davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Veterons-Preference Problem

Attorney General Brownells decision to
forgo court test of veterans Federal employ
ment rights leaves the veterans in strong
position. A number of recent court decisions
has sustained the right of war-service vet
Grams to be secure from summary dismissal.
And the Civil Service Commission has insisted
that this right extends to veterans holding jobs
which are transferred to non-civil service pro-
tected categories, such as the much discussed
Schedules A and c. The latter jobs are subject
to firings and hirings for political reasons--or,
more politely, for purposes of putting trusted
officials Of the new administration in admin
istrative and policy control.
It Is not likely however, that the so-called
veterans preference problem" will remain in
status quo. There have been efforts in the
past to modify the veterans preference laws.
AS the number of veterans in Federal employ
ment grows-there are now about million in
this group-the problem will become more
troublesome. Veterans not only are given GER
tain advantages over non-veterans in civil
service examinations but are surrounded with
extra safeguards against arbitrary dismissal
Whereas non-veteran may be fired summarily
"for cause" (incompetency, laziness and the
Hke), war veteran has the right to 30-day
notice and can appeal over the head Of the
agency to the Civil Service Commission. He
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Opposes World Government

Apparently there will be a heated
battle in the next session Of Congress
over the Bricker Amendment.
Our two previous administrations
have clearly demonstrated that secret
agreements can be made under our
present Constitution.
President Eisenhower might not see
fit to enjoin this Nation into a world
government constitution but who knows
what the philosophy will be of future
Presidents.
A world government executive board
would be dominated and directed by
nations with populations which exceed
ours.
Let us follow the instructions of
George Washington in his farewell ad-
dress to the people of the United
States:
Against the insidious wiles Of for
eign influence Il conjure you to believe
me. fellow citizens), the jealousy Of a
free people ought to be constantly
awake, since history and experience
prove that foreign influence is one of
the most baneful foes Of republican
government.
Europe has a set of primary inter-
eSts, which to us have none, or a very
remote relation. Hence she must be
engaged in frequent controversies. the
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Fifty Years Ago in The Star

On January 1, 1904. The Star listed
the following as "the most important
events of local Importance"
kevIew during 1908: Work COM
Of 1903 menced on the new Union
Station and for the elimi-
nation OF grade crossings; work begun
on the filtration plant; investigation of
the Post Office Department and result
ing indictment of many officials; arrest
OF James M. A. Watson, charged with
appropriating $4,000 of District funds.
opening of the new Washington Public
Library; remains Of Alexander r. Shep-
herd received in this city: IL new public
school buildings opened; steps taken
for the erection of an Office building
for the House Of Representatives and
for a new Agriculture Department
building; Prof. Langley's flying machine
failed twice to fly: three new justices
Of the District Supreme Court qualified:
nearly successful canvass Of YMCA to
raise funds for new building.
The Star Of January z, 1904, an
nounced that French Ambassador Jus
Serand had delivered to
Bust OF Secretary Of State Hay
Washington letter reading in part.
by order Of my gov
ernment I have the honor to inform
your excellency that a certain number
of French citizens. in their deep feeling
Of sympathy with the American nation
and gratitude for the hearty reception
accorded in 1902 to the Rochambeau
mission. have thought that the best
means Of testifying to your country the
sentiments by which they are animated
would be to present it with a reproduc-
ton OF Washington's bust, destroyed
during the fire at the Capitol in 1851.
The bust had been offered to the
Evening star., 1954-01-03

also has special veteran retention rights.
This double standard for Federal employ
ment had little impact on the civil service
system when the number OF veterans seeking
Federal jobs was small. Today the situation
is OF concern to many administrators. who
prefer a freer hand in. making personnel
changes in the interest of departmental eff
cheney. And as the number Of veterans con-
tinues to increase-as seems inevitable under
difficulties in applying civil service procedures
with any degree Of equity. Whether Congress
will want to give serious attention to the
veterans-preference problem in an election year
Is doubtful, however. Eventually review OF
veterans preference laws ought to be under
taken. in the interest Of civil service morale
and efficiency.
Evening star., 1954-01-03

A telegram from Princeton, N. j., to
The Star of January Z, 1904, said:
Ruth Cleveland, the
Ruth Cleveland oldest child of ex-
Dead President Grover
Cleveland, died at the
Cleveland home here today unexpect-
edly. the immediate cause of death
being a weakening of the heart action
during mild attack of diphtheria. i. +.
She was IL years old. :. . The private
school which Ruth has attended has
been closed for the rest of the week out
of respect. President John H. Finley
OF the College of the City of New York,
Mr.. Cleveland's personal friend, has
come here to make all arrangements
for the funeral" Ruth, born in New
York City in 1891, had been brought to
Washington in 1893 and lived here until
her fathers retirement in 1897. Some
oldtimers still remember her as a little
child.
On December. 80, 1908, The Star re-
produced the recollections Of IAN old
resident" as follows: II will
Cold never forget the winter of
Winter 1867. It was remark
able for both snow and ice.
A snow set in after Christmas that
never left the ground until spring.
There was an ice record that winter,
too. A cold wave set in Christmas Day.
Passengers on trains blockaded in snow
between New York and Philadelphia
were only kept from freezing by burn
ing portions Of cars. The Potomac
River was frozen over as far as Alex
andria to depth of two feet and an
engine and coach made trip to that
city on the ice. When the ice broke
up in the spring, 1t was sight that
brought hundreds of people to the city
from points in Maryland. The solid
Ice cracked with q report like artillery
Evening star., 1954-01-03
IVA Talks Back

The Tennessee Valley Authority, marking
the close of its first 20 years of operation, has
chosen in its annual report to tell not only the
story Of its accomplishments but, in effect, to
refute charges that it can be considered an
example Of creeping socialism"
President Eisenhower cited iva as such an
example last summer while saying he was
seeking middle way in national resources de-
velopment that would eliminate the powerful
central role of the Federal Government in
projects Of that type. His remark stirred a
furry of controversy and at a later press con-
ference he explained that he did not mean to
characterize the whole project as socialistic
but merely that there were certain features of
it which conflict with his political philosophy
Apparently taking note of the Presidents
expressed opinions, the iva in its current
report has included a chapter tracing the
growth of the conservation movement in this
country over the past 125 years. and particularly
since Republicans Theodore Roosevelt and Gif-
ford Pinchot became most concerned early in
this century with the waste Of natural resources
"The concepts and principles written into the
iva Act" the report says did not come from
any neat, preconceived set Of theories about
politics or government; they evolved from the
reflective observations, studies and experience
Of the scientists and the informed concern of
laymen who Initiated the conservation move
ment." After summarizing its operations over
this fifth of a century, the report includes one
more sentence: These results have been ac-
companied and achieved by methods calling for
less Federal control and more State and local
responsibility"
Among aspects of the operational report
bearing most directly upon relationship between
the project and private enterprise considerable
emphasis is given to the use Of Twas chemical
facilities as national laboratory for the
chemical and fertilizer industries and as stand
by facilities for munitions production The
growth Of varied industry within the iva
area likewise is mentioned, with its effect OF
increasing the per capita income and individual
income tax payments at rate which has
moved them substantially higher in the scale
OF national averages
1t is not surprising of course, that a project
so great and so multisided as that OF iva
should be a subject Of controversy It came
into being under q Democratic administration
and political considerations have colored the
controversy from time to time It's constructive
values have been established, however, and
while controversy may continue It is equally
likely that the great development project like
wise will continue as national institution.
Evening star., 1954-01-03

In our mental life and in our spir-
itual apprehensionS 1t is impossible to
settle down at some one place, as the
three disciples suggested they might be
allowed to do, on the Mount of Trans
figuration. We are pilgrims, and al
ways the road awaits. Alas. If the way
ahead Is determined by old rlfts leading
to no new perspectives. new perceptions
and new attitudes which alone make
any year new. as expanding life is
nourished by power outside ourselves.
It Is told that in the wild North
country there was sign where prim-
tive road started through an unde-
veloped forest region. It read: Choose
your rut. You'll be in 1t for the next
Is miles" AS we gradually become ac-
customed to writing 1854, sign is
lifted saying: II you choose certain
ruts you'll be in them for 365 days.
Often the rut Of today is projection
Of the path Of yesterday. It may be
the path Of past regret. An old doc
tor, when he came to die, being asked
the secret Of his unruffled peace and
poise. replied very simply. but signifi-
cantly: Through life I have always
closed the gates behind me-" In that
one sentence he was imparting the
secret OF tranquility. Gates left swing
ing back Of us often I'LL today with
q paralyzing uncertainty which un-
nerves one for facing the future.
Remember Lots wife" is an ad-
monition from Holy Writ forever call
ing attention to the tragic end Of
woman who could not bring herself
to close the gates Of the past as she
took the road ahead. when q de-
cision Is once made. close the gate"
That advice is worth its weight in
rubies. However, the successful life
involves not only closing gates behind,
but in opening gates ahead. For radi-
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Spires Of the Spirit
Mirrors and Windows

How new viii the new year be? There
Is no January query more vital than
that. It is the question Of the month.
The answer will depend on whether In
our living rooms we have both mirrors
and windows and whether. in our jour-
ney across the months, we are content
with old ruts or venture on new roads.
We need mirrors. They never tell US
the truth about others, but Just the
truth about ourselves. For each Of us
the greatest problem is ourself. A great
American often used to say that he had
had more trouble with himself than
with any other man he had ever met.
And so does each of us. A searchlight
sweeping the circumference of the earth
is no substitute for q hand mirror. Like
charity, criticism should begin at home.
But, whatever is reflected In mirror to
cause comfort or chagrin as one turns
away, no record is left; mirrors keep
their crystal secrets well. They have an
important place and function. But to
live in room lined with them is fatal,
for we keep humping into ourselves. !.
4
A friend writes: II once had the ex-
perience OF being in two rooms within
few days, as different as rooms could
be- One was the Hall Of Mirrors at
Versailles. It was maze Of mirrors, in
one corner Of which could see myself
reflected seven times. Once was enough.
A few days later was in q little room
IN house In the mountains. It had
nothing in it except the world. It had
five windows out of which the eye could
sweep great circles Of the earth" To
that observation he adds: "Hear, then,
the conclusion of the whole matter.
Damnation comes through mirrors.
Salvation comes through windows" It
would be nearer the truth. perhaps, to
say that damnation comes through
living with nothing but mirrors.
We need mirrors to stab us broad
awake as to our own deficiencies. It Is
to be shut in with them which leads to
spiritual suicide. It is through win
dows that we glimpse vistas and heights
and the ascending way. Having, first
Of all. honestly appraised ourselves, the
answer as to how new the new year
proves will be determined by what we
do with ourselves. We must move.
Nature insists on that. We never can
stay where or as we are. No one can
do that physically. Time marches on.
BY nothing bought in beauty shop can
the marks Of the years be. erased. AS
one has pertinently remarked: Sos
metic protests against time are like the
screaming Of child who has to be
carried out of room"
Evening star., 1954-01-03

United States by France in 1928 as the
result of a national subscription. It was
the work of David of Angers." M. JUS
serand explained that the bronze por-
trait already had arrived at the French
Embassy and. "if the Congress be
pleased to accept their gift, the donors
would wish to have that image of
Washington erected at or near the
place where the destroyed (copy)
stood" The bust referred to by the Am
bassador currently has place Of honor
in the rotunda. But there is mystery
about the ehigy it was supposed to re-
place portrait Of Lafayette in marble
by David is understood to have been de-
Stroyed by fire in the Capitol library
in 1851, but no representation of Wash
ington by the Anglers artist is known
to have been there at that time.
Quoting a cablegram from London
based on an article by a Tokyo CORE
spondent. The Star of
NO Notice January said: Don't
From japan look for a declaration
Of war. The Japanese
are quite determined and several
days ago took steps to secure GER
tain of their Korean interests. Russia
will not be allowed to occupy Korean
ports, and certainly neither Mokpho or
Masampho. both Of the ports being pro-
tected against seizure. Japan means
business without waiting for the con-
venience Of others. II Russia feels
aggrieved.. a fortnight should show the
extent to which she will venture. The
interest should begin to center nearer
Seoul than Tokyo within 10 days"
Hostilities finally began February 80,
when Vice yAdmiral Togo led the Japa-
nese fleet against Port Arthur. Belated
declarations Of war appeared Febru-
ary 10. So
Evening star., 1954-01-03
By Fronk R. Kent

and it Is a fact that can be verified by
many old-timers that farmers from
the vicinity Of Rockville hurried
to Washington to ascertain the cause
OF the explosion. There have been no
such winters since 1867"
The Star on December 16, 1908, fea-
tured story about visit which Jacob
A. Riis Of New York, q
KIIs IN the really great sociologiSt. had
Slums paid to the slums Of the
Nations Capital. He was
quoted as having told the members Of
the District Committees Of the Senate
and the House: II confess I had no
idea there were such things as I saw
in this city yesterday when I went in
several of the alleys and witnessed the
way the colored people are living. The
inside of these houses is too dreadful
to even conceive. Your blind alleys
remind me of Whitechapel in London.
when it was at it's worst. Think
of the awful mortality that exists
among the colored children here. Near.
ly one-half Of them die. ;. It is scam
dalouS." The number of such alleys
in Washington, Mr.. Riis declared, was
29S, with $4,000 colored people living
in them" An editorial, published on
another page. supported the New
Workers. testimony. concluding: If
there is one city in the United States
which should have the power to keep
itself clean and pure 1t is Washington,
and If yesterdays revelation of Nth
and disreputable congestion serves to
advance the day of publication 1t will
have been well worth the humiliation
involved In the disclosure"
X X
"An audience numerically notable"
filled the Columbia Theater on the aft.
ernoon Of January 8,
Ebert Hubbard 1904, to hear Ebert
In Town . Hubbard. otherwise
known as Fra Elber-
tus," lecture on 'Roycroft Ideals" He
was described as being perfectly nat
ural In his manner and address,
Evening star., 1954-01-03
BY Frederick Brown Harris
Minister. Foundry Methodist Church;
Chaplain. United States Senate.

Chaplain. United states senate
ant living demands decisions as to
what we are going to do about tomor-
row. Today is the vestibule to that.
II doors Of progress, Intellectually and
spiritually. are to be opened, the key
Is not some resolution about what we
intend TO do with year. We must
heed the ancient adage. "Seize the day"
Out Of the wonderful old story Of
Job comes this searching question,
Hast thou commanded the morning?"
That goes to the heart Of the matter.
II the morning mutinies we lose today
and. Of course, tomorrow. Hast thou
commanded the morning. or does 1t
command you? That means that before
we take to the road there must be.
preferably near a mirror. one window
which overlooks the unseen and the
eternal Inscribed above that window
is: Give God q chance.
n
Dean 1nge keenly observes: IF we
spend Is hours daily Of our waking
life in thinking about the affairs Of
the world, and about 5 minutes In
thinking about God. it is quite natural
and inevitable that the world will ap-
pear more than 200 times more real
than God" That suggests how slowly
we awake to realization Of quests
that are not worth their cost. A great
servant Of God and humanity tells that
as a young man he found himself
sitting far into the night at a gambling
table. No knock sounded at the outer
door. but through some inner portal
entered a strange disgust. Suddenly
he felt the pity of wasting money and
manhood SO desperately needed by his
chaotic day and age. He arose, flung
down his cards and entered into part
nership with God for the worlds re-
demption. First, he saw himself in
mirror, then through Q window he
gazed with yearning on his needy
generation. Straightway. door opened
and he was OF on a ceaselesS quest.
This blessed trinity of q mirror,
window and q road does not mean
that the externals Of life are to be
radically altered. It means the glorih-
cation Of the commonplace; for, as
Edna st. Vincent Millay puts It:
Life goes on toreUer like the Onaping
OF a mouse,
And tomorrow and tomorrow and
tomorrow
There's this little street and this little
house.
But your little street" may be
radiant boulevard of brotherhood. And
your little house" may be afiame with
faith and hope and love. And your
partner may be God. |
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Effective Deterrent

Latest evidence of the effectiveness of stern
punishment as a crime deterrent is provided
in the Department of Corrections report on a
three-month study of recent prison sentences.
The study shows that the amount Of crime In
Washington has been decreasing coincidentally
with an increase in the length of sentences
meted out by District Court judges. The only
surprising thing about the finding is that it
has taken some of the judges so long to realize
that there is definite relationship between
sentences and the prevalence of crime in a
community.
The study covered average sentences i'm
posed on local felons sent to Lorton Reformatory
during July, August and September Of 1858,
as compared with sentences for like period
in 1852 1t was found that minimum SEN
tences during the 1858 third quarter aver
aged 392 per cent longer than those for the
corresponding quarter of the preceding year
Maximum sentences averaged S6.5 per cent
longer. Meanwhile the crime rate here was
declining approximately Is per cent from the
1852 rate. OF course, not all of this decrease in
lawlessness can be credited to the courts.
Assignment of more policemen to patrol duty,
as result of restoration of police personnel
recruitment funds, played part in the i'm
proved situation. But Police Chief Murray was
among the first to give credit to District judges
for the part they played He has welcomed
the recent trend toward tougher treatment of
convicted criminals,
Certainty of punishment remains the best
crime preventive known And certainty of
punishment includes certainty of arrest Ger
tainty of vigorous prosecution and certainty Of
adequate penalties upon conviction. Thugs,
yokerS and other hoodlums are inclined to give
wide berth to any city that manifests this
sort of unfriendliness toward their ilk.
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Letters to The Star.
Pen-ndnes may be used If letters carry
writer's correct names and addresses.
All letters are subject to condensation.

bers in the hall, instead Of greeting
each other with Hello, Smitte." we
would call out, "Lep0tG ami superiorts
alnQuG nGsi."
Sometimes between duty and classes,
we would run over to q little delica-
lessen store on Fourteenth street and
get ice cream. AS our pocket change
was extremely limited, the storekeeper.
seeing us looking longingly at the fresh
chicken salad. would give US sandwiches
and forget about being paid for them.
OF course, progress must be satisfied
She is a glutton that devours such
things as spacious halls. inviting steps
and living trees. Emerson says. New
times demand new measures and new
men,"
Good-by. old Childrens Hospital!
May this new measure" which you
have undertaken meet the needs of
new men,"
Linda Mcclure Woods.
Evening star., 1954-01-03
Dr.. Urey Needs a Lawyer

There may have been many reasons why
Tau Epsilon Rho law fraternity selected DR..
Harold c. Trey, University of Chicago scientist,
as the 1858 recipient of the Cardozo Memorial
Award. The selection certainly was not based,
Showever, on DR.. Urey's understanding Of the
law.
,. The text of DR.. Ureys acceptance speech,
as distributed by the University of Chicago,
sdwelt at some length upon the relationship of
the citizen to the Constitution and, in partic-
ular, to the Bill of Rights. 1t was an interest
ing and, at one point, distinctly novel dis
cuSsion.
As DR.. Urey contends, for instance, that If the
Communist Party is political party and not
conspiracy, the First Amendment should en-
title people to immunity to investigation" This
is an interesting constitutional theory. It would
also be interesting to know how the fact can be
established-how it can be determined whether
the Communist Party Is political party or
conSpiracy-w without investigating people"
The recipient of the law fraternity's award
hit his high spot, however, when according to
the released text of his speech, he said this:
"The Fifth Amendment guarantees the right of
not testifying against ones self in criminal
charge except upon indictment by a grand
jury"
The fact is, Of course, that under our
sConStltutlon the protectlon against elf-lncrml-
nation is not affected in any way by the return
Of an indictment. If anything, this protection
provided in the Fifth Amendment becomes
even more important, and certainly is in effect
after an indictment has been returned
There is nothing to be gained from specula
tion as to the probable reaction of the late
Justice Cardozo to DR.. Urey's Interpretation of
the Fifth Amendment 1t may be appropriate
to suggest however, that a distinguished
scientist should stick to his profession, and that
he is not qualifed-even though he may be
the recipient of the Cardozo Memorial Award
to engage in seemingly profound, but actually
absurd dissertations on the legal significance Of
the Bill of Rights.
Evening star., 1954-01-03

causes Of which are essentially foreign
to our concerns Hence. therefore, it
must be unwiSe in us to implicate our
selves, by artificial ties. in the ordinary
vicissitudes of her politics. or the ordi-
nary combinations and collisions Of her
friendships or enmities.
why forego the advantages Of so
peculiar a situation? Why quit our own
to stand upon foreign ground? Why. by
Interviewing our destiny with that of
any part Of Europe. entangle our peace
and prosperity in the tolls of European
ambition. rivalship, interest. humor, or
caprice?" NJ ,r.u