davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1953-03-06
This and That

The African violet has come long
way in the past 20 years.
We can remember when few men
were interested in it, when only one
or two species of it could be purchased.
If you bought an African violet, you
bought an African violet, and that was
that.
Today there are scores of varieties
in many colors.
At hardware stores kits for the prop
er growing of the plants are on display.
The kits contain growing materials.
fertilizers, etc.
A whole world of these indoor plants
has come into being. with magazines of
its own, and much human enthusiasm.
The profusion of bloom is probably
what appeals to the masculine grower.
Time was when indoor plants were
left to the womenfolk.
Those faithful souls toiled hard and
long with soapy water sprays, nicotine,
ETC., to try to get many house plants
to grow and bloom.
Often their faith was rewarded with
scant blooming, leaves yellow at the
edges, and occasionally death and de-
struction.
The whole effort left the average
male cold.
He did not mind flowers outside, but
looked upon them as a nuisance inside.
4
Now and then the man Of the house
Evening star., 1953-03-06

was known to knock the ashes off his
cigar into the potted plant.
He said it "fertilized" the earth
around the flower, or at least killed
the red spiders.
The lady of the house thought other
wise.
She called it nasty trick Probably
it was. But it meant that no man liked
the growing of indoor flowers. no mat
ter if he never said anything.
Now that is all changed.
The male African violet grower is
giving place to the orchid enthusiast.
Perhaps it is nearer the truth to say
that he is progressing in a fine art,
the cultivation of flowers.
After all, it makes no difference
where flowers are grown, outdoors, in
doors, on the roof, or in the cellar.
Even basement culture is possible
with special fertilizers and lighting.
X
H. G. Wells, for many years marvel
Of the English speaking and writing
world, wrote short story about
orchids.
It had to do with the possession of
a rare species, unknown to the London
cultivator who purchased it in what
would be called the black market
today.
The thing grew and grew and one
day threw out long white tentacles
which almost strangled him to death.
Few orchids. except in stories. will be
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Let Rent Control Die

Decision of the Commissioners not to ask
Congress to extend District rent control beyond
June 80 next is logical outgrowth of develop
nentS at the public hearing on this contro-
versial question. No evidence was produced to
Justify fear that death Of rent control would
cause cataclySmic upheaval adverse to tenants
On the contrary, there was testimony indicating
that no housing emergency of the sort that
warranted imposition of controls during and
subsequent to World War II exists in Wash
ington today. In the absence of such an
emergency it would be illogical to continue
governmental regulation of rents.
Too many opinions and too few facts were
presented by advocates of rent-control extern
sion at the hearing. Their attitude seemed to
be that as long as there is any shortage of any
sort of housing in Washington, rents should be
controlled. The trouble with this theory Is
that under it rent control might become
permanent governmental function in growing
city such as Washington. Rent control is
necessary evil in time of a real housing crisis
like that which beSet Washington and its
suburbs during wartime Federal expansion. 1t
Is Federal restraint on free enterprise that
should be removed just as soon as the crisis
is past. Nearby Virginia and parts Of nearby
Maryland already have lifted controls without
any noticeable ill effects. There is no reason
to believe that return to the law of supply and
demand inside the District would be against
the public interest.
Evening star., 1953-03-06

questionable Such decision would,
more likely. place the United States in
an awkward position and might very
we'll boomerang.
One has only to face the possibility of
an anti-Semitic movement in the United
States to understand the situation.
What are the facts?
The facts are that from Judith Cop
lon to Joseph Weinberg scores of
American Jews have been demaSked
in this country as active agents of
Soviet Russia and many more as "se-
curity risks" The facts are that
from New York to Los Angeles. from the
confessions and Investigations and trials
widely publiciZed, it has been revealed
that, in recent years. nearly all top
ranking traitors in the United States
were of Jewish origin.
This active and dangerous minority
has. no doubt, cast shadow of sus-
picion over the rest of the Jewish COM
munity, suspicion which might, some
day, turn into a non-discriminating
hatred and possibly wave Of anti
SemitiSm.
There lies the danger Don't give
Stain chance to exploit the situation
by dividing the American people. But
wake up America! Wake up and help
the responsible leaders to work out,
with Governments aid. better programs
Of education and better ideals for an
intelligent and resourceful youth. In
this great educating crusade the place
of Americas free press is, of course,
in the vanguard.
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Jim Jeffries, Champion

The greatness of the old-time champions
in sports always seems to grow with the years,
although in events where comparisons can be
drawn from immutable statistics the modern
athletes dominate most of the record books.
Boxing does not lend itself to such precise
measurement, however, and there is good
reason to believe that some of the iron men"
of the fighting past would have held their own,
and more, with the latter day champions.
Jim Jeffries, who died the other day at IT,
was one of the old-time greats In ring
career that spanned 19 years, he lost only one
f1ght-one he should never have fought, five
years after his retirement as undefeated heavy
weight champion. Jeffries won his title in
1899 by knocking out Ruby Bob FitzsimmonS.
During the next six years, he beat everybody
who entered the ring with him-Fitzsimmons
again, jim Corbett twice, Tom Sharkey twice
and Peter Jackson once. He quit when there
were literally no more fighters worth his time.
It was as white hope" that he was lured
back in 1910 to meet Jack Johnson, the canny
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Keeping the Record Straight

It may very well be that DR.. Barrows
Dunham, suspended Temple University pro-
fessor, honestly believed that high principle
was at stake when he refused to answer ques-
tions put to him by the House Un-American
Activities Committee. For the sake of accuracy
In judgment, however, the record In his case
should be kept straight.
Whether the courts will sustain DR.. Dun
ham, should contempt proceedings be brought
against him, remains to be seen. 1t is worth
pointing out, however, that DR.. Dunham stands
legally in virtually the same position as Henry
(the Dutchman) Grunewald, who is awaiting
trial for refusing to answer nearly all questions
asked him by a committee investigating tax
scandals. The law makes no distinction between
a college professor and suspected influence
man" If one can refuse to answer so can the
other.
More important than legalities, however, is
the stand taken by DR.. Dunham after his sus-
pension. This is what he said:
In an institution dedicated to truth the
relations between teacher and student, be-
tween teacher and teacher, ought to be pro-
tected. If teachers can be required by 1nquls1-
tors to reveal the thoughts honestly expressed
by their students or colleagues nothing can
be discussed in the classroom and nothing
learned. have been defending the integrity
of this relationship.
There is no question that Congress has
the right as it has the power. to investigate
for legislative purposes. What encountered
last week, however, was not genuine inquiry
but public defamation intended to extirpate
from the colleges not diSloyalty but dissent.
conceive that no act of mine could have better
displayed my loyalty to this country and its
traditions than the course I followed last
Friday
This, on its face, is a high-minded state
rnent of principle. But it does not square with
the facts.
When he appeared before the committee,
Dr. Dunham gave his name, age and place of
birth-the last reluctantly. On the ground OF
possible standardization, he refused to state
his educational training or his current occupa-
ton. When he refused to answer these queS-
tionS the Interrogation ended. According to the
transcript released by the committee, he was
not asked anything about Communist activity.
There was no question which even remotely
bore on the relationship between teacher and
teacher or teacher and student; no question
having the slightest relationship to thoughts
honestly expressed by students; no question
which even touched upon public defamation or
the extirpation of dissent from the colleges
These are the facts and DR.. Dunham should
be required to base his stand on them-not
on the purely fanciful basis which he has
advanced
Evening star., 1953-03-06
By Charles E. TroceweN

so bloodthirsty, but certainly many of
the specimens look as if they would
enjoy little special nutriment now
and then.
Out on the road to Rockville there
Is greenhouse, and big one, devoted
entirely to orchids.
"Give up all hope of cool air. We who
enter here" might be engraved over
the door.
One difference between African vio-
let's and orchids is that the latter need
a hothouse.
This not only means heat but the
proper humidity. No human, alone,
can achieve what an orchid likes. He
needs electricity. Even to grow one or
two plants calls for a hundred-d
cabinet.
To go into orchids even on a mod
crate scale means that the grower has
more money than Uncle Sam has been
able to take away from him. This lets
most of US out. The orchid grower,
modern American style, is determined
man, with love in his heart and plenty
Of money in his pocket.
He knows what he wants, and gets it,
but sometimes it just curls up. grows
yellow and dies, even in his fancy cab
met or hothouse. It is all just one Of
the hazards Of orchid growing. Most
persons would do better to stick to
African violet&
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Blanket Of Heavy Air
Protects Eurth's Life
Without Ozone, q Sunburn
Would Toast Your Skin
By Thomos R. Henry

Thin sheets Of a poison gas in the
earth'S upper atmosphere make possible
all life on earth.
This gas is ozone, the stuff one smells
near spot where lightning strikes, or
near an electrical discharge of any sort.
1t is heavy oxygen. The ordinary oxy-
gen molecule consists of two atoms
The ozone molecule is made up Of three
atoms of the same element.
This gas occupies a region roughly
between Is and 80 miles above the sur
face of the planet. If all of it were
brought down to the surface at atmos-
pheric pressure and room temperature
it would constitute sheet only from
.03 to is Of centimeter in thickness.
Shields Earth.
A tear in this gossamer sheet might
have deadly consequences for the living
things it covers. The 100 per cent vari-
ations in it's thickness that occur with
seasons, latitude-and sometimes from
day to day for reasons not understood
long have intrigued students of the
upper atmosphere. Astrophysicists of
the Smithsonian Institution now have
a fairly accurate record of these varia-
tions almost every day for nearly half
a century.
The ozone layer absorbs three bands
of radiation from the sun. First, and
by far the most important, is the in
visible ultraviolet. The ozone shields
the earth from all wave lengths of this
light shorter than 1900 angstrom units
(The angstrom unit is a hundred
millionth part of centimeter) 1t alb
serbs a greater part of that with wave
lengths shorter than 3450 angStrom
units. The shortest violet light visible
is about 5000 units.
A limited amount Of this ultraviolet
is essential to keep the earth healthy.
It kills germs. Very much more would
kill about everything else. The little
that gets through causes Sunburn. The
full amount of ultraviolet would mag
nifty this sunburn effect hundredfold.
Index to Thickness.
The ozone layer also strips-appar-
emily for no good reason in the econ
omy Of nature-about per cent Of the
yellow and green light coming from the
sun. This is the index of the thickness
Of the layer now being used by the
Smithsonian aStrophySiciStS. For nearly
so years, at mountaintop observatories
in various parts of the world, they have
measured with extreme accuracy the
amount of radiation in the different
wave bands of visible light received by
the earth from the sun every day.
Notable variations Of this first demon
strated that the sun actually is a mildly
variable star.
During most of this time however.
no particular significance was attached
to the yellow-green band. Now it has
become of great Importance as a daily
index Of the thickness Of the earths
protecting blanket.
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Dulles TV Personality

A letter criticizing John Foster Dulles
as a television personality is based on
a misconception of the true role tele-
vision plays among the great media.
The television camera is not mirror.
but a magnifying glass. Its magic lies
in the fact that it magnifles one quality
with more clarity than any other, and
that quality is sincerity"
AS a Secretary of State. reporting to
the people, Mr.. Dulles will be impress
sive only to those who approach with
an open mind their radio and televlsion
sets when Mr.. Dulles is about to speak.
AS for the drumming of the hand,
if this is natural to Mr.. Dulles, he
should continue doing it. Arthur God
frey, when he feels inclined, twists the
ring on his ring finger. Edward R.
Murrow smokes cigarettes.
have no doubt that Mr.. Dulles will
prove to be dynamic on television when
the occasion calls for it, Meantime. l
can't help feeling that this is some
thing dynamic in his new approach
to his responsibility of keeping the
people informed on the conduct of
foreign policy. The new approach is
found in the simplicity of his express
sion, his untiring effort to make the
policies understandable to the most
people.
Finally. feel even Mr. Dulles would
agree, it is not so important that he
himself be dynamic, as it is that his
policies be.
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Friends Of Middle Eost'

frIen0S or Ml0QIe E0St
The attempts of Albert j. Schrader
and Garland Evans Hopkins. in their
letters of February "a, to defend the
conduct Of the recent conference Of
the American Friends of the Middle
East" fail to answer the points raised
in my letter.
Their claim that the conference was
open to the public does nothing to re-
flute my statement that the planning
of the conference was discriminatory
against Israel, in intent and in effect.
Nor does the fact that an employe of
the Israel Office of Information in New
York took a seat among other members
of the public mean that any recogni-
ton whatsoever was thereby given by
the Friends of the Middle East" to the
Israeli point Of view. repeat that at
no time was any representative Of the
Embassy of Israel invited-aS were rep
resentatives of other Middle Eastern
states-to address the conference, nor
was one dispatched"
Mr.. Hopkins remarks that nationals
of only four of the 20 Middle Eastern
countries were invited to address the
gallery. The disingenuousness of this
claim collapseS before the blatant fact
that, in respect of the Arab-Israel situ-
alton, the Arab point of view exclu-
sively was represented among these ad-
dresses. AS for these nationals" who,
according to Mr.. Hopkins, had been
invited not on the basis Of their "off1-
cial relations" it is perhaps only CO.
incidence that the Arabs among them
happened to be the ambassadors Of
their governments accredited to Wash
ington.
To be sure, a number Of eStimable
and highly effective organizations were
also associated with the conference
The humanitarian and cultural
achievements of these groups in giving
aid to the peoples of the Middle East
can command only our highest regard.
But their active participation in the
other issues of the conference does not
mask the partiSanship of the organ
izers in respect of the Arab-1Srael po-
sition. Nor does it mitigate the abu-
siveneSS of the distortions INDUCED in
by the spokesmen of the Arab govern
ments who were invited to address the
conference. For DR.. Charles Malik to
state, for instance, that 'preSent-oay
Israel is but bridgehead from which
the Jews, at the opportune moment,
will sweep over and conquer the entire
Arab Near East" was neither impartial
in tone nor accurate in fact. 1t is
gross Misrepresentation of Israels pur-
poses, one that could only be designed
to exacerbate hostility and suspicion
within the Middle East and to mislead
American opinion.
If the American Friends of the
Middle East" is indeed concerned with
the problems of stability and progress
in the Middle East, might it not better
serve that purpose by seeking to pro-
mote peace and understanding among
the peoples of the region than by en-
couraging one group unrestrainedly to
vent its hostility against neighbor?
Y. Harry Levin,
Counselor, Embassy of Israel.
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Sleeping Daughter

Her hair is like tiger lily totld on the
pilloD,
Its petals spread out wide to feast on
the sun,
The water from the sky. Her eyes are
like:
(Closed / remember best their change
fulneSS-)
The ocean under a canopy OF slate,
Brooding, with fecks OF White rest
leSSly Gaping
The sulIen 1DdUes. NoD brotDn OF sand
bar ShoiUs,
NoU piece of blue escapes the clouds
portentous;
No1p blue and brot0n blend to nlyS-
tery
None can dissolve but God. Her mouth
is softer
Than pdnsy Ueluet. siDeeter than the
fragrance
OF fo1Ders Dante found beyond the
frewdH.
Her breath goes in and out like the
tranquil tide
At midnight Dhen the moon sets and
earth rests.
Alma Roberts Giordon
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Size of an Audience

Recently The Star printed a letter
from some one who commented on the
attendance at meeting in Constitution
Hall on January 15-said meeting being
under the auspices of Protestants and
other Americans United for Separation
of Church and State. I was among
those present at the meeting The seat
ing capacity of the hall is 3,844. made
a very careful check of the number
present, and would say the hall was two
thirds full. Therefore, there were about
$500 present-and not mere TOO or
800 as alleged by the writer of the
letter referred to. My figures have been
confirmed by others who were present.
The "700 or 800" estimate was deliber-
ately misleading. to say the least!
Lillian Sinclair Large.
Evening star., 1953-03-06
6. o. P. and Civil Service

In order that Republican Party
members may be placed in key posi-
tions, several drastic revisions of the
present legal status of the Civil Service
System are being given serious consid-
Grafton. The Republican cry of Time
for a Change" is to be further imple-
mented with the reconsideration" Of
the Civil Service laws. In order to
overcome the hindrance to placements.
an upheaval will have to be created
which will have far-reaching effect
upon Federal employees. The following
three major issues are taking the spot
light: Cd To exempt top adminiStra-
tive and policy jobs from the Civil
Service System. (2) To waive veter-
ans preference for the same jobs for a
limited period. 90 To force reduc-
tion in Federal personnel through
budget restrictions in varying amounts
according to the agency involved.
Still another revolutionary idea is to
knock out Civil Service and veterans
preference from the top jobs altogether
in order to give the Republicans at
least a years time to have freer
hand in Government reorganization!
In his Jackson Day address, Adlai
Stevenson stressed the desirability for
Democrats to maintain an attitude OF
n-partisanship in offering support to
the present administration whenever
they are right This is, I believe, sound
reasoning and I agree that we should
"give the devil his due" The party of
the opposition has much to learn from
the Republicans. The present policy
seems to be very simple, not entirely
lacking in resemblance to the principle
Of shifting the gears of an automobile
in reverse.
When the end cannot be accom-
plished according to the existing laws.
then the existing laws should be
changed to accomplish the end. Just
so long as you make it legal. you re-
main above approach legally. There
is. in my opinion, fly in the ointment.
What about the moral aspect? Is this
to be sacrificed on the alter of Machia-
velism? After the "key positions"
have been "reorganized," what will be
the next step?
Jessie b. Solomon.
Evening star., 1953-03-06
For the Record
j. p. M.

1t might be better for Dorothy
Thompson to remain political COM
mentator rather than have her wander
over in the field of American history.
In her column February 26 she
stated that James Madison helped in
the negotiations at the court of Ma
poleon for the purchase of Louisiana.
James Madison never set his foot out
side of this country. 1t was James
Monroe. the future President, who with
Robert R. Livingston, negotiated the
treaty by which this country purchased
this huge and vast territory.
Laurence Gouverneur Hoes,
President, James Monroe Memorial
Foundation, Inc.
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Butter Policy
Nan r. Street,

The revelation that the Government
holds 81 million pounds of butter and
continues to buy butter at a terrific
rate, explains why large proportion of
the population doesn't buy butter We
haven't had butter at our house for a
number of years for the simple reason
we can't afford it. We have to use mar
garine instead. Thousands of people
are in the same situation. It appears
therefore. that the farmers are produc-
ing butter principally to beA stored in
Government warehouses and ultimately
Evening star., 1953-03-06
Why Study Latin?

An organization called Teachers of
Classics in New England" with headquarters
at Widener Library in Cambridge, Mass. has
conducted a timely and impressive survey
whose findings should have the careful atten-
tion of everybody interested in the question
of whether or not Latin is subject valuable
and practical enough to be studied thoroughly
in the Nations secondary schools.
Like Greek Latin has fallen upon evil days
in America. During the past generation espe-
cially, it has suffered steady decline In the
sense that fewer and fewer boys and girls
in our high schools have been studying 1t for
even as short time as year. Together with
many of their elders, these youngsters see no
point to learning the intricacies of what has
been loosely described as dead language
If it is dead" they ask, why bother with 1t?
Why not ignore it? Why not let it rest in
peace? Why labor over it when ones efforts
might more prof1tably be devoted to things
that are alive-to subjects that have to do
directly with the concrete business Of earning
a living?
The Cambridge survey gives good answer
to all such questions. What it shows Is that
the Nations educational leaders-headS Of uni
versities, graduate colleges, law schools, tech
nical institutions, etc-are Overwhelmingly IN
favor Of having Americas young people study
as muCQ hdCl0 DIS pOSS1Olc \oOAIC A1S4uOC 1ACCN,
tool as an invaluable preparation for work in
areas of learning beyond the secondary school
level In the opinion of these experts, it is
subject of prime Importance in terms of disci-
plining the mind, learning how to think,
acquiring cultural background, equipping ones
self with an extra, practical advantage in the
legal and other professions, becoming fluent
in modern European languages like French,
and speaking and writing English with grace
and precision.
This is at best only very sketchy sum-
mary of the views of leading American educa-
tors, but their basic thought can be stated in
a few words Latin, far from being literally
dead" language, is a rich and vital mother
tongue of imperishable quality and the young
student who ignores it, who fails to study It,
Is robbing himself of thing of great value
That fact should be pondered carefully by the
parents Of all children preparing to enter high
school, Certainly, the findings Of the Teach
ers Of Classics in New England" are much too
persuasive and convincing to be pooh-poohed
or filed away and forgotten.