davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-07-17
Fairgrounds for Negro Children


All of us interested in the fulflllment
of our democratic ideals welcome the
Recreation Boards recent decision to
open" three Fairgrounds to all citi-
zens. more careful scrutiny, however,
OF certain aspects of the Recreation
Boards actions relating to playground
recreational problems raises certain
questions in our minds as to the boards
professed policy of progressive elimina-
ton of segregation in public recrea-
ton. In the interest of an objective
evaluation of the boards action, We
believe that the public should be ac-
quainted with certain aspects of our
efforts to secure recreational facilities
for our children.
/. The board in its recent action desig-
mated as open" only those Fairgrounds,
the provision Of which on such basis
evoked little or no opposition from white
citizens. In other words, the play
grounds designated as open" areas
already serving a large or completely
Negro neighborhood. In the case of
Noyes Playground, careful record pre-
pared by the Slowe PTA revealed that
for a long period the playground ac-
commodated never more than "a and
often as few as seven white children
at a single time, while Negro children
played in the streets. The designation
of these particular areas. in our judg-
ment, cannot be fairly credited to the
progressive removal of segregation"
because these Fairgrounds in reality
were being operated for few whites
while Negroes in the neighborhood had
for years been denied the privilege OF
participating in the activities Of the
Fairgrounds in question.
2. The Brookland Civic Association
and the Slowe PTA on May IA, directed
to the board communication relating
to the total absence OF any recreational
facilities for the Negro residents Of the
Brookland area. In spite of our pro-
longed previous efforts, the agenda of
the June IA Board meeting included
a recommendation that all the Brook
land areas CNoyes includedD should be
operated during the present summer for
white citizens only. This recommenda-
ton was made with the full knowledge.
as Mr.. Wender pointed out in the
June rs meeting of the Board, that
Noyes did not have adequate attendance
last summer to warrant its continuance
Tor white use only. Although there was
admittedly insufficient attendance to
justify the operation of Noyes for white
only, our request of May IA was denied:
it was finally moved that we be heard
on June 26; on July 10, it was voted
that Noyes, subject to the approval of
the Board of Education. should be
designated as open" in the meantime
Noyes, formerly open in the summer,
has been closed. Almost one month has
passed while one available area has re-
manned vacant, and Negroes have been
denied admittance to other areas avail
able in the neighborhood. On July IL,
the Recreation Department announced
that it would launch plans for immedi-
ate opening of Noyes. Milo F. Chris
tiansen said that it was later forgot
ten" that the use of Noyes had already
been approved by the Board of Educa-
Evening star., 1951-07-17
PorochiuI Schools Defended

This is in reply to L. Oumanos blast
against what he terms a trend of pa
rochialism in education. He deplores
this trend as working against harmony
and unity within and among the ma
tions," asserting that "a well-rounded
development in the pupil comes only
from contact with children of diverse
backgrounds and thoughts"
But what would he term diverse
backgrounds? Under the parochial
school system my children have had as
classmates and schoolmates Negroes,
Chinese. Colombians, Panamanians, Bo-
livians. to mention few. The teaching
nuns have been from all parts of the
United States. from France. Spain and
Ireland.
Wherever these schools have been es-
tablished cultures have blended and
mingled, true democracy has reigned.
And it may surprise Mr.. Oumano to
learn that divergent faiths were repre-
sented. too, including Jewish children.
No child who was not of the faith was
required to take religious instruction.
You can hardly call that narrow mind
Evening star., 1951-07-17
This and That

eve took turns popping away at an
old tin can back by the fence.
1T was pretty strong stuff, just for
tin cans, but we liked it.
Occasionally took pot shot at a
sparrow, but I never hit one.
1.-The bullets fell on different streets
in the vicinity.
years later. in looking over some old
files, found paragraph about bullets
of mysterious origin falling on that
street.
II looked at the date-and, sure
enough, it was the year when I was
10 years old!"
Templeton Jones smiled, with that
peculiar smile man has when talking
about his past.
II do not exactly recall what became
of the big gun, but think my mother
found out about 1t.
"It just disappeared. I never knew
where or when. By that time had
become interested in % rifle.
with this neat little piece, managed
to do better with the sparrows.
IT nicked their tails several times,
and made the feathers fly.
I"Actually. they all few away well
enough, tails or no tails"
Evening star., 1951-07-17
By Charles E. TroceweN

II recall taking bead on a black
cat, but did not fire.
Something held my trigger finger.
Later, when was about 16 years old,
went to the sea shore, down on the
Maryland coast, and there acquired
monumental revolver.
ut was good job, guaranteed to blow
the living lights out of bottles at 80
PAGES.
"We set up targets up the beach, be-
hind a sand dune. Those dunes were
mysterious, with their tough beach grass
and their little depressions at the top
1--WE went away up the beach. and
found a nice dune, and put out bottle
targets. and blazed away.
mo sooner had the shooting started,
than guy and his gal rose from the
other side of the dune and hot-footed
it down the beach!
eve boys roared with laughter, and
sent some bullets speeding over their
heads to shoe them on their way.
Then we spent the rest of the morn
ing busting the ends Of the tails of some
old cows that were pastured up there"
Templeton Jones smiled ruefully.
II hope we didn't hit any of those
cows" he said. Those bullets had
better been saved for those who deserve
them more.n
Evening star., 1951-07-17
Pen names may be used if letters carry
DriterS' correct names and addresses
All letters are subject to condensation.

ed denominationalism at work, can
you? A finer example of harmony and
unity would be hard to find.
Parochial schools are supported by
parents who want their children to
know, to love and to serve God. These
parents feel that Sunday school ses-
sion once a week Is not enough to do
this. They want religion to be big
part of their children's life, real force.
Etheldia M. Gaines.
In answer to L. Oumano, it is evident
that parents are not doing their duty
in not giving their children religious
education. Public schools have failed
by leaving God out of the curriculum
Thank heaven we have parochial
schools where unself1sh individuals de-
vote their lives to teaching our children
about God.
II we. as a Nation, would return to
God, We wouldn't be in such a mess
today.
Jean A, Reed,
Evening star., 1951-07-17
DR.. Knox's Candidacy Supported

Your editorial "A Tendency to Med
die" objects not so much to med
ding" on the part of the school board
as it does to DR.. Knox's aggressiveness
in urging a democratic school system
for the District of Columbia.
But how will children in school
suffer if IAN aggressive champion of
eliminating segregation" becomes an
assistant superintendent? The prestige
of America abroad suffers greatly be-
cause segregation persists in the Nations
Capital, and the damage inflicted upon
the personalities of our children, white
and colored, is immeasurable.
AS an assistant superintendent, DR..
Knox's effectiveness and usefulness for
the sake of democracy would be reduced
if he could not sound off" in behalf
of fully integrated school system for
our children. "Quiet eloquence" either
will not be heard or else will lull those
who do hear into the sleep of indif-
ference or a false sense of security that
all is we'll in our public schools
My race moves ahead by DR.. Knox's
white and colored champions of democ-
racy.
Democracy in our school system would
be advanced too if the superintendent
himself were IAN aggressive champion
of eliminating segregation in, the school
system"
Charles E. Walden, Jr.,
Assistant to the Vicar, Atonement
Chapel EpiscopaD.
Referring to editorial re assistant
superintendent of schools your attack
on DR.. Knox is most unfair. Race
question is not involved at ALL except by
you. There is no evidence of any in
tention to disrupt school administration
from within as you indicate. Qualifi-
cations of candidates is the real issue.
John b. Duncan,
Vice President, District of Columbia
Federation of Civic Associations.
Evening star., 1951-07-17
Iran Army Is Worlds Most Fantastic
BY james Dow
North American Newspaper Al!ianes

T ONDON.-How strong and how
L. loyal is the Iranian Army? This is
, vitality important question. Upon it
may depend the peace of the Middle
East.
If British forces have to be sent in
to protect British lives in Abadan and
in the oil fields. will the Iranians re-
SiSt?
If the oilmen are evacuated without
trouble or an economic crisis hits Iran,
can the Iranian Army prevent wide
spread disorders and mob rule? Can it
stop the powerful Tudeh Party Com
munists) from seizing power?
Only one thing is certain about the
Iranian Army: 1t is the most fantastic
army in the world.
Its officers wear resplendent uniforms
reminiscent of old Vienna. but Hassan,
the private soldier, except in the Te-
heran garrisons, goes about In odds and
ends.
Officers still have power of life and
death over the men and often over
civilians in the outlying areas. Even
IN the cities the abuse of this power is
startling.
Officers staff their private houses with
conscript "batmen" who never see the
barracks, except when mustered for
maneuvers. They can, and occasionally
do, beat the life out of these free SER
wants without fear of reprimand.
Tall young hillmen in uniform fire.
quently are seen pushing prams or ac-
companying the officers numerous fam
lily. laden with towels, shampoo bottles
and bundles of clean underwear, to wait
outside the public bathhouse till the
family has had its weekly wash.
And for many conscripts, especially
those from remote districts. military
service can be prolonged by as much as
two years, three years-or until thew
can bribe their way out. Since many
OF these peasant soldiers cannot write.
their separation from distant homes
has to be borne with Oriental silence.
Yet this army. created by Reza Pahleyj
after his coup in 1921, was built to
crush internal disorders and warning
tribes. And it did so. Can it do 50
again?
1t is still the most important thing in
1ranian life. apart from the oil. The
present Shah and his government spend
Evening star., 1951-07-17
AngIo-Egyption Trouble

From the standpoint of domestic politics,
EgyptS authorities probably are doing fairly
popular thing in twisting the British lions TAIL
In the long run, however, it is doubtful that
their actions will reflect any credit on them
selves or be helpful either to their own country
or to the Middle East as a whole.
In any case. it is difficult to see how Egypt
can justify its interference with shipping in the
Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The interference
is aimed at blocking cargoes bound for Israel,
and it has reached a point where a British
merchant vessel, according to the Admiralty at
London, has been stopped on its way to Jordan,
boarded by Egyptians and subjected to high
handed treatment of a sort that can hardly be
reconciled with existing international maritime
agreements and practices.
The situation in the Red Sea and the Suez
Canal has become serious enough, in fact, to
lead the British to order four destroyers to the
area to protect their shipping At the same
time move has been launched in the United
Nations to bring the issue before the Security
Council 1t is an issue that has to be met, one
way or another If the Council decides to deal
with it. Egypt will have all the opportunity it
needs to defend it's position and if the position
cannot be defended, then the U. N can bring
pressure to bear to work out satisfactory set
tlement of the present trouble
As far as Britain is concerned of course
Egypt's tail-twisting is rather old stuff. Back
in 1916, prior to the war in Palestine and the
subsequent formation of the state of Israel, the
Cairo goyernment-presumably with domestic
politics in mind-began agitating in a big way
for the immediate withdrawal of British troops
from the Suez Canal Zone and the Anglo -Egyp-
tian Sudan. This demand was carried to the
Security Council but it hzzled out there for the
xiYY1Y,Ie hat tn treaty.
between the two countries-a 20-year treaty
that is supposed to remain in force until 1856.
Under this treaty-agreed upon in 1886 in
good faith and with considerable mutual en-
thusiasn-the British have the right to keep
troops in the Canal Zone and to exercise, with
Egypt, a condominium over the Sudan. The
Sudan is region of about 100000 square miles
with 100000 inhabitants, large numbers Of
WHOM have indicated that they are opposed to
p
Evening star., 1951-07-17
Letters to The Star

ton. 1t is difficult, however to recon-
cile Mr.. ChrlStianSenS statement with
the facts (a) that the June IA agenda
OF the Board included q recommenda-
tion that Noyes be operated on its
present basis i.e., white in relation to
the Boards policy for the progressive
elimination of segregation" and Cb) that
such an important point would not nor
mally be forgotten in a question as vital
as Brookland recreation. Mr.. Wender
also on July II said that he had no in
dependent knowledge" that NoyeS was
on the approved list and that the con-
fusion was caused by the absence Of
school representative at a meeting of
the Board. But school representative,
Mrs. Magdeburger, was present at the
July meeting when Noyes was voted
on an open" basis. pending approval of
the Board Of Education.
3. The availability of Noyes by no
means meets our recreational needs. It
has no provision for tennis, baseball or
football 1t will be open only to Sep
tenber is when there again will be no
recreational facilities in our area open"
to Negro children.
4. The manner in which the Recre-
alton Board meetings are conducted
does not seem to us to represent the
most effective and most democratic
method of seeking pertinent data
S. Since there is no legal basis for de-
nying to any citizen the use of properties
Turkey Thicket and Edgewoo6 which,
according to our information, were pur-
chased with funds borrowed from the
Federal government, we hope that the
Recreation Board will reconsider it's de-
cision and open Turkey Thicket and
Edgewood to all citizens. Negro parents
want only place for their children to
play. They desire only what they are
entitled to by law and what is their
due as taxpayers.
Frank M. Snowden, Jr.,
Chairman Joint Recreation Committee
of the Brookland Civic Association
and the Slowe PTA.
Evening star., 1951-07-17

becoming subject to the sole authority of Cairo,
against which they rebelled in the last century.
Egypts interference with British shipping
apart from being related to the effort to block
Israel-bound cargoes, presumably is an express
sion of Cairos continuing determination to press
for an end to the 1896 treaty In Egyptian eyes,
the whole business may seem justified, but it
looks pretty unreasonable at this distance.
Worse since it is creating uneasineSs and rancor
it is the sort of thing that the Kremlin can
use to good advantage in the Middle East against
the Middle EaSts own best interests.
Evening star., 1951-07-17
Not as Simple as 1t Seems

Some of the paid assistants to Senators as
signed to the District Committee have come up
with new home rule plan. It has the virtue
of simplicity The involved reorganization OF
the local government, for example, is dropped
as an accompaniment of home rule. The elected
city council under this new bill, would proceed,
after taking office to initiate such reorganization
as it saw fit This separates the complications
of reorganization from those of establishing an
independent local government.
But in outlining this independent local gov
ernment the planners may have outdone them
selves in simplicity For the locally elected city
council, with a President-appointed mayor who
could veto its acts (unlesS overridden by two
thirds vote of the counciD would sharply cut the
tie that binds the Federal City to Congress. The
council would be empowered to enact legislation
affecting the people OF Washington without the
concurrence of Congress. 1t could adopt and
make effective local budget. 1t could impose
the taxes to provide revenue for that budget
and appropriate the revenue. Congress, OF
course, could step in and kill amend legislation
But to all intents and purposes, the local council
would go it's own way.
The validity of this plan under the Const1-
tuition is doubtful. And it is enlightening to
review the thinking of the various recent at
tempts to get around this question of constitu-
tionalty, in so far as power of Congress to
delegate it's exclusive powers of legislation over
the District are concerned.
The Auchincloss Committee of the 80th Con-
gress, which made the longest and most detailed
study of the subject, first came up with the idea
that Congress would approve acts of the local
council by the negative process Of not diSapprov-
ing them within specified time limit The
advice of distinguished counsel was sought and
obtained on this point. In the end, the Auchin-
Gloss measure dropped this first plan and pro-
vided that acts of the local council must be
approved by joint resolution of Congress, and
then approved by the President before becom-
ing law.
The Kefauver-Taft-Neely home rule bill,
however, reverted to the principle that acts of
the local council would be approved by Congress
in the absence of joint resolution-adopted
within 60 days-stating that Congress dis
approved of same AS part Of this process all
acts of the city council would be deposited"
with Congress Now comes this new plan, which
does not require that council bills be deposited"
with Congress. If Congress does nothing about
the oils approved by the council they would
become law.
Even if the courts approved this method for
the discharge by Congress of its conStitutionally
assigned legislative functions in relation to the
Capital, the often-conhicting interests between
the local community and the all-powerful
National Government would make the scheme
of dubious value in practice
The shortest line between the exclusive con-
troll by Congress of the seat of government and
the voteless status of the people who live here
is give these people the right of effective repre-
sentation in Congress. There is real short cut.
Evening star., 1951-07-17

One British official thought he had
lost his excellent interpreter when the
latter was called up for military service.
The Iranian hastened to reassure him.
1T only means day off once a
month, sir, when I go to bribe the
sergeant major. For f5 ($14) on the
desk can have a months leave every
month"
The present Shah and the late Gen.
Razmara did much to improve the con-
duct and morale of the Iranian army
Better officer types have been attracted
by training schemes which involve COM
petition rather than influence and offer
courses in France and Britain for the
best students.
Recently there has been intensive
training under American advisers. Some
of the worst practices and abuses have
been eradicated. Uniforms of the SOL
diers now are more uniform; the men
have a cleaner and more sprightly look
They also have received Is Sherman
tanks and 10 misunderstanding models
only.
The best-informed opinion believes
that the Iranian army could and would
stop the Communists. 1t could also take
care of the tribes. What it could not
do would be to thwart attempts by both
to take advantage of Trans economic
crisis
Evening star., 1951-07-17
This Study Is Needed

President Truman's concern over the way
the Governments securty-risk program is being
administered is shared by many persons who
have seen the potential dangers of vesting such
broad dismissal powers in certain officials. The
House Civil Service Committee on several occa-
sions has called attention to these dangers and
has proposed review system similar to that sug-
gested in Mr.. Trumans letter requesting the Ma
tional Security Council to study the problem.
The security-risk program is completely in
dependent of the loyalty program, which al
ready has appeal procedures designed to protect
employees from injustice. No such appeal sys-
tenn has been provided for employees who may
be dismissed summary by sensitive agencies
on grounds far less substantial than disloyalty
An employe can be fired as poor security risk
for drinking too much talking too much among
strangers or other indiscretionS having nothing
to do with his loyalty to the Government Each
agency has it's own rules. There is no appeal
no review as in loyalty cases, in which the final
authority is an overall Loyalty Review Board,
empowered to overrule departmental or regional
loyalty boards.
The security firing authority first came into
being during World War II, when defense
branches of the Government asked for and were
granted by executive order temporary powers of
summary dismissal as a safeguard to national
security. PRESIDENT Roosevelt properly restricted
this authority to agencies directly related to ma
tional defense. The courts have held that the
Government has the right to fire any employe
at any time, with ior without explanation. After
the war President Truman extended the author
ity and later Congress reinforced the program
adding even the Department of Commerce to
the list OF agencies with Security-f1ring author
ity This was done after the Remington case
indicated that some functions of the Commerce
Department involved national security.
Last year, majority of the House Civil
Service Committee said: "These security-risk
cases. for the most part, have nothing to do
with loyalty. They may involve a question of
character or just the whm of some agency
Official. To fire these employees as bad security
risks penalties them for life. It is unfair and
unjust" The President apparently has in mind
the creation OF some such review procedure as
has been instituted for the loyalty program. It
should be feasible to set up this review plan
without impairing the right of an agency to fire
instantly any employe suspected of endangering
the Nations security This right should be pre-
served under present conditions of international
stress.
moviegoer in the deep South complains
that the title, 'The Magnificent Yankee" is a
contradiction in terps.
Evening star., 1951-07-17
Return

HaUing partaken of cities and their toll,
Hauing become part, but not the
whole
OF stone and steel. this salty island soil
Rene1DS my soul.
And lifting aUings as curleDs In their
flight,
Free as the island currents and their
folD,
From tethered mortar and the city night
IrreUocGbly kflotp
A knowledge that is OF the Di,,d and
Wdter,
A science of salt marshes and OF foam:
And become once more the toaytDGrd
daughter
Returning home.
Marguerite Jonvrin Adams