davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Our Chinese Hostages

The State Department has disdainfully,
and perhaps properly, refused to enter into
any IDEAL" with the Chinese Communists
for the release of 10 Americans held as
Spies This lofty attitude, however, is
hardly compatible with our continued de-
tention of So Chinese students who want to
return to their homeland.
These students up to this time have
been refused permission to leave the United
States on the ground that they have ac-
quired special skills which would be useful
to the Reds, And this detention Is justified
under provision of the McCarran-Walter
Act.
It must be said in good conscience that
this explanation is pretty thin. II these
Chinese students still want to return home
the State Department should let them 60
and the sooner the better.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
A'Shoot' in the Best Continental Manner

the wrong way. Wherever this threat
ened to happen. the whole line Of beat
ers would start whooping and dancing.
And more than once beater launched
himself through the air in desperate
last-minute save, like a goalie in q
soccer game.
A purist, perhaps, might consider the
whole thing a bit unSporting. And yet,
considering the amount of game that
escaped. the number shot hardly
scratched the surface. In Europe, every
landlord sets his own limits on the
number and kinds of game to be killed.
The general theory is that too little
shooting does as much harm as too
much. And judging by what we saw
this day the theory works.
The rabbits were a special problem.
A few weeks earlier. the first cases Of
myxomatosis-the disease which has
killed of most of the rabbits in West
ern Europe-had appeared on the
Counts estates. By next year, If things
follow their normal course, there would
be no rabbits anyway. And any one who
has ever seen rabbit blinded and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15

whose property takes UP a sizeable
chunk of Eastern Holland.
We knew we were in the big league
when we were told to bring our dinner
jacket along with our shooting gear.
Shooting in Europe, we had been told,
is serious business. In the first place,
most of the days bag is sold by the
estate and amounts to a tidy source of
income while the season lasts. In the
second place. it's a way of keeping
certain game-like rabbits and hares-
under control and preventing damage
to farm crops. All this made us little
nervous until our arrival, when our
host assured us that it didn't matter
how badly we shot and that the main
object was to have fun.
One thing about shooting is the same
all over the world. You always have
to get out of bed at an unholy hour of
the morning and gulp down ain enor-
nous breakfast. It's always cold and
dark and shivery outside. But from
there on, any resemblance to the
American sport was purely coincidental.
In the matter of dress, for instance,
we learned that an old Army jacket
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15

crippled by myxomatosis would agree
that the more shot quickly and merci-
fully the better.
At any rate. it was quite day. BY
the time we broke of for lunch, los
pieces of game were in the bag. BY
nightfall, laid out neatly on the lawn
were: 81 rabbits, 80 pheasants, nine
ducks. eight hares. four partridge, one
Snipe and one dove-180 pieces in all.
Our host divided it up-a brace of
pheasants and hare for each of the
guests. rabbit for every beater. The
rest belonged to the hunt and most of
1T would find its way into the local
markets within day or SO.
So far as we were concerned. it was
perfect day. Here at last was shoot
ing that lived up to the advance notices
and beat anything that we had ever
imagined. Our mistake was in telling
the Count.
Really, old man, you should have
been here last time" he replied. THAT
day we had only four guns and got
more than 400"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
By Charles E. Trocewen
Philip Marcus.

rolling infection, would be understood
in exactly the same way by the cats
Of China, South America, Africa or
where have you.
The tiny tiger cat came out from
under the car and pushed the top OF
her head down on the Jonesian feet.
He gathered her up, and SO. she was on
her way home.
Due to lack of food, she made no
struggle as our good man carried her
along.
Strays are normally very quiet. due
entirely to poor food. and not enough
of it.
At home. Mindy retired beneath
Templeton Jones favorite chair, on the.
inspection of the other cats.
In the days that followed, two things
were found out about her. In the first
place. she was "ste." and in the sec
ond, her muzzle was white, this having
been uniform gray. due to dirt.
The months and years that followed
showed a third thing
She was a very nice cat, affectionate
and pretty, with one endearing trick
which sometimes. it must be confessed,
became something Of a nuisance.
It is not difficult to guess-she just
will stand on the top Of her head on
the top Of your shoes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Tax Withholding in MARYLAND

According to a recent item in The
Star. a proposal is now under consid-
Grafton by the Legislative Council
Committee and by the Income Tax
Division Of the State of Maryland to
adopt ''pay-as-you-go" plan for with
holding Maryland State tax similar to
that now in use by the Federal Gov
eminent. Both of these groups have
indicated their approval of such a plan
for the reason that by this method the
State could pick up 50 million which it
loses because of delinquents.
Why take money from our pockets
for taxes not yet due in. order to make
up the deficit caused by irresponsible,
defaulting taxpayers?
Seven States have already adopted
the "pay-aS-you-go" plan and five
States require non-residents to follow
this procedure. 1t is apparent that one
State after another is following this
trend.
If Maryland adopts this Withholding
plan, the District of Columbia and
Virginia will soon follow suit. Let's
suppose that Maryland does put this
plan into effect and Virginia decides
to have its State taxes withheld-what
will be the lot of the individual who
lives in Virginia and works in Mary
land? Will he have two State income
taxes plus his Federal tax withheld
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Seasons Greetings

A word of praise for the more than
deserving kind faced, silver haired,
scarlet-bedeck loauacious, smiling old
gentleman who impersonates. Santa in
the southwest corner window of Kann's.
! listened to him io1 about IS minutes,
and he didn't repeat himself once. Fur
ther. everything he said was of obvious
interest to the youngsters. Personally,
I oppose reliance upon fiction in child
training. However, it must be. admitted
that this old gent displays remarkable
memory and talent for his job.
ar s'# SEQ .& Fred G. BantIe.
think we should, return to old
fashioned Yuletide seasons, when people
thought more about the real Christmas
spirit.
The newspapers are filled with gift
suggestions and stress the shopping
days until Christmas. Radio and tele-
vision smother us with advertising.
Disc jockeys play carol now and then
between commercials on chow to get
easy credit for Christmas shopping"
believe the public would be graft
fed if it could look to the approach of
Christmas with gladneSs of heart in
stead of worrying about bills. Why don't
merchants realize the greatest public re-
lations gesture they could make would
be to stress the real meaning of
Christmas? M. C.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15

"All the more reason we can take
one more" Jones replied Five is.
after all, very awkward number
The people were streaming into the
station the next morning, and with
them streamed our friend.
He looked, and looked, but no kitten.
For four mornings in row he had
seen her, and had received the grace
of her feline greeting.
Now. when he was ready to do some
thing about it, she was not there.
Then suddenly he saw the dark gray
kitten, squarely under the bus tires.
Before Jones could act, woman saw
the cat. too, and with an angry excla-
nation. seized it by the scrui Of its
neck, and carried it to one side, where
some cars were parked.
r. 4
You'll get killed If you stay around
here" the woman said to the cat.
Temp Jones waited until she had
turned her back, and then he called
the kitten.
AKitty, kitty, kitty" he called. It
was the universal language Of the
friends Of cats.
It would have been the same in
China, the Hawaiian isles, in far Peru.
or In Rome.
The single word. "kitty." given .
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15

dIlQ D pe1u VI gray ual1lciS Sbu11cQ lIltO
boot tops is hardly the thing. The cor
rect outfit is q tweed suit, including
vest, necktie and knickers. Personally.
we haven't had a pair of knickers since
we graduated from sixth grade, but
that just proves We haven't been shoot
ing in the right company. For another
thing, we gathered that an automatic
shotgun is likely to be frowned on. The
best idea is to have two matched
double barrelled guns with a loader to
hold the spare and hand it to you at
the crucial moment.
We left for the shoot in convoy Of
old army trucks. including couple
Of large, fiat-topped vehicles crowded
with men armed with short sticks.
These. We were told, were the heaters
whose job was to drive the game toward
the six Of US in the shooting party.
Altogether. counting beaters. leaders.
Sportsmen, gamekeepers and various
other unidentified dignitaries. there
must have been at least SO Of us in
the group.
The first drive, said the host, would
be for ducks that always spent the
night in small pond near the house.
The "guns" were stationed at intervals
Of about SO yards along the edge of
plowed field, peering through the morn
ing fog at row of trees. On the other
side, the beaters formed another line
and started walking toward the pond.
whacking the trees with their sticks.
There wasn't long to wait. A sud-
den whooSh from the pond was fol-
lowed by an excited quacking and
squeaking Of wings, and suddenly the
air was full of ducks and exploding
guns. It was all confused enough so
that of the seven ducks that fell, no
one could be sure who hit what, which
was all right with us. After that, the
heaters kept on coming. And before
piling into the trucks for the next
drive, couple of pheasants and three
rabbits had been added to the bag.
1t was only the beginning. Through
out the morning, across one field after
another, the line of beaters moved
toward the waiting line of guns, driving
out more pheaSants, hareS, rabbits and
partridge than many hunters have seen
in lifetime. Every one was kept too
busy most Of the time to notice how
the hunter on the next stand was doing,
and with the number of available tar
gets it was impossible to miss all the
time. In the course of the morning
we developed great admiration for
the heaters. 1t takes courage to walk
right up to the muzzles of six shotguns,
trusting the SportSmen to wait for a
clear shot. It also takes agility to keep
the hares, that have an uncanny in
stinct about things. from lodging back
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Mr.. Mendes-Frunce Holds On

For third time Premier Mendes-
France has won vote of approval from the
National Assembly for his policies on North
Africa It must be noted, however, that the
Premiers margin has diminished sharply
in this series of tests and it is clear enough
that the bitterly controversial issue is by
no means finally settled.
The granting of internal autonomy to
Tunisia was promised by MIR. Mendes-France
in the four-point program which ne an
nounced on assuming office last summer.
First parliamentary test on this particular
item came on August q, after the Premier
had assured the Assembly that he was advo-
eating no retreat" from TuniSia and
Morocco, and the vote then was 425 to 122.
In November, after an outbreak OF violence
brought from the Premier promise to the
Assembly that he would dispatch forces ade-
quate to restore order, there was second
record vote of 312 to 272. The latest vote
294 to 265-has followed nine-day peace
offensive" in which nationalist guerrillas IN
Tunisia were promised freedom from arrest
If they turned in their arms. Two days OF
debate on this particular maneuver, and on
many broader questions Of North African
policy preceded the vote.
Although there has been this shrinking
of political approval, Mr. Mendes-France
made persuasive argument to the Assem-
bly, on the current trend of his TuniSia pol
ICY He produced figures, for example, to
show that anti-French violence actually has
decreased in that territory in recent months
and that more than $500 of the so-called
terrorists had come out OF hiding and sur
rendered their arms during the nine-day
period of grace He cited further figures
Of French military strength there as guar
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15

antee of order and gave assurances that he
will not go beyond his initial offer Of internal
sovereignty only-without full independence
from French rule.
Meanwhile, combination Of Asian
African-Latin nations has kept alive the
issue in the United Nations by postponing
for the time being" consideration Of a
resolution favoring Moroccan independence.
It was clearly implied that the matter viii
be brought up again if progress satisfactory
to the bloc Is not achieved.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
By THE HASKIN SERVICE


@. Can you give the words for Merry
Christmas in some foreign languages
other than French, German and
Spanish? T. T.
A. Bulgarian - Chestita K oleda:
Danish-Glaedelig Jul; Dutch-Vroolyk
Kerfeest: Esperanto-Gajan Kristnas-
kon; Finnish-Iloista Joulua; Irish,
Nodlaig- Mhaith chugnat; Italian
Buone Feste Natalizie; Yugoslav-.
Cestitamo Bozic; Polish - Weselych
SWAT: Portuguese-Boas Festas; Welsh.
-Nadolig. Llawen.
@. In the language Of the Post ONCE,
what is the difference between mike"
and dead" letter. r. o.
A. Mike" is the term applied to any
incorrectly addressed piece of mail. A
dead" letter is one that cannot be
delivered, usually because the address
is incorrect or illegible, and cannot be
returned to the sender because it carries
no return address. Regulations allow
postal examiners to open and readta
dead" letter for clues. If none is
found and the letter contains no money
over dollar. it is destroyed. Otherwise
it is held for one year, during which
time it is subject to claim.
@. How large is the fingerprint coll
lection of London's Scotland Yard?-
v T.
A. The main collection. consisting of
the prints Of all 10 fingers, includes
over 1,250,000 prints, and increases at
the rate Of $4,000 year. Prints of peo-
pie who have died or reached an adj
vanced age are regularly weeded out.
They are not destroyed but moved to
dead" section.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
No Cause for Fear

It is unfortunate that there have been
some irresponsible suggestions recently that
the Federal Bureau of Investigation might
keep its eye on college debaters who took
the wrong" side of the Red China recogni-
ton question. For example, DR.. Wayne G.
Eubank, president of Tau Kappa Alpha,
honorary debating society, was quoted as
saying that college students had been
warned that their names might be entered
in the FBI "raw files" for taking an affirma-
tive stand on the issue. It is WELL therefore,
that FBI Director. j. Edgar Hoover has
squelched such nonsense in no uncertain
words.
Mr. Hoover, in letter to the editor
of the University of New Mexico newspaper,
the Lobo, expressed surprise that such
statement had been published without first
asking the FB1 whether the "blacklisting"
warning had any substance. Mr.. Hoover
said it certainly is not true" that the FBI
is DESTROYS of obtaining the names of persons
debating this subject. He added that the
FBI has mo interest whatsoever" in college
debates as such. I'VE would never engage
in any activity which might result in sitting
academic freedom" he asserted. Mr..
Hoover's fortnight reputation of the'pub-
lished reports should allay any fears aroused
by ill-founded warnings" from various
quarters.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Unnerving Concert

About a month ago your paper car
ried an article which discussed the
acoustics of Constitution Hail. It stated
that an audio engineer had tested all
parts Of the auditorium with precision
equipment and had found 1t to be free
from distortion. >
had always been wary of the hall.
and consequently had never attended
full concert by the great visiting Or
chestras there. But, encouraged by
your article, attended the December
concert Of the Boston Symphony.
regret to report that was physi-
cally shattered by the experience. My
seat was on the curve of the horseshoe,
in an area which was not acoustically
live nor acoustically dead: 1t was
acoustically haunted! Disembodied
horns hoated above my head. Eerie
woodwinds fitted about my feet. Violin
banshees screeched in my left ear. Dead
silence roared in my right ear. All the
gorgeous Wilderness of that wonderful
orchestra disintegrated before it ever
reached my seat.
And SO I add one soprano, voice to
the plaintive cry: Washington must
have concert hall COR, in Latin,
Constitution Hail Delenda EstD
Renee b. Jasper.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Rules for School Attire

Wheaton High School students have
been prohibited by school administra-
tors from wearing dungarees or denim
Jackets.
Clothes-conscious school administra-
tors, to the delight of one segment of
Sthe clothing industry and to the anguish
OF another segment, have decreed that
wash Stacks are passable and dry
cleaned Stacks (meaning Beau Brum-
melD are approved. To complaints of
parents and students over the expense.
added work and differences in weather
protection between dungarees and
clothes of thinner type. answers have
ranged from Let them wear red fan
mel underwear" to "This is means of
combating juvenile delinquency"
Somewhere along the line the school
authorities have lost their sense of per-
spective, and along with It, fear, the
saving grace of a sense of humor. They
did not see fit to discuss the problem
with parents nor with their, PTA be-
fore issuing the order, although the
problem is one in which parents surely
have legitimate interest. They
started out by saying they were ban
ming "too tight" Lewis, and now have
reached the point where they are pro-
hibiting not only non-tight dungarees,
but denim jackets. One trusts they are
spending an equal amount of time and
energy on duties for which we thought
we were paying them. I looked in the
yellow telephone book under Clothing"
hut, ,n%A y,I ~ ;cI. Cak
Administration" listed, perhaps because
the book was printed too early. I did
find ads for Correct Clothes for the
Clergy" and Zine Apparel for Gentle
men," but nothing for high-school boys.
One of the greatest boons to parents
Of this generation has been the savings
in work and expense through the wear
ing Of dungarees by their sons. They
are In use not only In elementary
schools, junior and senior high schools,
but also are seen on various college
campuses. They are used and accepted
in other junior and senior high schools
in Montgomery County.
I should like to suggest Cd that the
school authorities promptly sit down
Will IIlclT Z La dIlu AlCCLCoICu PAL Cibo
and work out sensible solution, or
(2) that the School Board or the Mont
gomery County PTA Council take &C
ton in the matter, since it is one
which not only affects the relationship
of the parent and student to his or
her school, but also because, in addi-
ton to taxes imposed upon us for school
purposes by our elected representatives.
we have been made subject to an in
direct tax by the school administration.
Philip Marcus.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
By Crosby S. Moves
FOreisn Correspondent OF The star

PARIS. - We submit herewith our
resignation from the Tedious Greek
Gun Club. No hard feelings or any.
thing. It's only that, having just re-
turned from our first European shoot,
the old Eastern Shore won't seem the
same any more.
Like most sportsmen who take their
fresh air in small and infrequent doses.
we've noticed strange thing about
bird shooting. Whatever day you get
to shoot. it's always wrong one.
Inevitably you are told that you should
have been there last year or last week
or next month, at which time, you
really would have seen something" In
Europe. we had heard. things were
different. Which was all the more
reason why we accepted with pleasure
when the invitation came through to
join the shoot of a certain Dutch Count
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Pulling Assignment

Colonel Thomas A. Lane, the new Engi-
neer Commissioner, is apt to find ~one Of
his special assignments somewhat confusing.
He has just been appointed member OF
the District unit of curious, loosely coupled
regional group designed to study transpor-
tation problems of the Washington Metro
official name, without staff, without funds
and, so far, without any membership from
Maryland. It would not be surprising II
Colonel Lane were puzzled as to how the
commission" can be expected to make any
adequate investigation of transit and traff1c
troubles here Others more familiar with
the local situation are puzzled, too.
The non-statutory intersectional study
scheme arose out of the failure of move
to create presidential study commission
by authority of Congress. The Broyhill bill
to form such a commission passed both
houses Of Congress, but was vetoed by the
President because it was tied up with an
Objectionable, lopsided transit control plan
that Congress had tackled on as an amend
ment. The collapse Of this legislation left
Virginia and Maryland in the embarrassing
position of having authorized representation
on commission that had failed to come
into being. The idea thenrwas preached Of
bringing Virginia, Maryland and the District
together, through appointed delegations, for
voluntary joint transportation inquiry.
Colonel Lane is to replace former Engineer
Commissioner Prentiss on the District unit.
Chairman Bartholomew Of the National
Capital Planning Commission has been made
a member, too apparently with the hope
of using the NCPC staff for at least part Of
the study. The third District member is
Chairman Mclaughlin of the Public Utilities
Commission. It is expected that Maryland
will appoint its members before long.
Virginia already has named its representa-
tiveS.
But none of the three jurisdictions
represented has any funds earnarked for
such costly study. It has been suggested
that the Planning Commission might be
able to induce the Budget Bureau to approve
a fund request to Congress. The Planning
Commission then would employ experts to
make the investigation and present report
All of this activity is encouraging, in that
1t indicates a growing regional interest in
a joint attack on area transit and traffic
difficulties. 1t would be admirable-and
remarkable-if such voluntary group,
without statutory prestige and authority
and without any overall direction, could
point the way to cure Of city and suburban
transportation Ills
But as long as an appeal to Congress
for funds is planned, anyway, the better
plan would be to press once more for passage
of the Broyhill or some similar measure.
This course would give the project not only
funds but a firm legal foundation, without
either of which it would be difficult to
undertake a satisfactory interstate survey.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-15
Ponoceu

A sunbeam key has locked the door
OF day,
And noao the 0loo Of moon. and dust
of star
Confetti sky and gen. the milky tD1v:
They flush each cloud, like beacon
lights dfdr.
In ioonder- fashioned. generous NTH u:
role
OF tone-reuedltng loneliness, sublime,
The silUer space OF silence rules the
tChole-
Unchanged by human craft,
untouched by Time.
Like song the heart anfolds from
foDer of thought,
The piston lifts one far above the
pain
And earth bound dtssonance - IN
freedom sought
UnfetteTed hearts may jofn the glad
refrain
OF heauen,s theme. and then on soaring
wings,
. MGy span the stars. where Beauty
eUer sirCsi
Anne B. Marley