davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-08-22

the congressional woodShed
forthwith. But he cannot, he
warned the Pentagon, avoid an
investigation if they cannot
come up with the answers
among themselves.
Another practice maneuver is
scheduled for early spring in
Texas. 1t. Gen. Mark Clark.
Chief of the Army Field Forces,
who tried vainly to carry out
the proposed tests at Southern
Pine, has suggested they might
be held then. Whether so long
a delay will satisfy the Con-
gressmen is moot. The Penta-
CONS various boards for "fur-
ther study" certainly do not.
Mr.. Vinson is a key figure in
defense matters, a doting father
to the services he does not hesi-
tate occasionally to chastise.
The Air Force earned his dis
pleasure in the current con-
troverSy by baking the close
air tests but only two weeks ago
he called on the taxpayers to
give it the 1853 air wings of it's
hearts desire, plus two super
carriers for the Navy.
But while he will not stint on
security he is genuinely con-
cerned over the continuing
bitter differences on strategic
concepts within the Pentagon.
It is the nightmare of the leg
islators who furnish the money,
no less than of the military
Evening star., 1951-08-22

negotiations have been forced
to.a crisis point by the refusal
of the British to give up an in
direct hold on the Iranian oil
fields. While there is an appar-
ent desire on the part Of the
London government to accept
the principle" of nationaliza-
tion, the way it works out, Iran
feels it will not have freedom of
action in managing the prop
erty it now owns. Britain may
soon withdraw her technicians.
Does this mean American tech
nicians must keep out?
Another question is: Will the
United States become involved
in supporting British policies
in the Near East where the
tales of exploitation of the i'm
poverished peoples have long
caused concern here and have
added fuel to the Communist
inf1ammatory attacks?
American oil companies in
the Near East have pursued a
far better policy than the Brit
ish and have been willing to
share on a $3.50 basis their rev.
enues with the native owners.
There are ways, of course, to
resolve these oil crises but, If
the United States is to put large
forces in the Middle East, it
will correspondingly introduce
the query as to whether Amer
* should not have something
to say about the British policies
that are provoking discord now
in Iran and may lead to Com
munist invasions later on.
It is doubtful whether the full
meaning of the casual way the
United States is being eased into
more and more global respons-
bilities is fully realized by the
American people-or by Con-
gresS.
Reproduction Rights Reserved
Evening star., 1951-08-22
David Lawrence:

Slowly but surely the United
States is finding herself tied
up in new commitments and
new obligations around the
globe.
Latest dispatches from Lon
don by the United Press in
dicate the understanding there
that "the United States has
recognized the Importance of
the Suez Canal area in West
ern defense and has agreed to
share with Britain the burden
of Middle Eastern security"
The statement is further
made that the United States
has accepted the British con-
tentlon that the Suez Canal
Zone "is a vital bridge between
Asia and Africa and the best
site for bases to defend the OIL
rich Middle East against pos
sible aggression"
This means that, just as Great
Britain in 1947 abdicated full
responsibility for Turkey and
Greece and the Eastern Medi-
terranean and persuaded Amer
lea to take over, so today the
area of American interest has
been extended to include the
Suez Canal.
This is a new milestone in
world history. For it shows
either that the British Empire
is no longer capable alone Of
holding up her interests in the
Middle East or that she would
rather spend her money for the
Socialistic- pursuits of a labor
government.
In any event, the United
States is about to provide $415,-
100000 worth of military aid
and $125,0OO,000 of economic
aid to the Middle East out of
the Mutual Security Act fund.
The United States is to be a
Evening star., 1951-08-22

have indicated Informally that
they will attend the treaty con-
ference and a minority support
for Russian obstruction is GER
tain to develop. The pattern Of
American conduct has been
made clear since the Russian
acceptance in a reminder that
the conference is being called for
the purpose of concluding the
peace ION the terms" of the
present text. Rigid adherence
to this rule would preclude con-
sideration of substantive
changes in the draft but there
has been expressed feeling from
some of the participants, in
cluding Britain, that the Rus
sian delegation should be
allowed opportunity for full and
free expression of MoScow's
opinions. Such freedom, it is
argued, might serve to reduce
the final disaffection and pro-
vide an answer to propaganda
charges that the whole accord
is being railroaded through by
the United States.
With Poland and Czechoslo-
vakia the only avowed satel-
lites of Moscow now on the
list of those to attend, Russia
stands little chance of muster
ing any substantial support at
San Francisco. India, Burma,
Indonesia and the Philippines
all have expressed reservations
about the present draft; some
may not even attend and none
of them may sign. There is even
less likelihood, however, that
they will join in any common
displomatic front, at least to
major degree, with the Kremlin.
Evening star., 1951-08-22
Fletcher Knebel:
Potomac Fever

The Navy lets its first contract for
marine It'll be able to cruise indefinitely without coming
air and will be named the U. Taxpayer.
The Senate Appropriations Committee lops 000 off
the Voice Of America other
Congress holds that believe world talk
is cheap.
An rich offers put Point
cadets through Notre Dame they don't play football getting
little tired Of saying he to Notr Dame
"Ofense defense?"
North Korean Red Gen. Nam claims peural
attack by U.s. this time truce jeep Nam has such
mind you can still hear the echo of its first lie.
The House votes itself 19day vacation spend
first week learning what people think their
the last two weeks incognto
Supreme Court Justice Douglas he thrown by
Tbetan yak and mule while climbing the Hmalayas
knows whether animal Douglas gets the biggest
stitches
Evening star., 1951-11-18

taking all the vehicular bridges as
a traffic unit.
2. Peace Cross area, specifically
the stretch of Defense Highway
(Bladensburg road from Colmar
Manor to the Cheverly Theater in
Prince Georges County.
3. Washington Circle, at Twenty
third street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. NV, main point of access to
the Whitehurst Freeway.
4. Connecticut avenue NV. from
Dupont Circle to Porter street.
5. Sixteenth street NV. in the
area between Columbia road and
Park road.
Two other bad but comparative
ly little known jams occur daily
in Fairfax County. A nightly traf-
fic snarl develops at Baileys Cross
Roads, backing up cars to the Ar
lington County line. Almost equally
congested is Seven Corners, where
Lee Boulevard and Leesburg pike
come together at the Falls Church
city limits.
For each of these traffic problem
areas there Is cause-and, theo-
re1ically, a cure. But, as the Three
AS points out, traffic cures cost
mGney-thousandS of dollars for
traffic light systems, millions for
bridges or overpasses. There Is
rarely a quick, cheap cure for a
city's congestive ailments.
Neither is there any doubt that
Economist Homer Hoyt had a point
when he warned the Board OF Trade
two days ago that it had better start
looking for a cure, here, before
things get out of hand.
Evening star., 1951-11-18
out of every hundred

-HIRTY out of every hundred
Americans live in IA great
metropolitan areas, and the
problems of the too-big city are
making themselves felt in vital
centers from coast to coast.
Among the IA urban complexes
with more than a million popula-
ton, Washington is one of the
most fortunate. Its bigness is that
of prosperity; gigantism has not
yet become a disease.
But the driver who bucks traffic
at Highway Bridge or creeps along
Benning road NE. in rush hours
cannot help but wonder whether
the disease of bigness is beginning
to make itself felt in the National
Capital.
And this same driver, recalling
the brief Capital Transit Co. strike
last summer, may ponder the ex-
istence of his fellows in other
cities where such traffic tie-upS
are the rule rather than the ex-
ception.
Evening star., 1951-11-18
City Of Future

Probably the most popular solu-
ton consists of creation of elaborate
peripheral highways, huge parking
lots on the fringe of town, a uni
versal ban on downtown parking,
and absolute prohibition of all We
hicular traffic in downtown areas,
with the exception of public car
riers shutting between the parking
fringe and the central city.
The first Of these proposals-su-
per highways by-passing the crowd
ed city-is an immediate necessity
in most big cities. Much of the
congestion in any metropolis comes
from the lines of interstate trucks
and vacation-bound cars that pass
through but do not necessarily stop
in the city. New York has a fairly
well-integrated system of tunnels,
bridges and elevated highways to
channel these vehicles through
town without contributing to the
city's already chaotic surface traf-
fic. With the completion of the
Delaware River crossing south of
Wilmington and the New Jersey
turnpike, Philadelphia is getting re-
lief from part of its transit traffic,
though U. S. / Roosevelt boule-
vard) through Philadelphia still is
a heavily travelled artery which
contributes little but trouble to the
city's traffic flow. Baltimore is de-
Evening star., 1951-11-18
Cause and Effect

The cause of these jams is easy
to determine. Most of the major
cities of the country were laid out
long before automobiles were
dreamed of. A hundred-foot street
was a grand boulevard, and the
greatest traffic hazard was a runa-
way horse.
Fifty years ago, when the auto
mobile first began to appear on city
streets, there were only six cities in
the country with populations over
half million. (Today there are 49,
Four of these citieS-New York,
Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston
had rapid transit facilities of one
kind or another. The rest of the
Nations population centers did not
and have not developed such sys-
TENS in subsequent years.
} The advent Of the auto made
Evening star., 1951-11-18

committing by other means than
train reality. Increased indus
trialization of the country spurred
the growth of cities, and with this
growth came more autos. Streets
that 40 years earlier were more
than adequate were, by 1910. too
narrow for traffic. And in the last
decade, the Nation has become even
more motorized.
For cities with rapid transit, the
disease of bigness did not make it.
self felt right away. But towns that
at the turn of the century were too
small to have traffic problems found
themselves inadequately equipped
to cope with the automotive age.
81 Million Vehicles
There were 1000 automobiles in
the United States in 1900. At the
beginning of World War II, this
number had increased to 80 million.
And the estimate this year is in
excess of So million vehicles on the
roads of America-more of them
in cities than in the rural areas,
more in big cities than in small
ones.
The increase in number of auto
mobiles obviously has created
gigantic traffic problem. But there
is a hidden figure that complicates
matters further. In 1890, when
there were a few more than 8
million cars on the road, the aver
age driver covered 5000 miles
year in his auto. Today, 50 million
drivers average 10000 miles a year
each. Not only are more cars be-
ing used, but cars are being used
more.
The American Automobile Asso-
citation, while agreeing that Wash
ington is not in such bad shape as
such towns as Boston, New York
and Los Angeles, points out that
this city has its trouble spots
Perennial points of congestion in
clude:
l. The Potomac River crossings,
Evening star., 1951-11-18
San Francisco:
By Sherman Miller
Son francisco Exominer Reporter

San Franciscos population of IT'S
900 is crowded into a square miles,
and the city's traffic problems thus
are critical.
The city is near the residential
saturation point. and virtually all
housing is being built across San
Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge to the
east, across Golden Gate Bridge to
the north, and down the peninsula
to the south.
Al3ady the bay bridge, not Is
years old, is strained beyond capacity.
Proposals for a second span to the
east bay territory have been tied up
in controversy as to the location of
new bridge, but one must be built
eventually.
There is no rapid transit between
San Francisco and adjoining COM
munitieS, and the trend is away from
the use of public transportation. The
consequent influx of automobiles into
downtown area makes parking one
Of toughest problems.
The city government in 1949 es-
tablished a parking authority. The
first major project is now near
the construction stage. Bids will be
opened this month for a ESQ car ga
rage on the edge of the financial dis
trict. The parking authority also is
planning big parking lot in the con-
gested Mission District, and is work.
ing toward a civic center under
ground garage and other projects.
The city pioneered in the subsur-
face garage field years ago. The
Union Square underground garage,
civic enterprise serving an exclusive
shopping district. has proved invalu-
able.
The flow Of traffic into and out of
the downtown district Is accelerated
by clearing certain streets of all
parked automobiles during peak peri
ods. Any car left standing is towed
away and the owner gets stiff jolt
in costs and fine. This controversial
ordinance was declared illegal by a
local Judge. but the State Legislature
approved . bill to legalize the tow
away"
Evening star., 1951-11-18
Boston,:
BY Jerome Sullivan
Boston Globe Reporter

An ambulance, siren shrieking,
marooned in sea of automobiles. A
fire truck stalled in tangle of traf-
ic. Delivery trucks inching along at
half a mile an hour. Traffic lights
flashing from red to green and back
again, over and over without
movement of vehicles.
That is the hopless traffic picture
in large portion of downtown Bos-
ton during rush hours. -Four or five
years ago that was the sorry spec
tacle any week day afternoon; not
just during the rush hour.
The situation has improved some
what-but not enough. Progress has
been principally in the planning
stages.
A survey to find out what's wrong
with the greater Boston traffic sys-
tenn has revealed that final solution
of the problem would take 10 years
and about $3.50 million.
Engineers conclude that the best
solution will be network of express
highways and feeder routes into the
suburban areas from Boston proper.
At least two other "musts" are
on the list of things to be done If
the growing paralysis of vehicular
traffic is ever to be cured:
l. Prompt construction of adequate
off-street parking facilities in the
city proper.
2. Construction of a second tunnel
under the harbor from Boston's North
End to East Boston, site of one of
the busiest air terminals in the coun-
try today and gateway to the North
Shore residential and resort area.
1t takes as long to travel the ~
mile route from the airport to down.
town Boston as it does to fly here
from New York.
When the present tunnel is jam
med up the entire downtown area
is paralyzed back through Haymarket
Square, the Fanueuil Hill market
district, Dock square, the State street
financial district, the Washington
street shopping area-back all the
way to Dewey square and South
station. 4
Evening star., 1951-11-18
What Reporters Other Mtposes Say About Their Traffic Problems
Chicago:
By WoIter R. Green
Chieoso Dolly News Auto Editor

Traffic congestion in Chicago has
become a major concern in retail
business, safety and civic planning.
Current plans include expansion Of
one-way streets in the Loop; con-
struction of city-sponsored parking
garages on the fringe of the Loop:
better control of traffic, with special
emphasis on street parking; expan-
sion of Chicago's superhighway sys-
tenn.
The traffic authorities have moved
recently to make some east-west
streets into and out of the Loop one
way, and may do the same with
north-south streets later.
Police have. in the last two months.
clamped down hard on parking vio-
lators. Result has been some easing
of rush-hour congestion and much
easier access to the downtown dis
trict in non-rush-h periods.
Work is being speeded on the Con-
gress street superhighway which will
serve the West suburbs. Edens super
highway, tapping the North suburbs,
Is SCLlcQulcQ lOT OpcuulS UcAuic biAc
end of the year. The Calumet ex-
pressway, serving the South Side, is
to be opened late this year or early
in 1852.
With the high increase in cars on
the streets, there has been notice.
able migration of retail stores to
the suburbs. Marshall Field and
several other Loop department stores
have branches in Evanston and Oak
Park (Chicago's two largest suburbs)
and are planning further develop
ment. Other big Loop stores are
planning outlets on the West and
South sides.
Volume of business in the Loop so
far has not suffered. Business this
year is running a few percentage
points above the same period last
year. But the merchants see falling
volume ahead as traffic congestion
increases-thus the suburban pro-
grams.
Despite increases in auto traffic,
the private car is still the fastest
means of getting to and from DOWN
town for those living within the city
itself.
Evening star., 1951-11-18

ably the first such development in
the United States-a planned ma
jor regional shopping center" (as
city planners call it, that took cog
nizance of the fact that the auto
mobile had replaced the horse.
Crenshaw has virtually everything
downtown had-plus parking space.
Downtown Los Angeles merchants
say their business volume hasn't
suffered from the existence of
branches in CrenShaw and other
outlying areas, but it is significant
that in an era Of prosperity the
downtown stores are Turing buyers
with such depression time strata
gems as dollar days and loss leaders.
Many city planners believe the
Crenshaw-type development is the
coming thing in our overgrown
cities. They say an available popu-
lation of half a million is necessary
to support such a center-500, 900
people who will shop there in pref
erence to going downtown.
The new Parkington area in Ar
lington will be, when completed, a
major regional center. Silver Spring,
according to city planners, does not
quite measure up to the minimum
requirements of major regional
center. But it is close enough.
Centers Are Rore
Aside from Crenshaw in the West
and Parkington in the East, major
regional centers are rare. Seattle
has one several miles north of the
city limits, but some planners doubt
whether a metropolitan area the
size of Seattle's-750, ,000-can sup
port both a central business district
and an outlying shopping center.
Certainly Seattle's Northgate has
had its economic woes.
At birmingham, on the far west
ern suburban fringe of Boston, a
new center is being developed. How
this new project makes out remains
to be seen; it is farther removed
from the central city than any
Evening star., 1951-11-18
PhiIodeIphio:
BY DonieI T. O'Leoy
Philodelphio BvlIstin Reporter

Philadelphia. more than most
American cities. is acutely aware of
the danger to its economic life posed
by an increasing volume of traf-
fic.
The fear that the city is strangling
itself economically, with streets
choked with autos bumper-to-bumper
in the downtown section, has been
voiced frequently by businessmen.
Civic leaders have been appointed by
the Mayor to a Highway Traffic
Board, which has recommended many
changes designed to speed traffic.
Currently. a proposal is being
studied to shave enough of the side
walks on Chestnut and Walnut
streets, main downtown thorough
fares, to provide another lane for
traffic.
The ever-increasing number Of We
hicles which try to cram their way
into the Center City daily has also
led to the establishment of the Phil
adelphia Parking Authority. body
CICdL6u W NO1lN Sd1dSCo dA0 SCe
cars off the streets. No garages are
built yet.
Businessmen have long known that
the majority of their patrons come by
public transportation. It is the all
day parker who jams up the streets
coming and going to work, frequently
riding all by himself. officials believe.
The Parking Authority plans rates
that will encourage quick turnover OF
cars, giving the shopper a break, and
discouraging the all-day parker.
Philadelphia's problem. with mar
row streets designed in Colonial days
to handle horse and wagon traffic.
would be worse If it did not possess
direct railroad service from the
suburbs into the Central City. Nearly
$4,000 commuters are carried daily
on commuter trains. The majority Of
them are deposited in the Center
City, close to their work.
announcement to motorists to
leave their cars at home or at high
speed depots in outlying points is an
important part Of the campaign to
cut dow congestion.
Evening star., 1951-11-18
Consolidation

The major economic question:
what happens to a city when the
flight to the suburbs" goes to it's
extreme and leaves behind a vast
central slum-has not been an
swered because it has not, in prac-
tice. been posed. 1t has been sug-
geSted, however, that creation of a
type of supercity government might
be the answer-a sort of Port of
New York authority on a municipal
government level, affording the en-
tire metropolitan area the protec-
tion of a single police force, single
fire department, a single public
health service-and paying for this
protection through the revenue COL
lected by a single tax Office.
But it probably is vain hope
that Washington could do much
toward consolidating its Metropolis
tan Area under a single govern
ment. Maryland and Virginia would
lose some of their richest and most
populous areas in ceding their
Washington suburbs to the District.
To date, Washington's disease of
b;gness has not become critical
1t Just gives the city uncomfortable
twinges at times. City planners
hope that the capital can be kept
on the healthy list by the construc-
t1on of adequate superhighways
running from the outskirts to the
center of town, plus a co-ordinated
system of parking lots and shuttle
bus service to keep cars from piling
up downtown.
Where the money will come from
"a Federal grant, increased gaso-
line taxes, or increased realty levies
lis question that worries WASH
ington, just as 1t worries evary big
city in the Nation today.
Evening star., 1951-11-18

other such development in the
country. Detroit had three such
centers planned, but work on them
has been held up by material priori-
ties.
The development of major re-
gional centers is not a cure for our
cities disease of bigness; it is,
rather, a palliative. To the ques-
ton of what can be done to bring
the disease under control, there
are almost as many answers as
there are city planners.