davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-01-06
TWelfthtde Was Bad Time for Witches
By Henry Mitchell

& OMEDAY, a learned student of folk
~ lore will explain why some feSti-
walls, once widely celebrated, have fallen
into oblivion.
At the top rank of these forgotten
holidays is Twelfthtide, composed o.
Twelfthday (today) and Twelfthnigh
Qast night). This time, II days afte
Christmas-or the last of the IL day.
of Christmas. as the case may be-onc,
marked the end of the holiday festivities
No longer celebrated by the genera
public, TWelfthday remains, of course
the great Church feast of the Epiphany
Like Christmas, though, Twelfthday an
TWelfthnight also had roots in ancier
pagan festivals
In former times, witches were pecu
liarly abundant during the Christina
holidays. To ward them off during tn
twelve days. various stratagems were
used.
A most efticacious means of dealing
with witches was the burning of pine
resin, the odor of which did away with
evil spirits near and far. Just as good
and maybe better. was the custom OF
burning evil spirits.
This was best accomplished by rigging
up bonfire on Twelfthnight. On
good windy night. sparks could be
counted on at least to SINCE spirits hov-
ering in the air, and so shoe them off
Careful souls, and in those days every
one was careful, seized burning brands
from the bonfire and hurled them into
the air. This caught witches on broom
sticks that might be out of range of
the sparks.
James Frazer, in ''The Golden Bough."
points out that the fields were not neg
lected, either Young men trotted duti-
fully about humping the earth with
lighted branches. This was said to in
sure innumerable benefits to the crops
the next year.
Since those times, the body of earth
has suffered heavier blows than those
administered by young men with fire.
brands. Since evil is still with us. skep-
tics may doubt the total effectiveness
OF the ancient bonfires in getting rid
of it.
AS matter of fact, some scholars
question whether the Twelfthnight
fires were primarily meant to purify
the air OF bad spirits. Many students of
the matter think the main idea was to
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Letters to The Star
Pen names may be used If letters carry
1Oriters' correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.

OF a mealy -mouthed debating society.
Yet this may happen If our leaders
persist in their bland refusal to accept
the gravity Of the situation.
On relative basis. we were in little
danger when the Japs struck Pearl
Harbor. but you wouldn't know it from
anything the administration has said
to date. There are three salient facts in
this crisis: Cd We are at war. (2) Civil
1zation is at stake. 90 The United States
alone can save civilization.
The assumption that we can nego-
tiate our way out of a war that we
are already fighting is stupid. inane and
asinine beyond the limits of compre-
hension. For all that I don't like the
man personally, no one has stated the
case more succinctly than Gov. Dewey.
Dlscounting the political aspects of his
speech, 1t was an accurate evaluation
Of the situation.
realize that through our usual
shortsightedness we are practically de-
fenseless. and that we are stalling for
time. That is perfectly legitimate, but
it is shameful to go at it in such a
craven way. When the English were
far worse off than either they or we
have ever been before or since, Church.
i'll had the CUTS to rise to immortal
heights Of defiance, But under Cautious
Clement. even the old lion has a hang
dog air about him. It's a mess. I can
only hope that public opinion, both
here and in the Commonwealth nations,
will force stronger stand.
Soldier.
Evening star., 1951-01-06

coax the sun to shine, and thereby
insure good crops. Presumably, if the
fire-a miniature sun-was a good one.
1t would inspire or force the sun to
shine well in the spring and summer.
When the Church objected to these
heathenish customs in the seventh
century, it was partly an objection to the
indecorous behavior that accompanied
them. Later. the celebrators being
Christian, cut out. some of the rough
stuff.
In any case. these old customs bark
ing back no one knows how far in the
dim ultra history of the race. persisted
through the Middle Ages. In sections of
Europe they were widely celebrated in
the last century. In few places, the
Twelfthnight fire ceremonies are cele-
brated to this day.
The Bethesda Chamber of Commerce
had big bonfire for the Bethesda Chevy
Chase area Thursday night, and tonight
the Boy Scouts will have fire in Alex
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Give Ike a Chance

The question which has been raised by
representative Coudert's resolution-whether
the President can send additional troops abroad
without prior congressional approval-is a
legitimate one. In the proper setting and at
the proper time it should receive full and serious
attention.
In The Stars judgment, however, this is not
the time for that debate
General Eisenhower leaves today for pre-
lnnlnary discussions with officials of the Euro
pean states aligned with us in the North Atlantic
Pact. One of his chief purposes will be to weigh
the mood and temper of these Allies, to gauge
the extent to which they can and will contribute
to the defense of Western Europe against COM
munism. This will take time. 1t probably cannot
be done on this first trip
Nevertheless this appraisal of the intent
and capacity of Western Europe is the first step
that has to be taken. Before anything else is
done, we must find out what the Europeans will
do. This is delicate and difficult undertaking
Having asked General Eisenhower to undertake
that assignment, we ought not to harass him
and make his task more difficult by punging
into premature debate a constitutional
question.
If he returns from his mission and recon-
mendS against sending additional troops to
Europe, that, surely, will be the end of the
matter On the other hand, if he reports that
the Europeans are willing to do their share and
that the project is worth the risk then there
will be time enough to discuss whether American
troops shall be sent, how many shall be sent,
and by whose direction.
All of us should resist the temptation to
excite ourselves unduly. AS matter of wisdom,
if not of law, the President should consult
Congress before sending troops to Europe. But
the chances are that the President will not make
up his own mind on this question until after he
has received General Eisenhowers recommenda-
tions And if those recommendations are favor
able to the project 1t is not likely that Congress
would want to stand in the way of putting them
into effect.
So the sensible thing to do is to keep our
shirts on. There will be time enough for debate
when an issue is drawn Meanwhile, let's give
General Eisenhower chance to carry out the
assignment he has been asked to undertake
Evening star., 1951-01-06
As q Soldier Sees 1t

Well. the mountain has labored and
brought forth a mouse. I can only
say that I am sadly disappointed in
what Truman had to say the other
night
If we get into an all-out war with
Russia-and China-an army of 3n2
million won't be any better than an
army of II million, and the proposed
calling up of two National Guard divi-
sions out of an available Is is puerile
nonsense.
I don't know why our intelligence is
being thus insulted. have heard the
word negotiation" until I am thor
oughly sick of it. Our leading lights
stoutly insist that we will not indulge
in appeasement policies. However, it
should be apparent to schoolboy that
the only basis on which the Communists
will negotiate is one which will give
them material gains. Hence, 'negotia-
ton" and "appeasement" are synony-
nous terms.
I am sure that we have exhausted
every honorable possibility of securing
peace. We spent a whole month ex
hausting them, while Malik made a
travesty of parliamentary ethics in the
U. N. Security Council. The U. N. Is
something else I'm little sour about.
1t apparently isn't difficult to vote for
law and order, but it seems a little
harder to support it tangibly. Out Of
half hundred nations that voted sup
port for the Korean action. it would
seem reasonable that no one nation,
even the United States, should have TO
provide more than half the troops.
I have come to resent the term,
"U. N. troops" because the u. N. con-
tinues to harbor the representatives of
Red Russia and her satellites, and, even
worse in the present situation, the rep
resentatives of Red China. All of these
are as blatant outlaws and gangsters as
the minions of NaZi Germany ever dared
to be. see no good reason why this
country should debase its honor by
harboring these criminals while their
fellows are numbering good Americans
I rejoined the Army for only one
reason, really-to defend the United
States in the worst crisis of its history
I may have used up my luck in the
last war, and if die in this one. I
want it to be for an honest and forth
right cause. God forbid I should shed
my blood or give my life in the name
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Zhukoy in Command?

A vigorous effort should be made to deter
mine the accuracy or inaccuracy OF the report
that Marshal Grigori K. Zhukov is directing the
Chinese Communist armies in Korea. The re-
port-which has come from a source officially
regarded as reliable-asserts that he is exercis-
ing supreme command over the aggressor forces
from military headquarters located in Mukden,
Manchuria. Red China's top generals are said
to be acting as his subordinates.
The whereabouts of Zhukov-generally
looked upon as Russia's best field commander
during the Second World War-has been mys-
terry of sorts ever since the Kremlin pulled him
out of Berlin and Cancelled his acceptance of
General Esenhower's invitation to visit. the
United States His sudden disappearance from
the Soviet limelight was at one time interpreted
as evidence that Stain had come to suspect
him of pro-Western views and hence to deal
with him as a man who needed a dose of
obscurty, if not something worse. But now,
in light of the current report, all such specua-
ton seems to have been mere flight of fancy.
What is important about the report, of
course, is not that it centers the person
Of Marshal Zhukov but that it amounts to a
charge that the Kremn is not merely sup
porting the Chinese Communists but is actually
commanding them through a celebrated military
leader whose role, on the enemy's side, is
roughly comparable to General MacArthur's
supreme command of the forces OF the United
Nations In other words, if the report is true,
then the Soviet Union-one of the key mem
bers of the world peace organization-is giving
top direction to the shooting war now being
waged against the U. N, So of whose go mem
bers have committed themselves morally and
otherwise against the crime of aggression in
Korea
It may be that this is not really the
It may be that the Zhukov story is based
nothing but an empty rumor. Yet it sounds
more than a little plausible when linked with
persistent reports that Moscow and Peiping
have established joint military headquarters in
Manchuria. Moreover, the plausibility is
strengthened by the fact that the aggression in
Korea, besides having the full support of the
Kremlin's representatives in the United Nations,
has been helped with Soviet-made military
equipment including tanks and jet-propelled
planes Zhukov's reported new role thus would
be in line with general Russian policy.
But that policy up to now has been care
full to avoid moves fragrant enough to show the
Kremlin openly and directly engaged in military
operations against the United Nations. Need
less to say, if Marshal zhukov is in fact the
supreme commander of the aggresSor armies,
then the involvement of the Russians is of such
a nature that the U. NJ should take con-
demnatory action against them. To that end,
some special steps would seem to be in order to
investigate the credibility of the Zhukov report.
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Soft Words, Bio Stick
Retired Army.

Two of your editorials of Sunday,
December 81. are inconsistent. In one
of your editorials you approve Theodore
Roosevelt's idea of speaking softly but
carrying big stick" You 60 on to
state that the strong talk by our State
Department has amounted to mere bluff
since 1t has not been supported by an
adequate military force in being.
In your next editorial you criticize
Mr.. Dulles. in effect, for his failure to
advocate a preventive war" In other
words, you criticize Mr.. Dulles for his
failure to talk strongly enough. If the
recent strong talk of our State Depart
ment has been mere bluff, what are we
to think of the suggested even stronger
talk?
1t is all very we'll for moralists TO
provide us with clearance. should any
such action become possible and ad-
visable at some future day. And it is
very well for our military men to care
fully analyZe military necessities. But
it does not seem appropriate at this
time for proponents of our foreign policy
boldly to suggest a preventive war"
when it is doubted that this country
and its allies have the military prepara-
ton necessary to provide even a really
adequate defensive action against an all
out attack. Let us hope that we are
better prepared than we are led to
believe. But. if We do not have even
adequate military security it would
seem that we ought to stop the talk
about preventive war" and use the
restraint that is customary in diplomacy.
This would be in accord with the
doctrine stated by Theodore Roosevelt.
Of course, we ought to get big stick
too!
Reuben j. McLeroy.
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Putting the Heat On

Virginia'S Water Control Board has good
reason to be impatient over the delays it has
encountered in trying to compel Alexandria and
other nearby communities to do something about
Potomac River pollution. Alexandria has Jagged
far behind Arlington and Fairfax Counties in
tackling the problem Representatives of the
city told the board at hearing in Richmond
that annexation litigation has interfered with
bond-isSue plans Meanwhile, however, the city
is permitting new apartment and other building
projects to add to the raw-sewage discharge The
State board is justified in using all the authority
at Its command to force an early abatement of
the dangerous septic conditions existing in the
river.
In putting the heat on Alexandria and other
communities for prompt action, however, the
board should not lose sight of the fact that too
much haste now could result in piecemeal and
makeshift measures that would prove wasteful
and inadequate in the long run There is under
way joint study of proposals for consolidating
one or more seWage-treatment plants in this
area or of eliminating disposal plants on the
Virginia side altogether in favor of plan for
piping sewage under the river to the Districts
modern treatment plant at Blue Plains. The
latter proposal was Endorsed at the board hearing
by Harold A. Kemp District director of sanitary
engineering and past chairman of the Inter
state Commission on the Potomac River Basin
But the board evidenced little interest in these
proposals or in the joint survey, holding that
there has been too much delay already
That there has been too much delay up and
down the river on anti-pollution projects cannot
be disputed. State authorities are right in be-
lieving that constant pressure is needed to obtain
action by tagging cities and counties But the
board should grant Alexandria and her neighbors
a reasonable additional period in which to COM
plete the pending study of joint sewage
disposal program, including the possibility of
a sewage pipeline to the District plant. Mr..
Kemp, an engineer. told the board that two
month survey would determine the advantages
of joint disposal and that a pipeline could be
constructed in six months. Since a pipeline
would end all sewage dumping on the Virginia
side, the State board should be glad to have the
possibilities of the proposal fully explored.
Evening star., 1951-01-06
By THE HASKIN SERVICE.

@. How is the name of Faneuil Hall
in Boston pronounced?-W. S.
A. There are several pronunciations Of
the name. fanyel fann1 and funnel.
The first is the closest approximation
to the original French. On Peter Fan
euils tombstone the name is recorded
as Funnel Faneuil Hall is generally
known as "Fan1' or Fan yel' Hall.
@. Which large cities lost population
between .1940 and 1950?-K. r.
A. According to preliminary figures
released by the Bureau of the Census
nine cities lost population: Jersey City.
N, j.; Providence, r. l.; youngstown.
Ohio; Paterson, N. j.; Scranton, Pa;
Fall River, Mass: Wilmington, Del:
Reading, Pa, and New Bedford. Mass.
@. When were New Years Day recep-
tions for the general public first held at
the White House?-L. I. B.
A. The custom originated with Thomas
Jefferson. who held the first public re-
ception on January /, 1902. Guests were
received by the President in the blue
room and later viewed the mammoth
1,600-pound cheese which had been sent
by sleigh from Cheshire, Mass.
Evening star., 1951-01-06
New House

Here are no ghosts wko pro,pl In lonely
boredom,
Or stare in anguish from ancestral
1UdllS;;
Lcaden yesterdays can neUer dim
The clear Uoice OF the future Uhen it
calls.
Only living feet tread ne,D staircase,
Redo1ent is the smell of tresh-he,Dn
pine,
Easements stretch Wide their arms to
embrace
NeU horizons Which no past can
confne.
Alyeno MARITIME Cobonks
Evening star., 1951-01-06

dress, I took poll of the retired
officers in the Army and Navy Club.
Out Of the Is questioned. "a agreed with
Mr.. Hoover. The number questioned in
cluded officers Of the Army, Navy, Air
and the Marine Corps. I thought the
percentage of approval quite high, until
read that the mail received by Sena-
tor Lehman of New York and Senator
Smith of New Jersey ran 80 to in favor
of Mr.. Hoovers idea
Among the officers questioned was
an admiral and several generals, all of
whom at one time or another had held
high positions in the defense establish
ment.
1t is perfectly correct for you to write
what you think of Mr. Hoover's ad-
dress. But why don't you have some of
your reporters take tour of the Capitol
and find out what the constituents of
some of the Senators and Representa-
tives think of the Hoover address
especially Senator Morse and other
internationalist- minded ones?
Retired Army.
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Spiritual Leuven

Each day the news shows more and
more surely that the giant of spirit
ual power that has been asleep in many
Of us is beginning to awaken.
Why does not The Star respond by
giving its readers at least one we'll
chosen spiritual truth each day. printed
conspicuously across the top of news
page?
Along with the thoughts and acts OF
our present-day leaders in the thick of
battle, let us also have. daily. the wise.
calm. steadying influence of the we'll
loved sages. poets and prophets of all
time.
A little leaven can leaven the whole
Grace Moore Frazier.
Evening star., 1951-01-06

andria, matching one for the Girl Scouts
OF harrington. A curious survival is the
matter of having king or queen to rule
over the nights festivities. Formerly, a
large cake was served with a bean baked
in it. The person who got the bean be-
came master of the revels.
AS the Christian feast of the Epiphany,
Twelfthtide commentaries the visit of
the Three Kings of the East to the stable
where the Christ Child lay. In Church
lore, the showing of the child to the
foreign kings foreshadowed his appear
ance to the Gentiles. Hardly any other
subject is treated more often in medieval
art.
1t might not be bad idea to cele-
brate Twelfthtide more than we do. The
old forms-the bonflres, the choosing
Of king-are pagan. But they honor
great event-"and Gentiles shall come
to thy light, and Kings to the brightness
Of thy rising" as the Book of Common
Prayer says.
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Beware the Dog-Cotcher

want to warn dog owners Of Mont
gomery County that an intensive drive
has been under way since January 2 to
pick up all dogs not wearing license
tags Extra trucks and men are being
employed to assist in this work.
Tags may be purchased at County
Building of Silver Spring. Bethesda,
Rockville or at the Animal Shelter.
Dog Lover.
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Booking for Hoover

With reference to the address made
by ex-President Hoover recently, I can
not see how President Truman could
call it "isolationist' since Mr.. Hoover
included Japan, Formosa, the Philip
pines Australia New Zealand, the
Western Hemisphere, Great Britain
Spain and Western Germany in his
defense scheme Of course, calling Mr.
Hoover an isolationist was intended as
a smear, and was unworthy of the Presi-
dent
The day following Mr.. Hoover's ad-
Evening star., 1951-01-06

should materialize, the Government would have
the authority it would need to meet the chal-
lenge promptly and boldly. Any delay caused
by lack of authority to act could be- disastrous
in such crisis
Evening star., 1951-01-06
Questions and Answers

The Stars readers can get the answer to
any question of fact by either writing The
Evening Star Information Bureau, 1900 street
NV. Washington 3, D C.. and incIosins 8 cents
Extension ass
Evening star., 1951-03-29
Disguise
Fails
Cry Danger
On the Screen,
Still FHn1sy

CRY DANGER" RKo picture, pro-
fOlympic), directed by Robert Parrish.
screenplay by William Bowers. from story
by jerome Cady. At Keith's.
Evening star., 1951-03-29

merely because she is there but
also because she is ferociously op-
posed to games of chance.
When the gambler can stand this
mo longer, he packs her off to I'm
fishing school in Switzerland. The
end of it all is that she returns to
finish him off romantically.
* x x
There is an agreeable freshness
in everything that Miss Simmons
does to this wan old fiction. The
innocent excitement with which
Ishe greets every happy twist in her
Cinderella experience is a thing
she is able to make as real as any
one could ask. This covers not
Ionly the larger dramatic moments
when she is reducing the worldly
gambler to a moral pulp but to
such small ones as her enthusiasm
for new bar of scented soap.
A girl like this is clearly If
resistible.
The other players in Noel Lang
Iley'S script which was directed by
Harold French are an equally in
gratiating lot. The stalwart Gran
ger is a sound man for the Prince
Charming role. an actor capable
Iof giving it enough sardonic
touches to satisfy a few of the
less eXacting cynics in any audi
ence.
Among the others, Edwin Styles
is a clever enough valet-body-
guard type to give the film a
helpful quota Of comedy moments;
Helen Cherry Is an amusingly
acid other woman, or Cinderella S
older sister. and Raymond Black
is a mildly sinister black sheep
brother to the hero.
Adam and Evelyn" remain
Miss Simmons picture despite
their contributions to it.
Bulletin board: Any one whose
work interfered with watching
the Kefauver crime hearings on
television can catch up in the
neWsreels Long highlight
films covering the sessions here,
New York and elsewhere have
been put together by all the ma
jor companies Running al
most an hour. these will make
their appearance in theaters to-
ward the end of this week
First listing here is the Fox
Movietone News reel which goes
into Keith's tomorrow A
special post Office box, No
304, Radio City Station. has
been opened in New York for mail
orders for tickets to Bob Hopes
Night on Broadway" April 8. at
the Paramount Theater Pro-
lceeds 60 to the Damon Runyon
Memorial Fund.
Evening star., 1951-03-29

adam AND EvALYN." a Universal
International picture. produced and di-
-ected by Harold French. story by Noel
Langley. AT the Dupont.