davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
This and That

Even man, himself, with his education
and training. is not doing too good job
of it, Judging from the hundreds of
thousands wounded every year, and the
thousands killed, in traffic. 1t is a sore
spot in our national life which the
President thought seriously enough of
recently to call to the attention of the
American people.
So how can an old skunk be expected
to know?
We personally believe that the skunk
is too kind an animal to realize the
danger he runs.
His family life is irreproachable.
Though member Of the weasel family.
there is nothing particularly sly about
him. He lives with his mate in bur-
row, in which they hibernate.
There are from to 10 kittens, as they
are called, and they all live together the
first year.
In the spring the young set out for a
life of their own in the woods.
There are 10 species of skunk, but the
common Eastern skunk is the best
known.
It is about the size of full grown
house cat, with glossy fur, mostly black.
with a white forehead patch, and two
white lines along the back.
. These lines meet at the tail and show
up again as white tip.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11

native American lay dead on Con-
necticut avenue.
Many passersby saw him, and Won
dered, noting his neat black and white
suit. made of beautiful material unsuited
to the weather.
He had been traffic victim, one OF
the first of the day, and there ne lay,
small bundle of black and white fur,
about the size of house cat.
He was skunk.
This curious animal had sampled the
busy thoroughfare once too often.
He had come from the Zoo grounds,
and had died in front of the Connecticut
avenue gate.
How does it happen that skunks have
so little traffic sense?
Many motorists have noted how 1t is
the most seen animal lying dead on the
roads.
It's great powers are its undoing.
Not being attacked much by other
animals, on account of its notorious
ability, it becomes fat and loses its
agility.
This means that they are slow against
other animals, so when it comes to keep
ing out of the way of that master ami
NAL, man, how can they dot?
How can plain old skunk, without
college education or the equivalent. know
anything about motor speeds and road
hazards?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
USO Center Progress

There are encouraging reports that progress
is being made in ironing out the difficulties in
the way of reopening the old Belasco Theater as
a hospitality center for members of the armed
forces. 1t has been nearly three months since
the USO cleared the project with the Commits
sioners Armed Services Hospitality Committee.
In the meantime USO, District and Federal Off
Gals have been trying to work out satisfactory
solution of several technical questions which de-
veloped when the time for drawing up lease
arrived Once these questions are resolved, the
ng-delayed program can go forward promptly.
That will be good news for the modified men
of all branches who pass through Washington or
are stationed nearby.
The Belasco is owned by the Federal Gov
eminent, which has indicated willingness to lease
the building to USO if the technicalities can be
overcome One of the difficulties is that the air.
conditioning equipment is not Federal property.
It was installed by the American Theater Wing
and still is said to be legally owned by that Or
ganization Suitable arrangements must be
made for its use Furthermore, an agreement
must be made on the metering of heat supplied
by the Government There are other minor
points to be Strengthened out before the under
taking can get under way The negotiations
should be carried forward, whatever the OUT
come of the truce parleys in Korea. For Wash
ington will continue to be host to many service
men under the long-range rehabilitation plans,
regardless of what happens in the Far East
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11

the exchange controls and all the other restric-
tions that cut off one country from another and
prevent the creation of a great integEated
marketing and producing area in which 27O 900
Europeans could grow tremendously in defensive
power and prosper as never before through the
workings of a single overall economy compa-
rable to that of our United States.
It would be difficult, as General Eisenhower
has declared, to overstate the benefits that would
accrue to the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
ton if the nations of Western Europe really
began to achieve such unity. Functioning to-
gether as a single economy, they would advance
toward political federation as well, and they
could look forward to steadily rising living
standards and sense of security that none
of them has now. Where there's will, there's
way. If these countries show the will, If they
make UP their minds to act along the lines OF
the Eisenhower appeal, they can work wonders
for themselves and collectively
and in so doing they can make decisive con-
tribution to the well-being and safety of the
entire free world.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Rv Charles E. TroceWeN

Some naturalists assert that this tip
is warning color"
They say the animal definitely carries
the tail held high, or "gayly," to use the
dog term, as a definite warning to all
other animals to watch out"
Skunks eat insects, birds and their
eggs, various small mammals, and some
poultry.
The common skunk has "a teeth, but
there is one species with but 80.
The ejecta of the skunk carries for
10 to Is feet, but the odor for as much
as mile!
It is said that in the eye it may cause
blindness. The Indians have definite
stories to that effect.
Skunk oil was formerly much used in
rubs for rheumatism and the like.
Thousands are killed each year, and
their fur sold as monkey skins"
Mostly it is pleasant animal, despite
its odd habit; really the worst that can
be said against it is that it sometimes
suffers from rabies.
Deodorized, it makes charming pet.
Those who have them say it is "a kind
and affectionate animal, nice to have
= around the house, and q sure-f1re con-
versational item.
So~don't get too excited. II you see old
Tippy in the woods. # you let him
alone, the chances are he will let you
alone
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Public Housing

have never seen any explanation as
to why President Truman wants to cut
out private building of homes, and yet
insists that we have public housing
program.
Housing done by Government is very
expensive, usually inefficient and waste
full of manpower and time. Private in.
dustry could never afford to do things
the way the Government does them.
Why should taxpayers pay for these
expensive houses, while private builders
are out of work?
Control the building industry as to
design, drainage, and preservation OF
trees, and it would be good thing.
But let us keep America free from So
cialism. Mr.. Truman will not be Presi-
dent much longer Let us try to control
him while we have to put up with him
He has done almost irreparable damage
now. Bricklayer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
By Belmont Fories

THE signature of Peng Teh-haui on
l. the Communist reply to Gen. Ridg-
ways armistice proposal revealed for
the first time the identity of the COM
mander of the Chinese volunteers" we
have been facing in Korea.
The man we have to deal with in the
armistice talks Is not well known out
side of China, but he is outranked in
the Communist military hierarchy only
by Chu Teh, commander in chief OF the
Red armies.
Gen. Peng has an imposing list Of
titles. He is vice commander OF the
Peoples Liberation Army" commander
of the LIST Field Army and chairman OF
the northwest administrative area,
which includes the vast western prov
inces of Sinkiang. Kansu. Chinghai.
Shensi and Ninghsia. He and Chu Teh
are the only generals on the five-man
secretariat, which Is the administra-
tive heart of the Chinese Communist
Party.
But what of the man himself? Abstemi-
Gus through necessity rather than con-
viction, Peng neither drinks nor smokes.
In fact, his chief indulgence seems to
be an occasional bout of melon-eating.
He has been known to sit through
military conferences chewing melon be-
tween sentences and splitting the seeds
On the floor. But he is more than
crude peasant. He wears the wound
stripes of civilization-stomach ulcers.
Peng's ulcers go back to the days Of
the Long March in 1885, when the Red
Army. poorly fed at best, subsisted for a
week on raw grain and fresh-pulled
grass while crossing Western Szechwan.
Today, except for the melons, he is on
a strict diet of broiled millet and milk.
He is. however. proud of his strength
and endurance. And-as Chinese
woman novelist once expressed it
There is something about Peng Teh-
huai which is quite disturbing to fe-
males"
His own aggressiveness made Peng a
revolutionist. Born about 1900 in Hsi-
ang-hsi near Changsha in Human Prov
ince, he was the son of prosperous
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Pursuit of Property

If Jefferson had written the words
pursuit of property" in place of ''pur-
suit of happiness" in his great Declara-
ton, he would have come much nearer
to foreshadowing the kind of govern
ment that followed.
The Government is continuously in
pursuit of property of the industrious by
predatory taxes of every description on
their product and profits, and upholds
a system of private pursuit of property.
Taxation without representation, a
cause of the Revolution, was less than
trif1ing beside the taxation with repre-
sentation we have been slaves to ever
since. Walter N. Campbell.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Free Enterprise Man

Defense Mobilizer Charles E. Wilson'S latest
appeal for effective economic controls was ex-
pressed in stronger and more persuasive Ian
guage than was the case with his earlier efforts
Mr.. Wilson took two tacks. After an i'm
pressive marshaling of the statistical arguments
for strong price and wage controls, he called
upon the housewives to get out their pads and
pencils Make list of prices now, he said, put
the list away for year, and then compare it
with the prices that will have to be paid If Con-
gress wrecks the control program. This is the
pressure approach, and the chances are that 1t
won't work. Congressman, even though the cleo
tions will be coming up year from now, do not
scare that easily.
The speech, in The Stars Judgment would
have been more effective if Mr. Wilson had stuck
to the other tack.
There are those who think-including good
many members of Congressional to give the
administration the kind of controls 1t wants
would simply push this country farther along
the road to socialism. Some believe 1t is being
planned that way; others say the control advo-
Gates simply do not know any better But Mr..
Wilson poses quite problem for either group.
The mobilization boss is the personf1cation
of Big Business He is smart, he is tough, he is
used to doing things in big way, and he Is
constitutionally allergic to Government "med-
SClll, lie has cIucIScu AIOIIl WIIdG llc uC-
scribes as the comparative peace and quiet" of
private life to take over the mobilization job
And there is no doubt, as he says, that he acted
from sense of duty; not to crafty any personal
ambition
So Mr.. Wilson definitely is entitled to be
heard when he says: "All my life have believed
in the doctrine Of free enterprise and that
means that I am opposed to controlled econ
omy. But the principles of free economy were
designed for times Of peace. 1t has always been
necessary In times of war, with the unnatural
interferences in the exchange of goods to resort
to governmental control. That's why am COM
PEELED to favor strong defense production act"
That was not bureaucrat or starry-eyed
Fair Dealer talking. And every one in Congress
knows it. Those legislators who seem to have
set their hearts on destroying or Gripping the
controls program should think bit about what
Mr. Wilson has had to say. They should ask
themselves where his real interests lie, what his
real motives are. If they will do that, they may
not be quite so eager to junk the controls and let
nature take It's course.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
A Waste of Money and Materials

The Senate ought to give careful consldera-
ton to the arguments against the pending vet
erans' disqualification bill made by physicians
group affiliated with the Citizens Committee for
the Hoover Report The bill, quickly passed by
the House recently along with 10 other aid-to-
veterans measures that would cost 81 billion
over five-year period, would authorize 10000
bed VA construction program The program Is
opposed by the VA and the Budget Bureau not
only for economy but practical reasons.
One of the practical reasons against the plan
is the very good one that there are not enough
doctors to staff the new hospitals If they are
built. DR.. Robert Collier Page, chairman of the
National Doctors Committee for Improved Fed
eral Medical Services, has written Vice President
Barley and Speaker Rayburn that the VA lacks
sufficient doctors to take care of the hospitals 1t
already has or is building. The VA now has
400 beds, about 10000 of which are unoccu-
pied An additional 131 900 beds are planned
under the present building program. That will
provide total of 239 400 beds, although there is
little prospect of obtaining doctors for more than
$4,000 beds.
Dr. Page criticized waste in the existing hos
pital program. He cited the case of the McClos-
key VA Hospital at Temple, Texas, which has 400
of its 240O beds empty. Yet new VA hospital
is being built at Merlin, only so miles away. The
additional program voted by the House would
add to the duplication of facilities according to
VA officials. Such waste of money and mate
rails in these critical times would be disservice
to veterans and to the public at large
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
1t Will Help to Clear the Air

The Public Utilities Commission has made
an unusual but sensible move in calling public
hearing on "the reasonableness of services" rem
dered by the Capital Transit Company. There
is no recent record of such self-initlated PUG
investigation along such broad lines. Against the
background of the company's recent change OF
ownership and the sporadic complaints OF de-
teriorating service and in the face OF an I'M
pending petition for higher fares, the commits
sion is justified in launching a comprehensive
inquiry 1t is a good idea to take searching
look at the operations of the company under its
new management.
This will not be an investigation of the
company's fiscal affairs The hearing on July
80 will be limited to matters pertaining to ade-
ouacy of Service equipment and maintenance"
and of safety equipment and procedures. That
means that the commission will inquire into such
things as curtailment of services, whether for
economy or other reasons; number and conol-
ton OF vehicles, and sufdciency of inspection
and repair activities.
The inquiry should be helpful in clearing
up the misgivings of many Capital Transit
patrons concerning the future of Capital Transit
under the Wolfson group from Florida Recent
abandonment by the company Of unprohtaole
operations in nearby Maryland and announce
ments that the company is seeking further ways
of operating more economically have given rise
to fears that the public is in for less service at
higher rates. Company officials have denied
that their economy program will impair normal
services They have made it plain, however, that
"non-essentiaI" lines and trips will be sacrificed
In the interest of more efficient operation OF the
whole systenN
The company says it welcomes" the oppor-
tunity to explain its operations at public hear
Ing and accepts the burden OF proof as TO
adequacy of its service.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
ARLINGTON School Problem

Arlington County is wrestling with something
of problem in democracy.
There will be three vacancies on the school
board this year, and there is a question as to
how much direct choice, If any, the voters Will
have in filling them.
The members of the board, of course, are
elected But the voters limited in their choice
to the names that appear on the ballot. COM
,oittae of the Conference on School Board Can
didates-the conference being composed mainly
of groups which have been most active IN the
fight for better schools-recently recommended
by a 10-to-3 vote that six candidates be named
for the three vacancies. There Is considerable
opposition to this
Some fear that to offer six candidates might
split the pro school" vote if an opposition slate
should be forthcoming. Others contend that the
convention on nominations, which will be held
in September and which probably will be at
tended by more than 700 delegates from various
organizations, will be sufficiently representative
of sentiment in the county.
The fact remains, however, that the voters
of the county would have at best severely lin
tied choice if there should be but three nomina-
tions and if there should be no opposing slate
put forward by any other group or organization
The danger of a split vote among the present
school program supporters may be substantial
one But that could be met by providing that
only the three top nominees should go on the
ballot if opposition were to be forthcoming. II
there should be no opposition, however and II
six candidates had been nominated for the three
places then the voters of Arlington still would
be able to register choice. And in a county In
which there are so many shades of opinion as to
how the school system should be operated, some
freedom of choice seems clearly desirable.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Narcotics and Liquor

For some time great hue and cry
has been made about dope peddlers. and
the Senate Crime Investigating Com
mittee is spending much time and much
of the taxpayers money investigating a
truly vicious racket.
The two men involved in the recent
Arlington abduction case were dope"
addicts. but the dope" I refer to is
nothing more nor less than alcohol. It
has been admitted that prior to their
heinous crime they visited several beer
taverns and saturated their brains and
bodies with beer.
Any physician knows that alcohol is a
narcotic, pure and simple. Yet in the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Democrats Lose q Voter

I am a Negro and have voted the
Democratic ticket since first voted
in 1920. tried to get away from the
idea that the Republicans freed the
slaves and I did not want to be an
Uncle Tom after fighting for my country
in World War I, when I was gassed
and received the Purple Heart.
But I cannot see how can continue
to vote Democratic after the statements
by Georgia's Gov. Talmadge and South
Cardinals Gov. Byrnes concerning the
closing of schools If Negroes are adj
mitted. 1t was further disappointing
to have Senator Byrd Of Virginia and
other Senators and leaders uphold that
attitude.
have never received any favors from
the Democratic Party. nor asked for any.
From now on am going to try to per-
suade many people of my race to vote
the Republican ticket or any party other
than Democratic as long as it Is for
freedom from fear and freedom OF
speech and for the safety of America.
C.. III.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11

farmer. But his mother died when he
was 6, and his fathers second wife dis
liked him from the start. The boy
grew more and more rebellious and
finally got in trouble with the matriarch
of the family, his grandfather's widow.
The family solemnly decided that Peng
was not worthy of their protection, and
at the age of they sent him out to
make his own way.
The youngster was not completely
abandoned; wealthy uncle, his own
mothers brother. tried to keep an eye
on him. But for five years he moved
from one mental job to another. What
he learned in that period of the plight
of China's poor laborefs was not quickly
forgotten.
Finally he gave up his fight to make
his own way in the world and agreed to
make his home with his uncle. For two
happy years he lived there. getting his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Korea No Help to Gen. Peng's Ulcers

first taste Of formal education. But his
sympathy for the underdog led him into
trouble. He became involved with a
group Of hungry peasants In the looting
of usufer's grain supply. Forced to
flee, he joined rowing band of soldiers
at Is. and within two years commanded
a platoon In the army of one of the
Human warlords.
In the next 10 years he moved UP
the ladder in the Kuomintang armies,
acquiring wife and a bit of formal
military education. But peace of mind
was harder to come by. It seemed to
him that so far as the oppressed peas
antry was concerned, the Kuomintang
army was very little better than those
of the warlords it was replacing
Sun Yat-sen'S successors had failed
him. The young officer read widely in
his search for political faith, and
finally came across Bukharin's "ABC Of
Communism" Kautsky's "The Glass
Struggle" and then 1.-THE Communist
Manifesto" In March, 1928, he applied
for membership in the Communist
Party.
Five months later, he organized an
uprising in Pingchiang in Northeastern
Human. The revolt failed and he led a
thousand men to join the forces Of Mao
Tze-tung and Chu Teh. who also had
led unsuccessful revolts, on Chingkang-
shan Mountain. There the nucleus Of
the future Red Army was formed.
Since 1887, Peng has been Chu Teh's
deputy in command of the Red armies.
which in two years wrested all the Chi
nese mainland from Chang Kai-shek.
With the completion of the conquest
came his first wide experience in govern
ment as chairman of the northwest area.
In the sparsely settled western provinces.
never fully under the control Of a Chi
nese central government, he had prob
lens in plenty. There he had to get
along with not only the nomadic Mo-
hammedan natives. but also with the
Russians, who had long held special
interest in the area and are now exploit
ing its mineral resources.
Whatever the outcome of the current
peace negotiations, it seems unlikely
that Korea has helped Gen. Peng's
ulcers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Eisenhower on Europe

General Eisenhower in his capacity as Su-
preme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, has now added his own strong
voice to the many strong voices that have been
raised over the years in appeals for action to
bring about the economic and political 1ntegra.
ton of the nations of Western Europe. Addressing
the English-Speaking Union in London, he has
conceded that immense difficulties still stand
in the way of translating this ancient dream
into reality, but he has voiced the firm faith
that those difficulties can be overcome II the
peoples and governments involved Will only set
themselves to the task with vigor and resolution
It Is certainly not an impossible task. on the
contrary as General Eisenhower has Said ex-
tremely important unifying progress has already
been made under the Atlantic Pact Similarly,
the Western Europeans have been acquiring the
habit OF working together for their mutual en-
richment under the Marshall Plan, and through
the Schuman Plan they are taking first steps
toward a potentially revolutionary merger OF
their coal and steel resources Slowly but surely,
in a world in which they are all menaced by
Soviet aggression, they have come to realize
that their old way of doing things is simply
not good enough to serve either their prosperity
or military security.
In other words, they recognize that there Is
much more truth than empty sloganeering in
the statement that they must federate or perish
AS far as the principle of the thing is concerned
thew agree that Western Europe cannot thrive
cannot be safe, If it remains a. wilderness OF
cIashing economies The problem Tor them
how to end in practice what they thus acknowl-
adge to be bad in principle-the tariff barriers