davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Act of Good Faith

Congress finally has kept faith with Gov
ernment employees, after an inexcusable lapse
in carrying out an implicit promise to safe
guard accumulated annual leave. The promise
was made when legislation curtailing leave
privileges was adopted in 1851. But within a
few months Congress had ignored the pledge
by tacking onto Federal appropriation bill a
rider requiring Government employees to use
current leave as it accrued within the year or
lose it entirely.
The so-called use-it-or-lose-it Thomas leave
rider was bad legislation for several reasons.
Aside from the ethical aspect of defaulting on
an obligation, the amendment worked hard
ship on employees who could not take their leave
when they wanted to because of pressure of
emergency duties. Supervisors were given the
hard choice of ordering faithful workers to re-
main on their jobs or taking chance on work
piling up in an intolerable way. And civil Serv-
ants were deprived of leave cushion" against
unemployment resulting from the personnel re-
trenchment program of the new administration.
All of these adverse effects of the rider were
strong arguments against the too-prevalent
practice of legislating by ill-considered amend
mentS to appropriation bills. 1t is wrong and
generally risky to bypass the Civil Service Com
The Thomas rider was an object lesson in how
not to handle difficult personnel problems in
Congress.
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Senator Wiley Under Fire

Wisconsin's Senator Wiley, chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee, is being attacked
by his own party in his home State because he
has refused to support the ill-advised Bricker
Amendment to the Constitution.
The Republican State convention in Wis
consin last week adopted a resolution insisting
that Senator Wiley reconsider his stand. Some
kilograms calling for the Senator's impeach-
@ment also were received by the convention, and
there was scattered booing when he arose to
speak.
1t takes courage for Senator to stand up
for his beliefs in the face Of this kind Of pres
sure from back home. But Senator Wiley firmly
believes that it would be dangerous step to
adopt the Bricker amendment, which is de-
signed to restrict treaties and executive agree
ments and it is to be hoped that he will con-
tinue to stick to the position that he believes
to be right
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Armistice Pros and Cons

In all this deadly serious struggle
over the Korean truce, it is important
that we understand Syngman Rhee-
important, because he truly represents
his own people and because he dem
onstrates the determined opposition
to communism which we must encour-
age, rather than crush, if we ourselves
are to survive.
Rhee fought Gin 1945-1946) the Allied
proposal for a Four-Power trusteeship
over Korea-including Russia as a
trustee-and won. In 1946-1947 he
fought our own attempt to force South
Korea to accept a coalition govern
ment-and again he won, although he
was strongly denounced for being stub
born and unco-operative.
After the Republic Of Korea was
established, he fought for the right to
build a large armed force to counter
balance the Communist force north OF
the 38th parallel and this time he lost.
We denied South Korea the right OF
self f-defense lest an army in the south
might antagonize the Communists.
The truce struggle is not something
new. It is another illustration Of Rhee's
belief that freedom and communism do
not mix, but are engaged in life-and-
death struggle for survival.
IF our stand on the truce should
weaken the determination OF people
around the world to resist communism
to the death, we shall have lost in
Korea more than we realize. For one
day, at q time and in a manner Of
Russia's choosing, we ourselves will
have to battle communism for our
liberties and our lives.
Syngman Rhee has shown us how
free men-ourselves included-should
stand. Robert L. Oliver.
OF course, those of us who live this
far from that small country in which
war has been raging for three years
hardly know the details, but actually
nothing has come from high govern
ment Official stating why the COM
promise in this odd battle. All we have
heard Is that those who live in the
shadow of death would rather see more
of their own citizens and relations killed
than accept the present terms. This
alone should speak for itself as we
are in the utmost Of security and COM
fort.
But look back. First, we were prevent
ing the spread Of large force over
running small country. The UN was
taking steps for which it had been set
up. Then, as late as last Christmas
when a TV show interviewed U. S. and
UN soldiers, the men over there felt
that what they were doing was right:
Defending the world against the grow
ing threat of communism. Now. all Of
the sudden, we are compromising.
Does this mean that this government
has decided that communism is half
right? Perhaps in another small war"
In three or four years, the same crew
will convince the rest Of the world it
is all right.
AS q veteran Of two years in World
Evening star., 1953-06-16
"GAITFIERSBURG, Md.

Dear Sir:
1--WE read all you wrote on the seven
teen-year locusts and I believed 1t until
I went into my yard and saw three
year-old rosebush broken OFF with
five buds on it. I nursed that bush,
planting it from slip, and felt pretty
bad over it.
"I did not blame the locusts until I
examined the 20-inch branch and found
row of little cut places all along 1t.
I fixed it back together with adhesive
tape and am waiting to see how it fares.
THAT was not too bad, for roses
grow fast, but then went out in the
front yard and I saw my dogwood
about the same age with four or five
branches broken off, not couple OF
inches but they measured from 6 to
II inches,
They can't be stuck back like the
roSebush but did cut some strips Of
aluminium foil and wrapped the rest
Of the branches and the main stems.
Also, my young holly tree gave the
same treatment.
I'm afraid the dogwood will be
dwarfed because the top OF the main
stems or heart is broken out.
"Oh, these pesky old locusts. you can
have them!"
"No, am not really angry, for all
you wrote about them did some good
for me, for in 1896 the noise as ]
called 1t nearly drove me crazy.
''You call 1t music. and 20 1t Is.
"I did not mind it ct all this time,
Evening star., 1953-06-16
By Charles E. TroceWeN

Scientists do not yet know why.
since they have such life span, they
do not divide it better. and instead
of spending almost II years in the
ground, all except four weeks, divide
their dark and light periods so that
they might live 10 years in the earth.
say. and years in the light.
This is one of Gods mysteries, but
we have to take this mystery as we
find it, along with all the other mys-
teries. minor and major.
Wrapping tree branches with alum
mum foil probably will do great
deal more damage than the poor 10
Gusts could ever do.
All other natural causes of damage
are operating, too, and it is all too
easy to place the blame that should
go to some other insect on the de-
fenseless backs of the cicadas.
Rip the broken branches off, and
forget about them. The very next
thunderstorm might do the same or
worse damage. Old Rover from the
next block is no boon to rosebushes,
either
Little Estelle. "star of heaven" tore
of countless tulip blossoms and stamped
on them. # the cicadas, busy on their
life work, had been around. they no
doubt would have got the blame.
For their beauty, for their music. and
especially for the lessons they give
and show US, our thanks go out to the
periodical cicadas.
Who can say whether any Of us win
ever see their like again2
Evening star., 1953-06-16
No Early Homecoming

Back in late 1850, when it looked as though
the Korean war was Just about over, General
Macarthur was quoted-probably erroneously-
as saying that the troops would be home by
Christmas.
The current 9th Army commander, Lieu
tenant General Maxwell D. Taylor, is taking no
chances on misnterpretation. In an unusual
broadcast to the U. N. forces, he has put it on
the line "There must be no thought of going
home" he said, until permanent peace and
stability have been restored in Korea"
Any one who takes the trouble to think
about it for moment must realize that there
is a vast difference between an armistice and
peace An armistice, If and when one is signed,
will merely stop the lighting. Peace-real
peace-may be a long time coming.
One Of the great mistakes after World War
II was the mad rush to bring the boys home" !"
II an armistice is signed in Korea, there no
Evening star., 1953-06-16
By DonoId MichoeI Rouh

San Antonio, Tex, is not a big city,
but neither is it q small town. The
population is somewhat more than
25O,000. The people who live in San
Antonio are probably no different than
the citizens of. say. Scranton, Pa, or
Butte, Mont. But there was cause for
,wonderment about the prudence of
some San AntonianS in recent weeks.
What happened there might have hap
pened anywhere in the United States
and is happening. in fact.
It seems the acting city manager.
suspecting that certain Subversive lit
erature is lurking in the city library,
decided to burn the inSidious volumes.
He was voted down, but the city coun-
Gil compromised and pondered brand
ing all Communist written volumes in
the library as such.
Into the fray jumped an organization
called the San Antonio Minute Women
with list of 600 titles, including
Einstein's Theory of Relatively"
and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
Chaucer was all right with them, but
the illustrator of recent edition
wasn't.
The thinking or some Americans VINO
would fight communism by creating a
noisome censorship apparatus is diff
cult of analysis. But it is quite clear
the ranks of the literary vigilantes are
rapidly swelling.
Take the case of Arthur Schlesinger,
jr., for example. A teacher Of history
at Harvard University, Mr.. Schlesinger
is an avowed Communist. He Is
the author Of 1.-THE Age of Jackson"
Pulitzer prize winner. He is also the
author Of pamphlet entitled What
About Communism" Not long ago,
officials of the Denver (Colo) public
schools banned Mr. Schlesinger's pam
phlet. A spokesman for the schools
later commented that "it didn't hit hard
enough"
Or take the case Of the Sapulpa
(Okla.) High School which last Febru-
airy held an elaborate bonfire Of text
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Settlement in Steel

There are obvious reasons for qualification
that labor and management in the steel indus
try have settled their yearly contract negotia-
tionS so expeditiouSly and harmoniouSly. In
contrast to the 1852 handling of the problem,
when government Intervention served only to
intensity the bitterness and a costly eight-week
strike finally took place, labor and manage
ment reached their accord this year without
outside interference and in series of CONVEX
gationS that covered less than one month.
It was the first major bargaining test for
David Mcdonald, successor to the late Philip
Murray as president of the SteelWorkerS union,
and management expressed praise for his
"StateSmanlike conduct" during the negotia-
t1onS. While there was evidently measure OF
labor relations craftsmanship exercised on both
sides of the bargaining table, there are some
grounds for questioning the economic sound
ness of introducing a rather substantial wage
increase at this time in what is perhaps the
most basic of all the Nations industries.
The wage boost of 8.5 cents per hour, plus
approximately another cent in fringe benefits,
amounts to almost twice the increase granted
by the big automobile companies to the CIO
union in that field. The steel companies made
1t clear from the beginning that any increase
In their labor costs would be passed on imme
diately in the form of a price boost to their
customers. Initial estimates are that this price
Increase will be in the neighborhood of 81 per
ton on steel that is now priced at Sis. This
increase, in turn quite probably will be reflected
in the costs and prices of goods containing STEEL
with consequent inflationary effect.
One of the significant innovations in the
new steel contract is the provision which will
eliminate for the first time the wage differen
tial between workers in Northern and Southern
plants. Originally showing a spread of as much
as 80 cents per hour, this differential has been
whitfield down in the last five years to only
a scent margin. This will now drop to 25 cents
next January / and will disappear completely
six months later. There are reasons from the
standpoint of both labor and management why
elimination of the differential should prove
beneficial and sound. The industry has now
been established long enough in the South so
that the standard of workmanship and eff
cheney is approximately equal to that found
In Northern plants. Equality in wages, there
fore, is justified and logical. In turn, this
equality will remove one of the competitive
handicapS which Northern plants have suffered
in comparison to the Southern mills.
With some soft spots already showing up IN
the steel market, the agreement on higher costs
and the expectation of higher prices may soon
provide an important test as to whether business
and industry are going to hold to high level
during the coming year or whether this extra
burden will help to bring the feared recession.
Whatever the answer. labor and management
risk and responsibility.
Evening star., 1953-06-16

books dealing with socialism and SEX"
in the phrase of the board of education.
In March. 1948. vice squad in Phila-
delphia raided 81 booksellers without
warrants or court order, sequestering
some 1900 volumes a police official had
decided were pornographic. Among the
books on the police forces inder er-
purgatorius was a title from the works
of William Faulkner, distinguished
American novelist and a winner Of the
Nobel Prize for Literature.
In New York City the same year. the
board of education banned the liberal
weekly, "The Nation" for its "un-
changed policy of attacking and ridi-
culing religious beliefs" Officials said
their action was "defensible censorship"
The following year-in 1949-Repre-
sentative Wood, Democrat, of Georgia
tried vainly n,irabile dictu to get 70
American colleges to submit all their
textbooks for examination and approval
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Tornado Damuqe
Ethel M. CraddOck.

have been reading the news re-
ports relative to buildings that have
collapsed or have been severely dam
aged by recent windstorms in many
parts Of the country.
Do you understand that structures
properly designed and built will with
stand without appreciable damage
winds of 100 to $50 miles per hour?
High velocity is seldom recorded in
any storm.
This could indicate that proper con-
sideration was not given to lateral
forces in the design of these damaged
buildings.
Contrary to the understanding Of the
layman, 95 per cent Of all structural
failures recorded are due to horizontal
forces and not due to vertical loads.
Few people appreciate the Importance
of lateral stability in structures and
this factor is often overlooked and
some owners reduce building costs by
omitting this consideration. However,
such damage and loss of life as has re-
suited from recent storms should
point up the need of adequate design
against horizontal forces.
John G. LOehIer,
Consulting Engineer.
Editors note: The Weather Bureau
says that the rotary speed of tornadoes
has been estimated to be more than
500 miles an hour.)
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Showdown for Safety

The summer Showdown" safety campaign
just launched by II States in the northeastern
part of the country, from Maine to Maryland,
is justified by a recent analysis of vacation
season highway accidents. Excessive speed was
found to be the direct cause of most of the
more serious crashes during June, July and
August of last year. The findings have led
State authorities of New England New York,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Mary
land to join for the first time in regional
breakdown on speeders.
The program, sponsored by the Northeast
ern States Safety Co-ordinatorS, Is aimed at
a reduction in the indicated record summer
traffic toll" for that region of 1000 dead and
125 900 injured. The organization has received
promises of support from police departments,
magistrates and other law enforcement officials
and agencies in the area Stern enforcement
of reckless driving laws, especially in the rural
sections, is planned. Millions of resident and
nonresident drivers will be crowding the high
ways of the II States this summer in unprece-
dented numbers" the co-ordinating agency an
nounced I'VE want the individual driver to
understand that the showdown campaign does
not mean series of speed traps on the high
ways in all of these States. It is an effort which
needs his obedience of the rules of the road In
order to make the highways safer for him and
his family"
The District of Columbia, although not
partner in the regional enterprise, will be con-
tinuing its own drive on speeders and reckless
drivers Since Washingtons streets are not so
inviting to such drivers as the open road OF
rural sections, the vacation season here is not
marked with the same dangers that threaten
highway users in the country. But the District
Traffic Department and the police will not relax
the efforts which have just brought them two
more national awards for traffic safety achieve
mentS-one from the National Safety Council
and one from the Institute of Traffic Engineer
ing. There never is any time to relax in the
fight to reduce the toll of dead and injured on
the public highways, here or elsewhere.
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Gun Toters

Observing the steady growth of that
portion of the population of Washing
ton least likely to be able to sustain
themselves adequately in the future by
legitimate employment. it seems i'm
perative that some form Of control
should be put into effect to govern the
possession of a revolver and its use.
The person who thrusts gun in his
pocket before he sets out, intends to
shoot some one If the occasion arises.
He has ample time to weigh his decision
before he reaches his destination.
Therefore, it is premeditated and should
be treated as the most aggressive Of
crimes, ranking with treason and
murder. MandatOr.
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Tito and Russio's Smiles

In taking the initiative to "normalize"
diplomatic relations with President-Ma
Tito's government at Belgrade, the men of the
Kren1lin have opened up yet another front In
a general peace offensive whose tempo has
been steadily increasing ever since the death
of Josef Stain.
AS q result of the new move, Yugoslavia
and the Soviet Union will now send full am
bassadors to each other for the first time since
1948, when Tito and his renegade" Commu-
mist regime declared their independence of
the Kremlin. Throughout the intervening years,
the two countries have maintained only the
most strained and frigd kind of relationship
through minor diplomatic personnel Indeed,
they have been in a state not far removed
from outright belligerency, with Russia and its
Cominform satellites Subjecting the Yugoslavs
not merely to ceaseless propaganda attacks and
economic pressures of the severest sort, but also
to hundreds of shooting forays along the
frontier.
It is because these near-war conditions are
still very vivid in his mind and because the
frontier incidents have actually increased since
Stalins DEATH that Tito has warned his COM
patriots not to assume that the decision to ex-
change ambassadors will automatically lead
to an improvement in YugoSlav-Soviet rela-
tions. Speaking as man who for the past
the Cominform, he has declared that the Rus
slams will not blind us with their smiles" that
he will never again" trust them 100 per cent,
that he does not believe their words, and that
they will have to prove by concrete deeds that
they are acting in good faith when they hold out
their olive branches Beyond that, as If to re-
assure the West he has been at pains to affirm
that there will be no change in his countryS
cooperative association with the free nations.
To back up this last point, Tito has emphat-
ically asserted that restoration of pre-1948
Soviet-YugoSlav ties is impossible" Further,
referring to the Krenlin's recent conciliatory
attitude toward the Turks, he has made clear
that he suspects the Russians OF using soft talk
in an effort to undermine the Balkan pact
being organized between his own country and
Greece and Turkey. Presumably, like many
others, he also suspects that their "Smiles" to-
ward Austria and Germany may be nothing but
psychological weapons designed to head of
such things as Bonns alignment with the West,
and in general to disrupt the Atlantic Commu-
nity's defensive build-up by spreading the i'm
preston that Europe need no longer fear Red
aggression.
Even so, whatever their motives the Rus
slams are obviously engaged in studied and
rather spectacular campaign-ranging all the
way from Korea to the BalkanS-to suggest
to the world that Soviet policy has changed for
the better since the death of Stain. The Yugo-
slav development is merely one in long series
of such smiling" moves, and more of the same
are likely to follow. The task of Western states
manship is to determine whether or not they
are moves made in good faith-and to capitalize
on them if they are.
Evening star., 1953-06-16
Letters to The Star
Pen-nanaes may be used If letters carry
1DriterS' correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.

War II and now paying $40 a week in
come tax, am by no means eager to
keep the war going. But unless we do
see really satisfying truce to every
one, fear not only that all those men
did die in vain and money was wasted,
but more of us will be back in the army
permanently and will not have the
privilege of paying any taxes, as we're
liable to be under another government.
Bob Thompson.
It is gratifying to read such views
as those expressed by David Lawrence
and Constantine Brown in the June 8
edition of The Star, and it is most un-
fortunate that our leaders and policy
makers are not as honest and realistic
as these two gentlemen.
For certainly the "armiStice" in Ko-
rea is plainly another Soviet victory;
and now the South Koreans are &C
cused of being unrealistic for refusing
to accept such sellout.
Surely there is nothing unrealistic in
wanting to win war and then pre-
vent Communist enslavement of ones
country. The only unrealistic effect OF
the whole affair has been the United
Nations cringing reluctance to really
fight this war for fear of offending a
member nation, Soviet Russia.
We are certainly making a name for
ourselves-Yalta, Teheran, PotSdam,
Poland, China, and now little Korea.
It is we who are incredibly unrealis-
tic if we still believe that peace can be
secured by appeasement.
Will we pursue this insidious policy
Of one Munich" after another until
it is finally and inevitably our turn?
F. S.
DR.. Syngman Rhee showed the huck-
sters for Red China that there is a
difference between a liking" and a
pawn" when he put the brakes on the
almost unopposed gambit the Com
munists are using to win the high stakes
at Panmunjom. For his audacity in
making this "reactionary" move, when
the so-called progressives had those
lacking the courage Of their professed
moral convictions almost ready to con-
cede defeat, he is being subjected to a
barrage Of ridicule and thinly yelled
threats Of violence.
Antagonists or the "OIo-1aSnloneu
principles that DR.. Rhee and his peo-
pie so valiantly symbolic have fouled
the printed page and the air waves in
their rage at his refusal to meekly
swallow the opiates held out by the
Chinese mouthpiece for the Interna-
tional Red Party.
But be that as it may, DR.. Rhee,
speaking in behalf of the people of the
Republic of Korea, has given the United
States an invaluable respite. It affords
us time to re-examine the record and
the doctrines of the Communists and
again ask ourselves why they are so
anxious to have US sign truce.
Harold ]. Thompson.
X X
After years Of war and many casual
ties, it appears that Korea is not to be
united and that South Korea is being