davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1954-03-28

last. Last week the Franco-Viet
Namese combination wrested one
of the positions away again.
Completely surrounded, Dien
Bien Phu is supplied by air, and
would be most difficult to evacu-
ate. If worst came to worst, Col.
de Castries' troops probably could
fight their way out, but things are
far from being that serious yet.
The French are relying heavily
on their air support, bombers and
transports, to haraSS the besieging
Wet Mimi and at the same time
drop or land ammunition and sup
plies. Gen. Jean Dechaux, French
air commander in North Wet Nam,
is keeping every available plane
busy Is hours day non n-stop while
the weather holds. The airmen
drop bombs and napalm on the
Wet Mimi, and these attacks are
believed to have been principally
responsible for holding off a Red
attack all last week. There is an
alternate theory that the Reds are
waiting for the monsoon rains to
sock in the area, reducing the air
support or eliminating it COM
pletely.
In Washington, the Pentagon
made preparations to rush another
squadron of Is B-26 bombers to
Haiphong and Hanoi, to step up
the aerial assault on the attackers.
Gen. Vo Nguyen Clap, Wet
Mimi chief of staff who used to be
a laundryman in Hanoi, has thrown
some so per cent of his regular
forces into the Dien Bien Phu
battle, compared to the 3 per
cent the French and Wet Namese
have committed. If the defenders
can hold while inf1icting a heavy
rate of casualties on the Commu-
mist attackers, the French military
plans will be handsomely advanced.
A thinned-d down Wet Mini enemy
will be easier prey for the Navarro
offensive now in the offing.
Even if Dien Bien Phu is lost,
the French and Wet Namese will
be in strong position to push on
in their war. That is why French
military leaders and all America
are holding their breath about
what can happen at Geneva. The
Wet Namese, too, hope privately
(they have no official voice on for
eign affairs) that the French will
not succumb to cease-fire over
lures from the Communists at
Geneva.
Evening star., 1954-03-28

taminated fish and injured Jap
anese fishermen 80 miles from the
blastD The Japanese press de-
manded that the United States
stop it's Pacific tests. The Pacific
is not an American lake, they
said, it's the Japanese bread
basket"
More tests were to come, how
ever. The danger zone radius was
to be increased next time from 70
miles to $50 miles.
In England, Prime Minister
Churchill assured the House of
Commons that British and Ameri-
can policy on atomic weapons was
continually under review and that
the two countries were in agree
ment Labor Party spokesmen,
however, insisted that a high
level conference be held to see
what the United States intended
to do with her big new weapon.
Russia, meanwhile, had some
thing to say about the H-bomb.
In the army newspaper Red Star,
full and apparently. frank de-
scription of an H-bomb explosion
last August surprised the West.
Evening star., 1954-03-28

find it hard to avoid this kind of
diplomatic beating, either at
Geneva or later.
Meanwhile in Italy, the Trieste
controversy with Yugoslavia was
still impeding action on EDO.
Premier Mario Scelba did, however,
prevail impressively over Commu-
mist attempts to involve his gov
ernment with the Montesi dope
party scandal. A Red move for
immediate debate of the MonteSi
case was defeated, 268-207.
The Soviet Union, probably by
way of preparation for the Geneva
Conference, granted complete
sovereignty" to East Germany, an
empty gesture whose propaganda
value is dubious even in Iron
Curtain countries.
Evening star., 1954-03-28

with any military crisis after that.
Since late last year, however,
French politicians have got the
notion that they can improve on
the Navarro plan at a tempting
saving in battle casualties. Ho Chi
mimi and his Communist hackers
have been making tantalizing Of
ferS for a negotiated peace.
The Red strategy is simple. Un-
able to match the Wet Namese
army build-up, the Wet Mini are
on the losing end of the military
battle in Indo-C China, but they still
have an edge on the political side.
If they can negotiate away the
military disadvantage, their politi-
cal cadre will be able to move in
and take over Wet Nam without
any more bloodshed French war
WEAKNESS plays into their hands
There is little doubt that this is
the Communist game. When the
Big Four met at Berlin late in jan
uary and early in February, the
Wet Mimi struck deep into Laos
in a spectacular but meaningless
raid. The object was to give the
Soviet Union strong trading point
to dangle before France. The pres
sure can be eaSed in Indo- China,
Mr.. Molotov was able to hint, for
the proper concessions in Europe.
At Diem Bien Phu, the Commu-
nists are now playing their prelude
to Geneva, proving to the French
people that a negotiated peace in
Indo-China will be preferable to
additional French losses.
Red Militoy Risk
1t is the first really serious drive
by the Communists to score a
rouSing military as well as psy-
Geological victory In the past the
Reds forte has been their evasive-
ness, their hit-and-run capabil-
tiles. French generals have been
punching the air trying to catch
the Wet Mimi in significant num-
berS to destroy them
At Dien Bien Phu. however, the
Wet Mini have finally chosen to
stand and fight. Thus this battle
in the hinterlands has not only
political Importance because of it's
effect on French morale back
home, it has military significance
as we'll.
Evening star., 1954-03-28
axes
DOTH HOUSES of Cong

10Th HOUSES of Congress had
~ taken initial cracks at the
years first big tax bill last week,
and the Presidents program
seemed to be coming off second
best.
1t was a bill urged originally by
the White House to extend some
excise taxes which were due to
expire at the end of this month.
President Eisenhower was count
ing on saving about SLOT, ,O0O,OO
in otherwise lost taxes-enough to
keep the annual deficit down to
about $29 billion this year.
But his estimates were thrown
off by two powerful forces operat-
Ing in Congress this year:
. Some Republicans wanted to
Evening star., 1954-03-28
Europe
FRANCES FOREIGN

FRANCES FOREIGN policies
L were a matter for concern
in Europe last week, too. The
French National Assembly will not
open it's debate on the European
Defense Community treaty, it was
announced, until the Saar ques-
ton has been settled, and until
the United States and Great
Britain provide sufficient guaran-
tees that they will maintain troops
in Europe.
Premier Joseph Laniel's maneu-
vers were interpreted as .tacit
admission that he did not have
the votes in the National Assembly
to bring EDO up now. That meant
France would be going into the
Geneva Convention open to
horse-trading offer from the Com
munists: Peace in Indo-C -China@for
French remuneration of EDO.
Present French leadership would
resist such a bargain, of course,
but political pressure might be-
come so strong that France would
Evening star., 1954-03-28

fulfill their campaign promises by
voting tax cuts.
. Some Democrats wanted to
sponsor tax reductions in order to
stimulate business-and also to
take some of the tax-cut play
away from the Republicans.
So, in both House and Senate.
bipartisan support was found for
several reductions tackled onto the
tax extension bill.
The House had its turn two weeks
ago. It voted the existing excise
taxes on liquor, beer, wine, ciga-
rettes, gasoline, automobiles and
diesel fuel-as requested by the
PreSident-but it cut taxes on
such items as furs, jewelry, SPORT
ing goods, light bulbs, firearms.
cameras, telephone calls, transpor-
tation and admission tickets.
Total loss to the Government in
the coming year on the cuts: $912
million, giving the Treasury a net
gain of $165 million.
Last week the bill came up in
the Senate. Again both Democrats
and Republicans joined to chip
away at the measure At the same
time, however, some restorationS
were made of House cuts.
The action: Excise taxes on
home appliances were cut from
10 to S per cent (the House had
not touched this item); taxes on
cabaret admissions. club dues, and
firearms and ammunition were in
creased from the House level (all
10 per cent? back to the original
rates go per cent, except for arms
and bullets.
The result: The Treasury lost
another SIPS million, besides what
was lost in the House. That left
Government profit" at a mere
$40 million.
Representatives of both House
and Senate now must get together
to compromise on differences in
the two versions of the bill. Then
both houses will vote again. 1t is
expected that the final measure
will provide for a Government
gain of around $50 million, just
short of 81 billion under what the
President called for. But admin
iStration leaders we're guessing
last week he would sign such a bill.
Evening star., 1954-03-28
Mccarthy
THE INVESTIGATION of S

THE INVESTIGATION of Sen
u ator McCarthy's war with the
Army hung in limbo last week
while the Senate Permanent In
vestigating subcommittee searched
for lawyer who would touch the
inquiry with 10-foot pole.
Requisite No. l was a counsel
of sufficiently elevated stature that
both he and the forthcoming in
veStigation would be above suspi-
cion Of shenaniganS. The best bet,
obviously, would have been the
head of the American Bar Associa-
ton. But this eminent attorney,
William ]. Jameson of Billings,
Mont, consulted over last week
end with other bar officials, and
on Monday turned it down cold.
The rest of the week was occu-
pied by negotiations with other
lawyers. But this week end. the
question of who would direct the
proceedings still was undecided.
Mccarthy lmpotient
Meanwhile, Senator Mccarthy
of Wisconsin, central figure in the
inquiry, chafed at enforced mac
ton. His committee, which ran
away from him a fortnight ago
after the celebrated Schine case
broke open, had decreed that the
dispute with the Army be settled
before other business was under
taken.
AS far as the subcommittee was
concerned, there was widespread
hope that Senator Mccarthy would
see the light and step down from
the committee table for the dura-
ton of the hearings. He already
had agreed to turn over the chair
manship to Senator Mundt of
South Dakota.
But the Wisconsin Red-hunter
was having none of this. He said
he would not vote, but he insisted
on retaining his membership on
the committee.
Senator Mccarthy also insisted
on the right to cross s-examine
witnesses-a right which hitherto
has not been granted interested
parties in hearings before the
Investigations subcommittee. He
said the Army, too, should have
the right of cross-examination
Many observers were interested
in what President Eisenhower
thought of the way the inquirys
Evening star., 1954-03-28
Unemployment

= OVERNMENT OFFICIALS
" continued to keep a close eye
on employment figures, watching
for signs of improvement or de-
terioration in the Nations eco
nomic outlook. If sharp March
downturn is spotted, the President
will step in with pump-priming
measures.
There was nothing last week to
show that things were getting
worse, however. Unemployment
figures for this month will not be
compiled until April, but one good
ndicator-claims filed for unem-
ployment compensation - went
down.
That means there probably is
no current rise in unemployment.
Such a leveling off was attributed
partially to the weather-con-
struction work picked up-and
partially to resumption of some
industrial activity, automobile
manufacturing, for one. 1t was
the second brightest week since
January /.
The administration showed no
signs last week of rushing toward
emergency measures. President
Eisenhower told his press confer
ence he sees nothing in the busi-
ness situation that calls for
slambang emergency anti-receS-
sion program. And Secretary Of
Commerce Weeks confirmed that
unemployment seemed to be
slightly on the decline.
Evening star., 1954-03-28

preliminaries were going A few
reporters asked Presidential Sec
retary James Hagerty on Tuesday.
He suggested that the question be
put directly to the Chief Executive
at his news conference the follow
ing day.
Merriman Smith, dean of the
White House press corps, posed the
question as the first of the day:
@. The Republican leadership
has said that Senator Mccarthy
should not participate in an in
DeStigdtion IN ,Dhich he is inuolued.
Yet the Senator insists on the
right OF croSS-erdmination OF the
dispute betWeen his committee
and the Army. What are your
feelings, sir. in this matter?
A. Well, haze no feelings at
all about particular situation or
technicality Of Which know
nothing. / am perfectly ready to
put myself on record fatty, as
hare before, that in America, if
man is party to a dispute, di-
rectly or indirectly, he does not sit
in judgment on his o1Un case, and
don't believe that any leadership
can duck responsibility for carry
ing on that tradition and that
practice.
Anti-McCarthy partisans took
this to be another slap at the
p Senator. But Mr.. Mccarthy
himself professed to see in the
statement support rather than
opposition.
1.-THE President] and I are in
full agreement on that" Senator
Mccarthy said. There is no pos
sible dispute about that, as 1 made
clear several days ago when 1
agreed that I would not vote"
Stronee Disclaimer
Then the Senator added a dis
claimer with which many could
quarrel: Besides, this isn't my
case. This is a case involving my
chief counsel and the Army legal
counsel"
While committee lawyer Roy
Cohn and Army counsel John
Adams were undoubtedly key
figures in the forthcoming inquiry,
most persons felt the Senator was
at least as deeply involved. There
was little support for the belief
that he could read himself out of
the case at this late date.
Toward the end of the week,
there was talk that Mr.. Cohn and
Mr.. Adams might resign their
posts, supposedly in the hope that
the furor would die with their
departure. This appeared to be
the vainest hope of all. The Nc
Carthy-Army feud was by now too
big an issue to be laid to rest in
such an inconclusive fashion.
There seemed scant hope this
week end that the inquiry could
get under way before late in the
coming, week at the earliest.
Evening star., 1954-03-28
Chavez

ELECTIONS IN MANY New
~ Mexico districts have been
notoriously informal for years.
Booths sometimes are not pro-
vided at the polls, ballots some
how get changed before they are
counted and records are poorly
kept.
But after last week the State
seemed to have a clear warning
to clean up its voting mess.
Dennis Chavez, Democratic
Senator from New Mexico, was in
danger of losing his seat because
of irregularities at the polls. The
majority (Republican) of the
Senate Rules Committee had found
that some $4,000 ballots in the
1852 senatorial election had been
cast without secrecy; 1900 had
been "fraudulently" altered; $4,000
had been destroyed "prematurely."
L 4AlC (OAAlilIAbCCCS OClilONA aIS OAo~
senting, recommended Senator
Chavez seat be declared vacant.
But he was saved on the Senate
floor. Democrats, who said the
reported frauds had not benefited
Mr.. Chavez any more than his
opponent, retired Maj. Gen. Patrick
J. Hurley, stood solidly by their
colleague. Five Republicans and
one independent also voted to let
Senator Chavez stay Final count
was SO to SO against the custer
move.
The Federal Bureau of 1nvesti-
cation, however, is still probing
the New Mexico election to see il
any Federal law was violated.
Evening star., 1954-03-28

DURING LAST WEEKS lull in
II the Army-McCarthy imbro-
Clio, official Washington finally
took time to catch up on what has
been happening in the outside
world, and what it found in Indo-
China brought butterflies to its
stomach.
Wet NameSe and French troops
defending beleaguered Dien Bien
Phu were licking their wounds and
preparing for new frontal assaults
by the Communist Wet Mini, while
France, which is calling the free
worlds shots in Indo- China, talked
ominouSly of the deSirability of q
negotiated peace.
In Washington the wave of jit-
terS swept from State Department
to Pentagon to White House. All
feared the same thing: That
France would lose heart and accept
some kind of negotiated defeat
next month when Communist
China comes to Geneva to discuss
Far Eastern peace with the Big
Four.
American officials reacted in uni
son. President Eisenhower gave
soldiers appreciation" of the gall
liant stand at Diem Bien Phu. Sec
retary of State Dulles pledged that
the United States would provide
whatever additional equipment
was needed for free-world victory
in Indo-China. Secretary of De-
tense Wilson focused on training
effective and aggressive . :. Indo-
Chinese troops" an obvious remark
for the benefit of Gen. Paul Ely,
French chief of staff who was in
Washington last week reporting on
the general Indo-China situation.
None of the United States lead
ers said so specifically, but all
seemed to take it for granted that
the Wet Namese and French
would be fighting on toward VIC
tory long after the Geneva con-
ference was history. Reports from
Red China and France, however,
gave no evidence that such an
assumption was realistic.
Evening star., 1954-03-28
The Big Picture

The war in Wet Nam is a COM
plex struggle among five principal
groups fighting mot always on
the same sideJ about two big is
sues, one internal, the other global.
Leading parties to the struggle
are democratically inclined Wet
NameSe, CommuniSt-inclined Wet
Namese who call themselves Wet
Mini, France, the United States
and Red China.
The internal issue is coLoniatasD1,
in which the French are arrayed
against all of the people of Wet
Nam, both those sympathetic to
communism and those favoring
the free world. The Wet Mini
choose to fight for their independ-
ence, while the loyal Wet Namese
hope to attain theirs by negotia-
ton. So far, the loyal Wet Namese
have won complete internal auton-
omy from the French-at least as
much as can be given in a war-torn
country-and now they are striv-
ing for independence in foreign
affairs as well.
The global issue is Communist
imperialism. Here the French and
loyal Wet Namese have the ma
terial support of the United States
and the moral backing of the free
world in their struggle against the
Wet Mini, who are succored by
Red Chinese arms and interna-
tional communism's moral sup
port.
The Strategy
The French-free world strategy
has been to set about settling both
issues at once, the colonialism
problem by arranging a peaceful
transition of government power
from French to loyal Wet Namese
hands, the communism issue by
launching military campaign
to crush the Reds completely.
But the Wet Namese' are not sat-
iSfied at the rate of transition of
government power out of French
hands and into theirs. Prince
Buu Loc, Premier of Wet Nam, is
in Paris now negotiating for COM
monwealth status like India has in
the British Commonwealth. Wet
Namese leaders claim they cannot
get their people to fight Commu-
mist encroachment with real en-
thuSiaSm until it can be shown
that Wet Nam has won complete
independence from the French.
Since the French cannot beat the
Reds without dedicated Wet
Namese troops in great numbers,
success in Paris is the sine qua
non for decisive free-world vic
tory in ndo-China. So goes the
Wet NameSe argument.
The French, on the other hand,
point to the obvious Wet Namese
immaturity Cfor which the French
themselves are responsible) and
insist that it will be prudent for
France to handle some foreign af-
fairs until local leadership can be
developed.
The State Department, mean
while, tries to steer a middle
course, sympathetic to Wet Mans
aspirations for complete inde-
pendence but wary of Czechoslo-
vakia-type coup if the country
goes of on its own too early.
The military strategy worked out
by the French last year envisions
victory-or at least suppression of
the Wet Mini as a military force
by the spring of 1856 If everything
goes according to plan, the Wet
Namese army will be able to deal
The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1954-09-24

holYdaYs. and attribute it to an
emotional or psychological factor
which can not easily be analysed.
Easier to clarity is the invaria-
BILE question about the role of the
Shofar in the holyday liturgy.
There are many ideas associated
with the Shofar, for it has been
discussed frequently by rabbinic
authorities. 1t ought to be known,
however, that the Earring sounds
of the rams horn are designed to
arouse us to an awareness of our
faults. It ought to be stated that
the Legendary surrounding the
Shofar and the bad luck which is
supposed to attend a congrega-
ton in which there is difficulty
in making it heard should be dis
The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1954-09-24
M0bile, Alabama
QUESTIONS AND REFLECTIONS
ON THE NEW YEAR
CONTINUED from Page l4o)

CONTINUED from Page l40)
the trumpets." Yom Kippur is
mentioned more frequently in the
Bible. once being referred to as a
Sabbath of Sabbaths." But there
are no indications that the high
holYdaYs were as overwhelmingly
popular as they are in our time.
Indeed. the principal celebrations
of our ancient forefathers were
the three agricultural. or Pilgrim
festivals. Passover. Sukkos. Shaw
uos. And even in the Talmud.
Sukkos is singled out as the lead.
ing holiday. being referred to as
THE festival. Hence. we find it
difficult to answer the question
about the popularity of the high
The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1954-09-24

counted. 1t ought further to be
known that the use of the Shofar
contains an important message
for the worshippers and for all
of mankind as well. In ancient
times the rams horn. was a mill
tary instrument, used to call
troops to battle. If today it is
employed not to summon people
to bloodshed but to penitence that
symbolizes the. hope of the Jew
that all martial devices will one
day be turned over to moral aims,
even as the prophet spoke about
the conversion of swords into
plows.
Often. we are queried about the
greeting. L'shonah tovah. It is
taken for granted by man that the
words mean happy new year" "
Actually. the term means for a
GOOD year." The wish is based
on still another of the many leg
ends which cluster about the high
holYdaYs. Familiar is the notion
that there is heavenly Judgment
Book on which are inscribed
names and their fate for the sue
ceeding year. the idea being that
religious fervor can rescue the
worshipper from possible destruc-
ton. or. in the words of the pray
er book. Prayer. charity. and
good deeds avert the evil decree. "
The full New Year greeting is.
Il 'shonah tovah tikawsaYv''
plural: tiskawaYvu) means then.
may you be written down for a
good year." The fact that Jews
wish one another a good" year
rather than happy" one touches
upon the vital distinction between
the Rosh Hashonah observance on
the first of Tishri and the New
Years Eve revelrY the night be-
fore the first of January. On the
high holYdaYs. we perform the
very wholesome but serious task
of looking ourselves straight in
the soul and trying to reckon the
progress we have made towards
using our divinelY received quail
ties to their full advantage. Wish
ing one another a good" year
indicates the realization of mans
possibility of improvement.