davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1954-01-13
Perhaps the Last Chance

The st. Lawrence Seaway project has
been listed as one of the first subjects for con-
sideration in the Senate. President Eisenhower
has urged, for economic and security reasons,
that our participation with Canada should be
authorized.
It would be naive to believe that this degree
of priority necessarily implies speedy or ami
cable disposition of an issue that has been
pending in one form or another before every
Congress and administration since the time of
President Coolidge. Strong support for the devel-
opment plan has been countered by equally
strong and resourceful opposition 1t is peril
nent to point out, however, that the Canadian
government served notice last year that it is
prepared to go on with the project alone if the
United States does not decide soon whether to
participate
The State of New York is making plans, and
has received Federal approval, to Join with
Canada in, certain of the power development
features. Construction of the seaway and the
question of who is to control it remain as issues
for further determination. Congress may be
facing its final opportunity to fix the role, if
any, of this Government. 1t should consider
the matter in the light of the national inter-
est rather than that Of sectional or private
considerations.
Evening star., 1954-01-13
Good Will by Air

The Air Force goodwill flight to eleven
Latin American countries offers an opportunity
for a constructive exhibition of the progress
made in the United States in recent years in
building up the striking power of military
instrument that is vital to the security of the
entire Western Hemisphere. Jet fighter aircraft
and long distance transports will be combined
in the flying circus" that will make the tour.
Representatives of the countries not being Wis
ited-because base facilities are not suitable
for the most modern planes-will be invited to
a special demonstration at Albrook Air Force
Base in the Panama Canal Zone.
While most of the southern republics boast
only token air strength in terms of world forces,
several of them rendered important service to
our air arm in World War Hin the form of
bases for transocean flying and in coastal
patrol. In event of another war, they could
provide similar services. The requirements for
todays aircraft are infinitely greater and more
complex than was the case IN the last war and
the process of education in these needs can
begin with first-hand, on-the-spot view of
performance by the planes which may be
involved
Evening star., 1954-01-13
Secret Strike Votes

The Presidents secret strike vote proposal
may be nothing more than pious declaration
or a trading point. If either is the case, there
is nothing in the recommendation for any one
to get excited about.
If this is a serious proposal, however, 1t
ought to receive careful attention before it is
Incorporated in the law. For if the plan should
be adopted, the National Labor Relations Board
presumably would have to supervise secret
election in advance of every strike or strike
threat. That would be an administrative night
mare, and would necessitate large expansion
of the NLRB staff Furthermore, there is little
reason to believe that such a provision is
needed. A union is not likely to call strike If
majority of It's members do not want to strike.
And if strike should be initiated by minority,
1t probably would be lost.
Evening star., 1954-01-13

Senator Russell Of the Armed Services Commit
tee have voiced grave doubts about the wisdom
of this New Look"
In the circumstances, it is regrettable-
though perhaps unavoidable and necessary
that the coming Pacific experiments viii be
open to mo observers other than United States
officials concerned" For the fact is, as Acc
Commissioner Thomas e. Murray has repeat
edly said, that word mouth briefngs, motion
pictures or written reports cannot substitute
effectively-in an educational sense-for on
the-Scene observation of nuclear and thermo-
nuclear detonationS. 1t would therefore be good
If distinguished and influential Americans could
witness such tests directly in order to get the
physical and emotional "feel" of their true
meaning. If security restrictions could be re-
laxed enough to permit that. the military New
Look" might be less subject to challenge by men
Of the caliber of Senator Russell.
Evening star., 1954-01-13

country; he was not allowed to belong
to any country. He was not even per-
mitted to set foot on land at any time.
He was condemned to spend his life
aboard various navy vessels, deprived
of association with relatives and perma-
nent friends. He could have no wife and
children of his own.
He could not cultivate a garden. own
or ride horse. ride in a carriage, or
walk across country. He was interested
in animals. "but on a long cruise he
had to satisfy himself with centipedes
and cockroaches and such small game"
He was not allowed to read what he
pleased or to hear the news of the
world freely. He had no freedom of
going where he pleased, not even on
water.
Yet all his suffering for so years is
generally attributed simply to being
deprived of living in his native land.
THE 20-odd Americans refusing re-
patriation in Korea" for whom Mr..
Dowdell recommends Hale's story know
very we'll they are not threatened with
the Nolan type of punishment. OF
course something worse might be in
store for them. But reading "A Man
Without Country" would be no logical
argument for them. They are looking
forward to having a country of their
own choice. George Frederick Miller.
Evening star., 1954-01-13
This and That

While they like clean food, notably
the grains, they will eat old banana
peels and the like, If they can find
nothing else.
The result is that our city street
cleaning department has a valuable
ally in the city pigeons. They are down
in the cutters, on the sidewalks and
even in the streets. daring the traffic,
to get something to eat. Normally
pigeon is pretty clever. He will wait
until bus Is almost over him before
moving leiSurely to one side. Often it
seems miracle that he is not run
over. Sometimes he is, and all that is
left is a pathetic small pile of feathers.
Most of the common pigeons might
well claim to have been turned loose on
the community by human beings,
mainly small boys or little older, who
took them up as hobby and then grew
tired of them.
Left to tend for themselves, the birds
did not despair, but settled down to
make their own living, as good members
of society.
The curious strutting dance of the
males before the females has enter
tained many a watcher. Certainly this
grotesque. pouting fellow, with his in
sistence on being noticed by the lady
of his choice, is rather too close to the
human swain to be comfortable. It is
just another instance of similarity,
which runs through all creation.
AS curious instance of the range Of
these birds. in their daily search for
living. there is one group that is fed
Evening star., 1954-01-13
Lift the Curtoin

The public is entitled to know the real facts
about the progress being made in riddng the
Federal Government of Communists or other
SubverSive elements. 1t has not been getting
the real facts under the new security-risk pro-
gram. The varying figures on security-risk dis
miSSalS given out by administration officials do
not represent the total of loyalty firings, as
many persons haves been led to believe. They
include loyalty cases. it is true but it is reported
that about 80 per cent of the dismissals were
for reasons not related to communism or sub
version. Against this background, therefore, the
ReeS proposal for separate handling Of loyalty
and non-loyalty cases has strong appeal.
Representative ReeS chairman of the House
Civil Service Committee, was one of the early
advocates of an effective loyalty-checking sys-
: tenn for Federal employees. AS SUCH his criticism
of the way the present catch-all, Security-risk
program is working deserves careful attention
of Congress- Mr.. Rees, a Republican from
Kansas, believes it was mistake for the new
administration to lump together bona fide dis
loyalty cases and run-o the mine security
cases involving such offenses as alcoholism
garrulouSness and carelessness. Behind the
omnibus plan was the belief that the depart
ments would be more inclined to get rid of sus-
pected Reds and fellow travellers if the stigma
of diSoyalty were not attached to some of the
suspects. Some loyalty boards in the past had
indicated they would have ousted certain
employees as security risks. but not as suspected
traitors.
The program recommended by Attorney
General Brownell was designed to meet this
situation. 1t abolished the old loyalty program
in favor of broader security-risk program of
the type previously in effect only in certain sem
sitive agencies. It was not until recently, how
ever, that it became apparent that there would
be no breakdown of loyalty and non-loyalty
cases for the information of the public Yet the
overall security dismissal total has been cited
by administration officials, including the Pres
ident as indicative of the determination of the
administration to get rid of Communists That
the public has been misled by this misuse of the
figures Is only natural,
There should be nc iron curtain" around
accomplishments of the anti-communism drive
in the Federal establishment If the admins
tratve branch will not voluntarily lift the cur
tain, Congress should do so through legislation
of the sort suggested by Representative Rees.
Evening star., 1954-01-13

No year In history ever saw the wild
pigeons of Washington taken better
care of by their many friends. both in
just passed.
These capable birds, among the
greatest flyers in the world, seem to
have increased pound in weight. each,
and to have grown at least inches in
size.
The result is that our beloved Ma
tional Capital has breed of common
pigeons all its own. Keep that in mind,
the next time you see them, or feed
them.
Attempts have been made. over the
years, to frighten people into sanction
ing the wholesale destruction Of various
city pigeon populations.
The attempts should scare nobody,
and usually they do not.
Dogs carry "a maladies which may be
received by humans; cats IL, according
to latest researches.
Pigeons. probably one, ornithosis, or
bird fever, and there is reasonable
doubt about that one.
There are no census figures on local
wild pigeons. but there must be several
thousand Of them, fairly well sprinkled
over the city and nearby sections.
They tend to stay in flocks ranging
from 20 to 100 in some extreme cases.
Most of these groups have worked up
fairly well-defined living ranges and
routes, over which they find their living
day after day. in the cold and heat, in
the traffic and in the parks.
Their utility as scavengers never has
received the praise it deserves.
Evening star., 1954-01-13
H-Bomb and New Look

The Defense Department and the Atomic
Energy Commission have given out no details
in their terse, four-Sentence statement an
nouncing that men and materials will begin
moving this month to the Pacific Proving
Grounds "to carry out a further phase of a
continuing series of weapons tests of all cate
gorieS" Despite this studied vagueness, how
ever. the country and the world at large can be
reasonably certain that the tests referred to
will include super explosions involving the
hydrogen bomb.
Although Nevada has been the scene of
atomic detonations considerably more powerful
than those that shattered Hiroshima and Naga-
saki, the Pacific site is always used-for reasons
of safety-whenever the Acc has something
exceptionally tremendous to explode Thus, it is
only at this site which is located in the Marshall
Islands and which embraces atolls like Eniwetok
and Bikini, that there have been experiments
with thermonuclear devices contributing to the
development of the H-bomb. Since each of these
past experiments has marked portentouS new
advance in terms of design and production,
there is every reason to believe that the forth
coming tests will have to do with the proving"
of deliverable hydrogen weapon-one COM
pact enough, as some speculative news stories
have suggested, to be carried and dropped by
modified B-36 super-bomber.
Such Weapon-which can be at least !, 900
times as destructive as the Hiroshima type A
bomb or the equivalent of 20 million tons of
TNT-has potentialities almost too fearsome to
be comprehended or imagined. Yet all signs
indicate that it is alreaoy usable part of our
arsenal and that the Russians are uncomfort-
ably close behind us in developing it for them
selves. Taken together with our wide variety
and great volume of other nuclear armaments
it explains as nothing else can why our mill
tary establishment is giving itself New Look" !"
with special emphasis on changing the makeup
and reducing the size of our ground forces
Nevertheless probably because the situation has
been surrounded by too much secrecy to be
clearly understood, outstandingly able men like
Evening star., 1954-01-13
By Charles E. TroceweN

every morning with chicken scratch
feed at Chevy Chase circle.
The flock is composed of the usual
color tones of grays and tans. with one
bird widely known as Whitley, being
pure white tone.
This same flock, probably so indi-
viduals, then flies down to Sheraton
Park Hotel, and may be seen eating in
a small triangle nearby. where they
have worked up another friend.
The flock is spotted by the pure white
one, to wit, Old Whitley.
Surely there is no other group of so
captained by a pure white pigeon.
There are many with part white, but
few albino specimens without trace Of
black, gray or light tan.
A white pigeon reminds one Of dove.
and, of course, all pigeons and doves
are cousins, belonging to the same fam
lily and group.
All are remarkable flyers, as the story
of the dove that came to the Ark test
ifies. as we'll as many marvellous speed
and homing stories told of war birds.
It is a great family Of famous flyers.
and no human watcher should sneer at
the common pigeons, so called. just be-
cause they have no homes. All birds
are homeless, in the sight Of God, but
a pigeon will "home." If given a chance.
and that is very much to his credit. He
is a capable bird who minds his own
business, with enough time left over to
attend to his civic duties of helping
keep Washington clean. Let us give
him big hand, generously filled with
grains and slices Of bread.
Evening star., 1954-01-13
fluoridution

In The Star Of January there
appeared an article entitled "Fluorida-
ton Is Gaining Speed in United States.
But So Is Its Opposition" The first
part Of this title is decidedly open to
question. The proponents Of this Sys-
tenn Of mass medication have admitted
just among themselves. that at the
present rate of conversion" 1t will
take 200 years to fluoridate the United
States. This is glowing tribute to
those Americans Of traditional inde-
pendence and courage who are chal-
lenging compulsory mass prescription
for their health. even when supported
by plausible but unproven display of
benefits.
Figures given relative to the number
OF communities now enjoying" flu
oridated water are not in accordance
with verified information in the hands
Of this committee Fluoridation has
actually been voted down, by popular
vote or referendum. In los cities, towns
and communities. varying in popula-
ton: in IS it has been rejected by the
local water board, council, mayor or
public committee: 81 have postponed
the matter for further study; strong
opposition has developed in 40 other
places, with no action taken to date,
and in one case a city council started
fluoridation over the rejection vote of
the people. Moreover, II towns have
voted it out after it has been in force
in some cases as long as 312 years.
The statement that fluoridation has
been started usually after public hear
ings" is only partly true. If the people
were questioned in most of the COM
munitieS which have adopted this pro-
gram, it would be found that they
know practically nothing about it, and
that the whole thing has been decided
over their heads by the local author
tiles goaded by public health officials
working through the local dentists.
Even In Newburgh. the famous expert
ment town, 70 per cent of the in
habitants do not know what fuorida-
ton really means. and 81 per cent did
not know they we're drinking fluorine
in their water.
We have the names of eight cities in
which fluoridation was forced upon
the people without their consent, or
even their knowledge Two of these
are Pittsburgh. Pa, and Nashville. Tenn.
Our own city of Washington is another
glaring example of a large population
being treated as wards of the State
and serving as guinea pigs to govern
mental eXperimenterS.
Another misleading statement is that
the American Medical Association has
Endorsed fluoridation as safe. They
made it very plain that they Endorsed
it only "in principle" in other words,
in theory; that they would make no
recommendation either for or against
it. and that decision should be left
to individual communities. Now the
point is that individual communities
have no real chance to decide on the
basis of full and intelligent informa-
ton. They are given only one side
of the story. a highly colored side. for
the propagandists make every effort to
keep them from knowing the whole
truth with all its implications. Local
citizens are not determining what is
beneficial" for them their overlords are
doing this for them.
Vera E. Adams,
President, Citizens Committee on
Fluoridation.
Evening star., 1954-01-13
Situation at Fort Monmouth

In recent letter to The Star, "Elec-
tronic Scientist" comments on the
situation at Fort Monmouth, N. J.I and
the statement of the Federation of
American Scientists of November 80.
He finds the FAS position difficult to
understand and attacks it in a way
which suggests that he has, in fact,
not understood It,
Certainly, it was not intended to
assert that "a security risk has the
right to retain a job on secret defense
work" One question at issue is what
constitutes a security risk and what
procedures shall be used to establish
one. There are procedures in effect
within the Army. as in other branches
OF Government. which seek to protect
not only the national security but the
rights Of the individual The investiga-
tion conducted at Fort Monmouth by
the Senate committee was accompanied
by sensational charges, not of security
risk in the usual sense, but of actual
espionage.
The FAS statement noted that up
to the date of its release none of the
suspended employees had been charged
with espionage. nor had any evidence
OcCA P1SSSHIcO tIidt IIley engaged IN II.
This remains true as of the present
date.
What FAS expressed alarm about was
the possible damage to the national
defense resulting from lowered morale
and weakened effectiveness of the staff
of an important Government laboratory.
It said. investigations which are char
acterized largely by sensational head
lines and wholesale suspensions can. by
crippling our defense research. actually
result in net gain for those who work
against the interests of the United
States
To thus express concern at possible
harm to the national welfare does not
seem to require, as "Electronic Scien-
tist" appears to suggest. that FAS has
large number of members at Fort
Evening star., 1954-01-13
BY THE HASKINS SERVICE.

@. When was the frankfurter sau-
sage invented and when did it become
popular in the United States?-J. A.
A. The frankfurter was invented by
members of a butchers guild in Frank
It appeared in the United States about
1888. and 10 years later became hit
at the Chicago Worlds Fair. Because
the red hots" were literally too hot
to handle they were slipped inside buns.
an idea which Immediately caught the
fancy of the American public.
@. Was Shakespeare a college grad
uate?-F. B.
A. No. He probably entered the free
grammar school in Stratford in 1871,
when Walter Roche was master. The
instruction that Shakespeare received
was mainly confined to the Latin Ian
guage and to literature. His fathers
financial difficulties probably caused
ShakeSpeare'S removal from school at
an unusually early age.
@. How does Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby
rank in succession to the Presidency?-
F. w.
A. Because the Depar ment OF
Health, Education. and Welfare was
not established until 1858, many years
after the passage of the Presidential
Succession Act. Mrs. Hobby is not in
cluded in the list of cabinet members
in line to succeed to the Presidency.
@. How are vacancies in Congress
filled?-S. @.
A. When Senator dies or resigns,
the Governor Of his State may appoint
a successor to serve until an election
is held, If the State Legislature has Civ
en- the Governor this authority. The
place of Representative cannot be
filled by appointment. The Governor Of
the State may call a special election. or
the seat may remain vacant until the
next general election.
Evening star., 1954-01-13
Facilities for Teochers' Colleges

0&tHtbGS tVt tS0&uSgS SVuCSSS
This is with reference to a news
article appearing in The Star reporting
q statement by Brig. Gen. Louis Prem
tiss, Engineer Commissioner, before
the Alumni Association of Wilson
Teachers College to the effect that a
building replacement program for VIII
son Teachers College and Miner Teach
ers' College which would permit these
institutions to institute fifth year of
postgraduate work would have to be
deferredS because Of budget considera-
tionS.
The present overcrowding Of the pub
lie school system at the secondary level
may be relieved temporarily. at least.
it is believed, by transferring Mckinley
and Eastern High Schools to the col
ored division and by advancing the
ninth grade Of the junior high schools
to the senior high school level. This
still leaves unmet. however, the re-,
placement Of the woefully inadequate
facilities now afforded the Wilson
Teachers College and the Miner
Teachers College.
Since 1921 Congress has been no.
toriously reniss in its obligation to the
District despite an ever-growing de-
mand for additional public services
upon the local government, due in a
large part to the increase in the Fed
eral establishment. Congress has not
been unmindful of its neglect and in
the various public works programs on
a grant-in-aid basis to the several
States has permitted the District to
participate.
The District grant-in-aid hospital
program is specific instance of ma
tional aid to remedy the plight of in
adequate hospital facilities by both
public and private hospital institutions
in the District. Under this program.
Emergency, Garfield, and Episcopal Eye
Ear and Throat Hospitals are to be
merged in general hospital and their
present facilities abandoned. The site
OF Garfield Hospital, situated as it is
adjacent to Central Hight School. would
provide an ideal site for new Miner
Teachers College.
In another instance, the abandon
ment Of the National Training School
for Girls at Loughboro road and Mac
Arthur boulevard and the removal of
that institution to a new location at
Muirkirk, Md. makes available a 19-
acre tract which would be ideal as a
site for new Wilson Teachers College.
The District of Columbia hospital
grant-in-aid program, except for the
general hospital. provides so per cent
grant from the Federal Government to
District institutions. so per cent of
which is payable without interest at the
rate Of 3 per cent per annum by the
District government Would it not be
possible to amend this legislation so as
to make available to the Board of Educa-
ton the sites abandoned by the above
institutions and to provide appropria-
tions for the construction of new plant
facilities by the General Services Ad-
ministration to meet the advanced edu-
cattonal standards required for both
these institutions? This would make it
possible for District teachers to stand
upon equal footing with other gradu-
ates from teaching institutions in the
several States in competition for po-
sitions not only In the District school
system, but elsewhere.
Edward Lancaster.