davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1953-12-20
Spires of the Spirit
Misguided Missiles

Missiles may seem strange subject
in this month of minstrelsy. But per-
haps they are not as incongruouS as at
first appears. Some of them from their
launching sites with uncanny accuracy
can ride the electronic beams straight
to the designated target. Startling de-
velopmentS are no doubt on the Sched-
ule of the future. Expanded missiles
are now being developed to blast mas
Sive targets hundreds of miles away.
But, why dwell upon such demoliShing.
death-dealing weapons when SO large
a part of the world hopes for disarma
ment and is longing for peace? Even
in the midst Of. all the present name
calling multitudes under all skies have
been captured by the spell of angel
voices singing Of peace from a lighted
sky. The answer is that there is no
greater futility than to cry: Peace,
Peace" when there is no peace.
At this stage of human affairs potent
physical weapons are sometimes neceS-
sary to clear the way for just peace.
OF course. no ornaments of might can
destroy ideas, either good or bad. How
ever, it still remains true that prepon-
derant material force in the hands Of
those who cannot be trusted with 1t
spells. for defenseleSS, coerced men,
false peace dictated by moral pervertS.
Yet, is it not prophesied that the day
will come when the lion and the lamb
shall lie down together? The only
peace that anti-democratic forces will
contemplate is that the lamb must lie
down inside the lion. There are pres
ent-day appeasers who would laud that
arrangement as peace. But peace
dictated by unethical force is the peace
of slavery and always contains the
seeds of future wars. We need to re-
member these days that when Prime
Minister took to Munich an umbrella
and no righteous sword glorious little
democracy in the midst of Europe was
thrown to the wolves, perfidy COM
mitted for peace in our time which
guided" might could have prevented.
However, this message has primarily
nothing to do with awesome new de-
velopments now being stored in the
arsenals of free peoples to Offset the
ominous threat of the forces of ramp
ant deviltry. It points, rather. to mis-
guided missiles which operate largely
in the realm of death-laden words.
They are misguided because they are
aimed at the wrong. targets. Let it be
understood that there is no inference
here with regard to any present-day
official investigations. So-called Amer
leans endeavoring to hide their treason
under the fifth amendment are the
legitimate targets for the guided
weapons of those commissioned to pro-
tect the Nation against such despicable
termites. But, as new year looms, it
seems an appropriate time to warn of
irreparable damage done to innocent
humans by those whose barbed words
are so often misguided weapons.
What really happens, for instance, in
the heated atmosphere of political cam
Evening star., 1953-12-20
Disputed School Concert

I don't think that the Montgomery
County School Board needs defending
against the statements concerning it's
judgment which were in the letter from
the Committee of the National Sym
phony Orchestra for Children's Con-
certs. but 1 do believe that The Star
more space to the other side of the
story. The latter was presented in The
Star of November Is, but since the
music committee has had it's side
printed December 13. with no more of
the boards side than that "they re-
fused to permit public school children
to take time off from classes to go to
a National Symphony" more should be
said. AS a parent and taxpayer I am
pleased that the school board took this
action. And am not against our chill
dren developing an appreciation of the
arts.
The school board. according to The
Star, agreed to excuse children to at
tend the concerts if they presented the
written permission of their parents to
do so. The board was very generous
in this action. To have excused all
schools would have been autocratic.
Not every one enjoys music, not every
one needs to do so.
Appreciation of the arts and of sports
are highly desirable pursuits which
should be developed as eXtracurricular
activities. suggest that the Commit
tee for Children's Concerts organize
their expeditions for holidays and aft
er-claSs hours. The same goes for other
Evening star., 1953-12-20
Fifty Years Ago in The Star

workhouse, but many of the prisoners
were given small fines" or we're re-
leased on their personal bonds. The
Stars Christmas editorial read in part:
This is the day on which men can
look abroad from the point of view of
one who has both much to forgive and
much to be forgiven. It is day for
clearing away of the cobwebS of hatred,
malice and all uncharitableneSS. The
birth of Christ typifies today the COM
ing of a new force, potent for good,
working for the salvation and uplift of
men. Just as the infant Jesus was born
into the world for the sake of man.
more than 10 centuries ago, so there
may be born into every human being
today a sense of his responsibility
toward his brother man, causing him to
be no longer merely Self-centered,
self-accountable individual There is in
unbreathed thoughts of the true Chris
tian today vital, active principle for
world betterment."
A report in The Star for December
II, 1908, forecast the formation of
club or association of
AutomobIlIsts automobile owners. Per-
Oroonize sons interested had had
preliminary meeting
at the residence of Fulton r. Gordon,
613 Fourteenth street, NV, and an or
ganizing committee had been appoint
ed, consisting of Mr.. Gordon, w. Frank
Butts, William S. Duvall, w. j. FoSs
and Howard c. Wagner. The Star ex-
planned that: 1T is the desire of the
automobilists to build a boulevard
somewhere in the vicinity of Washing
ton that will serve as speedway for
automobiles"
Front-page space was allotted in The
Star of November 80. 1908, for lengthy
and detailed report OF
Academy of a fire which had de-
Aus;c Rurred stroyed the Brooklyn,
N. Y, Academy of
Music. For some unknown reason the
fire department wac tardy in arriving
on the scene. and it was fully is min
Evening star., 1953-12-20

The Star for December IA, 1908, an
nounced the election of Rev. DR.. Ed
ward Everett Hale to
New Senote be chaplain of the
ChopIoin United States Senate
beginning January /.
1904. He was native of Boston, born
April 3, 1929 nephew of Edward
Everett the orator and great-nephew
of Nathan Hale, the Revolutionary pa
triot hanged as spy in 1778. Educated
at the Boston Latin School and Har
ward University, he joined the staff of
his fathers newspaper, the Boston Ad-
vertiser, in 1889. Licensed as a Uni
tartan minister in 1842. he preached and
taught at Worcester from 1846 to 1856
and thereafter was pastor of the South
Congregational Church until 1900. His
famous story, "The Man Without
Country" was published in 1868. The
Nations Capital knew him first in 1874,
when he came here to be temporary
leader of the Unitarian Society which
now is All Souls. While Senate chap
lain he frequently appeared in the pull
pit with the Rev. DR.. U. G. B. Pierce-up
to April, 1909, a few weeks before his
death, June 10, that year.
Headlines in The Star of Christmas
Day, 1908, indicated that the annual
festival of Yuletide
Christmas for omitted nobody in
Everybody Washington. A front
page story told how AL
mas Temple of the Mystic Shrine was
furnishing dinners to the needy, while
baskets of food also were being distrib-
uted to $500 poor families by the Sal
vation Army. Patients in hospitals and
in homes for the aged and for children
were not forgotten. Local churches
held special services appropriate to the
occasion. A Sunday school entertain
ment at the First Presbyterian gave
6-year-old Gladys Virginia McGarry,
granddaughter of Private" John NJ
Dalzell. opportunities to sing That Is
What / Want Santa Claus to Bring
and to play her violin. guitaAand piano
Meanwhile. the Police Courj had half
a hundred" potential candid les for the
Evening star., 1953-12-20

ton, supposedly characteristic of the
Egyptian government up to this time?
1t was no inconsistency which led
Egypt two months ago, together with
other nations Of the Arab bloc, to refuse
to join the United States move in the
United Nations to denounce the
trumped-up Soviet germ warfare
charges against this country A year
ago, in December, 1852, Egypt abstained
from voting on the Russian charge that
the United States was guilty of brutal
ity against prisoners of war in Korea
What could be a more consistent his
tory of neutralism?
Cairo SpokeSmen have not been reti-
cent in proclaiming their preference for
non on-involvement in the EaSt-West con-
f1ict When Secretary Dulles tried to
convince the Arab bloc last May to join
in Middle East defense scheme. he
was rebuffed. The lone firm decision
taken at the September meeting of the
Supreme Defense Council of the Arab
League, according to Egypts foreign
minister, Mahmud Fawzi, was to stay
clear of any association with the re-
gional defense plans of the free world
forces.
Doesn't it seem pretty clear, espe-
cially from the U. N record, that Egypt
has lined up with the fence -sitters for
some time now? This is, after all, a
hoary Arab tradition. 1t may suit Egyp-
tian purposes to use neutralism as a
new" threat against Britain and the
United States. but to me it seems a
farce.
Nat Damien.
Evening star., 1953-12-20

paigns is suggested by the following
extract from an editorial in a great
newspaper at the close of the last presi-
dental contest: What have we done
that our public life should be so defiled,
so debaSed? One of these two men will
be the President of the United States.
Is it not intolerable that on his way to
that high Office and to it's agonizing
burdens he should have to suffer the
indignity Of having to defend, not his
political beliefs. but the very honor of
his soul?"
The greatest figures in the Nations
. history have been targets for Scurrilous
and belittling epithets. If all the mali
cious things said about George Wash
ington were mixed together the con-
coction could Splatter the white monu-
ment for all it's 555 feet. Abraham
Lincoln, now revered in his classic
temple of honor on the banks of the
Potomac, when he walked the streets
of Washington was the target again
and again for misguided missiles. Less
than a year before his assassination
a great New York paper declared: 1.-The
age of statesmen is gone. The age of
rail-splitters, buffoonS, Doors and IA
natics has succeeded. In a crisis of
the most appalling magnitude the
country is asked to consider the claims
of an ignorant, third-rate, backwoods
lawyer for the highest station in the
Government. God save the Republic!"
Such misguided missiles of the age.
while they wounded Lincoln'S sensitive
spirit, did not keep him from belonging
to the ages.
How often, alas, thoughtleSs, care
less, unfair words are deadly misguided
missiles, blasting some innocent COM
rade by our side! No wonder an early
Christian writer declared that the sins
of man are divided into two parts.
One-half of all transgreSsions were put
into the category of those committed
by the most unruly member, the tongue.
In reply to deluge of uncomplimentar
epithets as the parting shot of. boys
street quarrel, one lad with a mis-
chievouS grin shouted back at the
youthful dealers in billingsgate: Sticks
and stones may break my bones but
words can never harm mel" How far
Evening star., 1953-12-20

issued in 1896, that gave him his first
taste of success. But progress was not
easy. Mr. Phillpotts found himself
confused with Thomas Hardy despite
the fact that his subject material, his
philosophy, his style and his patterns
of construction differed draStically
from those of the Wessex pessimist.
The resultant comparisons hurt the
younger man. So did bracketings with
r. D. Blackmore, Arnold Bennett and
other authors of location" stories.
But Mr.. Phillpotts' Dartmoor novels
owe nothing to any competitor He is
as much himself as Walt Whitman was
Walt Whitman. Probably, the best Of
his long line Of character studies are
those with tragic connotationS, but he
is not professionally melancholy. His
humor, exemplif1ed in his portraits Of
The Human Boy" and in his fables
based on classic legends, has an
authentic claim on readers in search
Of fun. 1t will be for his great novels,
however, that Mr.. Phillpotts will be
remembered. THE Secret Woman"
THE Mother" "The Three Brothers."
The Beacon" Storm in a Teacup,"
"Miser's Money" "Redcliff," Cheat
the Boys George Westover'' - all
these are of permanent value. as we'll
worth public attention now as when
they were new and their creator rela-
lively young.
The Star Of December 5, 1908, re-
ported that the effects of the late Mrs
Thomas c. Durant had been
Duront sold at auction in Utica,
Auction N. Y, realizing only $4,000
Her husband had been ia
nous as the builder of the Central
Pacific Railroad and as president of
the Credit Mobilier Co., but upon his
death judgments amounting to $40 mil
bn are said to have absorbed the es-
te.'
Evening star., 1953-12-20
On Changing the Rules

The rule at presidential press conferences
has been not to quote the President directly
without express permission. Even the steno-
graphic transcripts of the press conferences
made available to reporters are written to con-
form to that rule. There are no direct quotes
Mr.. Hagerty, the Presidents press secretary
is planning to experiment with the rule. Oc-
caSionally, he says, the transcripts of the
Presidents comments, and recordings, will be
released "as is," for press and radio-with direct
quotes. But the decision as to when to do
that will be reached after and not before,
the conference.
The inference is that when the President
is particularly good in his off-the-cuff COM
ment, and his replies to questions and his
general demeanor are pleasing, the verbatim
tranScriptionS will be released. Or vice versa.
That is fair enough, in principle. Further
more there are times when the President says
something at a press conference that would
have been best left unsaid Sometimes he may
wish to speak "off the record"-and for back
ground purposes only, when even paraphrase
of what he said might be indiscreet In case
he gets his tongue twisted-one way or an
other-he would not want such errors to be
broadcast around the world.
But the delayed decision on whether to
be or not to be on radio recording is going
to play havoc with some reporting of the press
conferences especially for the news services
and the afternoon newspapers. 1t will be some
thing of nightmare for the reporters to frame
their stories in indirect quotes or paraphrase
of what the President said-only to be told
after their stories have been transmitted, that
the President can be quoted directly and in full
The life expectancy of White House reporters
will experience a sharp decline.
Mr. Hagerty is working to bring the Presi-
dent into closer contact with the people. That
is admirable-good for the President and the
people. But our hopes are that he will reach
a decision quickly on what rule the reporters
are to follow-and remember the havoc that
can be caused by changing the rules, not
merely in the middle of the game, but after
the game has been played!
Evening star., 1953-12-20
Decision on the Water Front

The National Labor Relations Board was
faced with an unpleasant dilemma in deciding
how to deal with the New York longshoremen's
crisis
strike which paralyzed most of the East
Coast water front broke out last October when
the then-existing contract expired The union
party to that contract had been the Inter-
national Longshoremen'S Association, racket
ridden organization that had been expelled
from the American Federation of Labor for
its failure to clean up its own unprincipled
and laWleSS practices. The AFL, in turn, had
created a new union and embarked on an
organizing drive The ousted union struck the
water front and operations were resumed only
after President Eisenhower had proclaimed a
national emergency" and obtained an 80-day
injunction under the Taft-Hartley law. The
injunction expires on Christmas eve and, with
the shipping industry caught in the middle
of this bitter inter- union dispute another
strike has seemed certain.
The decision of the Labor Board after
going to the unusual extreme of holding an
on-the-spot hearing in New York last Tuesday,
is that an election should be held on December
% to determine which of the competing unions
is to be the bargaining agent with the en-
ployers. In making this decision, the board
recognized that this dispute is unique in the
history of emergency disputes" And it added
that "the issue of union representation over
shadows all Others from testimony given
to the board, December "a strike should be
expected, a strike that will defy solution by
the most expert of mediatorS." The only hope
of averting the threatened tie-up, it concluded,
is to give the longShoremen the right (which
genuinely is theirs, to select the labor organi-
zation they wish to represent them" in time
to permit a renewal of labor management
negotiations.
1t is probably true that ordering an cleo
tion held so soon, even when confined to the
New York port area, favorS the old-line union
If it wins the leadership which has been re-
sponSible for the scandalouS conditions exposed
by both Federal and State authorities will be
in a strengthened position The boards OBJ
jective. however is to avert the strike-which,
theoretically at least, would be called on the
issues of mo contract" and an unsettled dis
pute over wages and working conditions. By
ordering the election, a means is established
for naming a bargaining agent for the
longshoremen and opening the way for
negotiation of these issues
Meanwhile, unfair labor practice charges
filed by the AFL are still pending against the
ouSted union and will be considered by the
board. On this subject, the board stated that
1t will expressly condition any certiacation"
ciSion on the charges If they are proved, in
other words, the dscredited union will lose its
lght to represent the workers.
Cleaning up the water fronHi is not a job
9hat can be done easily and quickly. New
Evening star., 1953-12-20
UnreveoIing New Look

Admiral Radford'S new look speech-he
rejects the phrase as his oWn-does not convey
much that is new, either in terms of what shape
the future defense of the United States will take
what the American taxpayer can expect in
the way of bill for it. Of course, it was not
to be expected that the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs would shed much light on these points.
Perhaps he could not do so, for there are
many imponderables Admiral Radford said
that current defense planning is based on the
Presidents pronouncement that henceforth we
will plan for the long pull. The objective now
is not to be ready for some arbitrarily desig
mated day of crisis, but to develop an armed
posture which can be supported, year in and
year out, on longterm basis; not just for one
year nor for two years but for 10 years
or even 20 years if necessary"
What does this really mean? It means, or so
one might gather from the admiral'S remarks
that over the long pull there will be more and
more emphasis on air power and Kindred Weap-
ons; less and less reliance on sheer manpower
Here again, however, the uncertainties intrude
Will Congress provide the requisite funds for
10 or 20 years? Will we have the continuing
support from allies upon which we plan? Will
the Kremlin pursue policies which will permit
us to adhere to the orderly planning which the
new look" contempates? 1t must be quite
obvious that neither Admiral Radford nor any
one else knows the answers
The $64 question, perhaps, has to do with
the almost unbelievable speed with which new
weapons and new techniques are being devel-
oped. Will these chronological advances enable
us, at some bearable cost, to offset the superior
ity of the Communist world in combat man
power? In other words, can We look forward to
a day when push button" weapons will alter
our whole concept of national defense? Admiral
Radford did not give the answers But he did
says this: THE Joint Chiefs of Staff do not
believe that any fundamental change could
develop so fast that one service should be cut
in half, and another tripled, all in one brief
period Changes in tactics and strategy do not
come that fast That is why said that changes
would come as process of evolution, and with
deliberate and painstaking planning. The signs
of the times do point Enthusiastically to changes
in the future"
Whatever the precise meaning of this
language may }oe, its implications are lot
diSheartening. ~
Evening star., 1953-12-20
By Frederick Brown Harris
Minister, Foundry Methodist Church;
Chaplain, United States Senate

Chaplain, United States Senate.
from the painful truth is that old Jingle!
AS guided missiles, sticks and stones
may bring temporary abrasions and
even serious hurts; but hurled words
may lacerate and poison and inflict
wounds which may never heal.
What careers have been ruined.
what cherished plans shattered, what
crosses reared, what graves dug by
cruel and thoughtleSS words which
may represent utterly erroneous ap-
praisals! There is desperately urgent
admonitlon in the Bible: Keep thy
tongue from evil and thy lips from
speaking guile" In one of the greatest
hymns there is this searching petition
about idle, unthinking words: set
Thou seal upon my lips through all
today" What SOLDERING declaration
that is of the Great Teacher of Cali
lee, whose words are spirit and life:
But say unto you that for, every idle
word which men shall speak they shall
give an account thereof in the day
of judgment; for by thy words shalt
thou be justified, and by thy words
shalt thou be condemned" Surely,
that is warning against misguided
missiles.
The character of David Livingstone,
tall and white. speaks to us across the
years of unstinted sacrifice and of
untarnished ideals. After enduring
narrowing hardships and lonely travels
frought with dangers through the in
tested jungles of Africa, he came back
to the coast more dead than alive.
Finally, he was able to finish his report
to the missionary society that had
sent him out. While his heart was
longing for his Scottish home and for
loved ones, some one started unfounded
rumors that he did not really desire to
return to his wife and family. These
misguided missiles stabbed him like
swords through his SOUL With a burn
ing passion he wanted to go back and
disprove the things that were being
said. He was offered passage home by
the captain Of a passing ship. But he
had given his word to his 81 black
attendants that If they would accom-
pany him to the coast he would lead
them back to their homes in the in
terror. And so on the day appointed
for the sailing of that British ship he
sent <on board his invaluable maps,
charts and observations Then he
stood on shore and watched her sail
away until she became a mere Speck
on the horizon. Turning, with set face,
he announced to his black people that
he was ready to start. And back he
went into the interior with honor
bright. but with his inner spirit sorely
wounded by misguided missiles.
How tragically true the lines of Sir
Walter Scott:
O! Many a shaft at random sent
Finds mark the archer little meant!
And many q Dord at random spoken
May Soothe or lDound a heart that's
broken.