davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1953-09-13
Keep 1t Adult
NEW YORK.


How has Jack Benny man
aged to remain among the
top entertainers on the air for
more than 20 years while
many another star has come
and gone?
The secret, he says. us giving
the audience credit for having
intelligence"
I'VE play up to them, not
down to them" he declares.
II think all you have to do
Is keep your humor adult.
You can do that and even the
kids get it today.
II don't think anybody on
the air is too intelligent for
the audience. But it's deadly
to be patronizing."
The Waukegan wit, who
actually looks little over the
80 years he jokingly claims
as his age, has some pet peeves
of his own about TV and radio
performers and their attitude
toward the audience.
One of them "is somebody
who is getting $4,000 a week
who comes back at the end of
the show and says. Thanks
for letting me into your living
ROOM"
They Won't Fun
II hate it," he fumes. II
don't thank the audience for
letting me into their living
rooms. A lot of them watch
me because they have to-
there's nothing else on in their
city. And how do I know
their set is even in the living
room. 1t may be in the bed
room, or the den, or the base
ment.
The audience doesn't like
to be thanked. They just
want to sit back and have
fun-and feel free to give you
the devil if they don't think
the show was good"
The veteran comedian, who
begins his 22d radio season
on CHS and his fourth TV
season on CBS-TV tonight,
declares: Il think they like
good doWn-to-earth humor.
But it can be down to earth
and not corny."
Benny, on a brief visit here
from Hollywood the other day,
said his radio shows all will
be recorded on tape this sea-
son. That's because he's STEP
ping his TV appearances up
to every third week from the
one-every- fourth of last sea-
son.
He'll Do His Best
He said. however, that while
he remains in radio, which
will be las long as the sponsor
wants me to-" he'll give it all
he has.
Either you're on radio and
do a good job. or you should
get the heck off," he added.
Benny said that two seasons
ago. whenever he travelled,
folks wanted to talk to him
only about his T'V show but
that during the past season
they talked about both, and
Evening star., 1953-05-14
LODGINGS.

LODGINGS.
"$2.40 per week, with heat. light and
music
In case this might sound impossible.
or even fantastic. it may be said that
it would not to small group.
These are the people who live on the
buses and street cars.
Yes. that is right, live on them.
The members of this group, for the
price of pass. have the right, ap-
parently, to ride as much as they want
to, and with them want to- means all
the time.
The transit company is often held up
as graSping, hard-hearted organiZa-
ton, but the men who run it are human
beings, too. and they have their prob
lens.
One is what to do about these odd
persons who live on their vehicles.
If they can get rid of the weekly
pass. they figure they oust their board
erS.
This is one of the reasons for their
wanting to do away with the pass, not
just a selfish desire to make people pay
more fares.
They figure it this way:
Instead Of these persons being able
to ride around all day and all night
for the small sum of $2.40 week
not q day, mind you-a whole week
they would be faced with the prospect
Of paying some &12 or more q day for
their lodgings"
Evening star., 1953-05-14
Phantom Economy

The Senate Appropriations Committee be-
IeveS in economy but not the kind which, for
t1k sake of making a record, can be more costly
sthe long run than any immediate saving.
At least the committee has followed that
sensible doctrine in recommending restora-
ten of modest budget funds for parks and
rRtkwayS in the Washington Metropolitan Area.
If its advice is followed by the Senate and
concurred in by the House in conference, the
economy Threatened Capper- -Cramton program
Ak@Rstone of Washington's park development
syStefn-will be saved
Phantom economy was involved in the
Budget Bureaus ill-advised plan to halt all
ApA buying for park purposes. Any prolonged
de1ay will bring higher land costs, experience
has proved. Bureau officials even had sug-
gested that the time had come to scrap the
Qsbf@- -Cramton Federal-aid program in favor
o. HAco -ordinated State development plans
for parks and parkways in this region. The
lack of coordination would have been aggra-
Yatedspy the subsequent House disapproval not
G1lNbf park-expanson funds but of money
required, to enable the new National Capital
Regional Planning Council to function. Con-
gresSm created the council last year for the
bkNde purpose of co-ordinating park planning
IN the Washington area.
The National Capital Planning Commission
had asked $12 million for continuing acquisi-
rdASE park sites in nearby Maryland and
Virginia for administrative expenses of the
commission and for stating the new overall
council. The Budget Bureau eliminated all
leqdsHurchase money, including 100000 prom
isddAthw Virginia as the Federal part of the
agreement under which the George Washing
ton Memorial Parkway is being built The
Heuss approved the park and parkway cuts
&t1as killed all administrative funds for the
Regional Planning Council. This action, If
sustained would mean virtual abandonment of
the Capper Cranton program, to which the
Metropolitan Area owes much of its orderly
and invaluable park development since 1890
1t would be an act of bad faith toward Maryland
and Virginia, which have carried out their
uPEts of the park-improvement bargain and
az ready to carry on the partnership as pro-
vided by law. And it would prevent the new
council from fulfilling its obligations under the
recent planning reorganization law.
J The Senate committee has given due con-
sideration to these important points in reinsert-
ing in the appropriation bill minimum funds
for park development, for the George Wash
ington Memorial Parkway and for operation of
the council. The committees recommendation
should be adopted by Congress, in order to
protect and add to sound park and parkway
investments and as matter of good faith to
the adjoining States
Evening star., 1953-05-14

packs, ice cream cartons, strewn all
over this beautiful green landscape as
far as the eye can see. would give our
friends who think of Washington as
beauty spot an idea Of how little our
visitors seem to care about keeping it
that way.
Surely a committee of civic-minded
people could make their influence felt
with a congressional committee con-
cerned with District affairs. The parks
here are Federal property for the most
part. The concessionaires who sell the
peanuts and popcorn might be pre-
vailed upon to put slogans on their
packages {. . including perhaps the ap-
plicable provisions Of the United States
Code. There might be more signs put
up. There might be couple Of caution
ary policemen to warn people who strew
most hagrantly. There could be few
arrests with proper publicity given.
Certainly pictures of the mess might
help. Moscow is spotless, and the cities
of France know are clean. What must
Europeans and comrades think Of us
when they see the mess of trash we
live in?
Anything done to help I'll be glad to
join, and work for. think people
would care if they realized how awful
they make the place look.
Edward Fisher.
Evening star., 1953-05-14
This and That
BY Charles E. TroceweN

The transit people believe that if the
old boys and girls had to pay that
much, they would find some other home.
Recently an elderly lady in Chicago
keeled over in Streetcar there, and after
they got her to the hospital they dis
covered that she was living on the cars.
She utilized the terminals for such
ablutions as she made.
Many persons, reading. thought she
was unique. but she was not.
Every large city. with day and night
buses and cars running, seems to have
this same problem.
There are at least two, and maybe
more, in Washington.
One is an old lady. q very demure
person dressed in staid black.
Another is an old man, with long hair.
and an overcoat that almost touches
the ground.
Recently the long hair was cut. ac-
cording to the drivers, by authority OF
the Health Department.
Once they had cleaned him up, he
went right back to his lodgings on
wheels.
Some of these people have their
passes pinned to the front of their
coats.
It is their badge. their authority.
They never say q word, but Just get
on and move to the back.
Once there, they take . seat, and
Evening star., 1953-05-14
Arlington Budget Dilemma

The budget adopted by the Arlington
County Board represents compromise designed
to meet, in part, conflicting demands for better
public services, especially schools, and demands
for tax relief. It is not surprising that neither
school authorities nor taxpayers generally got
all they hoped for. The school budget received
$450,000 cut that will mean only small
increase in pay for teachers, instead of the
$500 asked by the School Board. That is un-
fortunate, for teachers salaries are too low
nearly everywhere. Even the reduced budget
approved by the County Board will require
increases in the real estate and personal prop
erty tax rates. Coming on top of the recent
reassesSments which boosted some property
values more than 100 per cent, any tax-rate
rise now will be resented by many taxpayers.
A citizens advisory committee had recon-
mended to the County Board that the school
budget be cut by 100000, with $100 raise for
teachers in lieu of the $500 sought. The COM
mittee justified the lesser increase for teachers
by comparing minimum salaries in Arlington
with those in other parts of the Washington
Metropolitan Area. The comparison showed
that the Arlington pay is higher than that in
neighboring Fairfax County and Falls Church.
higher than that in Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties and about the same as that in
Alexandria It is $3.50 below the starting salary
In the District, however.
The Arlington School Board and the County
Board have given conflicting estimates of the
amount of raise that will be possible under the
reduced school budget. Chairman Peck of the
County Board has asserted that an average raise
of about $240 will be possible, if regular annual
increments are counted and certain economies
in other school costs effected. Chairman JOY
of the School Board has estimated that such
an increase cannot be granted unless sharp
cuts in services are made. Certainly every
effort should be made to give the teachers as
large an increase as is consistent with ad-
ministrative efficiency, for some teachers may
leave the system to take more lucrative jobs
outside the teaching field unless their jobs
are made more attractive.
The dilemma which the County Board faced
was difficult one. It's problem was not unique
In these times of increasing demands for tax
reduction and economies in government. The
substantial boost in the personal property tax
rate will be particularly unpopular, for the
personal property tax is unpopular anyway.
In Arlington, as in most other places it is hard
to administer it fairly, the appraisalS being left
to the taxpayers. who may elect to itemi5e their
possessions or use formula for estimating the
tax. Either course is unreliable and many
IneqGities can and do result. 1t is about time
Evening star., 1953-05-14
Alden Potter.

remained seated until the end Of the
line. They may or may not get out.
They ride all over town, too, seeing
the sights by day and night.
Think Of what they get-free lights,
heat, and even music!
If they should faint, or some other
accident happens to them, the helpful
operators will call an ambulance, and
see that they are taken away.
These are sad, lonely people, in most
cases, and some observers might think
of them as eccentric, but when one
considers what they get for their $40
a week, one cannot be too sure about
that. With music, too!
Where else, in a modern city. could
one get lodgings for such small sum?
The average person with home will
object that no one could live under
such conditions. but these wanderers
might laugh at that. It takes all kinds
of people to make world, and they
help make it.
Once the weekly pass is out, they
may have to find other lodgings for
the night, but the transit authorities
are not sure. especially about the nice
old lady in black
It is whispered that she has trunk
full Of money, someplace. and that she
Is so used to her life on wheels that
If they take the pass away from her.
she win 60 right on paying at II cents
per ride.
Evening star., 1953-05-14
City Beautiful?

Your paper seems to me to be the
most civic-minded of any in Wash
ington.
What can you do to help clean up the
horrible mess in Washington left by our
own citizens as well as the thousands
of tourists who come here every week
end and litter our public parks?
Can't anything more be done than
to send out squads of men every morn
ing to clean up part of the trash scat
tered all over these places that people
should feel enough pride in to keep
clean themselves?
I've never seen such a mess as our
own wonderful Zoo every Monday Morn
ing after the picnickers have gone
home. Only few realistic photographs
taken of the thousands of empty pea
nut sacks, popcorn boxes, cigarette
Evening star., 1953-05-14
The Magic Time

Now all the iDorld Is promise, euery star
A frozen point of melody. No night
Was euer quite like this. deep NTH de-
light,
Soft, uelvet- piled No stridency must jar
The delicate, delicious dreams that are
Gathered against its hopeful heart like
tDhite
Moon-crusted petals. II tomorroDs
blight
ADdits then,-well. tomorrow stAl is far.
No1o is night ADORE all nights. 1t must
Be bound Dith sono for memory. 1t
should
Be busted With the sWeetness or
romance
For do,Dn the stairway, beautiful but
Just
Touching the lovely uerge OF womdn-
hood,
Comes Kathleen dressed for her first
formal dance.
4 Mary Margaret MiIbroth 4
Evening star., 1953-05-14
TeIevised Baseball

The owners Of major league baseball
teams are asking Congress to give them
the right to restrict televiSing major
league games in minor league areas.
They want this. so they say, to save
minor league baseball. It would also
save major league ball because it saves
the source of baseball talent.
What this means is that most of the
Nation is to be relegated to seeing the
training games for players hopeful of
the "big chance" while only those in
certain big cities get to see the best in
baseball. It is apparent that those back
in the sticks" prefer to see good base
ball on TV than training games in the
flesh.
What is really happening to major
league baseball is that it finds itself in
the plight that so many industries
throughout the ages have found them
selves. It does not know how to meet
the challenge Of progress, and so is
asking for legal protection. If all in
dustries threatened by progress are to
be saved, then progress is useless. Prog
reSS replaces the old with the new,
and in this way advances the cause of
all. The old and established must
change with the times or be replaced.
In this case baseball apparently isn't able
to meet the challenge of the times with
courage and imagination, but feels the
need Of legal protection. One can
imagine the state of the world if the
hand transcribers of books had been
protected from the printing press, or the
carriage makers from the automobile,
or the local minstrel from the recorded
symphony.
Big league baseball should not fear
progress. The whole Nation wants it's
product. What it needs is to modify the
procedure for obtaining and training
players. There will always be aspiring
players, and they will always play the
game-in high school, college, indus
trial. and professional teams. Most
Of the Nation should not be restricted
to second-claSs baseball just to protect
one source of major league talent.
p. l.. Edwards.
Evening star., 1953-05-14
Series on NATO

congratulate The Star and Crosby
S. Noyes on his admirable series on
NATO. have seen no more competent
account Of the strength and weaknesses
of our NATO partners and the difficult
problems they face.
Mr.. NoyeS rightly warns that the
encouragement to a slackened effort
lately given by the American Govern
ment may result in failure to attain
an adequate defensive strength. This
showdown is deeply disquieting and in
my Judgment is not warranted either
by a decrease in the Soviet danger or
by inability to make greater effort.
have found no reason to alter an
opinion reached when Gen. Eisen-
hover was NATO Supreme Commander,
namely, that although the defense
costs then considered essential by the
NATO military leaders were quite be-
yond the economic capacity of the
alliance, the member countries none
theless do have the collective resources
to sustain more rapid military build
up than the one now foreshadowed.
Most of the NATO countries, the
United States included, could make
better defense effort than is now
planned without serious risk to their
economic strength.
The reluctance of political leaders
anywhere to vote the taxes and raise
the troops which the present danger
requires is natural and understandable.
But it is the duty of leadership to
present facts plainly and arduously to
seek public support for the heavy tasks
Of insuring national security.
Paul r. Porter.
Evening star., 1953-05-14
Military Magic

There is nothing in Defense Secretary VIII
sons statement to a House Armed Services
Subcommittee, nor in his subsequent press-con-
ference remarks, which removes the fear that
the defense budget ranks economy ahead of the
national security.
Mr.. Wilson, to be sure, said that combat
forces would be maintained at safe levels
despite reduced spending and fewer men, But
he did not say just how this military sleight of
hand is going to be performed. Perhaps he
knows, but the outlook is hardly encouraging
when he INDUCES in such remarks as there's
lot of boondoggling going on" under the name
of research.
The total budgetary cut Gas against the
Truman budgetD is $50 billion and IS billion
of this is coming out of the Air Force. AS
explained by Mr.. Wilson, this contemplates
abandonment of the former Air Force goal of
143 wings. wing varies in size from 80
bombers to IS fighters.
Instead of the 143-wing force, formerly
considered the minimum to insure our security,
the Defense Secretary spoke hopefully OF
new interim goap' of 120 wings The i'm
mediate goal however, is for ia substantially
well-equipped" wings by June 80, 1854 This
compares with planned program, under the
Truman budget of 1873 wings by the end of
1854, and the full 143-wing strength by the end
of 1855. According to Air Force sources, the
cut in aircraft procurement proposed by Mr..
Wilson will defer attainment of even the 12O-
wing goal until mid-1956.
Defending his proposed budget cut, MIR.
Wilson contended that the military establish
ment has billions of dollars in unexpended
balances which can be drawn upon during the
coming year: Most of these funds are already
obligated, however, and, in any event, the
deciSi0n tn reduce the funds for aircraft DrO-
curement in the coming fiscal year inevitably
means fewer planes and reduced strength in
the years to come.
Under the most favorable circumstances
this new program means that in the long
run we will lose % air wings planned for the
defense of the country. What has happened
to lead Mr.. Wilson to think that defense can
be maintained at safe level with this reduction
in strength? According to the best information
the Russians, already well ahead of us in
modern military aircraft, are building at
faster rate than planned for us. This means
that instead of growing relatively stronger, we
will grow relatively weaker. That is high-a
dangerously high-price to pay for economy,
and nothing that Mr.. Wilson has said appears
to justify it.
Each driver is urged to take individual
responsibility for trafic safety, which is Ok
except that most of us are so busy driving the
cars in front and behind that it's hard to pay
much attention to our own.
All that you need to handle the 2-year-old
says an expert, is plenty of love. couple Of
high shelves for keeping things on will also
help. 4
Evening star., 1953-05-14
Echoes Potrick Henry

Set up beside each other on The
Stars editorial page May are two
critically related opinions:
Twill the tokens of a genuine desire
for peace be forthcoming? Or must
mankind, in the end. be dragged down
to atomic ruin, leaving behind only
the wreckage of civilization as monu-
ment to stupidity or, more probably,
duplicity?
1.-THE atom can be harnessed to Gre
ate bright new era throughout the
globe. This planet belongs to the
whole human race, and the human
race is therefore entitled to informa-
tion that could spell the difference be-
tween its survival and annihilation."
beg to suggest that the small
group of men" who now know some
awful secrets" about atomic death
should be let in on what is an open
secret to people everywhere except in
that little group, to wit, that with
Patrick Henry we are still much more
concerned over liberty than over death;
liberty to contend for possession Of
planet that now as always belongs to
some, not all, Of the human race.
Not material welfare but the frame
work of moral and political institutions
under which competition can proceed,
with law and order in control in de-
fenSe Of private property as against
the party line" of socialism (com-
munism), is what is plainly and prop
erly claiming public interest. We are
not interested in peace at any price
or. primarily. in the inscrutable ques-
ton Of whether or not the Goth century
shall be CLOSING time" for the human
race.
Alden Potter.
Evening star., 1953-05-14

plicant. I'll take the job. can't come
for few days, but I'll be here Tuesday
"'Why couldn't you come until Tues
day?' Janin asked the young employe
when he reported for work.
"I had to rent a typewriter and
learn to use it, he explained.
"I think you'll do Janin smiled
What did you say your name wasp
Herbert Hoover"
think this is good thing for young
people to know who are striving for
an education.
Edith Bernreuter.
Evening star., 1953-05-14

that Arlington conducted a comprehensive
study Of its taxing system, with view to
broadening its base and equalizing the steadily
rising tax burden. New sources of tax revenues
are urgently needed to give Arlington the i'm
proved schools, storm sewers and other public
facilities and services needed by such growing
urban community
Evening star., 1953-05-14
AD-X2

would like to call attention to the
strange logic used by Prof. Ladder in
his statements on the AD-X2 issue
made to James Roper appearing in
The Star May 4. Quoting from the col
umn entitled "Objectivity Held Real
ISSUE: 1.-THE real ISSUE" said the slim
pipe-Smoking professor, "is whether the
bureau scientists who tested AD-X2
were completely objective
HE said a considerable number of
scientific tests show significant favor
able effects Of AD-X2 in popping up
lead-acid batteries such as those used
in automobiles. This evidence-plus the
testimonials of satisfied users of AD-X2
could be refuted only by exceedingly
careful experiments on wide scale,'"
DR.. Ladder said. And he indicated doubt
that the bureau had done this.
1t seems to this bystander that DR..
Ladder misses the point entirely. If the
evidence in favor of AD-X2 can be re-
futed only "by exceedingly careful ex-
perimentS on wide scale" as he insists,
then the advantages gained from using
AD-X2 must be exceedingly marginal
to say the least. From the point of view
of John @. Citizen, who is asked to buy
the stuff at a price, understand, many
times the value of the actual ingredi-
ents, this is the central point of the
issue. From the citizens point of view
the favorable evidence and testimonials
can be either refuted or sustained rather
on the basis of very simple tests. Much
of the argument about AD-X2 hinges
around the definition Of the word
worthless. The bureau scientists def1ni-
ton of the word, which requires that
in order to have worth, the beneficial
effect Of a product must be more than
marginal when it claims to be more than
marginal, would seem to be closer to
that of Mr.. Citizens than is Prof. Laid
ler's definition. Perhaps, to be truly OBJ
jective, 1T would be better to say that
the product appears by all evidence,