davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1953-12-02
The Great Kress Giveowoy'

Life magazine, under the title "The Great
Kress Giveaway," has discussed the art philan-
thropy of Samuel H. and Rush H. Kress in
terms which must serve to create a sense of
appreciation in the mind and the heart of any
reader 1t tells how the two dime store brothers
have enriched 35 public museums including
most notably the National Gallery here in
Washington. Further, it outlines the plans
they have developed for the distribution OF 600
additional paintings before 1860.
But perhaps Life has not been altogether
fair to the Kresses in its attempt to represent
their activities as collectors. There is a sug
gestion that they grew up sin a world devoid of
art" and that it was not until 1920 that friend
determined to get Sam interested in beautiful
things" with the result that he purchased "big
LOTS of canvaSses wholesale, thus obtaining "a
sizable number of second and third rate paint
ings." 1t might seem to follow that some of
the older brothers investment approxmating
$75 million, had been wasted.
Facts, however, contradict this notion. The
KreSseS admittedly bought entire collections on
occasion. This was necessary in order to obtain
prize pieces they particularly desired. The less
important works then were sold or traded or
possibly discarded as trash. Such likewise was
the experience of Andrew w. Mellon, the
Wideners and many other collectors. What
finally remained in each instance was not
second or third rate at ALL On the contrary,
the final, defnitive showing was and Is first
class,
Evening star., 1953-12-02

interests of the American people. He
did his best to warn the previous ad-
ministration of the creeping danger of
Communist inf1ltration into our Gov
ernment, but with little success.
And now the idea seems to be get
ting around that If the Democrats win
control of Congress, they will replace
Mr.. Hoover. If there is semblance
of truth to this rumor, then American
voters should rise up and make it pos
itively sure that the Democrats will
not gain control of the House or Sen
ate. The present administration needs
little more time to clean up. the mess
the former administration left behind.
Ex-DemOcrat.
I heard two national newscasterS say
in effect that some Democrats are plan
ming to cut j. Edgar Hoover's FBI
budget and have him removed at the
end of his term.
The people know how valuable j. Ed
gar Hoover and his organization are to
our national security and no party is
telling them anything else and getting
away with it, especially since we know
what has been coming out Of Wash
ington these past few years.
Mamie M. Steabner.
Minneapolis, MINI.
Evening star., 1953-12-02

abound here-visit the planetarium and watch
the stars in their slow-moving courses, and he
is inevitably cut down to normal SIZE Or let
man whose faith is wavering watch the glory
of creation wheel before his eyes, and his faith
must be renewed. Or let those heavy-laden sit
down to watch the show and their troubles
without doubt will be reduced to their proper
dimensions.
The only easily seen objection to plane
tarium is the expense. But New Yorks Hay
den and other planetaria are self-sustaining
through admission fees. And If the initial out
lay is too great for Congress to stomach in a
time of economy, perhaps-as the Smithsonian
Institutions secretary DR.. Leonard Carmichael,
has suggested-some public-spirited man might
underwrite the cost.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
BETHESDA, MD.


Dear Sir:
"Where we live it is really country,
and have seen, from time to time, sew
eral small snakes.
"They are dark and can move swiftly.
am afraid of them but wonder If they
are harmful.
what do you think? Your advice
would be very much appreciated, as !
do not care for snakes, but hesitate to
destroy them.
Sincerely, M. G."
These are simple black snakes and
are not harmful, though rather scary
looking, if one does not like snakes,
and most persons do not.
Black snakes are good rodent catch
ers, especially when they grow up.
1t is good thing to let them alone.
unless there is some member of the
family who fears them too much, then
they might be destroyed; otherwise.
they do a good service around rural
place.
There are a number of other small
snakes, as instanced here recently,
which sometimes live in old wood and
rock piles.
There is one species, a very small
member of the serpent tribes. with
queer name we have forgotten, which
lives in hole in the ground.
Catering to the small-snake popula
ton in the country and truly rural SUBJ
urbs mot the popular suburbs which are
mainly big city, is done by leaving the
garden alone.
Not that some "clean up cannot be
INDUCED in. But, in the main. the
rake and bamboo broom should not be
used too freely.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
Charges and counterchurqes

Senator McCarthy's answer" to
former President Truman revealed
plainly that McCarthy's noisy anti
Communism is only a device. to pro-
mote his. own political fortunes.
The Communists subverted Russia
and half a dozen other countries, and
Hitler subverted Germany, by dis
crediting the most respected national
leaders and heroes, and by so doing
creating an atmosphere of doubt and
fear. Mccarthy is trying the very
same thing. He has repeatedly at
tackled our most effective anti-Com-
munist leaders. He especially tries
to discredit those officials who de-
veloped and carried out successful
overseas programs to stop communism,
such as the Truman Plan for aid to
Greece and Turkey, the Marshall
Plan, the North Atlantic Treaty Or
ganization, and the programs initiated
by free nations for collective security
against international communism. II
our Congress had followed McCarthy's
lead, communism would already have
taken over most or all of the world.
for Mccarthy was either non-con-
initial or openly opposed to all these
successful and necessary anti-Cop-
Evening star., 1953-12-02
By Charles E. TroceweN

perity ought to show him, as well as
the text of the latest newspaper, that
he too is regarded as prey.
The food supplies for most OF the
lowly creatures Of this earth are mostly
other creatures.
The fastest ones escape; they remain
living creatures. The slow ones,
especially the slow witted, become food.
x
The civilized gardener will give a
thought, then, to the possibilities of
keeping some Of this food readily
available for the larger and more
popular living forms that have not yet
withdrawn from his yard into the
remaining fields and forests.
The situation in and around large
city is not like that of any other sec
ton of land. It must tantalize the
birds to fly into fine yard, only to
discover that the owner has gone to
the unnecessary pains Of sweeping
everything too clean. Cleanliness. in
nature, is not our cleanliness. A tangled
mass of berried vines does not need
upsetting to meet the ideas OF some
one with a drawing room complex.
1SdCLAcA' ~ ACeuS w NC ACAI oAOAc' Juo'
as it is, to furnish a prize for the
feathered folk in the cold.
Even masses and piles Of old leaves,
as disconcerting as they are to some
human observers, serve their purpose
in Turing insects to hide in them, from
which hiding places they are retrieved
at last by a prowling chickadee or
titmouse. or bold blue jay. The brown
creeper, going over and over a tree
trunk, knows what he is doing there.
He is getting his dinner, in quite as
good way. for him, as q human
visiting the swankiest eating place.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
This and That ;.

This effect may be augmented by
planting berried shrubs, even black
berries, and letting them alone.
The desire to manicure lawn is city
born. It does not come from the coun-
try. Country people have too much to
do to spend their time on getting every
leaf. Only the city man. who finds
lawn a novelty, and does not have too
much of it to handle, will spend his
time getting every last leaf.
There is no need for it, in the first
place. In the second, it takes away
the hiding places of small forms Of life
which add interest to suburban living.
That some insects find refuge in
such places is true, but, after all,
nothing demands that the average
suburban resident go all out for insect
eradication.
The birds like insects, in their various
forms, and seek them out under leaves
and in the crevices of tree bark.
Any one who has watched q song
sparrow scratch knows that too much
tidiness around the yard is going to
deprive this splendid small creature Of
part of its living.
X
Pigeons, starlings and common spar
rows, so often frowned upon, are good
ScavengerS.
They like nothing better than seiz-
ing an insect by the back of the neck
and devouring it. in the old plan for
living laid down for the pure creatures
of nature.
Civilized man. so called, may not
like this plan, but he is part of it.
and he need not think that he can
escape its effects. The menacing looks
cast from afar at his country's pros
Evening star., 1953-12-02
Advice to the Court

AS attorneys for the Board of Education,
the Corporation Counsel and his associates
have already contended that the segregated
school system in Washington results from
actions by Congress which are valid under the
Constitution. That is a legal position which
makes no attempt to pass on the "rightness"
or "wrongness" as a practice of segregation
In the schools. AS Corporation Counsel West
and his associates say in their latest brief it
is position which they feel "duty-bound to
present because of their belief in its soundnesS."
That belief is reasserted in the brief just
presented to the Supreme Court But the major
purpose of this final brief is to advise the
Supreme Court on certain questions relating
to the speed, and the methods by which the
schools in Washington might be reorganized
as an integrated system should the court hold
that segregation here violates the Fifth Amend
ment and is therefore invalid. These are i'm
portant questions, directed chiefly to the
mechanics of a change which would, in Wash
ington, doubtless require the rewriting of
considerable body of legislation.
The substance of the Corporation CounSels
advice is that the Supreme Court, should it
find segregation unconstitutional, remand the
case to the District Court with instructions to
the court to prepare DEGREES directing prepara-
ton for integration in the various fields where
such preparation is necessary, with periodic
investigation of the progress made. This is
not advocacy, by the Corporation Counsel, of
"gradualsm" as a philosophy. It is mere
recognition of the fact that such sweeping
change cannot be accomplished overnight
without serious complications, and these COM
plications can be avoided by realistic procedure
If the courts do not decree that segregation
in the schools is unconstitutional, Congress in
time will probably end it by legislation. For
that is the direction of growing body of public
opinion on the subject. Such legislation un
doubtedly would provide for the same general
methods of accomplishing the change that the
Corporation Counsel suggests. but without the
necessity for judicial supervision of the steps
to be taken.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
Laboratory Animals

In recent letter to The Star,
prominent local physician asserted:
Laboratory animals are housed, and
fed, and tenderly cared for, and their
lives in the laboratory contrast sharply
with their previous existence"
I challenge that statement on the
inspections which I, in company with
other officials of the Washington
Humane Society, made.
The answer to this problem is for the
laboratories to raise their own animal
specimens. In this way they would get
specimens better adapted to withstand
operations than are domesticated ami
mails and avoid the violation of humane
perceptS which cannot entirely be
ignored-even by those who recognize
that human needs transcend in i'm
portance those of the lower animals.
Dorothy E. Watson,
First Vice President, Washington
Humane Society.
X
According to the newspapers, II
States already have been lobbied into
furnishing unwanted strays to labora-
tories. Calculating the probable total
of such animals from the average re-
ported destroyed at the District pound
during single year, we arrive at an
astronomical figure that must be EVIL
dence of waste somewhere along the
line.
Animal experimentation is no doubt
a necessary evil, but such research
should be confined to the advancement
of medical science designed to benefit
the whole human race and other ami
mails as well. No such needless atrocities
as those perpetrated by commercial
interests should be tolerated.
Mrs. Charles L. Caller,
Vice President of the Arlington
Animal Welfare League.
+
Medical men-and The Star-claim
that animal experiments have been
helpful in conquering certain dis
eases. Name just one that has been
absolutely conquered and I'll pick up
the records of any health department
to prove how wrong you are. There
has been some control, yes, and while
using vivisection as an excuse and
reason for this So-called result, the
really inSidiouS diseases called cancer,
polio. heart disease, etc., have crept
up behind them in such alarming pro-
portions as to scare the wits out of
them. Since the polio fund was started,
contributions of over 10 millions have
been received, but in 1852 the country
was attacked by the greatest scourge in
its history. despite the bodies of thou
sands of animals sacrificed to this
false god.
Vivisection is prostitution Of the
moral lawl william d. Garvey.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
Lesson for Young Criminals

want to express my great apprecia-
ton for your excellent and timely
editorial of November % headed LES
son for Young Criminals"
AS Nation we whine and wiring our
hands about juvenile delinquency while
the papers are full of cases where
vicious major crimes are handled by
juvenile courts or are referred for
solution to the wisdom of so-called
experts in psychology.
The great majority of our young peo-
pie are fine folks but the exceptions
who flout the laws made for the orderly
protection of complex social structure
should be dealt with severely. Our
courts owe it to the public to let law
breakers, especially those involved in
crimes of violence such as armed rob-
berry. rape and murder, understand that
swift and certain penalties will be
imposed.
william d. Young.
Glens Falls, N. Y.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
Trouble With lmpromptu ToIk'

President Eisenhower voices the
aroused conscience of America when he
champions the right of an accused to
meet his accuser face to face. In your
editorial 1.-THE Trouble With Impromptu
Talk" November IS, you question the
wisdom Of the Presidents declaration,
I'm this country, if someone dislikes
you or accuses you, he must come up in
front, he cannot hide behind the
shadow, he cannot assassinate you or
your character from behind. -"
To be sure, a strong security program
is essential to the Nations safety. How
ever, instead of criticizing the Presi-
dents fortnight defense of our cher
iShed freedoms, you would do well to
examine the weaknesses in the opera
ton of the present loyalty program.
Rather than attribute the Presidents
impromptu remarks to oversight or to
ignorance of the loyalty program, it
would be more generous to conclude
that he was expressing his misgivingS
about its shortcomings. Certainly Mr..
Eisenhower left no doubt of his con-
tempt for the totalitarian technique of
condemnation by accusation.
You may be- surprised to learn that.
in practice, an accused employe is
sometimes denied a far more eleman-
tary right than that of confronting his
accuser-he is sometimes unable to
learn the real nature of the charges
against him. It is time that such prac-
tices were stopped. It is time that
character assassins were made to suffer
"the penalties an outraged citizenry viii
impose" as the President suggests. This
is the Eisenhower for whom the Ameri-
can people voted.
Maurice and Inez Shapiro.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
The Waterfront Strike

The length to which union leadership is
willing to disregard the public interest on the
racket-ridden New York waterfront is illus
trated by the protest strike against the Bi-State
Waterfront Commission which became opera
tive at midnight on Monday. The commission,
set up jointly by New York and New Jersey
and expressly approved by Federal legislation,
was created as an instrumentality for cleaning
up some of the criminal practices of waterfront
labor. Under its authority workers must be
licensed by the commission before being eligible
for hiring at the waterfront employment CEN
terS. Although the commission announced 1t
already had granted more than 24000 licenses,
plus another 5000 temporary Ones while deny
ing permits to 255 former criminals, picket
lines were thrown around the pier area and
no longShoremen worked
The pickets were reported led by men who
had been denied work permits but it was
significant that licensed longshoremen refused
to cross the lines. Although President Bradley
of the old International Longshoremen's As
sociation, recently ousted from the AFL for
its corrupt practices, said he was trying to
get the men back to work" there were no
evidences or results of such an effort at the
time. Meanwhile new lila being sponsored
by the AFL merely exploited the work stoppage
by circulating handbills charging that the
ouSted association was responsible for you
longshoremen having to register to work"
On the face of it, this work stoppage,
although reported coming to an end today,
appears to be another clear case where
honoring picket line-even if led by men with
criminal records and without work permits OF
a duly constituted authority-iS OF greater
Importance to the labor unions than respect
for their contracts or the interests of any other
affected parties. The strike in this instance,
together with the reaction of both unions
toward it, was directed against the New York
New Jersey Commission and its objective OF
cleaning up the waterfront 1t has been
disgraceful performance. rejecting no credit
on the longshoremen or their leaders,
Evening star., 1953-12-02
Treatment of Returned POWs

I read in The Star that the "Air Force
Considers Awards for POWs Who Didn't
Confess" congratulate the Air Force
for being the first branch to consider
awards for these men and hope the
Navy, Marines and Army will follow
the same course.
An earlier article in The Star saying,
"Pentagon Ready to Get Tough With
POWs Who Bowed to Red Torture" is
an example of what the stay ay-at-homes
would dare to do to these heroic young
men who left home. country and friends
to endure unheard-of hardships.
Vara M Gugert.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
RulIy Behind J. Edgar Hoover

was astonished to hear radio
news reporter in commenting on the
testimony of j. Edgar Hoover say that
the Democrats were very angry at the
FBI director for contradicting Mr.. Tru-
mans statement relative to the Harry
Dexter White case.
1t was Mr.. Hoovers solemn duty to
come forward and correct Mr.. Tru-
mans statement, if the latter was
trying to cover up sloppy mess in his
administration. Mr. Hoover has for
years done his best to serve the highest
Evening star., 1953-12-02
FureweII

FdreDeH, fare Uery tDell,
And if you sleep at last in ANONYMITY
Remember that I long preceded you.
That wtile you died but once. and
gloriouSly
died many times, but neuer for a
cause, or Shell-SWept hill.
That 1Dhen you fell
Sleep came at once and gently couered
you,
Your failures dimmed, your triumphs
mGgnifed;;
That Jared wretchedly until ! was
released,
Then turned ny face atDay and gladly
diedl
Marjorie Louise Agnew
Evening star., 1953-12-02
Jobless Widows

It is noted that President Eisenhower
plans a study of salaries of Congress-
men. They already have high salaries
plus extra income from law practice.
farms, speeches, writing, etc.
1t would seem more just to study the
problems of widows thrown out of
Grade Jobs with no extra income
when married women with husbands to
support them are being retained.
Young Widow.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
Postmen Misused?

AS citizen of the United States
I wish to have it explained to me
on what authority the Postmaster
General so misuses his Office to utilize
the Post Office Department as col
lection agency. The job of the Post
Office Department is to distribute
mail as cheaply and efficiently as pos
sible. BY demanding extra work of the
postmen is to endanger this function.
Muscular dyStrophy is a serious
problem but once postmen have been
used as collection agents for one cause,
the barriers are down which would
prevent them from being used in the
same manner for other questionable
and even political causes.
I have too much respect for the
postmen of the Nation to subscribe to
Evening star., 1953-12-02

muniSt programs programs which
have stopped Communist expansion
dead in it's tracks everywhere on the
globe.
Herbert Philbrick. who entered the
top echelons of the Communist Party
as an FBI counterspy, has frequently
stated that Communist leaders lust
love Senator Mccarthy" because he is
doing their work.
Ex-WiscOnSin Republican.
It seems to me that what started
with the Brownell-Truman fight is in
reality an expose of what has been
happening in America for long time
and has just now come to the surface.
Brownell accused Truman of harboring
a Red spy. Truman retorted, calling Nc
CarthyiSm "diSguiSing truth by big
lies Mccarthy countered, calling Tru-
manism political gain" above truth.
Isn't this lot of petty name-calling?
Aren't we doing exactly what the Com
muniSts want?
The satellite countries were con-
quered by the divided we fall" doc
trine. Isn't that happening here?
Housewife.
Anti-communism is Christianity or
Goodness but thanks to the press, it Is
known as "McCarthyism." Freedom
of speech" now gives men the right
to lie, detract, and use abusive or
sarcastic language toward one another,
denying the dignity of the human being.
Freedom of worship" has taken God
out of our schools. The greatest gain
that the aetheistic- -materialistic doc
trine, known as communism, has made
in this blessed land of ours is the
muddled confusion that has resulted
because we have allowed our God
given rights to be used promiscuously
without enforcing the responsibility or
duty that goes with every right. What
has happened to our Union?
Edith M. Moses.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
A Loss to Aviution

We join with all aviation in express
ing our sincere regret on the passing
Of Bill Shipper. He was one of the
most respected and capable aviation
writer's associated with the industry.
Jack Anderson,
Marquardt Aircraft,
Van NuyS, Calf.
Evening star., 1953-12-02
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE.

Washington 3. D. c.. and inclosing cents re.
turn postage or BY teephoning ST. 3-7363.
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE.
@. am told that on several occa-
sions water stopped flowing over Mag
ara Falls. When did this happen?
ID. d. B.
A. During the winter Of 1847-48 the
falls were frozen and as a result Of ice
jams the falls were almost dry. Similar
occurrences were noted during the win
ter Of 1sS4-35 and 1947.
@. Please give the death tolls Of the
major disasters Of the United States
r. j. D.
A. Galveston tidal wave, 1900, 5000:
JohnStown (Pa) flood, 1889, 2,209; ex-
ploSion of the s. S. Sultana, 1865,
1,405; Florida hurricane, 1928, 1,180:
Peshtigo (Wis) forest fire, 1871. 1,152;
S. s. General Slocum fire, 1904. 1921.