davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-12-05
Hio!hIiehts
Radio Today.

7:45, WCFM-Washington Spot
light: Senator Hubert Humphrey
on conditions in Germany
and Austria.
$50. WTOP-Bing Crosby Show
James Stewart and Toni Arden visit
9:30, WRC-Big Story: The mur-
der of an attractive young girl is
Evening star., 1951-12-05

there under the Communist re-
gime. on WTTG's Midday Chap
el," tomorrow at LAS pm.
Victor Borge, usually an NBC-TV
star, will apear next Sunday on
Fred Warnings CBS-TV show.
Evening star., 1951-12-05

Evening news broadcast. d.
rect from The Stars news
room, Monday through Friday
over Stations WMAL and
WMAL-FM; 6 pm.
Evening star., 1951-12-05
Television Tomorrow Thursday. December s. 1851


is lsokHg Yes;
$50 Hswdy
shors; 11s hssdin
1z3o BeaE1 1 Rmp.R :3
J 3o " Disc joss News Ao
Suicide Squadron Danny Boy
J. Claus; kstsnA Revue
Rich H. The aud i1ts ve
enen ShsE ESQ.,
Mike and Buff $50 Mel 1ms homemssn
Evening star., 1951-12-05

the preparation of breakfast and
came face e-to-face with a bridal
disaster. They'd both forgotten
to have the gas turned on. But
they didn't care, really.
Program Notes.-The second of
WMAL-TV's irregularly scheduled
Commissioners Report" pro-
grams will be telecast tomorrow
night at 10. Commissioner F.
Joseph Donohue will conduct the
report" which will look into the
D. c. Traffic Department. Isabelle
Hemingway. missionary just re-
turned from China, win tell of life
Evening star., 1951-07-24
By Charles E. TroceweN

and quite another to show 1t openly.
In the old days, Stephen Leacock was
one who could handle humorous
theme.
We recall picking up one OF his art
icles in The Sunday Star on the college
presentation Of Greek plays. Every one
who has ever seen such presentation
knows that they have certain elements
of humor in them, but not one writer
in million could get it down on paper.
Leacock could and did. BY the time
we had read half way through, we were
in convulsions. Every time we stopped.
and got Strengthened out again, the
thing happened all over again the mo-
ment we started to read. In a few
minutes we were reduced to tears, as
the saying has it; we could not stop
laughing. and yet we knew that If we
did not. something was bound to happen.
AT that point, in hunor. the thing is no
longer funny. It is serious, and there is
nothing else to do except to stop, look
out the window, get up. try to do some
thing or think Of something to take ones
mind of the chain reaction which con-
sisted Of smiles, then laughter. then guf-
fawing, then tears. It is an odd chain
and sequence, and only the truly gifted
writer, and he only now and then. can
achieve it. Certainly no one wants
to be reduced to that state while walking
along sidewalk. 80 be sure to look
away, once an arm Swinger causes
smiles. A policeman might come up (if
there were any policemen) and ask, "Are
you naadman?' You reply. haughtily.
: Certainly not. officer;; I am just
Washingtonian watching some Of these
newcomers. Hal ha. hal"
Evening star., 1951-07-24
The American Way

BY congressional action, Government
employees are set up by grades from
bottom to top, according to qualifica-
tions. with provision for promotions and
advancement to higher levels from time
to time-The American Way of Life.
This permits them to live on gradually
higher levels-i.e., have better homes,
better apartments, better furnishings,
better education and chance for some
savings. with the necessary accompany
Ing higher costs. higher expenses. higher
rents. increased taxes, employment Of
additional help. obtaining more services,
and larger contributions to the COM
munity Chest, Red Gross and other char
tiles. Each advancement permits little
higher standard Of living. Each employe
lives within his respective income with
the aim to advance and live a little
better.
Consequently. when living costs rise
skyward, such change strikes all these
grades Of employees alike. It reduces their
respective standard of living substan-
TALLY In proportion to their incomes or
salaries. II 1t is desired to maintain
Evening star., 1951-07-24

millions more. The chief hope for any substan-
tial reduction of the deficit this year lies in
the pending bills. Unless drastic action to in
crease revenues and reduce expenditures is
taken, the loss for fiscal 1852 could be as much
as s521 Million it has been estimated.
AS President Truman said in his budget
message last January, such deficit would be
unsound at any time, but 1t Is especially untimely
in period when the Federal budget must sus-
tain extremely heavy defense expenditures" The
size Of the deficit is now entirely in the hands of
Congress. If the Senate and House face the
problem boldly, including not only rate changes
but departmental reorganization as well, the
postal system eventually can become q self
supporting service.
Evening star., 1951-07-24
This and That

Watching people swing their arms as
they walk is q sport that can be INDUCED
in every day.
No two swing alike.
Here comes woman who holds the
body slightly sideways, then swings the
left arm up and out far from the body.
Here is a hurrying type, smaller and
darker than the other.
She swings both arms, pendulum
fashion.
The way she goes it, she must run
her temperature up at least degree,
and on a very hot morning, too.
This is sport reserved peculiarly for
pedestrians.
Here. again. the motorist gets the
worst of 1t.
The man at the wheel has other mat
ters to attend to. other things to look
at; he never has time to do anything
but watch out for the road hog and
the woman driver.
The man afoot still has the best Of
1t. at least to the extent that he is doing
what nature asks be done, but which
too often In modern city life we refuse
to do.
The walker. sometimes known as Pc
destrian. has the time to look. More
to the point. he can look at. anything
he wants to look at.
Except for the danger Of being
smashed into by some wight recently
moved to the city. he has the sidewalk
as sort of show ground.
If he does not have 1t exactly to him
self. at least he has the opportunity to
watch what he chooses to watch. and
tAat is something.
Evening star., 1951-07-24

After looking at the arm swingers for
time, he has an irresistible desire to
laugh.
Human beings are funny.
One does not have to 90 as far as the
old German philosopher who spoke Of
man as "a species Of monkey" and
meant it.
II one watches any human action
too long at time, the temptation to
smile comes to the rescue Of solemnity.
Did you ever watch q woman chewing
gum?
In time the movements of the jaws be-
come fantastic.
AS for watching man eating corn on
the cob, that will set the sensitive to
screaming, and no wonder.
For your souls sake, don't watch such
a sight too long, at least consciously.
We all see such things, but long habit
has taught us to turn our attention else
where. after time.
It is much the same as reading
genuinely humorous article. Humorous
stuff is the hardest thing in the world
to write. Many try it. and most fail
There is nothing harder to write. per-
haps. unless it is musical criticism.
When walking along. therefore, and
watching the arm swingers, do not con-
centrate.
That way. danger lies.
II some arm motion strikes you as
too ridiculous. turn the gaze elsewhere,
so that others may not be tempted to
gaze In wonder at the guy gone crazy
on the sidewalk.
II d one thing TO be amused. inwardly.
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Toward Postal SeIf-Support

The four-cent letter rate proposed by the
popular than the curtailed delivery system insti-
tuted as an economy measure, but both plans
must be considered against the background OF
the annual half-bilion dollar postal deficit.
Something must be done to reduce or eliminate
the Post Office Departments huge operating
losses. Putting the department on more
efficient and wholly on-political basis, as rec
commended by the Hoover Commission would
help tremendously, but Congress seems reluctant
especially cool to the proposal that postmaster
appointments be removed from the patronage
field.
The House Post Office Committee reported
q bill that did not touch the frst-class letter
rate That bill was limited to increases in the
postcard rate (from ! to 2 centS), special
delivery (from Is to % cents), and go per cent
boost in second-class rates, spread over three
year period. This was in general line with
request by Postmaster General Donaldson. Par
Gel post rates previously had been raised by order
of the Interstate Commerce Commission. The
Senate bill would raise the frst-class letter rate
from to 4 cents an ounce, the air mail rate
from to cents, post cards from to cents
and second-claSs mail by amounts totaling 80
per cent, spread over three years.
The House bill would raise annual postal
receipts by about $140 million, the Senate bill by
about $500 million. The parcel post increase
should bring In an added $105 million. Delivery
economies have saved the department &eyeral
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Letters to The Star
Pen-nanaes may be used If letters carry
Driters' correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.

these respective standards Of living in
the American way of life. the salaries
should be increased somewhat in pro-
portion to the respective salaries which
they already receive as set up by con-
gressional procedure.
II, however, as the costs Of living
SOAR, Congress wishes to reverse It's
long established procedure and refuses
to grant proportionate percentage pay
raises except for the first few grades. it
will force the better paid employees and
those who have earned promotions to
seek cheaper apartments, sell their
homes and 60 back to less expensive
quarters, wipe out their savings, with
draw their children from college and
pay institutions. diminish their means
Of aiding charitable causes and dis
tressed neighbors, reduce such employees
to the lower standard Of living and the
abandonment Of the American way Of
life.
Inasmuch as the President, the Civil
Service Commission and the Senate, as
well as a substantial number Of the
House members, favor the salary in
creases on q percentage basis for the
various grades, I concur in this principle
and urge the enactment Of a substantial
pay raise on percentage basis, and
strongly oppose any fat raise in dollars
for the Government employees across the
scale of grades.
George A. Rausch,
American Federation of Government
Employees.
Evening star., 1951-07-24
I Training Chinese Troops Is Vexinq
By Albert M. CoIeorove

nj EWS reports from Formosa say
Russia is training Chinese para
troops in Siberia and China.
There's bit of comfort in contem-
plating the difficulties that Moscow's
instructors may be having.
The language barrier is formidable.
Of course.
There are always interpreters. But
Chinese interpreting involves some fas-
cinating distortions in word imagery.
The fundamental word, paratroop. sum-
mons up quite a mental picture when
translated as "man- bird-wflo- -flies-in-
air."
Some Chinese interpreters take q most
unusual attitude toward when" ques-
tions. For example:
@. tBy instructor) When will we reach
Peiping?
A. tBy interpreter) Yes.
But this is ahead of the story ]. !.
Early In 1945. the Office Of Strategic
Services undertook to train and advise
about 20 Chinese airborne commando
units. Each unit contained some $50
Chinese and 5 American advisers.
A Jump school" was established near
Running. the temporary Nationalist
capital in west China. This jump school
was unique: no jumping.
For one thing, parachutes were pre-
cious and scarce. For another, Running
is about mile above sea level. Para
chutes come down fast in thin air.
When the first 'chuteS arrived In Kun
ming, six instructors tried them out.
The result: one ankle broken and sew
eral sprained, at least six Charley horses
and uncountable contusions.
At the Jump school. then. trainees did
everything but. They performed tortu-
rous calisthenics - push-ups, side
straddle hops and practice landings from
four-foot platforms.
They hiked, ran and struggled gamely
to learn the words Of fine old Ameri-
can paratroop ballad that begins. There
was blood upon the harness and blood
upon the chute =" But they did not
jump.
After month of that, they were sent
to commando tactics training at base
rs miles southeast Of Running. Here
they trained as units in company with
their assigned advisers.
There was no time lost between grad
uation" and combat. To get into COM
bat, they usually jumped out Of air.
planes, becoming full-fledged para
troopers and combat men within Is
second span.
Oddly enough, however, many who
went to the Running jump school never
jumped And vice versa.
This situation was in part due to the
initiative of such officers as one Col
Kou. commanding officer of the 18th
Chinese Commands. Col. Kou's $50
men completed their Running training
and moved into the commando tactics
phase. Ten miles from his bivouac was
headquarters for q crack regiment Of
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Prods Congress

am sure that am only one Of many
thousands Of Government employees be-
coming more confused over the appar-
ent laxness shown by our leaders IN
deciding whether or not we get raise
or cut In leave or nothing.
For six months the debate has been
going on. The raise, If and when it is
ever put into effect. will certainly not
amount TO even the lowest figures con-
sidered in the first place. had 1t been
given at that time. The leave question
Is becoming more and more disgusting:
one day headline reads: Graduated
Leave Approved" and the next day.
"Pigeonholed" For heavens sake, Con-
gress, do one thing or another.
II half the small-time clerks were as
indecisiye as some of the brass on the
Hill, I tremble to think what would
happen to our jobs. It. therefore. occurs
to me that Mr.. Average Man better
think very carefully when he goes to
the polls next time.
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Petuiin

Marshal Henri Philippe Petain has now
passed into history as one of kistory's most
pathetic personalities It was given to him to
live out q life that spanned almost full CEN
tury. There was a time, during and after the
First World War, when he was on the summit
OF personal glory when he was Frances most
illustrious soldier-the hero of Verdun, the great
man who was credited with having cried, "They
shall not passls And then, after he had grown
old TO the point of befuddled senility there came
the fall, the debasenaent, the sinking down into
the depths, the terrible ignominy Of being placed
on trial for treason, and found guilty
But Petain's latter day guilt, like his earlier
glory, probably will be evaluated in calmer and
less impassioned time as q thing compounded
more OF legend and emotion than of unadulter-
ated fact. As for his glory, the memoirs of
Poincare, Joffre and other great Frenchmen
have left little room for doubt that the man
himself, though touched with kind of nobility
and grandeur. was never quite so big as his
popular reputation. Somebody else, 1t seems,
cried, "They shall not pass!" He was by no
means hero without faults In truth, accord
ing to his close contemporaries In the First
World War, he was all too frequently pessimist
and defeatist-So much so that he argued,
only eight months before Germany threw down
its arms, that France should quit and sue for
peace. So also with his guilt Since the hot
moments of his trial and conviction, doubts have
grown to such an extent that nobody, apart from
the congenitaly cocksure, is inclined to take for
granted that he was really traitor.
In justice to him, what must be remembered
now is that Petain, when he took over the gov
ernnent of France in 1910, took over chaos in
an utterly upended land. True enough he spoke
out thereafter against the democratic process.
But that process had been fearfuly abused by
the French, and an aged man-4 at the time
and bit muddled-could hardly be blamed for
thinking that perhaps some special brand of
totalitarianism would be better and that the only
thing to do, in any case, was to maneuver for as
good deal as possible with Hitler Above all,
as time went on and the sinister Pierre Laval
rose to power, the old Marshal became little more
than fgurehead not truly responsible for what
happened. In his own defense up to the end
of his days, he insisted that he had sought
always to do what he thought best for his
country. It Is mean spirit that will deny that
much to his name. Wrong-headed as he may
have been, he seems In retrospect, and In death,
to have been anything but traitor, even II he
was something less THAI complete hero.
Evening star., 1951-07-24

Yunnan Province troops, property of the
local war lord. Col. Kou quietly prose-
lyted some Is or 80 of the huskiest pro-
vincial soldiers with promises Of double
rice rations and extra pay. Then, to
keep his outfit at proper strength, he
informally discharged-generally add
ing paternal boot to the pants-a like
number OF his own scrawnier privates.
On the business of jumping nom
Jump-school trained personnel into
combat, he proved astute. Actually,
only one Chinese commando was killed
while parachuting. He lit in a pond
land was drowned; and he had been to
Jump school.
The teaching of practical airborne
tactics, too, may prove vexing to the
Russians. Korean war. accounts have
stressed the Chinese choice Of simple
mass-attack movements. The fire-and-
maneuver doctrine accepted by most
modern nations is counter to their
leanings.
Lest be accused of painting an all
too-quaint picture Of the Chinese, it
should be said that they did acquire
the basic principles of American-style
warfare and acquitted themselves well
under fire. They had one lamentable
habit in combat. however, that never
was entirely curbed: The desire to prove
bravery when prudence was the better
course. The Chinese troops would dig
foxholes. IL so ordered, but not all would
use foxholes. Some persisted in popping
up above ground during heavy mortar
fire, to establish themselves as gallantS.
This often proved mortally embar-
RAISING.
The language barrier was the biggest
problem. Although interpreters labored
nightly to reduce the barrier, swift
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Traffic Suggestion

One Of the worst traffic snarls in
Washington is on Independence avenue
from New Jersey avenue to First street.
This very narrow but heavily travelled
street. used by streetcars, automobiles
and trucks. could without too much cost
be made a fast and convenient street.
It seems to me that Independence ave-
nue. could be widened on the north side,
because from New Jersey avenue to
First street is the property of the Fed
eral Government and no buildings or
homes would have to be moved.
Thomas G. Walters,
Operations Director, Government
Employees Council, AFL.
Evening star., 1951-07-24
fuqosIov Retreot From Moscow

Why doesn't the whole world stand
amazed at the supreme courage and
wisdom of the Yugoslav high priests Of
communism? They are re-examining
the dogmas of Marx, Lenin and Stain.
They are attempting to run conmu-
nism without a police state. 4
It Is clear that this attempt to become
independent of Russia. combine democ-
racy with communism and grant free
dom Of religion Is the grandest hope on
the worlds horizon. This promises to
halt Red tyrrany, stop the ornaments
race and thus raise the living standards
of people all over the world.
Let's extend to Yugoslavia our pa
tience and our prayers and all that goes
with sincere prayer.
Hiram Lackey.
Martinsville, Ind.
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Pruise for Mr.. KnebeI

AS resident Of the District Of Co
lumbia and reader OF The Star since
1904. ! would like to say that lately I
have particularly enjoyed new feature
entitled Potomac Fever" which find
exceedingly brilliant and entertaining.
Mr.. Knebel seems to have a sense Of
humor that appeals to me and, no
doubt, many others. trust you will keep
these scripts going and maybe soon on
q larger basis. They certainly are en-
tertaining and very bright and original.
Frank j. Moses.
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Questions and Answers

fact 6 S5tn The EysnRs star
Please inclose cents for return postage.
BY THE HASKINS SERVICE
O. What tribe Of Indians shrink the
heads of their victims and preserve
them?-A. r. I.
A. The Jivaro tribe of Eastern Ecua-
dor. They cut off the head Of q slain
enemy and shrink it to the size Of an
orange, leaving the features remark
ably well preserved.
@. How many special days, weeks, ETC..
are observed In the United States?-.
K. M.
A. The number f1uctuates, but in 1851
over $50 special days, weeks and months
are due to be observed. April and May
had the most.
@. How much of the moons surface
do we never SEEM. D.
A. About II per cent is constantly
hidden from the earth.
@. Is Monticello, Va, furnished with
original pieces?-D. K. B.
a. Every piece OF furniture In the
mansion was there in Jefferson's day.
Only originals are bought or accepted
as gifts.
@. What are the principal imports
Of the United States?-F. B.
A. According to the Department of
Commerce, coffee, non-ferrous ores and
metals and ferro=alloys, paper and paper
materials, and petroleum and petroleum
products led in dollar volume in 1850.
@. How many words were there in the
English language In the 17th century
and how many are there now?--B. r. B.
A. The estimated number Of words in
the English language In the 17th CEN
tury was $4,000. At present the repu-
table English language includes about
100000 words.
Evening star., 1951-07-24

command or detailed explanation was
next to impossible. Therefore, sign
language OF sorts was devised by the
more impatient Americans for direct
communication with their troops. But
this, too, led to misunderstandings-
one case, tragedy.
An American sergeant was directing
the fire of Chinese mortar crew. He
lifted hand to brush perspiration from
his forehead. This was interpreted by
the crew as an order to elevate the
weapons angle. Before the startled
sergeant could nullify the action, q
round was fired. The projectile dropped
so yards short Of its target, lighting
within yard of Chinese captain who
was acting as forward observer for
the mortar crew. He was killed imme-
diately.
Another time, was leading Chinese
platoon up a narrow defile. Somehow,
my interpreter had dropped behind.
Suddenly, there was an outbreak Of
oriental exclamations. turned to eau
ton silence and saw the entire platoon
had hit the dirt. A split second later,
a hand grenade exploded less than 10
feet away.
BY some miracle, nobody was wounded.
although my ears rang and my nose
bled for some minutes thereafter. 1t
developed that the second man in line,
a Chinese, had been carrying a grenade
on his belt. using its pull-ring as
fastener. He had brushed against
rock. knocking the grenade of the belt
as the pull-ring jerked loose. Knowing
the grenade would detonate In five
seconds. he warned every one-in Chi
nese. Like the unsuspecting wife. the
only American there was the last to
know, and he discovered the affair only
when it reached explosive proportions.
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Thunderstorm

I heard the ioind
Rise on the hil:
And then I heard
The tDind grofD stiH.
The sky gretD dark.
The lightning flashed:
The rain came dotDt,
And thunder crashed.
The tall trees bent
As II in pain
Under the lash
OF the storm gods reigm.
The DheGt field stirred
In angry motion;
1t rose and feu,
An angry ocean.
Then suddenly
The storm 1u1s opeY.
The sun made diamonds
On the clover.
& WilIiom Annette Woffosd
Evening star., 1951-07-24
Form Bloc

How long will the American con-
sumner continue to sit back stupidity
and be the sucker for an ever-increas-
1ngly strong. highbinding farm bloc?
The news ticker tells us that 1.-THE
House voted to freeze wages and prices
for 100 days but let most farm prices
go free"
Clearly the farm bloc is so swollen
with power that it no longer cares
what the rest of the American public
thinks or suffers.
I propose that it is high time that
the American consumer organize nom
partisan political bloc to combat such
unconscionable thievery.
Carl Levin.
Evening star., 1951-07-24

reader can get the answer to any question
Of fact by writing The Evening Star Information
Bureau. 1900 St., NV, Washington 5, D. c.
Please fnclose cents for return postage,