.
They hate Clements as an intellectual
with Slovak national feeling.
AS Hitler during World War II had to
rely in an ever-increasing degree on Ger
man Nazis and few Quislings to tighten
his grip on the Czechs and Slovaks, so
now Moscow has to rely almost COM
pletely on alien stooges. Few if any
genuine Czechs and Slovaks, even the
most hardened Communists. seem will
ing aOv 1oponr m sacrifice CzachoS1Ovak
interests to those of the Soviets. This is
suggestive of the enormity of the selfish
ness Of Soviet policy, and the problems
this ruthless policy of exploitation, i'm
plemented by non-national elements,
generates behind the Iron Curtain.
voeiov Mojer,
Acting Vice President, Council Of
Free Czechoslovakia. Washington.