davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
BY Frederick Brown Harris
Minister, Foundry Methodist Church;
Chapiain. United States Senate.

called ''clownish and ridiculous inter-
eStS," he said, at the last: II catch 40
meaning from all I have seen. and pass
quite as came, confused and dis
mayed" But, turning from that mourn
full attitude, so blind and deaf. new
saint is being lifted up even by mod
ernS-the saint of the angels, the sweet
Maid of orleans, who went to her re-
ward in q fiery chariot because che
would not deny that in her simple
village Of Domrey she had listened with
joyous awe to blessed angel voices like
bells at evening pealing. As, blessed
Joan of Arc! Some said, there are no
voices; others said an angel spake
to her!
In book just of the press news
paper reporter. speaking Of this turn
ing from thunder to angels. declares.
after a survey of the entire nation:
People are gobbling up religious books
as though they were spiritual headache
tablets"
There came in the mail recently
copy of daily newspaper, published
in q good-sized city, which featured
the story of Jesus with the same big.
black headlines as are usually reserved
for reporting the salacious thunder Of
domestic tempeStS. Many signs con-
firm the assertion Of preacher in the
Middle West, who says: Everybody is
feeling for something, listening for
something. People are hoping that they
can catch o bit Of that something as
the rush goes by" Yes, Enthusiastically.
there is new reaching out even in
our scientific day for realities that do
not show up under q microscope, and
which cannot be discerned by a tele-
scope. Looking at those who have been
living in a world from which the angels
of the spiritual life~have disappeared,
and speaking of those who have turned
from the old religious securities and
Sanctities and have found naught but
moral Illustration, Walter ~Lppman de-
clares: Having lost their faith. they
have lost the certainty that their lives
are significant, and that it matters
what they do with their life. They have
succeeded only in substituting trivial
illusions for majestic faith"
And majestic faith has to do not
with thunder. but with angels. The
stormclouds, black with muttering
wrath, pass. Always. the blue sky is
the truth. The thunder of Calvary had
died to silence when angel forms at
an empty tomb hailed the radiant Life
cross could not stop.
Angels, sing on. Your faithful matches
keeping,
Sing as stDeet fragments of the songs
above,
Till mornings joy shall end the night
of tDeepin0
And Hte's long shadows break in
cloudleSs IoDe."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
Fifty Years Ago in The Star -.
Another Washingtonian.

Manning, John McKenny. Ridgley
Scuthron, Howard Ludwig, Lewis Mer-
Ram, Adolph Farrah, Margaret Men
Eel, Zina Sykes, Jean Crawford. Natilee
Blake, Gladys Moore. Edna McKnew.
Leona Kidwell, Vivian Peavy, Helen
Bollanger. Edna Lockwood, Aletta and
Anna Magruder, Viola Lenderberger,
Edna Thomas, Helen Appler, Flora
Linkins, Katherine Philips, Clair and
Florence Collins, Marguerite Powell,
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles E. Watson, Boyd
Watson, T. B. Hubbell, Mrs. william
Andrew Boyd and Miss Purman. When
uueried last week, neither Karl Kin
dleberger nor Luther Linkins could
recall the occasion specified, but
both remembered Garnet and many
Of the other children mentioned.
A meeting Of members Of the Wash
ington Academy Of Sciences and affil-
lated societies was held
Tributes to in the lecture hall Of
Maj. Powell Columbian University on
the evening of Febru-
airy 16. 1903, and The Star for the next
day reported. the proceedings at length.
DR.. Charles D. Walcott presided.
Speaker David B. Henderson discussed
Maj. P0well,s career as q soldier IN the
Union Army during the Civil War; Prof.
Charles r. VanHise, his work as an ex-
plorer. particularly with regard to his
expedition through the canyons Of the
. Colorado River; and Prof. q. x. Gil
bert his services as head Of the Geologic
cal Survey. Further homage was paid
by DR.. w. j. MCGEE. who told Of Mai.
Powell's interest In ettnology, and Prof.
S. p. Langley. who described Maj. Pow
ell as an individual Of many admirable
traits. A "downpour Of rain and sleet"
did not prevent % g0od-sized audience"
from being present.
Under date Of February 10. 1908, The
star published the text Of letter writ
ten by Attorney
sBuyinQs the General r. G. Knox
pnnor,o ConnI to NJ. 30, president
or the Council Of
Administration Of the Compagnie Nou-
yelle du CaNhl du Panama, Rue
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15

past president Of the Association Of Old
est inhabitants and chairman of the
Citizens Joint Committee on National
Representation. He wrote the civic
column of The Star from November -,
1888, to August 8, 1852.
The Star for February 10. 1908. re-
ported the death Of Hubbard r. Smith,
United States vice con-
Death OF sui at Cairo, Egypt. He
Hub Smith had been III for q long
time, but the news
nevertheless brought q sense OF shock
to many friends In Washington. Hub"
had been popular figure here. He was
q physician but preferred "shoW busi-
ness to medicine. Having helped to
found the Columbia Athletic Club, he
took an active part in its programs.
A poet and composer, he produced
many songs which won international
acclaim. the number including Sweet
hearts and Wives" Swinging in the
Grapevine Swing" THE Song That
Broke My Heart" and Listen to My
Tale Of Woe" At different times he
was employed in the War Department.
the Treasury Department and the Gen.
sus Bureau. He became private secre-
tary to Secretary Of State John w.
Foster in 1892. The following year he
was sent to Paris IN connection with
the Bering Sea arbitration. Later he
served In Turkey and Japan. He was
in China when the Boxer insurrection
broke out in 1900.
+.
The society column Of The Star
on February 16, 1903. carried para
graph about Q Valentine
Valentine party given by Mrs. M. l..
Porty Chamblin Of 1912 @ street
NV. for her daughter,
Garnet, Il years Of. age on February
IA. Guests included: Luther Linkins.
David and Karl Kindlehergei. Mark
Finley, Marshall Dun. Bryan and
Glen Morse, George Maguder.; Tom
and Carter Rust, Carlyle Whiting, Ed
ward Powell. win Hammett. Raymond
Bel, WIN Dunn. Walter Lockwood,
Malcolm and Harold Moa9an. Landcn
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15

Plans for So million worth Of Inn
provements to the Capitol were dis
cussed in The Star on
Extending February II, 1903. The
The copitoI major project mem
toned was that Of ex-
tending the east front ION the origi-
nal Walter plan." approved by the
then President, Mr.. Fillmore" Elliott
Woods, superintendent, now argued:
walter has left as a heritage the
present plans. He has left a picture
of his conception Of the completed
Capitol. What greater tribute to his
remarkable genius could be paid than
to say that, if completed In accordance
with his plans, the Capitol viii gain
a splendid addition, and yet. as one
views it from the viewpoint supposed
In the prospective, it Is still the Capt.
tol?" Had the proposal been accepted,
the Senate would have had SO new
offices to use and the House of Rep
resentatives a like number. The cost
of the addition was estimated at $50
million. Half a century later, the
work still remains unauthorized -de-
spite the pleas Of all Of Walters and
Woods successors.
On February. II. 1908, The Star
printed the names Of Jesse c. Suter and
Frances e. Hough as
SuteF-Houeh recipients Of q license to
Weddino wed. They were married
the same day at the old
Hamline Methodist Church, the Rev.
Lucian Clark officiating. Clara Mac
intosh, now Mrs. Rainey. was maid Of
honor, DR.. Paris Brengle best man and
Harry w. Nichols an usher. ALI three
of these attendants win be present
at an "at home this afternoon at 1912
Blair road NV. when Mr.. and Mrs.
Suter, celebrating their golden anni-
versary, will receive three generations
of friends. Their children are Courtney
Thurza Elizabeth (Mrs. William Her
bert Parsons and Hazel Edna lAdrs.
]. r. s. Meek, I'D. One Of six grard-
children carries on the name Of Jesse.
Mr.. Suter, 80 last October %. still Is
Sactive In washington civic a6atn Is
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15

Of that eastern sky: so they stand today.
To some. the world is great whisper
ing gallery, and everywhere there are
voices divine. To others, there are no
voices, simply noises. In the clouds Of
time and sense there come to pass just
collisions of physical elements, going it
blind; and, in human relationships. but
the harsh mutterings Of evil passions
and selfish ambitions The better angels
of human nature are nowhere to be
seen. Thunder represents the final
word of the universe. And now, as a
newspaper reporter summing up this
philosophy Of thunder has recently put
it: "We have come through the pagan
'20s, the depressing sos, the warning
4Os and on into the A-bomb sos"
Out of these upheavals is emerging
multiplying number of puzzled humans
with a new poignancy asking, what
does life really mean?" There is a
growing realization among frustrated
and disilluSioned people that the tan
gibles are about exhausted, and that
they have led to futility. These people
see now that progress is not an eScala-
tor, that expanding knowledge does not
always lead to abundant life. 1t may
lead to hell. That the harnessed secrets
Of nature form no stairway to the
Utopia we thought, and that boosted
knoW-how does not lead to know-why
is now perfectly clear. Explaining
increasingly evident that there is some
thing else in life's equation beside
thunder. After all, may it not be that
there are angels? Which means
there is God
Surely there is more to this mystic
experience which stretches across the
isthmus from cradle to grave than
meets the eye or ear Of sense! There
is more than Theodore Dresser found.
Hearing only the thunder Of what he
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
Farm Belt Fears

Some Of the things that Secretary of Agri-
culture Benson has been saying make economic
sense.
It is sensible to say that "price supports
which tend to prevent farm production shifts
toward q balanced supply in terms Of demand
and which encourage unecononic production
and result in continuing heavy SURPRISES and
subsidies should be avoided" It is sensible
to say that "ineficiency should not be subsi-
died in agriculture or any other segment of
our economy" It is also sensible to say that
emergency programs should be terminated as
soon as the emergency is over"
It is not sensible however, in the political
sense at least, for the Secretary Of Agriculture
to describe farm price supports as disaster
insurance" or for him to suggest that these
supports are to be looked upon as a kind of
"relief program" The differences to be drawn
from such comments are bound to send chill
down the agricultural spinal column as they
revive memories of the grim depression days
on the farm. Remarks couched in this kind of
language also furnish ammunition to the
political opposition.
Mr.. Benson, in all fairness to him, has
tried to undo this rhetorical damage. Return
ing from st. Paul, where the statements referred
to were made, he has reiterated his intention
to support basic crops at full 80 per cent of
parity as prescribed by law. Furthermore, it
is impossible to believe that the Eisenhower
administration has the slightest intention, as
Georgia's Senator Russell puts 1t, of throwing
the farmer to the wolves" To do that would
be political suicide for the Republicans, and
there is no evidence that they are in a suicidal
mood.
The fact remains, however, that the slump
in farm income, and particularly in livestock
prices, which are not supported, has been
serious. It was estimated in January that net
farm income has dropped % per cent since
1947. According to the Bureau of Agricultural
Economics, farmers from 1912 through 1947
retained as net income about so per cent Of
their annual gross income. In 1852 only about
SO per cent of gross income was retained as net
income-the smallest percentage ever recorded
except in the depression years of 1921 and
1888.
It may well be that some farm prices,
cattle prices in particular, have been too high.
Certainly the retail consumer thinks So Some
adjustment is desirable, and there no doubt is
merit in Mr.. Benson's desire to look, within
reason, to the remedial action of "free
market" Still, the downward trend of farm
prices is ominous, for this has been the fore
runner OF depression in the past It would
seem the part of wisdom, both political and
economic, for the Secretary of Agriculture to
stop talking about disaster insurance" and to
let it be known in unmistakable terms that
this administration is not going to let the
farmers be pushed to the edge Of disaster before
coming vigorously to their aid.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
Keeping Assessments Up to Dote

Any arbitrary restraint on the authority of
a county to keep real estate assessments reason
ably up to date could adversely affect the
countys financial standing. There is such a
restraint in the new assessment plan which goes
into operation in Maryland next year. 1t is
the freezing" of assessments for three-year
periods. The States House of Delegates recog-
nized this defect in the law when it voted
overwhelmingly to permit the annual recording
Of reassessments in Montgomery County or any
other county which desired to go on an annual
basis.
The proposed change in the law is Inn
portant to Montgomery County because
three-year assessment freeze" would tend also
to freeze the borrowing power Of that growing
community. Montgomery today Is close to the
estimated limit of its debt capacity, as based on
present property assessments. If property values
should riSe-aS they are expected to do-during
the frozen-assets period, the county could not
benefit from increased valuations until the
three-year long reassessment operation had
been completed. The effect of this restriction
would be to shackle the hands Of the County
Council for three-year period, in the face of
increasing demands for more classrooms and
other public facilities
The amendment advocated by the Mont
gomery Council, Endorsed by the State Legisla-
tive COuncu ana approved py the house would
leave the three-year plan operative In counties
where there is no need for more frequent
recording Of assessments This discretionary
authority could work two ways. In times of
rising values. such as prevail today the property
owners would carry a heavier load Of the tax
burden than they would when values were de-
pressed. Many property owners contend that
they are carrying too much Of the tax burden
now. That may be true, but tax rates and
assessments are separate questions. Whatever
the tax rate, assessments should be kept abreast
of changing values. =
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
Ag0in-ReIief Roll Secrecy

Our local Board of Public Welfare is slow
70 learn In preparing new public assistance
bill for submission to Congress, it is again
blindly insiStent on provision which arbi-
trarily imposes complete secrecy on relief rolls.
The Senate refused to approve that provision
last year. The Senate and House undoubtedly
will refuse to approve it this year For in
principle at least, the provision contradicts
policy which Congress affirmed in 1851
That policy is to leave to the States the
degree of confidentiality which the States land
the District of Columbia) may wish to impose
on relief rolls. The policy was expressed by
Congress when it repudiated and abandoned
previous practice, under which Federal funds
were withheld from States which did not i'm
pose complete secrecy on the relief rolls under
standards dictated in Washington
Last January the Board of Public Welfare,
IN submitting new public assistance bill, asked
secrecy by law on the District relief rolls The
Senate turned down that provision, substituting
one which very properly leaves the degree Of
relief-roll secrecy to the discretion of the Dis
trict Commissioners With this change and
few others, it approved the new public assistance
bill But the bill never got before the House,
and must be reintroduced again. And again
the Board of Public Welfare is trying to put
across its drastic provision on secrecy.
The Board of Public Welfare and its UNI
fortunate wards have probably suffered more
from an unintelligent preoccupation with
secrecy than from lack of appropriations Be-
cause Of this secrecy it commands little public
interest or understanding of its difficult work
1t has blindly adopted as gospel truth the
unrealistic dogma of the professional social
workers. who preach that accessibility of relief
rolls to public examination would bring about
many evil results None of these imaginary
evils has followed in the seven States, including
Virginia, which have abandoned secrecy. The
results have been beneficial, rather than
harmful, and no legitimate receivers of public
assistance have been Inundated or held up to
public ridicule.
What should be done here is to leave to
the Commissioners the business of drawing up
regulations relating to public inspection of the
relief rolls The Commissioners would, no
doubt, conduct public hearings and listen to
the pros and cons of secrecy before drafting
their regulations. It is gratifying that the
Commissioners Advisory Council has supported
that procedure. The Board of Public Welfare
has unhappily swallowed so much hokum on the
subject that it is probably incapable of a de-
tached approach. The Commissioners, however,
should insist on provision of the new welfare
bill that leaves the matter of secrecy to regula-
tons to be prepared by them. The Star believes
: they would act wisely in the matter, and in the
public interest.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15

Louis-le- Grand, Paris, reading as fol-
lows: by direction of the President of
the United States, have the honor to
say that the offer Of the New Panama
Canal Company, as contained in your
kilograms Of January and II, 1902,
through Admiral Walker, to sell the
property and rights Of the company on
the ISthmus Of Panama and In Paris,
to which offer M. Gautron, liQuidator
Of the Universal mteroceanic Panama
proval Of the civil tribunal Of the Seine,
is hereby accepted, subject to modifica-
tons Of Articles al and "a Of the con-
customary contract by the ratification
by both countries and the going into
effect Of the pending treaty concerning
the Panama Canal between the United
States and Colombia, now signed and
awaiting ratification. The President de-
Sires that the PROCEEDINGS necessary to
the transfer Of the title and possession
Of the property be forwarded as much
as possible. to the end that when the
pending treaty is ratified and goes into
effect nothing viii remain to be done
but to consummate the transaction by
delivery Of possession and the payment
Of the consideration. Cash In the
amount Of $40 million was to be paid to
the French to close the deal.
On February 4. 1903. The Star
printed q telegram from Thermopolis.
Wyo.. reading n part:
Reel Wild West "a band Of masked
Thriller men raided the sheep
camp of William Min.
mich, 80 miles northeast Of Therm-
opolis, shot Minnich through the
lungs, dynamited and slaughtered
800 head Of sheep and burned
the outfit wagons. The herder
escaped and brought news Of the at
tack to Thermopolis. At last accounts
Minnich was alive, but there Is little
hope for his recovery" The identity Of
the men who committed the crimes re-
ported was unguessed. except that It
was known that "the sheep herdefs and
cattleMen Of that section have been on
the verge Of war Tor some time"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
The Rosenberg Case

It gives me great deal Of satisfac-
ton to see that our new President has
overruled the wailingS Of a crop Of
Communist Jerks who protest that the
death penalty is too harsh a. punish-
ment for the responsibility of the
potential destruction of millions Of
American lives.
However, since this death penalty is
without precedent, and since it is
punishment now for something that
may happen in the future, propose
the following:
1. That by act Of Congress the Rosen-
bergs be given stay Of execution until
one week after the death Of the first
American citizen resulting from atomic
weapons of Russia or Russian satellites,
whether on American or foreign soil.
This act should be worded so that 1t
can be repealed only by affirmative vote
of all Representatives and Senators.
together with the signature Of the
President.
q That pending execution, the Rosen-
bergs be held absolutely incommuni-
cado, including the receiving Of news
of the world outside the prison.
Remember 1.-THE Man Without q
Country?
John Marshall.
4 4
There seems little doubt that the
overweening circumstance pushing the
Rosenbergs toward execution is the
heightened feeling which now charac-
terizes the political climate Of the
Nation. This state is transitory one.
While. 1t lasts, the fact Of the unprece-
dented severity of the sentence is ig-
nored as well as the more basic conten-
ton of Chief Justice Wolfe Of the
Supreme Court of Utah that there
remains reasonable doubt as to guilt.
Americas tomorrow may be ire
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
Funds for Medical Research

In regard to a letter titled Doctors
Forgotten Patients" sympathize with
the writer's feelings. but there are many
diseases Of the body and mind that
would be benefited by money drives.
Certainly glandular and nervous dis
orders are not the only forgotten"
ones!
Somewhere there are one, two, or
even small group Of people doing re-
search on these many rare disorders. 1t
would be impossible to hold fund-rais-
ing drives for every disease known to
science.
Let us not begrudge these societies
their much-needed money. Also, may
remind the writer that cancer, polio,
heart disease, etc., select no particular
person-they may strike at someone
already afflicted.
Jean Snellings.
May I add my voice to that Of "A
Reader" In plea for q new approach
to the problem Of mental health? Doc
tors admit that in many cases they do
not know the cause Of nervous break
downs and other mental alterations,
so that basic research is badly needed
and long overdue.
Meanwhile, something should be done
about the miserable conditions which
exist in our mental hospitals and close
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
Segregation News

In letter to The Star an unnamed
"rWashingtonian' deplored the fact that
one could not pick up newspaper
without reading something concerning
segregation. He resented having this
subject damned down his throat"
In our country where discrimination
in one form or another affects Is mil
lion Negroes, million Jews, million
Mexicans and hundreds of thousands
of Orientals, 1t is not surprising that
news of unfair treatment Of these
American citizens reaches the papers
daily. To report such news Is the obli-
CATION Of a free press.
# it is deplorable to read, news daily
about segregation, how much more
deplorable it Is to experience the biased
and unfair treatment that one reads
about. II segregation didn't exist then
there would be no news concerning it.
The problem seems to me then to be
one of eliminating segregation and not
suppress news exposing it.
John v. williams.
am in full accord with the thinking
Of "Washingtonian"- he Is tired
of reading and hearing about nom
segregation.
Who is going to organize the National
Council for the Advancement Of White
People?
Another Washingtonian.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15

Yugoslavs-whos credit rating is good-would
be hard put to repay it because Of their current
pattern Of trade with the non-dollar world.
Since only European currencies are involved,
however, repayment is expected to be relatively
easy for them-a fact that makes doubly adj
mirable a transaction designed to add ap-
preciably to their economic strength as they
continue to stand firm, in indirect association
with the West, against the Soviet threat.