davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1954-12-27
Guessing Game

Although an outsider can only make
guesses as to its precise meaning, the
Kremlin's latest firing squad operation
strongly suggests that the post-Stalin Soviet
experiment in collective leadership" Is
working poorly. And it suggests, further,
that the key figures in that leadership (Mal-
.enkov, Molotov, Khrushchev and company
remain locked in a struggle for personal
power to determine which one of them is to
emerge at the top as the supreme dictator
beyond the challenge of any rival.
The new executions have been revealed,
curiously enough, exactly year after the
Kremlin's announcement Of the similar pun
ishment meted out to Lavrenti P Beria, who
had long been chief of Russia's dread secret
police and who had served as second in COM
mand to Premier Georgi Malenkov for some
months after Stalin's death. Now, twelve
months later, he has been followed to the
grave by four of his former high associates,
all of them shot to death 1.-TWO others have
received severe prison terms) for allegedly
having been guilty, along with him, Of trea-
son and political sabotage aimed at destroy
ing communism and re-establishing capital
ism and bourgeois control in the U. S. S. r.
Perhaps the most interesting and sig
niflcant fact in this grim story is that the
chief of these four executed men-Viktor S!
Abakumov-has been described not only as
one of the late Beria's principal assistants
but also as a Communist politician who used
to work in very close association with NAL
enkov, before the latter's rise to the premier
ship. Accordingly, there is at least some
ground for the theory that Abakumov's ex-
ecution may indicate that Malenkov'S prime
position In the collective leadership" of the
Soviet Union may be much weaker than it
seems on the surface and that he himself
may be headed for real trouble-a theory
that is bolstered by signs of mounting rivalry
between him and Khrushchev.
But the ways of the Kremlin are much
too devious and labyrinthine for anybody to
be dognlatic about developments OF this
sort. The only thing one can be sure OF,
judging from the history of Stalin's relent-
less and pitiiess climb to personal power, is
that the Soviet system-in and of itself
encourages cannibalistic process of kind
killing kind until single despot triumphs
over all his rivals as the undisputed boss.
Quite obviously. when it watches the Malen-
kovs, Khrushchevs and Molotovs operate in
such a system, the outside world merely
engages in guessing game when it tries
to figure out who will be the winner in the
end.
Evening star., 1954-12-27
Controller General

Miss Doris FleeSon would have US
believe that "traditionally the Con-
troller Generals job has gone to
member of Congress of long legislative
experience"
May remind the lady that the Office
Of the Controller General was not
created until July, 1921? The first Con-
troller General, John r. McCarl. was
lawyer, and the private secretary Of
Senator George w. Norris. Mr.. McCarl
was never a member of Congress. and
was appointed by President Harding.
His successor Senator Fred Fl. Brown,
was New Hampshire lawyer and a
former Governor Of New Hampshire,
pointed by President Franklin hoose-
welt. The Hon. Lindsay Warren. Mr..
Campbell's predecessor, is lawyer and
served at one time as a Congressman.
An examination Of the Budget and
Accounting Act of 1921 does not indi-
cate, even by careful reading between
the lines, that a member of Congress
should be appointed to such difficult
and exacting position. The law says
clearly, at the outset. that the General
Accounting Office shall be under the
control and direction of the Controller
General, not Congress. If any Senator
or Representative is worried about the
future conduct Of any Controller Gen.
eral, the law assures Congress the
right to impeach him. Is there mem
ber of the House or Senate today who
could conscientiously say that he Is
Evening star., 1954-12-27
By Bates IA. StovoII

NIOW that the postman has had it.
! y let the author of that quoted
inscription. Neither snow. nor rain,
nor heat. nor night stays these car
riers from the swift completion Of their
appointed rounds" take q closer look
at the obstacle course. Was it not an
error of omission to fail to put dogs
high on the list Of hurdles?
For few win deny, and certainly not
the postman, that mans so-called best
friend on many an occasion Is the
Evening star., 1954-12-27
Better Federal Prose

Mary McGrory'S article on. better
Federal prose recalls the expression
II never knew it, therefore it never
was!" Actually many proposed mod
ern" innovations already have gray
hair after having been long in use,
evidently unnoticed by the correspond
ence experts!
For instance, half century ago, as
an employe of the Civil Service Com
mission was corresponding with
eligibles who had declined or failed to
qualify for appointment, returning each
letter of declination, explaining its
effect on eligibility, and inquiring
(blanks below" for reply) whether
restoration to the register was de-
sired. and about present address, future
intentions. etc.-all this by the form
letter now finally proposed. And the
only record of this heavy correspond
eice was then made on the eligible
register by two small rubber stamps:
KID The inquiry form number Q078,
used so often for years that I still
remember it); and CD the date. On
learning of this ancient efficiency,
today's correspondence experts might
cover up by charging that I should
have made the record with single
stamp! There Is always room for i'm
provement, OF course, but no former
generation has lacked few bright
boys Of its own! Remember "gobbledy-
gook?" William HI. Cheesman.
Evening star., 1954-12-27

Committees, thought BRAIN
washing. etc. In fact, it seems almost
incredible to some Of us in New Zea-
land when we read Of these freedom
suppressing laws and witch h-hunting"
activities Of American officialdom. We
do not believe in countering communism
by using the Communists own methods.
We believe that our own decency and
belief in the four freedoms OF life will
see to it that communism can be
checked and firmly held without de-
scending to panicky and suppressive
measures. Our laws can effectively deal
with any attempted subversive activities
or Communist troubles. We believe also
that American decency and common
sense will bring sanity and stability to
your great country in the near future.
But it will pass. 1t must pass. I can
not believe that the really freedom
loving people of America will stand this
much longer. You Americans must work
for this-easy perhaps for us at this
distance to say--but you dare not falter.
because the goal ahead IS so great. A
really free America.
C. A. Stylish,
Senior Vice President, Tramways
Union.
Dunedin, New Zealand.
Evening star., 1954-12-27
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE

@. What instrument did Richard
Wagner play? c. r. E.
A. Wagner played the piano, but
played it badly, according to biogra-
pliers. His early musical training was
sporadic until 1881, when he began to
study composition seriously. From
childhood on, Wagner showed stronger
interest in drama than in music.
Evening star., 1954-12-27

@. Did Chancellor Adenauer Of Ger
many suffer an injury to his face In an
automobile accident? M. F. @.
A. Yes, in 1917. On blacked-out
winter night, his driver dozed at the
wheel Of his fast-traveling car and in
the ensuing accident Adenauer suffered
q brain conclusion. He also mad to
undergo q facial operation.
Evening star., 1954-12-27
Questions and Answers

A reader can get the answer TO any
question OF fact by writing The Evening
Star Information Bureau, LOO Eye By:
NV Washington B. D. c. Please inclose
8 cents for return postage
Evening star., 1954-12-27

@. What President Of the United
States was given honorary citizenship in
a foreign country? E. 8. E.
A. Abraham Lincoln. In a letter
dated May z. 1861. the President
thanked the Council of San Marino for
the honor Of citizenship conferred upon
him. by the worlds Oldest and smallest
republic.
Evening star., 1954-12-27
Honor Preferred to Expedieney

Good for Constantine Brown! AS
he indicates, we are now engaged In
the same sort of vacillation. palliation
and appeasement that led to World
War II. We are being tried and found
wanting. In all the history Of great
nations where there Is clean-cut
moral issue involved. it never has been
proven wise to favor present safety
over right and wrong" In the final
analysis when man or nation puts
off or attempts to put of the evil day
Of reckoning at the expense OF sound
ethics, the bill snow balls.
It may sound old-fashioned to say
that national dignity depends upon
"honor," but it does and, as every one
in his heart knows. one slip from honor
requires long and painful climb back
to the position Of self-respect.
During the '3Os, Britain and France
had opportunities to regain great
part of their enfeebled prestige and
heighten their national integrity with
out paying most frightful bill. They
attempted to temporize with justice
in the cases of Ethiopia, Czechoslovakia
and Austria.
The excuse Of Britain and France for
not following the rigid precepts OF
honor during the '30s. was the same
as ours is now-national and personal
safety. 1--WE must think Of our cities.
our citizens and avoid devastating
war" they said. "The chances are
the Luftwaffe will utterly ruin us II
it comes to hostilities," they said.
What are we saying today? What
are our foreign policies? The field is
enlarged, but the issue is the same.
There never will be any peace without
Justice. Clarkson j. Beall.
Evening star., 1954-12-12
More Prosecutors
Needed

You read about case decided
In District Court and, many
months later. you read about it
again when the Court Of Appeals
hands down its decision. You
wonder idly what took so long.
The people involved In these
cases don't wonder idly. They
have money tied up, freedom OF
stake, while they wait.
I'VE have had to grant many
extensions of time to the Gov
ernment on the ground the prose
cutors can't get their briefs
written. We must have the
briefs. Occasionally this causes
serious delay said Chief Judge
Harold M. Stephens OF the appel
late court.
Mr.. Rover gives this explana-
ton:
I'VE had 2l3 cases on appeal
pending at the start OF this
fiscal year. We have six assist
ant United States attorneys to
do them. They also have Ia
cope with hundreds Of miscel-
lsneous motions. They are sim
Evening star., 1954-12-12

on for over two months. the
maniac In a criminal case who
was released under bond by mis-
take, other cases showing papers
weren't processed correctly.
Clerk Of the Court Harry M.
Hull gives his explanation:
Eve used to have people with
q fine legal background, career
people. But we have been bled
white OF people with experience
and training. We lose a third Of
our people every year--seven in
october alone. We can't COM
pete on salaries. Even the Mu-
nicipal Court salaries are sub
stantially higher than ours for
some comparable jobs.
"We know our people are
green. They don't stay here long
enough to get trained. We used
to send people with 10 years ex-
perience-never less-to serve the
judges in the courtroom. Now we
have to send in courtroom clerks
with practically no experience.
"And we don't have enough of
them. We have II courtrooms
operating. We have IA court
room clerks. If we take clerks
from other work, that work
doesn't get done.
"Our trained employees used to
screen the papers, be sure they
were complete and correct. Now
some of them don't know how
to do that. The result Is that
the judges are burdened with a
lot of unnecessary work that
slows down the court"
Evening star., 1954-12-12
Rest Of Appeals Court
Story

Mr.. Stewart said the courts OF
appeals In other jurisdictions
may be hundreds of miles from
where an attorney with a case
on appeal practices law-too far
for personal visits or telephone
calls. Attorneys here, he pointed
out, find it easy to call or visit
the clerks Office and get personal
service. The accessibility. he said.
adds to the work Of his Office.
Mr.. Stewart said the last time
his Office got any new legally
trained deputy clerks was in
1948. when two were added. That
year, he said. 348 cases were filed
with the appellate court. He ex-
poets the cases filed this fiscal
year to 60 over the 500 mark.
Judge Stephens tells the rest
of the Court of Appeals story:
I'VE need more of everything
II I had two law clerks instead
Of one, I could write one-third
more opinions because the Law
clerks boil down the voluminous
records to the essentials"
Judge Stephens said that be-
cause Of a 81 million budget cut,
the entire Federal judiciary is
having to watch pennies. He said
he had to pay out Of his own
pocket to hire a replacement
when his secretary was Ill. II an
employe quits and has leave COM
ing, he said, a successor cannot
be appointed until the leave is
used up. Needed lawbooks, he
added, cannot be purchased.
Evening star., 1954-12-12
What We Need

Now comes another time for
asking. Here Is what Is now
sought by the judges. Mr.. Rover
and Mr.. Beall.
Judges-A three Judge Family
Court or three additional judges
for District Court.
United States Attorneys Of
e-Nine more assistants and
II clerical employees.
United States Marshal's ONCE
Ten more deputy marshals.
Probation Office Five more
probation officers and two cler-
ical employees.
District Court Clerks Office
10 more employees. including two
courtroom clerks.
Other District Court ofiices
Three more employees for the
Domestic Relations Commits
sioner, one for the Assignment
Commissioner.
Court of Appeals Three more
clerical assistants for the clerks
ofiice and q small stenographic
pool to assist the judges.
Redistribution to raise the
salaries of 63 employees Of Dis
trict Court.
Total cost (except for Family
Court: Approximately $285, 900
less than half what It costs to
run the Zoo.
Evening star., 1954-12-12
Lack Of Funds Slows Dispensing Of Justice
Continued From First Page.)

cases each. There's no way 10
guard against the fact that i've
Of one mans cases may be called
an the same day.
ssHis FIRST case is ready, so he
goes to trial. Chief Judge Bo-
litha j. Laws Of District Court
asks US to assign some one else
to take this assistants next case.
We scllrry around and ind an
assistant who isn't scheduled for
court. We ask him to see II be
can prepare the case In 10 min
utes. Judge Laws win let the
case 90 over to another day II
the assistant can't get 1t ready,
But the prosecution is supposed
to be pushing cases forward, not
delaying them.
$50 our man goes into court,
He doesn't know the idiocyncra-
cies Of the witnesses. All he has
is the case folder. The witness
goes on the stand and says sonle-
thing that doesn't appear In the
folder. Our conviction rate Is
high, but this isn't good law en-
forcement."
Evening star., 1954-12-12
Needs Are Nationwide

What is happening in the Dis
trict is not unique. Federal courts
across the country are suffering
from similar financial sickness.
The fiscal 1855 budget for all
these courts is about SGT million
Jess than one-third OF the
budget for the Bureau Of Indian
Affairs. only 81 million more
than the budget for the Weather
Bureau. SIS million dollars less
than the General Accounting
Office budget.
Deputy Attorney General Will
liam r. Rogers used those COM
parsons recently in pointing out
that the budget for the Federal
judiciary represents one twenty
fifth of one per cent Of the
entire Federal budget.
Mr.. Rogers proposed that Con-
greSs by concurrent resolution
should invite the Chief Justice
OF the United States to address
q Joint session Of Congress al
the beginning Of each session
That way. he said. the whole
Congress and the people moi
just appropriations suhcommit.
tees-would hear the needs and
problems of the Federal judiciary
and get d broad picture Of the
| performance Of the courts 'sir
their vastly important function oi
doing justice between man and
man and between the Govern
ment and Its citizens.
Evening star., 1954-12-12
Too Few Behind
The Scenes

You are q lawyer and you 60
to the clerks Office for the neces-
sary papers to get on with your
case. You ask in the usual legal
language for the papers and .
girl behind the counter looks ct
you hlankly. She doesn't know
what you're talking about. This
happens occasionally.
Or you are sitting In the court
room and you may notice the
Judge giving the oath to the wit
nesses himself. You may notice
he has to stop the trial every
now and then to show the clerk
how to mark exhibits. This too,
happens occasionally.
If you're around the court
much. you hear about other
things defendant who wasn't
erraigned for nearly three
months. . motion to flx bond
pending appeal that wasn't acted
Evening star., 1954-12-12
Busiest in Nation

What is the picture Of this Dis
trict Court? According to the
latest report of the director Of the
Administrative Office of the
United States Courts, the District
Court here handles more civil
cases than any other Federal
District Court and the criminal
business is heavier than in any
other district.
Because Of its volume Of busi-
ness. more judges periodically
have been added to the District
bench. but the supporting per-
sonnet has failed to keep pace.
In the past three decades. while
the number of District Court
judges has increased from six
to IS, or $50 per cent (more If
you include the two retired
judges now sitting regularity, the
clerks Office has increased from
% to 66, or 1856 per cent.
Similarly, where the United
States attorney and his assist
ants prosecuted cases before 18
judges of the Municipal, District
and appellate courts rs years
ago, they now 60 before Al
judges 1877 per cent increase
In judges while the United States
attorneys Office has increased by
81 per cent.
Judge Stephens and Judge
Laws have both beat the drums
for more personnel. Why haven't
they been more successful in
their pleas? Mainly it is because
they have to compete for per-
sonnel with all the courts Of the
country and congressional ap-
preparations committees have
been less than generous with the
Federal judiciary.
Judge Laws has appeared
three times In recent years be-,
fore the Judicial Conference or
its Committee on Supporting
Personnel. The first time he
got a part of what he sought
and Congress approved 1t. The
second time he was turned down.
The third time, last April, the
Judicial Conference agreed to
request % employees at q cost of
about $4,000 in the 1856 fiscal
year budget estimates. The con-
ference did not approve his re-
quest for reclassification Of en-
ployes In the clerks office-a
request urgently pushed by Clerk
Of the Court Hull to make the
salaries large enough to hold
personnel.
The Justice DEPARTING n t
handles the funds for United
States Attorneys and United
States Marsha1s. The Justice
Department in supplemental ap-
preparation estimates this year
did ask for $150,000 to provide
more help for the prosecutors
and marshal's Offices here.
But the same budget request
provided for prosecutors and
deputy marshals to serve the 81
| new judges Congress had author
lied for other parts Of the coun-
| try. So, when Congress cut this
budget by IA per cent. the per-
sonnel for the new judges came
first and the Offices here were
left out--despite the fact that
the unmet needs here had been
part Of the justification to Con-
gress for the request. Justice
simply didn't have the money to
20 around.
Evening star., 1954-12-12
Wanted:
Deputy MurshuIs

You have filed suit in Mu-
nicipal Court. You come to court
on the day set for trial but the
case is put of. When you ask
about it, you are told that the
papers haven't been served. You
want to know who Is supposed
to serve the papers. The United
States marshal, you are told.
You also hear you're not alone,
that 5000 others are In the
same boat.
eve can't try the cases until
the papers have been served"
said Chief Judge Leonard P
Walsh Of Municipal Court. 1.-THE
same cases keep coming up and
being put of. This not only
slows us down. The litigants
can't collect"
Chief Judge Laws also had
something to say about the
marshafs Office.
There's no question that our
courtrooms are not sufficiently
protected" he said. 1--WE used
to have four deputy marshals in
each of our criminal courts. Now
we have three. If four husky
defendants came up for trial at
the same, time. they could walk
out.
United States Marshal Carl
ton G.. Beall explains:
1--WE don't have enough men
to staff the courts, give the type
of service requested and cut
down the dangerous backlog OF
cases in Municipal Court. All
our deputies are serving papers
even the ones in court all day.
They all go out to serve papers
afterward. We have cut in half
the backlog of papers to be
served In non-support cases. We
think we are current In District
Court. But we can't cope with
the increase In Municipal Court
cases-not without more men,
Evening star., 1954-12-12

ply overwhelmed. They'll work
all night to meet q deadline, but
we have to ask for these delays
1--WE are slowing down the
disposition Of Government busi-
ness. If a defendant in q crimi-
nal case Is on bond, the defense
loves the extension because his
man Is free for months longer.
"One Of the most important
things In law enforcement Ii
speedy justice and we haven't
got the men to provide 1t. AS
1t is, we're overworking the men
in this Office to an unreasonable
degree. In the past year alone
our men in the appellate divi-
sion worked 2,618 hours overtime,
They'll never get 1t back, either,
because we can't spare them for
compensatory leave"
Joseph w. Stewart, clerk OF
the Court of Appeals. explains
what a single request for an ex-
tension Of time means to the
appellate clerks Office, also
understaffed:
when the Government files
motion for an extension Of
time, the clerk has to docket the
motion, submit it to the judge,
prepare orders based on the mo-
tion, enter these orders in the
docket and send copies Of the
orders to the affected parties
all because the United States
attorneys office is understaffed.
It's q vicious circle. If one Office
in the judicial branch is UNDER
stated, it makes more work for
the other offices-and they
haven't enough people to get
the work out either"
Evening star., 1954-12-12
How Civil Coses Fare

Suppose you have been hit by
a truck. There are hospital bills
to pay. You are away from busi-
ness for months. You sue for
damages. The defendant wants
q jury to decide this case. SO you
wait. Unless you can prove dire
hardship and get your case ad-
vanced, you wait for % months
to get to a jury.
And that's an improvement.
created by switching judges from
court to court, getting some set
Elements and lucky breaks. Two
months ago, the time was Is
months. A couple Of long trials
to tie up judges and 1t might be
that again before long.
Judge Laws explains that.
1--WE have not been able to
keep up with our calendar" he
said. much less make progress.
This Is true Notwithstanding the
fact that each Of our judges
on the average disposes Of ap-
proximately Sc per cent more
cases than the average United
States Judge.
"Since the three new judges
were added to our court, there
has been an increase Of 37.4 per
cent in our cases. exclusive Of
divorce and insanity"
OF the $3.50 civil cases on the
calendar for trial at this time,
according to Assignment Com
missioner Richard L. Collins,
about 35 per cent involve divorce,
maintenance and custody of chill
dren. One Judge devotes a day
q week just to hearing motions
connected with domestic mat
ters
1--WE need a family court"
said Judge Laws. ut would en-
able us to regain the services OF
two and a half judges. If the
District doesn't get it, we will
need three more judges to cope
with the backlog.
But it's not just the backlog
Of cases, serious as that is. No
effort is now being made to
reconcile people. A Judge doesn't
have time to try reconciliation
when he has an important pat
ent case waiting with a group
of out-of town witnesses"