davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Purge in Pyongyong

One of the first big post-truce developments
in North Korea is the purging-a la Lavrenti
Beria-of twelve Communists described as high
officials" in the puppet Pyongyang regime.
Unlike Beria, they have never won any head
lines in the outside world, but apparently they
are we'll known over there Presumably, if
they have not been shot already, most of them
soon will be. Just why, however is not clear.
Nothing is ever clear when the Red totalitarans
liqudate each other
According to the Communist radio, the
luckleSs twelve are guilty of having acted as
secret espionage agents for the United States
and of having plotted to overthrow Pyongyang's
peoples democratic government" But this
charge-Similar to the one lodged against Beria
in The Soviet Union-may be presumed to be
nothing but cover-up designed to hide the real
reason for the purge. Actually, it is not incon-
ceivable that President Syngman Rhees intel
ligence service in Seoul has been right in
reporting that these people have been cut
down for having been pro-RusSan rather than
pro-ChineSe. After ALL with Macs huge armies
in there North Korea has been in vaSsalage to
Peping ever since october, 1850, and Peiping
may feel now that its own puppets, instead of
the Kremlin's, should be put in charge to run
the place as a province of Red China
If this is so, if the purge constitutes a
move by Mao Tze-tuRg to become master Of
North Korea by getting rid of Soviet control
agents, then the situation contains significant
Titoist potentialitieS that could develop into
parting of the ways between Peiping and
Moscow. But only the foolishly wishful would
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10

Wartime tactics of hunting out and
killing the enemy apply with special
point to the black widow spider and
her brood.
Recent housing developments in
nearby Maryland have turned up lot
of black widow spider nests.
These are usually found near stones.
Every one moving into such develop
ment should take care to look for these
nests, and to utterly destroy them and
contents at once.
Insect sprays may or may not do any
good, in the usual sense; the best thing
is to root out and stamp upon, or burn,
all nests and contents, and to pursue
the main culprit, the female, which is
the dangerous one.
Usually there are many little ones
running around, with the old lady not
in sight. But she is there. waiting her
time. and may dart out to attack the
human intruder. Watch for her!
X
Several varieties of spiders are poison
Gus, but none causes the trouble of the
widow.
She may be told by her large body.
coal black, and her very long legs.
The body is about half an inch long.
The mature female has a red or
orange hourglasS marking on the belly,
but few houSeholders ought to get
close enough to see that.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10

The venom is called neurotoxic, that
is, it causes an ascending motor paraly-
sis, with destruction of nerve endings
Quickly there develop weakness.
tremor, and great pain in the limbs.
Abdominal cramps and rigidity of the
abdomen follow.
Few persons except doctors have ever
had experience with such cramps and
rightly.
Unless proper treatment is given.
reduced heart beat follows with stupor
and delirium, ending in commissions.
Washings and application Of the
usual antiseptics out of small bottles
are said to be waste of time.
Morphine, phenobarbitol and calcium
gluconate are some Of the remedies
used. with a specific antivenin.
In some cases, convalescence takes
weeks, with muscular weakness, ting
ling in the limbs. and numbness.
It may be realized that the black
widow spider is, then, extremely dan
gerous.
All new properties should be given
strict inspection, especially where old
outhouses once may have stood, and
near stones.
Children are in special danger. since
there small bodies will hold exactly
the same amount Of venom that would
be spread over an adults larger body.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
How 1t All Started

A recent letter by John E. Kelly crit
icizes a previous letter by Richard L.
Feldman for placing the beginning OF
the income tax as about 1916" Mr..
Kelly informs us that the income tax
was instituted latter the War Between
the States"
Leaving aside any comment on Mr..
Kelly's remaks concerning the evil ef-
fects of the income tax (Which may be
as faulty as his facts, let us examine
his factual approach. According to Will
liam l.. Langer's Encyclopedia of World
History, Vol. 2, page ITO, the income tax
was instituted in August, 1861. This
was five months after the firing on Fort
Sumter, or roughly four years before
the WAR Between the States" or the
"War for Southern Independence" was
concluded.
The income tax was revived as part
of the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act of
1894. In my monograph on Joseph
Croker Sibley, Pennsylvania Political
Maverick" dealt with the con-
gressional career of Representative Sib-
ley in the period 1890-1910-I elabo-
rated on the congressional debate on
the income tax which occupied the Sec
ond session of the SD Congress. AL
though the income tax was passed, as
a part of the Wilson, German tariff, it
was declared unconstitutional in 1895,
only to be revived as an amendment to
the Constitution and declared effective
on February IS, 1913. The Underwood
Tariff Act of 1918 contained gradu-
ated surtax on incomes above $4,000.
Tho raol innetuS tn the growth of
the income tax has been furnished by
two world wars and not as a DELHI
crate design to destroy States rights or
to develop a monolithic governmental
structure AS a matter of fact, many
Southern Congressman supported the
income tax provision in an effort to
supply needed revenue which was nee
essary if the historic Southern position
of low tariff was to be carried out.
Lewis w. Rathgeber, Jr.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
BY Ernie Hill

NEW DELHI. - Jawaharlal Nehru
pushed aside his mornings work re-
Gently, called in three of his closest
friends and spent most of the day
pulling apart the question WHITTIER
India?"
AS the teeming subcontinent cele-
brates its sixth anniversary of indie
pendence August IS, the question
sands of schoolhouses, drawing rooms
and private clubs.
Few countries in the world are more
preoccupied about where they are
going.
Few are as confused over the con-
fiicting currents that rush them
perilouSly close to treacherouS rocks,
then swirl them out to midstream and
headlong toward new dangers.
Nehru himself is described as a high
caste Brahmin conservative who likes
to talk out of the left side of his mouth.
His police brutally smash Commu-
mist demonstrators one week.
The next week he explains why most
of the country's aid projects are con-
centrated. in the north. In the south,
he says, the Communists are strongest
and he does not want them to exploit
the idea that he is introducing Western
things and aligning himself with the
West.
He sends an ambulance corps to Ko-
rea to assist the United Nations. He
accepts the designation as neutral"
country when it comes to prisoner-of-
war supervision And he is prime
apologist for and champion of the
Chinese Communist government
This just about covers the field-left,
right and center.
So it is no wonder that whittier
India?" not only disturbs Indian citi-
zens and American political analysts,
but also is a question that the Nehru
government is not certain about.
Diplomatic acrobat, ascetic. non-vio-
lent Gandhi disciple with violent rec
ord toward Pakistan. professed demo-
crat and Communist apologist-Nehru
was a great lieutenant in the fight for
independence but he is considered
mediocre administrator with fuzzy
mindedness about communism. He has
been compared to the confused New
Dealers" who ran Washington 10 to Is
years ago.
Three points loom clear in India's in
tricate picture:
/. The Hindu religion, with q rigid
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Dubious VICTORY

Although it has been described as "vic-
tory" for the administration, the foreign aid
bill falls a good deal short of granting the full
sum originally asked for by the President His
requeSt-Submitted after he himself had slashed
over 81 billion off the $76 billion recommended
for the same purpose in the Truman budget
was for approximately $54 billion in new funds
to finance the operations of the Mutual Sc
curity Agency during the current fiscal year.
What he has received is $4.5 billion-or 5000
million less than the total he sought when
Congress first took up the MSA legislation.
This legislation went through number of
cutting stages. In the beginning, Congress
voted to authorize $5.1 billion for economic and
military aid through the MSA. The reduction
was acceptable to the President but he warned
and so did Secretary Dulles, General Gruen-
ther and other key political and military au-
thoritieS-that a major cut below the new
figure would involve dangerous risks. Never
theess, when the time came to appropriate the
funds, the House made an additional slash of
ST. billion, bringing the total down to 81
billion. At this point in an urgently ,worded
letter to Chairman Bridges of the Senate APP
preparations Committee, the President declared
his conviction that such drastic economizing-
If carried throUgh-Woud have grave con-
sequences" in terms of setting back the defensive
build-up of the free world.
In effect, the Presidents letter asked that
the Senate restore most, if not all, of the Sill
billion cut and Congress finally enacted the
compromise legislation that has just been
signed This compromise however, still repre-
sents major slash, and if the President did
not exaggerate in his earlier warnings, it is
slash that adds up to gamble whose con-
sequences may yet prove to be very SeriouS-a
gamble that does not look like much of
victory" for the administration. Of course,
since the bill also provides for the spending of
$21 billion of carry-over funds from prior ap
preparations, the impact of the reduction may
be less severe than has been feared. But
only time can tell about that, one way or the
other.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Judging the Beauty Queens

The beauty queens are with us again.
Seldom day passes without the choice, here
in Washington or in some other parts of this
broad land, of Miss or Mrs. Something who
has been able to outstrip all her competitors
and win the title. The frequent photographs of
these beauty queens, in addition to the revela-
ton of vast acreageS of exposed skin, and other
qualities too obvious to mention, emphasize
striking smilitude in the architecture of the
female figure and demonstrate a phenomenon
which has not received the attention it de-
serves: Namely, that all beauty queens look
alike.
How do the judges of beauty contests deal
with this battling problem? What are they
looking for when they select a winner? When
they get down to the bare facts, what is it that
makes them choose Miss Whoozis as against
Miss Whatsername? Facial characteristics are
elements of beauty. Are certain arrangements
of facial contours more appealing to the judges
than others? If the final decision is based on
facial contours, however, why is it that such
extraordinary prominence is given to other
contours-a prominence that tends to make the
face of a contestant a not-always- pleasant
afterthought?
Perhaps we should give more attention in
this country to standardizing the rules in judg-
ing beauty contests, so that there will be no
variations, based on prejudice as between
standards of feminine beauty in the 48 States
and the District of Columbia. Fair contests
depend on fair Interpretation of fair rules. AS
incredible as it may seem Congress has never
standardized the rules of judging in beauty
contests including admissibility of evidence
Certain points in some Jurisdictions seem to
outweigh the same points in others. The
condition is one that cries aloud for remedy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10

caste system that makes advancement
in this lifetime impossible, is India's
greatest deterrent to communism. Com
munism cannot abide fatalism toward
improving ones position.
2. Nehru is convinced that India can
never become a healthy, progressive
country freed of illiteracy, disease and
starvation unless the basic precepts of
Hinduism are altered and superstitions
are torn away.
3. In changing India and giving the
people hope for better life, Nehru will
be unleashing the genii of ambition
from the bottle of Hinduism. When the
people are convinced that India owes
them more than poverty, communism
undoubtedly will experience a tremen-
dous boom. It promises everything in
a hurry to large masses.
Those Indians who have broken the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Note to q Friend

There Is not time non, In the grounded
years,
For the immediate acknowledgement
OF friendships ttoughttulness; letter
sent
In understanding of an hour wten tears
Oppressed the heart, or any letter
sharing
A good experience fully, or small
Gift sent "becauSe it looked like you"
and all
The little acts that testify OF caring.
But though tDe hare not leisure nom
to pen
The hearts response as quickly as
ne could
In earlier days. and that response 1as
good
To haze, ue are not poorer no,D than
then,
Since noW ne haze this satisfying Cloto
Because, Without the need OF words.
Ue knotD.
Jone Merchant
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Letters to The Star

been members Of the railroad unions
are being required to join and pay
dues to these unions under penalty of
being fired from their jobs if they
fail to do so. Many thousands of peo-
pie in various other industries who
have performed the duties of their
employment competently and for long
periods of years, but who are opposed
to joining unions, are now being placed
under similar compulsion.
I think the general public believes
in the right of the working man to
join a labor union. But think the
general public, if ever presented with
the issue, will just as truly denounce
and condemn those who force him to
join against his will. There must be
freedom to join labor unions in this
land and likewise freedom not to join!
In such matter, liberty meanS-if it
means neutrality-suspicious. freedom
of choice.
1t is said, however, that the ma
jority controls. But when amy ma
jority is in power, the rights Of the
minority are not to be wholly dis
regarded. Is that not assured to us
by our constitutional form Of gov
eminent? When one political party
wins, the losers do not all have to
join it-not yet, at least-in the
United States of America. What sort
of oppression would it be if every
body in town we're required to join
the same church-or the largest
church-or any church, for that matter.
In this land there should be no
compelled allegiance to any organiza-
ton, except to government itself. So
long as they are within the law, the
rights of minorities, of dissenters. OF
non-conformists and non-joiners must
be respected and their freedom OF
choice and decision maintained in
violate. Through the centuries there
have been unnumbered thousands
who have died that this shall be so!
E. S. billiard,
President Old Dominion Box Com
pany, Inc, Charlotte, N. C.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Compulsory Unionism

It seems to me that there has been
very little public attention directed
to a matter now widely developing in
this country, which constitutes
serious threat to the liberties OF
American citizens.
refer to the rapid spread of various
arrangements for compulsory union
ism, by which hundreds of thousands
of people are being forced to join
labor unions and pay dues and fees
to them or else give up their jobs. So
completely wrong does this seem to
me, and such an alarming trend for
the future of all of us, that I have
decided to do what I can to help make
the general public aware of it.
AS this is being written. approx
mately 100000 employees of the rail-
roads of this country who have not
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Hordships Ashore

An item in The Star August made
me pause and reflect on the vanishing
concern over the fate of the United
States Navy. The item concerned the
intention to raise the rent of naval
housing to a comparable status with
that of civilian housing" and ordinarily
it wouldn't have rated second glance
except for the fact that over the past
ten years first this organization then
that committee has cut and hacked
away at various service inducements
until today virtually none remains. The
phase comparable status with that OF
civilian" is much overworked and hack
neyed and has resulted in far too many
restrictions on the Serviceman without
commensurate compensations, and !
shudder at the thought of where il
might lead.
AS recently as one year ago, headlines
were screaming that only Is per cent
of the hard core" of the Army re-
manned, and that men with IA and Is
years service were not re-enlisting. A
hue and cry>went up, but not hand
was lifted to stop the attrition of in
ducements; not a voice was raised to
make the service more attractive.
Let us look at the record: Sale o.
taX-free gasoline at service installations
was the first to go. Ill-conceived uni
form changes at ever-increasing prices
made their inroads on the Servicemans
pay. Income taxes, returning the serv-
icemans pay whence 1t came, bit deep
into the bread" money. Rents and
living costs sweep ever upward. Service
commissaries are greatly curtailed
where they are permitted to exist at all.
Family men have been restricted against
being accompanied by their families on
tours of duty involving less than six
months, or where it is deemed in the
interest of economy not to be a perma-
nent change of station.
Now the ak is about to descend on
Navy housing, always inadequate. and
poorly conceived and constructed, but
a haven nevertheless to those men in
the lower pay grades who have families
and who are fully as deserving as their
high-salaried civilian counterpartS who
prefer to live in the land Of the free at
the expense of their less illustrious
brethren. and enjoy all the fruits
thereof.
Inducements? Look at them.
c. S.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
World on Powder Keq

Those who like to build their air
castles high these hot summer days
will delight in assurances that the
Soviet Union sits on powder key"
of subjugated peoples and is ready to
fall apart at the seams"
The truth is. the entire world sits
on an atomic powder key. One false
move on our part could lead those who
value life lightly to strike the first
blow. We would undoubtedly strike the
last, but at inconceivable cost in life
and property in our exposed industrial
centerS.
Few Muscovites have been beyond
the Iron Curtain. Reared on Marxist
lies, they identify capitalism with
imperialism and war. Twice they have
seen their country ravaged by capitalist
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
|ndio's Leader at Times Appears Lost

shackles of Hinduism are turning to
communism in large numbers. The
simple promise of dividing up the land
and chattels of the rich among the poor
is too easy.
Nehru, their own leader, is friendly
with Moscow and Peiping. The Chi
nese Communists officially are their
friends. Thousands of tons of propa-
ganda pour into India to tell Indians
the easy way to get what they want.
And what Of democracy?
Democracy is what India has today.
Conditions are abominable. That's the
way they see it. You hear all the time
among university students:
IF this is democracy, let's try some
thing else"
The problem is indeed a tricky one
OF midas $50 million people, almost
800 million are illiterate and hopelessly
tied up with fatalism and the caste sys-
tenn.
To liberate them may be to deliver
them to communism. The Communists
are churning and they are out to get
India.
To liberate the Indians and make them
want freedom and democracy requires
lot of doing.
Living standards must be raised as
education is administered. If enlight-
eminent comes first, the Communists
will rush into the vacuum and exploit
the conditions of poverty.
Better living and democracy must
go hand in hand. This may be difficult
for Nehru because he will have to de-
mand sacrifices from the "banya" or
capitalist class and the privileged Brah-
minis who are a mainstay in the Con-
gress Party.
Nehru also must see the Communist
threat within his own house.
Most Americans see it, but Nehru
belittles their fears.
Forces in India must be modified to
work as hard for freedom and democ-
racy as the Communists work for then
program of promises and slavery.
AS it now stands, Nehru shows little
inclination in this direction.
So long as he remains aloof playing
the role of great internationalist,
India will continue to drift toward
communism.
Certainly communism is much more
of a threat in India today than it is
any place in Southeast Asia, Japan
or the Middle and Near East. with the
possible exceptions of Indo-China and
Iran.
(chicaEo Daily News Foreign service)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10

Jump now to any such conclusion. For this
latest Communist liquidation project like
others elsewhere behind the Iron Curtain, Is
covered with too much murk for outsiders to
be able to divine its exact meaning. Maybe
future events will clarity the thing; meanwhile,
all one can do about it is make guesses in the
dark.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Pen-nGn1eS may be used il letters carry
1DriterS' correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.

Germany. Are they likely to grant
free elections and permit a united
Germany to rearm with the West
against them?
There is the alternative of neutral
lied Germany. Some fear Russia would
soon take this over The Berlin air-lift
and Korean War should prove we would
not allow that to happen. Possible
loss of German divisions to EDO would
be more than Offset by the intangible
factor of reduced East-West tension.
Robert s. Field.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Questions and Answers

The Stars readers can get the answer to any
question Of fact by either writing The Evening
Washington g. D. c.. and inclosing cents re-
turn postage or BY telephoninR ST 3-7363.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
By THE HASKIN SERVICE.

@. Please give a list of the widest
streets in the United States-H. F. S.
A. The widest streets in the United
States include: Florida Walk. New
Orleans, 438 feet; Jefferson Davis Park
way, New Orleans. 267 feet; Detroit
Super Highway, 204 feet and Claiborne
avenue, New orleans, 191 feet.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10

@. In how many cities was transit
radio adopted?-K. r.
A. Twenty-one cities had installed it
in streetcars and buses at the time Of
it's greatest popularity.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10

@. What is the fastest flying bird?-
S. B.
A. Recorded speeds of North Ameri-
can and European birds indicate that
the swiftest bird is the duck hawk
which flies 165 to 1870 miles per hour.
The bird was timed with a stop watch
in California.