davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05
Dorothy Thompson
Statistics Lose Their Meaning
Is 1t Any Worse Than Killing 80 OOO or Even One?

sum of human life. Joy, hope.
Illustration. faith, shame and
agony encompass more than
can be contained within the
experience of a single person?
A million or one-each has
but one mortal life to live and
leave.
1t has always been possible
or always since man developed
a brain-to destroy a great
city. A few ounces of the
deadliest poison dropped into
the sources of it's water supply
could kill all its inhabitants.
A general strike cutting off its
sources Of supply could halt all
its activities as it's starving
population would flee to ravage
the countryside. For weeks a
handful of gangster-led trade
unionists paralyzed the Atlantic
ports.
The preservation Of life,
civilization, and culture rests
upon the spirit of restraint.
upon carefully cultivated in
hibitions. All else is barbarism.
In World War II. restraint was
thrown to the winds, and by
all participants. The bombing
of Dresden after the Germans
were Individually defeated; the
destruction of Wurzburg, an
irreplaceable baroque city, for
no conceivably military pur-
pose-why multiply the list?
The H-bomb, which we are told
the Russians also have, SYM
bolizes the undated spirit of
unrestraint-the emergence of
the "thermonuclear age" in
which peace is to be maintained
by mutual terror.
And now a pause for station
Identification.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05
Physicist Wants People Told
How to Survive H-Bomb Attack

Saying there was nothing
classified" about this and other
such data, he asserted there was
no reason why it should not be
officially given to the people.
"You can survive a hydrogen
bomb" he said, although it is.
of course, more difficult than
surviving an atomic bomb and
you have to take new measures. !"
DR.. Lapp did not elaborate on
his statement that one can sur
vive the H-bomb.
IT believe that new plans in
civil defense can be made to
deal with the threat of the
hydrogen bomb, but I believe
that no plan will ever be effective
in dealing with this weapon UNI
less the administration gives the
facts about this weapon to the
public"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05
Pearl Horbor Dispute Revived
Book by Admiral Theobud Says Roosevelt Forbade Warning
OF Coming Attack So u S. Could Get Into War
Dovid Lawrence

The truth is coming out at
last about the responsibility
for the attack on Pearl Har-
Dor on December 7, 1941 when
1903 Americans were killed
and 1922 wounded.
Whether all the facts have
as yet been revealed by Rear
Admiral Theobald, U. S. N.
(Ret), in his new book to
which Fleet Admiral Halsey
and Admiral Kimmel have
written corroborative fore
words. or whether there will
be further congressional in
quirieS, the information now
being presented will undoubt-
edly force further disclosures
from all persons now available
for questioning.
Did the late esident
Roosevelt deliberately expose
the American fleet to attack
at Pearl Harbor, refusing
twice to take the advice of
Admiral Richardson, COM
mander of the fleet, that the
battleShips be ordered away
from that vulnerable spot? Did
Mr.. Roosevelt purposely with
hold vital information from
Admiral Kimmel who sue
ceeded Admiral Richardson at
Pearl Harbor?
These are not the only ques-
tions which the Theobald book
emphasizes, for the texts of
all the pertinent messages are
published and the reader is
told fatty that the United
States Government knew
many days in advance what
the japanese were planning
because our code experts had
been deciphering the japanese
messages to the consul at
Honolulu for several weeks be-
fore the attack.
Why were Admiral Kimmel
and Gen. Short deprived of
the information about these
intercepted messages? Who
ordered them to be kept in
ignorance of the fact that the
japanese government was ask
ing its consul for regular
weekly reports on the position
OF the ships at Pearl Harbor?
Certain highly important
November dispatches, declares
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

Chang Troops in Fndo-Chino?
Military Leaders Fear Paris Will Turn Down Suggestion
To Use Nationalist Chinese Against Red Invaders

Chang. And the Chinese Ma
tionalists may be just the an
swer to the present predica-
ment in Southeast Asia. We
would be called to provide the
necessary logistics but that
should be less complex than
sending 10000 to $4,000 Amer
lean soldiers to that area.
Moreover. it can be safely as
sumed that the Nationalist
government will have no OBJ
lection to placing its men
under the command of Gen.
Henri Navarro. the commander
of the French and Wet Namese
forces.
The political aspects of the
problem overshadow the mill
tary ones, however. It is true
that France has not recognized
the Peiping government. But
the French politicians. because
of the strength Of the Commu-
nists and left-wing socialists in
the National Assembly, are
loath to accept Nationalist as
sistance, even in the face Of
the present serious situation.
Moreover. it seems probable
that Britain, which is the only
great power among the free
nations to have recognized
Communist China, will use her
influence in Paris to cause the
rejection of such a proposal.
The British LaboriteS have
many sympathizers in the
French parliament. All these
causes and effects put together
lead our military men to fear
that our suggestion to en-
ploy Asiatics in the war in
Asia will be turned down by
Paris. even If the consequences
may result in losing the Indo-
China war.
Nevertheless, the East Asia
problem which hinges on the
outcome Of the battles now
under way in Laos continues
to be studied assiduously by
our policy makers and strate-
gists in Washington and plans
are being devised to meet any
emergency.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

atom bomb. The H-bomb
therefore represents the tri-
umph of economy-the Wild
est. maddest, most terrible.
most total-and cheapest.
Before the television, I found
myself waiting for the COM
mercial: Friends, scientific re-
search has conclusively demon
Strated that no other bomb
contains the properties of this
one. Switch to the H-bomb.
Buy one tomorrow. please do.
Try it just once and you will
never use another. We now
return you to The Web
Well, as I have said, Statis-
tics leave me singularly un-
moved. One H-bomb can de-
stroy metropolitan Manhat-
tan-or Moscow, London,
Paris, Rome, Tokyo. ETC.. etc.
together with all the people,
young and old. men, women,
infants in arms, and not yet
born who happen at zero Sec
ond to be within range.
The H-bomb potentially
multiplies by 500 or 600 the
humber killed by the A-bomb
in Hiroshima.
But why are 40 million
deaths by insane violence
worse than 10000? Why, for
that matter. are they worse
than one? Might not, conceiv-
ably, the death of one man be
a greater loss to human culture
than the deaths of millions?
An infant Shakespeare "evap-
grated" in his mothers arms
or a Bach, a Beethoven, a
Michaelangelo - those whom
we call "immortals?"
Is human agony greater by
multiplication? Can the whole
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05
Dorothy Thompson

I am unable to take the sta
tistical view of human destiny.
Watching the television show
of bomb Operation Ivy" and
reading IN the New York Times
the learned Mr.. William l..
Laurence's account of the
March l hydrogen bomb OPP
Grafton. I took note of the new
word. "megaton." A megaton
is equal to million tons of
TINT.
According to the Times sci
entific reporter, the latest
hydrogen or thermometer
bomb to be exploded contained
IL to ii megatons of destruc-
tive energy. Twelve to IA meg
atoms of destructive energy
will wholly obliterate an area
of so square miles; cause seri-
Gus damage over 200 square
miles: and partially damage
an area of 800 square miles.
One single bomb can thus
destroy any of the worlds
greatest cities.
further noted that the
peSSimists who said such
bombs could never be made
were completely wrong. Their
production is relatively easy
and increasingly cheap-much
cheaper than the obsolete
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05
Truman Is Hopeful
.H-Bomb Will Serve
To Hasten Peace
By the Associated Press

ST. LOUIS, April 5.-Former
President Truman says he hopes
the hydrogen bomb will be
contribution to peace, but he
knows too much about the bomb
to talk about it,"
Mr.. Truman, at brief press
conference last night after
testimonial dinner honoring
Rabbi Samuel Thurman of st.
Louis, said:
1--WE made every effort possible
to get disarmament and the out
having of lethal weapons for
peace. The Russians always re-
fused and we met over $50 times.
"If the hydrogen bomb can
bring about peace. it is one of
the greatest things in the world
and worth all we've spent for
it,"
The former President, in a
speech at the dinner, stressed
the Importance of organizing
the moral, God-fearing forces"
to bring about peace and free
dom.
About 1000 persons attended
the dinner, honoring Rabbi Thur
man for 40 years service to his
congregation. The rabbi was one
of the chaplains at Mr.. Humans
1949 Inauguration.
Mr.. Truman said his Nation
must strive abroad and at home
to defend human rights and to
expand the enjoyment of free
dom.
I'VE realize" he said, that
economic progress is essential to
the peace and brotherhood that
we desire for all mankind.
THAT is why we are striving
with other nations to create
world economic conditions in
which people may achieve free
dom and dignity.
THAT is why we are creating
programs of economic assistance
and putting forward proposals
for helping underdeveloped re-
gions of the world to achieve
better standard of living through
their own efforts"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

Whatever happened about
the offshore oil land law which
was the first major measure
brought forward by the Eisen-
hover administration in the
first session of this SD Con-
greSS?
To refresh youths law.
enacted last summer, granted
to coastal States ownership of
marginal seas out to their
historic boundaries" - 1925
miles in the case of Texas
and confirmed the Federal
Governments title to the con-
tinental shelf, so-called, be-
yond such boundaries. Re-
Gently, you may remember,
the Supreme Court refused to
consider a challenge of this
law by Rhode Island and Ala
bama, though previously it had
held that the Federal Gov
eminent had paramount rights
in all offShore lands beyond
low tide.
AS for the Federal Govern
ment, the Interior Department
still has not issued rules and
regulations about leases in the
continental shelf over which
the Federal Government has
Jurisdiction. They are expected
soon. Thereafter. the Govern
ment must pass on applica-.
lions filed with the Interior
Department to confirm 404
leases in the continental shelf
previously granted by Texas
and Louisiana when the States
assumed they had jurisdiction
in the continental shelf. About
rs companies, including the
majors. are involved in the
404 leases, some in combina-
tons.
AS for the States. Texas and
Louisiana have proceeded with
confirmation and, in some
cases, renewal of leases for or
shore lands within their "his-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

the board has leased about a
quarter of its estimated $780,
900 acres of offshore land.
An interesting situation de-
veloped in Louisiana where
recently four big oil companies
got reinstatement. for back
rent of $4,000, of leases
which they had let lapse when
the Supreme Court ruled in
1947 that offshore lands were
all in the Federal Govern
ment's domain. The - COM
panies are Standard of Indi-
ana, Shell. Union Oil of Cali
fornia, and Kerr-McGee Oil
Industries. Senator Robert H.
Kerr, Democrat, of Oklahoma.
owns controlling interest in
the last.
In the task of confirming
titles in the continental shelf,
the United States Geological
Survey of the Interior Depart
ment will have the co-opera-
ton of Louisiana and Texas,
according to Harold j. Dun
can, chief Of the Conserva-
ton Division of the Geological
Survey. The two States will
provide transportation. prob
ably amphibious planes, to
survey the lease sites at sea.
Mr.. Duncan said the Geolog-
ical Survey also hopes to CO.
operate with the two States in
enforcing proration laws on
production.
OF the 404 applications for
licenses filed with the Interior
Department, 800 are off Loui-
siana and 102 are off Texas.
Potential reserves for Texas
were estimated by Mr.. Duncan
at 7.8 billion barrels and for
Louisiana. 3.8 billion barrels.
In some cases the continental
shelf extends $50 miles into
the Gulf OF the coast Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

sadly limited number. Politi-
cally. however. this might
arouse an even greater con-
troversy than when Chang
Kai-shek offered in July of
1850 to send three divisions to
Korea. He was turned down
by the United Nations although
the Nationalist government
was and still is a permanent
member Of the U. N. Security
Council.
The Chinese forces in For
mosa are today far better
battle trained and more nu-
merous than they were four
years ago. According to our
own military men. there are
available in Formosa some 20
fully trained divisions (about
100000 mem besides another
100000 men who have only
basic training and lack mod
ern equipment. Chang could
spare at least 10 divisions
without jeopardizing in the
slightest the defense Of the
island. The men are eager to
fight and do not particularly
care whether they meet the
Communists on the Chinese
mainland or in Indo- China.
The defense Of Formosa does
not require a large number
of troops so long as American
warships and planes are avail
able to prevent a Red Chinese
amphibious operation. The
90-mile-wide Straits of For
mosa cannot be crossed easily
IN junkS or other small YES
sells which the Communists
possess. The Red Chinese air
force is not sufficiently large
to meet all the tasks which
1T would have to perform in
Korea and Indo-China if the
war expands from what it is
today, and also to furnish air
cover for an attack on For
mosa with amphibious forces.
Hence. sending between ,100.-
600 and 100000 trained and
battle-tried men to Indo-
China would be easy for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05
Fletcher Knebel-
Potomac Fever

The House of Representatives has finally its
public housing wants program dynamic and forward
looking-looking all the way forward to
welcomes Southern sheep Democratic
fold" There's Adai wool gathering again!
Restoring tradition. the Supreme Court buys $500
quill lawyers Even at Is cents apiece that's still lot
of scratching
Schine excused from KIP will be
working his horizontally through the Army
alphabet but can't seem to make Roadway UP.
British yawn at H-bomb film To them it's old stuff.
They've been dropping HIS for centuries
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05
Doris FIeeson-
DOIS FIeeSO1-
Nations Non-Po|iticuI President
Eisenhower Said to Detes Party Manipulation Due Face
Interesting Situation if Democrats Win CONGRESS

That President Eisenhower
detests political manipulation
is by now accepted as a fact
here. Whether he has any
talent for it is not known,
since he won't try it; his dis
taste for it is repeatedly dis
played.
Any realistic appraisal of the
chances for the Eisenhower
program must always take
this circumstance into account.
The President will afford
leadership for those members
of Congress who are prepared
to accept it. Dissident Repub-
licans will not be punished
and the Democrats must come
along or not, as their con-
science or political expediency
dictates.
It became clear very soon
after the election that the
President had a concept of
himself as a Head of State
rather than the political man
ager Of the country and his
party Some quarters expected
that when his program was
developed past the study stage
and its success became in
doubt, he would change his
mind about the political as
poets of his job.
This hasn't happened. Re-
publicans now managing the
crucial midterm election cam
paign, which is expected either
to enlarge or destroy their
fragile control of Congress,
readily admit that they them
selves are making all the crea-
tive political decisions regard
ing it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

toric boundaries" to some of
our biggest oil companies. and
have added to their revenues
by rent" for these lands.
California is working out the
problems of her offshore oil
lands which are confined
largely within State boundaries.
But Florida is in a dilemma.
It is now revealed by the en-
terprise of the Miami Herald
and two staff reporters. Ste
phen Trumbull and John Kill
gore, that the bulk of Florida's
Gulf Coast, nearly 4 million
acres stretching from Marco
Island to Appalachicola, was
leased to one company -
Coastal Petroleum-back IN
1914 for what it would be an
exaggeration to call a "song."
The company pays one cent
an acre a year for offshore
lands, two cents for intra-
coastal lands and bay bottoms,
and three cents for lake bot
toms. That brings Florida the
princely revenue of $49,615.40
yearly.
This is ironical. For it was
Senator Holland. Democrat, Of
Florida, who was author and
sponsor Of the Estate rights"
offshore oil bill that finally
became law and none was so
active as he in promoting re-
turn of offshore lands to the
States. A former Governor
of Florida, Willard Caldwell,
also a former member of the
House of Representatives here
and one-time Administrator
of Civilian Defense, is coun-
sci for Coastal Petroleum.
BY contrast. Texas got $32
million for rent of 415.790
acres of offShore lands leased
last December by its School
Land. Board to several big
companies, including Gulf and
Magnolia Petroleum. To date
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

Admiral Theobald, were not
decided in Washington until
December 4 and S. 'Neverthe-
less" he says, that still gave
plenty of time to relay the
significant revelations of this
full set of Tokyo-Honolulu
dispatches to the Hawaiian
commanders.
mot the slightest hint of
all this was given to Admiral
Kimmel or General Short. Why
was such irrefutable evidence
of the coming attack so
withheld? Why did Wash
ington contribute so complete
ly to the surprise feature of
the attack? There can be only
one anSwer-because President
Roosevelt wanted it that way"
The author rationalizes that
both Gen. Marshall and Ad-
miral Stark, commanders of
the Army and Navy respec-
lively in Washington. were too
experienced as military men
to forgo sending these mes
sages on to Hawaii and as
sumeS that they had positive
orders from Mr.. Roosevelt not
to dispatch such messages. The
trans-Pacif1c telephone from
Washington to Pearl Harbor
could have been used, it is
added, and there was time for
speedy message transmission,
but, instead. the slowest means
were Selected-and the mes
Sages got to Hawaii six hours
after the attack.
Continuing, Admiral Theo-
bald says it was unprecedented
for the heads of the Army and
Navy to act as they did. He
writes:
Never before in recorded
history has a field commander
been denied information that
his country would be at war
in a matter of hours, and that
everything pointed to a sur
prise attack upon his forces
shortly after sunrise. No naval
officer, on hiss own initiative,
would ever make such a deci-
sion as Admiral Stark did"
There have been eight in
vestigations of the Pearl Har-
Dor tragedy but all of them
were conducted under the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

auspices Of the Democratic
administration. Excuses have
been advanced that a general
"alert" was given several days
before to Gen. Short and
everybody else in the Pacific.
but no explanation has ever
been produced as to why.
when Gen. Short replied with
a message interpreting the
meaning of that alert as
related only to internal sabo-
tage at Hawaii, he was allowed
by his Superiors in Washing
ton to operate under that illu-
sion for several days when
Washington's own informa-
ton pointed to an attack on
Pearl Harbor.
Perhaps the most pertinent
quotation bearing on all this
is that taken by Admiral
Theobald from the notation
on November Is, 1941, in the
diary of the late Henry L.
Stimson, then Secretary of
War, who wrote:
"The question was how we
should maneuver them (the
Japanese) into position of
firing the first shot without
allowing too much danger to
ourselves. It was a difficult
proposition"
Admiral Theobald says the
motive of President Roosevelt
was to line up solid support
inside the United States
for a war against Japan in
order that American military
strength might be thrown de-
cisively into the war against
Hitler. This is the only ra-
tional explanation which the
author can think of as to why
the attack on Pearl Harbor,
as he sees it, was practically
invited"
Fleet Admiral Halsey, in his
foreword to the Theobald book,
calls Admiral Kimmel and Gen.
Short outstanding martyrs"
and says they were thrown
to the wolves as scapegoats
for something over which they
had no control"
The book is copyrighted by
the Devin-Adair Co., New
York, and will be published
April 81.
Reproduction Rights Reserved.I
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-05

the White House is described
by them as cooperative. The
President readily makes him
self available for such inter-
views and appearances as the
campaign managers think i'm
portant. He has offered them
no ideas of his own and takes
the wisdom and propriety of
theirs for granted.
The situation would be more
clearly evident if Republicans
firmly controlled the House
and Senate and the strong
minded chairmen of the stand
ing committees could do as
they liked. But since the win
ming votes on all issues must
come from Democrats or the
lone independent. Senator
Morse, who prefer the Eisen-
hover leadership to that of his
party. the President generally
looks stronger than he is.
The primaries should soon
be shedding light on just how
much Republican victories, if
they occur this fall. will affect
this situation. It could be
that the newly active Citizens
for Eisenhower, who are con-
centrating on congressional
districts where the President
pulled heavily in 1852, will
influence the makeup of the
House. But the nine States
in which Republicans have a
chance to displace Democratic
Senators usually nominate
conservative Republicans.
The Presidents reluctance
to maneuver in the political
field is applauded in some