davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1953-04-12
by Mark Derby
Illustrated by George Hughes

to ask him to let her pass embarrassment sud-
denly gagged her. She waited, instead
The street was not well lighted and 1t was
almost deserted until black car pulled up
outside lighted door on the opposite side.
There were posters to right and left Of the
steps up to the door. They showed photo of
a stout Chinese in eyeglasses.
Instinctively Nancy disliked the man who
stood so still in front of her. She couldn't see
his face, but something about his stiffness. the
coarse oiled hair and the thin shoulders and
elbows that gave him so sharp silhouette
made her hold herself back from his nearness
with distaste.
He was absolutely motionless, his eyes fixed
on the lighted door on the other side of the
street, until there was movement inside and
group of Chinese in noisy conversation
appeared at the top of the steps.
The man in front of Nancy moved. He took
something from his pants pocket and without
taking his eyes off the doorway pulled at
whatever it was with his other hand. Nancy
saw small, glinting thing fall by his foot and
was startled to hear him speak,
11F SPOKE three words, softly to himself.
She didn't know what they were. He looked
Chinese = maybe the three slow words were
Chinese: one-two-three.
At the third word he uouched, and his right
Evening star., 1953-04-12

The trip ashore, with Mike, at least, was out.
Nancy took it easier than he'd expected.
But that was because she'd made one of her
headstIong snap decisions the moment he
broke the news. and she kept it to herself.
Shed do it solo.
So there she was ashore, twenty minutes
later. her candid Australian eyes alight in the
radiance of the rising moon and the newly Lit
waterfront lamps and her slip showing again
and her conscience nagging as she turned
last glance back at the lighted ship out in the
roads.
FoR the next hour she saw Penang after
dark. Like child at a fair she wandered down
one side-street after another. peering into
little cluttered shops and stalls. pausing in the
entrances to temples where joss-sticks burned
before monstrous images, delighting in the
gusto and vitality of the seething life of
Chinatown Self-consciously she sat at tiny
open-air stall and drank excellent coffee and
afterwards bought delicious ball of faxed
ice stained and sticky with raspberry syrup
from a small tamil hawker-boy.
The slip kept showing.
Finding quiet corner where she could fix
it properly wasn't so easy. But at last there
was more secluded street and halfway down
it narrow opening between two blank walls.
She stepped back off the sidewalk, advanced
a couple of yards and found herself in pitch
darkness.
A min shortened the left shoulder strap and
then, just as she was ready to step back into
the street again, man slipped into the OPEN
ing and stood in the entrance, barring her way.
He hadn't seen her. He stood with his back
to her, only just inside the black shadow of
the opening. But when she opened her mouth
Evening star., 1953-04-12
FEATURE FICTION

AUNT GRACE looked like hen who's
IA hatched duckling and said, But
Nancy, this is Malaya. The cold wars hot
here"
She recognized the look in Nancy's eyes.
She'd seen it before, long ago, in the eyes of
both Nancy's grandfathers. They'd been
pioneers in Northwest Australia: The min
gled stubbornness and curiosity that makes
pioneer tick was there again in her niece's
clear blue gaze.
The wars on the mainland, in the jungle"
Nancy said. You went ashore yourself the
day before yesterday at Singapore. Well, this
is Penang, an island the way Singapore is"
Aunt Grace sighed. But after dark. /" +"
They have lights" Nancy pointed across
the blue-black water of the roadstead at the
lights that were coming out, like stars, along
the waterfront and high on the Peak '.Miker
be with me-" she went on. "And you know
what he said - we won't see finer place
this trip than Penang. Besides I've just got
to get something to write about before
answer all those letters picked up in Singa-
pore. can't just write, Dear Classmates,
Singapore was breathless! went ashore with
Aunt Grace and had lunch IN big English
hotel and bought a slip IN big English
store -"
Its showing" Aunt Grace interrupted
bleakly.
1T WAS too. Il thought I'd fixed it, Nancy
said, wiggling her slim hips and easing up the
nylon slip. Look, Aunt Grace, I've come
four thousand miles from Sydney, and what
have seen?"
II promised your father I'd keep an eye on
you," her aunt said l1nhappily, but she soon
gave in. She wasn't really stuffy and she
usually did. And she liked Mike Forester,
the young deck officer who was 50 clearly
attracted by Nancy's vivid response to the
first big adventure of her life. I'm going to
take my nap now. And don't forget, half-past
ten will be quite late enough for the pair of
YOU to be back on board"
But no sooner had she gone below than Mike
was at Nancy's elbow swearing blue murder at
the captain, who'd put him on extra duty.
Evening star., 1953-04-12

AUTHOR
Big Water, will be published May Mr.
deal Of Mlay training jungle
Evening star., 1953-01-07
By John A. Giles

A congressional demand for
ian Immediate investigation" of
reports that many men are de-
serting from the armed forces
to avoid Korean war duty came
today on the heels of an Army
report that $4,000 soldiers have
been absent without leave since
hostilities began.
Senator Bridges, Republican,
Of New Hampshire, who soon
may become chairman of the
Senate Preparedness subcom-
mittee. made the demand.
Both Democrats and Repub-
licans have been urging me to
take this craftsmanship" he
said. "I may consider setting it
up and getting it going
The subcommittee is a part of
the Senate Armed Services Com
mittee and Senator Saltonstall.
new committee chairman, had
this comment:
That is one Of the things we
will look into"
Pentagon Not Alarmed.
The Pentagon discounted the
seriousness of the situation. 1t.
Gen. A. j. McAuliffe, assistant
Evening star., 1953-01-07
Negofiafors 10 Try Again
On New York Bus Strike
I BY the Associofed Press

NEW YORK, Jan. 7.-Mayor
Vincent R. Impellitteri's special
Mediation Committee will make
new efforts today to settle the
city's week-old bus strike.
No progress was reported after
yesterdays initial talks between
representatives of the CIO
Transport Workers Union and
employers.
Eight private bus companies
were struck New Years Day by
their $500 drivers and main
tenance men who seek a 40-hour
week and pay increases.
No transit crisis has developed
from the strike. which has tied
up the bulk of the private surface
lines. Most of the city's vast
subway-elevated-bus trolley sys-
TENS are municipality operated.
Evening star., 1953-01-07
Congress Probe Is Demanded
Of Armed Forces Desertions

chief of staff for personnel, told
reporters he did not consider the
situation alarming" and pointed
out the AWOL rate per thousand
men in uniform was less than
during World War II.
OF the 5000 soldiers who have
been absent without leave for 80
days or more-thus placing them
in the deserter category-11 900
still remain at large.
Gen. McAuliffe said a major
concern was not the deserter sit
uation, but what he termed the
Short term. absent-without-l leave
soldiers. These have risen to
10000 a month recently, he said.
Of whom an average Of 1900
monthly either return or are ap-
pretended within short periods.
Faced with the sharp rise in
AWOLs, he said. Army COM
manders have been ordered to
take this course: The man who
turns up absent a few days after
his ship sails is given a court
martial and then taken to the
next ship instead Of to the
guardhouse. His sentence is
commuted.
Pentagon officials said the
total of the current count of
deserters of all services who
have not been picked up or have
not returned voluntarily runs
about 1890.
Breakdown by Services.
In reply to inquiries. the Air
Force said it had 851 deserters
as of October 81. The Navy re-
ported 1,242 and the Marines
697 on December 81. Army
strength today is 1.558.000. the
Air Force about 100000. the
Navy 805 900 and the Marine
Corps approximately 100000.
The figures were given in COM
ment on a copyrighted article in
the Louisville (Ky.) Times yes
terday. which stated that on any
given day enough able-bodied
men to make up two complete
divisions are classified as desert
ers or AWOL." This would mean
about $4,000.
Gen. McAuliffe said that for
the last complete fiscal year of
World War II the desertion rate
in the Army of z million men
was about AZ per month each
1000 men and that the COM
parable figure for the Korean
conflict was less than two.
He explained the peak of ab-
sences comes after men get
overseas duty orders.
Senator Russell, outgoing
chairman of the Senate Armed
Services Committee, said that if
the reports of widespread de-
sertion are true, sits a national
disgrace that the armed forces
have not taken vigorous steps to
bring these men back into the
service"
The Times said pressure from
Congress members in behalf of
deSerters had weakened disci-
pline and morale and Chairman
Short of the House Armed Serv-
ices Committee declared, IF that
is true, it will bear looking into"
Evening star., 1953-01-07
COP. House Chief,
See No Surprises in
Major Assignments
By Robert K. Welsh

House Republican leaders
promised today that several ma
jor committees will have their
full memberships by the end of
this week and contain no sur
prises."
But the G. o. P. and Demo-
cratic jobs of assigning new
members or transferring old ones
to some of the 19 regular COM
mittees, especially those ordi-
narily having from Is to 40
members, are causing even more
difficulty than had been expected,
they said.
The main trouble, it was ex-
planned. is not in selecting suit
able members on the basis of
seniority and party loyalty. The
aim is to assure a safe majority
control and an adequate minority
representation.
Direct responsibility for work.
ing out such appointments for
submission to Speaker Martin
was vested in a group named late
yesterday by House Republican
Leader Halleck.
This G. o. P. group constitutes
q subcommittee of the House Re-
publican Committee on Commit
tees. It includes Representatives
Allen of Illinois, Jenkins of Ohio,
Reed of New York, LeCompte of
Iowa, Simpson of Pennsylvania,
Phillips of California, Wilson of
Indiana, Goodwin of Massa-
chusetts. Wolcott of Michigan,
and Hill of Colorado.
Hope to Finish Next Week.
Committees on Appropria-
tior1s, Ways and Means and
Armed Services probably will
have their full memberships
designated by the end of this
week, majority leaders irldica-
ted. Subcommittee members
said they hope to finish their
work next week so that all
standing committees will be COM
plete, approved and ready for
action as soon as the Eisen-
hover Administration takes
Office.
House Republicans do not in
tend to pass any bills, except
routine ones, before January 20.
Speaker Martin, however, is
known to be eager to start re-
ferring more than LOO pending
measures to the appropriate
committees as soon as possible,
Because of the change in House
control, the Democrats may lose
a few places on almost every
committee. In the case of the
12-member Rules Committee,
one of the most powerful in the
House. the recent deaths OF
former Representatives SABBATH
of Illinois and Cox of Georgia
caused q situation where only
two of the six remaining DEM
ocratic members will be dropped.
Republican leaders indicated
today they intend to maintain
an 8-to-4 division.
G. O. P.'s Big Problem.
The biggest headache for the
Republicans in appointing their
committee members,is to assure
q sufficiently wide majority on
committees handling highly
controversial or predominantly
partisan measures, leaders dis
closed.
In the 43-member Appropri-
ations Committee. for example,
the G.. o. P. leadership intends
to have a majority of at least
80. This will mean the appoint
ment of more than 10 addition
al Republicans.
Evening star., 1953-02-04

not tell what was in the letter.
She indicated that it originated
from the American Embassy in
Guatemala.
Official Withdrew Files Often.
Mrs. Balog also testified that
Robert Ryan, an assistant chief
of the Foreign Service Person.
mel Division, often withdrew files
and kept in his possession some
material that had been in them.
She said she discovered this
from memos in the file jackets
suggesting that Mr.. Ryan be
contacted before any personnel
action was taken on the indi-
vidual concerned.
Senator Mccarthy remarked
that Mr.. Ryan had said the
material held out of the files
concerned the morals of indi-
viduals.
Mrs. Balog estimated that be-
tween 800 and 400 people had
authority to withdraw the per-
Sonnel f1les under her jurisdic-
ton, and that sometimes they
were kept out for several months.
Because there is no index to
the filing system, she said it
was impossible to tell whether
any material was missing from
the files. She said she had often
urged that "a control system
be set up to keep track Of all
the material.
Evening star., 1953-02-04

decision to end price and wage
controls.
All employees In the Office of
Price Stabilization will lose their
Jobs by April 80, as will the work
ers in the Wage Stabilization
Board and Salary Stabilization
Board. Most will lose their jobs
by March. with only skeleton
STATS remaining to nquidate the
agencies.
No imminent personnel cuts
are expected at the Once Of
Rent Sterilization, because
President Eisenhower asked for
continued rent control in areas
where serious housing short
ages exist"
No additional personnel cuts
are expected at this time at the
National Production Authority,
which already has cut it's force
heavily. Since the adminiStra-
ton expects to continue con-
trolls on defense materials, NPA
expects to remain in business for
the time being.
ANK
SESSION-The House Civil
Service Committee held its first
organization meeting yesterday
and voted to retain its present
professional staff. Fred Belen
will be chief counsel and Charles
johnson will be assistant coun-
sci.
LIMITATIONS STATUTE
The Controller General has dis
allowed an overtime claim by q
Government employe because it
was not filed within the 10-year
limitation period.
4 Il
JUSTICE-Robert w. Minor,
administrative assistant to SEN
ator Bricker since l949, has
been appointed first assistant to
Deputy Attorney General Will
liam P. Rogers. Both Mr.. Rogers
and Mr.. Minor we're with the
Senate Investigations subcom-
mittee during the 80th Congress.
Mr.. Rogers was chief counsel,
and Mr.. Minor assistant coun-
I.Sel.
Evening star., 1953-02-04
Casually LIST Rises I'll,
Korea Total Is 120,424

American battle casualties in
Korea reached 129, ,424 today, an
increase of 271 since last week.
The weekly summary. based
on notification of next of kin
through last Friday, listed total
battle deaths as 22,S22. This
included 20,440 killed in action,
1853 dead of wounds and PIG
known dead previously reported
as missing.
The missing in action totaled
1908, an increase of nine over
last week.
The new totals for the various
services include Army, 101 ,284,
an increase Of 100 over the previ-
GUS week: Navy. 1892, in in
crease of four: Air Force, LAPS,
an increase of II, and Marine
Corps. a. ;293, an increase of 90,
Evening star., 1953-02-04

match factory" to give him
access to the file room.
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat,
of Arkansas brought out, how
everg that Mr.. Services 1949
work in the file room was mot
out of lineY with his duties at
the time. e
Mrs. Balog said, under ques-
tioning by Senator Mcclellan.
that Mr.. Service was one of
those working on a revision OF
the confidential personnel files.
She added that she did not have
any information to the effect
that Mr.. Service had removed
or destroyed any file material.
Word Burn on Letter.
Nevertheless, Chairman Nc
Carthy said he thought 1t i'm
proper that people like Service
could have keys to the file room
and the opportunity to remove
material at will.
Mrs. Balog testified that the
letter which was ordered burned
referred to a man, named Mel
vile Osborne. whom she did not
further identify. Estate Depart
ment publications list Melville
Osborne as having been vice
consul in Guatemala in 1851 and
currently in Mexico as an assist
ant attache.)
Some time in 1851 or 1952-she
could not remember exactly
when-the letter came to her
desk bearing the word Burn
in red letters across its face.
She said she could not under
stand why any one would order
such file material burned, and
so took the letter to an "area
officer" she identified as Perry
Ellis. She said Mr.. Ellis told
her only that he did not want
the letter in the files and was
glad she returned it. She said
she left it with him.
Under the terms of what Sen
ator Mccarthy called "ridic'
uIous blackout order still in ef.
feet" Mrs. Balog said she coul(
Evening star., 1953-02-04
A SurIy Bird Gets the Yeorn
To Stray, Finds Home Is Best

into a borrowed cage where he
stepped up his TRADE.
The bird continued heaping
imprecations on his rsecuers. He
called little Louise WOLF. 5, a
"chatterbox," and Conrad WOLF,
8. stupid"
The end came Friday when.
perched on Mrs. Wolz's shoulder
in a temporary truce, he pro-
claimed:
I'm mammals Prettyboy, and
live at 1902 U street." Over
and over he repeated this, pune
tuating his edict with loud
"Arrrrrgggh's."
Mr.. WOLF, a clerk in the city
post office, figured Prettyboy
meant 1902 U street Sc. So he
delivered the triumphant para
keet to his worried owner, Mrs.
Bertha Slate.
You know" said Mr.. WOLF,
II kind Of liked that crazy bird"
Evening star., 1953-02-04
Influenza Outbreak
May Be Subsiding,
Health Director Says

Health Director Daniel L.
Seckinger today said the out
break of influenza and colds In
the District apparently is sub
siding.
DR.. Seckinger said absentee
ism among Government workers
was down to SO per cent today.
Earlier in the week absenteeism
had risen to 4.3 per cent.
The health director said the
absenteeism today was regarded
as within the normal prevalence
for this time of the year.
The District public schools
have not made a check Of abb
Senteeism in the past few days,
DR.. Seckinger said. Last week
it was done at the special request
Of the Health Department.
School officials said they were
unable to continue such daily
checks of more than 100000 pu-
pills in some 180 schools because
Of the heavy burden on school
personnel and the school tele-
phone system.
DR.. Seckinger said indications
were that absenteeism in the
schools was dropping. It reached
nearly 19 per cent last week
well above normal for this time
of the year. DR.. Seckinger said
the last school check showed it
was back to around II per cent.
DR.. Seckinger said the Health
Department would institute its
own spot check of the schools
within the next few days.
Evening star., 1953-02-04
Body Of GAO Auditor
Found Hanging in Closet

The body of Benton c. Barnes,
81, an auditor for the General
Accounting Office, was found
hanging yesterday afternoon
from a coat hook in the closet
of the Continental Hotel, 42O
North Capitol street.
The discovery was made by his
wife. Mrs. Luella Barnes, who
had shared the hotel room with
him since November. The couple
spent part of the time in their
home at La Plata, Md.
Police said Mr.. Barnes had
suffered from a nervous disorder
and recently had been under a
physicians care.
Evening star., 1953-02-04
Conunt
CONTINUED From First Page.)

quest his testimony before the
Loyalty Review Board regarding
John Patton Davies, jr., a foreign
Service officer, who has been
cleared and returned to duty in
Germany.
! Senator Wiley said the issue
involved in the questioning of
Gen. Smith grew out of the fact
that in 1949 Mr.. Davies made
certain recommendations to the
Central Intelligence Agency.
Gen. Smith did not join the CIA
until 1850. Senator Wiley said
he was asked in 1851 to evaluate
the record Of the Loyalty Review
Board in the Davies case.
Mr.. Davies served under Gen.
Smith when the latter was
American Ambassador to Mos
COW. Senator Wiley said that
Gen. Smith told the committee
today that during his contact
in Russia he saw nothing about
Mr.. Davies from which he could
draw conclusion that he was
disloyal. On other occasions,
Gen. Smith has described Mr..
Davies as a patriotic and eff
cient Foreign Service officer.
Denies Complaints.
DR.. Conant spent two hours
before the committee in closed
session yesterday, in the course
Evening star., 1953-02-04

Of which he denied complaints
that he had supported the Nor
genthau plan to hold postwar
Germany to an agricultural
economy, and that a speech he
made last year on the problems
of public and private schools was
in any way anti-religious.
The committee postponed a
vote to let absent mem
bers see the record, but Ma
jority Leader Taft, a committee
member, predicted confirmation
Senator Tobey, Republican, of
New Hampshire, another COM
mittee member. said the odds
are 10 to l that DR.. Conant will
be approved.
Evening star., 1953-02-04

The legislation has the strong
backing Of the AFL Government
Employees Council, representing
more than 500. 900 Federal work.
ers. which has asked Congress
for an $500 pay increase for clas-
sif1ed and postal workers.
The bill sponsored by Mr..
Withrow and Mr.. Rhodes would
apply to postal workers, but the
two legislators are expected to
introduce a similar bill for clas-
sified employees within q few
days.
i The chances Of a Federal pay
raise depend on three factors.
all of which are unsettled now:
First, the attitude Of President
Eisenhower on a pay increase.
Second. the attitude of Congress,
which. incidentally. will be gov
erned to a large extent by Gen.
Eisenhower's views on the mat
ter. Third, the cost of living.
In regard to the latter, it
probably will depend on what
happens to living costs when
present controls are lifted on
April 80, as planned by the adj
ninistration. If living costs con-
tinue to climb, a Federal pay
raise will have at least a chance.
If not, it will face rough sled
ding.
CIVIL SERVICE WEEK-This
week is Civil Service Week, spon-
sored by the American Fedora
ton of Government Employees in
cooperation with the Civil Serv-
ice Commission. The AFGE will
sponsor a dinner at Z pm.
tomorrow in the Hotel Statler,
at which Chairmen Carlson and
Rees Of the Senate and House
Civil Service Committees will
speak. Meanwhile. the AFGE
executive council begins its an
nual meeting tomorrow.
CONTROLS AGENCIES
About $500 employees here in the
various economic controls agen-
cies will be fired within the next
few months. Nationally, about
10000 jobs will be abolished as
result of the administrations
Evening star., 1953-02-04

Prettyboy, a brilliant blue, black
and white parakeet, is learning
there is no place like home.
Last Wednesday he saw his
chance to escape and was car
ried unseen to freedom on the
shoulder of departing guest.
For two hours, he tasted free
dom in the wild blue yonder.
Then he got homesick but lack
ing the homing instinct of a
pigeon. he lost his way.
He lighted forlornly on a win
doWsill and thought he recog-
nized the interior. But he was
212 miles wrong.
Brought inside by Mrs. Alvin
A. WOLF of 1925 M street Sc,
Prettyboy learned his mistake.
He kept saying:
Dammit, dammit, dammit .
I'm thirsty!"
Collecting her shattered illu-
sions about nice birds, Mrs. WOLF
and a neighbor thrust Prettyboy
Evening star., 1953-02-04
Eisenhower Nominutes
Duyis as Solicitor

President Eisenhower today
nominated Clarence A. Davis,
former attorney general of Ne
braska, to be solicitor for the
Interior Department.
Mr.. Davis has been practicing
law in Lincoln. Nebr., for the
past 80 years and has been iden-
titled with water resources mat
terS in the Missouri Valley.
Evening star., 1953-02-04

District-Fair and somewhat
colder tonight, low near 28. To-
morrow fair with moderate tenn
peratures.
Maryland - Fair and slightly
colder tonight. low near 1925
in west and $3.50 in the east.
Tomorrow fair with moderate
temperatures.
Virginia - Fair and slightly