davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13
Burglars Rip Strongbox,
Get $500 in Market

Burglars ripped open a strong
box in Candles meat market,
1856 Fifth street NE. last night
and made off with 5000, police
were told.
They also ripped their way
into safe. but were foiled by a
separate strongbox built inside
it, Safe Squad detectives said.
Owner Joseph P. Gamble said
he did not know how much
money was in the safe.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13
Shouse Breakfast Speaker

The weekly YMCA inter-
national breakfast tomorrow will
feature a talk by Jouett Shouse,
former treasurer of the Demo-
cratic National Committee. on
Conditions as They Appear, in
Europe Today" The breakfast
will be at 9 am. in the lobby
lounge of the Central YMCA,
1926 G street NV.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13
Harold Kelly Heads
Oregon State Society

The Oregon State Society
elected Harold Kelly as presi-
dent at its annual dinner last
night.
Other officers are John Cava-
nagh. vice president: Miss
Dorothy Briggs. secretary; j.
Howard Hicks, treasurer. and
Mrs. Furney Miller, director.
Miss Nancy Scott was chosen
Oregon princess for the Cherry
Blossom Festival.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13
Miss Burroughs to Speak

Miss Mamie Burroughs will
speak at an observance of Negro
History Week at 4 pm. tomorrow
in the Masonic Temple. Tenth
and U streets NV. The meet
ing is sponsored by the District
Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ma
sons and the Grand Chapter
Order of the Eastern Star.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13
End Of Alley Homes,
Even if Renovated,
Voted by Council

>oHASS oSASAAc FNSA@S oSAAtA
ment to the contrary, the Citi-
zens' Advisory Council today
was on record for wiping out all
alley dwellings. renovated or not,
after July l. 1855.
The body made this recon-
mendation to the District Com
missioners yesterday in a 4-to-3
vote.
It's action is expected to bring
howls of protest from those
home-owners of Georgetown.
Foggy Bottom and Capitol Hill
who have spent thousands of
dollars in recent years rehabili-
tating alley structures.
Woolsey w. Hall. acting chair
man, summed the councils ma
jority feeling this way:
There should be no more
temporizing. Alley dwellings are
an evil. Prohibitions against
them have been made since
1892"
Vote Remains Secret.
Mr.. Hall refused to give a
breakdown Of the split vote,
taken behind closed doors.
The alley-dwelling controversy
has already been exposed to full
public hearing before the Com
missioners. Opponents to a
sweeping ban were in the great
majority. Some of their alley
homes, city officials concede. are
about 100 per cent better than
hundreds located on proper
streets here.
What precipitates the question
is the July /, 1855. deadline of
the latest extension of the most
recent alley dwelling extirpation
law. passed in 1914. Numerous
laws. starting in 1892, have out
lawed such houses. None has ever
been enforced, mainly because of
the reluctance of public officials
to force unfortunate occupants
from them.
The council action runs coun-
ter to recommendations by a
special Commissioners commit
tee that would exempt suitably
restored and supervised alley
dwellings from the ban.
Stiff Fight Forecast.
The present-day "unfortun-
ates"-those owners and devel-
opers who have made such dwell
ings things of envy rather than
concern-have indicated mean
while, they will come swinging
out Of their alleys with blood in
their eyes when the subject
comes before the city heads once
again.
Howe P. Cochran, a South
east civic leader and a non
alley dweller or investor. declared
today: 1.-The council action is a
sin. Good alley dwellings have
anything I know beat a mile.
They have quiet and dignity and
are lovely to live in. ! hope I can
have one, myself, to live in some
day."
In another action yesterday,
the council stood to antagonize
only out-of-town motorists. The
group Endorsed District Govern
ment management Office recon-
mendations that a centralized
system of tracking down parking
law violators be put into effect.
The new system, officials esti-
mate, would collect $4,000 from
non-residents who have received,
but ignored, parking tickets in
the last year.
Procedures for maintaining
general traffic. violation files also
would be centralized and sim
plified.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13

Higgins said. when he moved to
the 1900 block of Biltmore street
NV. He is from Syracuse, N. Y.
Since then, the police officer
recounted, La Duke stole thou
sands of letters from mailboxes,
one of them containing Mr..
Hawkins passbook. The bank
said it mailed the passbook to
him, but it never arrived.
On February S. La Duke with
drew $685. from Mr.. Hawkins
account, with the money handed
over by Emily Harper. teller at
Perpetual. police said.
Strikes Again for S768.
Again. last Tuesday. according
to 1t. Higgins. La Duke obtained
$768 from Barbara McDougall,
another teller, using the Haw-
kins passbook.
1t. Higgins had been notified
by William H. Dyer. secretary of
the building association. that
something was wrong. 1t. Hig-
gins, with Sergt. John j. Fitz-
patrick and Detective Sergt. Ben
jamin D. Clark, also of the check
and fraud squad, set up plan.
One of them was to remain in
the Perpetual Building at all
times. with the others acting as
relief.
But when La Duke walked in
yesterday, all three detectives
were there. All the tellers had
been notified to be on the watch.
La Duke approached Joseph A.
Pavelka. teller. and again pre-
sented Mr.. Hawkins passbook,
police said. Mr.. Pavelka picked
up the telephone. pretending to
check Mr.. Hawkins balance. In
stead. the teller flashed the word
and the police closed in on La
Duke. This time his withdrawal
slip was made out for $375.
Identified by Tellers.
1t. Higgins said the two
women tellers identified La Duke.
1t. Higgins said La Duke admit
ted all the forgeries on the with
drawal slips, as we'll as the theft
of the thousands of letters.
In La Dukes room at Biltmore
street, police said they found
seven 500 bills. The money he
is accused of withdrawing last
Tuesday was given him in $100
bills at his own request, it was
said. 1t. Higgins said 500 was
found on La Duke:
Also discovered at the Bilt-
more street address were the
letters, all stolen from mail
boxes. according to 1t. Higgins.
The postmarks dated back to
last November. A briefcase full
of mail was found, 1t. Higgins
said.
La Duke was charged specif-
ically with a single count of
forgery involving last Tuesdays
withdrawal. 1t. Higgins said two
other charges will be presented
to the grand jury. The theft of
the letters also will be referred
to the grand jury. according to
Postal Inspector Joseph Vernant.
Reform Plea Rejected.
La Duke told 1t. Higgins that
last Tuesday, when he was with
"a beautiful girl from New
York." she urged him to give up
his activities and go with her to
New York. 1t. Higgins quoted
him as replying to her:
Il can't do that. There's too
much money around this town"
She then left without him, the
police said.
La Duke was on parole from
Sing Sing after serving part of
sentence for third degree bur-
glary. police said. He was pa
rolled last April and then stayed
in Syracuse a few months, it
was said. After that he travelled
through the East and Middle
West and to Montreal. Canada.
hef0re corning here malice said
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13
No Letter From Girl
Provokes Accused
Mail Box RifIer

Harold LaDuke. accused
among other things of
rifling mailboxes possibly of
thousands Of letters, had his
own complaint to make to
police yesterday.
LaDuke told police he had
missed several letters from
a girl friend in Perigueux.
France.
II think my letter box has
been broken into" he said.
:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24
b7OW11- !.
Dulles Defends His Berlin Stand
But Members Of Congress Feel He Cove in Too Much;
Minor Victory Regarded as Slim Consolation Prize

with that in Indo-C China has
always been on our diplomatic
program. Last year the ad-
ministration issued statements
that the two fronts are closely
related. Fears had been ex-
pressed that after a cease-fire
agreement was reached in
Korea the Chinese Commu-.
niSts would transfer large
numbers of troops to help the
Wet Mini forces deal a death
blow to the French and Wet
Nam defenders Of Indo- China.
The fact that the Communists
will sit down at the confer
ence table to discuss both
questions simultaneously is
thus regarded as a diplomatic
victory for the West.
All the same, our lawmakers
are fearful that we may have
gotten hold of a bears tail.
The congressional group which
met with Mr.. Dulles is said to
have asked an explanation of
the circumstances under which
Mr.. Molotov sprung his sur
prise demand at Berlin that
the allied foreign ministers
discuss the question of a
meeting with Red China be-
fore the real detectives of the
conference.-the unification of
Germany and a peace treaty
with Austria-were tackled.
Mr.. Dulles and his colleagues
accepted this demand. This
acceptance was interpreted by
our diplomats as good stra-
tegic move on the part Of the
Secretary. He had no inten-
ton whatever, the Congress
members were told, of letting
himself be drawn into making
Berlin into a scene of Asiatic
bargaining. He agreed to place
this topic at the top of the
agenda merely for the sake of
disposing of it quickly in order
to get to the real business of
the conference.
Some of the Congressman
who attended the meeting at
the State Department point
out that Mr.. Dulles might as
well have stayed at home in
so far as any immediate gains
on Germany and Austria are
concerned. But Mr.. Molotov
did gain a signal diplomatic
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24
Fletcher KnebeI-
Potomac Fever

Herbert Hoovers prediction depression
brought such tremendous applause that could hardly
your knees knocking.
The Army there's foundation to the that
Army Secretary Stevens before the investigating
subcommittee to Mccarthy with Army good
conduct medal
Almost 100 Congressman memorial for Christopher
Columbus in Washington. Columbus getting
to America and back before congressional
subpoena him.
Federal grand jury ndicts 10 people surplus
deals under the Democrats No wonder there
men under the Democras-everybody and his
working the administration
Ike flies back to Washington from Palm Springs Repub-
cans Ike should be reelected After ALL
least four full years in the White House.
Democrats the election issue this fall will be
on You kept buster under the Democras-tryng
make check farther than
Bureau.
Labor Secretary Mitchell supports proposal Re-
pubcans want be fair everybody-so they've started
fight that the Democrats get in too.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24
Dorothy Thompson
The Real Issue Involves B|ocs
Berlin Conference Could Not Have Been Success;
Aiming Of West Germany Is Anothemo to Soviet

service to political literature
by calling NATO-EDC what it
is: A military coalition, aimed
like all military coalitions
against specific enemy, and
incompatible Gas are Soviet
military alliances with the
essential spirit Of the U. N.
The fact that the Western
Allies did not respond, in one
word, to that Russian state
ment of "unbearable," I'M
doubtedly indicated to Soviet
Foreign Minister Molotov that
the conference would be flu
tile. That probably explains
why the Russians, who ini-
TALLY sought the conference,
backed away from it. when
they saw it would come to
nothing.
In the Kremlin mind the
subjects that occasioned po-
litely acrimonious debate in
Berlin were shams. The debate
had a ghostlike quality. since
it is hard to create a close
copy of negotiation when the
real issue has been dismissed
in advance. What may have
justified the conference was
the demonstration that the
Kremlin indeed considers the
permanent American Euro
pean-West German military
alliance unbearable. Molotov,
a prudent diplomat, avoided
giving positive answers to
positive questions. But he
doubtless knows that Messrs.
Dulles, Eden and Bidault have
seen his point.
The question now-the great
queStion-is whether the Sow
cts will allow the long and
enervating tension which they
foresaw before the wars
end to lapse into a frozen
stalemate Instantaneous to
Russia.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24
Constantine Brown

It would be a gross exagger-
alton to say that the meeting
ION Monday between Secretary
of State Dulles and leading
members of the Senate and
House was a particularly
happy one.
According to reliable reports.
the Secretary's account Of what
happened at Berlin and the
circumstances which led to the
decision to have an Asiatic
conference at Geneva in April
drew some strong criticism
from the Republican and DEM
ocratic members present.
Mr.. Dulles maintained that
his acceptance Of the Soviet
proposal in no way endangers
our set policy in the Far East.
The Secretary claims that
the Russians did not obtain a.
diplomatic victory at Berlin
since they had to accept the
allies condition that Commu-
mist China should not be a
"convening" power. That is to
say that she is being invited to
sit down at the conference in
the same way. for instance.
that. the Koreans or Turks are
to be invited.
We rejected, says Mr.. Dulles,
the demand from Foreign Min
lister Molotov that China par
ticipate in issuing invitations
to the Geneva meeting. This
was regarded as a slim con-
ISOLATION prize by the Congress-
men.
Moreover, Mr.. Dulles says
that we have been striving un-
successfully for many months
at Panmunjom to get the Reds
into a political conference en-
the subject of Korea. We now
have a definite agreement to
meet with all the aggressors
at a conference table. Accord
ing to Mr.. Dulles, the Geneva
meeting will not necessarily be
confined to the Big Four, the
Republic of Korea and Mos
cows Peiping and Pyongyang
satellites. ANY of the particle
pants in the Korean war who
wish to attend will receive in
vltationS.
Mr.. Dulles is also reported
to have said that the linking
up OF the Korean problem
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24
Diplomatic Talk Springs Eternal
The Agreement by Both Sides to Discuss lndo-Chinu
And Koreo Does Not in Itself Give Hope Of Accord

other hand, that the French
people. who are keenly inter-
ested in an early settlement Of
the IndO- China war, will not
tolerate any tactics that pre-
vent the making of an armi-
stice like the one in Korea and
thai America will be unpopular
in France unless Washington
goes along with the French on
a stalemate basis for Indo-
China. There is, to be sure,
some chance that such an un-
happy stage may be. reached
in the discussion, but it is nee
essary to remember that the
United States Is furnishing the
bulk Of the money for the
Indo- China war and that her
voice will be listened to in
Paris before steps would be
considered looking toward any
settlement that advances the
cause of communism in South
east Asia.
Mr.. Dulles has been trying
to get France to ratify the
European Defense Community
treaty. For this reason. he
made concessions to the French
viewpoint when he agreed to
allow the Indo-China question
to be brought into the Geneva
conference along with the sub
ject Of Korea's uniflcation. But
to agree to talk about anything
nowadays in an international
conference is something en-
tirely different from agreeing
to accept any theoretical pro-
posals to be offered by the
other side. It's a long time
twixt the making of an agenda
for a debate and a final agree
ment. and the Geneva confer
ence may wind up after a few
weeks merely with a decision to
hold other conferences on
Korea and do-China, sepa-
rately or together. Talk springs
eternal from the breasts of
present-day diplomats.
Reproduction Rights Reserved.)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24

There was never the slight
est chance that the Berlin
conference could produce a
settlement of the German
question.
The Soviet position has
been clear from the first ex-
change of notes: That the
arming of Western Germany
as part of a military coalition
containing the United States
is "unbearable" - this was
the exact word-to the So
VETS. Whatever else might be
negotiated. this issue patiently
could not be. If the Western
allies were determined to
reach a settlement. they
would have had to produce
an alternative to the projected
West ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
glo-European military alli-
ance; not necessarily the
Russian alternative. Indeed,
the Russian proposals on how
free elections should be con-
Quoted were preposterous. But
this was a secondary and to
some extent a sham issue.
What is unbearable for
Russia is the military pres
ence Of America on the from
tiers of the Soviet bloc.
Unless or until there is a
retreat from this position,
Russia will hold 18 million
Germans as hostages, in a
partitioned country. Under
such a condition tension can
not subside.
To repeat this may seem
redundant. but the core of the
Soviet negativism has been
obscured by aversion to CALL
ing things by accurate names.
The late Senator Taft, in
the Cincinnati speech which
he was already too i'll to de-
liver personally, performed a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24

It is risky, in view of past
events, to forecast that Presi-
dent Eisenhower is coming to
grips with Senator Mccarthy
in a way that will be clear to
all But there is one sign that
we may be, at long last. at the
showdown stage.
President Eisenhower called
Secretary Of the Army Robert
T. Stevens personally from
Palm Springs while there on
his recent short vacation, to
give the Secretary his unquali-
fed support in his tussle with
the Wisconsin Senator which
is overshadowing all else here
this week.
The President took the
initiative himself when he
learned Of the way that Sena-
tor Mccarthy bullyragged and
browbeat Brig. Gen. Ralph C.
Zwicker, commandant at Camp
Kilmer, N. j. This was when
that officer was called to tes-
tify about circumstances of
the honorable discharge for
Maj. Irving Peress, New York
dentist, whom Senator McCar-
thy claimed was a Communist.
When Secretary Stevens, in
turn, learned Of this shabby
and shameful performance he
refused to permit the generals
return to the committee as
Senator Mccarthy had or
dered. He said he, himself,
would appear as the respon-
sible official.
Secretary Stevens did not
contact the President, as was
reported. James Hagerty, the
Presidents press secretary. was
correct in denying that report.
1t was the other way around.
After he had taken the initia-
tive, the President arranged
before he left Palm Springs
for a conference with Secre-
tary OF Defense Charles E.
Wilson, under whom Secretary
Stevens serves, soon after his
return here.
There were indications that
Senator Mccarthy finally had
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24

reached the limit so far as the
President is concerned when
he began to throw his weight
around with the Army and to
prosecute a fellow officer. This
not only hit the President, a
career Army man, at a most
sensitive spot but also pre-
sented a threat to Army morale
and the integrity Of our de-
Tense system which no Presi-
dent Of the United States can
permit to pass without chal-
lenge-and certainly not in
time of tension and crisis.
This latest Mccarthy raid
was a blow at the prestige of
the presidency such as has not
been approached by the Sen
ator'S recurring skirmishes
since the administration as
sumed Office. It will be recalled
that the President backed up
his Secretary of State, John
Foster Dulles, when the latter
rebuked the Wisconsin Sem
ator for meddling in foreign
affairs. That was early last
December.
It is surmised that the Pres
ident Is awaiting a similar OPP
portunity in the development
Of the Stevens-McC arthy af-
fair.
It is becoming apparent that
it will take public condemna-
ton by the President of the
Wisconsin Senator to stir the
public to the dangers of the
Mccarthy rampages and rally
the people behind the Presi-
dent. Nothing less will do. The
public does not understand the
second hand rebuff type of
strategy that is the course so
often followed. and advised, by
politicians Only direct action
with plain talk will accomplish
what is needed.
Something else is equally
apparent.
This is that the prestige, as
well as the control, of the
Republican Party is at stake
In the marauding Of Senator
Mccarthy. Astute Republicans
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24

adopt an Immoral position, Is
neither logical as an inference
based on the agenda Of the
Geneva conference nor war
ranted by any statements made
thus far by anybody in author
ity in the Department Of State.
Senator Knowland of Cali
fornia. the majority leader.
rightly calls attention to the
dangers that will ensue If Red
China is proposed for member
ship in the U. N. with the sup
port of Great Britain and
France. as the price for a
settlement Of the Indo- China
war. He is Justly concerned
that another one of those
coalition governments which
ruined freedom in Poland and
turned China over to the Com
munists will be offered as an
expedient way out of the Indo-
China war.
But the realistic fact is that
Mr.. Dulles Is a trained nego-
tiator in whom at the moment
there is or is not complete
confidence depending on pref
udices growing out of past
parleys. Obviously he gave
ground at Berlin when he con-
scented to let the Indo- China
question be discussed at the
same conference at Geneva
with the Korean problem,
though he secured an agree
ment that the second issue
would not be tackled until the
first one is completed.
While it is true that this
gives the Communists some
leverage-they can stall on
Korea until a discussion on
Indo-China forces change in
the agenda-the game works
the other way, too. America
can stall on the Indo- China
problem and raise important
obstacles until and unless the
Korean problem has been sat-
isfactorily solved.
The point is made. on the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24

victory, they said. by getting
China in by the back door to
negotiate at Geneva on an
equal footing not only the Ko-
rean but also the Indo-C Chinese
war and whatever other topics
she and the Soviets may
choose. During all the years we
have been discussing and bar
gaining with the Communists
we have gotten the short end
Of the stick, the Congressman
feel. -.
Mr.. Dulles explanations that
in making concessions to Molo-
tov in regard to the Geneva
conference he had to keep in
mind the still shaky position
Of the French cabinet reused
little. if any. sympathetic re-
Spouse from his congressional
listeners. 1t is true that when
Molotov. in the last days of the
Berlin conference. forced the
issue of a session with the
participation of Red China,
Frances Foreign Minister BIZ
dault telephoned Paris for fur
ther instructions. He had been
given free hand to deal with
European problems but not
those concerning Asia. The an
SWer from Paris was that he
must accept the Red proposal,
otherwise the life of the Laniel
government might be even
shorter than expected. Mr..
Dulles felt that he could not
assume the responsibility for
another French cabinet crisis,
especially after Mr.. Bidault's
courageous stand on European
matters. Hence he felt that he
had no alternative but to yield
to the Soviet request.
Mr.. Dulles Is said to share
the pessimism of congressional
members regarding the possible
achievements at Geneva. The
Civilizations in Moscow. Peiping
and New Delhi over our agree,
ment to sit side by side with
Red China in the old League
OF Nations palace at Geneva
indicate that the Reds and
their Indian well-wishers be-
lieve they have won a signal
diplomatic victory. So do many
other Asiatic and Western
people.