davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1952-04-20
Letters to The Star
Pe1-nameS may be used If letters carry
1OriterS' correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.

wrong" than parading the union-shop
proposal in or under the name of free
DOM
Ex-DemOcrat.
The Star commenting on your editorial
on the steel seizure there are couple of
ideas 1 would like to throw in just to
keep the pot boiling.
Inasmuch as the Wage Sterilization
Board finds it necessary to award GER
tain fringe benefits to the unions. in
addition to a pay boost, why can't they
also recommend that the Government
pay the corporations for the immense
amount of work they do in collecting
the billions in taxes from their employees
by means of the Withholding process?
If the corporations were actually paid
what this withholding business has cost
them, they wouldn't need price rise
for the present. The actual costs are
considerable but the intangible costs are
terrific when it is realized that most
strikes are fomented for more take-home
pay and take-home pay is drastically
affected by the size of the withholding
bite for which the corporation is not
responsible.
In my opinion the withholding
method of collecting taxes. in addition
to being unfair to the corporations, is
highly inflationary and hope you edi-
tors, who can do SO much in molding
public opinion, will give the matter some
thought and possibly do some writing
of your own on the subject.
CurmudgeOn III.
X
What the boys in Korea must think
of the heads of this Nation to allow the
CIO to call strikes and demand the diff
ferent companies to sign on the dotted
hne-or else? There is a law. The
Taft-Hartley," that should be used. Why
isn't it? Russia, has dictator. We, by
our constitutional rights" have
Congress to handle things. The Taft
Hartley law was passed by the requests
of people writing to their leaders in
Evening star., 1952-04-20
Jopon Faces New Future

A war of greatest bitterness will end formally
on April % in an atmosphere of greatest be-
nevolence. For on that date, the Japanese
peace treaty signed by President Truman on
Tuesday will become fully effective.
Bearing the approval of 49 nations, it is
a historic document which restores full SOW
ereignty and the opportunity for renewed political
and economic vitality to the Pacific nation. In
all respects, it's terms generous and friendly
to a degree seldom if ever, equalled in the
history of war and peace.
Along with its companion pieces, the Sc
curity pacts with Australia New Zealand and
Japan and the mutual defense treaty with the
Philippines, it establishes a new pattern for
stability and freedom in the Asiatic world. 1t
is a pattern that contains responsibilities as
well as privileges. Through all of its modern
history, Japan has demonstrated great Ca
pacity for accomplishment. No test of that
capacity has been greater than the one which
faces it today but the record of an industrious
and energetic people offers full assurance that
they are equal to the task. II time proves this
confidence well placedNhey will add honor to
their freedom.
Evening star., 1952-04-20

about his Government service. A real campaign
on his part for the presidential nomination
presumably would require greater activity on the
public stage testing perhaps of his ability to
conduct the more demanding campaign at the
head of his partys ticket
While his personal background fails to pro-
vide him with what is sometimes known as the
common touch, his faithfulness to the party
principles of the past l8 years does constitute
an asset in party eyes. On both domestic mat
ters and foreign policy he has been regular
and in good standing with the professionals in
the party leadership. For this reason, if he were
nominated and subsequently defeated for elec-
ton he might be considered a safe "caretaker"
OF the party for the next four years. Whoever
is nominated by the Democrats this year. if de-
feated in November, will be the titular head of
the party and will have the responsibility for
holding it together and keeping it in good
strength. 1t is point which undoubtedly has
place in party strategy at this time, and may
we'll be the principal reason why Mr.. Truman
and the party leadership are looking with favor
today upon Mr.. Hartman.
Evening star., 1952-04-20
Steel Seizure

I read with considerable interest the
letter from Virginia F. Burns comment
ing on your "scathing" editorial on
THE Steel Seizure
A note of thanks to The Star and to
the numerous other newspapers through
out the country which have spoken out
frankly against President TrumanS in
temperate, unfactual statement to the
American people on the steel situation!
Miss Burns says she read nothing of
the union shop or CLOSED shop as
regards the steel industry until after the
Presidents speech. All can say to that
is that she has not read the papers.
If she failed to note that the union
shop was one of the vital points in the
steel case I ana wondering if she and the
public generally are cogniZant of the
fact that the railroads are up against
the union-shop request too. be-
cause an emergency board appointed by
the President recommended that the
railroads grant the union shop to II of
the so-called standard railroad labor Or
ganizations. A good look at the record
of two of the members of that board
would possibly be enlightening as to why
CIICy dlly ouSI1
That president Truman should ap-
point such a partisan board is not sur
prising when it is remembered that
George NJ Harrison, president of the
Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, one of
the prime movers for the union shop,
must be listened to, as he is one of the
boys" who accompanies President Tru-
man on his transforming tours.
Another political debt paid off. perhaps?
For the benefit of the Virginia F.
Burnses and others, perhaps it would
be well for The Star and other news
papers to rehaSh the railroad union
shop case bacauSe, as Miss Burns says,
it's up to the newspapers ito acquaint
the public with current issues and to
evaluate the right and the wrong" And
certainly nothing could be more
Evening star., 1952-04-20
Peace It's Wonderful
By Bruce Barton

l wonder If you are as disturbed as I
am about certain situation that seems
to be developing in this country. One of
the finest words in the English language
"a gentle, beautiful, soul-Warming word
is being so twisted and tortured that
good people are becoming almost afraid
to speak it. The word is peace"
Officially, of course, everybody is for
peace. The President is for peace: the
Secretary of State is for peace; the
Pentagon is for peace. From time to
time. they go through the motions of
saying SO.
But what really monopolizes all their
thinking and planning and spending is
war. Indeed, peace and war have be-
come so mixed and mingled in their
minds that they have lost all separate
identity.
If any group of American teachers,
Or preachers OF college students, even
whispers, Cant we please have some
body in the United States who is really
thinking and planning peace?" that
group is Immediately smeared as Com
munistic," friends of Stalin,' danger
Gus weakeners of the war effort"
Today the dilemma of the United
States is clear and inescapable. Either
% we go to war or (2' we make up
our minds that Russia and the United
States are going to exist side by side
for a long time, and that we must be
smart enough to accept this situation
and make it work to our long term ad-
vantage.
At present we are giving almost no
consideration to Point 2. Instead Of
figuring out how we can live success
fully with Russia, our officials do MOTH
ing but vluster and threaten.
jC3pyrisht 1852. King Features Syndicate. 1Ech
Evening star., 1952-04-20
Fifty Years Ago in The Star .

reached Washington late yesterday aft
ernoon. He was accompanied by his
two sons. Goro and Otohiko, the former
of whom is interested in Shipyards at
Tokyo and the latter is attending a
school at Springfield, Mass. He was also
accompanied by E. Fukai, an officer of
the Bank of Japan, who is acting as the
counts private secretary, and T. Mae
gaia. director general of the revenues of
the imperial government" Count Mat
sukata, 81 years Of age. was escorted to
the State Department by Mr.. Takahira,
Japanese Ambassador. He then was
taken to the White House by Secretary
John Hay The Star explained that he
twice had been Prime Minister of Japan
and that he had established 1.-The present
financial system of the empire"
The Star for April 25. 1902. carried
the following quotation from the Paris
- La Patrie: England is
Quoted From nation of pirates. who
Lo PotrIe thanks to the protection
of the sea, have been able
to defy the continent for three centuries.
But the day is near at hand when war
will be waged with submarines and air
ships and, when that day comes. Eng
land will expiate her crimes and justice
will triumph, thanks to science"
Lord Kelvin was in Washington on
April "a, 1902, and The Star of that
date chronicled his ap-
Merric SyStem pearance before the
Fovored House Committee on
Coina0e WEIGHTS and
Measures. The great English scientist
supported a bill introduced by Repre-
sentative Shafroth of Colorado, provid-
ing for the adoption of the metric sys-
tenn. Lord Kelvin'S remarks were
followed with much interest by the
members of the committee. He strongly
approved the proposed change, and said
that while he would like, from patriotic
motives, to see his own government take
the lead in an international adoption of
the system, yet he would be glad to see
the United States take the lead in the
movement, so long as the desired end
was accomplished. He approved the idea
embodied in the House bilfs of giving
time for the system to becoLle under
Evening star., 1952-04-20
Breast Beotino

The pattern of our American brand of
totaltarianism will become clear this week.
Philip Murray of the CIO has demanded that
the Government impose" on the steel industry
the full recommendations of the Wage Stabiliza-
ton Board. The President has said that he will
decide precisely what the industry will be COM
PEELED to give the steel workers And Secretary
of Commerce Sawyer, having announced that
he will do what he is told to do, is awaiting the
Presidents command.
So much for the pattern-it is clear enough
The details are yet to be filled in. Whether the
President will impose the recommendations in
their entirety, including the union shop remains
to be seen. One can never tell what Mr. Truman
will do, but the chances are that he will not
have the effrontery to 60 that far. This, how
ever, is matter of detail and relatively unm-
portant. The significant fact is that if he can
impose some settlement on the industry and get
away with it, he can impose any settlement.
Meanwhile, the Capitol is resounding with
senatorial speeches And the Republicans are
trying to put through legislation which would
prevent the use of any Government funds for
the seizure operation of any plant unless
authorized by law This, if passed. might
exercise a restraining effect on the President.
That it actually would do so is doubtful, for
Mr.. Truman is operating under a claim to
powers that are not spelled out in the ConSt-
tuition or in any law. He says he has the power
to do whatever he thinks it is necessary to do,
and when man works himself into that state
of mind he is not apt to be curbed by indirect
legislative restraints.
Furthermore, the ban on the use of funds,
if passed. would not reach the heart of the
problem. Even if it should serve to restrain the
President, it would not protect the Nation from
the steel strike that almost certainly would
follow. A strike, to be sure, could be delayed
for 80 days under the Taft-Hartley Act. But
after that no amount of legislative breast
beating would do any good.
Congress has a duty to come to grips with
this problem 1t ought to adopt legislation pro-
vding equitable standards and procedures for
settling disputes in essential industries, and for
bidding strikes in those industries. If the legis
lators will take their courage in hand and do
this, President can be compelled to follow the
law. In the absence of effective law, however,
the result of tying the Presidents hands would
merely be to guarantee that there will be no
power anywhere for any one to intervene in
behalf of the public interest when a strike
deprives the country of some essential commodity
or service.
Evening star., 1952-04-20
The Louisiana Decision

In freeing five newsmen of defamation
charges, New Orleans Judge j. Bernard Cooke,
in his own words, has mixed "a little horse sense
with the law.
The foundation for the charges against the
newsmen was complaint that their criticisms
of certain Louisiana public officials violated the
general law relating to sander and libel, as we'll
as the Louisiana defamation statute. Judge
Cooke declared the complaint unfounded on the
specific ground that the criticisms were not
written intemperately and maliciously. But
more broadly he upheld the right of any citizen
or newspaper t6 criticize the public acts of
officials, and pointed out that impairment of
that right would open the way to dictatorial
form of government in which discussion OF
public issues might be permitted only to those
holding authority.
Newspaper Endorsement of Judge Cookies
decision is much more than an expression of
satisfaction that five newsmen are not being
found guilty for their performance in their
profession. Freedom of the press is one of the
basic liberties guaranteed to the American
people. 1t is one of the instruments by which
our whole democratic structure is maintained
as democratic If it were to be whitfield away
by capriciouS or deliberate judicial or political
action a dangerous precedent would be set for
a similar undermining of our other essential
freedoms
Accordingly, Judge Cooke rendered service
not only to the newSmen and their profession;
he contributed fresh stone to the strong wall
which protects the American system from mis-
guided or sinister assumption of freedom killing
political power.
Evening star., 1952-04-20

stood before requiring its general adop-
ton" George Westinghouse "also spoke
in favor of the system, although he
pointed out that it would take 10 years
before it would become popular"
X
On April 49, 19O2-St. Georges Day
The Star reported the first meeting of
the Shakespeare
Shokespeore's Birthday Club
Birthday Observed that has been
held in Washing
ton" The occasion was staged early
this morning" and consisted mainly of
a banquet. Edmund Lyons was the
moving spirit but he explained that he
had been inspired by "the late Everett
King" and "the late James Booth Rob-
erts.' Among the Shakespeare enthu-
SiaSts attending we're: John T. Sullivan,
Frederic Sullivan, J. Barton Key Charles
Harbury, Horace McVicker Bruce Nc
Rae, Philander Johnson, Wilfrid North.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bellows, DR.. Walsh, the
Misses Clinton. Walker and Conwell.
The room at Barton'S Hotel in which
the meeting was held was decorated with
scenes from Shakespeare's plays, and
"the table presented dainties charac-
teristic of his time
Featured on the front page of The
Star of April %. 1902, was the story of
the burning of II large
Riggs Form buildings on the famous
Disoster Riggs farm in Prince
Georges County, Md. The
place had been a summer home of the
Riggs family for many years but was
being operated as a dairy property by
william B. Williams and his son, Elwood
Williams. and their wives. Allegedly.
the blaze was discovered in "the new
barn" at about $3.50 in the evening. 1t
soon spread to three-story stone dwell
ing nearby. Nothing was saved" The
main horse barn, the COW barn, chicken
house, roundhouse, blacksmith shop,
washhouse, Toulouse, silo and nine box
stalls were destroyed. The cause of the
conf1agration was unknown. A south
wind carried the fire from one structure
to another. During the excitement some
body ran away with five-gallon can of
milk. awaiting Shipment into Washing
ton.
Evening star., 1952-04-20

On April IA, 1902, the Rev. DR.. T.
Dewitt Talmage, former pastor of
the First Presbyterian
Deoth of Church, died at his
DR. ToImnoe residence, 1400 Massa-
chusetts avenue NV,
and The Star printed lengthy obitu-
ary article concerning him. A native of
Bound Brook NJ j.. born January T.,
1882, he had been educated at the Uni
versity of New York City and the New
Brunswick Theological Seminary. His
early charges were at Belleville. N. j.;
Syracuse, N. Y. and Philadelphia. Dur
ing the Civil War he was chaplain with
Union troops Then, in 1862 he was
called to be minister of the Central
Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn-a po-
sition he held until 1894. Three huge
wooden tabernacles, built for his use,
successfully were destroyed by fire. DR..
Talmage came to Washington in 1895.
He not only was an immensely popular
preacher but also lecturer and syndi-
cate writer with a vast following. 1t
was said of him that he reached 80
million people week. A local colleague
ueclared: IF not the Jeremy Taylor. he
was the John Bunyan of the American
pulpit
The Table and Kitchen" department
of The Star for April %. 1902. contained
the following paragraph:
Spinach Spinach or Spanish Plant:
Reviewed This plant derived its name
from the Spanish monks,
who first used it during fast days. 1t
belongs to the beet family and is gen.
orally served as vegetable, although it
makes very delicate and appetizing
salad. In the spring. when mint is fresh
and green, a few leaves added to the
spinach will improve the flavor whether
it is served as vegetable or salad"
Nothing was said about spinach being
good" for children especially.
X
"a distinguished japanese statesman
is Count Matsukata, who is enjoying
his first visit to
Count Motsukotu the Capital of the
:, Toxr United States and
who was caller. on
rAesident Roosevelt today said The
Syfr of April is, 1902. THE coNt
Evening star., 1952-04-20
Spires of the Spirit
Old at Thirty y-Three

Ours might be called the age-conscious
era. 1t is assumed that the first thing
readers desire to know about any per-
son in the limelight is his age. How
many-years-s -his-birth is the first
information volunteered. The common
custom now in popular publications is to
tie the name and age together. What
ever may be the reason for referring to
man, in politics, in the professions or
in any field of accomplishment or en-
deavor, the public is informed that So
and-so is SIS, less or more. BY common
consent it seems to be assumed that this
gratuitous information is still an ex-
plosive matter in the feminine realm,
and, so, is usually discreetly omitted.
But with men, the decided impression
given is that the age factor is in the
realm OF very vital statistics
The Bible itself perhaps started this
Notwithstanding idea when it wrote af-
ter the name of MethuSaleh $685. But
this ancient worthy's chief distinction
seems to be the number of years he had
accumulated. Apparently, in his record,
there was nothing more than years to
report. What he did with that long span
40 AIOt N1oSAOoNOs
Emerson once remarked: "We do not
count mans years until he has nothing
else to count" History and biography
strongly suggest that the telltale fig
ureS the years ring up on the calendar
register are not nearly as significant as
those supplying the age-tags seem to
assume. Pitkin, who wrote Life Begins
at Forty" is himself now in the 7Os
Some time ago he declared that he would
rather be 70 now than to have been
young in the Greece of Pericles. Yea,
he insists. II would rather be 10 now
and be blind cripple than to have been
young in any other period in history"
He explains this attitude by prophesying
that there is a great new age on the
way, and that men and women today
in their 70s will live to see thrilling
part of it.
What a man has done or what he is
likely to do, what it is still in him to do,
is not glimpsed in the age numerals
printed after his name. A given birthday
may be an epitaph OF a prophecy. In
all that goes to make life zestful and
fruitful one may be young at 83.
In current popular song is the oft
repeated lament "old at 49," and it is
accompanied by the warning: Don't let
this happen to you. don't let this happen
to me-" Old at 33! 1t is possible. Take,
Evening star., 1952-04-20
Mr.. Hartman as q Candidate

: Indications that President Truman and the
Democratic Party leadership are looking with
increasing favor upon the availability of Averel
Hartman as presidential nominee warrant
closer examination of the background and ca
pabilities of the New Yorker.
- Mr.. Hartman has been associated with the
Democratic administration since coming here
in the early New Deal days as an NRA admin
iStrator. In many respects he has background
comparable to that of the late President Franklin
Roosevelt. There was, in fact, close affinity
between the two men, each of them coming
from a family of wealth. each of them having
attended Groton and each of them being COM
mitted to a philosophy of political liberalism
which they felt could best be expressed through
the Democratic Party.
To Government service which has now lasted
for most of two decades, Mr.. Hartman brought
a wide experience and proved competence in
the business world, principally in railroading
and banking In Government service, his actlvi-
ties have covered extremely broad field He
has twice been an ambassador once to Soviet
Russia and once to Great Britain> He has been
Secretary of Commerce He has been trouble
shooter adviser, policy maker and administrator
for both President Roosevelt and President Tru-
man in a variety of undertakings.
In all of these jobs Mr.. Hartman has
labored hard and faithfully. He has been a
loyal servant to the two Presidents and to his
own conception of what should be the proper
course of the American Government in period
Of severe trial.
It is easier to evaluate Mr. Harriman's COM
petence in his past capacities than to appraise
him as political figure He has gained repu-
tation for modesty that extends to degree
of difidence He has not been overly active as
a public speaker He is much more widely known
in namA than in person, bat despite his i'm
pnrt2rtstrs thee hes been relative anonymity
Evening star., 1952-04-20

for instance, Hartley Coleridge, son of the
gifted Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Cleans
of genius were in him from the first.
At 8 years of age he had written several
tragedies, at IL he was a Greek scholar;
at 20 he was appointed fellow of Oriel
College, Oxford. But, alas, by that time
the vistas of unbounded achievement
before him dimmed He drove without
brakes along the primrose road of dissi-
patton. He wrote some lyrics which had
in them poetic fire like opals; but he was
old and done at 33. On that birthday he
wrote:
"Through these gears so drear and dirty.
/ haze come to three and thirty.
What hare these gears brought to me?
Nothing but thirty-three."
Thirty three had meant much to 9TH
ers. Alexander the Great conquered the
known world and died before he was 33.
Raphael had decorated Rome in immor-
tai masterpieces and was in his grave
shortly after 33. Just before he was 33
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Inde-
pendence One seeing 33 after the dis
tinguished name of Coleridge might nat
urally have assumed that the best was
yet to be. But for Little Hartley" at 33,
life was in the yellow leaf.
How different the story of William E.
Gladstone often called England's Grand
Old Man! When the age label after his
name had increased to 81 he got the
notion that he was going downhill
physically He decided to retire from
10 ho h
eral. causes But now. at three score
years, he was tired and sincerely wanted
to step entirely out of onerous public